Monkey Bread

I got this recipe from my grandma years ago. She would always make it for my brothers and I when we were little and we just couldn't get enough. It isn't the most nutritious treat but it is the perfect thing to make for those occasions that only come around a few times a year that call for an indulgent breakfast. It requires no more experience to make than boxed cake so even if you are brand new to the world of baking, you can impress your friends and family with this fabulous classic!

MONKEY BREAD

3 pkgs Frozen Biscuit Dough

3/4 c White Sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 c Butter

1 c Brown Sugar

1/2 c Chopped Walnuts(optional)

1/2 c Raisins(optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a pan with the shape of your choice.

2. Mix the white sugar and cinnamon together in a plastic bag. Cut the biscuit dough into cubes and shake 6 to 8 pieces together at a time in the sugar mixture. Place the pieces in the pan as you go and continue until all the dough has been covered. If you choose to use the nuts or raisins, make sure to spread them as you place the dough in the pan to make sure the are evenly dispersed.

3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together. Boil for one minute and then pour over the dough in the pan.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Let the bread sit in the pan for at least 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.

One of my favorite things about this is it is so family friendly. Adults love it because it is a simple treat and kids love it because its sugary and really fun to eat! There is no need to cut this bread. Just let it cool and put it on a serving dish and it pulls right apart. This is another one of those posts where there is not much you can do to make it healthier but like I said, thats what makes it fun for those times of year that don't come around too often. It is also a really fun activity to do with friends because everyone can help do something and then you all get to enjoy it together!

Waffles

What does every person love to wake up to in the morning? A delicious and hearty breakfast.... like waffles! Waffles are a super easy way to make a daily routine seem a little more fun even without a special occasion. There are so many ways to top waffles and they go with everything, which is why they are one of my personal favorites.

WAFFLES

2 Eggs, beaten
1 c Milk
1/4 c Canola Oil
1/4 c Apple Sauce
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 c Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 c Wheat Germ
1/2 c All-Purpose Flour
1/4 c Flax Seed Germ
4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tbl Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt

1. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, applesauce, and vanilla. Beat in remaining ingredients until smooth.
2. Preheat a waffle-iron and coat well with cooking spray. Pour in about 1/4 c of batter for each segment(may be different for different irons). Cook until golden brown and crispy.
3. Remove from waffle-iron and serve immediately. Cover with desired toppings and enjoy.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is already so healthy! Most of the suggestions I would have normally suggested, have already been adapted into this specific recipe. Unfortunately, when talking about a breakfast food like waffles, it is so easy to negate all the health benefits bywhat is put on top. Creating a nice mixture of chopped apples, cinnamon, and a little brown sugar can give you a delicious alternative to syrup without adding too any calories or sugars.

Pretzels

One of my favorite parts about going to the mall when I was younger was the special treats we would get. Not the clothes or new shoes but the pretzels. The big, chewy pretzels you can only get when you go out shopping. At least until now. This recipe duplicates mall pretzels perfectly. The texture, the color, and even the shape! They are surprisingly easy, especially if you have any experience with making bread products of any kind.

PRETZELS

1 pkg Active Dry Yeast

2 tbl Brown Sugar

1/8 tsp Salt

1 1/2 c Warm Water

3 c Flour

1 c Bread Flour

2 c Warm Water

2 tbl Baking Soda

2 tbl Butter

2 tbl Kosher Salt

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar, and salt into 1 1/2 c warm water. Stori in flour and knead until smooth and elastic or about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and let rise for about 1 hour.

2. Combine 2 c warm water and baking soda into an 8 in square pan.

3. After the dough has risen, cut it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a pencil thin rope that is about 3 feet long. Twist into a pretzel shape and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on a parchment covered pan and let rise about 20 minutes.

4. Bake at 450 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with course salt, garlic, or cinnamon sugar.

With bread recipes, there is little that can be done to improve the nutritional profile of the food considering yeast can be so temperamental. However, with the recipe I suggest simply trying different toppings and get creative!

Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is such a great dessert. Even though it's all in my head, knowing I'm eating vegetables in my cake is such a nice concept. Cakes, however, are never easy to bake. There are so many different factors that effect how a cake will turn out. Over the years I have learned that carrot cakes are one of the easiest and most likely to turn out well.

CARROT CAKE

4 Eggs

1 1/4 c Vegetable Oil

2 c White Sugar

2 tsp Vanilla

2 c Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

3 c Grated Carrots

1 c Chopped Pecans

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease and 9 x 13in baking pan.

2. Beat together Eggs, Oil, Vanilla, and Sugar. Mix together Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the Egg mixture. Fold in Carrots and Pecans.

3. Pour into pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack.

4. After the cake is completely cooled, frost with your favorite frosting!

I love this recipe! It is so, so, so easy and leaves you with a wonderful and delicious cake. A few simple changes to this recipe and you'll have yourself an even healthier treat.

First, I added an extra 1/4 c Flour, but only because of high altitude. This helps keep the cake from being to spongey and dense.

Second, I like to sift all the dry ingredients together before mixing them into the Eggs. This helps give the cake a little more assistance in not turning out to dry and dense.

Third thing I did was to decrease the amount of White Sugar to 1 cup and then add 1/2 a cup of Brown Sugar as well. Brown sugar has a stronger flavor so you can get more taste out of a lesser amount.

Last but not least, I added a few extras. I added 1/4 cup of ground Flaxseeds to boost the nutritional profile. There was no major flavor change with this at all. Since the recipe already calls for nuts, the flavor of the Flaxseed just blended right in.