Mixed berry and granola parfait

I have seen many versions of parfaits before and I think since it is a very simple, luxurious and nutritious dessert it was time for me to make my own.

While I have made different versions, ones healthier than others, I figured I post the healthiest variation I have made so far. In these parfaits I used a mixture of heavy cream and Greek yogurt, more Greek yogurt than anything really. You can opt for choosing to make them all with Greek yogurt. I think they would still be good since Greek yogurt is rather thick in consistency.

Like many of the recipes I post in my blog, this one is also very versatile. You can add any type of berries, or fruit for that matter, you may prefer and use what ever granola you like. Also these parfaits weren't that sweet at all so you can add more sugar if you like.

If you are having company over and want to make a quick, luxurious and nutritious dessert, this is it. For breakfast, for lunch or dinner, this is the perfect sweet treat that won't pack up much guilt :-)

Enjoy!!

Hulled the strawberries. I used a thick straw to do that. A very easy and simple way of doing so!! I always use organic berries. They don't only taste better but pesticides do affect berries much more than any other fruit so if you can afford it and can find them, get them!!

You can add more granola or make the parfait entirely just Greek Yogurt. I did a mixture of heavy cream and Greek yogurt that was really yummy but if you want to decrease the saturated content of it go ahead and just do Greek Yogurt!!

These parfaits are simple, nutritious, and super tasty. You can have them for breakfast, as a sweet treat or just because :-)

Ingredients

Makes 6 parfaits

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 lb Low fat Greek yogurt, I used 2%
1 cup granola (I used dark chocolate and peanut butter home made granola
4-6 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, honey may work as well but I have not tried it though
 2 cups mixed fresh organic berries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries....

In a bowl, whip the heavy cream with the sugar. Fold in the Greek yogurt. In a parfait glass, or any glass container for that matter, place 1 tablespoon of Granola followed by 2 tablespoons of the Greek yogurt mixture. Place some berries over the yogurt and repeat layer.

Refrigerate parfaits until it is time to serve.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 6 parfaits. 

The right nutrition facts is using just Greek yogurt, but 1.5 lbs instead of 1 lb. The left nutrition facts is using the mixture of Greek yogurt and heavy cream.

Carrot cake breakfast oatmeal

Once again.....another oatmeal breakfast variation...this time, a carrot cake version, which by the way....IT. IS. AWESOME!! can I say it this way?

Anyhow, my son has been asking me to keep making oatmeal for him and since the plain oatmeal won't cut it any more after making the dark chocolate and peanut butter  and apple pie oatmeal, I figured I try a new version.

I have been wanting to make a mix berry oatmeal version as well but the carrot cake variation won so this later one will come to the blog very soon as well, so stay tuned.

There is not much I can elaborate on this carrot cake oatmeal version. You can add more or less of the spices, more or less nuts, more or less raisins etc. This is a very versatile recipe so go ahead and get creative.

I just hope you try to make this because it is truly another sensational variation to a boring plain oatmeal option.

By the way, in case you are wondering, I used my oatmeal recipe from the dark chocolate and peanut butter version and made the necessary adjustments. 

Enjoy!!

Here you can see some of the ingredients you will need to make this oatmeal. I think there are a couple missing he he.... but you get the point right?

Here you can see the oatmeal before and after being cooked. It took approximately 8 minutes. Make sure you stir in between so that the oatmeal doesn't stick to the pan in the bottom!!

You think you like carrot cake? well you better try this carrot cake breakfast oatmeal, you will be blown away!!

This is simply the best!! Have I said that already? 
If you don't have any chia seeds you can omit them and if you want you can also use honey, brown rice syrup or maple syrup instead of sugar. The oatmeal wasn't that sweet at all so you can make changes according to your taste buds!!

Ingredients

Yields 4-6 servings

2 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
3 cups soy milk, almond or regular cow's milk is good as well
1/4 cup coconut milk, if you don't have any just add more of the soy milk
4 tablespoons unrefined sugar, honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup will also work
1 1/2 cup carrots, grated
3 teaspoons cinnamon, more if you like
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup flax seed meal, optional, wheat germ or oat bran will also work well)
1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
1 tablespoon coconut chips, optional

Place all of the ingredients, except coconut chips, in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium to high heat, stirring frequently until it boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until milk has been absorbed and the oats have softened.

Sprinkle coconut chips over the oatmeal and serve. You may also need a bit more milk.

