Homemade Granola Bars

I'm a sucker for a good granola bar, but I'm also a lazy cook. This recipe is pretty much the answer.

Of course I made a few changes. I added white chocolate chips and craisins (YUM!). Make sure you follow the directions on cooking the butter, honey, and brown sugar mixture, as these do fall apart if you don't. That didn't stop us from eating the first batch anyway! 

I just stirred in my chips and craisins and eliminated the whole "pressing" step {lazy}.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons white chocolate chips

2 tablespoons craisins

In a large bowl, stir oats, rice cereal, white chocolate chips, and craisins together. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter, honey and brown sugar together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased small jelly roll pan {about 12x8x1} and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. {If your pan isn't small enough, pack the mixture into one side. You really want to press them down so they stick together. I use a piece of wax paper sprayed with a bit of cooking spray}. Cool on a countertop to room temperature for two hours or until set before cutting into bars. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Recipe Notes: If your granola bars don't seem to be staying together when you cut them, you may have not boiled the mixture long enough...you want it to make it just past the softball stage. OR you made them too thin or you didn't pack them in tight enough. Stick them in the fridge for 20 minutes and that should help keep them together. {Be sure not to keep them in there too long or else they'll become super hard!} The next time you make them, try boiling for an extra 15 seconds or so.

(original recipe/credit)

Happy eating!

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Impromptu Birthday Cake

The other night ds and some friends came in from dinner and announced that it was K's birthday. They were heading to the climbing gym and wondered it I could bake a cake for them to have when they go home. No pressure here! Bake a birthday cake from the pantry for the birthday girl I'd never baked for before. She asked for a lemon cake. Did I have fresh lemons? No I did not. So I had to wing it.

I have a yummy recipe for a lovely bundt cake, Treasure Toffee Cake. I had some of the ingredients for that, so I just went with it. The cake was a success and made lovely coffee cake the next morning.

1 yellow cake mix
(7 T. butter, 3 eggs, water)
1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/3 cup Heath toffee pieces
1/4 cup white chocolate chips (because I had them)
1/2 cup raw sugar (you could use brown sugar here)

Follow package instructions. Mine called for the items in (). Grease a bundt pan well. Pour 2/3rds of the batter into the pan, and sprinkle on the mixture of sugar and sweets. Top with remaining batter, and bake according to package directions. Invert on cooling rack as soon as you take it out of the oven.

Not a traditional birthday cake, I'll admit, but not too bad for a cake request at 8 pm on a Tuesday night.

Happy eating!

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Vanilla Jam Cake

This is another one of those desserts that probably will hurt my food Nazi credibility, but I needed a dessert for a meeting last night and happened to have this stuff on hand. I don't make layer cakes as a rule because many years ago a dinner guest made fun of what she called, "the saddest layer cake I've ever seen". I thought it was rude, but I also quit making them because of one tilted cake (that still tasted delicious, as I recall). 

I saw this recipe though and decided to give it a try. It was tasty and easy, and could easily be duplicated with any flavors or homemade cake and icing if you want.

1 box French vanilla cake mix

(3 large eggs, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup oil)

1/3  cup jam -- I used St. Dalfour Four Fruits -- 

1 carton vanilla frosting

Bake cake according to package directions in round pans. Cool layers completely. Place one layer on plate and top with jam leaving a 1/4 inch border around cake. Top with 2nd layer and frost cake completely. Serve with ice cream if desired -- we used cherry vanilla.

Happy eating!

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Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

Last Friday was my birthday, and I made myself a "cake". I am a huge fan of dump cakes, despite feeling that they are "beneath" me somehow in the world of cookery. I'd been craving one of these for about a week, and told myself I could make one to share with friends on Saturday.

It's ridiculously easy, and obscenely delicious, especially if eaten straight from the oven with ice cream or whipped cream. It's none too shabby heated up in the microwave with or without toppings.

2 cans cherry pie filling (I used Comstock 20-oz.)
1 box devil's food cake mix
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease a 9 x 13 pan. Layer pie filling and dry cake mix. Drizzle melted butter over entire cake. Bake for 1 hour. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Happy eating!

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Inside Out Ravioli

I actually made a menu list last week!

Well, my best friend and I made one while I drove to the grocery. But it still counts, right?

