Shipments of Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies
Hello dear customers -- and I hope you are all continuing to stay well and practice your social distancing.
Michele learned that one of the cancer units at Memorial Sloan Kettering was recently turned into a Covid 19 unit. She has a friend who is a nurse there and told her that they were so busy, they had no time to eat. So now we're sending our Breakfast Cookies to Memorial Sloan Kettering, as well as New York Presbyterian and Northern Westchester Hospital Center on an "as needed" basis. It is the least we can do for the dedicated people who are protecting our health while risking theirs.
Again, please stay well -- and stay sane. We can get through this by working together.
Susie
Remember, if you need a supply of Breakfast Cookies during these unprecedented times, please use the Discount Code: CabinFever! to take 15% off your order.
Cardamon variation of the Carrot Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie
Hello Everyone -- and I hope that you're still staying well -- and sane!
We need patience to get through this. A garden and good walking trails help. Hobbies and music do too.
As soon as I made the Carrot Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies -- and posted the recipe online -- I was eager to make a variation -- using cardamon instead of cinnamon. I loved the way it turned out -- slightly more savory than the cinnamon version -- and hope you do too!
Ingredients:
1 cup honey
2/3 cup canola oil
2 cups grated carrots
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup ground flaxmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cardamon (seeds from about 10 pods pulverized in a mortar and pestle)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 cups oats
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2 Combine honey and canola oil in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add carrots, eggs and mix well.
3. Mix flour; baking powder; ground cardamon nutmeg; baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix til well combined.
4. Drop large spoonfuls on a baking sheet and form into scone-like forms
5. Bake until tops are golden about 15 min.
Enjoy
A quick and easy chocolate dessert
While quarantining over Easter, I didn't plan ahead for dessert.
When I had a sudden, intense chocolate craving (memories of too many chocolate Easter eggs over the years), I topped a Susie's Smart Cocoa Bite with chocolate sauce and chopped walnuts and heated it up for 30 seconds in the microwave.
Yum.
An emergency dessert for Easter -- or anytime.
Please stay well.
Susie
Sending Breakfast Cookies to local hospitals
Hello dear customers -- and I hope you are all staying well.
Like so many, we've been wondering what we can do to help out in these times -- besides social distancing and staying home.
So we decided to ship cases of Breakfast Cookies to New York Presbyterian; Northern Westchester Hospital; and the Chesire Medical Center in Keene, NH (close to where the cookies are baked) on an "as needed" basis until we are out of the woods. It is the very least we can do for the brave people who are protecting our health and communities.
Please stay well -- and stay sane. We can get through this by working together.
Susie
If you need a supply of Breakfast Cookies during these challenging times, please use the Discount Code: CabinFever to take 15% off your order.
One-pot pasta -- a quick and soothing meal for these challenging times
I missed the introduction, in 2013, of this brilliant recipe -- attributed to Martha Stewart (thank you, Martha!) -- but tried it just before the Covid 19 virus put us all into quarantine. And it is, indeed, a game-- and life changer. It will be as important to my future culinary life, I suspect, as seven-minute, pressure cooker risotto.
Like seven-minute risotto, one-pan spaghetti uses much less energy to prepare than classic two-pot recipes (one for the pasta and the other for the sauce). And the taste is in a different ball park. You have to try it to believe it. I couldn't wait to create variations, using sausage; olives; onions: and herbs.
As always, I balanced the Omega-3s in this recipe by using canola instead of olive oil. An optional addition of a few anchovies, along with the spinach or kale, would boost the Omega-3s even more. Double this if you are holed up with your family, but you will need a larger pot -- a dutch oven works well.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound dried spaghetti
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved (about 1 pint)
zest of one lemon
1/8 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 bunch spinach or kale (leaves only), washed and chopped (if needed).
Black pepper
Parmesan, for serving
Directions:
Place spaghetti, tomatoes, zest, and salt in a large dry shallow pan. I used a large cast-iron skillet and broke some of the pasta so it all lay flat in the pan.
