Cake, Cookies, and Brownies...Squash Brownies?

They're sweet. They're orange. They're brownies! Orange brownies? Yep. Orange squash brownies! I know what all you parents and kids alike out there are thinking: EWW! Nope. They're so so so good! I only tried it with pumpkin puree, so I don't know if it's good with acorn squash or pumpkin spice coffee. 

Brownies are sweet, but not very healthy. They're usually just a once-in-a-while snack. But these brownies are sweet like regular ones, and you're getting your veggies! Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Plus, they use whole wheat flour (even though they also require regular all-purpose flour, too). AND they have applesauce. 

Here is the recipe for these delicious treats:


Pumpkin Squash brownies

You Need:

• 2 cups of pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin puree
• 1.5 cups brown sugar
• .75 cups TFM Unsweetened applesauce
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• .5 tsp salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 cake pan.

In a bowl mix pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and salt.

In another bowl, sift flours, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until slightly thicker than the consistency of milk, add chocolate chips and walnuts if you so desire. Pour in cake pan and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Enjoy! 

Carmel Apple...Bits?

Carmel apples.YUM, right? But when you eat the outer shell, all you have left is plain old apple. BORING! Plus, they're not very healthy for your body. Ways to change both:

• Make the caramel yourself without high fructose corn syrup (recipe below post)!
• Chop the apples to bite size and dip into caramel for an even proportion

I'm not saying you HAVE to make the carmel, just suggesting that you try it out for a change. Go out to the store, buy that disgusting store caramel, What do I care? EVERYTHING!!! Why would a person EVER do that?!? That stuff is FULL of high fructose corn syrup. Also, maybe freeze the apple chunks before dipping. It helps the carmel to stick to the apple (but don't worry about it if you're just dipping and eating right away). It isn't technically an "Oh, I'll make caramel apple bits today" kind of thing, so set a time of day to do it. If you follow the recipe EXACTLY, though, you will have a tasty caramel treat in about...tick, tick, tick...20 minutes. So try it (but make sure you have every ingredient, as always)!

Caramel Sauce                                                                        *makes 8 to 10 servings*

Get out a small, heavy saucepan and place in it:

       1 cup of sugar                                                                       

Pour evenly over the top:

       1/4 cup water

Set over medium-high heat and swirl saucepan gently by the handle until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is clear. Avoid letting the syrup boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Increase the heat to high, cover the saucepan tightly, and boil the syrup for 2 minutes. Uncover the saucepan and continue to boil the syrup until it begins to darken around the edges. Gently swirl the pan by the handle until the syrup turns a deep amber and begins to smoke. Remove from the heat and add:

       8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Gently beat until the butter is incorporated. Stir in:

       1/2 cup heavy cream

If the sauce becomes lumpy, set the pan over low heat and stir until smooth. Turn off the heat and stir in:

       2 teaspoons vanilla

       pinch of salt

Serve warm or at room temperature. The sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 month; it will become solid. Reheat in a double boiler or in a heavy saucepan over very low heat, adding water if it is too thick.

We poured ours into a fondue pot and dipped the pieces into the warm caramel. Yummmm! 

Oh, and Happy Halloween from Super Mario!

Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin...Bread?

 The Pumpkin. Autumn's favorite squash/fruit. What do you think of when you hear the word"Pumpkin"? I think of Pumpkin pie, Jack O' Lanterns (My last post) and Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin bread? I know what you're thinking. What's that? It's a delicious half-cake half-bread dessert with a semi-strong taste of pumpkin and cinnamon with chocolate chips, raisins/crasins (cranberry-raisins), dates, walnuts and other things. Once you try it, there's no stopping the addiction. Let me tell you what we did to make this delicious treat:

• Bought pie pumpkins at local pumpkin patch (proceeds went to charity and cost less than at a grocery store)
• Cooked them down and froze them in 2-cup portions to be used for pumpkin bread and/or pumpkin pie

We got the recipe from Joy of Cooking, but added the chocolate chips and added  chopped dates. This recipe is delicious plain, toasted, with butter/peanut butter, but best hot, fresh out of the oven. Try it. TRY IT. TRY IT! TRY IT! You'll love it.

