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Easy Homemade Granola

July 4, 2010 By Rachel 32 Comments
homemade granola

Homemade Granola, delicious crunchy, sweet, crispy and fruity.

I remember eating granola as a kid; my mom made the most amazing granola.

Doused in chilled milk or snatched from a bag in my tiny fist, my mom’s granola was better than any boxed version.

As an adult and admitted food and recipe obsessed person, it’s somewhat embarrassing to admit that homemade granola is one thing I’ve never tackled. (until now

One of my favorite go-to recipe blogs, fellow redhead and all around favorite people ever, Heather of Home Ec-101, posted the Easiest Homemade Granola Ever recipe and I must admit, I was inspired.

Y’all know me though, I can’t leave a recipe alone; I am compelled to tweak and twiddle and mess with every recipe that I come across.

I now have what I believe to be the MOST amazingly delicious homemade granola recipe ever.

Mixing the ingredients for this ridiculously easy, filling and delicious granola takes less than 5 minutes, baking it to crispy, golden heavenly perfection takes about an hour to an hour and a half.

Mix Oats, coconut, walnuts and almonds* together in your largest mixing bowl

pouring oats

Top with your binding mixture of honey, vegetable oil, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon and applesauce

honey, applesauce, oats and spices

Mix together until all ingredients are perfectly blended.

Divide and place on two baking sheets (your cooking time will differ if your baking sheets are dark or light)

Bake at 250 for 1 hour 20 minutes on light or 1 hour 10 minutes on dark non-stick, stir and mix every now and then, you want the granola to turn a lovely golden color, they will crisp up after they’re out of the oven. ( 20 minute intervals works well)

Remove from the oven, allow to cool.. add in dried cranberries, raisins, dried cherries (I would have added dried apples and nectarines if I’d had them)

homemade granola 2

This is amazing served in a bowl cereal style with ice cold milk

homemade granola with milk

or by the handful.  It’s healthy, chock full of anti-oxidents and all that yumminess without the preservatives and cost of the store bought kind.

Seriously, $4ish dollars for less than a pound of store bought granola or $4 for 2 gallon size bags (if you make two batches like I did) chock full of homemade healthy granola

Recipe: Homemade Granola

Ingredients

  • 6 C oats (NOT the quick cooking ones)
  • 1 C sliced almonds
  • 1 C chopped walnuts
  • 1 1/2 C shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1 C applesauce
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 C light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 C raisins
  • 1 C dried cherries
  • 1 C dried cranberries
  • or dried apples, nectarines etc….

Instructions

  1. In your biggest mixing bowl, mix together; oats, almonds, walnuts and coconut
  2. In a small bowl mix together: 1/2 C honey, 1 C applesauce, 2 Tbsp vanilla, 1/2 C brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  3. Pour the applesauce mixture over the oat mixture and combine thoroughly. Use your hands (preferred) or a spoon and mix until thoroughly combined
  4. Spread the mixture over two baking sheets and bake at 250 F for about 1 hour 20 minutes.
  5. If the baking sheet is light it will take about 1 hour 20 minutes, if it’s dark/non-stick it will take about 1 hour (these are {abouts} it will depend on your oven, you want the granola to have turned a lovely golden brown.  It will get crispy after it’s removed from the oven and allowed to cool
  6. stir the granola every 20 minutes
  7. remove from the heat and allow to cool, this is when it will crisp up
  8. add in dried fruit: cranberries, raisins, cherries, apples etc…
  9. this recipe will yield 1 gallon sized storage bag

*apparently the Print plug-in is broken, AGAIN! GRRRRRR.. As always, you can use the Print Friendly button to print the recipe with or without images and deleting whatever text isn’t relevant.

thank y’all for linking up and for y’all’s patience with the print/recipe plug-in issues! I love seeing what y’all are making. Thank you so much for sharing! Don’t forget, link up your recipe URL, leave a comment, link back here in your post and don’t forget to visit the other participants!!!

psssssst: I’m nominated for the Tastiest Blog Award and I’d REALLY appreciate your votes! I’m up against some really major competition!

