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.

Tomato & Black Bean Quinoa

Have you tried Quinoa? (pronounced keen-wah). It is such a tasty treat. I have tried a few recipes lately with Quinoa and have fallen in love with its nutty flavor and crunchy, interesting texture.
Ok, so Tomato and Black Bean Quinoa:
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 cup quinoa
1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together lime zest, juice, oil, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper to make the dressing. 
Cook the quinoa according to package directions.
(or if you buy it bulk from a local market like I do, first rinse your quinoa, and then cook one cup quinoa in 2 cups salted water for about 20 minutes. The water should be absorbed, and the germ ring will be visible when it is done.- you'll know what I mean when you see it.)
Put your quinoa into a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Add beans, tomatoes, cilantro and onions and toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Yum!
We ate this as a side dish to grilled pork chops for dinner last night, but I ate it on it's own for lunch today and it was perfect.

Raspberry Cheese Dip

I got this recipe from my friend Marlo who always has the best recipes. And it has been urgently requested by my hungry pregnant friend, Olivia. :) It is delicious!

2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded montery jack cheese
6-10 chopped green onions
1 cups chopped pecans
6 Tablespoons Mayo
Combine. Put it into a pie plate lined with saran wrap and chill. Tip over onto serving plate and top with seeded raspberry jam or preserves. And serve with crackers. (I like wheat thins for this).

Chocolate Sheet Cake

This is a wonderful recipe from the beloved Pioneer Woman. If you haven't seen her website you should check it out. I got this recipe from her cookbook, which is just beautiful.
Cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir together and set aside.
2. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and baking soda. Mix with a fork and set aside.
3. Then, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the cocoa and then whisk together to combine.
4. Meanwhile bring 1 cup water to a boil.
5. When the butter is melted, pour the boiling water in the pan. Allow to bubble for a moment, then turn off the heat.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture.
7. Stir together for a moment to cool the chocolate, then pour in the egg mixture.
8. Stir together until smooth, then pour into an un-greased jelly roll pan (rimmed baking sheet) and bake for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Icing:
1 3/4 sticks butter
4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
6 Tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth.
3. Add the milk and vanilla.
4. Add powdered sugar, stir together
5. Dump in the chopped pecans and stir until well combined.
6. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, pour the warm icing over the top. You'll want to avoid doing much spreading, so try to distribute it evenly as you pour.

This cake is completely delicious, and it is great for large groups of people. I took this to a church "friendship dinner" with 3 other families and it was plenty for all of us, and I brought home leftovers. Although, I wouldn't recommend bringing home the leftovers. :) I think we all saw how much butter is in this cake. :)

Ok, how about this.

I am in a bit of a rut. I need some good meal ideas. Let's play a game. We'll call it "Hungry Tag". Here's how it works. I'm going to post my top 3 meals (the top 3 things that I usually make for dinners) including recipe. Unless of course it doesn't really have a recipe like, say, tacos, or spaghetti or something. And then you get to tag someone else. You know how tag works, right, I tag you, and then you have to do it or you mess up the whole game. (love you)
Here's my top 3 in no particular order (except for maybe #1).

1. Curried Chicken with Carrots and Lime This meal is hands down my favorite. Only a few ingredients, minimal prep, and a delicious meal to show for it. My family loves it, too.

2. Homemade Pizza. This is a great dinner, because it's yummy, and my kids(and hubby) have fun topping it how they want to. I've been using Kate's pizza dough recipe here and most times I'll use store bought sauce.

3. Some Kind of slow cooker burrito/tacos. I love the Cafe Rio Pork recipe, actually, do any of you have a version that you think is pretty authentic? I don't love the version I have... Or I also love doing these slow cooker chicken tacos. Of course both of these things need to be served with all of the yummy fixin's... cilantro, tortillas, salsa, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes...

I tag....KATE.

Bananas

Don't throw away brown bananas, throw them in the freezer! They defrost quickly when you're ready for them (about 30 minutes on the kitchen counter) and are perfect for making banana bread, muffins, smoothies, and anything else requiring bananas.

