These bars are tasty. They are similar to baked oatmeal, but hold together well. They are made with simple, healthy ingredients and it makes a large panful. I might try using honey or brown sugar in place of the maple syrup next time, but the maple syrup ones were delicious. I haven't had great success with homemade granola bars, but I think these are a good substitute.
Cinnamon Raisin Snack Bars from Real Food Real Deals via SunMaid
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
2 t. baking powder
1.5 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 cup raisins (I didn't use Sun-Maid...gasp!)
Combine wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in another bowl, then combine. Stir in raisins, then transfer to a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before cutting into bars.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
I finally made a couple things worth sharing. I'll start with this one since you may also be looking for a way to use your abundant tomatoes. We had a bowlful, so I broke one of my own cooking rules and made spaghetti sauce from scratch. It wasn't too bad to make and the sauce turned out pretty well. Lauren had thirds.
Since I had tomatoes and basil in the garden, I doled out the 99 cents for fresh parsley (by the way, what else do I make with fresh parsley?). The recipe is from food.com, but I don't feel like looking for the link. I found it by doing a Bing search for spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes.
Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
4 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (I'd peel them too)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
grated parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil in a large iron skillet or heavy saucepan. Add onion, basil, garlic, and salt; saute until onion is tender, 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes, parsley, and sugar; heat to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 2 hours, stirring often, or until sauce has thickened. Remove parsley. (Edited to add: at this point, I used an immersion blender to mostly puree the sauce so it was smoother and more like jarred spaghetti sauce.) Serve over spaghetti or other Italian pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.
I read another recipe that said to add half a carrot to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes and add some sweetness, so I did that, and I thought the sauce was almost too sweet. If you do that, I would reduce the sugar a bit.
Since I had tomatoes and basil in the garden, I doled out the 99 cents for fresh parsley (by the way, what else do I make with fresh parsley?). The recipe is from food.com, but I don't feel like looking for the link. I found it by doing a Bing search for spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes.
Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
4 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (I'd peel them too)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
grated parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil in a large iron skillet or heavy saucepan. Add onion, basil, garlic, and salt; saute until onion is tender, 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes, parsley, and sugar; heat to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 2 hours, stirring often, or until sauce has thickened. Remove parsley. (Edited to add: at this point, I used an immersion blender to mostly puree the sauce so it was smoother and more like jarred spaghetti sauce.) Serve over spaghetti or other Italian pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.
I read another recipe that said to add half a carrot to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes and add some sweetness, so I did that, and I thought the sauce was almost too sweet. If you do that, I would reduce the sugar a bit.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Five recipes worth making
I have been super lazy about meal planning and cooking lately, doing lots of last minute, what do we have around meals. I am usually good to fix breakfast and I'm always up for baking something delicious, but when it comes to dinner, I just haven't felt like cooking, and I am struggling to eat very healthy. All I want is anything sugary and carby. The following recipes have all been hits, though, and bonus: they're all pretty easy and healthy.
1. 12-Minute Chicken and Broccoli from Gimme Some Oven. This popped up on my facebook feed on one of those days when I hadn't planned anything. It definitely took me more than 12 minutes to make, but not by much and I have made it several times since. It is delicious and I almost always have chicken and broccoli around. I think I have used chicken thighs each time I made it just because they were on hand and they are delicious.
2. Creamy Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup found on Tasty Kitchen. After the initial chopping, this was easy, and soooo good. Preston and I ate the entire pot in one sitting. Yes, I know that means we ate a whole cup of cheese between the two of us, but it also means we ate a whole head of cauliflower between the two of us. It was worth it. I paid too much for cauliflower today so we can have it again tomorrow.
3. Bean Curry from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I have made this a number of times and I like it every time. It is deliciously different from the usual stir fry or beans and rice dish. It does have one expensive ingredient - garam masala - which cost me around $6 a jar, but it should last for years and you can't really just skip it. I think it is worth the investment. You could also make your own, but then you would have to buy a jar of cardamom, which is $15 a jar, so you choose. I always add the cauliflower and highly recommend it.
