Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal

About 80% of the time, I crave sweet, unhealthy breakfasts… like donuts. And cinnamon rolls.  And Reese’s Puffs.  It’s really hard to pass up these options when I’m rushing around in the morning trying to get ready for work.

But, I’d like to live a while so, I find healthy and quick alternatives.  Obviously this oatmeal doesn’t taste like Reese’s Puffs, but it’s a totally sufficient substitute.  Especially topped with heavy cream… balance, right?

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
splash of milk or cream

Directions:
1.  Mix water, quick oats, cocoa powder, and salt in a pot on the stove (or make in the microwave).
2. Cook until you’ve reached a desired consistency, then stir in the honey and vanilla.
3.  Top with peanut butter and cream and mix!

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“The Best Friend’s Guide to Breast Cancer” and Pink Donut Holes

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

If you know someone or have a loved one or friend who has breast cancer, I really suggest you read this book:  The Best Friend’s Guide to Breast Cancer, written by Sonja L. Faulkner, who battled breast cancer herself.   It’s easy to feel lost and hopeless when something this tragic happens to you or someone you know, and this book is an inspiring resource.

Not only does this book offer support and inspiration, it also offers information and cancer-fighting foods.  If the book isn’t enough, it also provides websites and organizations that provide more information and help.

Also, 20% of the proceeds of sales from this book go to Pink Lotus Petals, a non-profit organization that provides help for women with breast cancer.

Sonja’s website offers so many delicious recipes for fighting breast cancer, such as Lemony Blueberry Zucchini Loaf,  Tropical Quinoa Pudding Made with Green Tea, and Very Berry Muffins.  Check it out!

Pink Donut Holes
From: Hummingbird High

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• A few drops of red food coloring
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for sugar coating

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, red food color, and 3 tablespoons melted butter until just combined.
3. Combine the small bowl of dry ingredients with the medium bowl of wet ingredients, using a rubber spatula to stir in the dry ingredients and mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, or you will get dense donut holes and I will cry for you. The texture of the dough should be sticky.
4. Preheat 1 cup of oil over medium heat in a 10 inch pan (I used an iron skillet).
5. Once the oil has reached 350 (F), measure out 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball with your hands.
6. Drop the dough into the pan of oil. Fry until golden brown on bottom then flip and cook on the reverse side until golden brown.
7. When the donut hole is finished frying, carefully remove with metal tongs or a fork and place on a cooling rack lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
8. When the donut hole has cooled down enough so that it doesn’t burn you when you pick it up, roll in a small bowl filled with 1/2 cup sugar. Set aside.
9. Repeat this process with remaining dough. You can cook more than one donut hole at a time.

New Books by Dede Wilson: Cake Balls and A Baker’s Field Guide to Doughnuts

First of all, Happy Labor Day! 🙂

Second of all, I don’t know if you have any of Dede Wilson’s books, but if you haven’t, you’re missing out.  But don’t worry, I can fix that.

Today, I’m giving away two awesome cookbooks:

Cake Balls
More Than 60 Delectable and Whimsical Sweet Spheres of Goodness

This features all sorts of cake balls- I couldn’t have even imagined some of the cake balls in this book.  Creme Brulee Cake Balls, Espresso Brownie Cake Balls, Key Lime Cake Balls, Mocha Toffee Crunch Cake Balls?!  Tell me you can resists that.  Also, not only does the book have cake ball recipes, but the beginning has the perfect cake, frosting, brownie recipes for the balls.  You won’t find any fake box mixes in this book.  Plus, the step-by-step cake ball making instructions with pictures in the front of the book are extremely helpful.

 

and

A Baker’s Field Guide to Doughnuts
More Than 60 Warm and Fresh Homemade Treats

I love this book because finally, I know how to spell doughnuts, haha!  Kidding.  This book is just as awesome as the cake pop cookbook.  It has baked doughnuts, fried doughnuts, yeast doughnuts, filled doughnuts, everything.   Dede is really good at creating original recipes, like Carrot Cake Doughnuts, Chocolate-Salted Caramel Doughnuts, Creme Brulee Doughnuts, Honey Cream-Filled Doughnuts with Milk and Honey Glaze.  She sold me!

I just got both of the books on Friday and I’ve already bookmarked almost all of the recipes (ha, helpful, huh?). And, I seriously sat in front of the TV last night making cake balls while Kellen and I watched a movie. So, just a warning, this book will make you do weird things.

