Toddler Tuesdays: Honey "Fried" Bananas

At two my little man is still obsessed with bananas... making them the perfect starring ingredient for Toddler Tuesdays!

He went through a phase a few months ago where he didn't want anything to do with them but we are back in action. I buy at least 8-10 bananas a week and typically they all go by the end of the week between he and I. To him the best way to serve a banana is straight up out of the peel... he's not as into experimenting as I am. However, he's "stuck" with me as his mama so every now and then I have to get crafty and he has to at least humor me and try my creations.

These bananas have been all over Pinterest since I joined many moons ago and I finally got around to trying them for him. Some people may read this and  question why I'd make a healthy food "unhealthy" by mixing it with oil and honey, but Landon really struggles with weight and needs as many calories as he can get. At 26 months the boy is just hitting 24 pounds, so needless to say every calorie counts! Plus- this is fun stuff- who doesn't love sweets?

These bananas were delicious (as I expected). Landon and John sat down with the plate and two forks and went to town. I managed to steel one before they disappeared and I have to agree that they were delicious- a nice healthy dessert!

Source: Rachel Schultz

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 slightly under-ripened banana
1 tbsp honey
Cinnamon

Directions:
1- Pour the oil into a large skillet and turn the heat onto low.
2- Slice the banana.
3- Add the banana to the skillet, flipping after it has browned (about 1 minute). Allow to brown on the other side.
4- In a small bowl combine the honey and 1 tbsp water. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the pan. It will bubble up and then begin to caramelize around the banana.
5- Sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve warm.

Apple Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

If I had to pick a favorite part of Thanksgiving this year I'd go with these cookie bars. Apple pie isn't typically a favorite of mine but I do love apple based desserts, especially if they are covered in ice cream and sitting atop a pastry. Just sayin'. So when this recipe came across my radar I was instantly sold. I think it was the first new recipe I added to my Thanksgiving menu for the year since I tend to stick with the same classic things, but this was a totally delicious hit. I really liked the end pieces since there was a higher cookie-to-apple ratio on the edges for some reason. Yum.. try these, soon.

A couple funny side notes- I used to be scared to make snickerdoodles because of the cream of tartar. I don't know what I thought it was, but clearly I didn't know it was just a powder... I wish I had researched it instead of skipping all snickerdoodle recipes for years! Aside from cream of tartar, I never cook with shortening. I bought it for these and Landon was intrigued. He kept yelling "ICE CREAM! FOR ME!" I think he would have been pretty disappointed if I let him lick the lard...

Source: Cookies On Friday

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 ounce can apple pie filling
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar

Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2- In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs; beat until creamy. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running on low, add the flour mixture and stir until combined. Do not over beat.
3- Press 2/3 of the dough into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons cinnamon sugar and then spread the apple pie filling over the dough. With the remaining dough, take small pieces and flatten them and place on top of the apple pie filling. Continue with additional pieces of dough, piecing together a random top. You will not cover all of the apple pie filling.
4- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the dough is baked and the bars begin to brown around the edges. Cool completely. Use the foil to lift the bars from the pan; place on a cutting board. Remove the foil and cut into bars.

Mini Apple Pies

Two weekends ago we went apple picking with our good friends and their kids. It was a great time! Landon and his buddy William had a blast grabbing apples off the trees and throwing them into the wagon. I tried to keep the amounts of apples we bought in check because I knew I was the only one who would really eat them, so it seemed really unnecessary to have 50 pounds of apples in the house. One of the first things I did when I got home with my big ol' bag of apples was dig through my files for a recipe I wanted to make. Enter these mini apple pies. Sure, they only used two apples which didn't quite make a dent in my bounty, but these pies were so stinkin' delicious. They were easy to assemble and the perfect treat. I had intended to share them with John's family when they were over for dinner but I forgot to put them out (a fortunate mistake I suppose) so John and I had to eat them all ourselves... poor us... ::wink wink:: I will say that I only got about 3 of them, so SOMEBODY in my house really enjoyed them. Totally delicious and a nice alternative to making a big pie.

