When I was pregnant with my first daughter, Ella, I loved the Special K granola bars. I thought they tasted like a jazzed-up Rice Krispie Treat. This recipe totally took me back. I love the gooey-ness the marshmallows give this granola bar. Its not dry like some of the other ones. This one is nice and sweet, and perfect with the cranberries. It was super quick to pull together. When I was cutting them, Ella said she wanted one. She grabbed hers and ran off to the living room. A few minutes later I hear, "Mama...I love these!" Sweet success in the kitchen! I have them all individually wrapped in cling wrap for a quick breakfast bite on-the-go!
3 tablespoons butter
1 10-oz. bag of marshmallows
3 cups granola cereal (I used Low-Fat Special K Granola)
3 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Melt butter in a large pot over low heat. Add marshmallows, and cook, stirring occasionally, until melted. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, pour the granola cereal into a large zippy bag and crush with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin (or you could dirty your food processor, but why would you want to do that?!) Combine the cereals, cranberries, almonds and salt. Stir into the marshmallow mixture. Press cereal mixture into a greased 13 X 9-inch baking dish. Let stand for 1 hour. Flip out of the pan and cut into squares or bars. If you have a 15 X 10-inch jelly-roll pan you could use that to make thinner bars.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Southern Living)
I had this on the Menu several weeks ago. I never got around to making it. I put it on the Menu again this week because Publix had Craisins and couscous on sale. This was a little out of our comfort zone. I have never made couscous before, and I haven't cooked using curry powder in years. Here's a funny story: I didn't really start cooking until my husband and I started dating about 8 years ago. The first time I cooked dinner for him I made Curry Chicken. You put the chicken in a baking dish and cooked it in the oven. Me, being the novice cook that I was, totally cooked the chicken to death. I was waiting for the chicken to brown. I didn't realize that when you bake chicken it doesn't turn brown! I haven't cooked with curry powder since. This was a good recipe to bring it back! My husband even really liked it. I thought I was going to have to warm up leftover Spaghetti and Meatballs, but he really enjoyed this. Thank goodness my cooking skills have improved since then :) This is a great new way to try chicken. The couscous is great for a weeknight meal because its ready in 5 minutes (couscous is tiny grains of pasta). The whole thing came together in under 20 minutes. It was really great!
1 10-oz. box couscous (use chicken broth instead of water)
2 tablespoons flour
1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
salt and pepper
3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced or thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced or diced, plus chopped leaves for garnish
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped (I added more for garnish)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup evaporated milk
Prepare the couscous according to package directions. For more flavor, use chicken broth instead of water. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the flour, curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, 5-8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sliced celery and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the cranberries and 1/2 cup chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the evaporated milk and chicken along with any juices; season with salt and pepper. Serve over the couscous and top with the celery leaves and extra cranberries.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
Dawn Hoover, the Mobile Register's Spice of Life columnist, sent this to me last year. I've been holding onto it and waiting for the right time to make it. Easter sounded perfect. We had my Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole last year, so this year I wanted to change it up some. My Mom actually made this and brought it with her to my house. Oh. My. Gosh. This was probably my favorite thing we had for Easter Brunch. I kid you not. The swirls of cream cheese throughout the potatoes was scrumptious. The oat topping with the pecans and cranberries and the crunchy apples...Oh...I just can't say enough. You DEFINITELY have to try this. I hope you can make it as good as my Mom did! I will be requesting this from her more often. I even ate the leftovers cold right out of the fridge. Yeah, I guess I'm weird like that because it was awesome!
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1 40-oz. can cut sweet potatoes (Mom used about 7 fresh sweet potatoes)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
2/3 cup chopped cranberries (Mom used Craisins)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats (uncooked)
1/3 cup cold butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, potatoes, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon with mixer until well blended. Spoon into 1-1/2 quart casserole; top with apples and cranberries. Mix flour, oats and remaining sugar in medium bowl; cup in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (I just use my fingers). Stir in nuts. Sprinkle over fruit layer in casserole. Bake 35-40 minutes or until heated through.
