On the healthier side of things....

Summer has arrived, at least for me, and I think I want to eat healthier. Not that I eat that terrible, but maybe less chocolate and cupcakes in my life for a little while; or at least only in moderation.

I was going to make these last week, but I was down and out with a migraine for three days. If you've ever had a migraine, the thought of doing anything remotely productive is the last thing you want to do. Instead, you're more likely to sleep all day, with little bouts of eating (if you have an appetite) and maybe getting up; in my case that never happens.
I usually sleep for about 14 hours to sleep it off...

Enough of that sob story, onto the goodies.

I found this on Pinterest, of course. I spotted them about two weeks ago, but just pinned them today.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins, with no flour.
Although there was some sugar in this, it seemed a lot more healthy than other muffin recipes that I've seen.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of oatmeal (the old school kind)
1 cup Greek nonfat yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 bananas
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda






1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients in a food processor (or blender, if you don't have the food processor). Mix until the oatmeal is smooth.

 **Side note:  Make sure you know how to put the cover on the food processor. Took me about 15 minutes to figure this out; even though, I had used it before. I know, maybe I shouldn't admit it, but I just did. My name is Jenny, and I'm a minor idiot when it comes to small appliances.**

           



3. With the muffin pan, do not use liners.  Muffins without flour will stick to the liners. I used margarine and rubbed it on the inside of the muffin tins.

4. Fill the muffin tins about 3/4 full.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes (I baked mine 20 minutes, and they turned out really well).

For being "healthy" they actually tasted pretty good. 

I think this will be my breakfast for the next few days and I'll take a break from my Cheerios breakfast. 

I'm a 4 year old, I like Cheerios...but I can only eat them when my husband isn't around. He doesn't like the smell of Cheerios, which strangely a lot of people don't. Hm. I love them.

Enjoy the bananas! 

Gooey What??

When I first moved to St. Louis, about 10 years ago, there were things here that I had never heard of back in Wisconsin.

Things like float trips, Ted Drewes, other things that I can't seem to think of currently, and Gooey Butter Cookies.
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Side note: My first year of college at Saint Louis University, I learned that people in Wisconsin have so many sayings that no one in the U.S. uses or even knows about. 

First, a "bubbler." To most Wisconsinites, a bubbler is a drinking fountain; apparently to everyone else on the planet a bubbler has something to do with a bong...who knew? 


Second, a "TYME Machine." No, this is not something that resembles what Michael J. Fox drove in Back to the Future, it's an ATM. Apparently, a long time ago in Wisconsin people didn't have debit cards that linked directly to their bank accounts, instead they had a separate account that was called the TYME account; it stands for Take Your Money Everywhere. Pretty fancy acronym. 


Third (but there are so many more), Kopp's burgers. This burger place has the largest burgers and quite possibly the best custard, I'd venture to say better than Ted Drewes. I would compare the size of this burger to my head, although a tiny bit smaller (if you know me, I have a ginormous head). The burger has a perfect amount of meat, cheese, and bun....and you can't forget the fries and strawberry shake. Oh man, it's so good that every time I make it home I try to stop by. 
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Initially, I did think it sounded kind of funny, Gooey Butter Cookies.  Sounds like a lot of butter plopped onto a cookie.  I didn't know what I was missing until I tried one, and was sold. Although they are not the healthiest option, but really, what cookie is...most people can eat tons of them, including me, because they are tiny and easy to pop in your mouth.

There are many variations on this cookie, Red Velvet or Chocolate, but I'm an original kind of gal and stick to what is the best.

I think most people in St. Louis eat the Gooey Butter Cake, but I have to say I'm rather biased towards the cookies. A bake shop here called Gooey Louie, has tried to top the recipes that I have had at my in-laws or other friends in St. Louis and that place doesn't even come close to the deliciousness that I have experienced with these other recipes.

This is one of the easiest recipes with the best results. Every time I make these they turn out and definitely are a hit, but they don't match up to the people who have been making them for years.

Tuesday was the second to last day of school and as a reward for doing so well on the state testing, the kids  (only two classes, not everyone can be a winner here!) received a movie day and a treat. I needed something easy to whip up because I truly did not want to be baking all night.....Gooey Butter Cookies it was.

You need very few ingredients for these cookies, and they only take about 10 minutes to bake.

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup butter
8 oz. package of cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Mix all the ingredients  together and chill for at least an hour.

Once chilled, roll the dough into small to medium balls (depending on the size of cookie you want) and then roll in powdered sugar.
Place onto a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes....you want the bottoms to be golden brown with the top still yellow.





Literally, the easiest recipe with the best response.
All my kids were excited that they not only got one, but two Gooey Butter Cookies, high school kids are easily pleased.

Movie time in Mrs. Michael's class was where everyone wanted to be.

Happy Summer.....vacation has officially begun.

M.I.A.

Yes, I know I have been quite absent as of late with my blogging, but I have a good excuse:
I've been busy....really busy...

1. Stressing out for a solid two weeks with preparations and administration of state standardized testing. You could say it was well worth it, considering my kids did pretty darn well--obviously there is room for improvement, but I can't really complain.

2. The school year is almost over, and by almost over I mean two and a half days left of school and then summer...for me. The end of the year stuff is so time consuming.

3. Sometimes I think I chose the wrong concentration, English requires so much grading. 95 research papers later, 10 poetry assignments, and 3 other assessments my grading is finished.  I realized it took so long because much of my time was taken up planning Prom with my go-to-lady, Holly.  That, however, was well worth all the time because it turned out rather spectacular.  Not something anyone would want to plan every year, yet it turned out rather spectacular.

Have a gander...

pretty spectacular decorations some
of our students made--Big Lights, Big City

Holly and I--best prom organizers, Ever!

3. I have taken a slight break from baking to do some other things....well until the last three days happened...

Beer drinking on a Thursday....this Brewer's Choice by Schalfly = new favorite beer

watching the crazy weather in St. Louis;
golf ball sized hail

wanting to buy this puppy, but I didn't.

I baked a few things in the last few days: oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, strawberry lemonade cupcakes, and key lime pound cake.  Honestly, the only thing that really turned out the way I wanted it to were the cookies. Nothing was decent enough for me to document and brag about....so I didn't.

Alas, summer will be here in a mere two and a half days for me and I have practically a solid three months off of work....the beauty of being a school teacher. These three months are going to be full of baking, cooking, and I think a lil' bit of sewing....might as well keep busy.

Until then, finding recipes will be taking up my time and then the blogging will return.

So if you're missing me, no worries, I will be back...