Healthy Granola Bars

Okay, they are healthy other than the butter. LOL. The pictures are of the apple cinnamon version below.

The base:
1 cup softened butter (unsalted real butter)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup honey
2 cups wheat germ

Mix together. (I mix mine in my kitchen aid mixer)
You can sprinkle with chopped nuts at this point and bake for 10 min. (you can also omit the nuts if you like)

Apple Bars: add to the above 1-2 peeled/cored/diced apples, 1/2-1 cup of old fashioned oats, and a heavy sprinkling of cinnamon. Mix well, press into a 9x13 sprayed pan. Spray the back of a spoon with oil or non-stick spray to press down the dough and prevent sticking. Optional to sprinkle sugar on top. Bake 350 for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Cool and slice into long bars. I wrap them individually in cling wrap.

Got the base of this recipe from my friend, Pam. =0)

Garlic Carrots

Every time I make these I get asked, "what's in those carrots? They're so good."



Well, only butter and garlic. Yup, that's it. I steam the carrots and then add butter and sprinkle them with garlic powder. You could make it more complicated if you wanted to by mincing fresh garlic cloves and sauteing them in butter and then drizzling them over the carrots. But why complicate something that's so easy? Right?

Crock Pot Roast

For a really simple dinner, I like to put a roast in the crock pot. (Yes, I get a lot of use out of my crock pot in the winter!) I buy inexpensive roast cuts like chuck roast.

Put it in the night before at around 9pm-10pm on LOW. I put the fat side down. You can trim any fat off of it if you want it leaner. I season mine with different things...usually a seasoning packet, like Knor

onion soup mix or these new marinade ones that I posted about earlier. You can season it however you like to. For this one I used Black Peppercorn which was a little strong and spicy so next time I'll use half the packet. It had great flavor though. Don't add any water. You don't have to. It will make it's own juices for you.

By morning it looks like this. Don't be deceived. It looks done but it's still tough.

By dinner time the meat will fall apart with just a fork. Now it's done. =0)

Keep in mind that it shrinks a lot. A 2 lb roast will feed a family of 4. If you are feeding 4 grown men though, you'll probably need about 6 lbs. LOL. =0)

Country Fried Potatoes

4-5 Yukon gold potatoes cubed

1 garlic clove

Lawry's Seasoning Salt

pepper to taste

3 chopped green onions

drizzle of olive oil

Wash and cube potatoes. Drizzle olive oil in skillet. Saute potatoes with minced garlic (you can substitute garlic powder). Sprinkle with seasoning salt and pepper. Saute covered until potatoes are tender on medium heat. Then saute uncovered to get the outsides crispy on high heat.

Note* Yukon gold potatoes are the easiest potatoes to digest and also have a natural butter flavor to them. Olive oil and garlic are also healthy factors.

Chicken Burrito Filling

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 taco seasoning packet

1-2 can of beans (I used black beans)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 hand full cilantro chopped

Chop the chicken and saute in skillet with taco season packet mixed according the directions on the packet. (In the pictures I used leftover taco meat that was done in the crock pot previously).

Add beans (drained and rinsed) and can of tomatoes (drained). Add cilantro. Saute and stir. Serve in tortillas with toppings of your choice.

I got the idea for this recipe from my friend, Geneva years ago. I think it was a weight watchers recipe. I changed it up a bit.

Hand Prints

Remember the dough ornament recipe below? You can also make these with it. They are hand print plaques.



Make the dough ornament recipe. Use a large bowl to cut the circle for the plaque. Use a knife or medicine cup to cut the hole for the ribbon. Have your child press their hand into the dough. Bake the dough as instructed in the recipe. Once it is totally cooled, paint the whole thing (we used white). Once that is dry, paint your child's hand a color (we used pink for girl, blue for boy). Stamp their painted hand onto the print of their hand molded into the plaque. Spray with a clear glossy spray paint. Use a sharpie permanent marker to write their name and date. Tie with a bow for hanging. These make precious gifts and memories.