Source: Adapted from Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients:
2 large apples, peeled, cored & thinly sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 sheets refrigerated pie crust

Directions:

1- Preheat oven to 425.
2- In a medium bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour,  and cinnamon. Toss gently then set aside.
3- Unroll 1 sheet of pie crust onto a work surface. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, press edge side down into the dough to make small circles. Press into mini muffin tin. Fill each crust with apple filling.
4- Unroll second sheet of pie crust and cut into thin strips. Form a pattern over the apples, gently pressing the dough onto the apples.
5- Bake until the crust is browned, about 18-20 minutes. Let pies cool in muffin tin, then remove.

Toddler Tuesdays: Banana Oatmeal Bites

Oh Toddler Tuesdays, I haven't forgotten about you! I swear.

I haven't been too adventurous in the kitchen lately with Landon. Little man is picky, and as a cook, picky eaters are seriously not fun to cook for! However I decided it was time to try another new treat for Landon and decided to use what I had in the house to make him a cookie/cracker type snack. You see, Landon will eat crackers like nothing else. Saturday night he ate 14 crackers. FOURTEEN CRACKERS. I was in shock. So I decided to try something cracker shaped that was healthier.

These oatmeal bites are great. They are soft- more of a cookie texture than a cracker- and dense. Landon has been nibbling on them since I made them and seems to like them. I think he's definitely confused as to why they taste like "nana" but don't look like one haha! You could add in some raisins, chocolate chips (which, btw, Landon doesn't like! WHO doesn't like chocolate?!?!?!), or any other mix in that appeals to you. Definitely an easy recipe that makes a healthy, toddler friendly, snack.

(Pardon this off coloring, my son is not this shade of red, it's the best pic I could get- he screamed "CHEESE" as I took this, then refused to let me take another one haha!)

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

2 large overripe bananas

1 cup quick cook oats

2 tbsp graham crumbs

1 tsp canola oil

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with silpats or parchment paper.

2- In a bowl mash the bananas until smooth. Stir in the oats, graham crumbs, and oil. Stir well until fully combined.

3- Scoop tablespoons into sheets. Flatten. Bake 15 minutes, until golden.

4- Remove and allow to cool on cooking sheet.

Toddler Tuesdays: Applesauce Melts

This is so far from a "recipe", seeing as how there's only one ingredient, but it's so kid friendly- you'll thank me.

Landon loves yogurt melts. You know, those dehydrated disks of yogurt that taste like sour milk? Yup- loves them. He can eat a whole pack in one sitting (and has more than once) so when I saw these applesauce melts on Pinterest I knew I had to try them. I made them quickly one night while he was eating dinner and within an hour they were ready to go. Landon was skeptical at first... he's still unsure about cold things like ice cream/Italian ice/etc. He didn't want to touch them, but once he got the spoon involved he was a happy camper. These are a great treat, especially with the hot summer beginning.

The best thing is you can make as many or as few as you want. You can use any flavored applesauce you like- Landon is a huge fan of the Healthy Harvest blueberry applesauce as well as the Cherry Berry applesauce by Mott's. I can't wait to make a huge batch of these for him soon. I might do some mixed with some Greek yogurt to make a healthy yogurt/fruit snack!

Source: Inspired from Pinterest 

Ingredients:

Applesauce

Directions:

1- Pour applesauce into a zipper bag. Snip off a tiny section of one corner.

2- Squeeze disk shaped applesauce blobs onto a silpat covered baking sheet (or parchment paper). Freeze for one hour- or until set. Remove from sheet- store in a freezer bag.

Toddler Tuesdays: Banana Sushi

For toddlers... and those of us who just like to eat like one.

So Landon has a thing for bananas. In fact, it's a bit of a BIG thing. In our house we call bananas "the yellow fruit" because if we utter the word banana and Landon is anywhere in ear shot he screams "NANA!!!!" and goes insane wild until he has some. Truth be told we even hide bananas. Yes. Hide. Because if he sees them he doesn't want anything else. Safe to say it's his favorite food.

