honey almond granola...

I love making large batches of granola to keep on hand. I actually always double this recipe...it disappears fast and if you're going to make it, you might as well make a lot! It stores well in an air tight container, and will even freeze nicely in a freezer bag. Our favorite way to eat it is with honey vanilla Greek yogurt, but my kids also grab it by the handful & go to town!

1/3 cup honey

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1/8 tsp almond extract 

1/3 cup brown sugar 

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract 

3 Tbsp coconut oil 

1 cup almonds; chopped 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine chopped almonds, oats, salt and brown sugar. Stir to combine.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine honey and coconut oil and heat 30-40 seconds. Stir to dissolve coconut oil. Add extracts.

Pour honey mixture over oats and stir until evenly coated. Pour evenly onto a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 5 minutes, stir and bake for 5 more minutes. 

Let cool completely and store in an air tight container.

tortilla and black bean pie...

4 flour tortillas (10 inch)

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 large onion; diced

1 jalapeno chile; minced (remove seeds & ribs for less heat) *if desired

2 garlic cloves; minced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

salt & pepper

2 cans (15oz each) black beans; drained and rinsed (OR 1 can black beans and 1/2 pound extra lean ground beef)

1 1/2 cups water1 pkg (10 oz) frozen corn

4 green onions, thinly sliced; plus more for garnish

2 1/2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim (if necessary) tortillas to fit a 9-inch spring form pan, using bottom of pan as a guide. Set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef, onion, jalapeno, garlic and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 5-7 min.

Add the beans, and water to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until the liquid has evaporated, 8-10 min. Stir in the corn and green onions and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Fit a trimmed tortilla in the bottom of the spring form pan; layer with one quarter of the beans and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat three times. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20-25 min. Unmold pie, sprinkle with green onions. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

This is a fabulous recipe from Everyday Food's Great Food Fast cookbook. I love this book. I have so many recipes bookmarked just waiting to be made. The original recipe calls for 2 cans of beans and no meat. The meat was a delicious addition...plus I'm feeding a hungry husband and three growing boys who love beef! I did also leave out the jalapeno.

We LOVED this. It was very filling and such a nice change from the regular tacos/burritos.

I think this would work great in a cake pan if you don't have a spring form pan. Just cut the tortillas to fit and it would be fine. This would also be great if you are cooking for a crowd and wanted to double or even triple the recipe.

I lightened this up by using lighter tortillas (thin & crispy, low carb, whole grain, etc) and using less cheese.

cheese platter & sugar cookies...

I hosted a bridal shower for my niece about a month ago (ahem...) and am FINALLY getting around to posting a few of my favorites.

The cheese platter is just an assortment of great cheese...chard's of parmesan (the good stuff), a wedge of blue cheese and a delicious brie. Pair all of those with some parmesan and thyme crackers, slices of green apple and candied pecans and...wow. Yum.

I was so happy with the way the cookies turned out. The monogrammed cookies are easier than they look. I just printed out a lot J's in a font I like in the size I needed and covered the paper with wax paper. Then piped white chocolate on (basically tracing the J's), add sprinkles before it dries and then pop on top of the wet frosting.

This is just the beginning of the sugar cookie madness. Teacher appreciation week was last week and I helped out with the luncheon...100 flower cookies! I'll post soon(ish!)

salsa...

2 (15oz) cans Mexican-Style stewed tomatoes (recommended: S&W brand)

1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 bunch green onions (stems and bulbs)

1 tsp garlic salt or powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp vinegar

Using a food processor (or blender), blend tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, cumin, Worcestershire, and vinegar. Add onions and chilies. Stir and serve with chips.

Yes, I made a double batch. Yes, it's almost gone. Yes, it's that good!

(Thanks for the recipe Tauna!)

need a lunch/snack idea?...

My kids LOVE this kind of stuff.

birthday dinner...

marinated tri tip w/gorgonzola cream sauce:

1 1/4 pounds beef tri tip or flank steak
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine olive oil, vinegar, sugar and garlic in a small bowl and mix to combine. Place beef and marinade in a plastic bag and marinade for at least one hour. Grill over med-med high heat until desired done ness.

gorgonzola cream sauce:

4 oz gorgonzola or blue cheese

1 cup heavy cream

Break up cheese into small pieces and combine with cream in a small sauce pan over med low heat. Stir occasionally while cheese melts. Bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is reduced to a thick and creamy consistency (about 10 min) Serve over steak.

This was my husbands #1 pick for his Birthday dinner. It was yummy. I serrved it up with carmelized red onions and rosemary roasted potatoes. This is my go to meat marinade. It turns out fabulous every time.

spring risotto with peas & parmesan...