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Filed Under: Breakfast Tagged With: breakfast, cereal, Food, granola, Recipes

German Chocolate Cake

May 9, 2010 By Rachel 27 Comments

german chocolate cake

My Dad’s favorite cake and my second favorite cake of all time.  Rich and chocolaty, moist and delicious, this cake will please even those who don’t love chocolate cake.  The chocolate isn’t overwhelming, it’s just perfect.  Last week, I gave y’all the coconut-pecan frosting recipe and this week, I’m sharing the cake.

This is not the easiest cake to make.  It’s not terribly difficult but, you must have all the ingredients prepared and it is a cake that requires your effort and concentration.  It’s definitely not just dump, mix and bake.

Trust me though, the results are worth the time.

Sift together: cake flour, baking soda and salt

sifting flour

Melt chocolate shavings in boiling water

chocolate shavings

Mix Sour Cream and Vanilla

sour cream, vanilla for GC Blend in butter, sugar, egg yolks and melted chocolate

batter

Next, you’ll whip together egg whites and cream of tartar and then add it into the batter.

* I have no pics of this step.. I am only one woman with two hands.

Pour into 3 well greased round cake pans

Bake and once completely cooled; top layer by layer with Coconut-Pecan Frosting

frosting the cake

German Chocolate Cake

coconut pecan frosting

Recipe: German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 C sifted Cake Flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 4 oz Sweet (German) Baking Chocolate
  • 1/2 C boiling water
  • 1 C Sour Cream
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 C sugar, divided 1 3/4 C and 1/4 C
  • 4 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F
  2. Butter 3 round cake pans and dust with cocoa powder to keep the cakes from sticking
  3. Sift your cake flour, measure out 2 1/4 C and then sift together the cake flour, baking soda and salt (set aside)
  4. Finely chop your chocolate and separate your eggs, while your water is heating up to boiling.
  5. Combine the chocolate shavings and water until it’s melted and smooth (set aside)
  6. In a small bowl mix together sour cream and vanilla
  7. In a large bowl beat 2 sticks butter until creamy
  8. Slowly add in 1 3/4 C sugar
  9. Beat in 4 egg yolks, 1 at a time
  10. Add the melted chocolate and beat just until blended
  11. Add the flour mixture and Sour Cream mixture in alternating batches. 3 parts flour to 1 part Sour Cream. Beating each addition until fully incorporated. Use a spatula to scoop the sides and bottom, if needed.
  12. In another large bowl beat 4 egg whites with 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, beat until soft peaks form.
  13. Beat on high speed and add in 1/4 C sugar. Beat until stiff.
  14. Gently fold into the batter and then pour into the 3 buttered and dusted pans. Let the pans settle before baking them.
  15. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cake bounces back when lightly pressed in the center with your finger.
  16. Let cool for 10 minutes in pans, remove to wire racks to finish cooling. Fill and top with Coconut Pecan Frosting

Honest to goodness y’all.. it seems like a lot of work but I swear that it is divine and totally worth it, if you’re up to it ;)

If you’re linking up, Thank you!  One of the great joys of Monday nights and Tuesdays is going through y’all’s links and seeing what y’all have been making.  I love food and the sharing of recipes, it’s a bit like sharing our homes and our families with each other.

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Filed Under: Desserts, Mouthwatering Monday Tagged With: Birthdays, cake, chocolate, Desserts, Recipes

Super Food Recipes for Breast Cancer Awareness

October 28, 2009 By Rachel 1 Comment

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Mediterranean Salmon

(Lotus Says: “I found this recipe in a mag years ago and tweaked it”)

Super healthy foods: olive oil, olives, salmon, tomatoes (cancer fighting lycopene!)

