GRANOLA

Basically I took two granola recipes and combined the two. I took a few things here and there, omitted a few things and VOILA! THE. BEST. GRANOLA. EVER. I didn’t take any pictures, but take my word for it. You’ll be impressed. I promise.

Granola Recipe

· 6 cups oats

· 1 cup cranberries

· 1 cup coconut

· 1-2 cups pecans (chopped)

· 1 tsp salt

· ¼ cup brown sugar

· 1 T. cinnamon

· ¾ cup honey

· ¼ cup maple syrup

· 2 tsp vanilla

· ½ cup vegetable oil

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Combine wet ingredients and microwave for 2 minutes bringing to a boil. Stir wet ingredients then add to the large bowl of dry mixture. Mix thoroughly. Spread Granola on 2 cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool. Store in air tight container.

BEST BROWNIES EVER!!

These are SERIOUSLY THE BEST BROWNIES I’ve ever tasted. They are simple and fast to prepare. Just as fast as from a box. If you’re ever in need of a chocolate fix, turn to these.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 3 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

Freezer Jam

Strawberry season is one of my favorite times of the year. We have a tradition where we go and pick strawberries as a family. A couple of years we went late and they were very picked over. We’ve learned and gone in late April or early May and have gotten the cream of the crop. This year we bought 3 boxes full. We weren’t sure if it would be too much but ended up being just perfect. There were enough to eat and snack on, some to freeze whole for smoothies, and then some for JAM! I have made it a few times with my mom and it’s a day long commitment. However, it’s well worth the work to have freezer jam instead of the store bought kind. Last year I made my own and I ran out. This year I made 9 Tupperware full. I think that should last us. Here’s what I do (it’s just from the recipe in the box and everyone does it a little differently).

Here is what you need:

Strawberries
TONS of Sugar
Pectin – aka – Sure Jell (powder or liquid)
(directions are inside of the package)

1. Clean and Rinse your Strawberries.
2. Cut the stems off of each and place them in a large bowl (or pot).
3. It says in the directions to mash them one cup at a time. I did a MUCH larger amount because I didn’t want to be mashing all day. A potato masher works best but you can use a large fork or whatever you have on hand. When you mash your strawberries it’s ok to have chunks. Jam is SUPPOSED to have chunks of fruit in it.

4. Take your freshly mashed strawberries and measure out 2 cups. Then measure 4 cups of sugar (this may be too much for some… it IS a lot of sugar. Feel free to cut the sugar amount to make it more towards your liking.) Let it sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

PECTIN 
*Depending on the type of pectin this next step may vary. If you use the powdered kind your measure 3/4 cup of water and combine with the pectin to a boil. Stir for a full minute while boiling and then add it to your sugar/strawberry combination.

*Liquid pectin does not require boiling. BUT you WILL NEED LEMON JUICE. It’s 2TBS of Lemon Juice and one liquid package of pectin. Combine. Add to your sugar/strawberry combination.

5. Set your timer for 3 minutes and stir constantly for the next 3 minutes (strawberries, pectin, and sugar combo). I usually taste mine the at the end to see if it’s still grainy. If it feels gritty keep stirring for an extra minute or so.

6. Once finished, pour into air tight containers. I use Tupperware, however, my mother in law saves different containers such as sour cream containers to store them in. Which is smart and cost effective. Either works just fine.

7. Let the jam sit out for 24 hours before freezing. DO NOT SKIP THE STEP.

8. Freeze and enjoy when ready!

Homemade Kettle Corn

DROOOOOLLL… I love this stuff. I wait every year for the NC State Fair to come in October so I can stuff my face full of this stuff. It’s one of my favorites. Well after many many tries, I have perfected popping this delectable snack on my stove… without burning it… which is a challenge in itself.  It’s really easy (once you get the hang of it) and TOTALLY worth it. Here’s some step by step instructions. Try it!!

What you’ll need:

• A bag of popcorn kernels – 1/2 cup
• 1/4 oil
• 1/4 sugar
• salt – sprinkle to your hearts desire

Make sure you use a large pot that has a fitted lid.
Take your oil and pour into pot.
Heat your burner to a medium-high heat.
Drop in 3 popcorn kernels.
Put your lid on and listen carefully.

When you hear 3 pops, take off your lid and add in your 1/2 cup of kernels and your sugar and stir around (do all of this quickly). Replace your lid again and lower your heat a little (medium- low). I keep the pan moving back and forth until I hear popping. Once it gets pretty active in there lift your pot every 3 counts, and then lower it on the heat again. Repeat. Sometimes I don’t even put it back on the heat and I just keep my shaking it back and forth in the air. Make sure you have one hand firmly on the lid and use 2 pairs of oven mitts (one for each hand) because the oil may pop out of the lid a little. Once the kernels have stopped popping open your lid and add your salt. I usually just put some in the palm of my hand and sprinkle it (like feeding the chickens). Be sure to stir it so the salt covers evenly. It’s really hot when it first comes out so let it cool (especially for the kids). The darker pieces are where the sugar has caramelized. Sooo Yummy!! Enjoy and don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t come out perfect the first time. Practice makes perfect!

GIANT BIRTHDAY COOKIE

This thing turned out to be a HUGE pain at first… There are a few things I would have done differently. To start… You can use whatever size pizza sheet you want. I happened to buy a 13” pan… a 16” pan would be perfect, in my opinion. It would have been just fine but I made a bunch of mistakes. Learn from them.