Great Grandma Clara's Coleslaw

This recipe is in honor of Thanksgiving yesterday. This is my great grandma Clara's recipe. Mom said she had her own restaurant and was a great cook. We've been having this coleslaw at family gatherings since before I was born and all through my life. It's a tradition on Thanksgiving. So, yesterday I started teaching my daughter how to make it. That's the 5th generation! =0) I took some great pictures for you but then my camera battery died and I lost the first half. So, I don't have pics to show you of how to chop the cabbage. Sorry about that. One more thing...people who don't like coleslaw, like this recipe. =0)

Ingredients-
2 heads of cabbage shredded or chopped small
1 bunch of chopped radishes
4-5 chopped celery stalks
1/2-1 chopped bell pepper (any color)
1 bunch green onion
(I like to dice all of these ingredients so that you get the texture of coleslaw as small as KFC-but this won't even compare to KFC coleslaw)

The Dressing-
1 2/3 c real mayo
1/4 c vinegar
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. celery seed
1/3 c sour cream
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp. pepper

After chopping all the ingredients (you may want to sharpen your knife before you start!), mix the dressing ingredients together. Then combine the dressing and the cabbage mixture, mixing well till the cabbage is well coated. This recipe makes a large batch, enough for about 20 ice cream scoop sized servings. It looks like more at first but the cabbage will begin to shrink down. You can also cut this recipe in half.

Keep refrigerated.
























It will shrink down as you mix it and it sits for a few minutes.

Chicken Tacos

I've been making our tacos in the crock pot for the last year. In the morning I throw in some frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts into the crock. Then I sprinkle it with a taco seasoning packet. I turn it on low and then just before dinner I shred the chicken with two forks. It works great and is super easy.

Tortellini Soup

Our kids love tortellini so I figured as far as soup goes, this would be one they would like...and they did.

Ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil

1 c chopped onion

1 c sliced carrots

1 c chopped celery

2 minced garlic cloves

1 can cream of chicken OR cream of mushroom/celery soup

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

6 c water

4 c chicken OR vegetable broth

1 bag frozen broccoli florets

10-15 oz. cheese tortellini

2 c cooked cubed/shredded chicken

salt and pepper to taste

grated parmesan

Saute onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in bottom of pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add can of soup, seasonings, water, and broth. Bring to a slow boil. Add chicken, broccoli, and tortellini. Cook till tortellini is cooked through. S and P to taste. Serve with parmesan on top.

To make extra healthy, use whole wheat tortellini.

You can enjoy this soup vegetarian by omitting the chicken, using cream of mushroom or celery soup, and using vegetable broth.

The base of this soup recipe was from my friend Jana. I changed it up a little bit.

Favorite Things - Flour Holder

I hope to feature one item or gadget a month that I find helpful or amazing in the kitchen. This one I just came across. Maybe I'm clueless and everyone already has these. I was telling a friend of mine a few months back about how frustrating it is to have to use flour out of a paper bag.



Well, here was the answer to my problems. This cool pouring tub fits one bag of flour or sugar and has a specially designed spout that sets inside of the open bag guiding all the flour/sugar into the pour spout! Incredible! When you pop the lid open all you see is the inside of your bag full of flour/sugar. It has two pour spout features, one is narrow and one is a big pop open lid. Great invention and I love it! Found mine at Wal-mart.

Oriental Salad Dressing

Best served over an oriental style salad with mandarin oranges and almond slivers.

Dressing:
1/2 tsp. salt
dash pepper
2 T. sugar
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T. chopped parsley (dried is fine)

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

I looked for a long time for a 100% whole wheat bread recipe with no refined sugar. This one is a keeper. It's for your bread machine but could be made by hand as well.

Add to your machine in this order:

1 1/8 c water

1/2 c honey (sometimes I use up to 3/4 c)

2 tbsp butter

1/3 tsp salt

3 c whole wheat flour

(2 tbs gluten if needed in your altitude)

make a dent in the flour and put in it 1 1/2 tsp yeast

(if your dough rises too fast and then flops on the top when you cook it, try using the gluten.)

I set mine on a 2 lb loaf and the setting for lightly done bread and whole wheat. I use lightly done because the amount of honey will darken the bread crust as it cooks. I try to pull it out about 5 min. shy from cooking and just leave it in the form to finish cooking outside of the machine.

Dough Ornaments

These are easy and fun to do with kids. Make the dough (recipe below), roll it out and cut it with Christmas shaped cookie cutters. Poke a whole in the top for a ribbon to go later...a straw works well.

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 cup water

Mix ingredients together until dough is a nice ball.

