Whole Wheat Carrot Cupcakes

Happy Birthday Addie!  My little munchkin is not so little anymore and just celebrated her first birthday!  Like every parent of a one year old, I wondered what I should give her to celebrate this momentous occasion.  Cake is the obvious choice, but being that she hasn't had too many sweets yet, I was hesitant to overload her with a traditional cupcake or piece of birthday cake.  So I got an idea from a friend who was also celebrating her daughter's first birthday to make muffins and add frosting to cut back on the sugar (Thanks Colleen!).  She made banana muffins for her little one, I decided to go with carrot (and of course purchased those carrots from the farmer's market) and made a cream cheese frosting to top them off.  The muffins were made with whole wheat, apple sauce, and a bit of brown sugar, so by themselves are not all that sweet.  I took a cream cheese frosting recipe and added about half of the amount of sugar it called for and it was plenty sweet.  The finished product was a wholesome "cupcake" disguised as an indulgent sweet treat.  Try these muffins without the frosting for breakfast or a snack or add the frosting for a great dessert.

Whole Wheat Carrot Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg whites, beaten
1 cup finely grated carrots (about 3-4 medium carrots)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce (to make this from scratch, refer to the recipe for Addie's lentils and greens for roasting the apples and then just blend them in a blender or food processor)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease muffin pan or line with paper cupcake liners.

Peel and grate carrots. 

Add together all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.  Combine carrots and applesauce in a separate bowl and add in beaten egg whites.  Once combined, add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until completely combined.  Pour batter into lined or greased muffin pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.

Now here comes the less healthy part, the frosting.  It's delicious, but a little goes a long way so use sparingly.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Using a mixer, combine butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Add in vanilla, then in small amounts add in powdered sugar.  This is for two reasons.  One reason is to prevent a major sugar cloud from forming and the other is to allow you to taste for sweetness.  Taste the frosting after each addition of sugar to see if it's sweet enough and you may find you don't need to use the whole amount.  I cut back the sugar by half from other similar recipes and it tasted just fine.  Blend again with the mixer until smooth and you're done!  Pretty simple and very delicious!

Decorate and enjoy!

Daniluk Farms

First of all, I have to apologize for my lack of posts the last few weeks.  Papers, research proposals, and all of the other wonderful things that Grad School brings have completely taken over my life!!  Not to mention a very busy one year old who has put on her walking shoes and is now even harder to catch!  I will be posting much more frequently as the summer nears and with many more recipes when I can dust off my pots and pans and make a real meal again.

For now, though, I do have some valuable information for you meat eaters out there.  I realized that I have yet to post any information or recipes regarding where to buy local meat.  So carnivors rejoice, I have found a great place to buy beef!  Daniluk Farms, located on Route 5 in Camillus offers a wide variety of beef packages including hamburger, sirloin steaks, roasts, and prime cut steaks all from cows that are grass fed and not treated with antibiotics or artificial hormones.  If you're not familiar with the importance of grass fed cows, I encourage you to look into some of the info that's out there.  I won't get into it here as it's a rather dismal topic, but to make a long story short, it's better for the cow, it's better for you, and it's better for the environment.  Choosing grass fed beef from a local farm is a much more sustainable option.

Daniluk Farms is a great choice because you can place your order online and pick it up at the Syracuse Regional Market on Saturday mornings at their stand.  Some of their packages are large, so it may be a good idea to split them with a friend or family member if you don't have the storage space in your fridge or freezer, or if your just an occasional meat-eater like I am.  Check out the Daniluk Farms website at http://www.danilukfarmbeef.com/ or stop by their stand at the market and take a minute to chat with the farmers.  The more you know about where your food is coming from the better off you'll be!

Vegetarian Lentil Chili

Chili is one of my favorite meals because you can combine so many different vegetables to really take advantage of what you have in stock or what you can find in abundance at the market.  I loosely adapted this recipe from one that I found on another food blog (which I love) called "Two peas and their pod."  Their recipe used quinoa, which was really good, but I decided to use lentils instead since I was already making them for Addison's meal.  I had already been to the Farmer's Market for the week, so I just decided to throw in a sampling of my findings from the market.  I used red peppers, jalepenos, onions, garlic, and zucchini.  The original recipe also calls for celery and carrots, which I would highly recommend, I just didn't happen to have any on hand.  Here is my recipe for a great vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, hearty chili for any chilly Sunday afternoon (and it's great for leftovers, so for any weeknight as well!)

