Thanksgiving is when I make the time to indulge in making pies.  I have a book, aptly named, Pie by Ken Haedrich.  It has 300 pie recipes.  I spend days going through the book deciding which pies to make this year.  However, one pie is such a hit that the group we celebrate Thanksgiving with each year demands that it arrive with us.  This pie is Georgia Orcutt’s Thanksgiving Dried Fruit Pie (on page 307 of the Pie book).  When I saw the recipe, I thought it sounded interesting.  I decided to make it as a backup for the other pies.  However, when we ate the pie everyone agreed it is AMAZING!  Even better, it is easy as, um, pie to make.  The recipe says 12 to 14 servings.  This seems impossible out of a regular 9 1/2 inch pie, but it is true.  The pie is so full of goodness, a small slice is all it takes.  So, I’m going to share the recipe with you.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do on Thanksgiving.  And, if you don’t want to make your own crust, feel free to use one from the frozen food section.

Crust (From Mary Cech’s Fall Pie Workshop at Central Market Houston; this is my go-to crust; dough can be made a day or two in advance.  It will need to warm on the counter a few minutes until it is pliable for rolling if made in advance.)

Yield: One 9-inch double crust pie dough

Ingredients

Instructions

Georgia Orcutt’s Thanksgiving Dried Fruit Pie

I realized recently that there may be a solution to my food-pusher tendencies. A lot of times, we turn into food-pushers at special occasions – birthdays, holidays, holiday parties, graduations, etc. When I attend these kinds of events, my stress level rises because I know there are going to be less than optimal choices there, usually a lot, that I’m going to be tempted to eat. Even though I mentally prepare and use the tricks I’ve talked about, it is still stressful.

I do not want my guests to stress about food choices at events I am responsible for. I can still indulge my love of cooking and baking, but offer better choices. For example, rather than making super indulgent chocolate cookies, I can make Ellie Krieger’s Triple Chocolate Cookies. They are a little over 100 calories per cookie which is half or more calories of normal cookies. And, you don’t miss those calories. To support this new way of thinking, I have started looking for more healthful options for recipes I would normally serve. There are lots of resources out there for finding such recipes. One of my favorites is Cooking Light (both the magazine and the website). I find when I do offer “better choices” I tell my guests which of the items are the “better” choices are. I can see them relax because they do not have to worry about the extra calories that may sabotage their health and weight control/weight loss efforts.

As you think about the next event you are planning, or taking a dish to, (remember, the holidays are fast approaching) look for better food options to serve your guests. Search the web for lower calorie, lower fat recipes. Be sure and try them out before serving them to guests, though. You can still have some indulgences, but for each indulgence try to have at least one indulgent but better choice. For example, I could have the Triple Chocolate Cookies, and some other cookies that are more indulgent calorie-wise. You, and I, can still show our guests we care by cooking for them and, even more, we care about their health because we are providing options to support their health and weight goals.

Have a great weekend!

• Get a roasted chicken from the grocery store, some pre-packaged greens, some blueberries, maybe some strawberries if they are in season, some pecans, and some low cal balsamic vinegar dressing.  Pull the chicken off the bones, wash and throw the greens, berries, and pecans in a bowl.  Put some chicken on top (keep the rest in the fridge for later).  Drizzle dressing over the top.  Dinner is served!
• The Watermelon Salad I talked about a few weeks ago has been great to have over the summer.  Quick and cool.  No cooking involved.
• I do this one more by feel as far as the mayonnaise and yogurt. Get some cooked chicken, either the roasted chicken from the grocery store or out of the freezer.  Chop it up and put it in a bowl.  Add about 1 tablespoon low cal mayonnaise, 2 – 4 tablespoons of low fat/no fat plain yogurt (enough to bind everything together), a few red grapes sliced in half, some toasted almond slices, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry powder, and 1 to 2 tablespoons (to taste really) of Major Grey’s Mango Chutney (found in the Indian section of the grocery).  Mix well. This makes a great curry chicken salad that you can serve on top of greens or in a pita.  I’ve been known to eat it straight out of the container in a pinch.  It will keep for three to four days in the fridge in an airtight container.

Pick a few of your own quick meals and have them in mind for your own “go to” dinners.  This can make for a better choice than ordering a pizza when you can’t think of anything else when someone asks “what’s for dinner?”

