Fresh Homemade Granola! Light and Easy!

Ingredients:
6 cups regular oats
2/3 cup wheat germ
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup raw almonds, chopped
1/3 cup flax seed meal
1/3 cup raw pepitas
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of salt
2/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients together.  Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well coated.  Pour the mixture onto  a large greased cookie sheet that has sides and bake at 350 degrees for 24 minutes.  Stirring half way through.  Let cool and enjoy! Pin It

Rice Krispy Spiders

Remember when Heather introduced us to these little beauties? 

Ingredients:
5 1/4 cups coco krispies
10 ounce bag of miniature marshmallows, reserve 20 of so for the eyes
3 Tbsp. butter
pretzel sticks
candy eyes

First make the rice krispies like usual.  Melt the butter and marshmallows over low heat until smooth.  Take off the heat and add the coco krispies.  Pat into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.  Let cool a few minutes then take a circle cookie cutter and cut out the spider bodies.  Take a knife and poke a hole where you'd like the legs to go and then insert the pretzels into the spaces.  Flatten some marshmallows for the eyes and add candy eyes on top.

So adorable and perfect for Halloween!  Thanks again Heather!

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Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 - 3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix

2 cups peanut butter chips

6 - 1.55 ounce Hershey Candy Bars, broken roughly

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Then set aside.  In another bowl cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer.  Next mix in the eggs and vanilla until well blended.  Add in the pudding mix and then the dry ingredients to the mixture. Add the peanut butter chips and candy bar pieces by hand.  Scoop out spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone pad.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.  They should be chewy, so don't over bake.

Makes about 3 dozen

This recipe was found over at Stephanie's Kitchen

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Sweet & Sour BBQ Chicken and Vermicelli Rice

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
juice of 1/2 a lime
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. mustard (regular or dijon)
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 Tbsp. olive oil
8 chicken tenderloins

Directions:

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, lime and lemon juices, brown sugar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper.  Whisk in the olive oil.  Reserve two portions of the mixture for basting and dipping.  Then add the chicken to the dish and turn it to coat.  Marinade the chicken for at least 2 hours.

Grill the chicken for about 4 minutes per side or until the juices run clear.  During the last minutes of cooking, baste the chicken with one portion of the reserved sauce to glaze.


Vermicelli Rice

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups vermicelli noodles, broken into small pieces
1 1/4 cups rice
2 cans of chicken broth
1/4 cup water
chicken flavoring to season

Directions:

Melt the butter in a 2 quart sauce pan.  Stir in the vermicelli noodles and cook until they turn golden brown.  Add in rice, chicken broth, water and seasoning.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

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Mango Grape Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 cups green grapes

1 banana, frozen

1 cup mango fresh or frozen

6 - 8 ice cubes

Directions:

Place the ingredients in the blender in the order above.  Blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

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Sugar Cookie Bars

Ingredients for Cookies:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Ingredients for Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. milk
4 Tbsp. strawberry puree
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

To make the cookies, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add in the eggs and vanilla.  Whisk together flour, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl.  Add in wet ingredients and mix until just combined.  Spread into a greased 9x13 inch pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.  The cookies should be lightly golden and a toothpick should come out clean.

For the frosting, use an electric mixer to mix together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  In a small bowl mix the chocolate chips and milk.  Melt in the microwave for 30 second intervals until smooth and melted through.  Make sure you mix after each interval.  Add the chocolate mixture to the cream cheese mixture.  Start adding in the powdered sugar until you like the consistency.  Mix in the strawberry puree.


These are so yummy!  I love sugar cookies!

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Honey Corn Muffins and Baked Beans

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  Mix the milk, eggs, butter, honey and vanilla in another bowl.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Put into muffin tins and bake until cooked through and golden.

These were baked in mini muffin tins and took around 12 minutes.  Regular muffins would need more time.

Ingredients:

1 large can Pork N Beans, drained
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 tsp. mustard
1 onion (option)

Directions:

Cook all the ingredients in a sauce pan for about one hour so the flavor has time to set.  Enjoy!

