I am almost ashamed to post this recipe because it’s so simple. Almost. :)

You may have already discovered it, but yesterday was my first time to make these cute little donuts using canned biscuit dough. My son has some food allergies, including eggs, and I assumed that canned biscuits had egg in them. To my delight, they don’t. I even found a less offensive ingredient list on the Pillsbury Simply Buttermilk Biscuits. They don’t have artificial colors or high fructose corn syrup. There is a small amount of hydrogenated soybean oil, though, so they are not totally virtuous.

But for our purposes here, they were the best choice. And the recipe is a no-brainer. Cut a hole in the middle of each biscuit using whatever tool you like. We found that water bottle caps are the perfect size, but biscuit cutters work, as do cookie cutters or shot glasses.

Heat about an inch of oil in your pan or fryer, and test the oil with a small amount of dough to be sure it’s right. You want the dough to turn golden brown in about 30 seconds.  (Too fast browning will mean the middle will be doughy, and the temp needs to cool a little. I learned this from experience.) When one side is golden, flip with tongs and brown the other side. It’s easy to see when they are done. Then drain on a paper towel.

Now comes the glaze, which you could make to your specs. I just eyeballed it, pouring some powdered sugar in a bowl and drizzling in milk until the consistency was right for me. Then, just dip the donuts into the glaze on each side, and they are done! Don’t forget to cook the donut holes, too. They are great little bites.

One note is that these donuts were so much better on the first night than the morning after. Hope you love them!

My five-year-old is OBSESSED with cake balls and cake pops.  Have you made them yet?

You can buy a special cupcake pan that bakes them into perfect spheres, and then you put a lollipop stick in them and decorate with frosting or candy coating. Or you can bake a cake, crumble it, mix in some icing and form balls by hand. Then you chill them so they are firm enough to insert the stick and dip into the coating of your choice.  They are a big hit with kids, as they are about three bites big, and you can have fun decorating them into characters, etc. There are entire cook books dedicated to this.

But I had some cake pops at a Halloween party that were so good I had to try them myself. They are now one of my very favorite recipes, as they have 3 ingredients and are basically impossible to mess up. They are Oreo Truffles, and they might just be your new favorite, too.

Ingredients:
36 Oreo cookies
8 oz block of low fat cream cheese at room temperature
14 oz. bag of white candy coating chips or almond bark

Put the cookies into a large Ziploc bag and crush into crumbs by pounding and rolling with a rolling pin. (You can use a food processor, if you prefer.) Next, add the cream cheese and mix together thoroughly. I tried using a spoon, but ended up mixing it by hand like I would do with a meat loaf. Then, form balls of the dough, and place them on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet. I suggest making them small, as they are very rich! When the balls are all made, chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, so the balls hold up when they are dipped.

The candy coating is best melted over a double boiler. I filled a medium sized sauce pan with water and put a large glass mixing bowl on top of the pan. The water should just touch the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water to a boil, then add the chips into the bowl and stir occasionally until they are very smoothly melted. You can also melt them in the microwave on Defrost, but I have never gotten that to work as well!

Now, drop the Oreo balls one by one into the melted candy, and return them to the cookie sheet. Return them to the fridge for about 20 minutes, until the coating is crisp. Done!

They are so delicious. If you like, you can dip them in colorful sprinkles or sugar while they are warm, just to dress them up. Though, really, once you taste them, I predict you won’t even care how they look!

Ahhh. The first day of Fall. It’s my favorite season for so many reasons: I love the chill in the air, the changing colors and all of the activities that the season brings, like football, hay rides, corn mazes, big pots of hearty stew and nightly hot chocolate.

I have a business, a husband and a kindergartner to care for, as well as all the usual commitments to family, community, charity, etc., so like you, I am always looking for shorter and faster ways to the finish line. At my house, we love dessert, and I relish a free afternoon spent baking a new recipe. But for those times when time is tight, and we just want a little comfort food, I fall back on old, reliable recipes.

For Fall, baked apples are a big hit with my family. I have tried them so many ways that I can really whip them up with whatever we have in the pantry. I love that about this recipe; it’s kind of hit or miss with ingredients, and it’s hard to mess up. I am going to give you several options of what to include, and you can pick and choose based on what you have on hand. The beauty here is that it whips up in about 15 minutes, then bakes for about an hour, so you really don’t have a big time commitment. And the house filling with the autumnal aromas of apples, cinnamon and roasted nuts is a bonus!

