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)
Who doesn't love a good cookie? I liked this recipe because it uses the box cake mixes that always go on sale at the grocery stores! They came together pretty quick. If I would have rotated 2 baking sheets at a time in the oven, it would have gone faster. They are cute and fun, and the perfect size to pop in your mouth. I have already had my fair share! I need to save some for the rest of my family. I love baking in my pajamas in a quiet house. Clay took Ella to the movies and I whipped these up while Emme was taking a nap. If I would have thought about it, my iPod would have been a nice addition to that scenario! The cookies are done, and now I'm relaxing with a cup of coffee watching Emme play with some new toys. Yep...I love Saturday!
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1 package Pillsbury White Cake mix
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla (clear if you have it)
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil and oats. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cake mix, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Fold in nuts. Form into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Remove cookies to a cooling rack. Wait about 1-2 minutes, then roll in powdered sugar while slightly warm. Yield: about 5 dozen small cookies.
Enjoy!
(adpated from Taste of Home)
I love baking bread. Not "real" bread with yeast, but easy flavorful quick breads. Mix it up in a bowl, pour it in a pan, and voila. You've got bread! I had zucchini on-hand this week, so I wanted to give this recipe a try. It had lots of good-for-you-things in it: zucchini, applesauce, walnuts and raisins. I'm going to have to limit myself to one piece per day! This bread is so moist and delicious. I the crunch of the walnuts. Yummy Yummy Yummy!
1-1/2 cups sugar
2-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats (I used quick cooking, but would be best with regular)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini, unpeeled
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (I used walnuts)
3/4 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9X5X3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon; set aside.
Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, baking soda and remaining cinnamon; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until foamy. Add remaining sugar, the applesauce, butter, and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in zucchini, nuts and raisins. Spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on rack. Wrap and store several hours before slicing. Makes 16 slices. (This makes a BIG loaf of bread. I would almost rather divide it into 2 smaller loaves).
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
I wanted to do something light and healthy for dinner tonight. I know I posted an oatmeal recipe Saturday (Baked Oatmeal with Berries) but it was so good it left me wanting more! I bought some Granny Smith apples the other day when I was going to make the grilled cheese for supper. Anyway, I changed my mind, so I never made it. This oatmeal sounded perfect because it cured my craving for oatmeal and used up my apples! Try it this weekend. A healthy, quick breakfast is perfect. The walnuts give the oatmeal great texture and the maple syrup was the icing on the cake!
3 cups water
2 medium tart apples, chopped (1 large would be fine)
1-1/2 cups old fashioned oats (I used quick cooking)
dash salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped almonds (I used walnuts)
maple syrup and/or milk (optional)
In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Add the apples, oats and salt; cook and stir for 5 minutes (2-3 minutes for quick-cooking).Remove from the heat; stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with walnuts. Serve with maple syrup and/or milk if desired. I drizzled mine with maple syrup and right before serving poured over a splash of milk. Yummy! The maple syrup was awesome. I halved this recipe, so I got two good servings out of it. The other half is breakfast tomorrow!Enjoy!
(adapted from Taste of Home)
Its Sunday afternoon and time to bake! I had everything on hand for these so I though, Why Not? The last time I was at Sam's I bought a big bag of walnuts. I keep nuts in the freezer to extend their shelf life. Nuts have oil in them, and the oil can turn the nuts bad quicker in the pantry. I love keeping walnuts and pecans on hand at all times. Nuts are pretty interchangeable in recipes, so use what you have on hand.
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub an 8-inch square baking pan with butter.
With a mixer, beat butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in 1/2 cup each chocolate chips and walnuts (I added them all...OOPS) Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips and walnuts (all of mine when IN the batter).
Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clan, 40-45 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into squares. Store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.
Enjoy!
(adapted from MarthaStewart.com)
Happy Birthday Dad! My Dad loves shortbread cookies. We used to always buy him the Walkers Shortbread cookies in the red tins when we were younger. Now, since I'm better in the kitchen, I decided to make some. You all know I love maple syrup, so these were as much for me as they were for him! We were both happy with the results! The dough can be made the night before you need to bake them. I still don't have a rolling pin, so I deconstructed my paper towel holder again. And if you don't have a round cookie cutter don't fret. I used a small Rubbermaid lunch container (the one you would put dressing in or something). They turned out great. I ate my fair share last night then bagged up some for my Dad and brought the rest to work. These cookies are Delish!
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten
Combine flours and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup chopped pecans, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and light, about 1 minute. Add the maple syrup, egg yolk and vanilla; beat on medium speed until well combined. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Dough should be smooth and pliable. Flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, 1-1/2 hours or overnight (I chilled mine for about 2 hours).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (I just used a non-stick cookie sheet).
On a lightly floured work surface (my big wooden cutting board), roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out rounds using a two-inch cookie cutter; place one inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg; sprinkle centers with remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Press pecans into the cookie lightly.
Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until golden around the edges, 10-14 minutes. Mine did not turn really golden. The thinner ones turned more golden and they were crisper. The other ones were more "blond" and they had a softer texture when done. So, just keep an eye on them. I leaned more towards the 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to four days...if they last that long!
Enjoy!
(adapted from MarthaStewart.com)
This is going to be my lunch all week! Publix had asparagus "on sale" this week. Its still not a great price, but I couldn't wait any longer to post this recipe. I first made this Easter last year. Its a Southern Living recipe, so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. Its great as is, or you could add chicken and bulk it up as a main course. Leftovers are even great cold eaten more as a pasta salad. And did I mention that it cooks in about 15 minutes. That's right. Quick, easy and delicious!
1 box penne pasta
1 bunch fresh asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, mined
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup pecan halves
Prepare pasta according to package directions; rinse and drain (I forgot to rinse).