Mr. Jack O. Lantern

Okay, I admit it--fall's here. But it's not all bad! Sure, you have to get back to the same old school routine, but Halloween and Thanksgiving are coming up! Halloween. That spooky night, also called All Hallows Eve, where kids all over the world dress up in costumes and go from door to door, collecting candy with, you guessed it, Jack-O-Lanterns everywhere. Of course, you want to have your Jack-O-Lanterns ready by All Hallows Eve, so you carve it earlier. That is exactly what I did over the past weekend. Kids, you want to have a parent do the little details, but don't be afraid to do a little carving, too. For those of you who have never carved a pumpkin before, It's not hard, but if you do it wrong, it can result in frustration. Try not to do too many little details. It also doesn't take too long, but try to set out a 45 min-1 hour period to do the project. If you haven't done this traditional Halloween project before, I encourage you to try it. If you have, do it again. For a yummy snack, roast the pumpkin seeds that you find. You should love this project!

  



*TIP: WEAR DISHWASHING GLOVES.*

                                                      

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade!

I can't believe summer's over, can you? Back to school, where you have to learn for 8 hours of the day and then, come home and do homework for an hour. But just to remind myself of the glory of summer vacation, I like to have a glass of lemonade. MMMMMmmmmmm, lemonade. Yeah, I know what all you parents out there are thinking: "Lemonade is just sugar water and citrus, you don't need that in your body!" Well, that may be true, but the disgusting processed kind from a packet just won't do. It's unhealthy, and plus, as I said, in the fall and winter, lemonade is supposed to remind you of summer! The packet kind just reminds me of a bitter, tasteless season that doesn't exist. So, we make it homemade! It's delicious, and it's a little bit better for your body. All you need is lemons, ice, simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) and regular water. Try this recipe the next time you want to enjoy the glory of summer before it comes:

You Need:

• 1-1 and 1/2 lemons
• simple syrup
• water
• ice (optional) 
• a cup

Procedure: 

1. Make simple syrup, then put it on the stove and bring it to a boil. YOU MUST LET THE SIMPLE SYRUP COOL COMPLETELY.

2. Pour ice into cup.

3. Roll lemon(s) and cut them in half. Then, juice them and pour the remaining lemon juice into your cup.

4. Add simple syrup and water to your desire.

5. Enjoy!

Friend of the Devil is a Friend of Mine

I've never been so Grateful for a snack! Devils on Horseback are dates stuffed with an almond and then wrapped in bacon. Dates are an autumn seasonal fruit that is high in vitamins A and K, iron, potassium, fiber and anti-oxidants. An almond is a crunchy nut that is low in saturated fat and high in calcium, folic acid (HELLO PREGNANT LADIES), magnesium and phosphorus. And then there's bacon. Bacon is not so good for you, but it is soooo good. Actually, you can make the bacon part of the dish better for your body by using low sodium bacon with no nitrates. 

This finger food is a traditional christmas item, and it's GOOD. My dad made it when my grandparents came over for dinner one night because he's been eating them at his work, Table (a fancy famous restaurant in Asheville), and he thought they were awesome too. Here is the recipe:

Cut some pitted dates in half (each whole date will make one devil on horseback).
Put one almond each inside and close them up.
Take a strip of bacon and wrap the now almond-stuffed date in it.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. Enjoy, you little devil!

Hot (Chocolate) Stuff

I know you like it. You like it just as much as anyone would, but I can assure you, I like it more than you ever would. I'm loco for cocoa. I love hot chocolate! But, we don't have hot chocolate very often, and when we do, we don't want to drink the disgusting processed kind from a packet. Instead, we make our own from cocoa powder. We sweeten it with sugar, but you could sweeten it with agave nectar, honey, or anything you think would be good in hot cocoa. You can get the cocoa powder at your local Ingles market. The recipe is on the side of the chocolate powder container. Next time you're loco for cocoa, try this. come on, we all know you'll love it!

Peanut, Peanut Butter (Balls)

I love snacks. How about you? Yeah, I thought so. Most of the sweet snacks out there aren't very healthy. We make a snack that's sweet AND healthy, if you can believe it. They're called Peanut Butter/Protein Balls. They are perfect for on the go, to put in lunch bags, and lots more. Including the refrigerating process (which takes 15 minutes) they take about 30 minutes to make. The following list is a recipe for these delicious balls. Let me know what you think by posting a comment (you need a google account to do that). Try me! Like me!

