BBQ Southwestern Chicken, Stuffed Bell Peppers, Cream of Celery Soup, Maple Almond Macaroons, Brenda's Yummy Ranch Dressing

Emery, Carter and Mawna K!

BBQ Southwestern Chicken

1 c. ketchup
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. vinegar, apple or white
1 T. instant minced onion (dried)
2 t. McCormick Culinary Barbecue Spice (18oz for $11.77 Amazon/Walmart)
(This is a 1988, discontinued spice, reintroduced one year ago!)

Simmer for 10 minutes on stove top then pour over 2 1/2 lbs bone in chicken parts and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Bake less time for boneless, skinless thighs or for cut up boneless skinless breast meat. Serve over rice. 4-6 servings.


Stuffed Bell Peppers (or Casserole)
1 cup rice (white or brown) cooked according to directions and set aside

Sauce:
1 onion diced
1 T. oil
2 c. Bertoli Rustic Cut Marinara (or other including Costco's)
1 c. beef broth
1 T. balsamic vinegar (or more)
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

Peppers:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 c. chopped fresh Italian parsley (1 1/2 TBS dried)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1/8 t. ground cayenne pepper
4-6 large red, yellow, orange bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook onion and oil over medium heat until they soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in marinara sauce, broth, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir 1 minute. Pour sauce (reserving 1 cup for top of peppers) into a 9x13" baking dish and set aside. Brown beef, then add tomatoes, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir in cooked rice and mix well. Stuff bell pepper halves with beef mixture and place in baking dish. Top each half with 1 TBS of reserved sauce. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes until the peppers are tender. Let rest 5 minutes and serve. I don't use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, but you may add 1 cup to the meat mixture and/or sprinkle some on top of the peppers before baking.

***For easier eating (children) or quicker cooking, you may dice the peppers and mix them with the sauce and meat mixture before cooking! Yum!

Mother's Day 2020

BEST Cream of Celery Soup

1/4 c. butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 c.)
2 c, very finely chopped good quality flavorful celery 

(about 5 large ribs, organic recommended for optimal flavor).
1 large clove garlic ,minced
1/3 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 c. good quality chicken broth
1 1/2 c. whole milk (or use 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup cream for even tastier results)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. sugar
1/8 t. freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium-high heat and cook the onions, celery and garlic until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth and milk/cream and stir until the mixture is smooth. Increase the heat and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
If used as a base for other recipes, this soup will keep in the fridge for at least 3-4 days. Makes 4 servings.

One batch of this soup is roughly the quantity of 2 cans prepared canned condensed cream of celery soup. Enjoy as a stand-alone soup or use in any recipe calling for prepared canned condensed cream of celery soup. Basic, but delicious!

Maple, Almond Macaroons
3 c. dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 1/2 c. fine almond flour
1 c. maple syrup
1/3 c. coconut butter or slightly less oil
1 T. vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt

Combine all in a bowl. Use a small scoop, large spoon, or hands to spoon rounds of dough onto hydrator screens and dry for 12-24 hours at 115 degrees until the outside is crisp. You may also dry them in the oven on the lowest temp for a few hours. ***You can make coconut butter by blending unsweet coconut really well. Lemon zest and a little lemon juice can also be added to make lemon/coconut macaroons... May also dip in chocolate after drying :)


Brenda's Yummy Ranch Dressing
1 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. parsley
1 t. dried chives
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Mix then add milk, 2 T. at a time, stirring after each addition until of desired consistency.

by Karen & Brenda, Barbara's daughters

Basil Parsley or Rosemary Pesto

Barbara's daughters (l to r): Brenda, Kirsten, Cheryl & Karen—May 2020

Cheryl said she got this yummy pesto recipe from Brenda.

Cheryl's container herb garden is doing beautifully.

And this sounds so good.

I wish my guys liked pesto.

a bit blurry (I took it from a video Cheryl sent),
but Cheryl's basil and tomato container.

Homemade Egg Noodles

I got a recipe for homemade noodles 
years ago from my friend Eileen!
A lot of people dry them, but I never take the time.

