Homemade Granola Bars

In an effort to eat better, I've been making more and more of our food from scratch.  Snack food has been tough for me as my boys prefer all of the icky processed snack foods.  I'm working hard to eliminate the processed foods though so I'm always on the lookout for new recipes.

This summer I posted on Facebook asking if anyone had a great granola recipe.  My friend Jenn posted one and I've found it to be incredibly easy and versatile.  One child will sometimes eat it but the other loves them and thinks he is eating cookies.  I like them too because they are packed with protein and give me a sweet snack during the day.

Homemade Granola Bars
By Jenn

2 cups oatmeal (quick or old fashioned)                               
1/2 cup flour (can use whole wheat)                                      
1/2 cup sugar (or honey, or agave, or splenda)                     
1 tsp. baking soda                                                                
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup applesauce (heaping)
1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup chocolate chips

  1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Add applesauce and peanut butter mixing well.
3. Stir in craisins and chocolate chips.
4. Press firmly (can use a rolling pin) into a greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
6. Cut into bars after slightly cool.

Tips (from Jenn):
You can substitute the last two ingredients for lots of different things.  I have used nuts, white chocolate, infused craisins, golden raisins, & dried pineapple.  If you measure the applesauce first, then the peanut butter will just slide out of the cup when you use the same one.    I like to roll them onto greased parchment paper so I can transfer them easily to my cutting board before cutting to save my non-stick pan.

Food Friday: Fresh Strawberry Bread

I first discovered this recipe a few weeks ago when strawberries were on sale at rock bottom prices.  I knew it was a keeper when my non-strawberry liking 4 year old grabbed part of a loaf and started chowing down on it and telling me how much he liked it.  

One word of warning though, this needs to be made as a loaf and not as muffins.  I love putting quick bread recipes into muffin tins so I have quick and easy breakfast items on hand for my kids but when I tried it with this they did not hold up well as the bread is very moist.

Fresh Strawberry Bread
Originally from RecipeZaar

1 cup sliced strawberries
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten

1. In a bowl, place the sliced strawberries and 2 Tbsp sugar.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight to create a syrup from the berries.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Blend together flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil, vanilla, eggs, strawberry slices and their syrup.  Dump the strawberry mixture into the flour mixture and mix just until blended.

4. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan (9"x5") and bake for approximately 50 minutes. 
 

Food Friday: "Ice Cream" Sandwich

We love to eat ice cream year round but especially in the summer.  This is a fake ice cream sandwich recipe that is easy and much healthier than the real thing.

"Ice Cream" Sandwich

1 graham cracker sheet, broke in half
Cool Whip (lite & fat free work great)
plastic wrap

Spread Cool Whip on half of a graham cracker, top with the other half, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy! 

Food Friday: Poppy Seed Bread

This is a quick and easy bread that makes two loaves.  I love it when a recipe makes more than one loaf because I can eat one now and freeze the other for later.  I would recommend waiting to ice the one you are freezing though.


Poppy Seed Bread
3 cups unsifted flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp each almond flavoring, butter flavoring, vanilla & poppy seed

Mix together.  Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Icing
1/4 cups orange juice
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp almond flavoring
1 tsp butter flavoring
1 tsp vanilla

Food Friday: Tutti Fruiti Ice Cream

This is one of my favorite homemade ice cream recipes.  My kids like it too and they don't even realize they are getting a serving of fruit in while enjoying this treat.

Tutti Fruiti Ice Cream

4 ripe bananas
1 medium jar maraschino cherries
1 medium can crushed pineapple
2 cups sugar
2 can Pet mix
4 lemons
milk (can use skim)

Mash and chop bananas, cherries and pineapple.  Mix with sugar and Pet mix.  Add the juice of 4 lemons.  Add enough milk to make a gallon.  Freeze according to direction on ice cream maker.

Kool-Aid Cake

This is a fun cake because you can change the color and the flavor to match the season or your child's favorite color.  My son likes to make these as cupcakes.

Kool-Aid Cake

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs 
1 cup milk
1 packet Kool-Aid - any flavor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the dry ingredients, including Kool-Aid.  Add wet ingredients.  Stir until well blended.  Pour into 8" or 9" square pan or muffin tins.  Bake 50-60 minutes for cake, 20-25 minutes for cupcakes or 12-15 minutes for mini cupcakes.

Food Friday: Diet Coke Cake

This is a fairly well known recipe but I run into people all the time who have never heard of it so I thought I would post it.  You can use any combination of cake mix and soda flavors and these make good cupcakes too.

Diet Coke Cake

1 box cake mix
1 can of Diet Coke

Mix cake mix and soda (I usually use just a bit less than a full can), pour into pan and cook according to directions on the box.  Ice with your favorite icing, powdered sugar, or fresh fruit.