So anyway, when I began looking for fun toddler-inspired snacks to liven up the routine I was fascinated with this idea of wrapping a banana with peanut butter in a tortilla or flattened wheat bread. Then I discovered Landon's peanut allergy and assumed this snack was out of bounds, but thanks to the joys of Sunbutter it's back on the menu. When I made this Landon was a little skeptical... 

"I mean, it looks like a banana... but there's... stuff... on it..."

After a couple bites he was sold. He ate about half a banana, maybe a little less, but for Landon that's a big deal with a new food. Usually he takes a few tries before he gobbles too much up. We also discovered that Landon has poor sushi etiquette since he requested a fork (or two... don't judge us) to eat this with.

(Still working on figuring this whole fork thing out)

This is a great and EASY lunch or heavy snack option. Plus it's just a bit more exciting than a traditional sandwich. Can't be beat!

Source: Pinterest (can't find a link to the original, mine takes me nowhere, just to the image)

Ingredients: 

1 slice of wheat bread

Peanut butter (or Sunbutter)

1/2 banana

Directions:

1- With a rolling pin roll the bread paper thin. Cut off the crust.

2- Spread the bread with a layer of peanut butter.

3- Place the banana in the center and roll the bread around the banana.

4- Use a sharp knife (cerated works best) to cut the banana into thin slices.

Vidalia Onion & Peach Tomato Sauce (& GIVEAWAY!)

Are you into canning? Quite honestly, I knew very little about canning until recently. Since I don't grow a garden I never really looked into canning, and if I'm being honest it intimidated me. When the people at Ball Canning contacted me I was thrilled. Personally I am a big fan of their jars (see below for a giveaway of their jars!) and have used them for so many purposes, none of which were canning (you know... stuff in the classroom, drinking water...etc.) When they offered to send me a kit to get me started with canning I thought it would be a great new challenge. Little did I know it's really not that challenging at all. In fact, if you're interested in canning check out their canning products here. Some of my favorite items I received are the freezer jars and dissolvable labels.

When I knew I'd be canning I assumed I'd make a jam. That's pretty standard, no? However, my friend Natalie at The Dinner Club had been raving about her peach tomato sauce and I decided I needed to try it. She guest posted on her friend's blog and the recipe sold me. Hands down this is one of my favorite recent recipes. It's sweet and delicious. I have so many meals planned around this sauce... the first of which was a pizza I'll be sharing soon. This is such a great way to feature summer produce and enjoy a healthy, interesting sauce.  Please try it- you owe it to yourself!

See below the recipe for giveaway details!

Source: Adapted from The Dinner Club as seen on LeMoine Family Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small/medium vidalia onion (or half a large), finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
3 peaches, peeled and diced
4 tomatoes (2 beefsteak and 2 on the vine were used, but any 2 work), peeled and diced
15 basil leaves, sliced thin
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1- Heat the oil, add the onion. Season with salt and allow to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cooking another minute or so.
2- Deglaze the pan using either the wine or broth. Cook an additional 5 minutes.
3- Add the tomatoes and peaches. Season with salt. Cover. Cook about 30 minutes.
4- Remove the lid, using a potato masher mash the fruit mixture. Recover, add the basil, and cook over medium/low for an additional 30-40 minutes.
5- Season with salt and pepper to taste.


BUT NOW... for the part you're really interested in... the giveaway. Ball is kind enough to send the winner a set of jars to get you started on your own canning venture.

TO ENTER:
1- Leave a comment on this post telling me what you'd do with your jars if you were to win. 
2- ONE ENTRY PER PERSON- please be sure to leave your email so I have a way to contact you. 
3- Comments are moderated- they will not appear as soon as you post, please do not resend the comment.

Contest will end TUESDAY, JULY 17 at MIDNIGHT.