*You can make this the day before and make the topping before you bake it the next day.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Kraft Foods- Sent by Dawn Hoover)
This is the version of chicken salad that my Aunt Susan makes. I've made it before for showers and served it on croissants. It is my favorite version. You can use chicken breasts like I did this time, or use a rotisserie chicken. That's what I've done in the past. I forgot to get the celery so I had to leave it out this time. I really like it for the color and the crunch, but it was still delicious without it. Make it the night before to get the full flavor out of it. Leftovers are great to use throughout the week for lunch. I ate mine on the way to Enterprise Friday to visit Shelley. Not only was it yummy, but it saved me $5 at a fast food drive thru!
4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup celery, diced
pita pockets (or croissants)
In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise and lemon juice together. Mince the garlic. Sprinkle salt over the garlic and rub the back of your knife over the garlic to flatten into a paste (the salt acts as an abrasive and it breaks the garlic down to help it more evenly distribute throughout the mayonnaise). Mix the garlic paste into the mayonnaise. Add chicken, cranberries, pecans and celery. Mix well. Serve in pita pockets or croissants.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Susan Lisenby)
I am so glad that I came across this recipe. Every week I look at the cranberry bakery bread in the Publix ad, but I cannot bring myself to pay almost $5 for it! This worked out perfect because Craisins were B1G1 this week. I had apples left over from the Apple Dumplings and the rest I consider staples. I made mine in mini-loaf pans so its a portable breakfast this week. This would make a great gift-bread also. The cranberries would be festive for Valentine's Day. Another great idea for your child's teacher! Hint...my Mom would love this for those of you who have Mrs. Sumlin for your kindergarten teacher! This is quick, easy and delicious. Mix it all up in one bowl and bake. Yummy!
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup shredded apple (about 1 medium)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of an 8X4- or 9X5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray (I used a mini loaf pan. It makes 8).
In a large bowl, mix 3/4 cup sugar, the oil and egg. Stir in apple, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Pour batter into pan. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon sugar and the cinnamon; sprinkle over batter.
Bake 45 to 55 minutes (or 30 minutes for mini-loaves), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1-1/2 hours before slicing (of course, I couldn't wait this long!)
Enjoy!
(adapted from Betty Crocker)
Yep. The title says it all. These ARE the best blueberry muffins. I changed it up a bit by adding some cranberries and using frozen blueberries. But this guarantees that these can be made year round. Keep the blueberries in the freezer and your Craisins stocked, and you've got wonderful blueberry muffins ready at all times! I've even made these with a pecan streusel topping before, but decided to leave that off this morning. My little family wasn't worthy of those "special" muffins this morning! Next time maybe. I'm going to take some to the office in the morning to share. This would make a great special treat for your child's teacher for Valentine's Day too. They all get tons of chocolate. Some fresh blueberry muffins would be great!
1-1/2 sticks butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking sodea
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (this is the only salt I ever use)
1-1/2 cups frozen blueberries (NOT thawed)
1 cup dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 24 muffins cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream and milk. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries and cranberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed (keep the blueberries frozen until ready to use so they don't turn the batter purple any more than necessary).
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each about 2/3 full. Again, if you have not invested in the Large Scoop from Pampered Chef, you ought to. It is perfect for filling muffin cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean.
I love how you can really see the blueberries and cranberries on the bottom of the muffins!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Ina Garten on FoodNetwork.com)
Salad is something that I do not eat enough of. My excuse is that my husband doesn't like it, and so there's no need to make it just for me! I do love salad with cranberries and pecans, though, so this salad sounded great. Publix has their bagged salad on sale 2/$4 this week and I've picked up most of the other ingredients on sale the last few weeks. I had to go get the apple today. I know what you're thinking...mayonnaise and maple syrup...together? Neither one of the flavors stand out above the others. The combination is wonderful, even better than I expected. This is one where I'm not sure how "Aunt Jemima" would do as a substitution. I believe in splurging on the real maple syrup. I use it a lot and there is just no comparison. The bottle at Walmart costs around $6.78 (gulp, I know) and Sam's has a large bottle for around $13 or so. This dressing reminded me of Tammy's Dressing that I made a couple of weeks ago which is my favorite. Definitely right up my alley! I assembled just my one salad. I didn't make a big bowl like I would if we had company over. This way, I can assemble a salad for lunch tomorrow and add the dressing right before I eat. Yummy!
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons minced shallot (I omitted this)
2 tsp. sugar (I used 1 packet of Splenda)
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 pkg. salad greens
2 medium tart apples, thinly sliced (with a squeeze of lemon)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pecan halves (I chopped mine)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (I omitted this)
In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; whisk in oil. Chill until serving.