Food Friday: Fiber One Crunchy Fudge Cookies

I first made these cookies when I was expecting our second child and wanted a few things in the freezer for when he arrived.  They are delicious and I almost always have some on hand for those days when nothing but chocolate will satisfy me.  I can pull one or two out of the freezer, microwave for a few seconds, and I have an instant treat with easy portion control.  Fiber One often goes on sale so this is a fairly frugal treat too.

Fiber One Crunchy Fudge Cookies

1 box Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix
2 cups Fiber One original bran cereal
2 Tbsp mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/8 tsp ground cinammon
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.  In large bowl, mix ingredients with spoon.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes until set.  Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.  Cool completely.  Store in tightly covered container.  Freeze up to 2 months if desired.

Make about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.  One cookie is 70 calories and 1g of fat.

Iced Coffee & The End is Near

Sorry I was absent from the blogosphere last week - I was a bit busy losing my mind. We are now five weeks from my husband graduating and I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.  I have tons of ideas for this blog and even a few giveaways coming up but please hang on as the next few weeks may remain light on posting.  Our family is looking forward to life settling down just a tiny bit once my husband graduates.  This has been the hardest semester yet and we are all thankful it is the last.

In the meantime, I thought I would share with you my latest indulgence - iced coffee.  I never liked iced coffee before but something changed when I was pregnant with my youngest.  I would occasionally crave it and still do. I love a morning cup or two of coffee but many days do not have time to finish it (I make half caff by the way).  I've started putting the leftover coffee in my refrigerator for an afternoon treat.  Here is my "recipe":

leftover coffee
flavored creamer
milk
dash of Splenda

I add a bit of flavored creamer to the leftover coffee and then top off with soy milk until it is light brown.  I finish it off with about 1/3 packet of Splenda and then pour the coffee over ice.  

Tastes like it came from a coffeehouse but at a fraction of the price and I don't even have to leave my house to get it.

Food Friday: Carrot Cake

This is my mom's carrot cake recipe and what I compare all carrot cake's too.  It does not have nuts or fruit in it, just the way I think carrot cake should be.  We have tried making the frosting a bit healthier by using reduced fat cream cheese but it came out a bit runny.  My advice is to stick with the full fat and enjoy this as an occasional treat.  It makes a great dessert for Easter too.

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups corn oil
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda


Mix dry ingredients together.  Add carrots, then add oil, eggs, and vanilla - blend well.  Bake in three 9" cake pans for 30 minutes or one 9x13" pan for 40 minutes.


Frosting


1 box powdered sugar
1 8 oz block cream cheese
1 stick butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla


Cream the cream cheese and butter.  Add sugar and vanilla.  Blend well.  Add milk if necessary to spread. 

 

Food Friday: Cream Cheese Mints

When I got married and everyone was planning my showers they always asked what kind of cake or pastry I wanted.  My response was always that I would take any kind of cake as long as there were cream cheese mints.  These are one my favorite sweets although I usually only make them for wedding and baby showers.  You can purchase molds at any of the big box craft stores and shape the mints according to the occassion.  They can also be made ahead of time and stored in the refridgerator.

Cream Cheese Mints
Recipe from RecipeZaar


1 small package cream cheese (3 oz)
2-3 drops peppermint extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
granulated sugar


Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.  Knead for 10 minutes.  Roll small balls into granulated sugar and then press into mold.  Makes approximately 30 mints.

Food Friday: Mississippi Mud

This was a classic dessert in our house growing up.  It was usually made for potlucks or when friends were coming over.  It is very rich but delicious and my mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Enjoy!

Mississippi Mud

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup nuts
3 Tbsp cocoa
2 sticks oleo or butter
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 Tbsp vanilla
Marshmallow creme
Chocolate Frosting


Cream together eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla.  Add flour and cocoa, mix well, then add nuts and coconut.  Bake in greased and floured pan 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.  As you take from the oven, spread a large jar of marshmallow creme over hot cake (miniature marshmallows can also be used and cake reheated until marshmallows melt). Frost when cool.
 

Food Friday Revisted: Congo Bars

The Super Bowl is this weekend so I wanted to visit an old post and share the perfect dessert for the game - Congo Bars.  These chocolate chips bars are delicious and super easy. Enjoy!

Food Friday: Cinnamon-Spiced Bananas

My oldest has developed his mommy's bad habit of wanting something sweet after dinner every night. Since I'm trying to lose weight, I'm constantly looking for things that will satisfy this sweet tooth without packing on the pounds. I found this recipe in the current issue (Feb/March 2010) of Healthy Cooking Magazine. This is a delicious way to add fruit to my diet and still feel like I'm eating something unhealthy.