4. Pumpkin Bars from Pennies and Pancakes. I knew I had to make these the first time I saw them and I finally did last week with cream cheese frosting. They were so good. Definitely the best way to use a can of pumpkin. I already want to make them again, but I'm trying to resist. Although with whole wheat flour, applesauce instead of oil, and a whole can of pumpkin, maybe I can convince myself that they are a healthy snack. I only frosted about half and even the plain bars were delectable.
5. Whole Wheat Bread from An Oregon Cottage. I got tired of the other bread I had been making and have been looking for a good alternative. I am still trying new recipes, but this is the one I keep coming back to. I sometimes use honey, but more often use brown sugar and up the water just a touch. I let it rise in a warm oven, then turn in on and bake for 38 minutes. I am planning to start baking several batches a week to fill up the freezer and this is probably the recipe I will use.
1. 12-Minute Chicken and Broccoli from Gimme Some Oven. This popped up on my facebook feed on one of those days when I hadn't planned anything. It definitely took me more than 12 minutes to make, but not by much and I have made it several times since. It is delicious and I almost always have chicken and broccoli around. I think I have used chicken thighs each time I made it just because they were on hand and they are delicious.
2. Creamy Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup found on Tasty Kitchen. After the initial chopping, this was easy, and soooo good. Preston and I ate the entire pot in one sitting. Yes, I know that means we ate a whole cup of cheese between the two of us, but it also means we ate a whole head of cauliflower between the two of us. It was worth it. I paid too much for cauliflower today so we can have it again tomorrow.
3. Bean Curry from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I have made this a number of times and I like it every time. It is deliciously different from the usual stir fry or beans and rice dish. It does have one expensive ingredient - garam masala - which cost me around $6 a jar, but it should last for years and you can't really just skip it. I think it is worth the investment. You could also make your own, but then you would have to buy a jar of cardamom, which is $15 a jar, so you choose. I always add the cauliflower and highly recommend it.
4. Pumpkin Bars from Pennies and Pancakes. I knew I had to make these the first time I saw them and I finally did last week with cream cheese frosting. They were so good. Definitely the best way to use a can of pumpkin. I already want to make them again, but I'm trying to resist. Although with whole wheat flour, applesauce instead of oil, and a whole can of pumpkin, maybe I can convince myself that they are a healthy snack. I only frosted about half and even the plain bars were delectable.
5. Whole Wheat Bread from An Oregon Cottage. I got tired of the other bread I had been making and have been looking for a good alternative. I am still trying new recipes, but this is the one I keep coming back to. I sometimes use honey, but more often use brown sugar and up the water just a touch. I let it rise in a warm oven, then turn in on and bake for 38 minutes. I am planning to start baking several batches a week to fill up the freezer and this is probably the recipe I will use.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Split Pea Soup
Did you know that one serving of split peas contains 98% of your daily value of fiber? That'll get things moving. Split peas are also a good source of protein, potassium, and many other vitamins and minerals. Basically, you should be eating them.
This is the best split pea soup I've had. It's also easy to make and cheap.
Split Pea Soup
from the Taste of Home Cookbook
1 small onion, diced
1 T oil
4 cups water
1 can (14.5 oz) or about two cups chicken broth
1.5 cups split peas, rinsed
1 cup cubed cooked ham
3 bay leaves
1.5 t salt
1/2 t dried rosemary
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t pepper
Saute onion in large saucepan until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes to an hour until peas are tender. Discard bay leaves before serving.
This is the best split pea soup I've had. It's also easy to make and cheap.
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| It looks like split pea soup. Surprise! |
Split Pea Soup
from the Taste of Home Cookbook
1 small onion, diced
1 T oil
4 cups water
1 can (14.5 oz) or about two cups chicken broth
1.5 cups split peas, rinsed
1 cup cubed cooked ham
3 bay leaves
1.5 t salt
1/2 t dried rosemary
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t pepper
Saute onion in large saucepan until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes to an hour until peas are tender. Discard bay leaves before serving.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Baked Chicken Drumsticks
This dinner earned thumbs up all around the table. I wish I had a picture of Andrew gnawing on his drumstick. He picked two drumsticks completely clean. Lauren had two as well, but she just ate off the crispy parts and left a lot of meat inside. Preston had two and would have eaten more if there were more. It was unanimously decided that this dinner should go in the regular rotation. Drumsticks are pretty cheap - 99 cents a pound or less - and Preston likes eating cornflakes, so I usually pick up a box when I go to Aldi. The ingredient list is kind of long, but it is easy to make. Hooray for another winner dinner.
