Christina's Breakfast Cookies

from my mom

2/3 C butter
1/2 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together well.

3/4 C flour (1/2 C white, 1/4 wheat)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Combine and add to butter mixture.

1 1/2 C quick oats
1 C (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C wheat germ or finely chopped nuts (such as almonds or pecans)
6 crisp bacon slices, crumbled

Stir all together and add to dough.

Preheat oven to 350. Place cookies on greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges golden.

Christina's Honey-Walnut Pie

from Morgan Crumm

1 unbaked pie crust, fitted into a greased pie pan, placed on a baking sheet 
2 cups walnut halves
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
4 T melted butter
¼ tsp fine salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp cinnamon
Dash cardamom

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and make sure a rack is positioned in the center of the oven.

Prick the bottom of the pie crust all over with a fork. Spread the walnuts out evenly in the unbaked pie crust. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour this mixture over the walnuts. Cover the pie with aluminum foil, and bake for 35 minutes. Carefully remove the foil, rotate the pan in the oven, and bake an additional 32-35 minutes.  Don’t worry if the pie cracks slightly--this is normal and can actually be a good indication that the pie has cooked enough to set.

Allow the pie to cool at least 20 minutes to set before cutting.

The pie will keep, covered with aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 5 days, but it is best eaten within 1-2 days.

Christina's Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

from barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com

2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper, finely ground
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Add the oil and whisk thoroughly to combine. Continue whisking until the dressing is fully emulsified.

Store in a jar with a lid and refrigerate. Shake well before serving. Enjoy!

Side note: If you choose to make this in the blender (as I like to do for almost every other recipe) this will be a thicker dressing. Still delicious, simply thicker. I prefer the consistency of this particular dressing when whisked by hand.

Christina's Pizza Dough

from The Food Network

• 1/4 cup light red or white wine, Fiano di Avellino (or water, in my case)
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups flour

Directions

Place wine, water and yeast in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add the honey, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix well to combine. Add 1 cup of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a loose batter. Add 2 more cups of the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, incorporating as much flour as you can with the wooden spoon.

Bring the dough together by hand and turn out onto a floured board or marble surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and firm. Place in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl, using remaining tablespoon of oil and cover with a towel. Let rise in the warmest part of the kitchen for 45 minutes.

For individual pizzas or calzones, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and knead into rounds. For one large pizza, knead into 1 large round. For either, let rest for 15 minutes.

Christina's Breakfast Quinoa

2 cups almond milk, rice milk or water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Zest from 1 orange (I didn't have one, so I used 1 TBSP orange concentrate)

1 cup quinoa

3 T honey

1/4 C pecans, walnuts or almonds

fresh or frozen fruit (optional)

yogurt, milk or cream (optional)

Bring liquid and quinoa and cinnamon (and orange) to a boil, then set heat to medium low for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes. Add fresh berries. Top with nuts and honey, fruit and yogurt. Yummy!

Christina's Super Green Breakfast Smoothie

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup chia seed gel
2 cups loosely packed spinach
1 beet (root and leaves)
8 baby carrots (or one large carrot)
1 8 oz can pineapple in juice
1/3 cup raw cashews
2 frozen bananas
honey to taste
frozen blueberries to taste

Blend it all together!

Christina's Honey Whole Wheat Bread for Sandwiches

source unknown 

3 tablespoons yeast
4 cups really warm water
1/2-3/4 cup honey
8-10 cups whole grain wheat flour (freshly ground if possible)
1 TBSP kosher salt
2 TBSP vital wheat gluten (optional)
2 TBSP flax seed meal (optional)
2 TBSP wheat germ (optional)
butter

1. Grind wheat.
2. Add yeast, water, and honey then gently mix.
3. Let rest for 5 minutes until yeast foams.
4. Then add salt and everything else.

5.  Then add flour, I add a cup at a time until it pulls away from the side of the bowl. 
7. Knead for 4-6 minutes. This dough is really sticky and you are going to think that you need to add more flour, but you only want to add enough flour that the dough barley pulls away from the bowl.
8. Let dough rise for 15 minutes.
9. Butter the bread pans (I do 2 9x5 pans and 1 8 1/2x 4 2/12 inch pan) and your hands. Punch down the dough well.
10. Form into loafs and put into greased loaf pans. 
11. Let rise in pans for 30 minutes.
12. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
14. Remove from pans after 10 minutes and let cool on a cooling rack.