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) plus 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Heat 2 cans of broth and 2 1/2 cups water in a saucepan over low heat; keep warm. Meanwhile, melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 min. Season with salt & pepper. Raise heat to medium. Add rice; cook; stirring until translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth; cook until absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Cook the rice, adding 1 cup hot broth at a time (stirring constantly until almost all of the liquid is absorbed before adding more), until tender, 25-30 min total.

Add the peas; cook until they are a bright green, 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining tablespoon butter and the Parmesan. Serve, topped with more cheese.

I got the Everyday Food cookbook from a cookbook exchange last Christmas and have had my eye on this particular recipe for quite a while. I have always wanted to try my hand at risotto, but knew it was a little time consuming...and quite frankly, wasn't sure when I would have the time to stand at my stove and stir for 30 min straight. Dinner time/homework time/hungry/tired kids time = no time to make a labor intensive risotto for dinner. Well, I made the time and am sooooo glad I did. Totally worth it. This was delicious. I changed the recipe a little from the original (omitted zucchini). Had I been a little more on the ball I would have added asparagus tips, as well. I will add them next time, because there will definitely be a next time for this recipe!

(6 servings=6 pts per serving)

can't get enough of...

...this stuff from Costco.

I have been in berry heaven lately.

I can't even say that I've made anything extremely wonderful with any of these, but they do make the BEST snacks!!

homemade buttermilk ranch dressing...

8 oz cream cheese; room temp (I used 1/3 less fat)

1 3/4 cup mayonnaise (I used reduced fat)

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion salt

1 tsp Accent

1/2 -1 tsp black pepper

parsley (dried or fresh)

Mix all ingredients in blender until well combined. Refrigerate. This will be closer in consistency to dip, but can be thinned out with more buttermilk, if desired.

My kids (and myself) LOVE ranch dressing. They will eat just about anything dipped in ranch...even pizza!?! This is a big treat to have the real, homemade stuff. I got this recipe from my sister in law years ago & it has been a favorite ever since. Thanks Angie!!

baked potato rounds...

2 large russet potatoes

4-5 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

cheddar & monterey jack cheese; shredded

1 green onion; chopped

sour cream

olive oil

salt & pepper

Slice potatoes in 1/4 in thick rounds. Place on a baking sheet & brush each side lightly with olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 min. Turn and continue baking for another 10-15 min. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven just until cheese is melted. Finish off with bacon, onions & sour cream.

Really, really, really good. This is a great way to enjoy eating a loaded baked potato...on a much smaller scale. They were quick to throw together, which is always a bonus. If you have a few stray potatoes hanging around this is a great way to use them up. If you don't have any hanging around...go buy some and make these!!

This was another fabulous recipe from Amber's Kitchen.

pinwheels...

1 can (8 ounces) Pillsbury Crescent Recipe creations

1 cup mozzarella cheese

6 slices salami, diced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 egg white, beaten

Heat oven to 350°F. Unroll Crescent dough sheet onto large cutting board. Sprinkle the dough with the mozzarella cheese, salami and herbs. Starting at shortest side, roll up the dough sheet into one large cylinder; pinch edge to seal. Cut roll into 12 slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Gently press down on slices to ensure uniform baking. Brush with beaten egg white. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Have you seen this new Pillsbury product in the grocery store? I hadn't...but I've seen them used recently in several different ways so I hd to give them a try. I got the idea for this here, and just adapted it to what we like and what I had on hand. You could really get creative with the ingredients. My family really loved these. I doubled the recipe and there was only one left! It was a super easy, quick to throw together, yummy dinner.

fall snack mix...

Crispix cereal

pretzles

peanuts

pecans

candy corn

marshmallows

m&m's

Mix together. Store in an air-tight container (if there's any left!)

This is just an idea of many variations to this mix. I just put in the stuff we like in ours. Throw in some raisins, craisins, chocolate chips, etc. This is such a great snack to have on hand for the kids & neighbor kids that go in and out of the door all afternoon...Also perfect for a weekend in front of the tv ;). Perfect for kids Bingo!!

thai peanut noodles...

1 cup julienned carrots

1 small onion; sliced

3 green onions; sliced into 2 in pieces

1 Tbsp canola oil, divided

2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cups snow peas

1 lb pasta, cooked

1/2-1/4 cup peanuts

Heat 1 tsp oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and minced garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and the next 5 ingredients; stir until well blended. Reduce heat and simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add carrots and onions, season with salt & pepper and cook until almost tender. Add snow peas and green onions and cook 1-2 min more. Toss vegetables, pasta and peanut sauce together and sprinkle with peanuts.

This was a nice change from the usual pasta. My kids DEVOURED this...and they don't really like peanut butter that much! Was it good...yes. Is is a new favorite...probably not. I would like to tweak the peanut sauce a little. As it cools down the peanut butter starts to solidify back to it's normal state. That consistency bugged me a little, but it still tasted really good.