Baked Chicken Drumsticks
from Two Peas and Their Pod from someone else's cookbook
8 chicken drumsticks, skinned
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I looked up a recipe online and threw in a bit of whatever ingredients I had)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup buttermilk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I looked up a recipe online and threw in a bit of whatever ingredients I had)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup buttermilk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
The morning you planto serve these, place the skinned drumsticks in a dish and season with spices. Pour the buttermilk and lemon juice over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6-8 hours.
Coating
1/2 cup crushed cornflake crumbs
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs (I reversed the amounts of cornflakes and bread crumbs based on availability)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Preheat oven to 400. Place a rack on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray Mix all coating ingredients. Remove chicken from the fridge and dredge each drumstick in coating. Place on rack, and spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray. Bake for around 40 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies
These are Preston's favorite cookie, so in honor of his birthday, I am posting them today. The recipe makes a ton, and I get tired of scooping cookie dough and rotating sheets fairly quickly, so I usually freeze part of the dough in a log. Beware, though - the frozen cookie dough is really good. I've frozen it before and we haven't gotten around to ever baking the cookies because we ate all the dough frozen. Don't be like me. You shouldn't let your kids eat raw cookie dough and you shouldn't either. But you should make these cookies. They are crisp on the edges and chewy inside.
Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies
Recipe from Parent's Magazine
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1T baking soda
1T cinnamon
1 t salt
1.5 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1.5 cups granualated sugar
1.5 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 T vanilla
2-3 cups chocolate chips
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
2 cups chopped pecans, optional (I always opt out)
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
In a very large bowl, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add in sugars and cream. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Add vanilla.
Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, and coconut and stir until combined.
Drop by 2 tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving plenty of room around each one.I usually do eight per sheet. They spread a lot, so you may want to mound the dough up higher. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely. Package some up and send them to Preston because I don't make them very often since they use 3 sticks of butter and 3 cups of sugar.
Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies
Recipe from Parent's Magazine
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1T baking soda
1T cinnamon
1 t salt
1.5 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1.5 cups granualated sugar
1.5 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 T vanilla
2-3 cups chocolate chips
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
2 cups chopped pecans, optional (I always opt out)
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
In a very large bowl, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add in sugars and cream. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Add vanilla.
Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, and coconut and stir until combined.
Drop by 2 tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving plenty of room around each one.I usually do eight per sheet. They spread a lot, so you may want to mound the dough up higher. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely. Package some up and send them to Preston because I don't make them very often since they use 3 sticks of butter and 3 cups of sugar.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Green Orange Julius
The family night classic...reinvented. This isn't just for dessert though; it's delicious anytime.
I realize the majority of my recent posts involve bananas. Sorry about that if you can't eat or don't like bananas. That's definitely not the case here. Sometimes I buy three bunches a week. If they're on the reduced rack, they're only 25 cents a pound, so I totally stock up.
This would be perfect for St. Patrick's Day, although you'll definitely want to make it year round.
Green Orange Julius
from Foodie with Family
1.5 cups milk, whatever kind suits your preference
1 cup orange juice concentrate
a couple big handfuls of spinach
1 frozen and sliced banana
1/2 t vanilla
Blend it all together until frothy and serve. Serves 2-3.
I realize the majority of my recent posts involve bananas. Sorry about that if you can't eat or don't like bananas. That's definitely not the case here. Sometimes I buy three bunches a week. If they're on the reduced rack, they're only 25 cents a pound, so I totally stock up.
This would be perfect for St. Patrick's Day, although you'll definitely want to make it year round.
Green Orange Julius
from Foodie with Family
1.5 cups milk, whatever kind suits your preference
1 cup orange juice concentrate
a couple big handfuls of spinach
1 frozen and sliced banana
1/2 t vanilla
Blend it all together until frothy and serve. Serves 2-3.
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