First, I made Lemon Mint Quinoa Salad last night.  Rather than just the white quinoa, I used white, red, and black.  It was very colorful.  One of the keys (we learned the hard way) is to rinse the quinoa for a couple of minutes in a sieve.  This removes the bitter outer coating called saponins.  You’ll know if you don’t rinse long enough.

The second recipe is one John found in this month’s Runner’s World – Watermelon Salad.  One of my favorite things about summer is watermelon.  Neither of us thought the salad would be filling, but were we wrong!  I’ve shared this recipe with several others and everyone is craving it.

Let me know if you give them a try!

Did your mother ever tell you “breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” Well, she was right. Breakfast is literally breaking the fast your body has been in while you slept. Your body needs fuel first thing in the morning. While you sleep your still needs energy because your body is still working – you are still breathing, your heart is beating, your muscles may move as you dream. All of these things take energy. To get the energy your body is using both fat and glycogen (your body’s storage form of sugar) from the liver and muscles. You can think of them like gas tanks. By the morning, your body has used up a lot of the glycogen in those gas tanks and needs to be refilled. Breakfast is the fuel that helps refill those tanks.

But, the morning is usually a busy time for most people. I hear “I don’t have time for breakfast” all the time. One trick, is to fix something the night before or the weekend and have it ready to grab-and-go. One idea is a smoothie and toast. Blend up the smoothie the night before so in the morning all you have to do is pour it in a glass or go-cup, make a piece or two of toast and you are out the door. Breakfast taco are also a great grab-and-go. You can make them on Sunday and they will keep in the refrigerator for two or three days. I’ve also included one of my favorite breakfast recipes  - muesli parfaits. Again, you can make them on Sunday and keep them in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Another way to fit in breakfast is remember that breakfast does not have to be breakfast food. Why not have a sandwich, salad, or soup? Last summer I enjoyed a nice stew for breakfast for a few weeks. I was amazed at how much it filled me up and kept me going until lunch. Don’t be afraid to try something different. If you don’t try it, you won’t know if it will work for you.

Remember, breakfast really IS the most important meal of the day!

Holiday mornings can be crazy busy with extra people in the house, extra cooking, and extra stress. Breakfast can often set the tone for the rest of the day. I like to have a breakfast ready to go that I can prepare the night before and stick in the oven that morning. No muss, no fuss, no worries about “what’s for breakfast?” I have a new one to add to my list from Ellie Krieger’s new So Easy cookbook – Blueberry-almond french toast bake. One word – YUM! Ok, I haven’t made it yet, but the picture is beautiful and it sounds soooo goood!

I hope you give it a try over the holiday weekend. And, remember to give thanks for all that surrounds you – including all the craziness.

Blueberry-Almond French Toast Bake
by: Ellie Krieger, So Easy

Yield: 8 servings (1 serving = 1 4×3 inch piece)

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 whole-wheat baguette (about 18-inches long, 8 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes (you can use a white one if you can’t find whole-wheat)
• 2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
• 8 large eggs
• 8 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups fresh blueberries (I’ll probably use frozen)
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Instructions

1. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Arrange the bread in a single layer in the baking pan.
3. Whisk together the milk, eggs, egg whites, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon.
4. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan, spreading it around so the liquid saturates the bread.
5. Scatter the blueberries evenly on top.
6. Sprinkle with the almonds and brown sugar.
7. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
9. Uncover and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
10. Serve hot.

Calories: 270; Total Fat: 8 g; Protein 16 g; Carbohydrates 35 g; Fiber 3 g

Thanksgiving is when I make the time to indulge in making pies.  I have a book, aptly named, Pie by Ken Haedrich.  It has 300 pie recipes.  I spend days going through the book deciding which pies to make this year.  However, one pie is such a hit that the group we celebrate Thanksgiving with each year demands that it arrive with us.  This pie is Georgia Orcutt’s Thanksgiving Dried Fruit Pie (on page 307 of the Pie book).  When I saw the recipe, I thought it sounded interesting.  I decided to make it as a backup for the other pies.  However, when we ate the pie everyone agreed it is AMAZING!  Even better, it is easy as, um, pie to make.  The recipe says 12 to 14 servings.  This seems impossible out of a regular 9 1/2 inch pie, but it is true.  The pie is so full of goodness, a small slice is all it takes.  So, I’m going to share the recipe with you.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do on Thanksgiving.  And, if you don’t want to make your own crust, feel free to use one from the frozen food section.

Crust

(From Mary Cech’s Fall Pie Workshop at Central Market Houston; this is my go-to crust; dough can be made a day or two in advance.  It will need to warm on the counter a few minutes until it is pliable for rolling if made in advance.)