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 6 cloves pressed garlic (adjust if you don’t like garlic as much – I love it!)
  • 1/2 tbsp oregano
  • 1/2 tbsp thyme
  • 1/2 tbsp parsley
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 cup cherry/grape tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 shallot bulb peeled & diced
  • 1/2 cup pitted, halved kalamata olives
  • 2 salmon fillets
  1. Preheat oven to 425
  2. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, organo, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, mixing well. Make sure to really blend it all together.
  3. Add cherry tomatoes, shallots, and kalamata olives and mix well.
  4. Place salmon fillets into a baking dish. Spread the mixture onto the fillets, coating salmon completely.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with the mixture still on top of the fillets. So good!

*******

Pumpkin Tomato Chili

(Lotus Says: “this one I pulled straight out of oxygen mag years ago. super yummy cool weather food!”)

Kidney beans: phytochemicals

Tomatoes: lycopene

Pumpkin: carotenoids

All are cancer butt-kickers!

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 lb extra-lean, ground turkey breast
  • 1 lg onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 2 cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 5 1/2 cups no-sodium tomato juice
  • 2  (14  1/2 oz) cans no-salt, peeled and diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 2 tbsp sugar-free maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  1. Add olive oil to a large pot and cook the ground turkey breast on high heat until brown. Stir meat to cook evenly, then separate.
  2. Stir in onion and red pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in beans, tomato juice, diced tomatoes, pumpkin puree and maple syrup.
  3. Season with pumpkin pie spice, chili powder, and nutmeg.
  4. Simmer for 1 hour and serve.

It’s great with cornbread or crusty bread. Tasty and a fun change from traditional chilis

Lotus writes the brilliant, funny, photo filled gorgeous wonderful blog Sarcastic Mom and I am so blessed to count her as a friend.  Lotus, thank you so much for sharing these wonderful recipes with us!


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Filed Under: Everything Else, Main Dishes Tagged With: blogging for boobs, breast cancer, Recipes

Mouthwatering Quiche Recipe

February 23, 2009 By Rachel 14 Comments

Today’s Mouthwatering Monday post is an easy faux fancy dish. It sounds fancy, just say it: “Quiche Lorraine”, do you hear the ooohs and aaahhhs from your friends and family? They will be impressed and they will devour it, trust me. My husband looked at my mom like she was serving him melted plastic when she served him quiche for the first time, and then he ate 3/4 of the dang thing. This recipe changes a bit every time that I make it, there are all different additions and variations you can use, but this is my favorite.

  • quiche lorraine
  • Plain pastry, 9″ shell
  • 8 bacon slices,  diced
  • ½ C chopped green onions, tops to bottoms = about 1 bunch
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • ½ tsp onion pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic salt
  • 1 ¼ C fresh shredded swiss cheese
  • 1 C sliced mushrooms
  • 2 C light cream (half and half)
  • 3 shakes pepper, to taste
  1. Line the 9 inch pie pan with pastry, trim the edges and crimp, flute or fork the edges for a decorative presentation.
  2. Brown bacon lightly; drain off excess fat (don’t I wish I could do that with me) Add green onions and mushrooms and cook until bacon is golden brown and the onions and mushrooms have softened, slightly
  3. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
  4. Combine eggs, cheese, onion powder, garlic salt and pepper. Add light cream and blend well.
  5. Add in bacon mixture and mix thoroughly.
  6. Pour into pie shell. (use a soup ladle if necessary to get all of the filling into the shell)

Do you want to watch a video of my making it, then check out the video recipe on Blissfully Delish

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If you’re sharing your recipe love with us make sure that you link your MWM recipe post in Mr. Linky, not just your generic URL. Please make sure you link back here in your post and feel free to snag the Tonguegasmic button and place it in your post and/or your sidebar. Try to visit some of the other participants too, you never know where you’ll find your new favorite recipe!! Thanks for playing along!

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Main Dishes, Mouthwatering Monday Tagged With: breakfast, cheese, eggs, pastry, quiche, Recipes
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