Whole Foods Kitchen Kreations

Well, I have this really creative cooking cousin. And I am addicted to this shake

Kissin’ Kousin’s Puckerup Pumkin Pie Shake

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 tbsp agave
• 1 tbsp pepitas
• Pecans (a few)
• Cinnamon (I like a lot)
• Ice

This is what Whole Foods has to say about quinoa.

Ingredients

Quinoa

Onion (I prefer red onion–any will work)

Garlic

Veggies (an easy one is spinach–broccoli, green onions, multi-colored peppers, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes work well)

Cheese (feta and mozzarella work well)

Coconut oil (olive oil also works)

Cook one cup of quinoa in 1 3/4 to 2 cups water or broth.  In a large skillet heat coconut oil.  Saute’ onions.  Now is the time to add any veggies you want to saute/cook,   Add garlic and cook until  heated.   Add quinoa.  Mix.  Turn off heat and add spinach and cheese. Enjoy!

Grab ‘n’ Go Breakfast Cookies

Adapted from “Better Homes & Gardens New Junior Cookbook”   (The measurement I give for the brown sugar is ½ of what the recipe called for.  It’s sweet enough w/ only 1/3 cup.)

My favorite variation is to add first 10 ingredients together and then cranberries and slivered almonds.  Another favorite is to add first 9 and then chocolate chips (and you could add nuts).  Let me know if there’s another variation you come up with!

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or ¼ almond flavoring and ¼ vanilla)

1 cup whole wheat flour  (I use ¼ c. white and ¾ c. wheat)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup rolled oats

Cinnamon

1 cup dried fruit, such as raisins, chopped, dried apricots, dried berries

1/2 cup dried banana chips, broken up (I have never used banana chips)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, peanuts, pecans or almonds

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat large cookie sheet with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper; set aside.

Mix ingredients together except for fruit and nuts.  Add fruit and nuts and stir

Scoop dough with 1/4 cup measuring cup (or you can make spoonful size cookies) and place on cookie sheet, 2-inches apart. Lightly press down on cookies with fingers.

Bake 11 minutes or until cookie edges begin to brown. Let cookies rest for 1 minute, then transfer with spatula to wire rack to cool completely.

Yields 12 large cookies.

2 cups Blueberries

1 cup other fruit

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tsp arrowroot (can use cornstarch–simply not as healthful)

1/3 cup water

honey to taste (needs no more than 1/4 cup and as little as a couple of teaspoons)

Mix liquids and arrowroot together before adding berries for easier mixing.  Simmer berries and fruit and water until desired consistency.