Homemade Granola Bars

I know I may be on the slow train, but I just recently tried out agave nectar (Xagave) for the first time. It is great. It has a very similar to honey in texture. But the flavor is not as floral. I love using it in drinks and sauces since I don't worry about it not dissolving completely and being grainy like sugar. But I thought I would try it in baking. So I tried them in my favorite Granola Bar recipe.

My sister flew in a couple months ago to help me drive my kiddos to Utah for a family reunion. And of course, our family needs delicious food on our drive. We were both trying to be healthy - our snacks consisted of apples, grapes, carrots, and celery. But we needed something sweet. These granola bars were perfect. They may not be the lowest in calories, but if I am going to have chocolate chips, it is nice to know they are surrounded by oats, wheat germ, seeds, and other delicious ingredients. But don't worry - these taste so much better than you would expect. Plus now the the added agave factor, the glycemic index is much lower!

This recipe is very versatile: add in dried fruit (I totally recommend this!), nuts, candy, other seeds, whatever you think! Also, if needed for allergies, you can omit the peanut butter. Here are two of my variations.

Granola Bars

from my friend, Jenny M.

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup agave (or 1/2 cup honey)

2 t. vanilla

2/3 c. peanut butter

1/2 cup melted butter

3 Cups oats

½ cup sunflower seeds

2 t. sesame seeds

½ cup coconut

1/3 cup wheat germ

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl combine brown sugar, agave, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Stir in remaining ingredients. Press into a greased cookie sheet and bake 20-23 minutes (depending on the chewiness you like). Let cool before cutting and serving.

My Favorite Granola Bars

(White Chocolate Cranberry Bars)

Prepare as above except omit chocolate chips and add in 2/3 c white chocolate chips, 2/3 cup dried cranberries, and 1/2 cup pecans. 

Banana Bread

In college I had a roommate, Lisa.  She was a great cook and we all loved her food. She didn't bake too often because she was working full-time and going to school full-time. She was friends with everyone on campus (no really!). She worked for the corporate side of Cold Stone. She brought home ice cream all the time. She hated it when we would take a taste -- at least without asking. Mostly because she was planning on giving it away to a friend. That's how she was able to keep her girlish figure, and be friends with the entire campus! Lucky girl!
One thing Lisa made well was banana bread. I have yet to find a more delicious recipe. Lisa's is sweet, flavorful, and moist. Lucky for you, I made it the other day which means - you get the recipe now too!

Banana Bread

recipe thanks to Roommate Lisa

2 cups sugar
2½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix sugar, flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder. Mix in remaining ingredients. Bake in 2 greased bread pans for 1 hour.

Tips:

Sometimes this bread can get a little dark. After about 30 minutes if the bread is looking dark, cover with foil while bread finishes baking.

Fish Tank Cake

I was inspired by Parenting.com to make this cake for my daughter's "Under the Sea" themed birthday party. It looked fairly easy, and since I worked the night before the party, I needed a cake that was fairly simple. I made this Homemade Funfetti recipe - only I doubled it for a 9x13 cake pan and baked for about 35 minutes. Because nothing says kid's birthday like Funfetti!

The rest of the cake was done the day of the party - it took me less than an hour for sure.
I frosted it with my Buttercream Recipe. Once I was sure the cake was covered evenly, I kind of swirrled the frosting, to make it look like water.
Sand = Heath crumbs (you can find it near the chocolate chips in the baking aisle).
Castle = Graham Crackers, cut to whatever shape you want
Fish  = Goldfish crackers and Swedish Fish. The bubbles are white frosting and the eyes are melted chocolate (although if I did this again, I would skip the eyes...).
Twisted seaweed  = spearmint gum rolled on a sugared surface then twisted. (I actually misread the instructions, it called for actual spearmint leaves... oh well, the gum worked great too).
Spikey seaweed = Jolly Rancher Chews that you microwave for 3-4 seconds then roll out and cut to shape.

Happy Birthday Lou!

Recipe she devoured for this picture can be found here -- we loved it as much as her

Yesterday was this cute girl's second birthday. Crazy how fast time flies... but at the same time it is hard to remember life without her. We love having this silly, spunky, snuggly, sweet, singing girl in our home. She keeps us laughing each day. Nothing has made me happier in my life than becoming a mother. In her honor, here are some of her favorite recipes:

Chicken Strips/Nuggets
Pasta with Marinara - this Zucchini Bolognese is a favorite here
Hawaiian Haystacks - last time we made this she out ate me!
Brown Sugar Carrots
This girl loves her veggies like Broccoli, Peas, and these Green Beans
Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner Rolls - who can resist these?
Brazilian Limeade, especially when made into popsicles
Pancakes of all kinds - Blueberry, German...
Barbecue Meatballs

There are many more - as you may notice from the picture above, this girl loves food!

Homemade Pizza

We love homemade pizza in our house. It is so much tastier than from the store or the freezer section. We made our for a party. The perfect food. Who doesn't love pizza. And an added bonus? Everyone gets exactly what they want. One fun party idea: pot luck toppings, everyone bring their favorite. My favorite? Fresh tomatoes. Or maybe caramelized onions.