I used to always do a menu list each week before making my grocery list, but somehow I've fallen off the wagon. The good news is, it does make cooking dinner A LOT easier. One of last week's meals was a favorite recipe I got from a co-worker when I lived in Memphis 25 years ago.

I like this recipe because it's hearty and filling, and it's a one dish meal, which is great for a cold winter night.

1 ½ pounds ground chuck
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 10-oz. packages frozen spinach
8 oz. macaroni, or any small pasta
½ cup chopped onion
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 small can tomato paste
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
2 eggs
Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese

Cook spinach according to package directions adding ½ cup extra water. Drain spinach, reserving liquid. Cook macaroni, drain and set aside. Brown beef with garlic and onion. Drain. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, spaghetti sauce, and ½ cup spinach liquid. Simmer 30 minutes. Beat eggs and add to spinach and grated cheese. Casserole can be layered: pasta, spinach mixture, meat sauce. Top with Parmesan or mozzarella cheese. OR Stir all ingredients together and pour into greased casserole and top with cheese of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.


Serves 6-8

Happy eating!

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Cheese Muffins

We've been ice/snowed in for the better part of a week, followed up with torrential rains and winds. Getting out wasn't a reality and when it was, who wanted to? So I've been making do with what's in the house. I actually enjoy this kind of cooking. Kind of survivalist except of course my pantry, refrigerator, and full size freezer might negate my street cred. Anyway, I remembered these muffins my mom used to make, and baked a couple of batches for Room in the Inn last week. My husband was like, "Where are ours?", so this morning I whipped up a batch just because.

A couple of usual disclaimers. First of all, this is a Weight Watchers' recipe from the '70s. I know, right? But they're really good. Secondly, I've eliminated and substituted a bit based on what I had on hand and my dislike of certain prepared foods (e.g., butter flavoring and freeze dried onions). Also, I always keep bread crumbs in my freezer. I grind up the heels and dried out bits and let them accumulate until there's enough to do something with, or if I need bread crumbs for a casserole. I did thaw my crumbs before making these muffins. 

6 slices bread, crumbed (or 2 cups already crumbed)
6 eggs
4 1/2 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese (or whatever)
1 1/2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. butter, melted
1 t. garlic powder (I like the kind with parsley added)
1/4 t. salt
1 T. minced onion (optional, I left it out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients until fully blended. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin and divide the batter equally into cups. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool a bit and remove from pan. Serve piping hot, or save for later and serve at room temperature. (I've done these in mini muffin tins and served them as appetizers with great success!)

Serving size -- 2 muffins

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Cheese Grits and Roasted Tomatoes

I haven't posted a recipe in a good long while. Recently I was cleaning out on of those baskets where you throw everything in a fit of cleaning -- what? You don't have those around your house? -- Anyway, at the bottom of the basket was a slightly crumpled page torn from Southern Living (May 2014). I glanced over it, wondering why I'd saved it. Cheese Grits and Roasted Tomatoes. That's why I'd saved it.

I never met a grit I didn't like. Seriously, grits and cheese and cold autumn go together just fine. Of course I didn't have the exact ingredients on hand, but I had enough to make it work just fine.

Roasted Tomatoes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a pan a 7 x 11 baking dish. Slice 1 lb. (or however many you have) Compari tomatoes in half. Arrange in pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle generously with olive oil. Bake 20-30 minutes, until tender. 

Now these are fabulous just as they are, but wait until you pair them with the cheese grits. Heaven!

Cheese Grits

1/2 cup milk
3 cups water
1 t. salt
2 T. salted butter
1 cup stoneground yellow grits
2 oz. Laughing Cow cheese (I used the light, but any would work)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I use the Mexican blend)
salt and pepper to taste

Bring milk through butter to a boil in a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat. Stir in grits, reduce heat to medium low, and cover pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes or until grits are tender. Fold in both cheeses until melted. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Top with tomatoes and serve.

So yummy! So filling! So comforting!

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Miss Santra Bread

I have a core group of friends who have been with me for years. Yesterday we gathered to celebrate our summer birthdays. We had a salad bar with grilled chicken, baby spinach, American salad blend, feta, 4-cheese blend, croutons, tomatoes, red peppers, garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts, blueberries, slivered flavored almonds, carrots, and avocado. To complete the meal we had a zucchini bake and Miss Santra Bread.

