Baby Shrek Cookies!

This year, as gifts for my 3 year old's preschool teachers, I decided that we would make everything for them (I'm sure they LOVED this ;o) We made two christmas ornaments for each, and then Noah insisted that we needed to make them cookies. He requested gingerbread men, "like from shrek". So, I searched for a good recipe, and made the dough and baked most of the cookies while he was napping. When he woke up, he helped ice and sprinkle MAYBE 4 of the 40 or so cookies, and then was done. Ah, boys. So, I thought the sprinkles were a bit overkill on the sweetness, and I was using white icing. I then asked Noah if I could make some baby Shrek cookies, and dyed the icing green, and proceeded to paint the rest of the ginger bread dudes green. They're small cookies, which is why I'm lovingly calling them Baby Shrek Cookies! They're really yummy!

Spicy Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup margarine or butter
  
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
  
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter/margarine and sugars until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg yolk. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; blend into the molasses mixture until smooth. Cover, and chill for at least one hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Frost or decorate when cool.

Now for the icing...I really liked that you could paint it on, and that it was simple to make!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup (I used honey)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I used vanilla b/c I didn't care if it wasn't perfectly white)
  
• assorted food coloring

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
2. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

Green Eggs, Bacon and Cheesy Berry filled Crepes

Oh, Breakfast for Dinner, how a love you! I'd say every other week I manage to sneak in a dinner of hot breakfast food (no cereal- which we eat almost every morning). This time we had eggs, scrambled with basil pesto (just the store bought kind), thick cut bacon, and whole wheat crepes filled with a berry/cheese/yogurt combo. Here's the recipe for the crepes:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil (I used smart balance oil)
1/4 tsp vanilla (optional)

Directions:

1. Whisk together eggs, milk, water, vanilla (if using) and butter. Gradually add flour and whisk until smooth.
   
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Berry Cheeese Filling (I eyeballed these ingredients, but this is what I used)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and pulse until smooth. Add to crepes after they are turned, and fold up in pan to warm the filling.

I wish there were leftovers of this dinner b/c it was YUMMY! Oh, if anyone's looking for super tasty bacon, my favorite is Smithfield's thick cut. I think it's much better than Oscar Meyer or Tyson. It gets crispier!

Pork Roast with Mustard Caper Sauce, Egg Noodles, Salad and Crusty Whole-grain Flaxseed Rolls

Oh Yum, I'm still drooling from this meal. My mom made this pork after Thanksgiving, and I couldn't wait to make it myself. A friend of ours just got home from Afghanistan, so it seemed like the perfect occasion to make something delish. Thanks mom for sending it to me!

PORK ROAST WITH MUSTARD CAPER SAUCE

4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary or 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

3 pounds boneless center-cut pork loin

2 cups chicken stock or broth

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup light cream (I use 1/2 & 1/2)

Zest from 1 lemon

Juice from 1 lemon

Freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup capers

Rub about 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard over the whole pork loin. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Place in a shallow roasting pan and roast in a 325 degree oven for about two hours, or until meat thermometer reaches 155 degrees. Remove pan from oven. Transfer roast to a heated platter. (the temperature of the roast will rise at least 5 degrees after it is removed from the oven.) Set aside. Pour chicken stock/broth in the roasting pan to deglaze. Set aside.

To make mustard caper sauce:

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add flour and stir until mixture just begins to brown. Add the stock from the roasting pan and the light cream and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.

Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons of mustard, add pepper to taste and capers. Mix well and remove pan from the heat. The sauce should be just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Slice pork thinly and serve with hot mustard sauce.

Makes 6 servings.

This makes a TON of sauce, so there will be plenty to pour over whatever side you make- I recommend egg noodles. Rice would also be good. I also served a green salad, and these yummy rolls:

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup flaxseed
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1 cup warm 2% reduced-fat milk (100° to 110°)
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed

Preparation

Place 1/3 cup flaxseed in a blender or clean coffee grinder, and process until ground to measure 1/2 cup flaxseed meal; set aside.

Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and warm milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flaxseed meal, whole-wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, salt, and oil to yeast mixture; stir to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If the indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.

Divide dough into 18 equal portions, shaping each portion into a ball (cover remaining dough while working to prevent it from drying). Place balls 2 inches apart on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 45 minutes or until dough is doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Uncover rolls; cut a 1/4-inch-deep "X" in top of each roll. Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg white, and brush over rolls. Sprinkle rolls with 2 tablespoons flaxseed. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until rolls are browned on the bottom and sound hollow when tapped. Remove rolls from pan.

Note: These rolls freeze well. To freeze, cool rolls completely and store in a zip-top freezer bag. When ready to use, remove rolls from bag and thaw completely. Preheat oven to 350º. Place rolls on a baking sheet; cover with foil, and bake until heated, about 8 minutes.