Pizza Dough

adapted from Bobby Flay
2/3 c lukewarm water
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for oiling bowl
1 3/4 to 2 c flour
2 tsp coarse salt
cornmeal

In a bowl stir together 1/3 cup water, yeast, and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 3/4 cups flour, and salt and blend until the mixture forms a dough. Put dough hook on your mixer and knead for a 5-10 minutes until dough looks smooth and doesn't stick to sides of the bowl. You may need to add some more flour. (Add a couple tablespoons at a time.)
Lightly oil the sides and bottom of a large bowl with oil, add the dough, turn to coat in the oil, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Sprinkle baking sheet with corn meal. Gently punch the dough down and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch circle that is 1/8-inch thick. Brush off excess flour and transfer the dough to baking sheet. Top with sauce, cheese, and favorite toppings. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crust is cooked and cheese is melted.

Thinking about...

... what to post today. At first I was going to respond to the comment left here. Then I decided to ignore the meanness. Then I was going to make something truly gourmet to show him/her. But then I decided to share a treat to show that I truly love ghetto foods.

But you must try this recipe before bashing it. It is my Grandma's recipe and it is delicious.

Grandma's Chocolate Treats

2 cups Peanut Butter Captain Crunch cereal
1 1/2 cup Peanuts
2 cups pretzel sticks, broken a bit
dipping chocolate

your ingredients (you will need more chocolate than that)

Mix cereal, peanuts, and pretzels in a mixing bowl.

break your pretzels more than that. 

Mix chocolate in microwave, stirring every 20 seconds until melted. Careful - it can scorch in the microwave. Pour over cereal mixture, stir until completely coated. Spoon into clumps and place on waxed paper until cooled.

this was my first batch and I didn't have quite enough chocolate... learn from my mistake.

Voila! (that's how much chocolate you want - this is semi-sweet chocolate, above is milk, use what you want.)

Popcorn Day

Today is National Popcorn Day. Make everyone in the office go crazy by popping some for your snack. Or, for dessert tonight make caramel popcorn or kettle corn.
Because you can't really make a dinner out of popcorn (although my family would applaud me if I did), we are having this: Popcorn Chicken!

And just for fun - everything is finger food: raw broccoli with ranch for dipping, creole sweet potato fries, and of course - popcorn chicken. Kids love that right?

For the menu:
Popcorn Chicken - I used this technique for the chicken, only cut the chicken into smaller, cube peices. They cooked for about 6-8 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries - My tip, cook them almost all the way, remove from oven. Put chicken in. Then put the sweet potato fries back in under broil. unless you are one of those lucky people who has two ovens. Then I am jealous.

Sweet Potato Fries 

(serves 4)
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into a julienne, cut to the size you like
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-3 Tbsp Creole Seasoning (recipe follows), or more to taste

Mix all ingredients in large bowl, toss until evenly coated. Place a metal cooling rack on top of a jelly roll pan. Place potatoes evenly over cooling rack. (This gives an even heat distribution so one side isn't soggy and the other is crispy). Bake a 400 degrees until almost all the way soft. (for my size, it was 20-25 min) Turn oven to Broil, remove the fries once they have gotten crispy slightly browned. Mmm.

Creole Seasoning 

Thanks Emeril
2 1/2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried thyme

Combine all ingredients. Use for recipe, and reserve the rest for delicious things like shrimp, chicken, or more fries.

Make Every Day Special

Can't decide what to make for dinner? Check out what holiday it is. Maybe it is oatmeal Monday - make steel cut oats for breakfast, meatloaf with oatmeal in it, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Or maybe it is arbor day and everything has to be in the shape of trees: make a steak trunk with green mashed potatoes for the tops. Or just serve broccoli.

Look how fun my month of January is. Today is Strawberry Ice Cream day and Hat day. I think for dinner we will all wear silly hats and have strawberry ice cream for dessert. Too bad I don't have those bowls that look like baseball helmets that you get at a baseball game. We could have eaten our ice cream out of those bowls.

What do you do to spice things up at your kitchen table?

If you have a Mac, or iCal, I have made a calendar you can download easily onto your computer. If you would like it, just email me.

Questions Asked: Picky Eaters

Kellie asked me, "My sons doctor says that he needs to gain weight. He has not gained weight in about 6 months. He is 18 months old and a very picky eater. Any suggestions??"