Yield: One 9-inch double crust pie dough

Ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups All Purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter – very cold
• 3/4 to 1 cup ice water

Instructions

1. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Cut butter into 1/2 walnut sized pieces and add to flour.  With your hands, work butter into flour until butter is in pea sized pieces.  (This involves rubbing the butter and flour across your fingers with your thumbs – kind of like you are snapping your fingers but using all of your fingers.)
3. Add water and toss dough until it sticks together, be careful not to break butter into small pieces while tossing in the water.  (The butter pieces are what make the crust flaky.)
4. Turn onto table, knead slightly.
5. Divide into two portions with one being slightly larger for the bottom crust.  Shape each portion into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until needed.

Georgia Orcutt’s Thanksgiving Dried Fruit Pie

Yield: 12 to 14 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust (above)
• 2 cups pitted prunes, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups dried apricots, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup dried Bing cherries
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apple rings
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider (be sure to use apple cider, not apple juice)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Notes:

• I often just grab a bunch of dried fruit at the store – whatever is available.  Georgia says to keep the total to about 5 1/2 cups.
• I may also use 1 to 1 1/4 cup apple cider and 1/4 to 1/2 cup brandy rather than all cider.
• From my pie class, I learned to use a glass pie pan and to cook the pie until the crust on the bottom is golden.  This is normally a lot longer than the recipe says.  But, the pies come out with a wonderful bottom crust.

Instructions

1. Prepare the crust and refrigerate until firm enough to roll.
2. On a sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll the larger portion of pastry into a 13-inch circle with a floured rolling pin.  Invert the pastry over a 9 1/2 inch deep dish pie pan, center, and peel off the paper.  Gently tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and let the overhang drape over the edge.  Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
3. Combine the fruit in a large nonreactive saucepan and add the cider (or cider and brandy).  Cover the pan, place over medium heat, and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is absorbed into the fruit, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and scrape the mixture into a shallow bowl to cool.  When the mixture is nearly cooled, preheat the oven to 375.
4. Stir the walnuts, sugar, and lemon juice into the fruit.
5. On another sheet of floured waxed paper, roll the other half of the pastry into an 11-inch circle.
6. Scrape the filling into the chilled pie shell and dot with the butter.
7. Lightly moisten the rim of the pie shell with water. Invert the top pastry over the filling, center and peel off the paper.  Press the top and bottom pastries together along the dampened edge.  Using a pair of scissors, cut the pastry, leaving an even 1/2-inch overhang all around.  Sculpt the edge into an upstanding ridge.  Poke several steam vents in the top of the pie with a fork or paring knife.
8. Place on the center oven rack and bake until the top (and bottom) are a rich golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pie 180 degrees halfway through the baking, so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces forward (in my experience, it can take a lot longer for the bottom of the pie to be done – see note above.  I just keep rotating the pie every 20 – 30 minutes to make sure it browns evenly).
9. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before serving.

I know this is a nutrition blog, but I haven’t run the nutrition information on this recipe and, honestly, don’t want to.  I make, share, and enjoy this pie once a year.  For a once a year indulgence, I don’t need to know the nutrition information.

I hope you enjoy the pie!  If you make it, let me know how you like it.

Pizza starts with the dough, and making pizza dough is a snap.  I’ll make a single or double batch, divide it into portions and freeze each portion.  When I’m ready to make pizza, I’ll pull one from the freezer and put it on the counter to thaw.  It is ready to go in under 30 minutes.  And, if you have little ones, they can help make the dough!  Nothing like getting the kids involved in the kitchen.  Chef Kathleen has a great recipe from her Cooking Thin cookbook that I love.  I’ve included it below.

Another reason to make your own is that everyone can make their pizza the way they want – thick crust, thin crust, and add any ingredients.  All it takes is some tomato sauce with some herbs and spices mixed in, or some pesto, and what ever toppings you have around.  If you like pepperoni, try some turkey pepperoni for a savings of about 75 calories and about 8 grams of fat per serving.  You can put just about anything on your pizza – veggies, ham, even pineapple.  Your imagination is the only limit when making pizza.  Again, you can involve the kids by letting them pick the toppings for their own pizza.

And, did you know you can grill pizza?  Grilling gives the crust a smoky flavor and makes it extra crispy.  To grill a pizza, roll out the dough and put it on the grill until one side is set.  Flip it over and add the toppings.  It is done with the other side (the side now facing the flames) is set and crispy.

