Cooking with Melissa: Holiday Favorites with A Fun and Healthy Twist – Let’s get in the kitchen and cook something good for our soul and brain health! This four-part series will focus on remembering traditional Thanksgiving favorites and  preparing them with a fun and healthy twist.

Part I: Easy Bake Breakfasts to Delight Your Senses and Warm Your Soul

Part II: Simple and Healthy Appetizers

Part III: Brownie Bites…Casual or Fancy

Part IV: No-Bake Sugar Cookie Bites

Melissa will talk about the health benefits of several of the ingredients in these recipes, how these recipe “makeovers” are still delicious and can keep our holiday traditions. While we cook, we’ll practice mindfulness, heighten our senses and recall past memories. So, grab your measuring spoons and spatulas, and join us for “Cooking with Melissa.”

Part I: Easy Bake Breakfasts to Delight Your Senses and Warm Your Soul

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

• 2 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats (Melissa will be using gluten free)
• ½ cup of pecan pieces, chopped pecans, or  walnuts
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice  (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1 ¾ cups of milk of your choice
• 6 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Topping when serving:
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted with 1 tablespoon maple syrup or maple Greek yogurt

Baked French Toast

• 1 pound of bread (the size of an average gluten-free bread loaf, but use any bread you wish); cut into 1 inch cubes.
• 8 eggs
• 1 ¾ cup full fat coconut milk
• 1 ¼ cup almond milk
• 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon (plus 1 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2/3 cup coconut sugar (plus 3 tablespoons)
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 tablespoon of orange zest
• *powdered sugar for serving, optional

Cooking Tools:

• 8” x 8” or 9” x 9” baking pan
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk and a fork
• 9” x 13” baking dish (for the French toast)
• Knives for cutting
• Large mixing bowl (for French toast recipe)
• Measuring cups and spoons

This event will take place at the AFA Teal Room: www.alzfdn.org/afatealroom.