Homemade Egg Noodles

1 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

1 egg

2-3 T. milk

Mix ingredients together, fold together a few times with some extra flour...

enough to roll dough out. Use a pizza cutter, knife or ulu to cut into individual noodles.

Put into boiling soup broth and cook a few minutes.

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Raspberry Freezer Jam, Raspberry Syrup

Our raspberries are amazing this year. I think this is our second year with raspberries in our yard. We've eaten a lot while picking, frozen and jammed so many so far. And there are more berries to go. YUM! I thought I'd post the jam recipe I used this year. Someday I'd love to go with less sugar and even natural apple pectin, but this is where we are now.

Raspberry Freezer Jam

6-2/3 cups raspberries (crush one layer at a time with potato masher, or similar)
4 c. sugar
3/4 c. instant pectin

Stir sugar and pectin together. add fruit. Stir 3  minutes. Ladle in jars. Let stand 30 minutes. Freeze.

yield: 6 'batches', each one is to make 2 (8 oz.) half-pints of jam

:::::

image and recipe from here

I have not tried this, but there are many berries left to pick!

It will be on the menu very soon. 

There were many recipes that had you strain out the seeds,

but I prefer to leave the fiber in. Small compensation for all the sugar?!

Homemade Raspberry Syrup
4 t . cornstarch
1/2 c. sugar
1 (12 oz.) package raspberries, fresh or frozen
1-1/2 t. water
1-1/2 t. lemon juice
1 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla
dash salt

1. Grab a medium-sized sauce pan and add 4 t. cornstarch to it.
2. Add 1/2 c. s. and stir the ingredients together.
3. Add 1-1/2 t. water and 1-1/2 t. lemon juice. Stir it together to combine. It will look kind of pasty.
4. Find yourself 12 oz. of beautiful raspberries. Add them to the sauce pan and stir them gently, so the berries begin to be coated. The berries will begin to break down, which is just fine.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Let it bubble and boil for 1 minute. It should thicken up into a nice syrup consistency for you.
6. Remove it from the heat and add 1 T. butter, 1/2 t. vanilla and a dash of salt.
Pour it, nice and warm over the top of some vanilla ice cream. Or drizzle it over a lovely stack of pancakes...any way you serve it, I do believe you will love it.
Yield: 1-1/2 cups

Spiced Sweet Potato Latkes

recipe and photo from here

I found this recipe on PBS Kids website.

I thought it would fun to try a Hanukkah traditional food.

You can go to the link above, by clicking on here to read the Jewish miracle the Jewish people believe and remember with latkes. We liked the spiced fried grated sweet potato pancakes topped with applesauce and sour cream. It was a new taste and fun to try. I think I'll find a baked version for us to try them again...maybe next year.

Spiced Sweet Potato Latkes

1 lb. (orange) sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 T. flour
2 t. brown sugar
¾ t. cinnamon
½ t. curry powder
½ t. onion powder
½ t. kosher salt
¼ t. nutmeg
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. applesauce
½ c. sour cream
1 T. chopped chives or parsley

Heat the oil to a medium-high heat in a 10 or 12-inch skillet.
Using a colander, strain as much out of the grated sweet potatoes as you can.
In a large bowl, add the sweet potatoes, egg, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, curry powder, onion powder, salt, and nutmeg. Mix well.
Form small flat pancakes using about 2 tablespoons of mixture.
Fry four latkes at a time for 1½-2 minutes per side until browned. Remove the latkes from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
Serve warm with applesauce and sour cream.
Garnish with chopped chives or parsley.

Prep Time: 15 min(s)
Cook Time: 15 min(s)
Total Time: 30 min(s)
Servings: 6

Sandwich ideas

We've been enjoying a lot of garden tomatoes, 

so BLTs are a staple this time of year for us. 

Here is a link to other delicious sounding sandwiches.

Salami, Basil, Tomato and Provolone

Ham, Swiss, Dijon and Chives

Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato

Hummus and Vegetables

Turkey and Cream Cheese with Tomato, Caraway and Sea Salt

I also saw this idea using cucumber as the bread.