Who wants these books?

Well, today is your lucky day. I’ve got a copy of each book to give away!  To enter, all you have to do is:

1.  Leave a comment telling me what your favorite cake ball and/or doughnut recipe is.

For additional entries:

2. Like Dede Wilson on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did.
3.  Like What Katie’s Baking on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did.
4.  Follow Dede on Twitter and leave a comment saying you did.
5.  Follow What Katie’s Baking on twitter and leave a comment saying you did. 

Good luck!

The giveaway will end on Monday, September 10th at midnight.  Make sure you leave your email address, or some form of contact information so I can get in contact with you if you win.

5 Minute Mixed Berry Mug Bread

I know this bread is ugly, but give it a chance.  Apparently when you mix all the pretty colors of fruit, it makes ugly dishwater gray.  I should have learned that in elementary school.

When I saw banana bread in a mug over at Pass the Sushi, I knew I had to make it.  Mug cakes went viral recently, but not mug bread.  Pretty genius if you ask me!

This turned out really well considering it only took me 5 minutes to make.  My mom’s obsessed with it and I think it’s pretty good, too.

What’s your favorite mug recipe?

 

5 Minute Mixed Berry Mug Bread
Adapted from: Pass the Sushi

Ingredients:

3 tbs flour
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs brown sugar
Dash of salt
1 egg white
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 tablespoon oil
¼ tsp strawberry extract
1 tablespoon milk
½ cup mixed berries

Directions:

1. Spray a microwave safe mug with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, or right in the mug, whisk flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and soda.
3. Add egg white and combine until just incorporated with dry ingredients. Mix in strawberry extract, oil, milk and berries.
4. Pop into the microwave for up to 3 minutes, checking occasionally to see if it’s done…easy!

Homemade Egg Sausage Breakfast Tortilla

Do you guys use Picnik for your photo editing?

I’m so sad that they’re shutting down on Thursday.  Looks like I’m going to have to find a new editing program.

What photo editing software do you guys use?

Anyway, back to business…these breakfast burritos are awesome!  And they’re healthy.  If I could eat them every day, I would.  Sadly, I live in the dorms and I have a meal plan so I have to eat in the university cafeteria for meals.

If you don’t have a meal plan at a dorm, then you should eat these every day for breakfast.

 

Homemade Egg Sausage Breakfast Tortillas
I made mine with Morningstar Farms Vegetable Crumbles, but you can make yours with sausage if you want.

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat tortilla
1/2 cup Vegetable Crumbles or sausage
1 egg
1/2 cup spinach
1 weight watchers white cheddar wedge 

Directions:

1. Cook the sausage until browned.
2. Add in the egg.
3. Use a spatula to mix the egg and sausage until the egg is cooked.
4. Microwave tortilla for 10 seconds.
5. Spread the cheddar wedge on the tortilla, layer spinach, and egg & sausage mixture on top.
6. Fold and eat!

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for Tropical Traditions Organic Raw Honey!!!

Breakfast Pie

I’m so honored because I received the Operation Beautiful Award from Lizzie.

She’s a wonderful new blogger so go check her out! 🙂  Thanks, Lizzie! ❤

This is what you have to do:

-Write 3 things you like about your looks.
1. I like my face.
2. I like my hair.
3. I like my nails.

-Write 3 things you appreciate about your personality.
1. I like that I’m honest.
2. I like that I can (sometimes ;)) make people laugh.
3. I like that I would be willing to help anybody out that needed it.

-Write about something you find beautiful in other people.
I love when people are caring and compassionate.  I think that anybody can be beautiful as long as they’re pretty on the inside.

-Award as many other people as you like and let them know!

Oh gosh, there are too many people that I want to give this to!
How about if you’re reading this, you can do it on your blog and say it’s from me! 🙂  You’re all deserving of it.

———————————————————————-

In other news, I made a breakfast pie.

Kellen hates pie.  Somehow we got to talking about whether or not he would like a savory pie and he said he didn’t know.  So… I made one.  And it was delicious!!

