Guiltless Delicious Granola Bars

This recipe hits it out of the park....When enjoying these, I have to remind myself that they are healthy!  Truly a treat and an indulgent one at that!!!!

THIS RECIPE AGAIN PROOVES THAT HEALTHY CAN BE VERY YUMMY!!!! 


I chose to use my homemade granola in place of the nut mixture to incorporate the crispiness of the baked granola.  Also I used olive oil in this recipe because I find coconut oil to be a strong flavor.  I am thrilled however to have finally found a granola recipe that pleases my man clan. 

Combine in small sauce pan. Heat until pourable. Do not boil.
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup local honey
1 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter


Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2 cups quick oats
1 cup (total) of your choice sunflower seeds, flax seeds, dried fruit bits, carob chips
(I use 1 cup of my homemade granola)
1 cup organic brown rice cereal crisps
(Erewhon Organic Crispy Brown Rice found in organic food section at Walmart)
1/8 -1/4 cup carob chips (optional)


Pour honey, oil and PB mixture over oat mixture and combine well...refrain from eating it by the spoonful warm...Soooo delic!  The best decription yet is..."it is like the combination of a peanut butter rice crispy treat and a granola bar."
My inspiration for this recipe came from Laura at Heavenly Homemakers....

Granola...Grandma Tweet recipe

8 cups Old Fashioned Oats
2 cups Flaked Coconut
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pecans/ almonds/ walnuts..chopped
1 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup bran
1/2 cup wheat germ
4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine ingredients in a large bowl

Heat/do not boil:
3/4 cups canola (I substitute Olive oil...healthier and without adverse affect to flavor!)
1 cup honey
1 TBS Vanilla

Pour over oat mixture coating well.
Bake @ 325 for about 20 minutes stirring every 10 minutes or so...until lightly browned.

Add 1 cup raisins or other dried fruits after finished cooking.

So delicious over vanilla yogurt!

Crepes...a man clan pleaser!

Crepe Batter

4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups flour (I use ground oat flour that I grind in the blender)
2 1/4 milk (I use organic or goat milk)
1/4 c. butter, melted

Break eggs into blender.  Melt butter add milk to butter to cool it.  Pour into blender canister. Add dry ingredients  Combine all the ingredients in blender. Pulse for several seconds, until well combined.


I use my omelet pan to make crepes.  A pastry brush works well to coat pan with olive oil or your own oil of choice. Cover the bottom of pan with batter.  Cook until golden brown.  The boys like them lightly crispy on the edges.

I often fill them with fruit, or drizzle honey or pure maple syrup.

The fruit filling will be another post!  Enjoy some crepes!  We love them!


This batter keeps well in fridge. Make ahead and surprise the kiddos with a special breakfast.

Sausage Grits Casserole

1 pound ground sausage
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cups water
2 cups milk
1 cup raw grits
8 oz cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup cheddar

Preheat oven to 350

Brown sausage and onion together. Drain well

Bring milk and water to boil. Add grits and cook on medium heat until thickened.

Combine onion, sausage, grits, 8 oz shredded cheese, eggs, salt and pepper.

Pour into buttered 9x13 dish.

Top with 1/4 cup cheddar.

Bake 1 hour or until bubbly.

Enjoy immensely!

Adapted from "Jacksonville and Company" cookbook pg 182....lovin this cookbook!

German Pancake

Leigh Anne, at Home Based Mom shared her recipe for Puff Up Pancake.

I made my own version--Demarle style.


Increased the carb value by substituting 1/4 cup of oatmeal flour and made a peach version using some of those wonderful North Carolina peaches that I froze last summer. Remember, use what you have!






Apply the peaches in a manner to satisfy your O.C.D. urgings or just dump them on the pancake!



Garnish


The recipe made 2 9 inch diameter pancakes. The man clan was delighted.
I credit JOC as my photographer. He was fascinated with the effect he got from the powdered sugar...."it's like snow!"

The other 9" pancake got special treatment for Saturday family breakfast surprise!

4 oz cream cheese
3 TBS powdered sugar
Combine well with electric beaters.

Spread on pancake.

THEN....make fruit glaze of choice....mine is blueberry!

The powdered sugar "snow" will be applied in the morning!

Almond Pear Coffee Cake

There are just certain foods that serve as wonderful aromatics during the cooking process! Making this got EJC, attention. He usually avoids anything with sugar altogether, but when the timer buzzed, he was there waiting and ready for a slice of this! The almond extract is key to pulling off this flavor combination. This is a revision to this sucessful recipe. The original is also one worth trying! A staple and always a hit among this man clan.