Peanut Butter/ Protein Balls:

3/4 cup nonfat milk powder

1/2 cup ground flaxseed (also okay to use whole flaxseed)

1/2 cup peanut butter (the less sugar the better)

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup crushed cereal (I use oatmeal that I first zap in the food processor)

Combine first two ingredients. Add peanut butter then honey and stir to mix well. (This takes some elbow grease! Make sure all ingredients are well blended.) Stir in any combination of the following (or anything else you think would be yummy):

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup Craisins

1/3 cup sunflower nuts

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup walnut (chips)

Now roll into balls and then put the balls into a bowl of the crushed cereal to coat them. Refrigerate until firm (about 15 minutes).

TIP: Every time I make this, I wish I made more. Double the recipe!!

Pizza Go!

 You know what the top-selling fast food in America is? Pizza. I know, trigger word: fast-food. If you love pizza but don't want as much unhealthiness as chain pizza restaurants, make it homemade, like we do. You can get the crusts at the store. We get the Mama Mary's Whole Wheat made-with-honey pizza crust (it comes in a 2-pack) at Ingles. We load it up with pepitas, pepperoni, and veggies, like green peppers, black olives and onions. Plus, you can load it up with WAY more toppings than a pizza place would give you. AND you can put different toppings for each person! Try it. You'll love it!

Don't Hate Your Veggies!

I just started my first week of school, and everyone knows that the first week is "germs" week. I came home from school one day and immediately passed my germs to my baby brother, Everett. Well, what should we do, stuff him full of  Advil and Tylenol, or fruits and veggies? We, of course chose fruits and veggies. Only problem is, Everett doesn't like them much. Then, we came up with a solution: we juiced kale, apples, and carrots! We all drink it like there's no tomorrow. We got our electric juicer hand-me-down, but you can get them at secondary stores for $20 and at other stores for $50-$100, too. We usually put 1 apple in each cup, 1 carrot, and 1 bunch of kale. Try it. It's delicious!

Dillicious Cheese

We went to the farmer's market today, and we picked out a cheese from a company called Three Graces Dairy. The cheese was called 'Dillicious,' and it was a goat cheese with dill. The cheese was made by Roberta Ferguson. It was very good! The reason the company is called Three Graces Dairy is because of the three dairy-producing animals: cow, sheep, and goat. 

Their cheeses are made locally in WNC (Western North Carolina), and things like that reduce carbon footprint, which is very good for the earth. In fact, this cheese is a farmstead cheese. According to the company's web site, ..."In order for a cheese to be classified as "farmstead," as defined by the American Cheese Society, the cheese must be made with milk from the farmer's own herd, or flock, on the farm where the animals are raised." Also, I like that Three Graces Dairy's animals "... are spoiled rotten on a diet of healthful grain, supplements and free range pastures managed without the use of herbicides or pesticides."

I give this cheese 4 stars. If you want to try it, just stop by the Asheville City Market on on a Saturday morning. Good cheese to you!

Delish-cuits

Do you like biscuits? I know I do. If you read my first post, I said that I have a magic touch for biscuits--it's true. I've constantly been told in my family that no one makes them better. But I don't think it's me. I think it's just natural.  They can be served with pasta dishes, soups and can be a great base for desserts (strawberry shortcake is a great example.) Butter and jam make them even better. Maybe try them for breakfast with honey. I got the recipe that has been passed down for a few generations. Try them. They're really good! 

Baking Powder Biscuits

PREHEAT OVEN TO 450 DEGREES (F)

sift together into mixing bowl:
4 cups flour (always sift)
2 heaping tbsp baking powder
1tsp salt

With fingers or pastry blender:
work in 1/2 cup shortening

With a fork:
quickly work in just a little more than 1 and 1/3 cup milk. Add more milk little by little until dough is soft and light.

turn out onto floured cloth

fold cloth up over dough to cover dough and pat down until smooth.

roll out using only the weight of the rolling pin to about 3/4" to 1" thick

shape with a biscuit cutter (or use a glass dipped in flour)

place on an ungreased cookie sheet so they are touching each other

prick each biscuit once lightly with a fork

Bake at 450 degrees (F) for 12-15 minutes (just golden on top)

**DO NOT WORK DOUGH TOO MUCH!**

Hot and Delicious

I love bread. Especially fresh baked bread. I'm in San Francisco right now, and bread is one of their specialties. Fresh baked bread. This bakery is called Boudin Sourdough, although it is much more than just that. It is also a restraunt. It has delicious clam chowder. They make alligator bread (bread in the shape of an alligator) and teddy bear bread (bread in the shape of a teddy bear)! You could smell the bread out in the street BLOCKS before you got there! Delicious! 5 stars! I highly recommend going here. If you like bread, you're going to love this. 