Baked Apples Your Way

Ingredients:
4 baking apples (I use Honey Crisp, but use your favorite)
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter or substitute (I use Earth Balance)
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 Cup water

Optional ingredients (some or all of these are great):
4 Tbsp oats
2 Tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts
2 Tbsp chopped raisins or currants
3/4 cup white wine (as a substitute for the water)

Mix ingredients of your choice in a small bowl. Core each apple, making a well big enough to hold 1/4 of the filling mixture in each apple. Place apples in an 8×8 baking dish (I use glass), and pour water or wine into the bottom of the dish. Fill each apple evenly with the mixture, mounding it on top if there is extra. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to one hour, depending on the size of the apples. (Check it after 45 minutes for tenderness.) Serve with low fat frozen yogurt or ice cream, if your gang approves.

I am making this dessert tonight for a treat after my son’s T-ball game. If I get them out of the oven right before we leave, they may still be a little warm when we get home to enjoy them. Wish you were here!

Summer is the perfect time to throw together a cool fruit salad. I love having ready-made, healthy snacks in the fridge so I can grab them as I run past. Recently, a friend served this mango salad during a play date, and I thought it was brilliant in its simplicity. It looks fancy, but it’s so easy, fast and affordable.

Also, I love mango, but I find it a little sweet. The acidity in the lime really brings down that sweetness and adds a nice little kick. The cilantro is unexpected and really delicious. This salad is so colorful, healthy and yummy – perfect for a summer side dish or dessert.

Ingredients
2 Mangos, cubed
6 Strawberries, sliced
1/2 pint Blackberries
1 Lime
1 Tbsp chopped Cilantro

Put mango and berries in a shallow tupperware container that is big enough for most of the fruit to touch the bottom. Squeeze the juice of a whole lime over the fruit, sprinkle the cilantro on top, and toss the salad. Marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours, and serve cold.

Did you ever want just one perfect piece of dessert, but you didn’t want to make a whole batch of your favorite treat? That’s what (sort of) happened to me this week.

My son was going to an after-camp activity, and the kids were going to be eating pizza and rice cereal treats. Because of his allergies, I always make his food and send it with him. Well, the day before the event, I realized that a) I didn’t have enough ingredients for a whole batch of treats, and b) I really didn’t want to have a whole batch of them lying around and calling out my name for the next week.

So, I did what most resourceful Moms would do. I figured out a way to make just one rice cereal treat!  It wasn’t rocket science, but when I had succeeded in creating exactly what I needed with no waste, I have to say it was empowering. It might not cure a disease or bring peace to the planet, but this little jewel kept me from doing a grocery store run in my PJs, and that counts for something in my book. Here’s how I did it:

In a microwave-safe bowl, place 1/2 teaspoon of butter and 2 large marshmallows. Microwave them for about 15-20 seconds, or until they puff up and look like they’re melted. Now, stir in 1/2 cup of rice cereal (I used Rice Krispies), and form the blob into whatever shape you like. If that isn’t a busy Mom recipe, I don’t know what is.

Voila! A perfect rice cereal treat with very little clean up. Now, if I could figure out how to make just one brownie…

I love to bake, and my five-year-old loves to help me. With his severe food allergies (egg, peanut and tree nut), enjoying baked goods can be tricky. Luckily, I have learned to substitute safe alternatives and, in most cases, you can’t tell the difference from the “real thing.”

This weekend, we had some bananas that we wanted to use, so we decided to make a loaf of Banana Bread. We left out the nuts, substituted egg replacer for the egg, and used low fat versions of other ingredients, and we ended up with a delicious dessert/breakfast/snack with very little fat. We like to toast each piece and add a dab of Earth Balance or butter. Hope you like it!

Low Fat, Egg Free Banana Bread
2 Cups Flour (All Purpose or Oat Flour will work)
1 Cup Raw Sugar
1/4 Cup Earth Balance (or butter)
3 Bananas, mashed
1/4 Cup Low Fat Milk
1/4 Cup Low Fat Sour Cream
EnerG Egg Replacer (1 Egg equivalent)
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sugar and Earth Balance until well blended. (I used a mixer, but you could probably do just as well by hand.) Add in all wet ingredients and mix well. Mix dry ingredients together and incorporate them slowly into the wet ingredients. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray, and pour batter into pan. Bake for 1 hr 10 min at 350 degrees. Cool and dig in!
Note: I let my loaf cool in the pan, and it got a little mushy. I think cooling it on a rack may be a better option.

Some recipes are just too good (and EASY) not to share. Last night’s dinner, also today’s lunch, of Greek Chicken is one of my favorites. It’s fast, has a few ingredients that you probably already have in the pantry, and cooks in one pan in just 3o minutes!

I got this recipe from a recipe exchange a few years ago. It was sort of like a recipe chain email where you post one recipe and you end up with lots of others from friends and acquaintances. I love that concept because I can think of that friend when I make the meal. I will post another recipe from that same chain – a fabulous coconut cake – another time.