1 c. sugar (¼ c sugar & 1 t stevia)
1/2 c. butter (¼ c canola & ¼ c butter)
2 eggs
2 c. flour (1 cup oatmeal flour, ½ cup WW flour, ½ cup all-purpose flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. sour cream
3/4 c. Stewed Pears (1 lg pear: peeled, seeded and chopped, 1/4 tsp. apple pie spice and 2 tsp sugar. Stir together and cook in microwave or on stove top until tender)
2 tsp. almond extract
TOPPING:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 cup Toasted Sliced Almonds
1/2 tsp almond extract
Coffee cake - combine sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream and bananas. Add vanilla.
Mix 1/2 of topping in batter and put 1/2 on top of cake. Bake in greased and floured Bundt pan. Can omit the greasing and flouring of pan if using DEMARLE! Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Banana Sour Cream Coffee Cake

BANANA SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE
1 c. sugar (¼ c sugar & 1 t stevia)
1/2 c. butter (¼ c canola & ¼ c butter)
2 eggs
2 c. flour (1 cup oatmeal flour, ½ cup WW flour, ½ cup all-purpose flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. sour cream
3/4 c. mashed banana (2 lg bananas)
1 tbsp. vanilla
TOPPING:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. pecans
3/4 tsp. vanilla
Coffee cake - combine sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream and bananas. Add vanilla.
Mix 1/2 of topping in batter and put 1/2 on top of cake. Bake in greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

The items in ( ) are the revisions I made and it was still a success!

Breakfast Casserole

This is adapted from the Demarle at Home Heritage from the Heart cookbook.

Layer the following ingredients into greased pan or if using Demarle cookware...no grease is needed!!! Can use any 2 quart Demarle mold.

• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (1-2 cups cheese)
  
• 1 pound of cooked ground sausage
• 6 slices of bread, made into crumbs in food processor (3 cups bread crumbs)
  

Wisk together the following ingredients.

• 5 eggs (5 - 8 eggs)
  
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 tsp. dried mustard
• 1 tsp. salt
  

Pour whisked ingredients over the layered ingredients and cover with foil. Refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven 350. Bake 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.
This recipe can also be baked in muffin Demarle tray for individual servings. Be sure to adjust your cooking time if using the muffin cups. For making sausage egg and cheese muffins the individual servings are ideal!!!

Tonight I made 2 versions of Blueberry Muffins!!!

The Family could not tell the "healthy version" from the self-rising white flour version!!! I call that success! To those of you that don't know me extremely well, I like using oat flour and sometimes whole wheat flour to increase the "carb value" of my breads. It relieves me of some of the angst of eating what I love...pancakes, waffles, muffins, ect...you get the idea?!?!?! It does not always turn out well. Tonight I was excited to work on this favorite muffin of mine!

This recipe came to me from a dear friend, Mrs. Becky Coffey. She made them for a bridal shower that I hosted a few years ago. From this recipe, I learned, that nutmeg and blueberries were created for one another!

For those of you that don't care, and you want the wonderfully fattening muffin recipe in its original form: Here it is in black and white....the revisions will be in red.

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar (1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 TBS stevia)

Beat the sugar and eggs together.

1/2 cup cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Add to the egg and sugar mixture. Beat well.

Combine dry ingredients.
2 cups self rising flour (1 cup self-rising flour and 1 cup oat flour, 1/4 tsp. soda, 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt)
1 tsp. nutmeg

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

1 cup sour cream ( 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt)

Add the sour cream to the muffin batter.

Add 1 cup of blueberries................................

right before scooping batter into Demarle mini-muffin tray or you can use a greased traditional mini muffin pans. I just have 2 objections to the "greased traditional pans": 1. it is too tedious and 2. I said "grease" doesn't that scream yuck!

Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

I do encourage you to try this recipe, even if you do not yet have any demarle cookware. It is worth the effort to grease your mini muffin tins! I promise you!!!

Quiche Loraine

I served this at my latest Demarle demonstration. I have made versions of this twice since! Making it in the Demarle Tart Tray is the perfect size for putting on an english muffin! The recipe makes a full tray of 12 and still there is enough of the fixings to make a small quiche in the sunflower mold. Yet another option for cooking ahead and having a quick nutritious, high protein option for those busy school mornings! This recipe is found in my Down Home In High Style cookbook with artwork by Jack DeLoney. Thank you again, Mrs. Regina for that cookbook!

One thing I like about making quiche is that the recipe can be so versatile. Use what you have. I often substitute ham or sausage for the bacon. Cheddar or a mix of Mozzarella and Cheddar is most often what I have and use. Essentially, I use the recipe as a guide for quantities and proportions. In the second section of the recipe I have also substituted whole milk for the evaporated milk. 13 oz is 1 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS. At my January 2009 brunch presentation, I used chopped ham, shredded cheddar, and followed the remainder of the recipe.
Crustless Quiche Lorraine

10 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (1 cup of meat)
1/2 of 3 oz can of fried onion, crumbled
1 cup of shredded Swiss cheese

Combine these ingredients and using a small scoop evenly proportion the mixture into the tartlet tray.
(I use the small Pampered Chef scoop)

4 eggs, beaten
13 oz can of evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Beat these ingredients together and pour from a liquid measuring cup into each tartlet.

Bake tartlets at 350 for 12-15 minutes. If baking in daisy mold, bake 20-25 minutes, or until egg is well set.