Delectible Ghirardelli

The city by the bay (San Francisco, California) is awesome! So far I've been to Alcatraz, the Ghirardelli chocolate factory/cafe, Fisherman's Wharf, and Pier 39. But back to Ghirardelli chocolate. A chocoholic's paradise! At least fifteen flavors, not to mention their sundaes. Alot of the flavors are great, but in my opinion, some flavors are just not good, like dark chocolate sea salt. Some of their other flavors are:

• white chocolate/vanilla
• milk chocolate
• dark chocolate
• milk chocolate/caramel
• dark chocolate/caramel

I give this place 9 stars on a 10-star scale. I'll throw in half a star for the free sample they give you when you walk in. Next time you're in San Francisco, come here. You'll love it!

Ghirardelli sundaes

Ghirardelli chocolate covered strawberries

Ghirardelli chocolate manufactory/cafe

Guilt-Free Chocolate

Everyone loves chocolate, but unless it's very dark chocolate with no added sugar, chocolate isn't very healthy for your body. One way to solve this problem is to melt chocolate and dip strawberries into it. This way, you get your fruit and enjoy a small amount of delicious chocolate at the same time. MMMMMMmmmmm. A lot of people know about this treat since it is common now, but not a lot of people   know that you can get dipping chocolate in a microwavable container at the grocery store. This dessert is quick, easy, healthy (ish) and delicious. I give it 7 stars on a 5-star scale. So the next time you have a sweet tooth, make this. You know you'll love it!  

Twice Baked...Avocados?

I went to the library yesterday and checked out a cookbook on cold foods. The book is Best of Cold Foods published by HPBooks. There's a recipe in this cookbook called Avocado-Crabmeat Cocktail. It is an appetizer made by scooping out the flesh of the avocado and mixing it with crabmeat, mushrooms, lemon juice, sour cream, horseradish and a few seasonings and herbs, including fresh dill from my garden. It is served chilled in an avocado shell much like a twice baked potato, but with the obvious substitution. I liked it best on crackers. I give it 5 stars. It was delicious! I also recommend trying this in different ways, such as on bread, chips, pita or crostini. If this tastes or even looks good to you, great! If not, no need to worry. Not everyone likes avocado. But it's worth trying, because avocado is a brain food. 

Pancakes Galore!

Everybody loves hot, delicious pancakes, right? But how do you make them? More importantly, how do you make them healthier? Pancakes have a good reason for being a once in a while treat. But there are ways that you can make them with less fat and carbs in every one. One of those ways is, when you don't have the time and money to make them from scratch, select the healthiest box mix you can find, such as organic or whole wheat mix with little or no preservatives. Another thing, I used fruit (blueberries, strawberries and bananas), not maple syrup, to sweeten my pancakes. I also used a yogurt-based spread, not butter, to give my pancakes that traditional, buttery taste. Also, after I put the fruit on my pancakes, I put some more pancake mix on, but just enough to cover the fruit so it didn't get grilled and to hold the pancakes together. I suggest doing all of these things to make your pancakes healthier. Have fun eating your pancakes!

A Garden is The Way To Go

If you live in my town, you'll know what I mean. A garden is the way to go. A large carbon footprint is not going to get you good, fresh food. Most of the time, the freshest and best foods come from the earth in your yard. The farmer's market also reduces your carbon footprint and get's you fresh food from a garden usually less than 5 miles away just like edibles from your own garden. But if you live someplace like NYC, that's all right. You can go to the grocery store, which increases your carbon footprint, but you can still get good foods from there, too. You can do so by buying things that are local or organic. A garden truly is the way to go!

This Is Me

Hello. My name is Rylan Dunn, and I love cooking. I am a 9 year old boy with, well, quite a lot of talents. My grandmother started teaching me how to make guacamole when I was about 3 years old(mmmmm... one of the first foods I learned how to make!) she also taught me how to make pizza and biscuits--I have a magic touch for biscuits! 


I live in Asheville North Carolina now, and this town does NOT need any grocery stores. People will only cook and eat foods from their gardens. Almost literally. We have a garden also, but a very small one at that. We're looking to grow some more actual foods, since our garden is mostly herbs.


Anyway, I think that's enough for my introduction, don't you? Yeah. Until next week, see you!                                                                                               




                                                                                                 7/14/2012