I have not tried making this in a microwave but I am sure it will also work well as long as you stir in between.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 5 servings. This is high in vitamin A, manganese, fiber and iron.

Peanut butter, coconut and dark chocolate crispy bars.

What can I say about these bars? These are just sensational. Sorry to say but I do really think they are and so does my family!!

I got the recipe originally from these peanut butter and dark chocolate crispy bars I made a while ago, although I added a few more ingredients. While those were really good these are a bit different and still super good. Originally the bottom layer called for 1/2 cup of unrefined sugar but as suggested by a fellow blogger using 1/4 cup was sufficient. Much much better!!

These are a little bit more involved than the original version ones, but not much for that matter.

For the next time doing this, I will just do the bottom crispy part and keep it as a rice crispy treat. I have not done just a crispy treat yet in the blog so that will nice to have. I mean who doesn't like rice crispy treats? especially when they are a bit healthier right?

Anyhow, I hope you get to try these bars. They are not that sweet at all, easy to make and really good.

Enjoy!!

Here you can see the bottom layer of the bars being mixed and padded down onto the square baking pan previously lined with foil paper. I did not grease the foil paper by the way!!

Coconut butter and peanut butter before and after being mixed. I made my own coconut butter by placing some coconut chips in the food processor. You can do the same with shredded coconut.

Here you have the coconut and peanut butter layer on the left and on the right you can see the last layer which is the dark chocolate chips that are already set. I placed the pan in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to speed up the process.

These bars are to die for. Next time I am just going to do the bottom layer as dark chocolate rice crispy treats. So simple and so yummy. The kids would love them.

Keep the bars in the fridge other wise the middle coconut and peanut butter layer would become soft. Nothing wrong with that though but they will get messy!!

Ingredients Miryam's original recipe

yields 18-20 pieces

Bottom layer:

1/4 cup unrefined sugar, next time I will omit the sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 1/4 cups brown rice cereal
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup oats
1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder

Middle layer

3/4 cup coconut butter
3/4 cup peanut butter

Top layer

1 1 /2 cup dark chocolate chips

In a sauce pan, at low heat, combine sugar, honey and peanut butter. Heat for about 1-2 minutes stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and add cereal, oats, dark cocoa powder and flax seed meal. Press into a square baking pan lined with foil like in the picture.

Blend the coconut chips (or shredded coconut) in a food processor until it resembles butter consistency (you probably need about 2 cups of the chips to make 3/4 cup coconut butter that is what I used). Transfer to a bowl and add the peanut butter. Combine.

Pour mixture over the dark chocolate crispy part and place in the refrigerator until it sets, about 1 hour or so.

Melt chocolate in a medium bowl over a saucepan over boiling water (double boiler method). Stir until smooth and spread melted chocolate over the coconut butter mixture.

Let cool to set chocolate. I normally put it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Lift out of the pan, remove foil and cut into small bars or squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 18 pieces.

Raspberry and orange sweet rolls

I am in love with these rolls. I have actually made them twice in the span of one week and tried to experiment with the whole wheat content of the dough. While both turned out good the one that used a mixture of whole wheat and all purpose flour worked best. The texture was more spongy like.

I am actually going to try to make them again just all whole wheat because I really hate having all purpose flour in the mixture. I like them to be 100% whole wheat so I am trying once more and if they are as good or better than the last batch I will change the recipe to 3 cups of whole wheat pastry flour instead :-)

Anyhow, I know that these rolls require a little bit of time but they are worth every minute. If you venture and try them out I suggest you try to get 12 little rolls out of each circle instead of 8 like I did. Either way they will be good, I just think they will be better being a bit smaller.

By the way these rolls are not that sweet at all. They are just perfect!!

Enjoy!!

Dough pictures before and after rising. It took about 2-3 hours. If using all 3 cups of whole wheat pastry flour it will take longer. If choosing to use 3 cups whole wheat flour for the bread, add 1 teaspoon of gluten if you have it. It will help with the rising of the dough as well as the texture.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of marmalade, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut over each circle. Then with a pizza cutter divide each circle into 12 if you can. I did into 8 :-)

Left picture depicts the rolls before rising which probably took about 1-2 hours. The right picture was after the rolls risen. I baked it that night and the next morning half the batch was pretty much gone :-)

The dough itself is not that sweet even with the marmalade and all so the glaze complements these rolls very good. You can omit it if you like but I do recommend it!!