The recipe was Laughing Cow brand cheese with turkey.

I tried it with a mozzarella stick and it was great!

Happy Back to School to Karen and all the grandkids!

I loved making this freezer jam from strawberries

and rhubarb we grew this year!

There is a link to a recipe for an easy cheesecake

at the bottom of this post using this jam.

I'd like to try it. It makes three 'pies',

 so you could have other flavors for the non-rhubarb fans.

I also made apricot pineapple freezer jam this year.

Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam 

3 cups. fresh or frozen, chopped rhubarb into 1/2" - 1"" pieces
1/4 c. water
2 c. chopped strawberries, (do not purée)
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 pkg. (45 gram size=3 T.) No Cook Freezer Jam gelling powder

In a large non-reactive pan, combine the rhubarb and the water.

Over high heat, bring the rhubarb to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered until the rhubarb is tender, about 5 - 7 minutes).

Chill the rhubarb.

In a large bowl, combine the chilled rhubarb and the chopped strawberries.

Gently stir in the sugar and allow the mixture to stand for 15 minutes.

Slowly, sprinkle the gelling powder over the mixture,
a little at a time, while continuing to stir for 3 minutes.

Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes.

Gently stir again for 1 full minute.

Pour the jam into clean, freezer-safe containers or jars, leaving a 1" headspace.

Seal tightly.

Jam is ready to eat...store it in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks, or in the freezer for up to one year!

A GREAT RHUBARB JAM WITH "LESS SUGAR"!

Recipe from here. The consistency of this jam makes it most suitable for a topping for toast, bagels, waffles, pancakes, muffins, scones, ice cream, cheesecake, and more!

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Jared's BBQ Sauce

image and recipe from here

Here's the BBQ sauce recipe I've been promising you forever. 

I don't use liquid smoke but do add the tamarind paste.

I also add cayenne pepper to spice it up to my liking. 

KC Classic Barbecue Sauce

2 T. American chili powder
1 t. ground black pepper
1 t. table salt
2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. yellow ballpark-style mustard
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. steak sauce
1/4 c. dark molasses
1/4 to 3/4 c. honey (see note below)
1 t. hot sauce
1 c. dark brown sugar (you can use light brown sugar if that's all you have)
3 T. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 medium cloves of garlic, crushed or minced

(The link for the recipe below is just under the photo. There is more information on that web page.)

Optional. If you are cooking indoors, or if your meat does not have a lot of smoke flavor, or if you just want more smoke flavor, you can add 1 t. of liquid smoke.

About the vinegar. I like my sauce tart. Trust me, although it may taste tart from the bottle, it is perfect on meat. If you are not big on vinegar, cut it in half.

About the honey. The recipe above is to my taste but I have found that most people like it better if I add another 1/2 cup of honey for a total of 3/4 cups.

About the steak sauce. There are many different brands and they all have different flavor profiles, but what we want here is the meaty depth of savoriness that they call umami, so use whatever you have on hand.

About the hot sauce. A simple sauce like Tabasco is all you need. I like the chipotle flavored version.

About the oil. You may use butter or bacon fat for a bit more flavor, but keep in mind, they can get rancid with time, and they will likely shorten shelf life to about 1 week. Use a bottled vegetable oil and it can keep months.

Secret optional ingredient. Add 2 T. of tamarind paste. This exotic ingredient isn't really that exotic. It shows up on the ingredient lists of a lot of great BBQ sauces. It has a sweet citrusy flavor and really amps up a sauce. If you can't find it in an Indian or Asian grocery, it is available online.


1) In a small bowl, mix the American chili powder, black pepper, and salt. In a large bowl, mix the ketchup, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, lemon juice, steak sauce, molasses, honey, hot sauce, and brown sugar. Mix them, but you don't have to mix thoroughly.

2) Over medium heat, warm the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and saute until limp and translucent, about 5 minutes. Crush the garlic, add it, and cook for another minute. Add the dry spices and stir for about 2 minutes to extract their oil-soluble flavors. Add the wet ingredients. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes with the lid off to thicken it a bit.