🙂

Breakfast Pie

Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie shell
4 sausage patties
4 eggs
1 potato
3/4 cup cheese
Seasoned salt to taste

Topping (optional… I kind of thought it was too much with the crust):
1 cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoons baking powder1/8 teaspoons salt4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces1 tbs milk or buttermilk

Directions:

1.  Peel potato and cut into small pieces.
2.  Boil potato until it starts to get soft, but not completely cooked.  Set aside.
3.  Cut up sausage patties and microwave for 1 minute, or until warm, but not completely cooked.
4.  In a saucepan, combine potatoes, sausage, and eggs.  Keep stirring on stove for about 1 minute.
5.  Layer pie shell with the 3/4 cup cheese and potato, sausage, and egg mixture.  Salt to taste.
6. *Optional: Mix first 3 ingredients in a small bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until it forms small crumbs.  Add milk.
7.  Layer topping over the pie.
8.  Bake 30-40 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Guest Post: Versatile Oats

Thanks so much to Jenny for doing this blog post for me!  She’s wonderful and has a great blog so be sure to check her out!  I don’t know what I’d do without my wonderful blogging friends.  Xoxo! 🙂 

——————————————–

Hey everyone I’m Jenny and I blog over at Fit Girl Foodie. Just wanted to start off saying a great big thanks to Katie for letting me do a guest post on her blog while she’s away . If anyone has some serious baking skills it’s her.

I’m not going to lie, when Katie asked me to do a guest post I had no idea what I was going to write. I’m not a baker nor have I made anything blog worthy. But if there’s one thing I’m good at is making some serious morning oats.

I was a cereal junkie all my life and no not eating Kashi and Puffins. I ate Lucky Charms, Cookie Crisp, Captain Crunch and the likes. My first oatmeal experience was good but not mind boggling.

My rookie days

I don’t know about you but not exactly pretty now is it?

Fast forward a few months and we have this

Pumpkin Pie Oats

Now we’re on to something

Bananas more your taste?

Topped with more banana, peanuts, granola, and cinnamon raisin pb

What about banana and chocolate?

Topped with chia seeds, peanuts, graham crackers, chocolate morsels and a spoonful of cinnamon raisin pb

Or with Jam?

The options are virtually limitless

Who says oatmeal has to be boring?

NYC Trip/ Fig and Blueberry Scones

Wow wow wow!!!

I’m feeling a little overwhelmed about writing this post, so if it’s scattered, bear with me!

I just got back from New York and it was amazing.  We had great food, awesome entertainment, and wonderful hosts.  I am so bummed to be home; school, work, and exercise just don’t compare.  Back to reality it is…. but I don’t like reality, so I’m going to relive our trip in this post with pictures.

Also, a HUGEEEEE thanks to Alyssa for doing a guest post for me.  I hope you all made her yummy balls (ha ha ha).  They’re next on my to-do list.

You should all go enter in this amazing giveaway, by the way!

New York: Spring Break ’11

View from Central Park… It was a pretty chilly.  I hate cold weather, but I would take it right now!

Kellen and his bro, Stuart on the subway.  I llooovveed the subway.  Freak? Maybe..

We had a pastrami sandwich at Kat’z.  It was so, so good.  I wish I would’ve taken pictures of all the food we ate.

Beautiful St. Patrick’s  Cathedral.

So. Much. Walking…

In awe of the gorgeous church.

My silly boyfriend…

…posing.  What’s new?

Taking a little photo shoot break.

View from the Brooklyn Bridge.  We walked all the way across.  So many lights!

Still loving the subway.

Times Square!

Checkin’ out the sky from the Museum of Modern Art.

Haha!

Kellen could not get enough sushi.  I’m pretty sure we ate it 3 times… and then had it for dinner the day we got home. Ridiculous.

Yumm… Donut Plant donuts.

The Met!!  So awesome.

Watching “Newsical the Musical”.  It was hilarious!!!  If you go to New York, I definitely recommend going to see it.  I laughed all the way through.

Bye, New York… 😦

Well, there’s our trip in a nutshell.  I wish I would have documented more, but it’s probably a good thing I didn’t, considering that this post already has about 50 pictures.

————

When I got home, I had a nice surprise waiting for me.   I’m going to leave you with these Blueberry and Fig Scones from the Green Market Baking Book that I wrote about last week and I’ll let you figure out what the surprise was.  😉

By the way, the book is now half off at Amazon if you click on this link.  I suggest you buy the book and make these scones because they are seriously tasty.  The outside has a nice crunch to it and the inside is soft and fluffy.  Also, I never realized how easy it is to make scones.  I was always too intimidated to make them before because they seemed like a daunting task.  Not even!!  I was unsure about the fig and blueberry combination, but it’s to die for.  For real.  If you buy the book, the recipe is on page 96.

