Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup walnut

Directions

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hot Mama Grade: A-

Hot Mama Notes: These cookies are fantastic for healthy cookies.  They are very tasty and great for breakfast.  That being said, don't expect them to replace your favorite dessert cookie.  They are not sweet like that.  Nonetheless, my family loves them, and we continue to make them again and again.  I substitute grated carrot for the carrot baby food.  My sister in law uses apple sauce.  I might try that next time; maybe that will make them more moist.  I use regular whole wheat flour and light brown sugar (unless I happen to have dark brown).  I substitute milk chocolate chips for raisins and omit the nuts.

Tater Tot Casserole

Original Recipe:

1 lb Ground Beef
1 can Peas, drained and rinsed
1 can Corn, drained and rinsed
1 can Cream of Celery (or Mushroom or whatever) soup
1/2 c Milk
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg Frozen Tater Tots

Preheat oven to 350F.  Brown and drain ground beef.  Add corn, peas, soup and milk.  Mix together and add most of the cheese (set aside a handful).  Put in a casserole dish (you can use a 13x9x2 pan or a couple of casserole dishes, anything will work!).  Scatter the remaining cheese on top.  Cover with frozen tator tots.  Bake at 350F for 45 minutes to an hour.  Enjoy!

Modified Recipe:

1 to 2 lbs Ground Turkey

2c+ Frozen Peas

2c+ Frozen Corn

1c Broccoli (frozen or fresh)

1 can Cream of Asparagus (or whatever) soup

1/2c Milk

1c shredded cheddar cheese

1c shredded mozzarella cheese

1 pkg Frozen Tater Tots

Sue's Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
4      Eggs
1 can Pumpkin
1c    Milk
1c    Oil
2/3c Water
4c    Sugar
3.5c Flour
2t     Baking Soda
1t     Salt
1T   Nutmeg
1T   Cinnamon
1t    Allspice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix all wet ingredients.  Combine all dry ingredients together and add to wet ingredients.  Grease loaf pans (2 or 3 standard loaf pans, or many small/mini loaf pans).  Bake 45-50 minutes for a standard loaf pan, or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.  30 to 35 minutes for small loaf pans.

Hot Mama Grade: A

Hot Mama Notes: I make this with 3 cups sugar, and that is PLENTY.  This is our favorite pumpkin bread.  So moist.  The family *loves* it.  :)   With the recipe above, I fill 3 standard loaf pans, and it works quite well.  If you use the same amount of batter in two pans, they are overly full and may spill over.  And I hate oven messes! :P  I also like to use freshly grated whole nutmeg.  YUM.