To make the Loaded English muffins:

• Toast the English muffin.
• Place a patty of cooked sausage on the English muffin.
• Place the cooked tart sized egg on the muffin.
• Lay a slice of American cheese over it all.
• Top with other side of English muffin.
  
• Set back under broiler until cheese is melted.

When I am making these for my husband or children as they are hurrying on their way....I have previously cooked the sausage and the egg so the only prep at the time of serving is the putting it together.

Mocha Maple Cinnamon Rolls

My friend, Leah, shared this winner with me. We have made them together a few times….with rave reviews, I might add! I took them to Bible Camp and many requested the recipe…So, here is the post!
Drum roll please!!!!!!!!!!

Maple Mocha Cinnamon Rolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heat together…do not boil.
4 cups milk
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar

Cool to room temperature.
Add:
4½ tsp. yeast (2 pkts)
Give it some time to activate…..become frothy . The sugar makes that yeast really happy.

Add
4 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups all purpose flour
Mix, cover, and rest 1 hour.

Add:
1 heaping tsp. salt
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1 scant tsp. baking soda
1 cup more of all purpose flour

Mix well. Knead about 10 turns until ready to roll dough out.

Roll it into a long rectangle. Spread with softened BUTTER 2/3 stick, ¾ cup SUGAR and liberally shake CINNAMON over the sugar. Roll and cut 1“ thick. Place into buttered pan. Allow to rise again till doubled in size. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

GLAZE:
1 bag powder sugar
2 tsp maple flavoring
½ cup milk
¼ cup butter
¼ cup coffee
¼ tsp salt

Beat well with wisk until thick and smooth. Pour over cinnamon rolls while still hot!
original recipe from Ree @ Pioneer Woman

Oatmeal Waffles

2 eggs
2 cups oatmeal flour *
1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cup milk
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Heat waffle iron. Combine dry ingredients. Add the eggs, milk and oil. Mix well to batter consistency and smooth. Pour batter from cup or pitcher onto center of hot waffle iron. Cook about 5 minutes or until steaming stops.

*if wondering what oat flour is and where you can get it...........I use quick oats and grind them in a food processor or blender. I used to grind it each time I needed it for a recipe...now I just grind a canister full at a time. It is handy to have it ready when I need it!

Oatmeal Pancakes

Many years ago, I was well above my ideal weight. My Doctor ordered me to avoid processed food, including white flour. When one is initially handed a "diet" it can be such an emotional moment. The diet seems so restrictive.

These pancakes provided for us a healthy sweet breakfast treat. I suggest topping these with banana slices, sprinkles of cinnamon, and drizzled with warm honey. The children like these with real maple syrup. A simple, quick on-the-go option would be two of these with fruit-sweetened jam or jelly and/or peanut butter.

These are made from quick oats that I have ground into flour in my blender (a relic Vita Mix).
When I first started making these and my oatmeal waffles, I would just grind what I needed at the moment in a little ($10) food chopper. Now, I keep a whole large oatmeal canister full of oat flour.

I attribute using a lot of oatmeal in my diet to my weight loss. The complex carbohydrates keep one feeling full longer and also do not spike the blood sugar like white, refined, processed foods. I encourage you to try these. I will tell you before you make them. They are much more hearty than typical "American" pancakes; not at all like the "float away--light and fluffy biscuick type". These truly have substance.

Oatmeal Pancakes

1 cup oatmeal flour
1 TBS Baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 TBS canola oil
See below for other variations.

Combine dry ingredients. Add the oil, milk and eggs. Beat until smooth. For thinner pancakes add 1-2 TBS more milk.

Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat or to 375. If necessary, use a little oil on skillet or griddle. (I usually do not since I use a nonstick griddle.)

For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Cook until puffed and dry around the edges. Turn and cook other sides until golden brown.

Sweet Potato Oatmeal Pancakes
1/2 cup pureed sweet potato (cook sweet potato in microwave for about 5-10 minutes)
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Tomato Cheese Grits

This recipe was given to me by Colleen Guy. I believe the first time I tasted it we were enjoying a fish fry....Kenneth Guy style. It soon became a favorite at our almost monthly "Headland Breakfast Gatherings". Well, now the last few times Pastor Doug Wilson has offered to come and cook fish at our Bible Conference ,Colleen and I have been assigned to prepare this recipe. It is another recipe that had to be blogged.

Tomato Cheese Grits

2 cups water
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1 cup quick-cooking grits
1/4 cup butter
4 oz velveeta
2 cups shredded cheddar (reserve 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top of casserole last 5 min of baking)
1 (101/2 oz ) can of Rotel
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350. Bring water and milk to a boil. Add salt and slowly add grits. Return to boil, stirring constantly 1 minute. Reduce heat, cover, cook 3 minutes.

While stirring add the butter and stir until melted. Cover; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add velveeda and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar, and garlic powder. Stir until cheese melts. Add Rotel.

Pour into a greased 13 x 9 casserole and bake about 40 minutes. Add remaining cheese over the top of casserole during the last 5 minutes of baking.