Oatmeal Peanut Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe - 50 Women Game Changers In Food - Maida Heatter

Oatmeal Peanut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes I just need an excuse to make cookies. Believe it or not, my kids actually are not huge sweet eaters (although they do love their ice cream), but they do appreciate good home baked cookies once in a while, especially chocolate chip cookies (but only if they're soft and fresh out of the oven...I know...they are so picky!). 

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Whole Grain Pumpkin Streusel Muffin Recipe {King Arthur Flour Giveaway}

Whole Grain Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Now that school is back in full swing and fall is in the air, whole grain muffins have made their way back into my boys' breakfasts, as has hot oatmeal. Along with a fruit smoothie, these whole grain choices provide a quick and healthy breakfast, enough to tide them over until lunchtime. 

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Gluten-Free Ratio Rally - Gluten-Free Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts {Vegan}

Gluten-Free Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts

I am so pleased to be participating in this month's Gluten Free Ratio Rally, founded by Shauna from the Gluten Free Girl, and hosted this month by Meg of GF Boulangerie.

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Baked Portobello Mushroom Fries {Secret Recipe Club}

Baked Portobello Mushroom Fries with Pesto

This is my third month joining in on the fun with the Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda's Cookin. This club has been growing each month and now has over 100 participants. The idea behind the Secret Recipe Club is to give bloggers the chance to try each other's recipes without the other bloggers knowing it until everyone posts their results.

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Seven-Layer Dip {Secret Recipe Club}

Seven-Layer Dip, a Crowd-Pleaser

This is my second month joining in on the fun with the Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda's Cookin. This month there are over 100 food bloggers participating in the Secret Recipe Club. The idea behind this club is to give bloggers the chance to try each other's recipes without the other bloggers knowing it until everyone posts their results.

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Roasted Corn, Avocado and Black Bean Salsa

Roasted Corn, Avocado and Black Bean Salsa

Salsas are a favorite during the hot summer months. I always look forward to the first harvest of local corn at our farmer's market. Although I love corn on the cob, simply cooked in a bit of water and eaten right off the cob, I also saute fresh corn, make corn salad, and use it in fresh salsas. I've found that roasting corn adds a nice chewy texture while enhancing the sweetness of the corn.

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Farmer's Market Sandwich - Pesto, Mozzarella, and Tomato Sandwich

The local farmer's market offers fresh produce, flowers, baked goods, specialty goods and more.

This weekend, I finally got the chance to visit our local farmer's market. I missed last weekend as I was at the annual BlogHer Food conference in Atlanta, meeting up with fellow food bloggers.

I have been eagerly waiting for the farmer's market to open after such a long winter. I always like to take a quick scan around the market first to see what all the farmers are offering that day before deciding what to bring home. I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of new farmers and vendors at the market today, including Raus Coffee (farm to roaster coffee), Bonga Capacci (fresh ravioli and lasagna), Dream Desserts (gluten-free dessert bars), Skinny Pines (mobile wood fired oven serving pizzas), and Smyth's Trinity Farms (dairy farm selling fresh chocolate milk and yogurts).

Of course, the old standbys that I have been frequenting over the past several years were a welcome sight - it's like seeing an old friend after a long absence! There were organic Asian salad greens rhubarb from Stone's Throw, organic kale swiss chard, and potted plants from Riverbank Farms, fresh radishes and greens from Gazy Brother's Farm, fiddleheads from Smith's Acres, potted organic herbs and plants from Greenscapes, various dips and quinoa salads from Du Soleil, pasture raised meats from Grey Ledge Farm, fresh breads, pesto and mozzarella cheese from St. Ex Specialty Foods, apple cider donuts and honey from Plasko's Farm, fresh pies and other goodies from Michele's Pies, pies and bar cookies from Whistle Stop Bakery, fresh flowers from Uncle Buck's Secret Garden, and handmade goat's milk soup by Goatboy Soaps (great for sensitive skin).

So, what did I buy this weekend? I went for a bag of Asian baby greens, some rhubarb (also called "sticks" by a woman standing next to me in line), red radishes, curly kale, rainbow swiss chard, fresh bread, pesto and mozzarella cheese, and a collection of potted herbs.

Fresh Kale, Radishes, Rhubarb ("sticks"), and Rainbow Swiss Chard from the farmer's market.

As soon as I walked in the door, I made our family's favorite Farmer's Market Sandwich, a tradition that we started years ago. At the start of the farmer's market season, my kids love pesto, mozzarella cheese and tomato on fresh baked bread. So simple, but so good.

Farmer's Market Sandwich - Fresh Baked Bread with Pesto, Mozzarella Cheese, and Tomato

Farmer's Market Sandwich - Pesto, Mozzarella Cheese, Tomato Sandwich

This is my kids' favorite sandwich at the start of the farmer's market, where a local vendor sells fresh mozzarella cheese, pesto and bread. It's become a tradition!

