Spelt and Sunflower Seed Pancakes

A very rare thing occurred: My husband was home on a weekday morning. Granted, he was using a vacation day to study (boards are coming up) and he was working on taxes (for the umpteenth time)--but he was home! And that made us girls very happy. We needed something special to eat to distract from the paperwork and the painting (I'm tackling the trim on the bathroom--my workmanship is disastrous). Solution? PANCAKES!

I have a new love for spelt flour. I have now tried spelt flour in muffins and banana bread with excellent results. So, it was time to move on to using it in pancakes. Spelt flour just called for something nutty to be added with it--and of course, I paired it with sunflower seeds (been a bit obsessed with sunflower seeds as you have seen from my previous sunflower seed spread and the rustic sunflower seed bread).

(A note about SPELT: it's a member of the same grain family as wheat but is not as heavy as whole wheat flour--you get a more tender result by using spelt flour in baking.) 

And because we're mentioning sunflower seeds, here are a couple pictures from our local trip out to the sunflower field (from this last August)....

Back to pancakes: Well, I'm happy to say, my experimental recipe turned out great! LOVE these pancakes and will be making them again. Serve them with some veggie sausage on the side for some extra protein to take you through until lunchtime.

SPELT AND SUNFLOWER SEED PANCAKES

Makes 10-12 pancakes (depending on size)--should serve at least 4 people for breakfast

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• ~1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds 

Wet Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. safflower oil (or canola) + more for greasing pan/griddle
• 1 Tbsp. honey

In a small-medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients (including the sunflower seeds) and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in the buttermilk and oil. Add honey and whisk again until all the ingredients are incorporated.

(TIP: if you use your tablespoon to measure out the oil, the honey will slide out easily when you use the same tablespoon to measure out the honey).

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Feel free to add a little more buttermilk if the mixture seems too dry.

Heat pan, skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly coat with some oil (of your choice--I used safflower again as it is good with high temperatures). 

Pour approximately 1/4 cup of pancake batter for each pancake. (I only got about 3 pancakes in a really large skillet)

Cook pancakes 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown--you will know they are ready to be flipped  when you start to see little bubbles form around the edges.

Serve the pancakes warm with maple syrup and fruit of your choice.

Go out there and make some pancakes for your loved ones this weekend--they're DELICIOUS!

Rustic Crunchy, Munchy Pumpkin Seed, Sunflower Seed & Flax Seed Bread

This loaf is wonderful. It's really one of the best breads I've ever made. The flavor is SO wonderfully home-y. It's nutty and fragrant and a bit crunchy. Truly delicious for sandwiches and toasted with soup. Please try this bread. It is SO GOOD! Thanks to the author, Nancy Baggett, for the wonderful recipe!

My friend, Nancy, recently posted one of my favorite bread recipes on her blog. It inspired me to post again on this method since it's been a while and I've been  making more bread recipes from this book that turn out! Alright my small following of readers...I don't know how to encourage you more to try these no-knead breads. The Kneadlessly Simple bread book has changed my life---it has given me confidence to bake. The method is SOOOO EASY!!!! And even though the directions have a lot of words, after the first couple loaves, you will be able to absolutely breeze through the directions. I've thought long and hard about how to simplify the directions--but I'm not sure how because it gives you options and gray areas--these recipes are STRAIGHTFORWARD, SIMPLE and truly DOABLE!!! You barely handle the dough. You just have to TIME IT RIGHT. And there is nothing better than homemade bread! Nothing--it's like getting loaves from a bakery. Just read through the directions and work backwards. 

I usually start the process Friday and have fresh bread either Saturday night or Sunday night. OR, I start it on Sunday night and we have bread Tuesday night. I give it 1.5-2 days process. Yes, it does take planning--yes, you do have to think ahead. BUT....you just wait on the bread. Read through the recipe and decide when you want to eat it then work the time backwards. If you want this bread for Friday night dinner--start the process on Wednesday. 

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About this bread--Super-Easy- Fairly Easy: All ingredients added before the first rise. Easy hand-shaping required.

Nancy Baggett's Note: I often find the seeds in breads a distraction, but in this case they make the loaf. The generous quantity of roasted pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds lends a delicious and very distinctive nuttiness—not to mention crunchy texture, eye appeal, and protein. The bread is baked in a covered pot for most of its time in the oven, which crisps the crust and the seeds on it, but also prevents them from burning.