To make a picture window, use a small biscuit cutter or small medicine cup to cut a hole for a picture to show through. Bake at about 200 degrees for 2-3 hours. Flip them from time to time for even drying. Once the ornaments are dry and hardened, let them cool completely. It works best to save the next steps for the next day.

Let your kids paint them. Once they have dried you can spray them with a clear glossy spray paint to give them a shiny look. If you've made a place for a picture, crop your picture with your scissors a little larger than the picture hole and hot glue or tacky glue the picture onto the back of the ornament allowing the picture to show through the front of the picture. String a ribbon on for hanging.

Broccoli Salad

I think this is the most asked for recipe I have.

Mix together- 1 cup mayo, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp vinegar. Let stand while you mix together the following:

2 fresh broccoli crowns cut up

1 cup raisins

1 cup roasted almonds

6-8 strips, cooked and crumbled bacon

1 bunch of diced green onion

Pour dressing mixture over broccoli mixture. Toss till well coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Stromboli Sandwich

Ingredients:

pizza dough (we use homemade whole wheat)
deli meat
deli cheese
dried onion flakes or other seasonings

Roll dough out into a rectangle and quite thin. Layer with meat and cheese. Sprinkle with onion flakes, other seasonings, or no seasonings. Bake at 400 degrees or until light brown on top and cooked through.

Combo ideas:
ham and swiss
turkey and provolone
salami or pepperoni and mozzarella
antipasto (artichoke hearts, spinach, olives, bell peppers, marinaded mushrooms, etc. with mozzarella cheese)

You can also add pizza sauce, ranch seasonings, etc.

I forgot to take a picture before we ate it so this picture isn't ours. But you get the idea...the picture is a pepperoni/ham/cheese one.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

I like to make my pancakes from scratch right out of my red and white Better Homes and Gardens recipe book only substituting the white flour with whole wheat pastry flour. Whole wheat pastry flour makes great whole wheat pancakes that are NOT grainy. Whole wheat pastry flour can be hard to find. One of our stores that sells foods in bulk in bins sells it but you can probably find it in health food stores if you can't find it in your regular grocery store.

When I'm in a hurry and don't have time to make them from scratch, I love this mix (mom got me hooked on these). It's the Kodiak Cakes mix. They have a wonderful blend of ground oatmeal in them that give them a nice sweet taste. You just mix with water and you're ready to go. They are whole wheat and it's finely ground just like whole wheat pastry flour so it gives you a smooth pancake. If you like your pancakes fluffier than this, then I would add an egg to the batter and they'll come out thicker. Also, let your batter rest before using it. This gives it time to fluff up as well. You can use this box mix for waffles as well.

Healthy topping- I've been substituting syrup for spreadable fruit. It's pure fruit without sugar added to it. You can also use 100% maple syrup which is the real thing without sugar added to it.

Egg Spinach Potato Fritatta

This is an easy one skillet dish to make.

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed)
2 bunches of green onion chopped
1 garlic clove minced
3-4 thinly sliced yukon gold potatoes
2-3 cups of torn fresh spinach
6 eggs lightly beaten
1/4 milk or water
salt and pepper to taste
grated cheese (cheddar or mexican mix)

Saute garlic and green onion in olive oil. Add potato slices and cover to cook. Cook till potatoes are tender. Add spinach leaves and cover till wilted. You can stir potatoes while they cook and you can stir the spinach around as well. Mix eggs with milk and pour over the top. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Cover and cook on low till egg is cooked through. Once egg is cooked through, sprinkle with cheese and turn off heat. (If you add the cheese before the egg is cooked, it's hard to tell if the egg is cooked through.)

Serve with your choice of toppings....try diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, salsa, etc.

You can also add other ingredients to the skillet dish such as sliced mushrooms and cilantro.

Why extra virgin olive oil cold pressed? I hear cold pressed is better for you.

Why yukon gold potatoes? Eggs are hard to digest and yukon golds are the easiest of potatoes to digest, so it helps balance it out a little. Otherwise it could be a belly bomb for sensitive stomachs. Also, yukon golds have a natural buttery flavor to them and are extra soft making this dish melt in your mouth.

Why spinach? Spinach is high in iron. If you are vegetarian or are trying to cut back on red meat, having spinach is a great way to get iron into your diet.