Caramelized Pear and Ginger Upside-Down Cake

4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp finely diced candied ginger
3 small ripe pears (D'Anjou are nice - also the original recipe calls for 3 pears, but I've found 2 works a little better)


The Cake

4 tbsp softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350. Melt 4 tbsp butter in saucepan, add brown sugar. Pour into bottom of greased (just grease the sides not the bottom) 9 in round cake pan. Spread candied ginger evenly over the mixture. Core and slice the pears, arrange in a single layer as evenly as possible, any leftover or odd pieces can be chopped and put in the center. To make the cake, mix softened butter, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. Beat until fluffy. Add flour, baking powder, salt and beat until combined. Add the milk last. Pour batter over the pear mixture and smooth. Bake 45 to 55 minutes (I've never had to cook this more than 45 mins.)

Can be served alone or with whipped cream...

Surprise Awesome Party Food - Kale Chips

I still can't believe how well this went over.  There are so many people I know who dislike veggies, and even they enjoyed this dish.  Oh so yummy, and ever so easy, now going to be a staple in our house.

Kale Chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Take a bunch of kale, stemmed and in pieces.  I buy it prepped.  Toss with a good drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Put on a cookie sheet in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Pour into a bowl and enjoy the crunchy salty healthy snack!

Homemade Is Fun

As you know I love making all kinds of homemade things.  Lately I have been using all my garden grown lavender making some pretty nice bath products.  I have made fizzy bath bombs, solid bar lotion, salt scrubs, face and body creams, and even a balm that can be used as lip balm, massage balm or anything else you can think of.  I love being able to use something I made and I like that I know all the ingredients.  In addition I think these would make really nice little gifts for people.  Today I am just going to tell you about the salt scrub, and the rest I will post another day.

Salt Scrub

About 1 cup epsom salts, I used a chamomile one
About 1/2 cup table salt or sea salt
Some chopped lavender from the garden
Some dried chamomile flowers crushed, from earlier this summer
A few drops lavender essential oil
Enough oil to moisten all thoroughly, I used a combo of almond oil and olive oil

Basically throw all the dry stuff in a bowl and mix completely and pour in oil slowly, stirring until it looks wet and shiny and slightly liquid.  I scooped into some pretty canning jars and labeled the tops.  This lasts indefinitely and you only need a little to scrub into your hands or anywhere else that needs softening or scrubbing.  The lavender and chamomile are so calming and it really feels like a little treat to yourself.  Plus it is really easy.  I didn't really measure at all.  And I love that it makes my hands smell so good and feel so soft.  Bath products make me happy!

Pumpkin Muffins

I love muffins.  I really really love muffins, and so do the kids.  This time of year I want pumpkin in everything so pumpkin muffins are a natural.  I love these because they have oats, raisins and pumpkin seeds to make them really hearty, and they stay fresh and moist for a few days if stored in a container or ziploc bag.  This makes a lot, but they freeze well.  Feel free to cut the recipe in half though, that works well too.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
         Feel free to use any blend of flours, as long as it totals 3 cups
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon, or other sweet spice, optional of course
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup yogurt or whey (since I make and drain yogurt I often have whey on hand to use up)
2 cups oats, old fashioned or quick not instant
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, plus more to decorate top if desired.

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease two 12 cup muffin tins.  In large bowl whisk eggs, sugar, oil, pumpkin, and yogurt till smooth.  Gently whisk in flours, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.  Fold in oats, raisins, and seeds.  Scoop into prepared tins.  Sprinkle the tops with additional pumpkin seeds or sugar if desired.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes till toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from pans, cool on a rack and store airtight for a few days. 

Makes 24 hearty muffins, great for when people are coming over.  Enjoy!

Grocery List Time Saver

So I am a list person.  I like having a list at the grocery store so I don't forget anything.  I like making a menu so I know what I need to buy and don't throw food away.  I like listing what I need to get done, and I love the feeling of accomplishment when I get to cross things off my list.  Unfortunately this uses a lot of paper and I never keep the lists in the same place.  So I made myself a master grocery list on excel.  I wrote in all the groceries we buy on a fairly regular basis, listed by area of the store/type of food.  One column for frozen food, one for produce, etc.  I then laminated it and hung it on the fridge with a dry erase marker.  When I realize I need something I just circle or highlight it, with a special note if needed, and when it is time to go shopping I just grab it off the fridge, and as I put an item in the cart at the store I wipe off the mark.  Easy and saves me lots of time and hassle, as I find I forget things less often now.  Plus I am saving a ton of paper.  It is all good!  I am finding it really helpful to stick to what I put on my list too.  What other time/money savers do you have for grocery shopping?