The pizza alternatives are endless and pizza is easy peasy!  Now, here’s Chef Kathleen’s Easy Pizza Dough recipe.

Yield: Two 12-inch thick-crusted pizzas or four 10-inch thin-crusted pizzas; 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups unbleached flour
• 2 packages active dry yeast1 tsp coarse-grained salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 ½ cups lukewarm water
• ½ tsp olive oil
• Cornmeal for dusting pizza peel or cookie sheet

Preparation

1. Place flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a mixer fitted with a dough hook.  While mixer is running, gradually add water; knead on low speed until dough is firm and smooth, about 10 minutes.  Turn mixer off.  Pour oil down the side of bowl.  Turn mixer on low once more for 15 seconds to coat inside of bowl and all surfaces of dough with the oil.
2. Alternative using food processor fitted with metal blade: Place flour, yeast, salt and sugar in bowl of a food processor and pulse to blend.  Pour water through feed tube with machine running.  Process until dough forms a ball.  Place in oiled bowl.
3. Alternative by hand: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, salt and sugar.  Stir in water until dough begins to form.  Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth, about 10 minutes.  Place in oiled bowl.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Let dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to highest setting (500o or 550o F).  If using a pizza stone, place stone in oven on bottom rack and heat oven 1 hour.
6. Punch dough down and cut in half or fourths.  On a generously floured work surface, place one piece of dough.
7. By hand, stretch dough into a circle.  For think pizza, roll dough into a large circle with a floured rolling pin until very thin.  Don’t worry if your circle isn’t perfect, and if you get a hole, just pinch edges back together.  To prevent dough from sticking to counter, turn dough over; add flour to dough, counter and rolling pin as needed.
8. Sprinkle a pizza peel or rimless cookie sheet generously with cornmeal.  Transfer dough to pizza peel or cookie sheet.  Add toppings.  Slide dough onto pizza stone or place cookie sheet with pizza on bottom rack.
9. Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove pizza from oven, using pizza peel if you used a pizza stone and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information for ¼ of the recipe: Calories 445; Carbohydrates 89 g, Protein 16 g, Fat 2 g

Note:

Dough can be placed in freezer bag, or wrapped tightly in saran wrap and frozen.  When ready to use, place on counter to thaw.

Here’s the Banana Muffin recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup skim milk
• 1 lemon, grated peel

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda.
3. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites slightly and stir in bananas, sugar, Splenda, oil and lemon peel. Add to flour mixture stirring just until combined. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
4. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then turn out of pans. Serve warm or refrigerate/freeze for later use.

Servings: Serves 12
Calories: 130; Fat: 3.7 g; Sodium: 87; Carbohydrates: 22.8 g; Fiber 2.2 g; Sugar: 9.9g; Protein 2.9 g

Thanks to the gang at Food and Health Communications for the yummy recipe!

This past week, I received a recipe for Fudgy Black Bean Brownies.  Yes, you read that right – Black Bean Brownies.  I made them earlier this week and hid the recipe from my in house taste tester (John my hubby).  After they came out of the oven and cooled a bit, I cut them up and gave him one.  He was not able to identify the “secret ingredient.”  And, yes – they are GOOD!  This recipe has demonstrated again that some unconventional, and healthy, foods can be substituted into recipe with good results.  The one modification I made was to use dark chocolate chunks rather than chocolate chips.

Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

My thanks go out to Renata Mangrum, MPH, RD, CLT for sending this recipe along.

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
Makes 16 Servings

Ingredients:

• One 15 ½-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed very well
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 X 8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Place the black beans in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth and creamy.  Add the eggs, oil, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt and process until smooth.  Add ¼ cup of the chips and pulse a few times until the chips are broken up a bit.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before slicing.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 120 calories, 5g fat (1.5g saturated, 0.3g omega-3), 95mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 3g protein

Notes:

• A recent University of Tennessee study found that draining and rinsing canned beans washes away 41% of the sodium.  A good thing to do whenever you use canned beans.
• If you like nuts, you could add half a cup of walnuts or pecans, chopped.