Snap off tough ends of asparagus, and cut into thirds. Saute asparagus in a hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 4 minutes. Stir in red bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Stir in salt and pepper.
Toss together pasta, asparagus mixture, parmesan cheese and pecans. Garnish with additional cheese and pecans, if desired.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Southern Living)
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)
Seriously. The name says it all. Paula Deen doesn't play around. This is some serious goodness right here! This is not your normal weeknight dessert. This is one to save for company or for an occasion. Unless Mondays are an occasion in your house. If so, then bake away! I made it for the first time last Easter and it was a total hit. This week Publix had the Italian Bread on sale for $1.99 and strawberries on sale 3/$5. I sent most of these leftovers home with my brother because I do not want to be tempted by it tomorrow. I totally saved my calories for this one! Try this if you love bread pudding. It is deeeelicious!
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 loaf Italian bread, cubed, allow to stale overnight
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
strawberries, sliced (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13 inch pan.
Mix together the granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Put bread cubes in baking dish. Pour over cubed bread, toss around to coat, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter and pecans.
Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until set.
For the sauce:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk cream together with the sugar and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Beat egg yolks in a bowl until thick and frothy (a hand mixer would save your arm). Temper with cream until incorporated (you want to slowly add the cream mixture to the egg yolks while whisking to slowly bring them up to the same temperature without scrambling the egg yolks). Return to the saucepan to low heat and cook 2-4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Serve with bread pudding.
*I halved the sauce recipe when I made it tonight. Also, save your egg white for some scrambled eggs for breakfast!
Enjoy!
(Bread Pudding adapted from Paula Deen)
(Sauce adapted from Emeril Lagasse)
Tonight we had my brother and his girlfriend over for dinner. I wasn't sure what was on the Menu when I told them they could come for dinner, but we picked a good one! This turned out better than I expected. The sausage and parmesan cheese gave it so much flavor. I used a mixture of brown and white rice, but you could use what you have on hand. The original recipe called for regular long grain rice, but I had instant so that's what I used and how I wrote the recipe. When you find sausage on sale for a good price stock up and keep it in the freezer. I defrosted mine in cold water in the sink tonight. This made enough for us all to have a bowl, plus I have lunch for tomorrow and Chaz was able to take some home with him. If you have these ingredients give this one a whirl.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
1 cup instant brown rice
1/2 cup instant white rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 lb. mild Italian sausage, casings removed
2 zucchini, cut into cubes
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
In a medium saucepan, cook onion and garlic over medium heat in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in the rice and 3 cup chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer over low for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave covered an additional 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, breaking it up, over medium heat until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Remove and drain on a plate covered with paper towels. Add the zucchini to the skillet and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Return the sausage to the skillet, adding the remaining 1 cup chicken broth (1 cup) and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the rice along with 3/4 cup parmesan cheese. Top with extra parmesan cheese and chopped pecans.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
I feel like its been forever since I've posted a recipe! Ella's birthday dinner at her YaYa and PawPaw's was nice. We made the cheeseburgers, but I should have known that I wouldn't have done the pictures. Its simple though: 1 lb. ground beef, 1/2 lb. Jimmy Dean sausage, some small cubes of cheese, seasonings, form into patties and grill! I'll do a post at some point, but that should cure any of your curiosity for the time being! Tonight's dinner was another quick one. Clay was working late and I had some errands to run after work, so I was glad I had planned this. You can see the original recipe HERE that makes it even faster. I used a box of Rice-a-Roni Long Grain Wild Rice. You could use Knorr Rice Sides that are on sale this week at Publix or a box of Uncle Ben's Rice. Use what you have on hand. Chicken and Rice is a method. Now, since this recipe has Stir Fry sauce I wouldn't use a Spanish Rice, but you get the point :) So glad its Friday. I have A LOT of coupons to get organized this weekend. I'm on the fence about getting a binder but I'm just not ready to hop over yet. Enough about me...here's the recipe...
1 box of Long Grain Wild Rice (I used Rice-a-Roni)
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup stir-fry sauce
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (or almonds)
Cook rice according to package directions. Add peas the last 4 minutes of cooking.
Meanwhile, pound chicken breasts slightly in large zippy bag (to allow them to cook evenly). Season with salt and pepper and saute in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat about 6 minutes per side, or until no longer pink. Remove from heat and allow about 5 minutes for them to rest (this allows the juices to redistribute so the juice doesn't run all over the cutting board as soon as you cut into them). Cut the chicken breasts into chunks.
Combine the chicken and rice mixture . Stir in the stir-fry sauce and heat through. Add in pecans. I served my husband's portion with garlic bread. I consumed enough calories today to leave the bread out of dinner!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
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)
I ran across this recipe the other day while visiting one of my favorite food blogs, Girl Gone Gourmet. She really has some great recipes, and this was no exception. I saw the picture and knew I had to make these. Perfect timing too, because I had just bought two more cans of the quick-cooking oats from Walgreens when they were on sale. I ended up paying $.50 a can after coupons! You can do more with oatmeal then just cooking a good breakfast. Although, the Cranberry Vanilla Oatmeal I made a couple of weeks ago was really good! This recipe stood out because I had everything on hand including the chocolate chunks from another Publix B1G1 sale before the holidays. I've stayed in my jammies all day, and curling up in my chair with a glass of milk, these cookies and my laptop was my ideal Saturday afternoon!
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chunks or chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another large bowl cream the butter and two sugars until smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla and eggs and continue to mix until the ingredients are well combined. With the mixer on low, add in the dry ingredients along with the milk. Mix until a stiff dough forms and then fold in the chocolate and nuts.
Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto greased cookie sheets and space about an inch apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges. Allow to cool on the pan slightly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.
Enjoy!
(adapted from GirlGoneGourmet.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)
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)