Carefully pour 1/2 quart boiling water over the ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and simmer for about 6 minutes, using tongs or some other tool to move the pasta around so it doesn't stick. Add the kale or spinach (and optional ingredients such as anchovies and/or red pepper flakes; basil or other herbs) and cook until the remaining liquid has been reduced to a sauce and the pasta is cooked through. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with Parmesan.
Yum!
On another night, when my daughter and her family were staying with me, I experimented with
1 pound spaghetti
.5 pound sausage
13 oz frozen peas
medium onion
thyme, sage, fennel -- whatever combination of spices you have and enjoy
1 quart boiling water.
This time, I sauteed the onion and sausage in a frying pan, then added them and the peas at the 6 minute mark. Really good!
A High Omega-3 Breakfast Cookie you can bake at Home
Hello Everyone -- and I hope that you're staying well -- and sane!
Friends and customers have been asking me for a high Omega-3 Breakfast Cookie recipe that they can bake at home -- and here is a good one:
It is a Carrot Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie that my grandsons and I just baked up in my kitchen. The boys were a big help and all fingers remained attached!
Ingredients:
1 cup honey
2/3 cup canola oil
2 cups grated carrots
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup ground flaxmeal
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 cups oats
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2 Combine honey and canola oil in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add carrots, eggs and mix well.
3. Mix flour; baking powder; cinnamon; nutmeg; baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix til well combined.
4. Drop large spoonfuls on a baking sheet and form into scone-like forms
5. Bake until tops are golden about 15 min.
Enjoy
A message from Susie at Susie's Smart Cookie
Dear Customers,
We hope you are staying healthy -- and sane -- during these uncertain times.
We just wanted you to know that the bakery that produces our Breakfast Cookies and Bites is located in New Hampshire and has strict health and safety standards. Lou and Lois, who run the bakery, used to be engineers with GE, and they seem to actually enjoy meeting and exceeding these standards. At this point, they do not anticipate any delays in their baking schedule.
Since you are already Susie's Smart Cookie customers, you know how satisfying and delicious our Breakfast Cookies and Bites are. As we're all trying to do our part to slow down transmission of COVID-19, please also know that you do not need to go to the grocery store to stock up on these healthy, all-natural meal replacements. They can be delivered to your door at no extra cost to you. So you and your loved ones will have a convenient and healthy grab-and-go in these -- and any-- times.
Be well,
Susie and Michele
Just had to share these three great reviews that came in over the weekend
Hello Everyone,
You've often heard me say that our Breakfast Cookies are for just about everybody!
These three reviews that came in over the weekend -- from a bicycler: nursing mom; and the mom of champion Junior X Country skier: Natalie O'Brien show just how diverse our customers really are
From the bicycler: Perfect for breakfast and more. I will carry one of these bad boys when I go for long rides on my bicycle. These are perfect for eating about 1/4 cookie per hour on a long ride. I'm too much of a geezer to go fast, but I can still go long. A bite of Susie's cookie and a swallow of water and I am good to go. Glad I found you through Road Bike Rider, Susie.
From the nursing mom: I love these cookies. They are great for anytime of the day. I also breastfeed exclusively and these are great for my milk supply. Thank you Susie!
From Natalie's mom: Fueled by her "good luck" Cranberry Orange Nut Breakfast Cookie, here is Natalie on the day before she won the State Title (Wyoming) for Juniors in Cross Country Skiing.
Thanks for sending... Please let us know how you run on Susie's Smart Cookies.
#runningonsusiesmartcookie
Fava-Bean Falafel -- made balanced in Omega-3s, of course!
- 1/2 pound dried fava beans
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin or more to taste
- 1 heaping tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
- juice of half a lemon
- salt to taste
Directions
- Soak the dried fava beans in abundant water for 24 hours.
- Drain well and put in a cuisinart with the baking soda, chopped onion, cumin, hot pepper, flaxseed meal, parsley, cilantro and lemon juice until it has the consistency of a coarse paste (not entirely smooth).
