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2 Ingredient English Muffins

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Have a craving for english muffins, none on hand, and no yeast on hand? If you have greek yogurt and self rising flour (or flour, baking powder, and salt) on hand and 30 minutes, this quarentine english muffin hack is for you.

2 ingredients in this english muffin hack – self rising flour and greek yogurt. PS. you can also make bagels with the same ingredients.

 

Separate your mixed and kneaded dough into 4 rolls.

 

Flatten dough rolls into 3-inch discs.

 

Take pictures of your sunbathing kitty while you wait for the oven.

 

ENJOY!

 

 

 

Serves 4

2 Ingredient English Muffins

Yields 4 english muffins

5 minPrep Time

22 minCook Time

27 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup greek yogurt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by either sprinkling with cornmeal,lining with silpat, or parchment paper.
  2. Measure out 1 cup of self rising flour or the dry ingredients from the ingredients list above to make your own self rising flour. Mix together the greek yogurt and dry ingredients until it just comes together into a ball of dough. It may help to use your hands. Gently knead your dough until it has a uniform and smooth appearance. The dough will feel more like playdough in comparison to yeast doughs.
  3. Separate the dough into four sections and roll each section into a ball. Press each roll into about a 3 inch disc. If using cornmeal on your pan, sprinkle a little now on each side of the the dough discs.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn each and bake another 12 minutes - just until they are browning and there is a bit of "knock" when you tap on the top.

Notes

To make bagels: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix and knead your ingredients the same as above. Separate the dough into 4 sections and roll each out into a dough snake. Bring the two ends of the dough snake together to make an "O" or bagel shape. Sprinkle with your favorite bagel topping. Bake for 17-20 minutes - just until browning and cooked through.

Storage and reheating: Store in an airtight container. Reheat in oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories

118 cal

Carbs

25 g

Protein

3 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
7.8.1.2
89
https://mamasparrow.com/2020/04/28/2-ingredient-english-muffins/

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Big Batch of Granola

by In Breakfast, Recipes Tagged , , , , 2 Comments

With the current events, now seems a perfect time to continue posting easy, from scratch, staple recipes. This big batch of granola can keep several weeks on your pantry shelf or a few months in your freezer if stored in an airtight container.

There are few smells as cozy as the smell of oats and honey. The beauty of this basic recipe is the ability to customize it to your liking. If you do choose to add nuts to the granola, they would be added at the same time as the seeds mixed in this recipe. Dried fruit options should be added during the last 5 minutes of baking. It should be cooked only briefly at the end to prevent completely drying out – just dry enough to not cause the granola to moisten when stored.

Hope that you and yours are staying safe and well.

 

Big Batch of Granola

Yields 7 cups or 28 servings

5 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

35 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 6 cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup coconut oil, melted
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup of raw seeds (I usually use ½ cup of sunflower seeds, ⅜ cup pumpkin seeds, ⅛ cup flax seed)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray jelly roll style baking sheet or cake pan (something with sides) with cooking oil.
  2. Mix together oats and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix together coconut oil, honey, and vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl.
  3. Stir the liquid mixture into the oat mixture until fully incorporated. Then mix the raw seeds into the oat mixture.
  4. Bake the granola for 30 minutes, until golden brown; stir about every 10 minutes to keep the granola from turning into one giant clump. If you would prefer granola clusters, be less thorough in the stirring.
  5. Allow the granola to cool and place in a storage container of your choosing. You may store the granola in an airtight container for a month or so. Ours doesn’t last much longer than a week. If you do need to keep your granola for longer periods, place in a freezer friendly, tightly sealed container for up to 3-6 months.

Nutrition

Calories

3998 cal

Fat

194 g

Carbs

477 g

Protein

104 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
7.8.1.2
88
https://mamasparrow.com/2020/03/25/big-batch-of-granola/

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5 Minute Breadsticks

by In Recipes Tagged , , Leave a comment

There are few satisfying smells than fresh baked bread with a meal. Homemade bread can be an entire day’s task that you don’t have time for or for which you did not plan. You can still have the satisfaction of fresh baked bread on the table in 20 minutes flat. These bread sticks only require about 5 minutes of hands-on time.

Also, included is my first posted recipe video. You can catch the video over on YouTube too. I can’t help be also share that the music in this video is by my talented husband. *cheesy smile*.

Hope you get a chance to whip these up with an upcoming meal. Please be sure to tag Mama Sparrow on social media with your pictures. We would love to see your results.

Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

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Yields 12 breadsticks

Tender breadsticks with a satisfying blend of garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Fresh bread with dinner does not need to be time consuming. Whip these up

12 minPrep Time

8 minCook Time

20 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 3 Tbs butter, melted
  • 1 ⅓ cup flour OR 1 cup wheat & ⅓ cup all purpose
  • 2 Tbs granulated sugar OR 1 ½ Tb honey
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅔ cup milk
  • Garlic salt
  • Grated parmesan in shaker

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450F. Melt 3 Tb of butter on the baking sheet in the oven while it preheat - about 2 minutes. Take out just before all butter is melted and tilt the pan several times till it finishes melting.
  2. While butter is melting, combine the dry ingredients in medium size mixing bowl - flour, baking powder and salt (also add the granulated sugar at this point, if using instead of honey).
  3. Warm the milk and honey (if using instead of granulated sugar) briefly (45 seconds in the microwave or on stovetop just until warm)
  4. Slowly stir the milk into the dry ingredients.
  5. Sprinkle additional flour over the dough so it is workable and gently knead a few times. The dough should still be fairly wet, but just enough flour to pull apart and shape into 12 breadsticks.
  6. Place the breadsticks onto the baking sheet of melted butter and brush butter from the pan onto the exposed surfaces of the breadsticks.
  7. Sprinkle a little garlic salt over the sticks and bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with grated parmesan after breadsticks finish baking and serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories

196 cal

Fat

9 g

Carbs

27 g

Protein

4 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
7.8.1.2
79
https://mamasparrow.com/2017/04/13/5-minute-breadsticks/

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Persimmon Cranberry Pie

by In Dessert, Recipes Tagged , , , Leave a comment

This is one of those recipes I’ve had for a while (like since early fall), but just never got to posting. No better day for posting a delayed pie posting than Pi Day (3.14).

The fruit called for in this recipe is a fall combination. However, this recipe has been tested and approved with other great combinations that span more seasonings. The best are apple cranberry and apple blackberry. Really, you can use your imagine to get your seasonally available mix.

All of this fresh snow is making me crave things flavored with mulling spices. This is a perfect solution – some late season blackberries I flash froze from last fall, Gala apples, and ginger molasses cookie topping.

I enjoy making all the components of the recipe from scratch (apple cider, pie crust, and cookies). Included in the recipe below are links to my favorite recipes for each of these items. The cider is particularly enjoyable to make from scratch as it simmer for 3 hours and makes the home smell amazing. These are all things that can be bought for a quick baking solution.

Happy Pi Day. I hope you have a chance to make pie real soon. Please tag us on social media to share photos of your pie results. We would love to see what you are making.

Enjoy!

 

Persimmon Cranberry Pie

Apple cider infused persimmon and cranberries on an all butter crust - soft beneath and crispy, flaked on the edges. Top off the coziness with a ginger molasses cookie crumb.

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Ingredients

    Filling
  • 1 9 inch unbaked pie crust (I used this recipe from Completely Delicious http://www.completelydelicious.com/how-to-make-perfectly-flaky-pie-crust/
  • )
  • 4 cups peeled and chopped persimmons, about ¼ inch sections
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1 ¾ cups apple cider juice, divided (I made homemade from http://www.amomstake.com/cranberry-apple-cider-drink-recipe/)
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
    • Topping
  • 1 ½ cups ginger molasses cookies crushed (I used this recipe from Eating Well http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/249788/yummy-molasses-crackles you could also use store bought or your own favorite recipe)
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Place the persimmons, cranberries, 1 ½ cups apple cider, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat until the cranberries pop/split.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch into the remaining ¼ cup of cider. Add the starch/cider combination to the pan of ingredients. Stir everything until it has thickened.
  4. Remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool while preparing the topping and crust.
  5. While filling is cooling, place ingredients for the crumb topping in a medium bowl. Mix until it forms a crumb like texture. Set aside.
  6. Roll out the pie crust and place in pie dish. Once fruit mixture has mostly cooled, pour it into the pan lined with the pie crust. Trim and prepare the edges of the crust as desired. I just crimped the edges on mine.
  7. Distribute the crumb topping evenly over the filling.
  8. Bake the pie for 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees F. Place a baking sheet on the rack below the pie to catch any pie drippings. When done, the filling should be bubbly. Cover the edges of the crust with foil if they start to brown before the pie filling is baked through.