(Image in the picture may not be the same set you receive).

Cinnamon Apple Cookie Pie

Is your menu set for Thanksgiving yet? Mine was set a long time ago because I tend to keep it similar year to year... but as the last couple days approach I always feel I don't have enough and start thinking of what else I should add. Another vegetable? Another dessert? I always cook for an army and yet I never feel I have enough... the irony! 

If you're still looking for a dessert I'd suggest this pie. It was very tasty and honestly I'm quite proud of it. I had a pie crust to use up so I just started throwing things together and it resulted in this. The pie crust is topped with a cinnamon cookie, the cookie is then topped with soft cinnamon apples and swirled with peanut butter and chocolate chips. You can use any chips to stir in, caramel and butterscotch would be good too! I used peanut butter and chocolate since those are favorites for me, but use what you like. It had lots of contrast, but all the flavors went together. It would be perfect for Thanksgiving, it has all those warm flavors that are associated with the holiday.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 pie crust (not deep dish- standard sized)

Cookie layer:

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

Apple layer:

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thin

1/4 cup apple cider

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup, total, assorted chips (caramel, butterscotch, peanut butter, chocolate, etc.)

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 350.

2- Combine the melted butter with brown and white sugar, stirring well. Stir in the egg. Stir in the flour and cinnamon until well incorporated. Pour the cookie mix into the base of the pie crust and bake 20-25 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick inserted into the cookie comes out mostly clean. Set aside.

3- In a small saucepan combine the apple slices, cider, butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir well. Cook over low heat until the apples soften. Then turn up the heat and keep cooking until the liquid thickens around the apples. Once done, set aside and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Stir in the chips quickly and pour over the cookie.

4- Bake about 20 minutes, be sure to cover the crust of the pie do it doesn't burn.

5- Allow to cool, then serve. 

Watermelon Frozen Yogurt Popsicles

This pregnancy has made me crave two things I don't normally care for: chips and water ice. We go to Ralph's, a local Italian ice chain, quite often. We even had them come to our wedding to give out Italian ice when our guests left... we take our ices quite seriously ::wink wink::. However I always get the heavy cream ice which is like a slushier ice cream... yet since being pregnant nothing is more appealing than water ice- lemon in particular. When this ice pop recipe popped up on Cassie's blog I knew I had to make them. It was a healthier way to cure my constant need for fruity water ice. The best thing about this recipe is the possibilities. I'm already imagining a pineapple version- yum. Just change the fruit and even the yogurt and you have a new flavor. These are creamy and taste exactly like the fruit you use because... well... they're made from fruit! Yes, I am clearly Captain Obvious today, I apologize. Even my dad who was skeptical really liked them. Before the summer ends and all of the great fruit disappears give these a shot!

Source: Cassie Craves

Ingredients:
2 cups seedless watermelon, diced
1 6-8 oz carton vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp sugar

Directions:
1- In a food processor combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze according to the directions for the molds (mine required 4-6 hours but I let them go overnight to be sure).

Sweet BBQ Chicken Kabobs

Growing up our grill was by far the most used kitchen tool. My dad grilled dinner most nights of the week over the summer and at least a couple times a week year round (snow never held him back!) So when I went there last weekend for a day to spend time with my parents I knew I wanted to make something that could be thrown on the grill. I love cooking for others and since it's currently just John and I, I like to take advantage of opportunities to cook for my family when I go to their house. Needless to say, they don't mind either! These kabobs came out awesome. They were light and healthy, easy, and had just the right amount of flavor. I served them with garlic couscous and it was the perfect summer meal. Give these a shot, you'll be glad you did.

Oh, and just so you know, my dad set up the flowers in the background of the picture up top. He has an insane garden full of vegetables (the peppers were from there) and tons of pots of flowers... so he decided to "stage" my picture for me. Not half bad if I do say so myself!