CRUNCHY MUNCHY PUMPKIN SEED, SUNFLOWER SEED, & FLAX SEED BREAD

From Kneadlessly Simple

Be sure to use very fresh, appealing-tasting seeds for this recipe. If you can only find raw, unsalted sunflower and pumpkin seeds, toss them with 1/4 teaspoon corn oil or canola oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and roast at 325 degrees F, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, 7 to 9 minutes.

• 1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) whole wheat flour, plus more as needed
• 1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) unbleached white bread flour
• 1/4 cup flax seeds, preferably golden
• 1 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 1 tsp. instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
• 3 Tbsp. clover honey or other mild honey
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. corn oil, canola oil, or other flavorless vegetable oil, plus more for coating dough top and pan (I used safflower oil)
• 1-1/3 cups plus 1 Tbsp. ice water, plus more if needed
• 1/3 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds, plus 2 Tbsp. for garnish
• 1/3 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds, plus 2 Tbsp. for garnish
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. sea salt or other coarse crystal salt, optional
• 1 egg white, beaten, or 2 Tbsp. liquid egg substitute
  
  

First Rise: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the whole wheat flour, bread flour, flax seeds, salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, thoroughly whisk the honey and oil into the water. Vigorously stir the mixture into the bowl with the flours, scraping down the sides and mixing just until the dough is thoroughly blended. If the ingredients are too dry to mix together, gradually add in just enough more ice water to facilitate mixing, as the dough should be slightly stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more whole wheat flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with oil. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, refrigerate for 3 to 10 hours (I usually leave this dough in the fridge overnight). Then let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours (I pull out the dough in the morning and leave it on the counter until evening).

Second Rise: Working in the bowl and turning the dough as you work, sprinkle about half the pumpkin and sunflower seeds over the surface. With lightly oiled hands, work in the seeds and fold the dough over to fully incorporate them. Continue working in the remaining seeds, folding over the dough until all the seeds are incorporated and fairly evenly distributed throughout. Sprinkle the dough with a little whole wheat flour. Press and smooth it into the dough, shaping it into a ball as you work.

Oil a 3-1/2- to 4-quart Dutch oven or similar round, ovenproof pot.

Transfer the ball to the pot. Dusting the dough with more flour as needed to prevent stickiness, tuck the edges under firmly all the way around, forming a smooth, high-domed round loaf about 6-1/2 inches in diameter. Brush off excess flour, then brush all over with Cornstarch Glaze (or egg white wash), then immediately sprinkle the surface with the remaining pumpkin and sunflower seeds for garnish. Using well-oiled kitchen shears or a serrated knife, cut a 2-1/2-inch diameter, 1-1/2-inch-deep circle in the top. Cover the pot with its lid.

Let Rise Using Any of These Methods--there are 3 ways you can do this--pick one of the options below: 

1. For a 2- to 4-hour regular rise: let stand at warm room temperature
2. For a 1-1/2- to 2-1/2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave with 1 cup of boiling-hot water. 
3. For an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours (I usually leave it in the fridge overnight until about 1-2 hours before wanting to bake the bread).

Then let dough stand at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough doubles from its deflated size.

Baking Preliminaries: 15 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Generously brush or spray the loaf with water.

Baking: Lower the heat to 425 degrees F. 

Bake on the lower rack, covered, for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the loaf is lightly browned--check at about the 45 minute mark to see how browned it is--it usually takes my oven less time to bake the bread.

Uncover, and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes more, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few particles on the end (or the center registers 208 degrees to 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). 

Then bake for 5 minutes longer to ensure the center is done (I didn't need this last step as the bread was getting quite dark). Cool in the pot on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the loaf onto the rack; cool thoroughly.

Serving and Storing: Tastes good warm but will cut much better when cool. Cool completely before storing. 

To maintain the crisp crust, store draped with a clean tea towel or in a heavy paper bag. Or to prevent the loaf from drying out, store airtight in a plastic bag or wrapped in foil: The crust will soften, but can be crisped by heating the loaf, uncovered, in a 400 degrees F oven for a few minutes. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

Soft Granola Cookie Hearts

These little treats are vegan. I hesitate to say that as many people are still coming around to not being scared by the word 'vegan.' I was one of those people that would instantly shut down at the idea of veganism due to less than tasty vegan food I had previous eaten (and if anyone has good—I mean, edible, vegan cheese--I'd love to know about it because I have yet to find that). But now that the world is coming around more to the idea of vegan eating (obviously from my chicken & dairy recipes, I'm not fully convinced I want to be totally vegan), the public is finally getting exposed to eating BETTER vegan food/recipes. You know, things that don't taste like cardboard. And recipes that aren't just composed of raw vegetables (not that there is anything with raw vegetables!).

