Clif Bars

I can't believe I've never posted this recipe!! This is my all time favorite recipe for granola bars. They are super duper tasty! I make them every couple weeks. You can really tweak it to whatever your taste likes, as long as you have some sort of "glue" to hold it all together.

HOMEMADE CLIF BARS

1 and 1/4 cups crisp rice cereal (Rice Krispies are fine)—I used cocoa krispies for a little chocolate flavor
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal)

2 tablespoons wheat germ
½ cup dried coconut or ¼ cup finely chopped dried fruit (e.g., raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, etc.) and ¼ cup finely chopped nuts or seeds
1/2 cup honey

2/3 cup nut butter (preferably natural, well-stirred, but creamy is fine, too) try to use low sodium, it’s a fairly obvious flavor if you are limiting your salt intake
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 scoops of favorite whey protein powder (if using a vanilla flavor, skip extract)
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine the syrup and nut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted and well-blended (alternatively microwave in small microwave-safe bowl 30-60 seconds until melted). Stir in vanilla until blended.

Pour nut butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until coated (use a wooden spoon at first, then get your hands in it. It will be sticky, but this way you can really coat everything. Just scrape off your hands when you're done). Press mixture firmly into an 8-inch square pan (lined with parchment paper) using a large square of wax paper (really tamp it down). Cool in pan on a wire rack and chill at least 30 minutes to help it set. Cut into 12 bars. (Wrap bars tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator).

***Cocoa krispies with the coconut taste a lot like somoa Girl Scout cookies***

Spiced Muffins

Ian and I are leaving so early these days with school and work that neither of us have had breakfast in a couple weeks. So today I decided to make some muffins to help us have something quick to grab as we leave. The only problem: these are so delicious they might become dinner and we'll just keep not having breakfast!!

I adapted it from a recipe found here: Spiced Yogurt Muffins

Ingredients:
2 C all-purpose flour
1 C light brown sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp allspice
2 large eggs
1 1/4 C vanilla yogurt
4 TBSP butter, melted
1/4 C cinnamon applesauce
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners (sprayed with cooking spray) or thick coating of shortening. In a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and pulse to blend; transfer to a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, butter, applesauce and vanilla. Fold the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients until just blended.Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18 minutes, until the muffins are springy; let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

These were so yummy!! And the shortening (I didn't have the paper so I experimented) gave the outside a nice crunch without the burnt taste! And they pulled away from the edges so well that I was able to just lift them out of the pan! The middle is spongy and it's so tasty!! Just look how yummy they are!

Burrito Filling

Okay, so Easter at my house is nowhere near conventional. Yesterday we went out for Chinese instead of using the money for baskets and candy. Today we had burritos for dinner! I like this. It could become tradition :)

Burrito Filling


8 chicken tenderloins
1 can cream of chicken + 1 can water
1 onion, chopped
1 can Rotel sauce (it's new to me, but it seems like just pureed rotel)
1 1/2 cups rice
2 cups water
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilis
1 can each pinto and black beans, drained and rinsed

Put the chicken, cream of chicken and water, onion, rotel sauce in the crockpot on high for 3 hours. Add the rice and 2 cups of water and the whole tomatoes. Just before the rice is done add the beans so they warm up.
Put all this on a warm tortilla with a dollop of sour cream.
Die and go to heaven.

Enjoy :)