Source: Slightly adapted from Cassie Craves

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 cups pineapple, cut into chunks
1 large green pepper, cut into chunks
1 red onion, cut into chunks
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
3 tbsp. orange juice

1- On skewers, alternate pieces of chicken, pineapple, bell pepper, and onion. Repeat until the skewer is full and all skewers are complete.
2- In a bowl stir together the BBQ sauce and orange juice until well combined. Spoon over the kabobs, rotating to spoon the sauce evenly over all sides.
3- Grill until cooked though.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Sometimes inspiration is everywhere... and other times, inspiration is MIA. Lately, it's been the latter of the two. I feel like dinner is just a necessary evil, but hey, I'm sure I'll jump out of this funk soon. This dinner was made on one of those "I don't know what I want... I want something that I don't have... I just want a chef..." nights. I threw it together and as I was eating it and I suddenly felt better. Even though it wasn't what I had wanted it came out really good! The ingredients paired nicely together and really was delicious. John and I were both fans and it was a nice twist on the traditional fried rice!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 tsp. canola oil
1/2 small yellow onion, diced small
1 bell pepper, diced small (I used half red/half green)
3 ounces chicken, diced small
2 cups cooked white rice, day old is best
Soy sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup cashew nuts
1/4- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks- diced small

Directions:
1- Pour the oil in a nonstick skillet. Heat over medium heat.
2- Add the onion and peppers, stirring well to soften, about 5 minutes.
3- Stir in the diced chicken. Stir regularly, until cooked.
4- Remove the chicken/veggie mixture to a dish.
5- Add the rice to the skillet. Allow to heat. Do not stir.
6- After about 3 minutes, stir, and allow to sit again for about 3 minutes.
7- Add the soy sauce to taste (use less, you can always add more, you want it to coat but not soak the rice). Add the garlic powder. Stir well.
8- Add in the cashews and the pineapple. Return the chicken/veggies to the pan. Stir well and allow to heat together for about 4-5 minutes.
9- Serve hot.

Sparking Fruit Tea (& A Giveaway!)

A couple months ago I was contacted by the people at Lipton Iced Tea and asked if I'd be interested in sampling their new line of natural iced tea products. My interest was peaked because I find it hard to find iced tea products that are natural and don't contain high fructose corn syrup. This line of iced teas uses real sugar which is key for me and has no artificial colors or flavors. Win win!

The package contained six new iced tea flavors. After sampling them John and I were thrilled. And believe me, I'm not just saying that because Lipton sent them to me, I'd be honest with you if they were gross. Here's the rundown on what we tried and our opinions:

Iced Tea with Blueberry Pomegranate- by far our favorite. It smelt and tasted very fruity. It got better and better with each sip! (Also, this is the flavor I used for my sparking fruit tea above, the recipe is below!)
Green Tea with Passionfruit Mango- Light and summery, perfect for this season.
Iced Tea with Lemon- Classic, exactly what you'd expect of lemon iced tea.
Green Tea with Citrus- Surprisingly good! Neither of us are big green tea fans and we both liked this a lot.
Diet Green Tea with Citrus- Also good, slightly less sweet. I do not drink diet drinks due to the fact that "diet" usually means "chemicals" but this is all natural and really good, doesn't taste diet at all.
Diet Green Tea with Watermelon- This one had the strongest response from us. We were expecting it to be gross and kind of fake, but it was truly awesome and light tasting. We'll be buying this one again soon!

Lipton has paired up with Pandora.com to help people see "the natural side of music." One of the items I received from Lipton was a one year free subscription to Pandora One which offers unlimited listening, no advertising, and other great features. Since I love all of you so much, I'm passing the love on to you! I'm giving away the one year subscription to Pandora One plus two coupons for FREE bottles of Lipton Natural Iced Tea. I know you won't be disappointed, we certainly were not! To enter, leave a comment at the end of the post telling me what drink you enjoy most in the summer! One entry per person, contest ends Tuesday, June 7 at midnight. Be sure to leave your email address so I know how to contact you if you win.

