Raisin’ The Bar

What better way to start a Monday then with a joke, right?

Q: Why did the raisin go out with the prune?
A: Because he couldn't find a date.

A raisin, for me at least, is a somewhat unattractive food. I mean, who like their food to be shriveled and an odd color? I was always told you eat with your eyes first, and raisins are one of those things I try not to. Raisins and myself also have somewhat of a come and go relationship. If I have a box in the pantry, no doubt I will use them. But if not, that’s ok too. But lately, things with Mr.Raisin and I have changed slightly. Our relationship has been taken to the next level because he decided to come over all covered in chocolate! And his brother, well he came dancing with cinnamon. So needless to say, the recipes featured today saved my shaky relationship, and now I am sure Mr.Raisin will be around for quite sometime!

Best Bread Machine Cinnamon-Raisin Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 c water
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine, softened
• 3 cups bread flour
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
• 3/4 c raisins

Directions:

• Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except raisins in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Add raisins at the Raisin/Nut signal or 5 to 10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends.
• Select Sweet or Basic/White cycle. Use Medium or Light crust color. Remove baked bread from pan and cool on wire rack.

Nutrition Information:

1 Slice: Calories 180 (Calories from Fat 20 ); Total Fat 2 g (Saturated Fat 1 g); Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 310 mg; Total Carbohydrate 38 g (Dietary Fiber 2 g); Protein 4 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 10 % Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch

This bread is truly the easiest and the best recipe I’ve found for cinnamon-raisin bread thus far!

Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 package Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix + ingredients called for on package

• 9 oz chocolate covered raisins

Directions:

• Mix according to package directions.
• Once mixed, add in chocolate covered raisins and incorporate.
• Make 1 Tbsp size balls and place on nonstick cookie sheet, or use my new favorite find below.
• Bake according to package instructions.

 

Looking for a way to make your cookie baking more fun?

Like easy cleanup?

Need a way to keep cookies from running together when baking?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you will want to stick around for the debut of my new favorite kitchen helper.

Bulls Eye Baking Parchment

“Have a blast hitting the mark with your favorite cookie doughs and baked treats on our non-stick and food-safe baking parchment. Printed with a 'Bakers dozen' of bold bullseyes for easy placement, your recipes will hit the mark every time!”

Thanks to the ever-so-kind Richard over at We Bake it Fun, I was able to try these out, and what better way to try a new product and pair it with a new recipe!

So easy to hit the bulls eye!

Perfectly spaced and deliciously tasting cookies!

Have you heard about the bulls eye baking sheets?

Fruit + Veggies = ?

It seems these days we are always hearing messages whether it be in print, on tv, or from your doctor that we should be meeting our quota of daily fruits and veggies. (Find out how many you really need here) For me, it’s never been a big deal, because thankfully fruits and veggies are always welcome on my plate! There is never really a meal that I eat that doesn’t have some type of produce.(Either fresh, frozen, or canned.) But for others who can’t down broccoli, or moms that have picky kids, you need to find recipes that can “sneak” produce in foods in unlikely ways. Today’s recipe contains one veggie and two fruits, so if you eat a slice (which is not hard to do!), you’ll knock off some out your daily fruit & veggie quota.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes: 16 slices

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 c cake flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 2 egg whites, room temp
• 1/2 c granulated sugar (or Splenda if you prefer)
• 1/2 c apple butter (I used 1 jar of carrot baby food instead)
• 1/4 c canola oil
• 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 carrots, coarsely shredded (about 1 1/2 c)

Frosting:

• 1 (8 oz) package fat-free cream cheese, at room temp
• 1 1/2 c confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 c plain reduced-fat (2%) Greek yogurt (I used Yoplait Thick and Creamy Cinnamon Roll yogurt instead)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (nuts are optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 2 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray.
• Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl—set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and egg whites on high for about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Gradually add the granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture and beat until just blended. Stir in the pineapple, carrots, and raisins.
• Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let pan cool on racks completely.
• To make frosting, with an electric mixer on high speed. Beat the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on a serving plate. With a narrow metal spatula, spread 1/2 c frosting over the layer. Top with remaining layer, rounded side up. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle walnuts on the top of the cake.

[[Recipe adapted from here.]]