3) Taste and adjust. Add more of anything that you want a little bit at a time. It may taste a bit vinegary at first, but that will be less obvious when you use it on meat. I recommend you run with my recipe the first time and then you can make it your own. Strain it if you don't want the chunks of onion and garlic. I like leaving them in, they give the sauce a home-made texture. You can use it immediately, but I think it's better when aged overnight. You can store it into clean bottles in the refrigerator for a month or two.

Makes. 6 cups. Click here to calculate how much you need and for tips on saucing strategies.

Takes. 45 minutes even if you take a phone call.

Keeps. Because it has a high acid and sugar content, it can keep for months in the refrigerator.

by Jared, Barbara's son

Pizza Dip

photo from here

We were able to visit with Jason & Morgan, Erik & Carissa, and their cute kids in November. Here is a recipe Morgan made during that time. It would be quick, easy, tasty and fun for holiday parties.

Pizza Dip
Cream cheese
Pizza sauce, with Italian seasoning
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Green pepper
Olives
Pepperoni

Layer above ingredients in dish and serve with sliced, toasted baguette 

 Morgan, wife of Barbara's grandson Jason

one of the 'hop on pop/grandpop' moments with Scott, Ethan, Kinley & Ian. 

Zachary must have been napping or he would have joined in the mix.

Peas and Potatoes

We've enjoyed our garden peas and potatoes this way. 

Give it a try! (and click on the recipe to enlarge it.)

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

no cook refrigerator fruit jam with chia

I saw recipe at the preparedness fair for jam,

 made with chia as the pectin. 

It was blackberry and very tasty. 

I decided to try strawberry today. 

Here's a website with the new recipe I just made. 

Below is the recipe I taste tested. No cooking at all.

I'm all for quick and easy!

You can click on recipe for a larger version.

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

14 Common Food Storage Mistakes + Emergency Preparation

Since we get to spend a few days at Katmai Roost with Barbara (aka Mom) & Dad (aka Grandma/Grandpa), I thought I would prepare a post in advance about … preparedness!

First of all, I saw this post on a food storage website I like. 

You might also enjoying reading about it by clicking here.

Second, I read an article about other home shelter basics

you might want to back up on here.

The author of the above article is very down to earth, literally,

and I've enjoyed learning more about gardening from her.

Here is a link to her website.

I had fun starting my garden this year in milk cartons.

Here more about it on this website.

I only started in March, but have had great results.

We are currently expanding our garden to include fruit.

We hope our apples, pears, Asian pears and berries 

will be productive in the future.

Finally, I attended/helped with an emergency preparedness fair last week. 

I was able to take two classes. The first was Permaculture and Edible Landscaping: Rethinking the Modern Garden Space. The teacher was knowable and inspiring…and she had a great British accent.

A friend and I are going out to tour her gardens. She recommended this book: Gaia's Garden. I also went to a class by someone in our ward who works for the Secret Service. His class was titled Don't Get Caught Off Guard Self Defense and he included a lot about identity theft also. There are definitely many was to be prepared. 

Here's a link to the preparedness fair website. This fair was also held two years ago, so you can get the source information for those classes also. It's a great source of information with many available downloads and links. Here's a handout on on edible plants I learned from. I sampled Miner's Lettuce and saw some in the gorge yesterday. 

Good luck with all of your prepareness preparations!

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Jill's Cookie Magic +

My friend Dianne texted me this a.m. and said she was in sheer panic because she left her sugar cookie recipe in Utah. "Valentine's without sugar cookies. Shame Shame." She asked if I had mutual friend Jill's recipe, as she couldn't get a hold of her. I scanned Jill's blog for the cookies. Jill is the master cookie maker around these parts. She definitely adds the cookie magic to each batch! Since I was trolling the blog, I thought I'd link to all of her yummy recipes for future reference. Then maybe my boys will love me forever like they love Jill's cookies!