Fresh Ginger

Fresh Ginger is super delicious when added to stir-fry, meats, soups and all kinds of things. You can buy a fresh ginger root at the grocery store very inexpensively. I grate off what I want and then store it in the freezer in a plastic bag. Each time I need some, I just pull it out of the freezer and grate some more off. It works splendidly and now I always have fresh ginger when I want it!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Delicious Cream Cheese Frosting

How cute are these? I made them for Valentine's Day, and here's how:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 fluid ounce red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 12 cup muffin pans or line with 20 paper baking cups.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, red food coloring and vanilla. Stir in the baking soda and vinegar. Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt; stir into the batter just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack.
   

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. I stored this in the fridge until I was ready to use it so that it was a little stiffer when I piped it onto my cupcakes. Delicious!

Stuffed Acron Squash

It's Shake n' Bake, and I helped! Well, not really, but it's Acorn squash, and I grew it! It is so rewarding eating food that you grew in your own backyard!

3 medium Acorn squash, cut in half and seeded
9-12 oz sausage ( I like Bob Evan's original, but you can't get that everywhere).
half of an onion, chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 box stuffing and seasonings (like stovetop) (any variety, 6 oz)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds (spread your almonds out on a cookie sheet or cake pan, cook on 350 until they are just getting "toasted" looking. Watch them carefully, I am notorious for burning these.)

Place your squashes face down in a glass dish and microwave for about 8-10 minutes. While this is happening, brown and crumble your sausage, with onions and celery. When your squash is done, scoop out the pulp (the squash part) onto a cutting board. Leave about a 1/4 inch lining of squash still in the shell. Coarsely chop the squash you scooped out. Add Chicken broth, brown sugar, and cranberries to your sausage mixture. Let this come to a boil. Then, add your stuffing packet, chopped squash and toasted almonds to the pan. Stir it up and then remove from heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Spoon this into your squash shells and cook on a baking sheet 30 minutes at 350.
This dish is yummy served with a green salad and rolls.

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.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Mmmmm. We Neals devour this peanut butter fudge. This is a recipe that Jared's mom makes perfectly every year...and I think I've finally mastered after a lot of fudge-making lessons from Mama Rosemary....

2 sticks of butter
1 can evaporated milk
5 cups white sugar (use a good pure cane sugar such as domino or c&h, if you don't, your fudge might turn out grainy)
2 cups (1 package) butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in your saucepan. Add sugar and canned milk. Bring to a boil, boil approximately 15 minutes. Test in cold water (get a small bowl of cold water, drizzle some of the hot mixture into it. If you can pinch it together into a soft/firm ball and it stays, then you are good.) Remove from heat and add p.b.,salt, butterscotch chips and vanilla. Pour into a 13X9 pan lined with parchment paper (enough that it is hanging over the edge about 3 inches. Once cool (several hours) pull the fudge out by the parchment paper and cut into desired sized pieces. Store in an airtight container. so yummy.

Pumpkin Soup

The idea for this recipe came from a couple of things: a recipe that my sister in law, Kristy gave me for pumpkin soup got me thinking, and I had a pumpkin that I used for halloween decorating that I wanted to try and use! Jared was very skeptical about me making soup out of a pumpkin, but he loved the finished product!

Cut your pumpkin in half and clean out the seeds, then place each half face down on a cookie sheet. Bake at about 375 for about 45 minutes or until you can poke a fork through the outside. Let it cool for a minute and then scrape the pumpkin out of the shell. I suppose if you wanted a really smooth soup, you could food process it, but I like my soup a little chunky, so i just mashed it with a potato masher. And all of these measurements are approximate since all pumpkins are different sizes!

32 oz chicken broth (1 box)
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk (I used 2 % b/c that's what I had, but you could use whole, or even light cream if you wanted to)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt (or more, according to taste)
1 1/2 - 2 tsp chili powder

So, put your pumpkin in a large saucepan / pot. Add your chicken broth and milk and mix until it is a consistency that you like. Bring it to a boil. Add all of your spices and the sugar. Lower your heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Garnish with Cilantro, cheese, sour cream and extra chili powder. yum!

* if you don't have a pumpkin, you could always just used canned. I think this recipe would work best with about 30 oz of canned pumpkin.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These little cookies are my favorite for fall. So tasty! Make these!
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil & egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add to pumpkin mixture and combine. Dissolve the soda in milk and add. Mix. Add vanilla and chocolate chips. Mix. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm in a 350 degree oven. (Really make sure these are done, this is a cake-like cookie and will be gross after a couple of days if they are not completely done).
Quite honestly, I don't know what the meaning of the dissolving of the milk and soda is. All I know is that these cookies are magically delicious.