Vegetarian Lentil Chili

4 cups cooked green lentils 

1 cup cooked black beans

1 medium onion

2 small jalepenos (depending on your spice preference, use more or less)

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 large zucchini, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1 28 oz. can of tomato sauce

3 tbsp of chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp olive oil

The Farmer's Market Finds

Sneaking a peek!

Mmmm...enjoy!

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and add onion.  Cook onion until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add in garlic, peppers, and zucchini and cook until tender, another 5 minutes.  Add in black beans, lentils, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce.  Stir in chili powder and cumin.  Place the lid on the pot, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for at least a half hour.  Top with green onions, pick up some artisan bread from your favorite local bakery and enjoy some good healthy comfort food!

Addie's Eats: Lentils and greens

This combination is similar to the potato, kale, and apple mash, but is great for babies who are exploring new textures because the lentils offer a little something different for those little palates.  It combines green lentils, steamed spinach, and roasted apples for a meal that offers tons of nutrients, texture, and a mildly tart taste.  Steaming and roasting are two great ways to prepare any vegetables or fruit that you use for your baby's food so that you retain as many nutrients as possible.  Many vitamins are water soluble, meaning just that, they are soluble in water. So when you boil a fruit or vegetable those vitamins go down the drain with the water you cooked them in.  Depending on how much of this recipe you want to make will determine how much of the raw materials to start with.  I made 8 2 oz servings with what I have listed below:

Lentils and Greens

2 medium Cortland apples (or any kind of apple you like)
1/2 cup green lentils (uncooked)
2 cups fresh spinach, rinsed and stems pulled off

Rinse lentils and cook in 6-8 cups of water for each lb. of lentils.  Simmer slowly in a large pot for about 45 minutes with the pot lid slightly tilted.

Peel the apples and slice.  Make sure to remove any pieces of the core from the inside of the slices (I just use a spoon to scoop any remnants off of the side).

Place apple slices on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes.  Half way through roasting, toss the slices with a spatula to make sure they don't get dried out on any one side.  I like to use a couple of extra apples and keep some roasted slices for finger foods.  I just cut them up into smaller pieces and since their soft, Addie can eat them easily and she loves the independence of feeding herself.

Rinse spinach leaves and tear off any stems.  Place leaves into a steaming basket in a pot with a little bit of water in it.  Steam with the lid tightly on the pot until the leaves are bright green and wilted.

Take 1 cup of cooked lentils, 1/2 cup of steamed spinach, and apple slices (2 apples worth) and place in a blender or food processor.  Depending on the stage your baby is at, make the mixture as smooth or chunky as you would like (smooth for younger ones, chunkier for those who are ready for more texture).  Remember not to serve any textures you don't feel like your baby is ready for though.  You know your baby best, so blend accordingly.

This is a great mix to throw in the freezer for a later date.  Remember, if your little one isn't keen on any new food the first time around, don't give up.  It can take many tries before an infant or toddler accepts a new food, so give them time and be patient.  If you are willing to keep trying, chances are they will be too.  Enjoy!

Anyela's Vineyards...A winery and a CSA

I recently celebrated a birthday and to ring in a new year in my life as well as celebrate our early spring (or summer really), Ryan and I headed out to the beautiful and scenic lakeside community of Skaneatles.  We decided to do a little wine tasting at Anyela's Vineyards where we had been only once before to celebrate our good friends' wedding.  It is a gorgeous location with a barn-like tasting room and plenty of outdoor seating to soak up some sun and enjoy the bucolic views of the countryside and Skaneatles Lake.  So why am I including this in my blog about local eating?  Because besides being impressed with their amazing wine and unbelievable fruit and cheese spread, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that Anyela's runs a CSA!

