It’s funny how things change once you have kids.

Pre-kid’s, I use to make these elaborate cookie trays, create the cutest packaging, handmade gift tags, and pass them out to friends, neighbors, and coworkers throughout the holidays.

With kid’s, the thought of making those same cookie trays is utterly exhausting. With a 2-year-old and a 4-month-old, I need easy. I still have a love for baking and love the idea of handmade gifts, but this year, I’m keeping it simple.

When it comes to simple and easy, biscotti is one of my favorites. Mostly anyone can eat them with coffee or tea. Plus, all you have to do is put them in a cellophane bag, tie a cute ribbon around it, and you’re all set.

You can make them plain, or add in some fruit and nuts. My staple biscotti recipe is my Anise Almond Biscotti, but for a different flavor I changed up the recipe and added some dried cranberries and walnuts.

These were delicious, simple, and tasted perfect alongside my morning cup of coffee. Hopefully my friends and neighbors will enjoy them just the same

Cranberry Walnut Biscotti adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla; add the wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and stir until mixed through. Fold in walnuts and cranberries .

• Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Divide dough in half.  Lightly floured hands and shape each half into a 10-in. x 2-1/2-in. rectangle. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Carefully remove to wire racks and cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 1-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

So, if you haven’t noticed, my posts have been a little out of sync this week. I went from comfort food, to a tropical flavored smoothie, and now back to comfort food. I blame the weather. Last weekend we had gorgeous Fall like temps and now we have blazing heat with temps in the 100′s. It appears Fall will not be making an appearance any time soon. Good thing I have plenty of canned pumpkin to keep me in the Fall mood.

This pumpkin gingerbread is delicious and easy to make. You can also spruce it up by mixing in some chopped up candied ginger, white chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Here’s how to make Vegan Pumpkin Gingerbread.

1) Combine your dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowl.

2) Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.

3) Pour your batter into a loaf pan that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

This bread would be perfect to have around the house when company is in town for the holidays

Happy Baking

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1.5 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup canned pumpkin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine your flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ground ginger. Mix until all ingredients are combined. In a separate bowl combine vegetable oil, pumpkin, applesauce, and water. Mix through. Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are combined. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and pour batter in. Bake at 375 degree for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

No news on the home front. House is still on the market and waiting for that perfect buyer. We’ve had lots of looks and lots of folks love our home, but no one ready to bite the bullet just yet.

In the meantime, while we’re waiting for that perfect buyer, I made myself some High-Fiber Marshmallow Treats

I featured  these on my blog close to a year ago and love love love them!!

I was having a major sweet craving and needed to satisfy it while healthily feeding the bell pepper sized baby growing inside of me

These fit the bill perfectly!

The ingredients are simple…

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 10.5 oz bag mini marshmallows
• 5 cups Fiber One cereal
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (or any dried fruit you like)
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large saucepan, melt the butter then add in marshmallows. Stir over medium low heat until marshmallows are melted. Once the marshmallows are nice and melty, remove from the heat and add in your cereal, almonds, & dried cherries. Fold through until everything is mixed in. Next add in your chocolate chips. Gently fold these into the mix. Make sure to leave some chocolate chunks in tact.

Spray a 13×9 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread mixture into the pan and let cool completely. Cut into desired sized bars & Enjoy

My best advice to you…

Try not to eat the whole pan… they are that good

Mmmmm…. Applesauce just got a whole lot better!

I use to make homemade applesauce for M all the time but for some reason have moved away from it. With a surplus of apples on hand I figured it was time to whip up a batch, but this time I wanted to change it up a bit.

Enter the fragrant vanilla bean…

Would you believe me if I told you I’ve never cooked with vanilla bean before?!

I know…    Shocking!

To christen my vanilla bean virgin-ness I thought I’d start simple and add it to apples

For the applesauce I used 4 large apples, peeled, cored, & cut into wedges, 1 vanilla bean, 1/2 cup water, 1-2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, & the juice of one lemon.

I added all the ingredients to a medium saucepan. I split the vanilla bean pod in half, scraped all those flavor packed vanilla beans out, added it to the saucepan, and threw the vanilla pod in.

Cook on medium – medium high for about 15 minutes or until apples are super soft.

My apples mashed easily with a fork. If you want it smoother you can blend it up

You can either throw the vanilla pod out or put it in a container of sugar to make vanilla sugar.

Ingredients:

• 4 large apples (peeled, cored, & cut into wedges)
• 1 vanilla bean pod
• 1/2 cup water (more if needed)
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (more or less depending how sweet you want it) – can be subbed with granulated sugar too.
• Juice of one lemon

Directions:

Combine the apples, water, sugar, & lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean pod in half with a knife and with that same knife, scrape the vanilla beans out and add them to the saucepan. Once the vanilla pod is scraped, add the pod to the saucepan.

