Granola Bars

***These are super yummy***

2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup packed Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Wheat Germ

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup flour

3/4 cup extras (raisins, choco chips, PB chips, sunflower seeds, nut etc.)

3/4 teaspoon salt

****

1/2 cup honey

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

****

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9 X 13 pan.

2. Mix the first group of ingredients together. Make a well in the center of the mixed ingredients and pour the rest of the ingredients in the well. Mix well using your hands. Press into 9 X 13 pan.

3. Bake about 25 min for chewy bars, 30-35 min for crunchy. Cool for 5 min and then cut.

*My notes*

*I didn't use all the oil it called for. If you want healthier bars you could play around with using Applesauce instead of oil. Or maybe Coconut Oil.

*The batter is super sticky! Use the back of a spoon that has been covered in butter to press into pan.

*If you want more flavor you can add Nutmeg.

Chocolate Belgian Waffles

For mother's day Ben made me these chocolate waffles with vanilla sauce, strawberries and whipped topping. Ben also put on his some peanut butter. They were so yummy I thought I would share.

What you need:
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar

To make it:
HEAT lightly greased Belgian waffle maker.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 to 1-1/2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted; set aside.

MIX flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add milk, sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in chocolate mixture.

USE batter to make 8 waffles as directed in manufacturer's directions.

SERVE warm topped with berries and powdered sugar.

This is where we found the recipe. It is worth trying.
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/chocolate-belgian-waffles-121334.aspx

Turkey Burgers

This is a pretty simple recipe, but is really good. We have been trying to eat a little healthier and lose a little weight, so I went in search of healthy recipes and this was one that I found. I actually really like it! Ive been making a whole bunch, shaping the patties and then freezing them for whenever I want. Its pretty good. Anyways, on to the recipe.

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 lb lean turkey sausage
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, finely grated
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1 tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp soy sauce

3 ripe tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2 in slices
Lettuce

Directions
Combine the turkey, sausage, celery, zucchini, garlic, pepper and soy sauce in a bowl and mix gently. With wet hands, shape into 6 (1/2 inch) patties.
Grill or Broil the burgers 4 inches from heat until cooked through, 8-10 minutes, turning after 6.
Place the tomatoes on the grill or broil until charred and hot, 5 minutes, turning once and sprinkling with pepper.

The changes I made were that I didnt add the zucchini because I never have it. I also dont do the tomatoes because I dont like them :) Makella eats these too with no problem. Very yummy!

Lemon Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Crust:

Cream together 1 C. Butter (room temp)

1/2 C Powdered Sugar

Add to butter mixture 1/2 tsp. salt

2 C. flour

Pat into a 9x13 greased pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 min.

Filling:

Mix together well and pour over hot crust;

4 eggs, slightly beaten

2 Cups sugar

1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 Cup Flour

1/4-1/2 cup lemon Juice

rind of 1 Lemon, grated

Bake at 350 degrees for 20- 25 min.

Notes:

*I use 1/2 c. lemon juice, it's more lemony.
*You can use reconstituted lemon juice, but real lemons taste sooooo much better.

*Right after you take it out of the oven run a knife around the edges.

*They taste really good cold!

Upsidedown German Chocolate Cake

This is sooooo yummy!

1 Cup Coconut

1 Cup chopped Pecans or Walnuts

1 German Chocolate Cake mix

1 1/4 C. Water

1/3 C. oil

3 Eggs

3 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar

1 C. Margarine or butter (room temp

1 8oz. Cream Cheese (room Temp)

Grease 9x13 pan. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Sprinkle coconut and nuts evenly over bottom of pan. Combine cake mix, water, oil & eggs. Mix at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes on high. Spoon batter evenly over coconut & nuts.

Combine butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Spoon as evenly as possible over batter. Don't get closer than 1 in from edge of the pan.

Bake 45-55 min.

Check to see if done by inserting a toothpick in center of cake, it should come out clean when it's done.

Top with Whipped Cream

A few notes:

*This cake will overflow if you put it in a normal glass 9x13 pan. So put a cookie sheet under the pan in the oven or if you have one use a 9x13 pampered chef casserole pan.

*This cake is very rich and doesn't really need whip cream on top.

*I love this cake because it looks awful- but tastes great!

Baked Oatmeal

My sister's kids really like oatmeal and she made this recipe for us when we stayed with her a while ago and I finally got the recipe from her. Ben loves this stuff. I think it is really good and I am not an oatmeal fan. Here is the recipe.

Baked Oatmeal

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups quick uncooked oats

Mix ingredients with hand mixer. Pour into lightly greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake @ 350 for 25-30 minutes. Do not over brown.

Try it, it is good!!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake

Half of white cake, bake in 9x12 pan, use rest of batter for 10 cupcakes.