Greek Chicken
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Can Diced Tomatoes (I use the Italian seasoned ones, but plain is fine)
3 Tbsp Capers
1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives
1 Bunch of Scallions, chopped
1/2 Jar of seasoned Artichoke Hearts (remove any tough outer leaves)
1 Tbsp Greek Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish, and cover with tomatoes.  Sprinkle in remaining ingredients and stir, adding more seasoning if you like. Bake for 30 minutes if chicken is thawed, 45 if frozen.  Feel free to add more of any ingredient that you like. I generally use the whole jar of artichokes, but you may like more olives. It’s totally flexible.

This dish is so good! I often throw it together in the morning and then just bake it at dinner time. This way, it marinates in the fridge all day. I serve it with orzo pasta, but I think roasted potatoes would be great, as well. It’s so healthy and delicious that we have it probably once a month. I hope you love it, too!

The following is a guest post from one of our favorite food bloggers, Andrea from www.inspired2cook.com.

Hello! My name is Andrea and I’m a stay-at-home mom and food blogger. If you’re looking for an easy dessert to make for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day, look no further. This recipe for Bittersweet Chocolate Pots de Crème is rich, smooth and a cinch to make.

Pots de crème (prounounced poh-duh-KREHM), is French for “pot of cream”. Unlike traditional recipes for pots de crème which require baking in a water bath, this simplified version cuts out that step. The pudding cooks quickly then needs to chill for an hour or so in the refrigerator.

Use the best chocolate chips you can find. My favorite is Guittard brand chocolate chips because they are smooth, high quality and really delicious. For this recipe, I used ¼ cup of Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Chips and ¼ cup of Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chips. If you can’t find bittersweet chocolate chips, use good quality semisweet chocolate chips.

Garnish the pots de crème with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and fresh berries, or enjoy as is! Visit me at my blog, Inspired2cook, for other great recipes and cooking tips: http://www.inspired2cook.com/

Bittersweet Chocolate Pots de Crème
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine (February/March 2011) 

This quick version of a classic French pudding comes together on the stovetop in minutes and then chills during dinner. Makes 2 servings.

1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
Kosher salt

Heat the half-and-half and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until scalding hot. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the eggs.

Return the milk mixture to the pan, reduce the heat to low, and whisk until it thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate chips, sugar, and a pinch of salt; whisk until melted. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Divide the mixture between two 6-oz. ramekins or serving glasses. Refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour.

When it comes to fruit, my 4-year-old is one picky kid. And with the foods we already avoid because of his food allergies, this can be very limiting, to say the least.

He loves bananas. LOVES them. Especially sliced into rounds and drizzled with a little honey. Applesauce comes in a close second. (Not actual apples, mind you. Just applesauce.) And he likes strawberry jelly, though that doesn’t exactly count as a fruit, does it? Other than these, it’s nearly impossible to get him to swallow a grape, raisin, peach, watermelon or any other fruit.

We recently discovered a product that is available under many names, but it’s basically squeezable applesauce with other fruits mixed in. It’s natural, unsweetened, organic…and expensive! So I figured out how to make it at home with fruit that I already have on hand. So far, he has liked all of the combinations, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this trend continues. Here’s how we do it:

In your blender, make a puree of two fruits of your choice until it’s smooth, then mix in a couple of spoons of the puree into a bowl of applesauce! I have found that thawed or fresh fruit is easier to puree than frozen, at least in my blender, and I sometimes have to add a dash of apple juice to get the right consistency. You want it smooth but not too liquid (though, if you go too far, it shouldn’t be a problem.)

Put 1/2 a banana and 5 strawberries (or 1/4 cup blueberries) in the blender until they make a smooth puree. Then mix 2 Tbp of the puree with 1/2 cup of applesauce, and voila! Applesauce with a twist. Then just store the left over puree in the fridge until the next applesauce treat and mix it in at that time.

And just think about the extra nutrients and fiber that you’re sneaking in to their little tummies! I love it when a plan comes together. Hope your little ones love it, too!

I love to cook, and I love to find new ways to sneak the healthiest foods into my husband and son without them complaining. A recipe I found recently is perfect for this cause: Kale Chips.

Kale is a super healthy green leafy vegetable. I usually like kale, but it can sometimes be chewy and/or stronger in flavor than I prefer. I found a recipe that basically makes kale “chips” by roasting the leaves of kale until they get extra crispy. When you crunch down on a leaf, it’s like eating kale scented air with a little salt. So good, so healthy, and everyone liked it in my house.  (Even my picky eater and multiple food allergy suffering toddler!) Hope you love it, too!

Kale Chips
1 head kale, stems removed and cut into large bite size pieces
Olive Oil
Braggs Amino Acid or Salt

Preheat the oven to 350. Toss kale leaves in enough olive oil to coat each side of the leaves. Arrange in one layer on a baking sheet. Spray with Braggs or sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning once after about 8 minutes. If they are still a little flexible, cook for a few minutes longer. When they are done, these leaves are crispy and just melt away in your mouth.