Granola

Summer has hit and as many of you know that means kids home, vacations, and overall just busy. Sorry it has been a month or more sense I last posted. I have been doing many fun things I want to share. They just take up so much of my day, it has been hard to find time to post them to share with all of you.

Last night I hosted, along with my mom, a baby shower for my sister-in-law (more on that later). We had a yogurt bar with fruit and granola toppings. The granola was a great hit and everyone was asking for the recipe. I wish I could take full credit for it, but I got it from my sister, who got it from a friend. I had made a few small changes, for the original recipe check it out here on my family's recipe blog. what better treat for the summer then granola and fresh berries?

Granola Recipe

2 Cups old fashioned oats
1/2 Cup wheat germ
1/4 Cup ground flaxseed
1/2 Cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts (I like pecan too, any nut will work)

Put all dry ingredients into a large bowl.

Turn stove on low heat and add to a small saucepan:

1 Tablespoon water
3 Tablespoons coconut oil (canola oil will work too)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon (depending on how strong you want it)
1/2 Cup Honey

Mix together until runny. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.

Spray cookie sheet and spread granola on cookie sheet. (It works fine if you skip the spray)

Bake at 275 for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, as not to burn.

When done, let cool completely before putting into a airtight container. I normally put mine in a gallon size zip up bag. triple the recipe and it fills it all the way up.

Food Friday - 'Nana bread

I am not a lover of bananas!

Never have been.

I think it's the texture more then anything.

I do love me some banana bread though.

Every time I make this it is gone with in 24 hours, both loafs.

It's a favorite here at our house.

'Nana Bread

1/3 C honey (or agave nectar)
1 egg (I've left this our before and it seems the same)
2 T pure vanilla extract

Mix above together

Add:
3 C smashed bananas

mix together

Add:
1 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 C oat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 C coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 C ground flaxseed (optional)

mix by hand until just mixed.

add to greased bread pans (two). bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 min.

food friday - Penne Pasta

This is a hit most every time I make it.

(I say most, because depending on the day my 5 year old says he doesn't liked cooked tomatoes)

you can make this with all fresh ingredients or the following:

2 cups of uncooked penne pasta
1 bag of asparagus or broccoli stir fry (if it comes with seasoning packet, don't use it. find just the vegetables)
1 can of diced tomatoes (drained)
garlic powder (to taste)
Italian seasoning (about 1 Tbl or to taste)
olive oil (optional)
shrimp or chicken ( optional. I normally do it vegetarian)
parmesan cheese (to taste)

cook the pasta in a pot of water according to package instructions. saute veggies in non-stick skillet until tender. add tomatoes, cook until tomatoes are heated up. add cooked and drained pasta and seasonings. serve. sprinkle cheese to taste.

Food Friday! - Carrot Cake

I love carrot cake! My husband dose not.

So at our house we only have it once a year, usually Easter.

I took about 3 different recipes and combined what I liked and made my own.

This recipe is so good for you, you could have it for breakfast.

 

So that is what we did. Easter Morning we had carrot cake muffins!

Carrot Cake

1/2 C honey
3/4 C oat flour (take old fashioned oats and blend in a food processor or put through a wheat grinder, until it is flour, I do large batches and just keep a container of it in my pantry)
3/4 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 C chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 C raisins (optional. I don't care for them in my carrot cake personally)
2 eggs
1tsp. Vanilla
3 1/4 C shredded carrots (about 2lbs. I shred them on my food processor)
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple (do not drain)

peel and shred carrots.
place flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, walnuts, raisins, in a bowl and mix by hand.
Add all remaining ingredients and mix by hand until well blended. (If your willing to get messy you could actually stick you hand in the mix to mix it. It works well, I promise)
place mix into a greased 9 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 min or until done.

for muffins bake about 20-25 min.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. Cream Cheese (low or non-fat)
1tsp. vanilla
1/4 C honey

let cream cheese come to room temp. whip in mixer. add vanilla and honey and mix until blended.

Food Friday - Graham Crackers

So this was my attempt to give my kids Graham Crackers in a healthier way.

I say attempt because even though we all liked them, they didn't fall apart in milk like my boys love.

It was fun to have any shape Graham Cracker you like.

 

Home-made Graham Crackers

2 1/2 Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 C agave nectar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 C oil

2 T honey

1 T molasses

1/4 C water 

add all to a food processor or in your mixer with a bread hook. Mix until it forms a ball. Roll out on floured surface until just thinner then regular Graham Crackers. cut with your choice of cookie cutters or a pizza cutter into squares or rectangles. transfer to parchment covered baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-14 min.

Food Friday! - Multigrain Pancakes

On St. Patrick's day I wanted the kids to have a fun holiday.

Growing up we would dress in green and have food colored green.

I've tried this in the past and my kids would not eat "green food". honestly it doesn't look too good to me either!

I decided to go with normal food, food I knew they would eat.

I told them the pancake was a large gold coin at the bottom of the rainbow.

I made a green smoothie using extra fruit I didn't put on the plate, an avocado, spinach and some milk.

Now for the multi grain pancake recipe. I revised this from a recipe I got from my sister-in-law.

Multi-grain pancakes

1 C oat flour (grind oats in food processor)
1 C whole wheat flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
1/4 C ground flaxseed
2 tsp. baking soda
1tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbl. chopped nuts (optional. you can choose one or many different kind)

mix above ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

about 1C or 1/2 pint of buttermilk
1 C milk
1/4 C oil (I use apple sauce as replacement sometimes, if you do make sure you watch them closely so they don't burn)
2 eggs
1/4 C sugar (you could use honey or agave nectar as well)

mix wet ingredients with an immersion blender or electric mixer. you want it to get slightly fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix by hand until just combined. Cook on skillet just as you would other pancakes.

Other recipes I've tried and liked:

best pizza crust recipe!

cashew no chicken

Wild-rice stuffed squash