Well, my child has been sick quite a bit this winter already--mainly due to exposure to other kids with illnesses—playdates and Mother's Day Out/Preschool. Because of this, I tried to give her less dairy. And because of the reward system instituted last spring, she thinks she deserves treats for good behavior (thank you potty training). So, what's a mom to do? Make vegan treats.

I love this little recipe—I hope you will too! It's one of those that you won't feel guilty eating or giving to your children. It's a sugar-free treat, has plenty of fiber from the whole grains and dried fruit and protein from the nuts. You could use any dried fruit you like, I just happen to like dried pineapple in things lately. I would also like to replace the bananas with prunes or pumpkin in this recipe sometime. These come together really fast (despite that at first glance it seems to have a lot of ingredients).

I tried to make this particular one more appealing to my daughter by shaping the cookies into little hearts (use a cookie cutter). And in doing so, realized that this would be a great little Valentine's 'cookie' to make with your kids. However, I'm sure any cookie cutter would do or you could just drop the 'dough' onto the sheet and shape with your hands if you are a minimalist.

SOFT GRANOLA COOKIE HEARTS
Makes 22-24

For Liquid Mixture:

• 1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium)
• 3 Tbsp. almond or soy milk
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup safflower oil (canola or another flavorless oil can be replaced)
• zest of one orange (you could skip—but I like it in conjunction with the cloves)

Dried Fruit to add to liquid mixture—can replace with your favorites for 1 cup total of dried fruit:

• ¼ cup chopped dried pineapple
• ¼ cup chopped dried apple
• ½ cup raisins (golden raisins fine too)

For dry mixture:

• 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats (not instant)
• ¾ cup shredded, unsweetened, coconut
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. cloves 
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. baking powder (I like aluminum-free)
• ¼ cup almonds (processed in food processor to make 'almond meal')

Nuts to add to dry mixture--can replace with nuts of your choice for a total of ½ cup chopped nuts:

• ¼ cup chopped Brazil nuts
• ¼ cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside cookie sheets with Silpats or covered with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix your liquids. Add the dried fruit and mix well. If need be, use a whisk and push down on any clumps of fruit to separate and stir again. Set aside to let the fruit soften while you work on the dry ingredients.

In a larger bowl, stir your dry ingredients together and add in the nuts.

Now, add your liquid mixture to your dry mixture and stir well.

Place a cookie cutter (or different shaped ones—use medium-big sized cutters) on the cookie sheet and fill with granola mixture until it reaches about halfway into the height of the cookie cutter. Pat down with a spoon and spread evenly into the cookie cutter. Lift up your cookie cutter leaving the shape behind. Repeat until you get your sheet(s) filled. The 'cookies' don't rise much so you won't need to worry that they'll spread out into each other.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes—keep your eye on them so they don't burn (try to swap cookie sheets halfway--the bottom one can go on top and the top one can go on bottom).

Let cool before eating. (I store these treats in a covered tupperware container in the refrigerator & freeze half) 

Oh yeah, they're also really good for breakfast with a glass of soymilk and some coffee.

Easy Little Bread (No Knead, 30 Minute Rise, Whole Grain, & Delicious!)

This bread is delicious! And it was SO easy! It is another one of Heidi Swanson's great finds (from 101 Cookbooks--great blog--here is the original post). Ran across this bread on Pinterest. It may be the fastest, easiest little bread recipe I've tried so far. You can literally have bread within a 2 hours of starting this recipe. Though, I prefer my longer wait method breads (from Kneadlessly Simple), this one is a great one if you're short on time and would be a perfect bread to 'cut your teeth on' if you haven't made any yeast breads yet. 


The best part of making this bread is that it uses ingredients you will most likely have on hand in your pantry. The crust is crispy, the texture is hearty, and the flavor is still light enough to not feel overly cardboard-healthy--but it is still healthy! I wish I had made THREE loaves and frozen two of them. Next time, I will. Seriously, this bread is NO knead (use your stand mixer to blend the ingredients). And requires only a 30 minute rise. Check out how beautifully this yeast proofed! (Don't mind my falling-apart measuring cup. Santa needs to bring me a new one next year. Also, this may be the first time I can tell my new camera may actually take better pictures than my old one...)

I'm hoping to incorporate this bread  into toasts for dinner, later this week, by topping it with mushrooms, bell peppers, and provolone cheese and broiling the toasts. This would be a great bread for that kind of thing. It is the perfect Sunday afternoon bread--the kind you want to eat while taking a break from doing laundry. I am assuming that's how everyone spends their Sundays....laundry and dreading going back to work the next day. So how to make Sundays better?? I have found three ways: 1) Bake bread! It's a cheerful way to greet the week. 2) Finish a creative project--thank you Pinterest for more inspiration!