Cover and cook over med.- med. high heat for 15-20 minutes or until apples can easily be smashed with fork.

My serving suggestion: Serve warm with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream on top then drizzle warm caramel over the ice cream.  Yum

Hi There A couple weeks ago I received an email from Weekly Bite reader Maura. Her email included one of her favorite recipes {VEGAN OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES}. She gave these cookies such high praise I just had to try them!

These cookies are AMAZING! I kid you not, these are some of the best cookies I’ve ever tasted. And it has nothing to do with the fact that they’re vegan. They are rich, moist, gooey, and delicious. Everything I look for in a cookie.

Mr. Weekly Bite couldn’t stop eating them. After each bite he’d ask “Are you sure these are vegan?”

No mixer is needed with this recipe. Just a bowl & spoon.

Here’s how to make these delicious cookies….

First thing you want to do is combine all your dry ingredients in one bowl: flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, & baking soda.

In a separate bowl, combine all your wet ingredients: canola oil, orange juice, & vanilla.

Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients. Mix well with a spoon. The mixture will be crumbly. No need to worry, its suppose to be that way .

Add in your chocolate chips.

Roll the dough tightly into 1.5-2 inch balls & bake.

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup quick cook oatmeal
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
3/4 cup vegetable oil, or melted vegan butter (I use corn oil, I find it works better)
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Combine the oil, orange juice, and vanilla; then mix with the dry. Roll the dough in your hands to make 1 1/2 inch balls. Place them on a large cookie sheet and flatten them to about 1/4 inch thick with your fingers or a fork. Bake at 400 degrees on middle rack for about 12 minutes or until they are just beginning to brown. Cool on cookie racks.

These cookies will be making regular appearances in our house! Thanks Maura

If you have a recipe you’re in love with and would like it featured on Weekly Bite, email me at contact@weeklybite.com

Have a great day!!

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What do you do when you have an intense craving for Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, have all the ingredients but the chocolate chips, and there’s three feet of snow outside with blizzard like conditions?

You break into the chocolate drawer….

I broke into my beloved Dove Chocolate stash to complete these cookies.

Just so you know… I firmly believe everything happens for a reason.

There was a reason I forgot to replenish our stash of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Dove Dark Chocolate Promises were meant to be a part of this cookie…

This cookie answered my chocolate cravings! These cookies are so rich, all I needed was half a cookie to satisfy my craving.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks salted butter – softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, or 3/4 package of Dove Dark Chocolate Promises, roughly chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 360 degrees.

Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl… mix together then set aside.

Cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes at medium high speed.) Slowly add in flour mixture and mix at low speed until combined.

Stir in chocolate chips. Dough will seem thick… that’s okay, its suppose to be thick.

Drop dough (about 2 tbsp worth) onto cookie sheet. These will be a nice size cookie.

Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet, then carefully transfer to cooling rack.

Enjoy!

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Question of the Day?

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to satisfy a craving? When I was pregnant, it was 9:30 at night, my husband was out of town, and I wanted ice cream so bad. I drove to the store in my sweats and Uggs, and couldn’t decide what ice cream to buy, so I bought 3 different flavors…. That was the most intense craving I ever had

Hi There! How’s your weekend going?

We’ve got lots of snow falling here in DC… hopefully it won’t be too bad.

In case you missed my post yesterday. Here’s a little recap.

I told my husband to pick anything he wanted for dinner and dessert, and I would make it and put in on the blog.

I was so nervous after I asked him. You just never know what’s gonna come out of his mouth.

Within 3 seconds of asking him, the words “Chicken Pot Pie & Banana Pudding” came flowing out of his mouth. He was even smiling when he said it.

The thought of making a Chicken Pot Pie intimidated me… but the banana pudding was a breeze!

You want to slice up some bananas, and get box of classic vanilla wafers.

For the pudding I used Jell-O instant banana cream mixed with 1% milk

All that’s left to do is layer with cool whip and you’re done!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Bananas, sliced
• One box Nilla Wafers
• One box of Jell-O Banana Cream instant pudding
• 1% Milk (2 cups)
• One large tub Cool Whip

Directions:

Make pudding according to box directions. Let the pudding sit for about 5 minutes.

Take a medium size bowl or trifle dish. I like to use little martini glasses for individual servings.

Start with a layer of Nilla Wafer on the bottom, then pudding, then bananas, then cool whip. Repeat for one or two more layers.

The final layer will be cool whip. You can top with remaining Nilla Wafers for garnish.

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Question of the Day?

If someone offered to make you anything you wanted for dinner & dessert, what would it be?

My choice would be my mom’s enchiladas accompanied with a margarita, and a warm brownie with ice cream on top for dessert… YUM