(1 cup 7pts)

french toast cups & strawberry smoothie...

4 slices whole wheat bread, cut into cubes
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
dash of ground nutmeg

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined. Add bread cubes and mix together until all the bread is saturated.
Using a regular size muffin tin, scoop bread evenly into 6 of the muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until set and lightly golden brown.
Mix 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth. Drizzle on top of french toast cups.

*strawberry smoothie*

1 16oz bag frozen strawberries
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup milk
1-2 Tbsp sugar or Splenda

Mix everything in blender until smooth.

The french toast cups are another winning recipe from Stephanie's Kitchen. She even sauteed apples in cinnamon & added them in!!! I doubled the recipe and it made 12 cups. I think these would be great with maple syrup, too. Just another great way to turn something ordinary into something ...you guessed it...extraordinary. Your kids will LOVE them!
The smoothie was a hit, too. I just started putting things in the blender until it tasted right. We all drained our glasses!

rolled cheeseburgers & sweet "rolls"...

1 pound extra-lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

season salt

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 lb bread/roll dough

Brown ground beef, onions & salt until cooked through. Roll dough out on a well floured surface to approx. 12-14 inches in diameter. Place beef mixture over rolled dough. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up as tightly as possible, tucking ends under. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven on greased baking sheet for 25 min. Let sit for 5 min before slicing.

Remember the rolled pizza? This is just my attempt to try something different with it. WOW! Really, really GOOD!! I actually meant to put cooked fries in with the meat & cheese (hey, don't knock it 'til you try it...) but I forgot until it was too late. We just had the fries on the side, which was good, too. The kids dipped theirs in mustard & ketchup...so did I. YUM! This was a quick, easy dinner to put together, and a nice change from grilled cheeseburgers (which we've had about enough of!)

The sweet roll was my attempt to use up the second one pound ball of dough I purchased. I just rolled the dough out, spread on a little butter, brown sugar & cinnamon...rolled it up and baked it right next to the cheeseburger roll. The icing is just powdered sugar with a little milk & vanilla drizzled over the top.

Was it as good as a regular cinnamon roll? No.

Was it a great, quick, YUMMY dessert to throw together? ABSOLUTELY!

We LOVED them!!

sausage & potatoes...

3 tsp olive oil

1 onion; chopped

4 med red potatoes; chopped

16 oz light sausage link; sliced in 1/2 in pieces

1 clove garlic; minced

salt & pepper

parsley; chopped

Heat olive oil in pan over med heat. Add potatoes & onions and season with salt & pepper. Cook over med heat (stirring frequently) until potatoes are tender & browned. Add garlic and sausage & cook until sausage is browned a little. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

This just became a new favorite! The leftovers for lunch were even better! When you use light or turkey sausage this really is a low fat meal, and VERY filling. The only thing I would change next time is to par boil the potatoes first. Just cooking them a little before (you could even do that earlier in the day) really cuts down on the cooking time. Because I didn't do that it took about 15-20 min for them to cook through, and I put a lid on to trap the heat & speed it up a little. AND...the parsley isn't just for color. It really adds a great, fresh taste to the dish!

(4 serv. 6 pt ea)

veggie cream cheese...

cream cheese

veggies and/or fresh herbs

salt & pepper

Chop or grate vegetables & finely chop herbs. Mix into cream cheese. Add a little salt & pepper to taste. Chill for a few minutes in the refrigerator. Serve on bagels, with pretzels or crackers, etc.

So easy. So good. I used to buy veggie cream cheese, but the bagel place I bought from has gone out of business & the others I've tried just don't measure up. This was just made on a whim the other day when I wanted something different for lunch. It really took minutes to throw together...and I've had it for lunch for the past 4 days. Yea, it's that good! Plus, it's a great Summer dish. No ovens or stoves involved!

TWD apple cheddar & apple cinnamon scones...

This really is my kind of recipe...simple, delicious, quick...you get where I'm going with this. The original recipe calls for dried apples & cheddar cheese. While those are wonderful on their own, I thought a little cinnamon and nutmeg in place of the cheddar would make a nice sweet option. I was right. I made half with apples and cheddar & half with apples, cinnamon & nutmeg. The apples in both scones are really just a subtle hint of sweetness that really was tasty.

I have made scones many times before, and I found this to be the easiest recipe yet, and with the same wonderful results as other, more time consuming recipes.

Thanks Karina for the excellent choice! For the complete recipe you can visit Karina at The Floured Apron, or for all of Dorie Greenspan's amazing recipe's, her book , Baking: From My Home to Yours would be a fabulous addition to any kitchen!!