- Let the mix sit for half an hour, then add salt to taste.
- Form small, patties about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick out of the fava bean mixture and fry them in abundant oil for about five minutes each.
- Drain on a paper towel and serve warm.
Walnut Torte -- a dessert that is naturally high Omega-3s -- and one of my favorites!
Walnut Torte is one of my favorite desserts to serve at dinner parties.
(And I'm very lucky if I have any leftovers to have with black coffee the next day!)
Ingredients:
7 eggs, separated (Omega-3 eggs, of course!)
1/2 cup finely ground breadcrumbs*
1/4 pound ground walnuts
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup sugar
Beat egg yolks. Add sugar gradually. Stir in bread crumbs and nuts. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into egg yolk mixture and add vanilla.
Bake in a 9 x 13 pan for 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees.
Topping:
1 1/2 pints whipping cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
Whip the cream until firm. Add sugar and cocoa. Spread on top of cooled torte and sprinkle with walnuts. Serves 8-10
*Omega-3 Tip
This recipe calls for bread crumbs but I experimented with using half bread crumbs and half flax seed meal with great results. I also made a gluten-free version for a friend with Celiac disease by using a combination of her gluten-free bread crumbs and flax seed meal.
The same cookbook that supplied me with the recipe for the Walnut Torte:The Napa Valley Walnut Cookbook by Michelle Turner has a simple and delicious recipe for a walnut butter that could easily come to replace peanut butter in my affections.
4 cups walnut halves
1 Tablespoon coarse salt
4 tablespoons walnut oil
Put the walnuts salt and oil into a food processor and pulse, stopping frequently, until the nuts are fully pulverized and creamy. I've store my butter in a dark jar and spread it on toast in the morning.
Short Rib Ragu -- with added Omega-3s
We do not live on Breakfast Cookies alone -- here at Susie's Smart Cookie.
Michele recently made this Short Rib Ragu for her family using a recipe from Tasty.
She boosted the Omega-3s in this recipe by using canola oil for browning the ribs and by adding 2 Tablespoons of ground flaxmeal with the liquid ingredients. No one in her family noticed the flaxmeal, so I would suggest adding 2-3 Tablespoons.She served the ragu with pasta but it would be good with polenta too! She also prepared the recipe in her slow cooker.
Ingredients for 6 servings
2 lb bone-in beef short rib, cut into 2 inch pieces (grass-fed if possible)
3 tsp salt
3 tsp ground black pepper, more to taste
1 TBS canola oil
a c yellow onion diced
1 1/2 c carrot diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS tomato paste
2 cups red wine
28 oz crushed tomato
1 c beef stock
1 TBS dijon mustard
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 c water as needed
2 lb pappardelle pasta
fresh parsley and grated Parmesan for garnish
Preparation
1. Pat ribs w paper towels to remove excess moisture, then season generously with 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp pepper.
2. Add canola in a Dutch oven or the slow cooker and heat over high heat until shimmering. Add half the ribs and sear on each side til deep brown about 7 min. Repeat with remaining ribs.
3. Discard all but 1 TBS of rendered fat. Add onion, carrot, garlic and 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Saute until softened, about 5 min.
4. Add tomato paste and saute for a few min, until dark and thickened.
5. Pour in wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape browned bits from bottom. Reduce liquid by half, about 15 min.
6. Add tomatoes, beef stock, mustard, bay leaves, thyme and flaxseed meal to the pot and stir to combine.
7 Add the ribs, making sure the meat is submerged. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Or, if using the crock pot, put on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours). Add up to 1 cup water as needed if sauce gets too thick. Skim off excess fat off the top as needed. The ribs are done when the meat pulls apart easily.
8. Discard bay leaves and thyme. Transfer ribs to a cutting board and pull out the bones and shred the meat, then return to the pot.
9. Season to taste and simmer for 15 min over low heat.
10. Cook pasta or polenta according to directions and place in shallow bowls. Scoop ragu on top and garnish with parmesan and parsley.
11. Enjoy!