Christina's Super Granola

from my mom

9 cups rolled oats--not quick oats or instant
1 cup chopped raw peanuts or almonds
1 cup hulled sunflower seeds or chopped pecans
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sesame seeds (or 1/4 each of chia and sesame)
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup coconut oil or olive oil--NOT extra virgin as you want the flavor to not be strong
1/2 cup honey
2 TBSP vanilla
2 TBSP molasses

Preheat oven to 275.

Mix all dry ingredients together. Whisk liquids together and add to dry ingredients. Mix until dry ingredients are coated, but not lumped together. Spread onto two cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir thoroughly. Bake for another 15 minutes and stir again. Bake another 15 minutes then allow to cool completely before storing.

After cooling, you can add up to 1 cup of All-Bran cereal (I don't do this since my children's digestive tracks don't handle it well) and any dry fruit you like.

Christina's Honey Taffy

from The Essential Mormon Cookbook

2 C honey
1 C sugar
1 C cream

In heavy saucepan combine all ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, stirriing as little as possible. When mixture reaches hard ball stage (260 degrees F), remove from heat and pour into a shallow, buttered 9x13 inch pan. Turn edges with a spatular to prevent candy from hardening. When just cool enough to handle, divide in about 6 lengths and pull candy using buttered fingertips. Continue pulling until light and fluffy. Twist into ropes of desired thickness and then cut with kitchen shears into bite-size pieces. Wrap each piece with wax paper.

Christina's Oatmeal Wheat Bread

from Epicurious

This bread is sturdy enough to work for sandwiches. Yay!


2 cups milk
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats plus additional for topping (optional)
1/2 cup warm water (105-115°F)
7 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup mild honey
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus additional for buttering pans
3 cups stone-ground whole-wheat flour
About 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 TBSP flax seed meal
2 TBSP wheat germ
2 TBSP vital wheat gluten
1 tablespoon salt
Olive oil or butter for oiling bowl
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Heat milk in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling, then remove pan from heat and stir in oats. Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooled to warm.

Stir together water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon honey in a bowl; let stand until foamy, 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) Stir yeast mixture, melted butter, and remaining honey into cooled oatmeal.

Stir together whole-wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour, flax seed meal, wheat germ, gluten and salt in standing-mixer bowl. Add oat mixture and knead with dough hook, adding just enough of remaining unbleached flour to keep from sticking (up to 1/4 cup), until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 10 minutes (dough will be slightly sticky). Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled or buttered large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel; let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Lightly butter loaf pans. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a loaf, then place 1 loaf in each buttered pan, seam side down, tucking ends gently to fit. Cover loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush tops of loaves with some of egg wash and sprinkle with oats, then bake until bread is golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. (Remove 1 loaf from pan to test for doneness. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen.)

Remove bread from pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

Christina's Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1/4 C peanut butter
1/4 C milk
1/4 C cream
dash cinnamon
splash vanilla
1 TBSP wheat germ
1 TBSP flax seed meal

optional: cocoa powder, honey, spinach, whatever

Blend it all together and serve. Add more milk or cream as needed for consistency.

Christina's Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

original recipe

1 banana
8 large frozen strawberries
2 TBSP wheat germ
2 TBSP flax seed meal
1 TBSP honey
1 C milk
cream to taste

Blend all ingredients through milk; while blender is running, add cream until desired consistency. Eat and enjoy.

Christina's Honey Mustard Dressing

original recipe

1/3 C olive oil
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 TBSP Dijon mustard (I used a rounded tablespoon)
1 TBSP honey
salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all up and let it blend. Variations: use lemon instead of vinegar and possibly add grated onion or shallot.

Christina's Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Curried Apples

source unknown

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (3 0r 4)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
course salt and ground pepper
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
2 jalapeno peppers, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced 
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth, homemade or canned (2 cans)
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar (or whatever kind you have)
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 small tart apple, diced
1/4 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
2 tablespoons chopped mint, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 4oo degrees. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour, turning once, or until potatoes are very soft. When cool enough to handle, scoop cooked potatoes out of the skins. Discard the skins. Or you can cheat and put them in the microwave wrapped in plastic and cook them 20 minutes on 70% power.
2. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 20 min. Add bell pepper, jalapenos, and garlic; cook for 5 min. Add sweet potato and broth, stir. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until flavors have blended.
3. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender. Combine batches in a clean bowl. The soup should be thick. (If you prefer a thinner soup, add water or more broth). Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, honey, and curry powder to a boil. Add apple; stir for 1 minute and remove from heat. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, ad spoonful of apples, spoonful of yogurt and a sprinkle of mint.