Help!!!

So CJ has been potty trained during the day for a really long time.  He just decided one day well over a year ago that he was going to wear big boy underpants and never an accident, unless he was asleep.  Both kids still wear diapers to bed at night, but not at nap.  Occasionally they will have an accident at nap if they are totally exhausted, but other than that, no accidents from either one of them.  All of a sudden this past two weeks CJ is peeing in his pants at least once to three times a day!  I don't know what is going on.  At first I thought maybe because we were going away for the weekend, he was overtired, then the storm.  But I don't think any of that is it.  Is this normal?  I don't know what to do.  In addition when I ask if he had an accident he lies to me, which I hate.  I usually take away something special if he lies to me.  And now today Eliza had an accident, I am pretty sure so she can be like her big brother.  I don't want him to feel horrible, but I also don't want to have him go through four pairs of pants and undies a day.  I need help!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; blend well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in oats, raisins and nuts (0r seeds).
2 Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookies sheets. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.

Yummy Snack Mix/Granola/Granola Bars

So the kids LOVE granola, so we have been making it fairly often.  We make granola for breakfast, granola bars for dessert, snack mix for snack.  The basic recipe stays the same, we change up the add ins and flavorings, add more syrup or honey to make the bars.  Here I will give you the simplest version, which is easily adaptable to your favorite flavors.  You can add flaked coconut, use coconut oil and flavoring, use your favorite seeds, nuts and fruits.  I will warn you this makes a ton, so feel free to cut it in half, but it also lasts a good long time when stored airtight, and we have never had any go stale.  It is also great for a party.

Snack Mix

Preheat oven to 275. 

3 cups old fashioned oats, can use some barley or wheat flakes as well
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds, or flaxmeal
1/4 cup wheat germ or oat flour
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Mix all together in large bowl.  In a separate bowl mix together

1/2 cup honey or maple syrup, or a mixture of the two
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Stir both mixtures together gently.  Pour onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake till golden and crunchy stirring every 10 minutes.  Pour into a bowl to cool.  When completely cool gently mix in

1 cup chocolate covered sunflower seeds
2 cups pretzels
2 cups dried fruit, we like raisins, craisins, dried berries
1 cup of your favorite cereal, we use cheerios or puffed brown rice cereal

To make this into granola bars skip the pretzels and cereal.  Mix everything together, and double the liquids.  Press into a 13x9 pan that has been greased.  Bake at 325 for 25 to 30 minutes till golden.  Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cut into squares or bars, or cut while in the pan.  Don't separate till completely cool. 

Whoopsie!

Okay so I just made the most delicious oatmeal, chocolate chip, pumpkin seed cookies ever... The problem is, they are so crumbly all I can get is big handfuls of crumbs of them to eat.. I was thinking of serving them over fresh fruit and ice cream. Still, I'm not sure exactly what happened, I followed the recipe to the letter (except for adding pumpkin seeds instead of pecans - which I can't imagine made that much of a difference). I might re-post the recipe if I can figure out what happened!

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

1 clove garlic
1 strip of lemon zest (1 x 1/2 inches)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp herbs de Provence
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 jar (12 oz) roasted red pepper, drained but not rinsed
2 oz lowfat cream cheese
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used nonfat greek yogurt)

Add garlic, lemon zest, salt and herbs to a food processor and chop until mixed. Add rest of the ingredients and chop until smooth.

This is good with tortilla chips, pita bread, as a spread in sandwiches and today I tried it in with a grilled cheese, all super yummy!!

Yummy Gluten Free Cookies

The kids and I are going to a playdate tomorrow with their friends Jack (1 year) and their friend Max (8 months, not Taneka and Josh's Max).  I am having a playdate with their moms, Megan and Traci.  Megan can't have dairy, gluten, or cinnamon, so I adapted a recipe I found to make some yummy treats I can share with everyone.  Thank you King Arthur Flour for the inspiration!


Yummy Gluten Free Cookies

1 stick (8 T.) softened margarine, earth balance preferred
1/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked
1 tsp vanilla extract (gluten free!)
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 T. water

Beat these together in a mixing bowl till fluffy and well mixed.

1 cup King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi Purpose Flour
3/4 cup oats (check to see if gluten free!)
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup golden flax seeds
1 cup dried blueberries

Mix into first mixture till it makes a cohesive dough.  Chill for 1 hour at least, can chill overnight.  Preheat oven to 350.  Scoop the dough into small balls and flatten slightly.  They can be pretty close together on the cookie sheet, as they don't spread or rise much at all.  Bake 12 minutes till lightly golden.  Cool a few minutes on the baking sheet then cool on a wire rack.