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Homemade Rolls

Ingredients:

3 cups water

3 Tbsp (heaping) yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 cubes (1 cup) butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup powdered milk
1 Tbsp salt
12 cups flour
6 eggs

Directions:
Put 2 cups of water on to boil.  Mix together 1 cup warm water, 3 Tbsp. yeast and 1 Tbsp. sugar and set aside.  Melt the butter and mix in 1 cup of sugar, powdered milk and salt.  Add in the 2 cups of boiling water.  Mix in 4 cups of flour, then the six eggs and the yeast mixture.  Add the remaining flour until you get a nice dough consistency (about 8 cups).

Knead the dough until nice and soft.  Let rise until double, about one hour.  Punch down and then form rolls.  Place on a greased pan and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 more hour).  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 60 rolls.


*If you don't want to bake all 60 rolls right away, it works great to divide the dough into quarters and freeze each portion in a gallon freezer bag.  Then when you want to bake it, let the bag of dough thaw on the counter until it reaches room temperature and is puffy.  Then you can form the rolls from there.

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Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup (NEW!!!)

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp. chicken "Better than Bouillon"

2 cups celery, chopped

2 cups carrots, sliced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 Tbsp. parsley

4 cans cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken

3 cups eggs noodles, cooked

Roux: 3 Tbsp. flour

1/4 cup water

Directions:

Cook the noodles according to the package and then set aside. Combine bouillon and chicken broth in a large pot. Add carrots, celery, onion and mushrooms. Cook until tender. Add cream of chicken soup and milk. Cook for 3 or 4 more minutes. Add in the roux to thicken and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the noodles, chicken and parsley. Salt and Pepper to taste.

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Dip to Die for

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cilantro
3 green onions
2 avocados
2 tomatoes
1 can white corn
1 can black beans
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Dressing
Tortilla Chips (scoops work well)
Optional: chopped red, yellow or orange peppers

Directions:
Finely chop cilantro and green onions. Cut avocados into small chunks. Dice tomatoes. Drain corn and beans (rinse beans well). Prepare dressing according to directions on package, but add 1 Tbsp. sugar. Add a little more of any ingredient you especially like. Omit anything you don't care for. Put all ingredients into a bowl and dress. Serve with tortilla chips.

Double the recipe for a big group. Pin It

Wheat & White Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
4 Tbsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
7 cups hot water
10 cups wheat flour
1 cup Crisco oil
1 cup honey
3 Tbsp. salt
10 to 11 cups white flour

Directions:

Mix the warm water, yeast and sugar together and set aside. In a mixer, combine hot water and wheat flour. Mix well. Add in oil, honey and salt; mix. Add in yeast mixture and mix well. Then add 10 to 11 cups of white flour. Mix well and then knead for 10 minutes. Put in five bread pands and let rise until double in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.
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Baked Mushroom Rice

Sorry for not posting on the blog in a while... I've been a really busy grandma! If you need a wonderful side dish, you should try this Mushroom Rice. My grandchildren absolutely loved it and the adults did too!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 cups beef broth
1/2 cup apple juice
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cups long grain rice, uncooked

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat. Combine remaining ingredients in the pan. Transfer mixture into 9x13 dish. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir before serving.

This side dish is delicious and can be found in "Our Best Bites" cookbook. Pin It

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Ingredients:

8 ounces package of cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1⁄2 tsp. salt

1 package of chocolate chips

1 1⁄2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1⁄4 cup cocoa

1⁄2 tsp. salt

1 cup water

1/3 cup oil

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Mix cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup of sugar, salt and chocolate chips together and set aside. Mix the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking soda, cocoa, salt, water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Beat well and then fill cupcake liners 1/3rd full. Top each with a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese mixture. Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

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Bistro Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:
1 box pasta, bowtie or penne
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup fresh basil, cut into strips
1/3 red onion, chopped
½ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped (not in oil)
3 to 4 grilled chicken breasts, cut up or rotisserie chicken, cut up
Bernstein’s Italian dressing

Directions:
Toss all ingredients together and chill for at least an hour before serving. Pin It

White Bean and Chicken Soup (NEW!!!)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
or use the equivalent amount of rotisserie chicken
1 - 9 oz package frozen white corn
2 - 15 oz cans white kidney beans, undrained
1 (7 oz) can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp oregano
3 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp lime juice

Topping:
cheese, sour cream, avacados, tortilla strips!