 One more recipe request for Jill: 

My niece Sarah wanted me to resend a Jill soup recipe I'd given her a couple years ago. I don't have it anymore. My collection is lost somewhere between paper and digital! It's your quick and yummy funeral lunch soup one with chicken, rotel tomatoes/peppers, beans and ? Could you leave a comment with the mystery ingredients? Thanks for sharing your cookie magic with our family for many years!

cookie recipes

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2011/07/chocolate-peanut-butter-cookies.html

image above

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentine-treat-no-bake-cookies.html

top of the post image

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/11/double-chocolate-cookies.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/12/monster-cookies.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/06/fruit-pizza.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/05/snickerdoodles.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2013/01/outrageous-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2011/06/cinnamon-rolls.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2009/01/chocolate-chip-cookies.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2009/01/blueberry-buckle.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2009/03/m-cookies.html

Jill's awesome hula girls from a gingerbread girl cookie cutter

and her sugar cookie recipe linked below.

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2009/01/for-sasha.html

non cookie recipes

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2011/06/make-ahead-mashed-potatoes.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/05/zucchini-muffins.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/04/crescent-rolls.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2009/11/kneaders-curried-turkey-chowder.html

pumpkinmania

This year we grew a lot of pumpkins! Aside from jack-o-lanterns for ourselves and friends, I have much pumpkin to preserve. I tried a new pumpkin soup recipe this week, and Scott was even surprised that he liked it. I substituted puréed garden pumpkin for the canned, used less curry and it was a hit. Give it a try. Here's a link to making your own purée, with to additional pumpkin recipes. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Curry Soup 

2 T. butter 

1 c. onion, minced finely 

2 t. curry powder (I used much less, it depends on your taste)

1/2 t. salt 

1/4 t. ground white pepper (again, I used less as I don't like too much heat)

2 c. chicken broth 

1 can (15 oz. ) pumpkin (I used about 2-3 c. roasted purée)

1 can evaporated milk 

1 lime, juiced 

Melt butter in stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in curry powder, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute. 

Add broth and pumpkin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk. Add lime juice. Serve. This creamy hearty soup is exotic with lime and curry. Try adding shrimp or chicken for a complete meal. 

recipe and photo from here

Roasted pumpkin seeds

1-1/2 c. pumpkin seeds

2 t. melted butter (olive oil or vegetable oil work well) or 2 teaspoons melted oil (olive oil or vegetable oil work well)

salt

garlic powder (optional)

cayenne pepper (optional)

seasoning salt (optional)

cajun seasoning (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. While it's OK to leave some strings and pulp on your seeds (it adds flavor) clean off any major chunks. Toss pumpkin seeds in a bowl with the melted butter or oil and seasonings of your choice. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

recipe for pumpkin purée and photo from here

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Cabbage Salad, Mango Spinach Salad, Chia Lemonade, Lemon Chia Seed Muffins, Chia and Flax Egg Replacements

This post has been postponed from the summer. We were invited to a BBQ with friends, and asked to bring a salad. I wanted to try this new-to-us cabbage salad (recipe below). Our friends' daughter-in-law made the exact salad...and those were the only two for dinner. It was pretty funny! I should have gone with my other choice, the Spinach Mango Salad.

I also learned more about chia seeds this summer. 

Here are some facts:

just 2 tablespoons of chia has—

4 grams of complete protein

4.5 grams of omega 3 oils

5.5 grams fiber

9% RDA calcium

7% RDA iron

Here's another chia recipe Karen sent this summer. Give the little seeds a try. It's easy to add them to a smoothie, sprinkle them on food, or even just eat a few from your hand. There are stories about South American long distance runners historically using them because of their high nutrition. 

image and recipe from here

Lemon Chia Seed Muffins
1-3/4 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. chia seeds (black, white, or a mix)
1/2 c. unsweetened soy milk or 2% milk
2 t. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2/3 c. unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 c. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
1 T. lemon zest (or zest of 1 small lemon)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chia seeds. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fill each well of the lined muffin tin 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until slightly golden in color and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

image from here

I got this recipe from the preparedness group leader we buy things through. The notes are hers.