Summer Lemonade Craving

Okay I am terrible in the summer, I LOVE my countrytime lemonade mix... BUUUUT, in an effort to avoid food colorings and such I am trying to figure out how to replicate the taste and convenience of the mix with something a bit healthier...

Any suggestions??

Discussion Starter

I just would like some advice.  I want to know how you deal with other adults who disagree with your life choices, and how you are raising your kids.  I have some wonderful family, but they constantly destroy so many of the good things I am building with the kids.  An example:  My mom will NOT turn the tv off, and she won't even keep good things on the tv when the kids are there.  We try not to watch a lot of television for obvious reasons.  What tv we do watch I try to make educational in some way.  Another example:  Trying to instill good eating habits we often shop at farmers markets, and the kids picked out snow pea sprouts.  I put them in a salad when my parents came over for dinner and they asked why we were eating grass and told me it was disgusting.  They don't have to choose to eat or like what we do, but shouldn't they be a little less obnoxious about it?  CJ didn't want to eat them after his Meme and Pepe said they were yucky.  What do you all do when someone is sabotaging your efforts at responsible parenting?

Oven Free Banana Bread - Make Pancakes!

I had some perfect for bread bananas, but it is 90 degrees in my kitchen.  I wanted banana bread but the idea of turning on the oven makes me swoon, and not in a good way!  So what was my easy solution you ask?  Why make pancakes of course!  They were delicious bites of banana bread goodness on a plate with maple butter! (From the farmer's market, so yum!)  Here is the recipe:

2 very ripe bananas
2 eggs
3/4 to 1 cup milk, depending on if you like thick or thin pancakes
                          and whether you use white or wheat flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T brown sugar, maple syrup or honey, optional but yummy
1 tsp cinnamon or Penzey's baking spice (my favorite)
2 cups flour (any combo of all purpose and white whole wheat)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mash and mix the bananas, eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar and spice.  Mix well.  Stir in remaining ingredients gently.  Let sit while you heat up the pan.  If you are making anything else with breakfast let the batter rest while you do it.  This lets the liquid soak into the grains.  If you can't wait just know they might be a little denser but still delicious.  Heat a griddle over medium heat and grease lightly if pan is not nonstick.  Cook until bubbles appear and first side is brown, flip and repeat.  Don't flip more than once as this can make the pancake tough.  Serve with fresh fruit and maple butter or syrup.

These really taste like banana bread and the batch makes lots of little pancakes!  This is what was left after the kids and I each ate 3.  Did I mention they are really filling?

Homemade Laundry Detergent

This works great in an HE machine, is great for me and my kids, who have sensitive skin, and worked great on cloth diapers.  Plus you can make it any scent you like.

4 cups water
1 bar soap
3 1/2 gallons water
borax
washing soda
essential oil, good choices are lemon, orange, tea tree, or any other with some antibacterial property

Get a 5 gallon bucket with a tight fitting lid.  In it put 3 1/2 gallons of water.  In a small saucepan put 4 cups of water and grate in 1/3 to 1/2 bar laundry soap or other organic bar soap of your choice.  Put over low heat and stir to melt the soap.  Stir this into the water in the bucket.  Stir in 1/2 cup borax and 1/2 cup washing soda.  Add 1/4 to 1/2 bottle of essential oil.  I used orange and it smelled great.  Mix everything really well until it gets thick and detergent like.  Cover and let sit overnight.  The next day you can do laundry. 

This was so easy and fun to make, and I don't need to use much, so it will last forever!  Plus you can use any soap or scent to make it your own.  Next time I might try lavender and tea tree oil.

Multi-Grain Muffins

1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup quick oats
2 tbsp wheat germ or bran
2 tbsp cornmeal
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or for a nut free version, I used sunflower seeds)
1 small carrot peeled and grated
1 medium apple peeled and grated
1 egg
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 cup low fat milk

preheat oven to 400. Grease regular sized muffin tins (makes 12 muffins). In large bowl combine ingredients up to and included the grated apple. In another bowl whisk egg, oil, honey, and milk until smooth. mix in dry ingredients until just blended, do no overmix. Sit for one minute to let grains absorb some liquid. Bake 17-18 minutes.

Interesting Muffins

Today I took a great whole wheat flour muffin recipe and added edible flowers and sweet herbs to make some rather colorful and interesting muffins.