Christina's Thai Peanut Dressing

from Our Best Bites

Can be used as a salad dressing (add 2-4 TBSP water to get a good consistency) or a dipping sauce for satay.

1/2 C peanut butter
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 1/2 t sesame oil
1 T seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 T soy sauce
3 T honey
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 T minced ginger
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro (stems and all)
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/4 t kosher salt
2-3 t Sriracha chili sauce*

Blend it all together. Makes about two cups.

*If you don't have chili sauce or can't find it, just toss in a little crushed red pepper, but not too much! Chili sauce isn't actually very hot, and you don't want any hot spice overpowering the flavor.

Christina's Barbecue Sauce

from Ina Garten as adapted by Smitten Kitchen

Makes 6 cups

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large onion)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup tomato paste (10 ounces)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

In a large saucepan on low heat, saute the onions and garlic with the vegetable oil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes. Use immediately or store in the fridge.

Christina's Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas

from Tangled and True

* 1/3 cup honey
* 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)
* 2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon chili powder
* 2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), cooked and shredded
* 12 corn tortillas
* 2 cups of Mexican cheese blend, shredded (1 small bag usually is 2 cups)
* 1 14-oz can of green enchilada sauce (mild or medium, to your taste)
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream
* nonstick cooking spray
* 1 Tablespoon of chopped cilantro, to garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cooked and shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, place the honey, lime juice, chili powder and minced garlic or garlic powder. Whisk together thoroughly to combine. Pour this mixture over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to marinate while you prepare the tortillas, 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, in the refrigerator.

Heat a large griddle till a drop of water skitters across (about 350 degrees F). Spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray or a oil it with a little bit of canola oil in between each round of tortillas. Heat tortillas about 20 seconds on each side till warm and flexible and some golden brown spots have appeared. Remove the tortillas from the griddle and keep them between a couple of paper towels until ready to use.

Spray the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the oiled baking dish.

Add a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line. Cover the chicken with a large tablespoon (or big pinch) of cheese, then roll the tortilla up from one side to make a rolled enchilada - it will be more of an over lap on the seam side that rolled tightly. Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish starting at one end with the long edge parallel to the longest side of the pan so that you end up with two columns of six enchiladas each.

Repeat with the remaining chicken, cheese and tortillas. You will use about 1 1/2 cups of the cheese for the filling and set the remainder aside for topping the enchiladas in the pan. Add the remaining marinade mixture to the enchilada sauce and cream mixture, if desired. Pour this mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake the enchiladas for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve with sour cream, black beans, and rice or a green salad for a great meal.

Christina's Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 large egg
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 Tbs honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts or pecans
3/4 cups white chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. By hand or mixer, blend together butter, brown sugar and honey. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture and mix until combined well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Form into balls and bake on ungreased baking sheet in center of oven until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft, about 12-15 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 dozen 2-inch cookies.

Christina's Ginger Soy Lettuce Wraps

4 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
6 scallions/green onions, julienned- 2 in.
1 can water chestnuts, drained and minced
1 carrot, minced
8 shiitake mushrooms, prepared and minced (plain mushrooms are fine, just sauté them up and then mince)
¼ c. soy sauce (scant)
1-2 T. honey- depending on how sweet you want it
Lettuce
little crispy rice noodles (opt.), 2 oz. raw peanuts, toasted (opt.), 1 can bamboo shoots, drained and minced (opt.)

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add a little olive oil to start off with, then add water when needed- a tbsp. at a time.
2. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper (lots of pepper for extra spice).
3. Add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes (the latter two according to taste); cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Add scallions and cook for another minute.
5. Add soy sauce and honey to form a sauce and glaze the chicken.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Serve wrapped in lettuce, or on top of shredded lettuce.

Christina's Whole Wheat Bread

4 C. whole wheat
1/4 C. vital wheat gluten (you can find it in the baking aisle)
2 1/2 C very warm water
1 TBSP yeast
1 TBSP salt
1/3 C oil
1/3 C honey

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Stir together flour and vital wheat gluten. Add water and beat 7-10 minutes. Add yeast and beat 3 minutes. Add salt, oil and honey, beating well after each separate addition. Add more whole wheat flour until dough begins to pull away from sides of bowl.

Pour a few tablespoons of oil on counter and spread with fingers. Pour dough onto counter and knead 2-4 times from different directions. Divide dough in half and form loaves. Place in greased pans. Cover with wet towel and place in warmed oven. Turn off heat and let rise 20-30 minutes. Remove towel and turn on oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25-30 minutes and butter tops when done.