Center: 8oz. Philly Cream Cheese softened
Pint whipping cream
two cups powdered sugar

Topping: Cooled Strawberry Danish Dessert, in jello section on top shelf
Fresh Strawberries

Cook and cool cake,

mix whipping cream to stiff peaks and add powdered sugar and then softened cream cheese, mix thoroughly.

Spread on cooled cake.

Make ahead Danish dessert and cool, use two cup water recipe.
when completely cooled poor and spread carefully on top of cream cheese filling and gently spread to sides of pan to seal in cream cheese, top with sliced strawberries.

Homemade Pizza

This is Julie's recipe that we have tweaked a little.

It's sooooo yummy!

Step 1:

In a measuring cup put 1 Tb. active dry yeast. Add 1 Cup WARM water to it and sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar over it. Stir once and let sit while you do the next step (about 5 min.).

Step 2:

In a big bowl

2 cups flour (I usually have to add a little more later)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 - 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated is best, but the other kind works too)

Plus any other seasonings your family likes. (get creative!)

2 Tb. Oil (Olive Oil is preferred)

Step 3:

Pour yeast mixture in big bowl and stir it all until it forms a ball.

Kneed a few times.

Let sit for 15 min (if you have time :)

(I added ground Flax seed, just for fun)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Grease and flour the pan and roll or use your hands to press the dough out.

You can let it rise again for a thicker, fluffy crust. (if you have time)

Step 4:

Spread some pizza sauce or Alfredo sauce on top and add all your desired toppings!

Cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, ham, pineapple, olives, sausage, chicken, tomatoes, peppers or anything else you can think of. (look in the fridge and see what leftovers need to be used up!)

Bake 10-15 min.

(This is Chicken Alfredo Pizza)

Almond Spritz Cookies

Note:

This cookie dough is for a "spritz" or a cookie press.

You can defiantly make these cookies w/o one, but be aware that this dough is very, very firm. It is so firm that I have to use my hands to mix the last of the flour and the food coloring in.

So get those hands ready for a work out!!

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Cream together;

1 1/2 c. room-temp butter

1 c. sugar

In a separate bowl beat;

1 egg

2 TB milk

1 t. Vanilla

1/2 t. Almond extract

* You can try other flavors in place of the Almond

Add the creamed butter to the egg mixture and beat until well combined.

Add;

1 t. Baking Powder

4 c. Flour

Mix well (using your hands is fine)

Divide into however many different colors you want and add food coloring until you achieve your desired color.

Use a cookie press or roll out and use cookie cutters.

Bake for 8 min.

*when they are firm to the touch they are done. If they are brown they are over-cooked!

Chances are they are done even if they don't look it!

*You do not need to chill dough.

*the recipe says you don't need to grease the pan, I have found they bake the best on an air-bake pan or on a silicon baking sheet.

I thought it would be fun in everyone posted their favorite christmas time tradition or favorite christmas food. So if you have a favorite cookie or meal or whatever, let us know! Thanks!

Cake Balls

I found this recipe, tried it and it was Sooo good! Plus, it is super versatile and everything.


1 Cake mix
1 Can Frosting
Chocolate Coating


Bake cake mix according to directions on the box in any pan type. When Cake it done and still a little bit warm, Crumble it into a large bowl. Add the Can of Frosting and stir until mixed well. Form into 1 inch balls and then put in the freezer for about an hour or so to set. Freezing them make it much easier to dip in the chocolate. You can even put them in overnight it you need to.

Melt the chocolate over low heat until smooth.

With a toothpick, dip the cake balls into the chocolate then remove toothpick. Let set.

And thats it! There are so many different variation for this too. When I made it, I did Strawberry cake with Vanilla frosting and then dipped it in chocolate. Some other ideas are Spice cake and cream cheese frosting dipped in chocolate. Chocolate cake and frosting with Mint Chocolate coating. Pretty much anything you can come up with.

Hopefully that all makes sense and I hope you all enjoy!

Healthier pie crust

For a different but good pie crust use this one with oil instead of shortning, less fattening:

3 c. flour (white or wheat or both)
1 T. sugar
2 t. salt
1 c. canola oil (other oils would work, canola is more healthy)
4 T. cold milk
Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add oil and milk. Stir til mixed. You do not roll this, just pat into 9x13" pan or 3 small pie pans. Fill with pumpkin or fruit pie and cook as recipe directs.

This was great at Thanksgiving for pumpkin pie.

Pulled Pork

This recipe is pretty much the easiest thing you could ever do and is soooo delicious!


1 Pork Roast
1 C of Salsa
1C of Brown Sugar

Put in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Then pull apart with a fork.

Thats it! Super easy. If any of you have heard of Cafe Rio, this is the recipe they use for their pulled pork. Enjoy!