Notes

Dairy free option - use your preferred vegan pie crust or substitute vegan butter sticks for the butter in the pie crust and topping

Nutrition

Calories

397 cal

Fat

14 g

Carbs

59 g

Protein

8 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
7.8.1.2
70
https://mamasparrow.com/2017/03/14/persimmon-cranberry-pie/

 

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Vegan Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

by In Recipes Tagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

Happy Winter Solstice! We are feeling the excitement in our home as Christmas is just a few days away. My preschooler checks the tree every morning to see if Santa has visited. The boys have been busy creating holiday gifts and being kitchen helpers. The youngest loves to taste everything from a mixing bowl; even the french bread dough is tasted with enthusiasm. He then declares, “Mmm, good Mama!” If only that same zest was for the finished meals on the table.

I enjoy making the cookies I had as a child every Christmas. Breaking from tradition, it was my goal to bring you all something that was vegan and more allergen friendly for your holiday cookie plates. This recipe is just that. Peanut butter blossom cookies were the inspiration for this recipe. Tender, crumbly shortbread cookies are the perfect vehicle for combining peanut butter and chocolate. Flecks of sea salt flakes add a little bit of sparkle and bring out the chocolate taste. They are easily nut free if you use sunflower seed butter and refined sugar free.

Here’s to hoping you have a chance to add this to your baking plans this season. Snap a picture of your recipe result and tag Mama Sparrow on social media so we can see it too.

Vegan Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Yields 12-15 Cookies

Tender, crumbly shortbread cookies filled with peanut butter and drizzled with chocolate. These tasty treats are vegan, easily nut free and refined sugar free.

10 minPrep Time

10 minCook Time

20 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

    Cookies
  • 1 ¼ cup flour
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
  • 3 Tbs. maple syrup
  • 1 ½ tsp. applesauce, unsweetened
    • Caramel Sauce
  • 3 Tbs. peanut butter
  • 2 Tbs. maple syrup
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 Tbs. non dairy milk
  • ¼ tsp. vanilla
    • Topping
  • 1 oz. chocolate chips or chocolate
  • Coarse sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix all cookie ingredients together in a medium bowl until dough forms. Form form into ¾ in. - 1 inch balls - approximately 12-15 cookies. (Chill the dough briefly in plastic wrap if it is too sticky to work with.) Place on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Flatten the dough balls into slight discs and press thumb in the center to create a little crater. Bake cookies for 10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and repress the centers with a spoon. Then allow the cookies to cool.
  2. In a small saucepan, mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, and salt. Slowly add the milk, stirring all the while. The mix should get a nice smooth caramel consistency that has a bit of drizzle to it. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside
  3. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Place the melted chocolate into a piping bag or simply use a ziploc with the corner snipped off. Set aside
  4. To assemble to cookies, spoon about 1 teaspoon of the peanut butter confection into each cookie’s thumbprint. Drizzle chocolate over the filled cookies and lightly sprinkle with coarse salt.
  5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Notes

Nut free option: Use Sun Butter. Really you could use any preferred nut or seed butter. I did try pumpkin seed butter and it was not quite as tasty.

7.8.1.2
74
https://mamasparrow.com/2016/12/21/vegan-peanut-butter-thumbprint-cookies/

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Vegan Pumpkin Cake

by In Dessert, Recipes Tagged , , , Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, I began the recipe testing and planning for Thanksgiving. My preschooler came home from class singing a song about pumpkins on a gate. A witch flies by and says. “I’m going to make you a pumpkin pie.” My son requested a pumpkin pie making session inspired by this song.

Agreeably, the pie making was a blast, but he did not enjoy the taste of it. I’ve been adjusting the recipe and he’s been liking it better, but asked for this pumpkin cake for Thanksgiving dessert.

This cake is a great replacement for anyone not into pie or who had been “pied out.” Use of your leftover pumpkin gourds or puree for a tasty bite of sweet and spice. Enjoy this cake with your choice of cold weather beverage. The ingredients are vegan and icing is naturally colored from carrot juice.

If you want the complete pumpkin cake look, bake a single cupcake with part of the batter. Use spinach cooked and pureed to achieve a green colored icing. Spinach is the mildest tasting leafy green for creating a natural food hue that does not interfere with taste.

Hope your Thanksgiving and harvest celebrations have been filled with joy. Please be sure to share your results from this recipe and tag Mama Sparrow so we can see it.

Enjoy!

Vegan Pumpkin Cake Vegan Pumpkin CakeVegan Pumpkin Cake

Vegan Pumpkin Cake

Tender, moist vegan pumpkin cake. Pleasantly spiced with a little extra kick of black pepper. This makes it really stand out from the usual pumpkin spiced products of the season.