Cinnamon-Spiced Bananas
Serves 4

3 large bananas, sliced
3 tsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup reduced-fat vanilla ice cream

1. Place bananas in a small microwave-safe bowl. Top with brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon; dot with butter.

2. Cover and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until sugar is melted, stirring once. Spoon banana mixture into bowls; top with ice cream. Serve immediately.

1/2 cup mixture with 1/4 cup ice cream equals 211 calories, 5 g fat, 16 mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 42 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein

Food Friday: Butter Frosting

I was making sugar cookies with my oldest last week when I suddenly realized I was out of canned frosting. I had promised him he could decorate his cookies and I usually keep some cans on hand just for this purpose. I quickly grabbed my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book and looked for an icing recipe. I found this super easy butter frosting recipe. It was delicious and turned out much better than other frosting recipes I have tried before. I liked that it didn't have a strong powdered sugar taste like some recipes do.

Butter Frosting

1/3 cup butter or margarine
4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
milk
food coloring (optional)

1. In a mixing bowl beat butter till fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the 1/4 cup milk and vanilla.

2. Slowing beat in remaining powdered sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to reach spreading consistency. If desired, tint with food coloring. This frosts tops and sides of two 8- or 9- inch layers.

Food Friday: Oatmeal Scotties

I discovered this recipe years ago when it was published in our local newspaper. While cleaning out a file area this week, I came across it again. I'm hoping to make some of these soon because they are delicious.

Oatmeal Scotties

1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
11 oz butterscotch flavored morsels

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Once these are well combined, gradually beat in the flour mixture; then stir in the oats and morsels.

Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet or shallow baking pan. Bake 7-8 minutes, then remove cookies from baking sheet and place, separated, on a platter and allow to cool.

Food Friday: Oscar's Garbage Pail Cookies

This recipe comes from the Sesame Street book "Yummy Cookies". My son "bought" me this book for Christmas last year since I love to cook. He thinks it is actually his book though and it sits on his bookshelf, not with my cookbooks. To be honest, I've only made three recipes from it and the first two were awful. This one, however was pretty good. I like it because you can use whatever you have on hand. I didn't have peanut butter chips so I used chocolate chips instead. We used an assortment of leftover candy from our pantry instead of mini M&M's. I also like that it gave me an excuse to use the little bit of leftover sour cream I had in the fridge and the random can of peanuts that I found this week.

Oscar's Garbage Pail Cookies

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soa
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 egg
1 T water
1 t vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
3/4 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup mini candy-coated chocolate pieces (mini M&M's)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine the flour and baking soda in a medium bowl.

2. Beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the sour cream, egg, water, and vanilla until well blended. Gradually add the flour mixture, beat until blended.

3. Stir in the peanut butter chips, peanuts and candy-coated chocolate pieces. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

4. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets for 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Food Friday: Peanut Butter Snowballs

This was one of my favorite treats growing up. Mom would always make them at Christmas but occassionally at other times throughout the year. Now that my son has outgrown his rice allergy, I look forward to making them with him too.

Peanut Butter Snowballs

1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups rice cereal

Mix first 3 ingredients then add cereal. Shape into balls and refrigerate.

Food Friday: Zucchini Bread

My father in law brought me an abundance of zucchini last week so I pulled out my favorite zucchini bread recipe and made a few batches. I like to keep several types of quick breads in my freezer so that I always have a last minute dessert or breakfast item on hand. It helps out the stress level to have something on hand when last minute company arrives or I find out the night before I need to bring something to school or an event.

In the past, I've dreaded grating the zucchini because it always took forever and made a huge mess in my kitchen. Since I'm now selling Tupperware, I decided to pull out my Quick Chef and see how it would do with the zucchini. In no time, I had all of my zucchini grated and there was no mess. I will definitely be using this from now on.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups zucchini - raw, unpeeled, and grated
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Beat together the eggs, sugar and oil. Add the other ingredients and beat well. Pour into two loaf pans sprayed with baking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour.

Food Friday: Chocolate Ice Cream

It is summer and in my household, that means homemade ice cream. This is a family recipe that has shown up at every 4th of July get together that I can remember. It is easy, although not every healthy. Feel free to use reduced fat or fat free versions of everything in this recipe as it still tastes delicious.

Chocolate Ice Cream

2 cans Eagle Brand
1 can Hershey Syrup
1 can Milnot
Milk to fill container

Mix the first three ingredients in a large bowl and pour into ice cream container. Fill with milk and turn on the machine. I've made this in several sized containers and it all tastes good but the smaller the container, the more rich the ice cream.