Homemade Granola

I love to make my own granola from time to time.


Mix together 2 C. old-fashioned oatmeal, 1 C. sliced almonds, & 1/2 C. sunflower seeds. (Sometimes I will toast the nuts and seeds for a few minutes in the oven first.)


In a small bowl, combine 1/4 C. oil and 1/2 C. honey.

Stir it into the oats, nuts and seeds. Mix well, then spread out in a large baking pan.

Bake at 300* for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Pour back into the bowl, then add dried fruits to it. I added 1/2 C. dried apricots (chopped), 1/3 C. craisins, and then threw in maybe 1/4 C. both light and dark raisins.

Mix the dried fruits in, let the granola cool, then store in a large ziploc bag or an airtight container.

We like to have a bowl of granola for cereal, or use it to top yogurt, or just snack on it right out of the bag.

Cinnamon Rolls

Okay, so I've been thinking lately that cinnamon rolls sound good, so I cheated the other day and bought some frozen ones to bring home and bake. Did it work? Well, they did get ate, but they did not fill the bill for me. So, today I made some from scratch and they were so much better! I used this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/cinnamon-rolls-recipe/index.html. I follow the recipe almost exactly, but I cut the filling ingredients in half and I don't use any nuts or raisins in mine. Now I just have to make sure there are some left when my husband gets home!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Well, looks like my husband found the pie! OK,OK, I did too and so did Micah and Hannah! There were people requesting the recipe for this, so here goes:

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1 single pie crust

2-3 C. diced rhubarb

2 C. sliced strawberries

1 C. sugar

1/4 C. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

In a large bowl, stir together the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Pour into pie crust and then prepare the crumb topping that follows:

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. oatmeal

1/4 C. cold butter

In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and oatmeal. Then cut in butter with a fork. Crumble over top of pie and bake at 375* (covering the edges with foil) for 25 minutes for fresh fruit or 50 minutes for frozen fruit. Remove foil and bake for 20-25 more minutes for fresh fruit or 20-30 minutes for frozen fruit or until top is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Fresh Fruit Salad

Spring is a great time for making salads. Not that any other time of year is not, but atleast spring and summer brings more stuff that's in season and tastes good anyway!! I just LOVE fruit so I thought I'd share a good fruit salad recipe.

I guess I don't use any specific measurements on most of it. I just slice up as much of whatever I want in there including : strawberries, kiwi, bananas, grapes ( I cut the grapes in half if they are big), 1-2 cans of mandarin oranges (drained), and a big can of pineapple chunks. Do NOT drain the pineapple juice because you will pour it over the salad to keep the bananas from turning brown. Feel free to add or subtract fruits that you like or dislike. Chill in the fridge and is best to use the same day it is made. It won't kill you the next day or anything, it's just that the strawberries will try to dye the pineapple and bananas red so its just a presentation issue! Very delicious!

Watergate Salad

Here is a yummy green salad for those of you who like something green for St. Patrick's Day. It is so easy you can do it with your eyes closed! I recommend you keep them open though!

All you need is a small box of pistachio pudding, a 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, 2 C. mini marshmallows, and an 8oz. tub of Cool Whip. Stir the first three ingredients together and then fold in the Cool Whip. Best to refrigerate overnight if you can so the marshmallows can soften.

Doesn't look very green in my picture, but it is a green salad which will be ready for St. Patrick's Day tomorrow!

Salted Nut Roll Bars

O.K. ....I had to make something with nuts to keep my husband and father-in-law happy! My kids dislike it when I add nuts to recipes, but Randy and Russ like things better with nuts in it. Don't know why, they are already nutty enough aren't they??!! It's hard to please everyone, but I try!

You start with a box of yellow cake mix, then add 2/3C. melted butter and an egg. Mix well and press into a 9x13 pan.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350*. Then pour 3C. miniature marshmallows over the top.

Put back in oven for 3-5 more minutes till marshmallows puff like this:

Then you will need these ingredients:

Melt 1/2 stick of butter and 2/3C. corn syrup, then add a package of peanut butter chips.

Stir until smooth. Then add 1-2 C. salted peanuts

and 2C. Rice Krispies

Mix well

Then spread over the marshmallows in pan.

There will be one happy husband when he gets home and sees these. (and one happy father-in-law when hubby takes some to work tomorrow!)

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I think I may have finally figured out how to start a line above the top picture after about 3 or 4 months of blogging now with failure every time I tried!!! How dumb am I??!!

Preheat oven to 350*. Melt 1 stick of butter in a 9x13 pan.

Sprinkle 1C. brown sugar over the butter.

Place pineapple rings on top.

Put a marachino cherry inside of each pineapple ring.

Prepare pineapple cake mix according to package directions.

Pour on top and spread it out.

Bake for 48 minutes at 350*

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving dish. (I just flipped mine into a 10x15 pan)

Let cool until your middle child (who loves pineapple) spots it. Then you have to cut into it and try it out!

Peanut Butter Pie

About a month ago I made peanut butter pie and it was okay, but I thought "this would be much better with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in it". So I made it again today with the p.b. cups in it and it is soooo gooood!! The reason I waited to make it again (if anyone remembers) was my daughters comment fom last time - "why do we put peanut butter in everything?"

Well the way I see it there are 4 food groups:

1. Chocolate and peanut butter

2. Chocolate and caramel

3. Chocolate and marshmallow

4. Chocolate and mint

As long as there is chocolate, how can one go wrong?

Homemade T.V. Dinner

Browning the patties

Adding mushrooms and beef broth

Making the gravy

Pouring it into pan to bake in the oven

Salisbury Steak from scratch! Much better than the one from Banquet in the cardboard box! I found the recipe here: http://tinamommyx3.blogspot.com/2008/08/salisbury-steak-crock-pot-style.html. If I remember right her blog is called Mommy's Kitchen. I've been checking out recipes on other cooking blogs and she has some great recipes on hers!

Marshmallow Sludge Bars

I made these delicious bars for a church potluck we had yesterday and came home with an empty pan! Will definitely be making these again! I found the recipe here: http://www.cpbgallery.com/2009/01/22/marshmallow-sludge-bars/ . This blog/website is titled "The Chocolate Peanut Butter Gallery". I think I will be going back to look at more of her recipes!

Valentine Goodies

My kitchen has turned into a Valentine goodies factory today! Gotta spoil my husband who is my main Valentine and our 3 little "Valentines"!

(see recipes & pictures below!)

Peanut Butter Hearts

This is the same dough as for making peanut butter balls.

Mix well, then roll out. Cut with heart shaped cookie cutters.

Then have your lovely assistant place them in the pan for you!

Oh, yeah...this is MY lovely assistant...sorry. The shirt says it all "I'm A Special Hershey's Girl". What can I say, like mother like daughter!

Once in pan, put them in the freezer to harden up a bit.

Once they are firmed up you can dunk them in chocolate! Enjoy!