Directions:

In a large pot saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add in remaining ingredients and simmer for a few hours.

Or...

Add all ingredients to a crockpot and cook on low 4 to 6 hours.
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Chicken Salad in Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

4 cups chicken, cooked and cut up

1 cup celery, cut up

1/3 cup green onion, chopped

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

¼ cup sliced almonds, roasted

1 cup seedless green grapes, cut in half

¾ cup Mayonnaise

12 crescent rolls

Directions:

Brown the almonds at 250 degrees in the oven until golden. In a medium bowl, pour lemon juice over the chicken. Add celery, onion, salt, pepper, almonds and mayonnaise. Use enough mayonnaise to make a good texture. Toss, cover and chill.

Right before you are about to serve the dish add in the grapes. Spoon chicken mixture into the crescent rolls and sprinkle with paprika.

This is also excellent served in melon rings instead of rolls.

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White Bean Soup (NEW!)

This is a great recipe for Sundays!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey
1 package Lawry's Chili Seasoning mix
1 - 15 ounce can kidney beans
2 - 15 ounce cans pinto beans
2 - 15 ounce cans white beans
1 small can diced Ortega Chili's
2 - 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes

Directions:

Brown the ground turkey in a skillet. Add in the Chili Seasoning Mix. Pour into a crock pot and add remaining ingredients. Cook in the crock pot on low for 3 or 4 hours. When serving you can add shredded cheese, avocado and sour cream.

What yummy comfort food and all my grand kids love it! Pin It

Chicken Bundles

Ingredients:

1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
5 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. milk
3 cups chicken, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. green onion
2 - 8 ounce packages crescent rolls
3/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed

Directions:

Cook chicken and cut up into small pieces. Blend the cream cheese, milk and butter. Then add the rest of the ingredients except the croutons and crescent roll dough. Separate the dough into rectangles; use 2 triangles to make one rectangle. Put 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture on each rectangle and pull the corners to seal. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with crushed croutons. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes on a cookie sheet.

Makes 8 squares Pin It

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

Ingredients:

4 flour tortillas (1o inch)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced - remove the seeds and ribs if you don't want it too spicy
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper
1 - 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups water
1 - 10 ounce pkg frozen corn
1 small can Ortega chiles
4 green onions, thinly sliced - plus extra for garnish
2 1/2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If necessary, trim the tortillas to fit a 9-inch spring form pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef, onion, jalapeno, Ortega chiles, garlic, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened. Add the beans and water to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the corn and green onions and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Fit a trimmed tortilla in the bottom of the spring form pan; layer with one quarter of the beans and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat three more times. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until hot and the cheese is melted. Take the pie out of the mold. Sprinkle with green onions. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

I made two pies, but only had one spring form pan... I just trimmed the tortillas down to fit into another cake pan. So even if you don't have a spring form pan you can still make this fabulous recipe.

I found this recipe over at Tastebuds, but added the can of Ortega chiles to the recipe.
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Pavlova

*READ ENTIRE RECIPE BEFORE STARTING*

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. white vinegar
Whipped cream
Fruit of choice - Examples: strawberries, kiwi, bananas, canned passion fruit…

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg whites until stiff soft peaks form. Continue beating; gradually add sugar, vinegar and vanilla, until you get a thick consistency. Test to see if the sugar is fully dissolved by rubbing a little of the meringue between you thumb and index finger. The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty. Beat until smooth. Lightly fold in cornstarch with spatula. Cover a large baking pan with parchment paper. You can also use foil, buttered lightly or use non-stick cooking spray.

Pile the meringue mixture into a circular shape or make mini ones. Smooth edges and make sure they are slightly higher than the center. You want a slight well in the center to place the whipped cream and fruit.

Turn oven down to 225 to 250 degrees and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool.

Cut up fruit into bite size pieces. Spread whipped cream in the center and top with fruit. If using bananas, put them on first and then add the whipped cream followed by the rest of the fruit. This helps keep the bananas from turning brown.

Drizzle with passion fruit syrup if available.


*Sometimes I have found this in British stores in cans or you could use fresh passion fruit juice, but it does get a little pricey. Pin It