Nutty Banana Bread

I LOVE to bake with my son, Jack. He's 3.5, so anything he can do to feel big and important is pretty high on his list. Unfortunately, my camera was charging until the bread was finished or you would have been impressed with pictures of his banana smooshing skills! Anyways, back to the bread. This is absolutely the BEST banana bread. My family goes through this pretty fast. We love it toasted with butter for breakfast or if you really want to be decadent, I make french toast with it. YUM! This recipe calls for a lot of bananas, Omega 3 rich eggs and walnuts and sunflower seeds for vitamin E. Don't they look pretty sprinkled on top?

1 C. all purpose flour
3/4 C. whole wheat flour
1/4 C. wheat germ
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2-3/4 C. smashed walnuts
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 C. butter or canola oil(butter tastes better)
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
2 eggs(free range, organic eggs are higher in Omega 3 fatty acids)
2 1/3 C. overripe mashed bananas(kids love squishing these up by hand)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
raw sunflower seeds(amount depends on whether you make lg/sm loaves or muffins)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease loaf pan or muffin pan. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add in walnuts. In another bowl, cream butter/oil with sugar and then add in the remaining wet ingredients. Combine well. Next, pour wet ingredients into dry ingredient bowl and gently fold together until just combined. Be careful NOT to overmix. Add batter into greased pan and sprinkle with raw sunflower seeds.

Large loaf pan: 60-65 min
Small loaves or muffins: 25-30 min

Test with a toothpick to test for doneness(is that a word?) It should come out clean.

Scrambled Noodles

Hello my fellow Mommy Chefs! The other day I was watching a program on the Foodnetwork called The Best Thing I Ever Ate. This particular edition was about breakfast foods that celebrity chefs on the network adore. This dish was SO strange that I had to try to replicate it to see what all the fuss was about! Know what? It was a hit! My son flipped for it and has been asking for it ever since. I used whole wheat pasta with wheat germ to make it a little healthier and punched up the freshness with some freshly chopped Italian parsley which also lends some extra vitamin C. This dish would also be good with some chopped fresh spinach or asparagus if you want to take it a little further and serve it for lunch or dinner. Give it a try, you may just enjoy it!
P.S. I served it with a fruit salad made with berries, cantaloupe and kiwi! Colorful and so so yummy!


I often get asked about using Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The reasons I use it are many. So here is my laundry list of why you can feel good about consuming this cheese regularly!
1. The taste of the REAL thing cannot be replaced by imitators. Yes, it can be pricier, but you only need a bit to make a big impression.
2. It is very easy to digest due to the aging process, so makes it easier for children and the elderly to absorb it's nutrients.
3. It is a GREAT source of calcium(it takes about 5 quarts of milk to make 1 lb of cheese) and protein. In fact, 3.5oz. of this cheese is the nutritional equivalent of 10 oz of beef!
4. Excellent source of Vitamin A, B2, B6, B12 and has a lower fat content than any other cheese except Mozzerella.
5. My favorite: It's versatile! I use it in eggs dishes, pasta, cold salads, etc.




8oz. whole wheat spaghetti, fettucine or linguine cooked al dente
4 eggs(organic/free range eggs are high in Omega 3 fatty acids), lightly beaten
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 C. parmegiano reggiano(freshly grated)+ extra for sprinkling
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2-3 Tbs. Italian parsley, chopped
1 Tbs. wheat germ
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop garlic into the oil and saute lightly for 2 minutes. Add in pasta and wheat germ, stir into oil and then add in the eggs. Use a slotted spoon made for pasta(looks like a claw with holes in it)and continually moved pasta and eggs around to combine as the eggs cook. Just before the eggs are finished cooking, add in cheese and parsley and make sure to completely mix into the pasta/egg mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with a bit of cheese after it is plated up!

Serves about 4.

10 Minute Huevos Rancheros

This is a great meal to make when you don't have alot of time or are running low on groceries since the ingredient list is all familiar items most people already have on hand. I have been making huevos rancheros for years, but my original recipe takes a bit more time and requires more ingredients. I found this one in an issue of Eating Well magazine and only made slight alterations to it. It's easy to make, oh so tasty and literally takes LESS THAN 10 MINUTES start to finish! What could be better than that? Plus, farm fresh eggs are a great source of protein, choline and omega 3's(if they are organic free range), beans are high in fiber and avocado gives your little ones a healthy dose of good fats. Serve these with a berry medley for breakfast or dinner!