Carrot cake has to be one of my favorite cakes out there! I think my mom may have passed her love of it on to me—but I’m not complaining! What is your favorite cake to eat? Or are you just a frosting eater? Any super recipes?

More Bang for Your Bagel Buck

Happy Tuesday all! Hope everyone is sailing through the week to another highly anticipated weekend. Hopefully you have some fun plans or some major relaxation scheduled! I’m still going to be prepping for my grad party that is less than 2 weeks away! Thank you all so much for all your recommendations with casseroles and such to make for serving. One thing for sure is I am making some type of pulled meat as Erica suggested(thanks so much for the long and YUMMY list btw), and my grandpa will be making some stellar chicken wings. I am so excited to present a “virtual” tour of my party to you guys! A neighbor is making the cake so I pretty much get to customize it to my liking and so far it is going to be adorable! But I better stop or I will give everything away spoil all the fun—so you’ll have to sit tight till June 20th. I know you will =)

On to some food business as usual. I loved how I received tons of feedback on how some recipes just can’t be tweaked or can’t keep that special taste by being healthified. I totally agree 101%, and today’s recipe is one that fits the bill. If I want a good bagel, well then I’m going to eat one regardless. Of course I did make these 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose instead of all white. Wheat just has an unbeatable taste. But, if you’re not the type to make your own bagels (yeast rising, boiling + baking) you can always check out my review of Kim's Light Bagels if you missed it before & buy some ASAP. I just don’t understand how they can make such light bagels, but retain such a full and flavorful taste. Maybe one day I will health stealth em’. I decided to stab Einstein Bros in the back and any other bagel companies and make my own! Hello saving money and total customization anyone?

Homemade Bagels

Recipe adapted from here.

Yield: 8-12 bagels

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water (112-115 degrees F)
2 tablespoons dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt 
2 cups all-purpose flour + 2 1/4 C ww flour
8 cups of water, for boiling
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water

Optional add-ins: cinnamon, raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts, blueberries—basically anything that fits your fancy!

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, mix yeast, sugar and warm water together and let stand 3 minutes.

2. Mix 2 cups of flour with the salt in a large bowl; then add the yeast mixture. Stir until combined and slowly mix in the rest of the flour.

3. Knead dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes, adding additional flour if necessary. Dough should be fairly smooth and somewhat firm. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until double.

4. Punch dough down (if using additions, add these now). Divide and shape into 12 balls. (For larger bagels, make only 8 balls.) Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

5. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Make a hole in each ball of dough and pull open about 2 inches, making a bagel shape. Place the shaped dough onto a cookie sheet and cover for 10 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop 2 or 3 bagels at a time into the boiling water for about 45 seconds, turning each once.

7. Drain cooked bagels on a wire rack. Mix egg white and water; brush tops with egg white mixture and top with optional toppings, if using. Place bagels on greased baking sheets.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, turning once half-way through baking. (If making plain bagels, you can flip the bagels; otherwise, just rotate.) Bagels will be lightly browned and shiny.

9. Optional step: My bagels were still slightly doughy in the inside after baking, so I sliced all of them in half and baked open face on 350 F for another 10 minutes; worked like a charm!

Toast and Enjoy!

Apparently my dog was hoping there was a bone flavored bagel in the mix—he was disappointed to say the least.

Good for You Goodies: Sonoma Crisps

Good day all =) Figured I’d hit you up with a new Good for You Goodie. I have received a couple of stellar boxes in the mail the past couple of days—lets just say there’s some things coming up you do not want to miss! Including today’s post—good thing your already here. Read on!! [[BTW—Make sure to check out my girl Laura over at PineappleGurl and her awesome feature Alphabet Fruit—fun stuff!)

The Good For You Goodie: Dried Fruit Crisps

The Company: Sonoma Crisps

The Chew Review: Yes—another dried fruit stash to add to my ever-growing collection; good thing I eat em’ fast! I knew that Sonoma Crisps would be unique when compared to the rest. They are made Sebastopol, which is a small town in Sonoma County, California. (Wish I was in California again!) Anyways, they have 4 products—Apple Sticks in Original, Apple Cinnamon Sticks, Golden Delicious Apple Sticks, and my favorite, the Raisin Crunch.

