at home or on the GO

{almost} nutri-grain bars [original recipe/link no longer works]

My girls enjoy {nutri-grain} cereal bars [and the generic equivalents], but I really wanted to know that they were actually getting good nutrients out of it [especially when it was breakfast!], AND I was wondering about cutting the cost. So I googled it [lol] and found the above recipe to be the closest to something I was looking for. After making it according to that recipe, I made a few tweaks and made another pan -and they are [both] YUMMO!

breakfast {in a bar}:

[preheat: 325. grease: 9×13. bake: 30 min]

[dry] stir together:
1 1/3 cup wheat flour
1 1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp each salt/baking powder
1/4 tsp allspice

[wet] mix together:
1 egg
1/2 cup [homemade] applesauce {what I used was homemade apple/pear butter}
1 tsp vanilla extract

[filling]
10 oz [aprox 1/14 cup] jelly or jam [homemade is wonderful here]
{I omitted the water and simply warmed it on the stovetop to help it be spreadable.}
1/4 cup mixed dried fruit and 2 Tbsp nut chopped {I used dry, roasted edemame as we have a nut allergy in the house.}

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directions:

Combine dry and wet ingredients. proceed as the other recipe: 1/2 spread in the bottom of a 9×13 greased pan. spread out the jelly. sprinkle with the dried fruits/nuts. cover with other 1/2 of the oat mixture {the oat dough is quite sticky and is not really spreadable so it can be a slightly messy process}.

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. can make 12+ bars depending upon how large you cut them.

Wrap individually in wax paper for easy grabbing. place in plastic bag/container.

Currently, they have kept about 5 days at room temp, but I am sure they would keep longer in the refrigerator. though I am not sure you will need them to!

ENJOY!

I have not yet figured out the cost per bar [equivalent size to the prepackaged], but I do know that these TASTE so much BETTER.

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{born of necessity} fruit cobbler

This creation was born of a desire for peach cobbler and no fresh peaches and no way to get any right then. {smiles}

so –use what you have!

[great for mid-winter when fresh fruit is not readily available…or affordable.]

Preheat oven to 375*.

1 can of sliced peaches [in natural juices or light syrup], spread out in a 9×13 pan & cover with 1/2 [or so] cup of rolled oats [not the quick cook kind]

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looking yum already!

2-3 very ripe apples sliced thinly [about 16 slices per apple for me]; layer over the peaches and oatmeal.

cobbler2

Sprinkle your own mixture of cinnamon and sugar… [I like to make my own mixture so it can be more cinnamony and less sugary than the store-bought].

And then for a extra special holiday flavor I sprinkle about 1 -1-1/2 tsp allspice on it.

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For a topping I have used several different things:

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Store bought cresent rolls: self-explanatory

My favorite was pie dough.

And have also used a streusel type dough, but that’s a LOT of oatmeal.

Cover with your desired [or available] dough

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Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes …or until juices are bubbly.

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sorry it’s blurry

Allow to cool at least 20 min. [yeah right!]

blurry again -ugh.

blurry again -ugh.

and consume.

My latest addition was about 1 cup of frozen blueberries sprinkled on before the dough topping. If you have a child that is fond of brightly colored foods… it makes the WHOLE oatmeal part very purple. {smiles} It was VERY yum.

And if you like it more fruity-use 2 cans of peaches [but drain 1 of the juice] or 1 can of peaches and 1 can of apricots or pears.

Serving options include: warm, ala mode [vanilla or REAL strawberry-YUM], whipped cream, with other fresh berries.

ENJOY!

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Far East {inspired} Pasta

Well, 2 posts in one day.
 don’t expect it to happen very often. 
*SMILES* 


 I call this “Far East {inspired} Pasta” because I am not entirely sure if you could actually label it “Chinese” or “Japanese” or anything, really. It has asian flavors: teriyaki & soy sauce, but could be used with Thai flavors or even Americanized with BBQ sauce. And, when it’s made with just vegetables, it is made almost too quickly for pictures (but, really, I didn’t think about posting it ’til it was done). 


Recipe:
1 lb. spaghetti noodles
1 bag frozen mixed ‘stir fry’ veggies
1 tsp cooking oil
1/2 c favorite teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce + 1/4 c cold water
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 – 3/4 c starchy water reserved from the pasta
1 egg

~  cook pasta according to package directions, but about 1 min. short of the ‘al dente’ cooking time, reserve 1/2 c of the water before draining  ~  put the pasta back in its pot
~  heat oil in skillet, dump in frozen veggies
~  allow veggies to cook until completely thawed & then crack the egg in the middle and stir till scrambled
~  add teriyaki sauce and soy sauce, turn heat to low at this point
~  mix corn starch & cold water to make a slurry
~  add pasta water, then add the slurry
~  pour veggies and sauce over the pasta and allow to sit over low heat for 5 min to thicken the sauce
~  serve!

garnish with toasted sesame seeds, add meat if you desire, change asian flavors for BBQ sauce or Italian dressing… or not.

I often neglect thinking about supper until it is quite late in the afternoon so these type suppers abound. Really, though, the only thing missing that would have been added had I thought about it earlier is some beef- which needs thawing first. 

Right now, I am praising the Lord that my husband even has a job. And we don’t have to live on beans and rice-nothing against beans or rice, we have them frequently, too. But variety is the spice of life, right?

Also, I am enjoying the relative quiet and sweet chatter of sisters playing nicely. together. and I love knowing they will eat this. willingly.

 God is only good.