Whole Wheat Cinnamon Pita Chips

If you have followed any of my posts. you know how much I love my sweets.  I am in a constant struggle between satisfying my sweet tooth and my desire to eat clean and healthy.  I wish I were one of those people who can eat dinner and not feel the need to have dessert but as hard as I try I just cannot do it.  It's like my taste buds need to have sugar.  So, I have come to terms with the fact that I have to make room in my diet for treats.  I will not however, indulge on junk.  I don't pollute my kids systems with refined, processed, sugar-laden trash so I resolve to not subject my body to it either.  That leaves me with the task of finding healthy, nutrient dense goodies to quench my insatiable sweet tooth.

My favorite thing to do in the kitchen is to make over store bought treats and replace the unfavorable ingredients, like high fructose corn syrup and refined grains with their wholesome counterparts.  So while perusing the snack aisle at the Nugget the other day, I happened upon Stacy's cinnamon and sugar pita chips.  Now, I have been known to knock back a bag or two of those babies in my hay day, but those days are behind me now. I studied the ingredient list and knew I could make them healthier and probably cheaper too!  The obvious swap was using 100% whole wheat pitas.  By now we all know about the benefits of adding whole grains to our diets and the detriment that refined grains can have on our systems.  Refined carbohydrates have been stripped of all their nutrients, which is why products using them have to add nutrients back in.  The only other thing I did was increase the amount of cinnamon to sugar ratio.  Cinnamon, like most other spices has tremendous health benefits.  It has an amazing ability to regulate blood sugar, can boost cognitive function, and contains iron, calcium, fiber, and manganese.

These cinnamon sugar pita chips are so delicious and incredibly easy to make.  They only consist of 4 ingredients, most of which we all have in our kitchens at any given time.  Plus, by making them at home, you are in control of the amount of fat and sugar that goes in them and you get to enjoy them warm out of the oven!  Now the only obstacle you face is practicing enough self control not to eat them all in one sitting!!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Pita Chips

1 package 100% whole wheat pita bread
1/4 c granulated sugar  (may be more or less depending on your preference)
2 T cinnamon
2 T butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.  Try to separate each pita into two, this makes for thinner, crispier chips.*  Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Place butter in bowl and microwave until melted. Working with one pita at a time, brush both sides with the butter.  Sprinkle both sides of the pita with sugar mixture and shake off excess.  Cut pita bread with a pizza cutter into wedges.  Continue with rest of pitas.  Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 6-10 minutes or until pitas are crisp. 

*  You will find that some pitas are more stubborn than others, and you are not able to separate them.  Not to worry, you will just end up with thicker chips and will need to increase cooking time to ensure crispy, crunchy chips!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles

I derive lots of pleasure from making my family a wholesome breakfast.  This is the time of year I really start cranking out the pancakes and waffles.  Being the holiday obsessed woman that I am, my meals have to include a little seasonal flair from time to time.  On today's menu?  Pumpkin waffles.  Wholesome, nutritious, festive, and delicious, plus they make the whole kitchen smell like pumpkin pie!   You can make a batch of these on the weekend, and you'll have plenty of waffles to freeze and pop in the toaster for a quick morning meal.   The leftovers can be used to make a quick, nutritious lunch as well.  Just toast and let cool slightly, then spread with cream cheese and cut into little sandwiches.  Jayden loves when we get to have waffles for lunch!

Whenever breakfast includes a veggie, I get a little excited.  Pathetic, right?  Excitement over a serving of vegetables?  Hey, when you're a mom, you get where you can.  Since we have a green smoothie every morning, this means my son is getting TWO servings of veggies first thing in the morning.  That's pretty good for a three year old, most adults I know don't get that in a day!!  Seeing that fall has finally arrived,  I have a ton of canned pumpkin puree in the pantry.  I like to stock up on it at Trader Joe's while they have it.  It is one of those seasonal items that can go a long way in the kitchen.  We mix it in our oatmeal, add it to cookie recipes, and of course, make pumpkin waffles!

* Time saver tip:  Sift together the dry ingredients the night before, that way in the morning all you have to do is add the wet ingredients and start pumping out the pumpkin waffles!  You'll have breakfast on the table in 10 minutes!


Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles

1 c unbleached, all purpose flour
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 1/2 t Baking Powder
1 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Salt
2 t Ground Cinnamon
1/4 t Ground Ginger
1/4 c brown sugar
4 Eggs
1 C Milk 
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 C Pumpkin Puree
 5 T Butter, melted and cooled


 Preheat waffle iron.

Sift first 7 ingredients into a bowl.

Whisk in brown sugar into rest of dry ingredients.

 In a separate bowl whisk the remaining ingredients.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the liquid mixture and whisk until smooth.

Pour about 1/2 cup of the pumpkin batter into a waffle iron that’s been buttered or     greased and cook according to manufacturer’s directions.

  Serve with maple syrup or dust with powdered sugar.

*Allow to cool, place in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready, place in toaster or oven at 300 and heat for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad

This post is titled brown rice and  black bean salad because that's what I made last night, but you can use any whole grain that you have on hand.  I've used quinoa, barley, and spelt in place of rice and all are fabulous.  We all know that whole grains are essential to a healthy lifestyle but lots of people find it hard to incorporate them into their daily meals.   My biggest dilemma is not incorporating them into my family's diet, but finding new and tasty ways to use them.

 Like I've said before, our family eats a lot of Mexican food, and I always find myself struggling with what to serve alongside our favorite Mexican dishes- besides Spanish brown rice, which I've done a million times.  This brown rice and black bean salad is nutritionally complete and substantial enough to eat on it's own, or wonderful as an accompaniment to enchiladas, tacos, or any other Mexican dish.  With protein, fiber, and antioxidants to spare, it is not only palate pleasing, it really is a nutritional powerhouse.  This salad is chock full of colorful, fresh veggies and lots of vibrant flavors.  I toss it with my cilantro lime vinaigrette and it's so delectable I found myself eating a huge bowl for lunch the next day!

We're all trying to eat healthier and want things that are easy to prepare.  This dish satisfies both of those needs.  It couldn't be easier to assemble and it will leave you satiated without weighing you down.  A perfect dish for vegetarians and carnivores alike!  Ideal for these steamy summer nights, this dish is served cold, which means you can prepare it in advance.  In fact it tastes better if it sits for a couple hours to allow the flavors to marry together. 

Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad

2 C chicken broth

1 C brown rice  ( I used Brown Basmati, but any whole grain will work- just cook according to package)

2 15 oz cans black beans, drained  and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 c red onion, diced  (also good with green onions)

1/3 c chopped cilantro

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 t cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

1/3 c Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Bring chicken broth to boil in large saucepan. Add rice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes.

Transfer rice to large bowl and fluff with fork. Mix in black beans, bell peppers, red onion, chopped cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour vinaigrette dressing over salad and toss to combine.  Salad can be made up to 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.