Ingredients:

• Fresh baked bread, sliced
• Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• Fresh tomatoes, sliced
• Fresh pesto
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. For each sandwich, spread some pesto on one side of each slice of bread.
2. Top with a slice of mozzarella cheese and tomato.
3. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
4. Top with second slice of bread.

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Easy Avocado Smoothie - Basic and Elegant {Avocado Mousse with Strawberry Puree}

"Hawaiian Lava Flow" Avocado Mousse with Strawberry Puree

Last week, I received a beautifully packaged box of Haas Avocados from California Avocados Direct, a fourth generation avocado family farm located near Valley Center, California.

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Anzac Cookies {Secret Recipe Club}

Anzac Cookies

This month, I joined the Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda's Cookin'.

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Gluten/Dairy/Egg/Soy Free Vegan Quinoa Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten/Dairy/Egg/Soy Free Vegan Quinoa Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recently, I was asked to write a book review of Carrots 'N' Cake, Healthy Living One Carrot and Cupcake At A Time. 

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Gluten/Dairy/Egg Free Vegan Coconut Pineapple Scones for the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally

Gluten/Dairy/Egg Free Coconut Pineapple Scone with Trader Joe's Mango "Butter"

I am so pleased to be participating in this month's Gluten Free Ratio Rally, founded by Shauna from the Gluten Free Girl, and hosted this month by Lauren of Celiac Teen.

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Two Easy Recipes for Salsa: Fresh Strawberry Salsa and Mango Avocado Pepper Salsa

Fresh Strawberry Salsa Served on top of Simply Baked Salmon and Sauteed Spinach

With the weather finally turning warming and the farmer's market opening right around the corner, I can't wait for the casual dinners that the coming months will bring.

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Gluten/Dairy/Egg/Soy Free Vegan Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten/Dairy/Egg/Soy Free Vegan Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today, I am celebrating the new look of my blog with a special treat.

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Gluten/Dairy/Egg-Free Carrot Coconut Pineapple Muffins

Gluten/Dairy/Egg Free Carrot Coconut Pineapple Muffins

Now that we have a gluten allergy in our house, I've been trying to get my arms around gluten-free baking. It's been challenging as there are so many gluten-free flours out there, and I'm not always sure which ones to use. However, my goal in baking gluten-free is to ensure that I pack in as much nutrition as possible.

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Warm Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Dip/Spread

Warm Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Spread on Whole Grain Toast with Roasted Red Pepper and Scallions

I've been dreaming of making an garlic and artichoke dip like the one that I bought a while back from a specialty store. Imported from Italy, this little jar cost a bundle, but I was desperate to find a dairy/egg free dip or spread that my son with allergies could eat as a snack or on sandwiches.

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Gluten Free Recipe for Chinese Dumplings

Gluten-Free Chinese Dumplings with Soy Sesame Dipping Sauce

One of my kid's favorite foods are Chinese dumplings. Growing up, my mom would roll out her own dumpling dough using a hand crank pasta machine; we would form an assembly line of cutting the dough into circles using an empty juice can, and then hand wrap all the dumplings.

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A Tribute To My Father-In-Law

My dear, sweet father-in-law, Paul.

I am dedicating this post to my 93-year old father-in-law, Paul, who just passed away this week. Paul immigrated to the United States in 1951, where he received his Master's degree in engineering from the University of Michigan and his PhD from Columbia University. He was a devoted husband, and was married to my mother-in-law for 50 years before her passing 4 years ago. Not only was he an extremely intelligent man, but one of the dearest, most loving men I have ever known.

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Gluten/Oat/Casein/Soy Free "Clif" Granola Bars

Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free "Clif" Granola Bars

I've been looking for a healthy protein/granola bar in the local supermarkets that is free of gluten, casein, soy, and oats. This has proven to be quite a challenge. Most granola bars contain oats, and protein bars often contain casein or soy. 

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Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread

Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread with Organic Strawberry Jam

This week as I caught up with a few friends over some Irish Soda Bread and tea, I thought about what my family would eat this Thursday in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.  

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Gluten-Free Hot Soft Pretzel

Gluten-Free Hot Soft Pretzel

One of the treats that my 8-year old son has been craving lately is a hot soft pretzel. Now that he's on a gluten-free diet, I've been learning to bake quick breads and snacks (e.g., pumpkin muffins, almond scones, banana bread, granola bars), but I hadn't tried baking yeasted breads yet. I haven't made any yeasted breads or pretzels for that matter in a really long time. I was procrastinating as I knew I had to dedicate quite a bit of time to making these gluten-free hot soft pretzels.

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