5 T. butter or vegetable oil
1/3 cup vanilla sugar (I make my own by splitting and scraping a vanilla bean and stuffing it all in a container of sugar) or sugar plus 1/2 tsp vanilla
2  eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
(also use 1/2 tsp baking soda if you use an acidic ingredient)
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup milk or juice or yogurt
1/2 cup edible flower petals or chopped sweet herbs, like chervil, mint, lavender, etc.

Preheat the oven to 375.  Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with papers.  Cream the fat and sugar till smooth.  Beat in the eggs, salt and powder till smooth.  Beat in half the flour, then half the milk.  Repeat with remaining flour and milk till smooth.  Mix in the edible flowers and herbs.  Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, and bake 18-20 minutes till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

These were really mild and interesting.  You could flavor the base however you like, you could substitute your favorite type of flour, your favorite juice, or buttermilk or yogurt, and they always come out.  I used calendula petals and lemon balm, and it was a yummy treat with some homemade fruit jam for the kids snack.

Black Bean and Red Onion Burgers

Since we've been talking about vegetarian proteins, I thought I would share this yummy black bean recipe.. you can serve this with some melted cheese on top, on a burger bun or just by itself (although I like to add at least some guacamole!) The recipe itself recommends a blend of mayonaise and salsa (which is good, but not my favorite)

2 cups canned black beans, rinsed
1 egg beaten
1/3 cup minced red onion (I like to saute this first, since I don't love raw onion)
1 tsp chili powder
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs (Ians makes whole wheat bread crumbs)

Mash 2/3 of the beans with a fork, stir in the onion (once it's cooled if you're sauteing it), chili powder and bread crumbs. Chill for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours). Form into 3 (I usually get 4) patties, cook in lightly oiled frying pan until golden brown on each side. Around 5 minutes a side.

Protein Question

My kids love vegetables.  I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE them.  CJ gets upset if we don't have a salad each day.  They like chicken, and hamburger and steak.  I am always worried about getting enough protein in them, and of course Rich and I should be eating less carnivorously.  Not being a vegetarian myself, I am unsure of how to get the proper amount of protein from plants.  We are always willing to try new foods, I am just unfamiliar as to what would constitute an appropriate protein. What are your suggestions? 

Disinfectant Spray

I used to spend so much money on that Lysol disinfectant spray, which smells awful, bleaches things, and can't be used when the kids are around.  I just wanted to know that certain things were clean, like the mega blocks and their highchair trays.  Now I just make it.  I saved my favorite spray bottle from an all natural cleaner I spent tons of money on at Stonewall Kitchen, and I filled it with my new spray.  I use it for everything, especially the kids' potties and plastic toys.  I love the way it smells, and it is safe to use on the kids if I wanted to.  Simple and cheap to make too.  I even use it as an air freshener sometimes, as the spray bottle makes a superfine mist if I turn the sprayer top.  Here is the recipe:

2 cups water
3 Tablespoons liquid or castille soap, you can use dish soap, or I use laundry soap that is actually just castille soap that foams too much for my washing machine
20 to 30 drops tea tree essential oil, this is a natural disinfectant and antibacterial substance, though you could also use lemon, orange, grapefruit, clove or any other oil with similar properties

Pour into a spray bottle and shake gently.  Use on everything!  This is what I use to wash all the surfaces in my kitchen and bathroom, and I love it!

Banana Bread (Nut Free!)

For anyone with kids with food allergies, you know how important it is to find good baking recipes! My son loves banana bread, but it is difficult to trust bakery goods (if your child has peanut and tree nut allergies like mine). So I was lucky to find this super easy to make banana bread recipe, with no nuts!

3-4 ripe bananas
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups flour (I sometimes make the 1/2 cup wheat)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease loaf pan. Mash bananas, mix in butter, then mix in sugar, egg, baking soda, salt and vanilla (I sometimes don't add the salt, especially if I'm cooking with salted butter). Add the flour last. Cook for 1 hour.

Glut of Blueberries

So a pint of blueberries were 99 cents the other day so I have been using them like crazy.  Today I made fruit salad with the fresh pineapple I got at Aldi for 89 cents, some home canned peaches, a few strawberries that I got really cheaply, and a large jar of mandarin oranges.  I always add a little thickener (it is called instant clearjel) to make the salad have a thick sauce without adding any sugar.  I used even more of them for breakfast with these delicious muffins:

Blueberry Corn Muffins

1 cup whole grain cornmeal
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar, I prefer the lesser amount
1/2 tsp salt
1 T. baking powder
1 cup milk, buttermilk, or orange juice
1/4 vegetable oil (optional, but does improve the texture)
2 eggs or egg substitute
1 cup fresh blueberries

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients.  Gently stir in the wet ingredients.  Fold in the blueberries.  Fill the cups of a lightly greased muffin tin.  You may make these mini, standard size or jumbo.  Let the batter rest  while you preheat the oven to 400.  Check mini muffins at 14 minutes, standard at 18, jumbo at 20 minutes.  They are done when slightly golden and a toothpick stuck in the center shows no wet batter.  Remove from pan as soon as possible and cool on a rack.  The kids adore these. 

