Heart Healthy Bean Dip

Ingredients
1 can (15 ounces) white (cannellini) beans or 1 can garbanzo beans (or a combination of the two), rinsed and drained
8 garlic cloves, roasted**
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for roasting garlic)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions
In a blender or food processor, add the beans, roasted garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.

Serve with cut belle pepper stips or cut up carrots; pita chips or pita bread, on a sandwich or wrap... the sky's the limit!

**To roast garlic, cut off the tops of several heads of garlic exposing the cloves. Brush the tops generously with olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil also brushed with olive oil. Heat the oven to 350 F and roast about 30 minutes.

Jump Start the Day...

Back to school means getting back into a morning routine that includes a nutritious breakfast to jump start the day (and your metabolism)! (See our September Newsletter article about how "breakfast boosts brainpower" at www.nicolemeadow.com). Some kids (and adults) like to eat the same thing every day- it provides stability and many can't stand to have the same things two days in a row. Either way is fine, whatever works for you and your family- just make sure to offer something to get a jump start in the morning. Try these delicious Multigrain pancakes (make extra and freeze for school mornings). Top with peanut butter and sliced bananas or serve with a hard boiled egg or a glass of milk (or soymilk, almond milk, etc) for additional protein.

Ingredients:
-3 1/4 cups dry mixture (make your own combination of the following: oats, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, rye flour, wheat bran, flaxmeal)
-1 tbsp baking powder
-1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
-3 eggs
-3 cups buttermilk
-2/3 cup honey
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1 cup nuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Mix dry mixture, baking poweder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl
2. In another bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, honey and oil.
3. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix! Stir in nuts if using them.
4. Heat pan to medium/high heat and pour batter and cook.

Makes 12-16 pancakes, depending on size.

Enjoy!
~Nicole

Kids in the Kitchen: Nut butter snacks

Summer is a great time to be in the kitchen with your kids. Each of these snacks can handle a great degree of variation and creativity in the recipe, so make it fun. These nutty snacks are high in protein and can help your child make it through a looong afternoon. Each recipe has modifications for kids on allergy restricted diets.

Nutty Frozen Pops
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 cup nut butter: peanut, almond, cashew or even soy nut butter
1 cup flavored milk: vanilla or chocolate, rice, cow, goat, soy or hemp
Mix the gelatin with boiling water until it is dissolved. Using a beater or whisk, blend in the nut butter and then stir in the milk. Pour into small paper cups or popsicle molds, place in the freezer. After 20-30 minutes, when starting to freeze, place popsicle sticks in the cups.
Be creative: mix in chopped strawberries, blueberries or banana.



Nut Butter Balls ( or Bees or Worms or Butterflies or ?)
This is my favorite recipe almost of all the recipes I have ever made. It can be adapted to meet almost any shape or holiday design. Read Miss Spider's Tea Party and make spiders. How about the Hungry Caterpillar and make caterpillars and butterflies. St. Patrick Shamrocks or Easter Eggs. They taste like candy but are loaded with nutrition. Depending on the nut butter you choose, you may need to adjust the amount of dry and wet ingredients.

1/2 cup honey
1 cup nut butter: almond, peanut, cashew,hazelnut or soy
1 cup nonfat milk powder (if dairy allergic, can use almond meal or ground dry cereal- use a coffee grinder or food processor )
Mix these all together and then form into shapes.
Now comes the fun, decorate!
Butterflies- shape into a long oval and add corn flakes as wings.
Spiders- shape into a ball and add pretzels for legs
Caterpillars-shape into logs and roll in coconut for furry caterpillars or make stripes
by dipping the side of a damp toothpick in cocoa powder then pressing it on the caterpillar
Ladybugs-make balls and use mini chocolate chips for polka dots
Balls- form into a ball roll into coconut, mini chips, wheat germ or chopped
cereals (color possibilities are endless, plus a great way to get rid of stale cereal).
Even the plain balls call for a bit of creativity-make baseballs or golf-balls.
Refrigerate a short time after shaping