In a salad bowl, combine the salad greens, apples, cranberries, pecans and onion. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. I added a little bit of black pepper here. I think it really balances out the sweet dressing.
I built my own personal-sized salad as opposed to making the whole thing. I did make all of the dressing though, and plan to use it throughout the week. If you do make the entire thing, pour just enough dressing over the salad to coat it. It makes a lot and I think it would be too much even for 2 bags of salads.
Go ahead...try this combination. You'll be pleasantly surprised!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Taste of Home)
This is not your ordinary oatmeal! This was so quick and easy to prepare. This is Ellie Krieger's recipe from the Food Network so it fits in with any healthy New Year's Resolutions! Publix has their Quaker Oatmeal B1G1. I bought the Quick Cooking kind. I will be making this one again. It is quick enough for me to make before work. Eat half one morning, save the other half for the next. You are sure to enjoy this one!
1 3/4 cup water
1 cup Old Fashioned Oats, or Quick Cooking Oats
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I used a little bit more)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons raspberry jam (can use low-sugar)
1/4 cup 1% low fat milk, plus more to taste
Put water, oats, salt and cranberries into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes for Old Fashioned Oats, or 1 minute for Quick Cooking Oats. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and raspberry jam. Put into serving bowls and pour 2 tablespoons of milk over each bowl.
Enjoy!
(adapted from FoodNetwork.com)
I love the pineapple orange muffins from Bruno's. Those are probably my favorite. Although, since I've been couponing I haven't gotten any! I also love cranberry orange muffins, and those I can do because the Ocean Spray Craisins were B1G1 this week at Publix! Not to mention that cranberries are just so festive this time of year. I love to make muffins because you can do it any time of the day. If I'm in the mood to get in my kitchen to bake, I tend to gravitate towards the muffin recipes. They're easy, delicious, and perfect to-go. Let's face it...muffins are a great excuse to eat cake for breakfast!
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teasoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated orange zest (take it from the orange you juiced)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, and set aside to cool and plump.
Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.
In a mixer (or with an electric hand-held mixer), in a large bowl cream the butter, orange zest, and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the flour to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk in two parts (1/3 of flour, 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour, 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour). Mix until just combined. Drain off any excess liquid from the cranberries and fold into the mixture. Divide the batter into the muffin cups evenly and sprinkle with extra sugar (optional- I didn't do this). Bake about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool muffins in the pan on a rack.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Foodnetwork.com)
I don't know about you, but we always have TONS of turkey leftover. This year, I am trying to come up with new ways to re-invent our turkey leftovers. My Mother-in-law suggested a Turkey Salad. This recipe combines classic Thanksgiving flavors that you can squish between two slices of bread. Or, if you're on carb- overload from Thursday, then serve yours on a bed of greens! If you don't have dried cranberries on hand, you could put a slice or a dollop of your cranberry dish from Thanksgiving dinner on the sandwich. Anything for that little bit of tart-sweetness.
6 cups cooked turkey meat, chopped
3 eggs, boiled and chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans
3 ribs celery, diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced (I omit these)
1 cup mayo (adjust to the consistency you like)
Stir together chopped cooked turkey, eggs, cranberries, pecans, celery, and onions. Add mayo and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill up to 3 days.
**When I make this Friday morning, I'll post a picture!
(adapted from Southern Living)
This recipe started out years ago as a blueberry dessert. Over the years, my Aunt Tammy and my Mimi have transformed it into a delicious cranberry dish. We serve it on the plate with our Thanksgiving turkey, but it definitely could be used as a dessert too. I love the texture of the cranberries, pineapple and pecans in the jello. This would also be great around Christmas. The red is so festive!
I have used an (*) to mark the sale items at Publix. These will run through tomorrow, Nov. 25th.
First Layer:
2- 3 oz. packages cranberry jello
2 cups boiling water
1 can whole cranberry sauce *
1- 8 1/2 oz. can crushed pineapple * (20 oz. can on sale)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Dissolve Jello in boiling water, add cranberry sauce, pecans and pineapple, including the juice. Pour into a 2 quart, flat serving dish. Cover and chill until firm.
Topping:
1- 8 oz. package cream cheese *
1/2 cup sugar *
1/2 cup sour cream *
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Combine cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer until smooth (about 2 minutes). Spread over congealed layer, then sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Happy Holidays!
