Simple Cinnamon Drop Cookies

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This is just an adaptation from the red/white checkered "Better Homes" cookbook

1 cup room temperature butter
1 1/2 cups sucanat
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour (freshly ground hard or soft white wheat preferred)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Blend together butter and sucanat. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat one minute. Add flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly. Drop onto a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 or 9 minutes.

Kid's Favorite Peanut Butter Spread

Kid's Favorite Peanut Butter Spread

This is lower in calories and fat than peanut butter alone and is sweeter and creamier. Great on toast, pancakes, sliced apples, ice cream, whatever.

Ingredients
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Real Maple Syrup
1/3 cup milk

Directions
Put all ingredients in a 1 pint glass canning jar. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for 30 more seconds. Stir. Refrigerate and use within one week. Makes 16 one tablespoon servings.

Number of Servings: 16

Calories: 69.5
Total Fat: 4.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.4 mg
Sodium: 2.4 mg
Total Carbs: 5.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 1.9 g

Because Jami asked.... low carb evening snacks

You pretty much need to pretend you are on the Atkin's diet from the time you finish dinner until an hour before you go to bed. After that, don't eat at all. See previous entry about eating at night for more details.

I have cut out evening eating completely. Works for me. HOWEVER, I happen to have some friends who love their evening snacking and must have SOMETHING after dinner. I did some research and here is a list, followed by some recipes:

• Celery with tuna salad
• Celery with natural, unsweetened peanut butter
• Cucumber with vinegar and olive oil
• Hard boiled eggs
• Deviled eggs
• Dill pickles and cheddar cheese (no kidding, it’s a great combo)
• 1/4 cup berries with 1/3 cup cottage cheese
• Nuts
• Sunflower seeds (get them in the shell so it will take longer to eat them)
• Other seeds
• Jerky
• Cheese sticks, such as string cheese
• Cheese with a few apple slices
• Smoked salmon and cream cheese on cucumber slices
• Lettuce Roll-ups –- Roll meat, egg salad, tuna or other filling and veggies in lettuce leaves
• Spread bean dip, spinach dip, or other low-carb dip or spread onto very thinly sliced meat (find a low sodium kind) or lettuce and then roll it up
• Raw veggies and spinach dip, or other low-carb dip
• Mushrooms with cream cheese spread inside
• Low-carb snack bars (watch out for sugar alcohols, especially maltitol)
• ½ cup strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries
• A slice of watermelon
• A slice of honeydew or cantaloupe
• Veggies with hummus
• Broccoli with melted cheese
• Sliced tomatoes with cubes of mozzarella with vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper
• Leftover meat

Low Carb Smoothie
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 scoop protein powder
• 1/3 cup frozen berries
• 2 Tablespoons Flax Seed Meal
• 1/2 - 1 cup water (less if you want it thicker)

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth

Bean Dip
1 ½ cup cooked beans
4 oz fat free cream cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ cup salsa

Put all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

Spinach Dip
• 1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 1/2 cup of low fat or fat free sour cream
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon some kind of powdered herb, such as Greek seasoning

If you're using a food processor, pulse the spinach alone a few times. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend well. If not using a food processor, stir to combine the ingredients in a bowl.

Cheese Crisps
These are an oven-baked version of the Italian frico. It's just basically thin rounds of baked cheese. One of the cool things about it is that they are moldable when still warm. If you drape them over an upturned glass, they will form a cup that you can fill with anything you like. It makes a really nice presentation for a party.

• 1 cup cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Note on type of cheese: You can use any kind, really, but the results will be different. Hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, Romano, Asagio, etc, will make a crisp "shell," whereas cheddar will be more chewy and "lacey" (the fat separates out), though still firm. Softer cheeses such as mozzerella will not work well.

Toss cheese with any seasonings you'd like -- garlic powder (about half a teaspoon for a cup of cheese), hot pepper powder, even cinnamon. Or leave plain.

Pile 1 to 4 Tablespoons of cheese (depending on the size you want) on a baking sheet covered with a silicone mat or parchment paper oiled on both sides. Flatten the tops so they are in more or less an even pile. There should be at least two inches between smaller mounds, 4 inches between larger ones.

Bake 5 to 6 minutes until they are a light golden brown (they will be a little darker at the edges). It happens fast, so watch carefully.

If you want to mold them into a shape, you want to "drape" them while still warm. You can make cups over an upturned glass, or "taco shell" shapes by draping over any cylindrical object that is at hand (rolling pin, side of glass)

FOOD SUGGESTIONS LISTED HERE

BREAKFAST (whole grain, protein, fruit)
* Oats with ground almonds and dried cranberries
* Egg, toast, fruit
* whole grain unsweetened cereal with bnanas, honey and milk
* leftover brown rice with an egg white stirred in and microwaved (makes it creamy) with maple syrup and berries on top
* whole wheat pancakes with homemade strawberry sauce and whipped cream cheese
* cottage cheese with canned fruit (with no added sugar) and sunflower seeds
* whole wheat muffin or toast with 1 tsp butter, piece of fruit, glass of milk

LUNCH (whole grain, protein, fruit or veggie)
* one hard-boiled egg mixed with Kraft Olive Oil Mayo and a little mustard, one slice of bread, and some carrot sticks
* leftovers from last night's dinner
* one piece of whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter and fruit sweetened jam and a piece of fruit
* beans and brown rice with salsa stirred in and some pepper slices on the side
* a pile of spinach with a sliced boiled egg, shredded carrot and any Newman's Own light dressing * microwave baked potato with some leftover taco meat, chili, lentils, or something like that on top

SNACKS (a carb and a protein)
* apple and a cheese stick (my stand-by)
* a baggie of nuts and a little bottle of 100% juice (can grab this at the gas station)
* a baggie with a handful of nuts and a handful of dried fruit (easy to grab and take with you)
* a smoothie made with spinach, 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 C. orange juice, water, and protein powder (of course any fruit can be added to this. I always have strawberries and blueberries in my freezer so I often add those)
* a piece of fruit and some Triscuits
* baked tortilla chips, microwaved with 1/4 cup cheese and salsa
* a slice of bread with natural peanut butter

DINNER (whole grain, protein, veggie)
Dinner is dinner. I make what my family will eat. I make sure I get plenty of veggies and a reasonable portion of what is prepared.