You can also make this as a bread, like a sweet cornbread.  You can even make this the night before, chill it and make pancakes with it in the morning.  Yeah for blueberry season!

Consignment Store Review: Once Upon a Child

I've always been a huge fan of consignment stores.  I grew up shopping in them and they make so much sense for kids clothes, both from a budget and a green living perspective.  I general, I don't think there is anything greener than reusing things that already exist!

The particular consignment store I usually go to is called Once Upon a Child  It is located in Hazardville CT (Just south of Enfield).  It is my understanding that they have other locations, but this is the only one I have been to.  It is a little bit hard to find, and is located in a huge strip mall complex off of route 190.  They have no shortage of cloths, toys, equipment and even some new stuff for sale.

Unfortunately, because of the sheer volume of stuff they accept, it is sometimes necessary to hunt through racks of clothing before you find the decent pieces among the junk. Still, if you persevere you can find Baby Gap, Old Navy, Oshkosh and lots of other name brand clothes for very cheap.  I can usually buy an entire season's wardrobe for my son for about $60 (The price of maybe two shirts at Baby gap!).  My only real complaint about the place is that it is a bit of a factory... and you can forget about putting things on consignment there... they seem to only accept consignment clothes on the weekends (even though their website claims they accept items everyday, I was told at the store that I had to bring it back on the weekend), and the couple of times I tried to bring stuff in, I was told there was a 45 minute wait until they could get to my basket (impossible when you have a 2 year old with you!).

Overall rating:
A-: for selection and price
C+: for location and ease of the consignment process

Fruit Fly Deterrent

So it is that time of year again.  I found some fruit flies flying around my bananas and tomatoes today.  It reminded me of the best tip/recipe I have ever found.  Fruit Fly Deterrent.  So simple, so effective, and it kills those annoying pests very efficiently.  Simply pour 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap into a pretty bowl or mug and leave out on your counter wherever you see fruit flies.  Presto! They are attracted to the vinegar, which is in essence rotten fruit, and get sucked into the soap and drown.  An unpleasant way to go for sure, but it keeps your fruit and veggies from rotting and being eaten by the little buggers.  So there you have it, homemade cheap fruit fly deterrent!

Chocolate Frozen Yogurt

1 cup whole milk
6 oz semisweet chocolate (I used organic chocolate chips)
2 cups vanilla yogurt (lowfat or fat free works)
1/4 cup sugar

Combine milk and chocolate in a food processor with a metal blade and blend until smooth.  Add yogurt and sugar, blend until well mixed in.  Pour into ice cream maker and let it go for about 25-30 mins.  (I liked this recipe more when I served it right from the maker, it got a little too hard in the freezer...

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

So I have been on a homemade kick lately.  I am trying to make as many of our daily use products as safe and environmentally friendly as possible.  So I researched making dishwasher detergent.  Apparently it is not safe to have any soap that suds in a dishwasher but baking soda and vinegar are quite effective, so I tweaked until I came up with this effective and super cheap liquid dishwasher detergent.

1 part baking soda
1 part salt
1 part borax
20 drops orange or lemon essential oil
optional some citric acid, or true orange or true lemon from grocery store

I mix these together and add 1 to 2 parts water, shaking.  Add enough water that everything can be shaken into a liquid without leaving powder residue on the container.  Shake before using.

I also use straight white vinegar in the rinse aid part of the dishwasher, and all my dishes are cleaner than they have been using store bought detergent and rinse aid.  In addition we are saving a lot of money on dish cleaner. 

If you prefer powdered dish detergent use the powdered citric acid or true lemon and skip the water.  Use a few teaspoons dry mix in the detergent dispenser.  I always add the water because I prefer liquid.  I keep this in a plasticware beverage pitcher with a tight fitting lid.  This works great for us.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup cane sugar
2 tbs molasses
3 tbs applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
(1 egg - optional, works just as well without it, although a bit more crumbly)
1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
12 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream butter and molasses with electric mixer until light and fluffy  Add applesauce and vanilla, beat for one more minute (add egg in this step also if desired).  Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and add to creamed mixture.  Mix until flour is blended.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 mins (I sometimes find 12 is needed with my oven).  Let cool completely.

Hello World

Just trying this whole thing out... will have recipes and such to share sometime soon!