And before we forget, the recipe for the sparking fruit tea! This was delicious, we both loved it and I can't wait to have some with dinner tonight.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
20 ounces Lipton Natural Iced Tea with Blueberry Pomegranate
17 ounces sparking apple juice
1/2 lemon, sliced thin
1/2 lime, sliced thin

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients listed above. Stir gently. Serve immediately.



Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Gen-Yknot on behalf of Lipton and received Lipton product samples and a subscription to Pandora One to facilitate my candid review. Gen-Yknot also sent me a promotional item to thank me for my time.

White House Granola Bars

Did you ever wonder what President Obama and his crew eat for breakfast? NO!? Well.. honestly, I haven't either. It's just not something that crosses my mind. It would probably be significantly stranger if I did wonder about that, right? However, when these granola bars popped up on my radar as the granola bar recipe that they make in the White House I scanned the ingredients and figured if it's good enough for the President it's good enough for me!

These granola bars were delicious. I have become more and more interested in making my own granola bars. Most of my old favorites are loaded with ingredients that I don't like to eat too often. Not to mention if you do buy the organic or all natural options they are over $5 a box which is nuts when I can make a huge batch using ingredients I have on hand. These were very crunchy and not at all soft. They had a nice texture though- I thoroughly enjoyed the crunch. They don't take the place of my favorite granola bars but they are a very nice alternative. Once they cooled completely and were sliced I wrapped them individually in Press and Seal wrap, then placed them in an air-tight container. It kept them perfectly for almost a week.

Source:  Adapted from Health For The Whole Self

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons oil (vegetable, canola, olive... you choose)
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons peanut butter
3/4 cup dried fruit (I used Craisins and a raisin blend)
3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a small baking dish with nonstick spray. (My dish was 6x4 but I know this isn't a typical size, you want something smaller than a standard square baking pan.)
2- Place seeds and oats in a large dry skillet. Heat over medium heat until slightly toasted, about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly.
3- In a saucepan combine the honey, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Heat until hot and well combined, stirring often.
4- In a mixing bowl combine the oat mixture, liquid mixture, fruit, and cinnamon. Stir well.
5- While the mixture is hot pour it into the prepared baking dish and press down with a clean spoon.
6- Bake 25-30 minutes or until brown and set. Transfer the dish to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Strawberry Doughnuts

So ever since my first attempt at doughnuts I've been hooked! I love my doughnut pan and love researching fun new recipes to try with it. A few weeks ago we had a new addition to our family, a beautiful baby girl- my first niece, and I am simply smitten with her. When she was born I wanted to bring a few items over to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law to ease some of the burden of being home with a newborn. I decided to make them some form of breakfast, and decided to go with these doughnuts. They are a tad bit healthier than traditional doughnuts as in there is no glaze or icing, and they are a bit more muffin-like than a doughnut. I also liked that there was some fruit in them... because clearly fruit makes them healthy, right?! RIGHT?! These aren't your typical overly sweet doughnut, but they are still quite tasty. John and I were fans and I hope the new mommy and daddy were too!

Source: Stetted

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 tbsp melted butter
1/3 cup diced strawberries
1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 and grease doughnut pan.

In a small bowl, stir together berries and syrup. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients, then add milk, egg, and butter, stirring until just combined. Add berries. Fill each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 7-9 minutes, until tops spring back.

Thick, Chewy Granola Bars

These are the best granola bars in the world. Yes. I am making that broad of a claim. These are the best granola bars I have ever, ever eaten. And trust me- I've eaten my fair share of granola bars.

Let's get into it, shall we? These are soft yet firm. I'm not sure how, but they are. The edges bake up crisp. The possibilities of mix ins are endless. They are quite healthy and you can feel good about eating them. They are pretty. They are the best granola bars ever.

What I really love about this recipe is that you can keep the base ingredients the same but change out your sweetener, change your mix ins, and next thing you know you have a whole new recipe. I think the only thing that I didn't love about these is that I gave half of them to my dad- I wish I kept them all! We went through them so quickly that I am already thinking about the next batch I'm going to make.

