Spaghetti and Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread

I have ALWAYS made the same jarred spaghetti sauce.  My mom made it before me, and I just like it.  I doctored it up with ground beef (or turkey more recently) or Italian sausage and added more oregano.  My journey had me looking for a scratch recipe for spaghetti sauce.  My kids don't like chunks (and I don't prefer them), so finding a recipe that suits us was a little tricky, but I was determined.  Even after I found one, I was reluctant to make it though, avoiding spaghetti altogether for quite some time.  But tonight I bit the bullet and made it.  Aside from being a bit salty, it was delicious!  Move over Prego, there's a new sauce in town.

Spaghetti Sauce (Adapted from this recipe at The Joy of Clean Eating)

1 package (approx 20 ounces) lean ground turkey
2 15-ounce cans organic tomato sauce
1 7-ounce can organic tomato paste
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon sea salt
pinch ground pepper

1. Brown ground turkey, breaking up pieces as the meat cooks.  Drain.

2.  Add the seasonings.

3.  Stir in the tomato sauce and paste.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes (or longer).

4.  Serve over pasta of your choice.

Along side of this I served Emily's Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread.  I made a few modifications from her recipe.  Here is how I prepared it.

1 1/3 cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup (or more) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large mixing bowl stir together water and yeast.  Let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy.  Mix in olive oil, salt and flour.  Using a stand mixer with dough hook attached, mix for approximately 5 minutes or until dough is elastic.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel.  Let rise for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until doubled in size.

In a small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.

Punch down the dough.  Tear off SMALL balls of dough.  Roll in butter mixture and place in greased bundt pan.  After one layer of dough balls, sprinkle with 1/2 the Parmesan cheese.  Cover with remaining dough balls and remaining cheese.  Cover with kitchen towel and let rise 20-30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Banana Butter Pecan Waffles

Breakfast for dinner is on my menu every other week.  We love it!  Some time ago I ditched my pancake/waffle mixes and started making them from scratch.  It doesn't take any longer and tastes ten times better!

I have a few bananas on my counter that are overripe - I like 'em that way because they are great for baking.  But tonight I thought maybe some banana pancakes.  I love the internet - any recipe I could conceivably want at my fingertips.

I found a recipe on allrecipes.com, but needed to clean it up and make it healthier.  I read bunches of the reviews and adapted the recipe so much it barely resembles the original!  Therefore, I claim this one as my own!  A few of the reviewers said this needed to cook low and slow because the banana can make it mushy, so I decided it would be great as waffles - and I was right!

Banana Waffles
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk (or less)
2 tablespoons applesauce
1 ripe banana, mashed

Preheat waffle iron.

Combine banana and wet ingredients.  Mix with hand mixer until smooth.  Stir in dry ingredients and whisk together.  (I added only about 1/2 the milk to begin with then more as the batter thicked between waffles.)  Batter will be slightly lumpy.

Spray waffle iron with cooking spray.  Pour batter and cook until golden.  Makes 5 7" waffles.

There are TONS possible variations.  Natalie requested hers with chocolate chips (I have switched to mini chocolate chips so that I can throw in a few without adding too much chocolate.)  Zachary wasn't sure, so he asked for chocolate chips in half of his.  I got all inspired and toasted some chopped pecans and sprinkled them in the waffle maker before closing it.  Then I spread a little butter on my hot waffle, topped it with more toasted pecans and just a bit of maple syrup.  HEAVEN on my plate!

I couldn't taste much banana flavor, so I think next time I will add another banana and then adjust the flour and/or milk as I go, but boy oh boy, this was a delicious waffle!  (Ah, I wish I had taken a picture!)

Pecan Maple Breakfast Cookie

I love to bake, really love to bake - especially when the weather is COLD!  Of course baking lots of sugary treats doesn't really fit into the changes I am making.  In an effort to "have my cake and eat it too" I have been trying out breakfast baked goods - muffins, cookies, etc.

Tonight I whipped up a batch of Pecan Maple Breakfast Cookies.  They are delicious!  They are NOT sweet, perfect for breakfast.  I think next time I make them, I may add cinnamon as Lisa suggests or maybe some pumpkin pie spice.  I may even substitute banana or pumpkin as reviewers suggested.  I used my cookie scoop to make them and they did not spread at all.  The second sheet I flatted out with damp hands.

I will certainly make these again - next time doubling the batch.

Vacuum Cleaner Bars - A Splurge!

A vacuum is a tool for cleaning, but this recipe is CERTAINLY NOT clean!  It has been quite some time since I have had these delicious bars, and I have been thinking about them for a couple months now.  An opportunity presented itself for me to make these, but not be tempted to eat the entire batch all by myself!

Vacuum Cleaner Bars

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 18.25oz box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 pound box powdered sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut (or a little more if you accidently pour too much cuz you love coconut!)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (oops, I put a few too many of those cuz I love them too!)

Combine butter, cake mix and 1 egg.  Stir together until incorporated.  Pat mixture into a well-greased 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.

Beat 2 remaining eggs lightly, then beat in cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Stir in coconut and nuts.  Pour over mixture in jellyroll pan, spreading evenly.

Bake at 325 for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool pan on wire rack to room temperature.  Cut into bars.