Chia Agave Lemonade
For 1 gallon:
1 c. agave
2 c. lemon juice
2 c. hydrated chia - 6 T. chia to 2 c. water (I just add the chia to the water in the pitcher.)

Shake together in a 1 gallon container. Add water to make 1 gallon - shake. Chill overnight. Shake before serving.

I ran the lemonade through my Blendtec to pulverize the chia so the kids would drink it. I think it will actually be better that way. Lemonade is a personal thing. Some like it sweet and some tart. We like it tart so this recipe may need adjustment for your taste.

Finally, you can use chia as an egg replacement. No chia? You can also use flax seed!

Chia Egg Replacement

3 T. water

1 T. chia seed

Let soak for 20 minutes. Use for one egg.

Flax Seed Egg Replacement

1 T. ground flax seeds

2-3 T. water

by Karen, Barbara's daughter; and Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Sarah's Pink Flamingo Smoothie

I saw this recipe and it reminded me of Sarah,
and her love for pink flamingos. 

You might want to try one this weekend
to celebrate Sarah's 21st birthday Sunday!

Pink Flamingo Smoothies
1 pint strawberries
2 bananas
2 raspberry yogurts
2 c. milk

Wash and hull strawberries. Peel bananas and slice into quarters. Place all fruit in blender; add yogurt and milk. Cover and pureé until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour into glasses. Makes 8 smoothies.

Pink Flamingo smoothies prepped and ready for a family 'car picnic' on the way to a Emergency Preparedness Expo this evening.

Granola Oat Bars

 

The Ayer Family — December 2011


"These are wonderful for a quick breakfast, 
part of a lunch or a snack. These are so yummy."

Granola Oat Bars

1/2 c. raw cashews
2 T. coconut oil
2 T. honey
1 c. fresh Medjool dates
1-1/2 c. thick oats
Add-ins: See list below

Put cashews, melted coconut oil, honey, and pitted dates in a food processor. Blend until it begins to hold together. Add oats and blend to the desired consistency. Pour contents into a bowl and add additional items as desired. It is easiest to mix this together with clean hands.

Place mixture in an 8x8" pan and press it down with your hands or the back of a metal spatula. Cut them into eight even pieces. Put the pan in the FREEZER and allow to harden.

Remove and put into individual snack bags. I have found that it is best to keep them in the freezer until you are going to use them. We have left them out for days at a time and they are still good. These are wonderful for a quick breakfast, part of a lunch or a snack. These are so yummy.

Optional add-ins: raisins, dried cranberries, dried fruit, nuts (walnut, pecan, almond, sunflower, pistachios, etc.), dark chocolate, unsweetened coconut, millet, chia seeds, whatever you can think of that would be tasty. You can use dried dates in this recipe but they need to be soaked beforehand.

Cheryl’s favorite combinations: 

*Coconut, Pecan, Dark Chocolate chunks 

*Craisin, Almond, Sunflower, Millet

Pumpkin Spice Oat Bars (aka Ginger)

CHERYL’S FAVORITE
1/2 c. raw cashews
2 T. coconut oil
1 T. honey
1-2 T. molasses

1/4 t. ground ginger or 1 t. fresh grated ginger
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1 c. fresh Medjool dates
1-1/2 c. thick oats
1/2 c. crystalized ginger, cut into pieces

Put cashews, melted coconut oil, honey, molasses, spices, and pitted dates in a food processor. Blend until it begins to hold together. Add oats and blend to the desired consistency. Pour contents into a bowl and add the crystallized ginger and any additional items as desired. If it is too wet, add more oats. It is easiest to mix this together with clean hands.

Place mixture in an 8x8" pan and press it down with your hands or the back of a metal spatula. Cut them into eight even pieces. Put the pan in the FREEZER and allow to harden. Remove and put into individual snack bags. I have found that it is best to keep them in the freezer until you are going to use them. We have left them out for days at a time and they are still good. 

by Cheryl, Barbara's daughter