1. Make sure you have enough room on the edges for expanding. It WILL drip over and burn at the bottom of the oven. I would give yourself 1-2” at least. I ended up taking out 2 1/2 cups of the dough. Which is GREAT because then you have it on hand to make regular cookies later on.

2.If you’re super worried about spilling over then put another LARGE cookie sheet underneath. Problem solved. I learned this he hard way. Mine spilled over, set my oven on fire (after getting the cookie out in time), and filled my house with smoke. It was a learning experience, to say the least. But you know what?? The cookie was REALLY good and everyone ate it up.

3. After it completely cools decorate however you see fit. It happened to be my daughter’s 5th birthday, so I piped some frosting and WAHLAH!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
2. Gradually add flour, salt, and baking soda, beating until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
3. Spread in greased 14 inch round pizza pan. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes. Cool cookie in pan on a cooling rack. Decorate as desired.

 

Coconut Shrimp

If you’re needing a little something Tropical in your life… especially with all of this freezing cold weather… THESE are to DIE FOR!! I made these last night for dinner and we SCARFED them up. They can be a little tedious but well worth all the effort. They tasted better then any coconut shrimp I’ve found at a restaurant.

 

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup  chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups flaked coconut
• 24 shrimp
• 3 cups oil for frying

Directions

1. In medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, beer and baking powder. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls.
2. Hold shrimp by tail, and dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg/beer batter; allow excess to drip off. Roll shrimp in coconut, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a deep-fryer.
3. Fry shrimp in batches: cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, remove shrimp to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

*Originally the recipe called for beer but I changed it chicken broth because we NEVER have beer on hand. Go figure. But I didn’t have either last night. So I used 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup milk to make my batter. They turned out so good!*

* The other thing I added was a little more spice. Cayenne pepper, Garlic Powder and some salt. Make sure you used sweetened coconut flakes so you have the sweetness you’re looking for. Enjoy!!*

*After I dipped the shrimp in the batter and the coconut mixture I put the shrimp in the freezer for 15 minutes.*

Found at www.allrecipes.com

Sugar Coated Pecans

The past couple of years Christian’s mom has given us a big bag of pecans. This year we made a family night of cracking and shelling them. So I had this HUGE bowl of pecans that I wasn’t sure what to do with. I found this recipe and it got 5 stars and over 1,000 reviews. So I knew I couldn’t go wrong. The second thing I did was read all the reviews and see what changes were made. I’ve incorporated those changes into this recipe. I have them baking in my oven as we speak. It just snowed (again!) so it’s a perfect day to stay home and make a special treat.

Recipe Yield 1 pound

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp water 
• 1 pound pecan halves
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Grease one baking sheet.
2. In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and water until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Add pecans to egg whites, stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

*A couple of other things. I increased the cinnamon just a little bit. And ALSO… I used gallon sized zip lock bags instead of bowls to do the mixing. It made it really fast to coat evenly and clean up was a cinch!*

Found at www.allrecipes.com

IT’S A HIT!

I found an UNBELIEVABLY EASY dinner that the whole family loved. My kids like Andy’s Hot Fries. They’re really spicy and they can sit and eat an entire bag from start to finish without a single drink. So I was able to tell them that this dinner tastes like Hot Fries. It worked! Even my 2-year-old loves it and has had more for leftovers. SUCCESS!! (If your kids aren’t big into spicy, I would try this recipe with BBQ sauce instead. But this is excellent for a party for adults too.

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided
• 1 package dry ranch salad dressing mix
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Directions

1. Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.
2. Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve.

*We add ranch on top. You can make this more sandwich style by adding cheese, tomato, pickles, or lettuce. Whatever sounds good to you.*

Fast Dinner – St. Louis Style Ravioli

These are super fast, super unhealthy, and super good.  How can you wrong!?

• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/2 (25 ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli, thawed
• 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

Directions

1. Combine milk and egg in a small bowl. Place breadcrumbs and if desired, salt in a shallow bowl. Dip ravioli in milk mixture, and coat with breadcrumbs.
2. In a large saucepan, heat marinara sauce over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce the heat to simmer.
3. In a large heavy pan, pour oil to depth of 2 inches. Heat oil over medium heat until a small amount of breading sizzles and turns brown. Fry ravioli, a few at a time, 1 minute on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately with hot marinara sauce.

We use homemade pizza sauce and it’s more like mini pizza’s. They cool fast so serve these immediately! Enjoy!

Fudge Puddles

I haven’t made these yet… but I fully intend to SOON! What a Family Home Evening snack or something to bring to a party. So many different ways to dress these up too!

Recipe Yield 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup pecan halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Cream butter, peanut butter and white and brown sugars. Mix in egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir the flour mixture into creamed mixture. Shape the dough into 48 balls, 1 inch each. Place each ball in one compartment of a mini muffin tin.
4. For filling, put chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water. Stir in milk and vanilla, mix well.
5. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately make wells in the center of each using a melon baller. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then carefully remove to wire racks. Using a measuring cup fill each shell with the chocolate mixture. Top with a pecan half.

Other topping ides:
Sprinkles
mini M&M’s
toffee chips
any of your favorite candies!

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

This is one of THE BEST pumpkin bread recipes. Lots of spices which warms your home with a fragrance that is to die for! This recipe makes 2 loaves or a TON of muffins.

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

I found this recipe at Allrecipes.