Here are some thoughts for customizing the Bread Pudding Omit the raisins and add one of the following:

• A chopped up an apple or two or some chunky applesauce
• Mashed up bananas and walnuts
• Chocolate chips
• Other dried fruit such as cranberries, blueberries

Or, in addition to the raisins (or other customization) add some chopped nuts – walnuts, pecans, etc.  Nuts will add some healthy fats as well as add some crunch.
Some of the same customizations can be made for the Breakfast Cookie Rather than raisins you can add another dried fruit and add chopped nuts.  You could also substitute chocolate chips for the raisins.  Another customization could be to add some PB2 (a powdered peanut butter which is good for cooking and smoothies) along with some chocolate chips instead of the raisins (I’d also leave out the cinnamon) to have a peanut butter-chocolate chip breakfast cookie.  You may need to add a little water or extra apple sauce to make up for the dryness of the PB2.

Another friend found a way to speed up the breakfast cookie preparation even more.  She puts all the dry ingredients in plastic baggies during the weekend.  Then, when she is ready to make her cookie, she puts the applesauce in the baggie and squishes it until it is mixed.  Then, she cuts out a corner of the baggie and squeezes the mix onto the parchment paper and bakes it.  Done with no dishes!  How cool is that?

Get inspired.  Think about what flavors you like and play around with the recipes.  You may need to make a few adjustments (like adding a little more of a wet ingredient to make up for adding more of a dry ingredient such as the PB2).  Some modifications will work, some may not.  But, it is fun to try!

Let me know how you customize your Bread Pudding and Breakfast Cookie!

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.  It gives your body the fuel it needs to make it until lunch.  Research has shown time and again that eating breakfast helps with weight maintenance and weight loss.  In fact, research is starting to turn our daily meals around with the idea that breakfast should be the largest meal of the day – not dinner.

Breakfast also seems to be a meal that people fall into a rut with – always having the same thing.  Why not spice it up a bit?  Like with bread pudding!  I hear you – “Bread pudding for breakfast?   She’s got to be kidding!  That’s dessert!”  Well, yes it is dessert, but you can use the idea of bread pudding to make an amazing breakfast that freezes well and is grab and go.   You can make a couple of batches in muffin tins, put one or two to a freezer bag and freeze them.  Then grab a bag as  you head out and they’ll be thawed by the time you get to work.  Or, pop into the oven for a few minutes and you’ve got a tasty, filling breakfast.  They also go great in combination with a low-fat yogurt.  I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but it came out of the Canyon Ranch Cooking cookbook.  Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups non-fat milk
• 2 tbsp corn oil margarine, melted
• 4 egg whites
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 12 slices whole-wheat bread, diced into ½ inch cubes
• 2/3 cup dark raisins

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350oF.
2. Lightly spray a 9×12-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. (Can also be made into 12 sprayed muffin tins or custard cups.  Shorten cooking time by about 5 minutes.)
3. Combine all ingredients, except the bread and raisins, in a large bowl and mix well.  Stir in the bread and raisins and allow to soak for 5 minutes.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until firm and nicely browned.  Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares 3×4 inches in size.

Yield: 12 servings.

Calories: 143; Fat 3g; Sodium 195g; Carbohydrates: 25g; Protein 4g

Remember – make breakfast a part of you day!  Enjoy!

If I haven’t told you about it, the Big Breakfast Cookie is just that - a big breakfast cookie.  Actually, you can eat it any time of day, but wouldn’t it fun to start the day with a big cookie?  YES!  And, this is a very popular recipe.  I e-mailed it to a friend who had her assistant make a couple of copies.  Her assistant came back and said “I hope its OK but I made a bunch of copies and gave it out around the office.  It sounds so good.”  I’m amazed how this one simple recipe spreads like wildfire once someone gets a hold of it.  In fact, I got it from someone else . . . .

Breakfast can be a hard meal for everyone.  Mornings are busy with workouts, getting yourself ready, getting others ready, etc.  Finding time to squeeze in a meal can be a real challenge.  That is another reason the Big Breakfast Cookie is a great option.  It takes minutes to throw together.  In fact, you can put all the dry ingredients together ahead of time and mix in the apple sauce in the morning and bake it (unfortunately, it doesn’t hold well over a couple of days; I haven’t tried freezing it though).  Personally, I’ll put together the dry ingredients for three or four days in storage bags at one time over the weekend.  This takes probably 10 minutes and sets up my breakfasts for the week.  That way in the morning all I have to do is turn on the oven, dump it in a bowl, add the apple sauce, mix, spread it on a piece of parchment paper, put it in the oven, go shower, pull it out when I get out of the shower and eat.  Simple – right?

Want to make your own?  Here’s the recipe.  You can also add nuts, chocolate chips, or use other dried fruit than raisins.  Just be sure you realize that those extras add calories.