Sandra is a sometimes member of our little group. She couldn't make it yesterday, but her bread made an appearance. We've been eating "Sandra bread" for as long as I can remember, and have even joked that we don't really need anything else as long as there are several loaves of it!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 T. prepared mustard
1 T. poppy seeds
1/4 cup minced onions
1 loaf Pepperidge Farm Italian Bread (or similar dense bread)
8 slices Swiss cheese, cut into thirds

Mix first 4 ingredients. Cut loaf in 1" slices almost all the way through the loaf. Insert cheese in each cut. Spread butter mixture over the top of the loaf (yes, all of it!). Bake in a preheated oven, at 400* for 15-20 minutes. Serve with lots of napkins!

Here are few photos from our day -- 

LB added a little bacon!

Happy eating!

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Six Layer Dish

This has not been the summer of cooking.

My peeps are all going in different directions at different times, so it's been really difficult to get organized, let alone inspired.

Last night I fell back on an old standby. I usually serve this in the fall and winter, but I was working from what I had on hand (because really who wants to grocery shop when it's this hot?)

This is another one of those recipes that I like and rely on because I almost always have the ingredients on hand, and it came from one of my favorite cookbooks, More with Less.

Of course my copy's a bit older and worn

Shockingly, I did make a few changes in the recipe. So here's my version

after everyone dove in of course!

Layer in the order given in a 2 quart greased (sprayed) casserole, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper:

2 medium potatoes, sliced

2 medium carrots, sliced

1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced, or diced

1/2 cup uncooked white rice (not instant)

1 pound ground chuck, raw, crumbled

2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes with liquid

Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours at 325*.  Check to see that beef is cooked through, and top with grated cheddar/jack cheese. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serves 4-6 hungry folks. You can complete your meal with a nice tossed salad or green vegetable of your choice.

Happy eating!

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Chocolate Zucchini Bread and Muffins

It's that time of year in Tennessee. Zucchini are everywhere! Dd brought me 2 enormous zucchini recently and I have been working my way through them.

Thursday I made Chocolate Zucchini Muffins and regular Zucchini Muffins for dh to share with his grad class - 6 dozen mini muffins. That only used 1/2 of one zucchini.

Saturday morning I got up and made two loaves of Chocolate Zucchini Bread (and a loaf of banana bread -- over ripe bananas). And I've still got one whole zucchini left.

Anyway we've been munching away on yummy bread for breakfast, snacks, and desserts (try it topped with sliced strawberries and whipped cream HEAVEN!)

Here's the link to recipe I used - Chocolate Zucchini Bread. For the mini muffins I halved the recipe and got 4 dozen. Bake them at 375 for 15 minutes. Mine were pretty sticky, but oh so yummy!

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Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Alan had an interview to do the other night and asked me to cook dinner for them. No problem, except I've been on a "I-don't-want-to-go-to-the-grocery" kick for about 6 weeks now. I keep just making do and running in to get 1 or 2 must-haves. That being said, I found a pork roast in the freezer and laid it out to thaw, and started Googling for recipes. Something new and different.

I ran across this one and realized I had all the ingredients. It turned out quite tasty, but next time I'll cut back on the vinegar a bit as it was too strong for my palate.

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
4 hours
Total time
4 hours 5 mins

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin that just melts in your mouth! This slow cooker balsamic pork tenderloin recipe is perfect for those busy weeknight supper or even special occasions!
Author: Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
1 2-3 pound boneless pork tenderloin
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Instructions
Place pork tenderloin into the insert of your slow cooker. In a 2-cup measuring cup, mix together all remaining ingredients. Pour over pork and set the timer for your slow cooker. (4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low)
Once pork tenderloin has cooked, remove from slow cooker with tongs into a serving dish. Break apart lightly with two forks and then ladle about ¼ – ½ cup of gravy over pork tenderloin.

Store remaining gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another use.

*******

After I got the roast going, I planned the rest of dinner. Cranberry Nut Rice Pilaf and I wasn't sure what else. 

I went to my nephew's birthday pool party and hung out there. Got an email about my friend Robyn's death, and headed home. I remembered on the way that I had company coming for dinner and only a partial meal, so I stopped and picked up fresh broccoli to steam. I also cheated and got a pound cake, some strawberries, and whipped cream for dessert, as well as a loaf of sourdough bread.

