GOOD EATS

There are quite a few food-related items on our lists of "New Things."

 Once we post them, we'll be sure to include the recipes right here!

 Check back often sweet treats and good eats!
6.28.2010

HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS (VEGAN)

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Gather your ingredients:

• 2 cups oats

• 3/4 cup wheat germ

• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds

• 1 cup peanuts, crushed

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup honey

• 4 Tbsp butter Earth Balance

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

• approximately 8 oz. dried fruit

To crush your peanuts, put them in a plastic bag and smash them with a heavy mallet, measuring cup, or sauce pan.

Then, mix the peanuts, oats, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds in a baking dish with sides. Toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they don’t get burned.

Meanwhile, prepare a glass baking dish (about 11 x 13 inches) for your granola by lining it with waxed paper lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray.

Put the brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

By now, your grains and nuts should be toasted, so mix everything together in a large bowl. The grains, the liquid “glue,” and the dried fruit. Oh, and turn off your oven, because you’re finished with it now.

Mix everything REALLY WELL because you want to make sure the “glue” gets all over everything. Now, dump your granola mixture into your prepared baking dish.

Spread out the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Now fold over the sides of the waxed paper or add a sheet on top, and PRESS HARD all over the granola. You want to compact it together so that your bars won’t fall apart when you cut them.

Wait 2-3 hours or until the granola has totally cooled.

Then, open the waxed paper …

Now, firmly pressing down with a big knife (not sawing), cut your granola into whatever size bars you’d like.

I wrapped ours individually in plastic wrap, so that we could just throw one into our bag or lunch box in the morning. If you’d like to save on packaging though, you can store yours in an airtight container, between sheets of waxed paper (so they don’t stick together).

Source: Joy Abode

 
...BLONDE

6.4.2010

This past weekend was Blake's birthday!! He always wants an ice cream cake so instead of buying one I decided to make one.  I received an email from KRAFT foods website and they had this easy and good recipe. 
What You Need!
1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping
warmed 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
divided 1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
8 OREO Cookies, chopped (about 1 cup)
12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches



POUR fudge topping into medium bowl. Whisk in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. Stir in chopped cookies.


ARRANGE 4 ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; top with half the COOL WHIP mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sandwiches. Frost top and sides with remaining COOL WHIP.

FREEZE 4 hours or until firm

It was so good my sister made it for my niece's 9 month birthday!

...BLONDE

3.27.2010

What to drink on a sunny spring day in West Tennessee? SUN TEA

Today was a beautiful day here in Jackson so Blake and I decided to make sun tea. Blake is from Tennessee and has never had sun tea. This was a must that I show you all!!

Items needed:

• large mason jar (I prefer my blue Ball. Rose gave me for a wedding gift)
• large tea bags
• water
• sun
• pitcher
• sugar

Directions:

• put the tea bags in the jar
• fill the jar with water
• put the lid on the jar
• place in the sun for a few hours (you can judge depending on how hot it is outside.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• when it's done brewing, bring inside.
• put 1 1/2 cups of sugar into pitcher
• pour tea into pitcher
• add water to the tea
• stir tea and sugar
• ENJOY!!!

....... BLONDE