Summer Broccoli Salad

I got this recipe from my mom in law. It is one of my favorite summertime recipes.

2 crowns of broccoli, coarsely chopped

1/2 red onion, coarsely chopped

1/4 to 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds

shredded mozzarella cheese to taste

dressing:

3/4 cups mayonnaise (not miracle whip)

1/8-1/4 cup vinegar (i prefer apple cider, but white works ok, too)

1-3 tablespoons of white sugar

celery seed to taste

Toss dressing and salad together. It is best chilled for a little before you eat it. This recipe serves about 4-5 people.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I found this recipe a couple of years back. It is my absolute favorite recipe for chocolate frosting.

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In small bowl mix at medium speed, sugar, butter (softened), and salt until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, milk and vanilla extract, beating until well blended.
This recipe makes enough for a 13x9 cake. If you are making a layer cake with it, you will probably want to double it.

Tomato and Basil Pasta with Shrimp

This is one of my favorite easy summertime meals especially if you grow tomatoes or basil in your garden. Yet another Everyday Food recipe, slightly modified.
You will need:

1-1 ½ pounds medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed)

salt and pepper

6 teaspoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

½ pound linguine or angel hair

1 ½ cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces, plus extra leaves for garnish

Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 4 teaspoons oil over high. Add shrimp; cook until pink throughout, turning occasionally, 3 minutes. You don't want to over cook these or they will be rubbery and chewy.Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

To make sauce:
To the same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic; cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add canned tomatoes and their juice, along with 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and are saucy, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat; stir in cherry tomatoes, shrimp, and basil. (leave some to garnish with.)
Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain; return pasta to pot. Add tomato sauce mixture, season with salt and pepper, and toss. Serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves.

Lime Squares with Pistachio-Graham Cracker Crust

These lime bars are very refreshing. The pistachio crust makes them different, it's a surprising combination.
Ingredients:

• For the Crust:
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan
• 2/3 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 cup (4 ounces) graham-cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoons grated lime zest
• For the Filling:
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (I haven't tried non-fresh lime juice, but i can't imagine that it would change them that much....)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with melted butter. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
2. In a food processor, finely grind pistachios with graham-cracker crumbs, sugar, and zest. Blend in butter. Press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool crust, 30 minutes.
3. To make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and condensed milk. Add lime juice; whisk until smooth. Pour filling into cooled crust; carefully spread to edges.
4. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool in pan on rack; then chill at least 1 hour before serving. Using parchment paper overhang, lift out of pan, and transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut into 16 squares, wiping knife with a damp kitchen towel between each cut. To store in refrigerator, cover with plastic wrap.

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

Yet another delicious recipe from Everyday Food. (I made just few tiny changes). These are pretty easy to make and are pretty impressive.

FOR CHOCOLATE BASE:

½ cup (1 stick) (salted) butter, plus more for pan

½ cup sugar

1 large egg

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

FOR COCONUT TOPPING:

2 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 package (7 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut; ½ cup reserved for sprinkling.

1. For chocolate base: Preheat oven to 375°. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil (not overhang).
2. Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 12 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.
4. For coconut topping: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except ½ cup reserved for sprinkling).
5. Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with reserved ½ cup coconut.
6. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 28 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil, and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This is a recipe from Jared's mom, Rosemary. It is one of our favorite soups.
3 cups cooked wild rice
1 large onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup light cream, or half and half (sometimes I use whole milk if I don't have either of these).
In a 4-5 quart pot, saute the veggies in the butter until they are slightly soft. Add the flour, a little bit at a time, stirring and cooking until all of it is combined. Don't brown it. Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring until the flour-butter-veggie mixture is well blended. Add cooked rice and chicken. Add cream and cook soup until heated, but don't boil. Salt and pepper it to taste.

My Favorite Macaroni and Cheese

I love this recipe for Mac n' cheese. It is very tasty and makes a great comfort food for those long winter months. Plus, the amount of butter and cheese called for is only mildly offensive.

1 lb pasta (elbow, spiral, bowtie) coked and drained
4 T butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 cups (5oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded white cheddar or swiss cheese
8 oz diced ham
2 slices white bread
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cook pasta, and drain. In a 5-quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.
2. Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne, if using, and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
3. Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
4. In a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining ¼ cup each white and yellow cheddar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.