If you're not familiar with the concept, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  This basically means you become a member and buy a share of the farm to help with the costs attributed to the farming process and in return you get a portion of the produce that is produced on the farm.  It's a symbiotic relationship between farmer and consumer, both sides benefit and as the consumer, you know you are supporting your local farmers in a big way in getting the freshest possible produce in return.

Anyela's CSA is great because they give you the option of purchasing a full season share, which gives you weekly produce from June 5 through October 16, or you can decide to purchase one session which is half of that time.  Session 1 runs from June 5 through August 7 and session 2 runs from August 14 through October 18.  This would work for people who are new to CSA's and aren't sure about committing to the full 20 weeks or for those who may do less cooking at home during the main summer months and pick up more home cuisine during the late summer and early fall.

Check out this spread! Cheese, fruit, crackers and bread, and best of all some amazing chocolate...delicious!

If you're interested in joining Anyela's Vineyards CSA, visit www.anyelasvineyards.com.  If not, please visit the winery to enjoy some great local wine, local views, and local eats...you won't be disappointed, I promise!

Spring is Here!! (Almost)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  For those of you who are yearly parade goers in Central New York, you got a special treat today with summer-like weather rather than the "wintery mix" we are usually reveling in this time of year.  I'm obviously being sarcastic about that last part, I love the term "wintery mix" though.  You basically just throw every possible type of precipitation out of the sky at the same time, maybe add a few lightning bolts for fun and there you have Syracuse in the late winter/early spring.  But not this year!  No, we are enjoying an early taste of summer and it's got me very anxious to start enjoying spring and summer food.

While the rest of CNY was donning their green today downtown, I was celebrating a little different kind of green.  My garden!

I started my seeds a few weeks ago, and already I have quite the array of sprouts.  If you're looking for a way to be a little more green and sustainable with your food, this is a great way to do it.  Many people think that having a garden takes way too much time and energy, but it doesn't have to.  Your garden can be as big or as small as you want it to be.  You can even just commit to a few pots of tomato plants if you have a sunny spot on a deck or patio, no real digging necessary.

Growing your own food is a great experience and if you have children I strongly recommend giving it a try.  Some of my favorite memories growing up were in our family garden, helping to plant or picking veggies for dinner.  It's a great way to get your kids interested in the food they eat and maybe even more willing to try a few more vegetables.  If they invest some time and effort into watching the garden grow, it will be difficult for them to turn away the end product.  Plus, you can't get any fresher than your own garden which means that the food not only tastes better, but it's better for you.  I could go on and on about the benefits of having a garden...but the main point is, they're pretty easy and so rewarding so give it a try!  Here's what's growing in our garden this summer: bell peppers, grape tomatoes, roma tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, sweet peas, carrots, basil, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, arugula, and cucumbers.  Many of these are new this year for us, since we are expanding our little raised garden to give more vegetables a try, so I'll keep you posted on how they turn out!

The little seedlings scoping out their future home.

Farmer's Market Item of the Week: Kale

Many people think of kale as that green garnish that sits on the side of your plate not to be eaten or that dresses up the meat case at the grocery store.  In reality though, kale is a great leafy green vegetable that is super healthy and can be super tasty.  Even better, it's available in the winter and is extremely inexpensive at the farmer's market.  Kale is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C (something people might not know since it's not orange or a citrus fruit) and can be prepared in a number of different ways.  It's great in soups and stews, but my favorite way to eat kale is as homemade kale chips.  This is an awesome side dish that is perfect for weekdays because it's really easy and only takes about 15 minutes to cook.  I have two variations, one savory and the other a little sweet, that I like depending on what else we're serving and what kind of taste I'm going for.  Try these for a great way to add in some leafy greens to your dinner plate any night of the week...and check out the Addie's Eats page for my favorite baby-friendly kale recipe.

Parmesan Garlic Kale Chips 

4 cups uncooked chopped kale (will cook down considerably)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp garlic powder

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss until all the leaves are evenly covered with garlic powder and parmesan.  Spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until crisp.  

Brown Sugar Kale Chips

4 cups uncooked chopped kale

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp brown sugar

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss until all the leaves are evenly covered in brown sugar. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until crisp.