 picture via dandelion mama

I only have a 9 month old and she is not picky in the least. But I did live with my niece and nephew for a year and did see some pickiness. Here are some tips you could try:
1. Make it fun! Use fun names "witches juice" "monster legs" "princess pasta" etc. Have you noticed how kids will try lots of foods on Halloween? Also, try cutting into fun shapes, use cookie cutters. Put them on colorful plates, or even their toy plates. Use silly utensils - toothpicks, chopsticks (they make some for kids), measuring spoons, or on a skewer. Have a no plate day - place a plastic table cloth down, and everyone eat off the table.
2. Have them help. Let kids pick out groceries at the store. Let them help make it in the kitchen. They are more likely to eat that way.
3. Nibble trays or dipping. If you are having pasta, put the sauce on the side and let them dip it. It's much more fun. Use a muffin tin or ice cube tray to put lots of different items for them to pick up. Fun, healthy dippers include yogurt, peanut butter, and guacamole.
4. Protein. If you child is having a hard time gaining weight, find items high in protein that will help fill them up and aid in growth. Try string cheese, avocado, peanut butter, beans (my niece would eat garbonzo beans out of the can), and yogurt.
5. Get nutrient rich foods. If you child will only eat bread, make sure it is the wheat bread.
6. Get the junk out of the house. If all they see are colorful boxes of cereal and fruit snacks, they are not going to want the boring packaged foods.
7. Use lots of Praise. Praise the child for trying, eating, or experimenting - even if they didn't eat all you wanted.
8. Be Patient. It takes a child, on average, 10 times of trying a food before they like it. Reintroduce foods every once in a while.

Here are some articles I found very helpful:
Mayo Clinic: 10 tips for picky eaters
17 Great Tips to Try

What about you readers? Any other tips for Kellie?

Sticky Chicken

I have started cutting coupons to help save a few bucks here and there. It paid off last week - I got free chicken! So I was excited to use my cheap chicks! This is a great combination of flavors - sweet, spicy, sticky, savory.


Sticky Chicken
1.5 lbs chicken drumsticks
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp. chili garlic sauce (or less depending on taste)
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
Collect ingredients. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients in small saucepan. Cook until thick and sticky, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from oven, cover in sauce. Return to oven for 20 minutes or until done. (Tip: do not cut into chicken to test doneness, use thermometer or touch method.) Let rest a few minutes and enjoy!

Zucchini Bolognese

Yep, here is another zucchini recipe. You know we have it coming out our ears. This recipe can be used with the zucchini that you stored in your freezer or freshly grated zucchini.
Bolognese is traditionally a meat sauce. If you need help sneaking vegetables into your kid's diet - they will never know its in this.


Zucchini Bolognese
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups grated zucchini (or more, depending on taste)
1/2 package of ground, lean turkey
2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
a handful of fresh basil
Favorite pasta, cooked to al dente
Defrost zucchini, ring out liquid with clean kitchen towel. Set aside. Heat olive oil in large frying pan on medium high. Saute onions until slightly translucent. Add garlic and zucchini, saute for a few minutes, until color starts to appear. Add ground turkey, cook until almost completely cooked through. Add cans of sauce and tomatoes. Season according to your liking (I added a little italian seasoning, salt, and pepper). Just before serving, add chopped parsley and tear in basil leaves, saving some to top pasta.
I always like to use spaghetti, but you use what you like. Add pasta to sauce and toss until coated, adding some pasta water if sauce is too thick. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and remaining parsley and basil.
Enjoy!

Baby Boost

I live in small apartment. I am always looking for items that fold up, have multiple uses, and that don't take up much room. This booster seat was the perfect alternative to save me room in my kitchen. No, I am not getting reimbursed by Fisher Price, I just like the idea. This booster just sits on one of our chairs, and then can fold up and carried to Grandma's house. Perfect!

Zucchini Fritters

Do you have way too much zucchini growing in your garden? Or did some get out of control and are too big to eat alone? If you are like my most, you are trying to find ways to use it up. Sometimes, I just can't take any more zucchini bread. I had some big guys (compare to my 6 month old!) and used these.
These fritters are great as a side for lunch or dinner, or serve with eggs for breakfast. Plus, kids will eat them! (Don't they eat anything fried?)









Zucchini Fritters
2 cups grated zucchini
1 egg
1/2 c grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 large garlic clove
1 green onion, green and white part
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2-3 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper (about 15 turns)
3 Tbsp flour
oil for frying

1. Cut zucchini into chunks for your food processor.
2. Get food processor ready for grating (or you may use a box grater)
3. Grate zucchini - the harder you push, the longer the strands. I like mine long. Do what you like.
4. Place zucchini on clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Ring out liquid.
5. Set aside while preparing the rest of the ingredients
6. In a separate bowl, beat one egg.
7. Add cheese, garlic, scallion, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and flour. Mix till combined. Do not overmix.
8. Add oil to frying pan, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Heat over Medium to Medium High heat.
9. Add zucchini, stir in with fork until zucchini is incorporated, but do not overmix (you don't want chewy fritters).
10. Place mixture in oil to make about 2-3 inch rounds, flatten into disk.
11. Cook until edges are brown, flip.
12. When finished, drain on paper towel.
13. Voila! Your done. Eat them immediately. Serve with greek yogurt or sour cream.

*I tried out a new format for the pictures. What do you think? I am trying to not have a post 3 feet long, and to not be so Pioneer Woman-ish. Should I number the pictures to make it easier to understand? Do you like the old way better? Let me know! Thanks.

Baby Food

If I would have known how easy baby food was to make, I would have been making it long ago. I steamed green beans (then later peas) until they were soft then placed in a blender until the right consistency. I did add a little water to thin it out. You could add formula or breast milk if you would rather. I also added a little rice because I had some.


I saved old baby food containers then labeled and put them in the freezer. You can do this with any vegetable or fruit. Easy! Plus your baby gets used to the way you cook.