Cereal Bars

I've been making these a bunch lately.  My kids love them. We like them better staying chilled until we eat. I have a bar mold, but you could also form them into bars or try pressing into a pan and cutting them once they are set. 

Cereal Bars

Recipe from Pampered Chef

2 1/4 cups cheerios

2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries

Combine the cereal and strawberries in a large mixing bowl.

Microwave the nut butter and honey in a  small microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute, or until bubbling. Pour over the cereal mixture and mix well to combine.

Scoop the mixture into wells of a  bar maker (or pan) and press down with a spatula. Chill the tray in the freezer for about 10 minutes, or in the refrigerator until the bars are set.

Let the bars set in the refrigerator or on the counter. If you can find some dairy free white chocolate you can drizzle over the tops once they are chilled. Or some dairy free yogurt.

Green Smoothie

My sister made me this smoothie while my kids and I were visiting over Spring Break and I fell in love. I know green smoothies are not "new" by any means, but all the ones I have tried taste like straight veggies. The secret ingredient she uses is unfiltered apple juice. I have to make it at least 3 times a week, so yummy!

Green Smoothie

Recipe from my sister Brooke

makes 2 servings (for 1 just cut it in half)

1 1/2 cups raw unfiltered apple juice

2 BIG (heaping over) handfuls of spinach 

1 BIG handful of kale

1-1 1/2 cups of frozen fruit mix (strawberries, pineapple, mango, peaches) 

Start with your apple juice in the blender followed by the spinach. Mix until it's pureed, then add the kale. Mix until pureed really well. Then add your frozen fruit mix and blend until smooth. If you like it more liquid, use 1 cup of fruit. If you like it really thick use 1 1/2 or more cups of the fruit. Enjoy!

Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins

These muffins continue to be our favorite because they are just so easy! I usually try to keep some on hand in the freezer for a quick snack or early morning breakfast. I have since I posted these originally in 2009 experimented with doing all applesauce without the oil and that works too. The flavors are more subtle on this one, but that's why I like it. Feel free to add in a dash of nutmeg or do like my mom does and double (or triple) the cinnamon ;)

Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 egg

1 rounded cup applesauce (so a little more than 1 cup)

1/4 cup veggie oil

Preheat to 375. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the egg, applesauce and veggie oil and stir only so that everything is moist and mixed evenly. (As with all muffins you don't want to over mix). Grease 12 muffin cups and divide the filling between the cups. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes....or 20 if you need to, but don't over cook! Mine are done at 15 minutes.

Banana Bread

Everybody loves some banana bread right! Even my pickiest little eater ate at least 4 slices. This time I made one loaf regular, and one loaf with some walnuts. Another classic from my Grandma Lill- what would we do without her (or her recipes :)

Grandma Lill's Banana Bread
Recipe from Lillian Rydalch

1/2 cup dairy free butter or margarine, softened

4 mashed bananas

4 eggs

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 t soda

1 t vanilla

1/2 t salt

1 cup nuts (optional)

Mix the softened butter, mashed bananans and eggs together. Mix the dry ingredients together and add the wet ingredients. Fold in the nuts if you want them. Mix well. Pour into 2 greased bread pans. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes.

Pumpkin Muffins

 Looking through my recipe box I realized I had 4 recipes for pumpkin bread/muffins. Determined to find out which was best I made all 4 recipes last night and held a taste testing. The winner was my favorite pumpkin bread I already posted here, but this recipe was the runner up so I decided to post it too since it makes a little bigger batch and is really easy to remember. Chocolate chips are optional-I usually make up a pan of muffins for the kids without the chocolate chips, then add chocolate chips and pour the rest in a bread pan. Also you can substitute applesauce for the oil too if you want to make it a bit healthier and I always use fresh pumpkin (how to here) but you can use canned plain pumpkin as well.

Pumpkin Muffins
Recipe from college-can't remember who!

3 cups pumpkin (either fresh or canned plain pumpkin)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil or applesauce
4 cups sugar
6 eggs
4 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp of each:
                       baking powder
                       baking soda
                       salt
                       cinnamon
                       nutmeg
                       cloves
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake 20 minutes or greased bread pan and bake for 45-60 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

Fall is my favorite season for many reasons: weather, clothes, colorful leaves, family fun, beautiful scenery and of course pumpkins.  You can find the tutorial here on how to use fresh pumpkins. It doesn't matter if you choose fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin, this recipe is sure to warm up your kitchen and your family, and definitely give your home that fall aroma it's been begging for. I make them into muffins and freeze them, then take them out for a quick breakfast just heated up in the microwave.

Pumpkin Bread

makes 2-3 loaves

2 eggs
4 cups pumpkin (or use 1 29 ounce canned pumpkin + 1/2 cup applesauce)
4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
5 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips (optional)

Combine the eggs, pumpkin, sugar and oil together. Mix the spices together with the flour and add one cup at a time to the egg and pumpkin mixture. Gently fold in the chocolate chips if you choose to add them. Pour into 2-3 greased loaf pans and bake @ 325 for 1 hour or until the middle is cooked and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then take out of the pan and cool on wire rack.

Note: This bread freezes really well. Wrap in tin foil or saran wrap and then put in a freezer ziplock bag.

You can also make muffins- bake @ 325 for about 20 minutes.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

 This oatmeal is so delicious! I'll admit I like the instant oatmeal because it's quick and easy, but once I found out how much sodium those little packets have, I decided to start making it myself. My daughter who hates oatmeal LOVES this recipe and asks me to cook it for her almost every morning. It's so delicious and packed full of fiber and protein. I make mine with vanilla soy milk, but the original calls for almond milk. Also if you don't have pure maple syrup you can use honey. I've made it both ways, but the maple syrup is my favorite for sure!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Recipe from Jillian Michaels

4 servings

1 cup soy or almond milk

1 cup water

1 cup rolled steal cut oats

2 small apples, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or honey

1/3 cup pecans, chopped

Combine milk, water and oats. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce to low and cook and simmer about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile in a small saucepan combine apples with 1 Tbsp water, cinnamon and 1/2 tsp syrup or honey. Cook over medium until apples are soft and liquid is reduced to a syrup, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the pecans and cover to keep warm. Once oatmeal is done, stir apples and nuts mixture into the oatmeal and pour 2 tsp maple syrup or honey over. Stir to combine. Put in 4 bowls and drizzle the remaining 2 tsp over the top of each bowl.

*Leftovers- once refridgerated, add a splash of milk, microwave and stir

Grandma Lill's Moist Zucchini Bread

(Repost with New Picture)

Here's another recipe my grandma would make for us when we were little, with fresh zucchinis from her garden of course. Everyone in my family prefers this zucchini bread to every banana bread recipe out there, and I know the reason why is because it is super moist and packed full of flavor (not to mention the good vitamins from the veggies) You can probably substitute some or all of the oil for applesauce, but I've never tried it on this recipe.

Moist Zucchini Bread

Recipe from Lill

1 c brown sugar

1 c white sugar

1 c oil

3 eggs, beaten

2 c packed zucchini (finely shredded with skins on)

3 tsp vanilla

3 c flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp nutmeg

3 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Blend the first set of ingredients together. Mix the second set of ingredients and then add to the first; mix. Put into 2 loaf/bread pans and bake at 350 for 1 hour. You can also do muffins or mini loaf pans too. Freezes well in a airtight container or ziplock bag.