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Friday, November 16, 2012

Playgroup Recipes

Elia and Lily have been attending Playgroup at Prairie Hill Waldorf School, where they will eventually attend school. We love the school atmosphere, love the focus put on the children, and also appreciate their take on whole foods. Every day of Playgroup starts out with the kids (and parents) helping prepare our snack for the day. Attached are the amazing recipes that were shared with us. I have only been lucky enough to try the Tricky Quesadillas and Baked Oatmeal, but I was told that the Stone Soup and Banana Pumpkin Muffins were amazing! I have made both the Tricky Quesadillas and Baked Oatmeal at home. I make about 12 quesadillas worth and freeze them individually. Whether it's lunch or dinner I just throw them in an oven and let the oven get to 350...they're usually done by then. The Baked Oatmeal is so amazing, especially drizzled with some maple syrup...what a way to start the day!


Morning Glory Playgroup
Recipes for Autumn 2012

Week One: Dragon Bread and Butter
(Whole Wheat Dough for Breadsticks, Rolls, Pizza, Pretzels, Cinnamon Buns, Dragon Bread)

Ingredients:

1 ½ Tablespoons Yeast
1 ½ Tablespoons Sucanat (found in health food stores)
2 cups Warm Water
3 Tablespoons Oil
5 cups Flour (1/2 Whole Wheat and ½ unbleached White)

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Add the sucanat.  Let rest until bubbly.  Add the oil to the liquid.  Stir into the flour mixture and knead.  Add flour as needed. Either, (1) roll into buns, (2) form pretzels, sprinkling the finished product with kosher salt, (3) make cinnamon rolls by rolling the dough into a snake.  Form the snakes into a spiral, then finish by placing a pat of butter on top and sprinkling with cinnamon. (4) roll out flat and pinch into a pizza crust, pouring organic tomato sauce on top and sprinkling with cheese. (5) form into dragons with raisins or almonds for eyes, scales, etc.


Week Two: Millet Porridge

Ingredients:

1 ½ C  Millet (hearty grain with protein found often in bulk section of health food stores)
3 C Warm Water
3 T Yogurt, whey, kefir or buttermilk
¾ t Sea Salt
3 T butter (or more)

Instructions:  Place millet in warm water and yogurt mixture.  Leave in a warm place overnight or at least 7 hours.  Bring to a boil, skimming off the residue that rises to the surface.  Reduce the heat, stir in salt and butter.  Cover tightly.  Without removing lid, cook over lowest possible heat for about 45 minutes.  Serve with maples syrup, nuts and seeds (optional).


Week Three: Rice with Spice

Ingredients:

1 C Rice
2 C Water
3 T Butter
4 Cloves of garlic
Spike Seasoning to taste
Braggs Amino Acids to taste

Instructions:   Cook rice with butter, crushed garlic, Braggs and some Spike.  Once done, add more Spike or Braggs to taste.


Week Four: Tricky Quesadillas

This is a spin off of the recipes from Jessica Seinfeld’s “Deceptively Delicious” recipe where vegetables such as squash and carrots are pureed and hidden in your meals!

Ingredients:

1C Shredded Cheese
1C Orange Puree (Squash, carrots, sweet potato, etc)
¼ t salt
½ - 1 t Garlic Powder
4 oz Cream Cheese
6 large Tortillas (use your favorites!)

To make puree – bake or steam your vegetables, puree in food processor using the water from steaming or cooking to create a spreadable consistency.  Refrigerate or freeze unused portions.

Spread cream cheese, then puree on tortilla.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese and fold in half or top with another tortilla.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes and enjoy!
You can add beans, onions, etc and the children will STILL love them!  The puree is easy to freeze and re-use.  We add it to our homemade mac-n-cheese.


Week Five: Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
1 cup Pumpkin, cooked & mashed, or canned
¼ cup Olive Oil
½ - 1 cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Nutmeg
2 ripe Bananas, mashed
¼ cup Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients together.  Mix wet ingredients together, then combine with the dry ingredients and add nuts.  Bake in oiled loaf pan for 45-50 minutes.   The batter can also be placed in a cupcake pan for 20 minutes, or until done.  Cool and eat with yummy  dragon butter!


Week Six: Pizza with Red Sauce
See Week One for the recipe.


Week Seven:  Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

3 C Oats
½ C Oil
¾ C Sucanat or 10 – 15 drops liquid stevia (Sweet Leaf Vanilla is my favorite)
3 eggs
1 ½ C Milk ( we use coconut milk)
½ t Salt
1 T Baking Powder

Instructions:   Mix together wet ingredients, adding dry ingredients with the oats last.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bake in a buttered pan for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.


Week Eight: Stone Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups Broth
1 Tablespoon Butter
Seasonings to taste
Friends with vegetables to share
Instructions:  Bring broth to boil and add butter to flavor.  Cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces and simmer until the vegetables are tender.  Season and serve.


 Week Nine: Healthy Harvest Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C Sucanat
1 C Cooked Mashed Sweet Potato
1/4 C Oil
1/4  C Applesauce
1/4  Tsp Ground Cloves or Allspice
1 Egg
1 C Oatmeal
1 C Flour
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Apple, Finely Chopped (optional)
Instructions:  Mix together the Sucanat, Sweet Potato, oil and applesauce. Add the remaining ingredients. Teaspoonful on to greased baking sheet. Bake 15-25 minutes at 350.



Week Ten:  Cheese, Crackers, and Apples

Week Eleven: Apple Gingerbread with Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached Flour
½ cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/3 cup Grapeseed Oil
1 Egg
2/3 cup Sucanat
3 Tablespoons Molasses
½ cup Plain Yogurt
1 ½ cups Chopped Apples
Instructions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour an 8 inch square baking pan.  Stir together the flours, ginger, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.  In another bowl, beat the oil and egg until combined.  Add the sucanat and molasses and beat until combined.  Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the yogurt.  Stir in the apples.  Spoon the batter into the baking pan.  Bake 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan.  Cut into 9 squares.

Our Favorite Cookie Recipe

Just because you're eating unprocessed organic food doesn't mean you can't be a Cookie Monster! I have two little Cookie Monsters living with me...or Tootie Tootie Monsters, per Lily! Here's my favorite recipe, courtesy of my sister, which I've adapted slightly to be just what I want. They end up more like little granola cookies, but we love them.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Honey - I use Raw
3 Tbsps Organic Butter (Room Temperature)
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Egg (Room Temperature) or 1 Tbsp Ground Flax + 3 Tbsp Water
1/2 Cup Organic Whole Wheat Flour
1-1/2 Cups Organic Oats
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Baking Soda (Non-Aluminum)
Additional:  Raisins, Chopped Raw Nuts, Dark Chocolate Chips, Apple Juice Sweetened Cranberries, Hemp Seeds, Ground Chia Seeds, Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, etc.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Mix your wet ingredients then slowly add in your dry ingredients. I gently mix in the additional items, then form into 1/2 Tbsp size balls. They will be sticky, but squeeze them and they'll stick together. I bake on reusable parchment for about 12-15 minutes then set out to cool. Like I said, they make a dense granola-like cookie, but how can you go wrong with such good ingredients?!?! Have your organic carrot and a cookie too!