Homemade Granola Bars

Thanks to Pinterest, and backtothecuttingboard.com, I found this recipe for these delicious homemade chewy granola bars. Think Quaker, but better.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (see tips above)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 cups plain granola (I used the nut variety from Sprouts Market bulk section. I chose it because it was low in sugar. If you don't have a Sprouts in your town, well, I don't know. But you could always make Pam's Granola to use in the bars. It would add a step but I bet it would be so good.
• 1 cup rice cereal (Rice Krispies, etc.) 
• Possible add-ins: 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1/4 cup peanut butter chips, marshmallows, nuts, craisins, etc. The options are endless! Go crazy!

Process

1. Line two 9×5 loaf pans with foil or parchment. Lightly butter or spray the foil. Set aside.
2. Combine honey and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar after butter starts to melt.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
4. Add the granola and rice cereal into the saucepan and fold them into the sauce until evenly coated.
5. Spread the mixture into the prepared pans and press firmly with a spatula to evenly fill. Sprinkle the chocolate chips or other add-ins onto the top of the granola and gently press them down with the spatula.
6. Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or until mostly cooled and set; lift out of the pan and cut into bars.

Flax Bran Muffins

I have been looking for a good recipe for breakfast muffins with flax seed and bran. I've finally found it! These muffins are tasty. (well, not tasty compared to say chocolate cheesecake, but tasty in a healthy way!)

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups ground flax seeds
3/4 cups oat or wheat bran
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
Combine these ingredients and then add to mixture:
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
2 apples peeled and shredded
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

combine the following and then add to above mixture:
3/4 cups milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Fill your muffin cups 2/3 of the way full, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Cinnamon Syrup

Some of you may not know, but I consider myself a syrup snob. Pure maple is the only way to go. I usually don't even like to think of what that other sticky stuff is made of. I think I posted this on my personal blog, but I once took my own heated syrup in an insulated mug to a church pancake breakfast. Only problem . . . pure maple syrup is incredibly expensive. I recently found out why--you have to boil down 40 gallons of maple sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. That just isn't a ratio that lends itself to good prices. 

Here is a syrup recipe a good friend here in Iowa gave me. I think it is actually the first thing I have ever made with corn syrup. It definitely isn't the liquid gold that is maple syrup, but it is still pretty good and definitely cheap. My kids gobbled it up too. I doubled the recipe so as not to waste most of the can of evaporated milk.

CINNAMON SYRUP
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/4 c. water
1 tsp cinnamon

Boil for 2 min. Let stand 5 min, then add:

1/2 c. evaporated milk

Granola

This is the granola I was raised on. Bruce Smith even asked for the recipe. (I was known to snack on it during art class.) I love it, however, I'm open to new granola recipes if anyone has any.

Combine in saucepan over low heat:
1 1/8 cups honey
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water

Remove from heat and add:
3/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp almond extract

In another bowl combine:
5 cups oats (instant OR old fashioned will work)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds or pecans

Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and stir well to combine. Spread on cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. (You have to stir or parts will burn).

Homemade Applesauce

My mom made this for us in the fall when I was growing up. I LOVE it. It doesn't even compare to store bought. She also couldn't give me a concrete recipe - just a general process. So here goes.

1. Peel a whole bunch of apples and slice them very thinly.
2. Put a very tiny amount of water in a large stock pot. By tiny, i mean 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
3. Put apples in pan.
4. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat so water is simmering. Keep them covered.
5. Check on apples every 5 minutes to make sure there is still water in the bottom. If there is not any, add more, 1 TBSP at a time.
6. Stir apples every 10 minutes.
7. Cook apples for anywhere from 25 - 40 minutes. They are done when you pierce them with a fork and they are very tender.
8. In batches, process apples in a blender.
9. When it is all done, season with sugar and cinnamon to taste. Go easy on the sugar, it doesn't need much.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Batter:
cream together:
1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

combine and add to above:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Spoon half of the batter into a well greased bundt pan.

Filling:
combine
3/4 cup pecans, very coarsly chopped or halved.
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsps cinnamon

Sprinkle the filling mixture over the first half of batter in the bundt pan.
Spoon remaining batter over the top of the filling.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick comes clean.

Whole Wheat Waffles

My mom made these for us when I was growing up, and now I'm making them for my kids. They are absolutely delicious when served with 100% pure maple syrup. They are really light and fluffy, so kids don't notice they are "wheat". They also can be made with white flour and are really delicious.

3 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1 cup flour (wheat or white)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

Beat whites until light and fluffy and soft peaks form
Combine wet ingredients. Combine dry ingredients, then combine with wet. VERY GENTLY fold in whites. Cook on hot waffle iron.

{Picture from http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Category:Waffle_Recipes}

Monkey Bread

I hear that this is real Utah favorite, although I had never even heard of it until a month ago. It's really simple!

3/4 stick butter, melted
1/2 pkg butterscotch pie filling (not instant)
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
18-20 frozen rhoades rolls


Butter bundt pan. Mix pie filling, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a bowl. Dip each roll first in butter, then in dry ingredients, then place in bundt pan. Pour any extra dry ingredients and melted butter on top of rolls. Spray saran wrap with "Pam" (ha ha) and place on top of bundt pan. Let rise over night. In the morning, bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Invert pan on large platter.