Just a little tip- I took my nuts and put them in the food processor to pulse them down to little bits. I kept the fruit whole but I chopped up the nuts and I really like how the small pieces of nuts spread throughout. If you don't have a food processor you could always put them in a zipper bag and roll them with a rolling pin. It's worth the extra effort.

Source: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar, depending on how sweet you want them
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts- *List of suggestions below (I used 1 cup mixed craisins/raisins, and 1 cup cashews/almonds/pumpkin seeds -altogether, not each- pulsed small)
1/3 cup peanut butter or another nut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup (I used honey)
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan with nonstick spray.

Over low heat melt the butter. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter/peanut butter mix, liquid sweeteners and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. 

Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. 

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — don’t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. They’ll still seem soft and almost underbaked when you press into the center of the pan but do not worry, they’ll set completely once completely cool.

Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. Cut with a serrated knife.

*Suggestions: Dried cranberries, apricots, raisins, peanut butter chips, cashews, almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, pecans, sunflower seeds, coconut, walnuts, sesame seeds, pepitas, dried apples or even chocolate chips. 

Cheerios Banana Muffins

Bananas- love them. Hate when they go from green to black in two days flat though. Ugh.

Black bananas do lead to baking though, which is always a positive thing. I was sick of my same ol' recipes, so I did some quick searching and came up with these muffins. You might be thinking it's weird, and admittedly it kind of is, but I bet you'll be pleased.

The Cheerios on top really do add a little bit of a nice crunch.... the contrast in texture is wonderful. The taste is spot on too. I'd bet these are very kid friendly as well, so give it a shot. What's not to love about bananas, sweet muffin, and Cheerios?! I'm a fan.

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Source: Adapted from Eat Better America

2	cups Honey Nut Cheerios
3/4	cup all-purpose flour
1/2	cup whole wheat flour
1/3	cup packed brown sugar
1	teaspoon baking powder
3/4	teaspoon baking soda
1	cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium)
2/3	cup buttermilk
2	tablespoons canola oil
2	egg whites

1.	Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray, or grease bottoms only of muffin cups. Place cereal in food-storage plastic bag; slightly crush with rolling pin to make 1 1/2 cups.
2.	In large bowl, mix cereal, flours, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle with whole Cheerios if desired.
3.	Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand about 2 minutes in pan, then remove from pan to cooling rack. Serve warm if desired.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Ok people... these muffins are heavenly. Last weekend I knew I wanted to make some type of healthy(ish) muffin for breakfast this week. I simply googled whole wheat muffins and these popped up. I love the website Eat Better America so I was thrilled to make their version of this classic muffin.

When I first tasted these muffins warm from the oven I thought "Meh... no flavor." But once they cooled and I tasted them again my mind completely changed. These were incredible! They are sweet yet satisfying. I paired one up with a banana every day this week and it held me until lunch. I will say I halved the brown sugar topping because it seemed excessive when I was making them but I wish I had kept it the suggested amount. They need that sugary sweetness because there isn't any in the recipe so definitely use all of it.

Overall John and I both loved these. I've looked forward to breakfast daily this week so these just might be repeated again soon!

Source: Eat Better America

Topping
2	tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4	teaspoon ground cinnamon
Muffins
3/4	cup skim milk
1/4	cup canola or soybean oil
1/4	cup honey
1	egg
1	cup all-purpose flour
1	cup whole wheat flour
3	teaspoons baking powder
1/2	teaspoon salt
1	cup  blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1.	Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray, or place paper baking cup in each muffin cup. In small bowl, stir together topping ingredients; set aside.
2.	In large bowl, beat milk, oil, honey and egg with spoon until well blended. Stir in flours, baking powder and salt just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy). Gently fold in blueberries.
3.	Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (cups will be full). Sprinkle with topping.
4.	Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and muffins are golden brown. Immediately remove from pan.