And 3) Take your kids for a neighborhood ride in a wagon at sunset into the early evening. 

Here's to hoping everyone's Sunday nights get happier!


By the way, check out those air bubbles--keep in mind this bread does NOT rise much at all. I wouldn't say it's an impressive looking bread, but get past the fact that it's a little brick shaped (as was Heidi's if you go to her original post); slather some butter on it, hot from the oven, and you'll be good to go--yes, I know you're not supposed to cut it out of the oven, but who can resist? 

EASY LITTLE BREAD 

• 1 1/4 cups / 300 ml warm water (105-115F)

• 2 tsp. active dry yeast (one packet)

• 1 Tbsp. honey

• 1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1 cup / 5 oz / 140 g whole wheat flour

• 1 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 g rolled oats (not instant oats)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt

• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted, for brushing

  
  

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit - 5 - 10 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.

Brush a 8-cup loaf pan (just a regular loaf pan you have around, really!) generously with some of the melted butter. Turn the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise.

Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C, with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. (Heidi says: I finish things up by leaving the bread under the broiler for just a heartbeat - to give the top a bit deeper color.)

Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn't steam in the pan. Serve warm, slathered with butter.

Makes 1 loaf.

Quinoa Burgers

If you're on Pinterest, you may have seen these quinoa burgers. I have had two friends make and love these burgers. They really are delicious! How in the world have I never thought to try something like this, even after making the black bean-millet burgers? I didn't use a lot of oil to fry them, but hope to figure out how to bake them next time.

If you're new to using quinoa, don't be scared--it's a really, healthy and delicious new food to add to your diet. Here is a great little article on the awesome benefits of quinoa. Did you know that quinoa is super high in protein? You can use quinoa in exchange for rice in many recipes (though it is more expensive). I'm still looking for ways to incorporate it--a few months ago, I made stuffed bell peppers with quinoa and black beans and corn. They were so delicious and I'm kicking myself for not writing down how I made them. I'll have to try them again to blog about because I was convinced that in some recipes, quinoa is even better than rice!

I've made these burgers (or patties, if you wish) twice now and both times, the first few burgers I put in the frying pan, fell apart. So, after the first time this happened, I added an extra egg to the rest of the composition and they held up fine. The second time, I added two egg whites (actually eggbeaters) to the composition and they stayed firm again. I don't know why they didn't hold up for me as they did for the creator of the recipe (Linda). Maybe it will work for you to leave the recipe as is--but if it doesn't, you'll be able to tell after the first few burgers go in the pan--well, when you flip them. I, however, am always going to be adding another egg or 2 egg whites when making these again. I love them too much to waste 3-4 burgers. Also, you can also add one handful of chopped fresh parsley to the composition if you like. I did it the first time, but didn't add the parsley the second time and they were still very good!

Another curious thing about the recipe--the creator (Linda) calls for sweetener. I found it sort of strange, but added it anyway (agave nectar instead of splenda). But, sometimes quinoa can have a slightly bitter aftertaste and this sweetness balances the flavor out. It's a well-rounded tasting burger. Yum, yum, yum! You can even serve them as patties with a salad or with some sauteed veggies.

We put them on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, gouda cheese, and mustard/mayo. Really love these burgers and they will be put into our regular dinner repertoire. 

QUINOA BURGERS

Adapted from www.eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com

• 2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (see cooking instructions below)
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated (OR 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed-though I haven't tried it yet)
• 3 eggs + 2 egg whites (the egg whites were my addition)
• 3 Tbsp. all purpose flour 
• 2 green onions, including white parts
• 1 /2 tsp. Splenda or sugar (I used agave nectar)
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8  tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• Olive oil for frying

To cook quinoa:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

To Make Burgers:

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs (and egg whites if using), flour, green onions, Splenda (or sugar), pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick.

Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.

Makes approximately 10 burgers.

Maple Apple Pecan Bread

My friend (and neighbor), Lindsay, and I went apple picking for the first time this season. We took our girls and enjoyed seeing them take delight from picking fruit off the tree and putting the apples in their own baskets.

It was a gorgeous, sunny day!

Lindsay made apple pie with the apples and I made applesauce and Maple Apple Pecan Bread. It's my new favorite quickbread that I stumbled upon at www.cookingforseven.com. This blog is so beautiful! (I have adapted the recipe a bit, but wanted to give credit to the Erica--she's an incredibly talented 21 year old!) I'm glad I made extra to share with our other neighbor, Chelsea. I can't wait to make this again. It's delicious in the morning with a cup of coffee or as a snack in the afternoon with a piece of cheese and a cup of tea.