I will start with my favorite!

Raisin Crunch was the first bag I plucked out of the box that Sonoma so generously sent.(Thanks again!) I loove raisins and will pretty much eat them any way. But I had never had these kind before! Here’s what Sonoma has to say--“We developed the crunchy raisins snack after listening to customers who didn’t care for the squishy texture or unique taste of traditional raisins.  The sole ingredient is high-quality raisins grown in the warm sunshine of Fresno, California. Using a unique, oil-free process, we essentially “inflate” the raisins, turning them into a light and crispy snack that literally pops in your mouth. Traditionally, most raisins have been used for baking and cooking, but Pop'n Raisin can be enjoyed in a wide variety of ways…as a snack…as a salad topper…in virtually any culinary scene you can imagine. It’s a whole new concept for enjoying those world-renowned California Raisins.
Even if you’re not a big raisin fan, don’t hesitate to try Pop'n Rasin. With one crunchy pop, it will change everything you’ve ever known or thought about the traditional raisin.”

I think that pretty much sums up why I loved em’! Check out how round and jumbo they are. Yes, I still love my standard chewy raisins, but these are excellent all in their own way. Crunchy but airy, delicious but light. I will definitely be buying these for future munching! I am going to try some in cereal and see how it works also.

 

 

 

 

Cinnamon Apple Sticks were my 2nd favorite of the bunch—but I could have guessed they would be because a cinnamon/apple combo has yet to fail to disappoint me.

Here’s Sonoma’s snippet--“Apple Sticks Cinnamon are created using the same oil-free, slow-bake process as the Apple Sticks Original, with a pinch of cinnamon thrown in.
Just like when making apple pie or cider, adding a touch of cinnamon gives the apples a rich, aromatic flavor while removing the bitterness of the cinnamon itself.
Each bag of Apple Sticks Cinnamon contains the equivalent of 1½ apples, making it a fun, flavorful and healthy snack with just 80 calories, no fat and a full 12% of the recommended Daily Value of fiber.”

I think adding cinnamon anytime, anywhere is great and with these the cinnamon flavor was not hidden at all. Plus my favorite thing besides the taste of course was the awesome “french fry” look! I prefer eating dried fruit in this form more than any other! Why you ask? Just because it’s fun! =) I think these are going to be great dipped in some light caramel sauce.

Golden Delicious Apple Crisps were truly delicious. I had yet to try a apple crisp made from a golden delicious, but it was up to my standards by a long shot! Sonoma says--“Golden Delicious is a new fruit snack from Sonoma Crisps, featuring a lighter taste and somewhat milder flavor than our snacks made from the bolder-flavored Apple Sticks Original.
Like our other apple snacks, each bag of Golden Delicious contains the equivalent of 1½ apples, with just 70 calories, no fat and a full 8% of the recommended Daily Value of fiber.
Golden Delicious is made exclusively with select Golden Delicious apples from the state of Washington.”

It did have a somewhat milder taste, but not boring at all! Great spin on an apple crisp! =)

 

 

And last but not least the Original Apple Sticks. Now don’t get me wrong—these weren’t bad, just original. And as you all know, I love originality but these were still not my favorite of the bunch, just because I have had original apple crisps before. Still, these were special due to the fun fry shape again! Here’s what Sonoma has to say,"Made with only the finest – and freshest – Apple Sticks Original is a new wholesome snack!
With each bag containing the equivalent of 1½ apples, you can enjoy a deliciously light snack at just 70 calories, with no fat and a full 8% of the recommended Daily Value of fiber.
During the apple season from Summer to Fall, we use the freshly-harvested apples of our native California. The rest of the year, we select apples from the state of Washington, America’s largest grower.
To preserve and capture the apple’s natural mild flavor and subtle hint of tartness, we bake Apple Sticks Original slowly and carefully, giving them a crispy texture (without using a single drop of oil).
We invite you to try a bag – and taste for yourself why Apple Sticks Original is a uniquely flavorful way to snack right.”

Overall I am definitely giving Sonoma Crisps an A! I highly recommend their products due to what I thought was originality with the shapes and tastes—and of course those crazy good raisins! They could be in your local grocery store, or you can always order from Amazon. Have a awesome day!