Any guesses as to what my surprise was? 🙂

NYC Trip/ Fig and Blueberry Scones

Wow wow wow!!!

I’m feeling a little overwhelmed about writing this post, so if it’s scattered, bear with me!

I just got back from New York and it was amazing.  We had great food, awesome entertainment, and wonderful hosts.  I am so bummed to be home; school, work, and exercise just don’t compare.  Back to reality it is…. but I don’t like reality, so I’m going to relive our trip in this post with pictures.

Also, a HUGEEEEE thanks to Alyssa for doing a guest post for me.  I hope you all made her yummy balls (ha ha ha).  They’re next on my to-do list.

You should all go enter in this amazing giveaway, by the way!

New York: Spring Break ’11

View from Central Park… It was a pretty chilly.  I hate cold weather, but I would take it right now!

Kellen and his bro, Stuart on the subway.  I llooovveed the subway.  Freak? Maybe..

We had a pastrami sandwich at Kat’z.  It was so, so good.  I wish I would’ve taken pictures of all the food we ate.

Beautiful St. Patrick’s  Cathedral.

So. Much. Walking…

In awe of the gorgeous church.

My silly boyfriend…

…posing.  What’s new?

Taking a little photo shoot break.

View from the Brooklyn Bridge.  We walked all the way across.  So many lights!

Still loving the subway.

Times Square!

Checkin’ out the sky from the Museum of Modern Art.

Haha!

Kellen could not get enough sushi.  I’m pretty sure we ate it 3 times… and then had it for dinner the day we got home. Ridiculous.

Yumm… Donut Plant donuts.

The Met!!  So awesome.

Watching “Newsical the Musical”.  It was hilarious!!!  If you go to New York, I definitely recommend going to see it.  I laughed all the way through.

Bye, New York… 😦

Well, there’s our trip in a nutshell.  I wish I would have documented more, but it’s probably a good thing I didn’t, considering that this post already has about 50 pictures.

————

When I got home, I had a nice surprise waiting for me.   I’m going to leave you with these Blueberry and Fig Scones from the Green Market Baking Book that I wrote about last week and I’ll let you figure out what the surprise was.  😉

By the way, the book is now half off at Amazon if you click on this link.  I suggest you buy the book and make these scones because they are seriously tasty.  The outside has a nice crunch to it and the inside is soft and fluffy.  Also, I never realized how easy it is to make scones.  I was always too intimidated to make them before because they seemed like a daunting task.  Not even!!  I was unsure about the fig and blueberry combination, but it’s to die for.  For real.  If you buy the book, the recipe is on page 96.

Any guesses as to what my surprise was? 🙂

Pancake Cookies

When dessert = breakfast, the world is right.

When these are around, even this stupid cold weather can’t get me down.

I’m thankful that it’s taken so long for it to start getting cold, but the getting cold part had to come and that’s stupid.  And it came without snow, which is even stupid…er.  More stupid.

Luckily, cold weather means Christmas, and who doesn’t love Christmas?  Probably a lot of people.  I’m not one of them, though.

Christmas can be pretty expensive, right? So you should bake for people!  Start freezing things now and you’ll have plenty of stuff by Christmas.  Start with these cookies!  I’m pretty proud of these.  I had to bring food to class for one of my finals, and I couldn’t decide between breakfast food or dessert.  Always a hard choice, so why not combine the two… which would make it completely acceptable to eat dessert for breakfast… because it’s not even dessert, it’s breakfast.  They are in the form of cookies (light, fluffy, delicious cookies), but they taste like pancakes.  And the frosting tastes like butter and maple syrup. Perfect!!


Pancake Cookies

 This is what the dough…batter.. whatever… looks like.

 Put on baking sheet and add topping of choice.

 This is what they look like baked.

 And this is how they look iced.. yummm!

Ingredients

 Cookie:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 cup butter, room temp (8 tablespoons or 1 stick)
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, thawed or chocolate chips

Icing:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. In a small bowl, beat together sugar and butter. Stir into flour mixture. Beat together the egg and milk and add to the mixture.  Fold in the blueberries or chocolate chips. (Or you can just wait until you put them on the baking sheet and put a few on top like I did)
3. Scoop by tablespoons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden, but still fluffy to the touch. Let cool.
4. In a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add salt, vanilla, confectioners’ sugar (to your liking…may not use it all), milk, and syrup. Beat well. 
5. Once the cookies are cool, drizzle icing over cooled cookies.