10 minPrep Time

50 minCook Time

1 hrTotal Time

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Ingredients

    Cake
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • ⅔ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 14oz. can pumpkin puree (plain puree, not pie filling)
  • ½ cup non-dairy milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ tsp ground all-spice
  • ⅛ tsp ground clove
    • Icing
  • 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 ½ Tb. carrot juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a standard size bundt pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and oil together. Add the pumpkin puree, non-dairy, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Fully combine.
  4. Sift the dry flour mix into the wet ingredients in 2 stages. Stir in between each addition. Careful not to overmix.
  5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes.
  6. Allow cake to cool slightly, remove from pan and finish cooling before icing. Mix ingredients together for icing. Adjust the wet to dry ratio based on preference. Drizzle over cake and allow to set a few minutes before cutting and serving.

Nutrition

Calories

382 cal

Fat

2 g

Carbs

76 g

Protein

12 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
7.8.1.2
69
https://mamasparrow.com/2016/11/26/vegan-pumpkin-cake/

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Vegan Lemon Earl Grey Cake

by In Dessert, Recipes Tagged , , , 2 Comments

This week we took the boys for the annual pumpkin farm trip. We arrive filled with excitement and took away some great pictures, a few pumpkins and endless family fall memories. C named his freshly carved jack-o-lantern Rooster. I’m not sure how this pet name came to be. He’s been telling us that one day when he gets a dog he wants to name it Rooster. Until then, a jack-o-lantern with the name will do.

Other than the lovely autumn festivities, fall usually means a brief mourning period for me. I know some folks enjoy this season. I love warm summer weather and don’t much care for the cold months of the year. This season only serves as a reminder of the impending winter. We have had some cold autumn rain that has sapped my energy. If you are like me this cake recipe is dedicated to you.

Cold rainy autumn weather makes me need a little bit of citrus-y sunshine treat. This lemon earl grey cake is the most tender, moist vegan cake thanks to the shredded coconut. Infusing the coconut oil with earl grey lets the richness of the bergamot shine through to compliment the lemon.

I hope you have the chance to enjoy the intoxicating aroma of this cake coming fresh from the oven. Please be sure to tag MamaSparrow on your social media pictures of this cake. I would love to see how your’s turns out.

Enjoy!

Vegan Lemon Earl Grey Cake Vegan Lemon Earl Grey Cake

Vegan Lemon Earl Grey Cake

Vegan Lemon Earl Grey Cake

The aroma of this cake coming out of the oven is intoxicating - bergamot, lemon and coconut. Hard to believe this treat is vegan. Tender, moist cake infused with earl grey.

20 minPrep Time

50 minCook Time

1 hr, 10 Total Time

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Ingredients

    Cake
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • ⅔ cup earl grey tea infused coconut oil, solid *
  • 3 lemons, zested and juiced, separated
  • 1 14oz. can full-fat coconut milk
  • ¼ cup non-dairy “buttermilk” (1 tsp vinegar and non-dairy milk)**
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
    • Icing
  • 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 ½ Tb. lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a standard size bundt pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and tea infused oil together. Stir in the lemon zest and ¼ cup lemon juice. Set the rest of the lemon juice aside for the glaze. Add the coconut milk, non-dairy “buttermilk”, and vanilla extract. Fully combine.
  4. Sift the dry flour mix into the wet ingredients in 2 stages. Stir in between each addition. Careful not to overmix. Once the mix is fully incorporated, fold in the shredded coconut.
  5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes.
  6. Allow cake to cool slightly, remove from pan and finish cooling before icing. Mix ingredients together for icing. Adjust the wet to dry ratio based on preference. Drizzle over cake and allow to set a few minutes before cutting and serving.
  7. Cake may be store at room temperature for a few days or in the freezer for 6 months.

Notes

*Directions for tea infused coconut oil

14 Tbs. or ½ cup + 2 Tb. coconut oil

21 tsp loose leaf earl grey tea

In a saucepan, melt coconut oil just until it becomes liquid. Mix in the tea leaves. Keep on low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve squeezing the tea leaves to release as much butter as possible. Set coconut oil aside till it comes to room temperature. If your kitchen is warm it may be helpful to put it in the refrigerator, briefly, till it is solid.

**I’ve been using Good Karma flax milk. It is a great allergen conscious milk - nut and soy free. Use your favorite nondairy that suits your needs. Make as buttermilk with vinegar to help cake fluff up.

Nutrition

Calories

517 cal

Fat

5 g

Carbs

96 g

Protein

19 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
7.8.1.2
67
https://mamasparrow.com/2016/10/14/vegan-lemon-earl-grey-cake/