6 eggs
6 corn tortillas
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 C. mild/med. green salsa, plus extra for topping if you choose
6 TBS. shredded cheese(cheddar or jack are great)
1 avocado, thinly sliced
cumin and coriander
non-stick olive cooking spray

Set your oven to broil. In a bowl, combine rinsed/drained beans with salsa and sprinkle lightly with cumin and coriander. On a cookie sheet, lay out the tortillas in a single layer and spray with cooking spray. Top each tortilla with a 6th of the bean mix and a tablespoon of cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly and the the tortilla is crisping up around the edges. Meanwhile, cook eggs until they are over medium*. Place tortillas with beans and cheese on a plate, top with an egg and a couple slices of avocado. Top with extra salsa if you like. Serves 2 adults and 2 children.

*if your children are very young or do not like over medium eggs, you can cook them over hard or scramble them if you choose.

Green Eggs and Ham

I adapted this recipe from Rachel Ray on the Foodnetwork. I thought it would be a fun way to incorporate one of my son's favorite Dr. Seuss books, Green Eggs and Ham. Breakfast is one of the most overlooked meals to sneak in extra vegetables. Spinach is highlighted in this recipe and the freshly grated nutmeg added to it makes it a stand out! Calorie for calorie, spinach is one of the world's most nutrient dense foods. It has boat loads of vitamins A, B, C, K, calcium, folate and the list goes on and on. Add it to soups, salads, eggs, and sandwiches to reap the benefits spinach has to offer.


1 TBS. olive oil
1 TBS. unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 10 oz. box of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1/2 C. milk or cream(don't use skim...it's too watery)
8 slices of deli ham, nitrate free if you can find it
1/2 C. shredded cheese(optional)jack or parmesan works great
8 eggs
salt and pepper
freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 8 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a medium saute pan, add oil and butter. Add in onions and saute on med for about 3 min. Add in spinach and milk and allow to cook until most of the liquid is reduced and absorbed, about 5 min. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a couple pinches of freshly grated nutmeg. Stir in cheese if you are using it.

Fold ham slices in half and use them to cover the bottoms of the muffin cups. Place about 1 TBS. of spinach filling on top of ham and then crack the egg on top. Cook for about 15 minutes until the eggs are cooked through but the yolk is still a bit runny. Remove from oven and allow to sit about 3 min before serving. Use a butter knife to loosen them for removal. Serve with mixed berry salad and enjoy! Serves4-6.

Alternative: You could make mini eggs skillets, Denver style, by cooking country potatoes with onions, garlic, peppers, mushrooms and cheese. Place a TBS of this mixture in place of the spinach!

A Tisket A Tasket, An Egg In A Basket!

The incredible edible egg! Eggs are a delicious and budget-friendly protein choice for the whole family. Each little egg contains 5.5 grams of protein and only 68 calories. One of the most important benefits of including eggs in your diet is the consumption of choline. Did you know that nearly 90% of Americans eat a diet deficient in choline? Why is it important you ask? Choline is essential for brain growth(children) and health(adults). Studies have also shown that a lack of choline in your diet can also lead to a deficiency of folic acid, both of which are extrememly important to a dveloping fetus' brain during pregnancy. Eating a choline rich diet also helps prevent the onset of alzheimers, type-2 diabetes, heart disease and many other diseases.

My favorite thing about eating eggs as part of a balanced diet is that they are SO versatile. They are wonderful scrambled, fried, hardboiled, in salads, sandwiches, baked goods, you name it. Despite this fact, my 3 year old isn't especially partial to eggs. After trying many different versions of eggs for breakfast, I resorted back to a childhood favorite of mine( and the first thing I ever learned to cook with my mom when I was 4) and it worked like a charm! Even better news? The little ones can help too!

Eggs in a Basket

2 slices Ezekiel bread or other whole grain bread
2 eggs
butter
sea salt and black pepper
a child size glass or round cookie cutter(you can also use other shapes)

Have your child spread a small amount of butter on both sides of each slice of bread. Then on a cutting board, have them press out the center of the slice of bread to make a hole. Reserve the middle of the bread for later. Heat a frying pan over med heat and add a small knob of butter to coat the pan. Add in bread slices and crack an egg into each well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and flip once until done. Add in the reserved middles and lightly cook on each side. Voila! An egg in a basket. Serves 2.

Don't forget the fruit! Serve with a berry medley and a glass of milk!

Ezekiel French Toast

Everyone loves french toast, so how can you make it a little healthier to indulge? Use Ezekiel bread of course! This idea was taken from Miss Jan's book.

4 slices Ezekiel raisin bread
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 C. of milk
Zest of one orange(optional)

Whisk ingredients together and dip bread to coat. If you decide to use the orange zest, you won't be sorry. It adds a little something special to your basic french toast. Cook on a skillet greased with expeller pressed canola oil. Top with a bit of butter and real maple syrup! Serves 2.