You can add what ever marmalade you like to the rolls. I had raspberry on hand but any would work perfectly.

Ingredients

yields 16-20 rolls 

Dough

2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup yogurt
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour, I know, I know, I am going to try to get rid of this in the recipe next time, I was just experimenting

Filling

4-6 tablespoons raspberry marmalade, or any of your favorite flavors
2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
4 tablespoons sugar
zest of two organic oranges, I use organic because I don't want any pesticides in my zest

Glaze

1/2 cup confectioner sugar
2-3 tablespoons orange juice 

In a bowl add sugar, oil, eggs, yeast and yogurt. Add 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour and 3/4 cup of all purpose flour, mix well. (I do all of this with my hands). If the dough appears too sticky, add the remaining 1/4 cup all purpose flour.

Cover dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in a warm place, about 2 hours. Divide dough in half and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out each half into a 12-inch circle.

Spread 2-3 tablespoons of marmalade on each circle and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar plus 1 tablespoon of coconut on each circle. Divide the orange zest among both circles.

Using a pizza cutter, cut the circle into 12 equal slices. (I cut mine into 8 but 12 would work a lot better). Starting on the wide end, roll up each slice like a croissant.

In a greased 9x13-inch baking pan, lay the rolls pointed end down. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Alternatively, cover with foil and allow to rise in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush (you can also use your fingers) each roll with egg wash (1 egg mixed in with 1 tsp of water or milk) and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Mix the glaze ingredients and pour over the rolls. Served while still warm or completely cooled.

adapted from the pastry affair

 Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 18 rolls.

healthier mini vanilla cupcakes

I have been looking around for a while for a vanilla cupcake recipe. I have looked on tons of cookbooks, blogs and other places for ideas and finally end up on my own blog!! Not bad I guess.

I got the recipe from my strawberry cupcakes, which I made a while back, and they worked fabulously, they were actually awesome!! Just a few changes and voila!!

I made them for my son's 6 birthday party and tried them there. I also made another batch for us to keep they were so good. After much looking this will be my go to vanilla cupcake recipe from now own.

You can opt for making regular size cupcakes and you will probably get around 18-20 cupcakes.

You can also see some sprinkles on the mini cupcakes. If you want to make your own home made sprinkles I suggest you visit the link. They are really easy to put together and you can make any color you want.

The major reason I make my own sprinkles is because I hate the waxy taste regular sprinkles have, plus lets not forget they are made with trans fats (hydrogenated fats).

These mini cupcakes are great for birthdays, gatherings, giveaways etc. I love that they are little bite size. No need to eat an entire big one if you just want a taste right?

Enjoy!!

Here you can see the mini cupcakes right before being baked and right after, 10-12 minutes is what you actually need to bake these.

...and here you have them, right before being decorated with the frosting. At this stage you can actually freeze these for future use :-)

These are darling. You  can decorate them how ever you like and if you want you can also make them on regular size cupcakes. You will probably get between 18-20 cupcakes.

Here you can see the sprinkles. Like I said before, if you want home made sprinkles visit the link. They are really easy to make.

One tip I want to share with you is, after the cupcakes have cooled down completely you can actually freeze these for future use. I have done that in the past. When ready to use, just thaw them out and decorate as desire. They are as good as recently baked!!

Aren't these darling? I really didn't get to creative, but the sky is the limit!!

Here you can see the cupcakes in the container I used to transport them. I made some for my son's birthday party and some for a friends gathering. These containers work really well and they were only $1.50 each. I also reuse them until they brake :-)

Ingredients

Yields 54 mini cupcakes

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unrefined sugar, if frosting 1/2 cup will be sufficient, I actually use 1/3 cup
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup low fat milk, I use soy milk
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

Frosting

8 tablespoons butter
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cup - 4 cups confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

In a bowl beat egg, oil, milk, vanilla extract, and sugar. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Spoon batter into cupcake liners 3/4 of the way. (I use a small cookie scoop).
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Remove immediately from the pan after baking and let cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting, mix all of the ingredients ( I normally use a hand mixer when doing this) and frost cupcakes. Use whichever pattern you like!

Tip: After the cupcakes have cooled down completely you can actually freeze these for future use. I have done that in the past. When ready to use, just thaw them out and decorated as desire. They are as good as recently baked!!

 Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 54 mini cupcakes. 
Left nutrition facts label is using frosting, right nutrition facts label is not using frosting.