Reasons why I absolutely LOVE this Maple Apple Pecan bread and think you will too:

1. It is tender and moist.
2. It has a crumbly-crunchy topping.
3. It is made with whole grains and is sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar.
4. It makes the whole house smell like fall.
5. It has complex layers of flavor--the vanilla, the maple, the cinnamon, the nuttiness--simply delicious.

MAPLE APPLE PECAN BREAD
inspired by www.cookingforseven.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (I love King Arthur brand)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. old fashioned oats 
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds (flaxmeal)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 heaping tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 (or less) tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk or fat-free plain Greek yogurt (or a combination of the two)
• 5 1/2 Tbsp. melted butter (I did a combination of light and regular butters)
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped apples (relatively finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Topping:

• Ground cinnamon & brown sugar (Turbindo or raw sugar preferred)
• 1/4-1/3 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a 9X5X3 inch loaf pan. I use the spray below instead--makes it so much easier!

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, oats, flaxmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the apples and pecans. (I like to add them at this point so that they are covered with the dry ingredients first and think it makes a little bit of a difference so they don't sink as far into the bread when baking.)

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk/yogurt, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Then, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with apples and pecans. Gently fold to incorporate the ingredients thoroughly.

Scoop the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with cinnamon and sugar and the pecans reserved for topping. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack to cool before wrapping & storing.  Serve slightly toasted with butter.

Makes one large loaf that welcomes fall! Enjoy.

Back to School Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

My daughter has started her Mother's Day Out/Preschool program. Ten whole hours a week. When it's not snowing, a school holiday, or she's not sick. Nope, no make up days either. I cling to these precious hours as they give me the opportunity to run errands (in record time), go to appointments, squeeze in a run, talk on the phone, or just start dinner preparations in quiet.

These are things that take ten times as long with a toddler in tow. It's just more fun than aplogizing to the woman who looks to be in her early 40's behind us at Target that my daughter called 'grandma'. ('No, I promise, you don't really look like a grandmother. Wow! Two kids under 5? No you don't need your stylist to do darker highlights next time.) And, it's pretty terrifying to wait 10 minutes in line at the post office, only to be finally called and have your daughter pull on your leg and say, 'Mommy I  have to go potty NOW.' Not at home 25 minutes ago, not 12 minutes ago on the portable potty in the car. No, NOW. (There are like 15 people behind you, so dare you risk it even if you forgot the 'backup outfit?')

Anyway, we both win this way. My daughter comes back from 'school' singing new songs, having done fun crafts, and talking excitedly about her 'friends.' Not even 2 1/2 and happy to have friends--can't we all relate just a little? Well worth the price to combat the worry that someone will call DCFS when I step 20 feet away from my car (with my child strapped in my view) to pick up my dry-cleaning.

So the challenge now becomes: what do I pack for lunch? (all of two days a week--that's the thing about motherhood--each stage prepares you for the next otherwise we might all be in straight jackets if someone just gave us a kid for the first time without experiencing the previous stages). The obvious answer to what's for lunch on day one is PB&J. You got it.

Then I got the itch to make it into a dessert. Every recipe I researched seem to call for 2 sticks of butter. Total bummer. So, I stumbled upon this wonderful blog called, Sweet & Natural. It's awesome. Ashley's recipe apealed to me because I am constantly looking for ways to incorporate more whole grains and natural sugars, use less fat, but still get a good result in my baking. These bars are delicious! I hope you will try them for when you get that sweet and salty craving. Or when you or your kids have to go back to school :)

PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY BARS
Adapted from www.sweetandnatural.wordpress.com

• 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening (Spectrum brand is good, I use Earth Balance vegan sticks)
• 3/4 cup turbinado sugar (I prefer raw sugar--if you like more 'crunch' use turbinado)
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup 100% fruit strawberry jam (I used strawberry-rhubarb but suspect any flavor is fine)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
 

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar for about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, egg, and peanut butter. Blend until well-combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend until just combined.

Spread 2/3 of dough into prepared pan. Top with jam (a mini spatula works great for this). Drop globs of remaining dough evenly over jam.

Bake for about 45 minutes.
 

Makes 12-16 bars.

Yes, I did overbake them a little, but they were still delicious. Ashley's picture HERE shows them being much more moist. Still playing with the 'convection' feature in my house....we'll get it!