When I got home, I double checked to see what time the guest was arriving (all the while thinking I really just wanted to sit down and process my loss). That's when my husband and son both looked at me quizzically and said, "That's tomorrow night". Really?

It's a good thing pork roast is often better the second day!

linking up to Made by You Monday 

What's In the Pantry Casserole

Saturday was a busy day for me. I had promised to provide dinner for my husband's brother and family, and I really needed to go to the grocery store. I also had a lunch meeting I was stressing about. Dh was at grad school and I knew it was possible our paths would not cross until late in the evening, so that meant dinner had to be prepared before I left for lunch so he could pick it up when he headed to his brother's house.

Yeah, I didn't go to the grocery. Instead I stood and stared into the pantry thinking what can I send from what I've got on hand. I put this one together and stuck it in the fridge for dh to take. When he got home he informed me that my sister-in-law asked for the recipe and where I had found it. He knows me so well that he told her I had looked in the pantry and just thrown some stuff together. 

So here it is with photos from the second batch I made last night for our dinner. I served it with a simple tomato and cucumber salad. 

Enjoy!

2 cups basmati rice, cooked in 2 cups chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups water

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 10-oz. can all white chicken, shredded

1/4 tsp. each: garlic salt, black pepper, coriander, and oregano
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

chunky salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease a 2 quart casserole dish and layer ingredients as listed except for salsa. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. 

Serve with warmed salsa on the side. Serves 6-8.

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Dreaming of MBYM

It's Monday again and I've still got no "Made by You Monday" mojo. Mostly because I've been out of town since last Tuesday and didn't expect to be home until today. We got in last night, but I really haven't had time to "do" anything but unpack and catch up with the kids.

We had a nice time in Fairhope, AL just relaxing and talking and spending time together just the 2 of us. I really like having time for that. 

We found a yarn shop (of course!) in Fairhope and visited with the lovely ladies there and I bought some yarn (I know you're all shocked!). I snapped a picture of a beautiful summer shawl the owner had knitted and I'm going to try and crochet something similar. So here's what I hope to be showing in you in a few weeks --

(two shawls in different color options)

and these are the yarns I chose

I also saw a couple of really cute crafty/sewing ideas that I snapped to add to my "I'd Like to Try" file.

So that's it for this Monday. Hopefully by next week I'll have something completed to share. Until then happy creating :)

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Banana Bread

The hubs and I sat down to watch some TV yesterday evening. With 10 minutes remaining in an episode of "House" on Netflix, my husband paused the show and asked when the banana bread would be ready. I said as soon as the show was over I would start it. He was horrified. Apparently he thought it was already baking, and was only watching TV to wait for the bread! He still got his warm banana bread last night, and he and our son are taking more on their climbing trip today.

This is the recipe that became the Banana Pear Bread last year, but here it is in it's original form.

1 cup demerara sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack. Spread a generous layer of butter on the top of the hot loaf and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Cool completely before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf. Store in the refrigerator wrapped in foil.


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Roasted Tuscan Chicken

The other day I was looking for a summer tortellini salad recipe I used to make a lot and I ran across a completely different recipe I haven't made in ages. It's not really a summer recipe at all, but I had all the ingredients on hand and decided to give it a go.

As I was making it my husband and I were discussing how to tell a good recipe from a bad one. This is one I pulled from a magazine. It was an ad for Ragu spaghetti sauce from (gulp) 1997. I remembered liking the flavors but not liking the overall dish as much as I should have given the flavor combination. I quickly realized the flaws were in the directions and the prep. As always I reconnoitered and made it my own.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders cut into 1" cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 medium potatoes cut into 1/2" cubes (about 4 cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I like Paul Newman's Organic)
1 pound fresh or frozen green beans
1 teaspoon dried basil or fresh basil if you have it
salt and pepper to taste 

Preheat oven to 350. Saute (on medium high heat) chicken and garlic in olive oil until chicken is lightly browned. Add potatoes and peppers and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and pour into a 9x13" baking dish that has been sprayed or wiped with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove foil for final 5 minutes of baking. Makes 6 generous servings.

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