Homemade Granola

So, you asked, and here it is.  This is the original recipe I read, and below is what I did.  Mommy's Kitchen Homemade Granola  Her blog is awesome, by the way!  She has a ton of great recipes!


Homemade Granola


What I used:
About 3 cups quick oats
2 TBSP whole golden flax seeds
2 TBSP flax seeds, ground
small package slivered almonds (2/3 c maybe?)
small package chopped walnuts (1/2 c. maybe?)
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. honey
1/4-1/2 c. brown sugar
splash of vanilla


What I did:


Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.  Combine remaining ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves.  Pour over dry ingredients and stir until everything is coated.  Spread in a large rimmed cookie sheet and bake at 300 for about 30 minutes stirring every 10 minutes or so.  I took a spatula and patted it back out each time.  After I took it out, I let it cool a bit then broke it up into large clumps, which my kids have eaten like crazy!


There are a TON of granola recipes out there, and they are all so flexible.  Add different nuts or seeds, dried fruits, swap sweeteners using all brown sugar, or maple syrup for the honey.  Make it your own!  Then sprinkle it on Greek yogurt and eat it up!!!!

Overnight French Toast Casserole

I put this together last night to throw in the oven this morning for Father's Day breakfast.  It was a hit so I thought I'd share it with you all.  It was easy and yummy, great for a special breakfast!  


What you need:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 loaf French bread (or any thick cut bread)
5 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla


What you do:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat mixing brown sugar and corn syrup in until it comes together as a thick syrup.  Pour into a 13x9 baking dish.  Top with thick pieces of bread covering the bottom.  Mix eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla and pour over top.  Cool slightly and cover with foil then put in the fridge until ready to cook.  Place in oven and turn it on to 350.  (Put cold dish on cold oven if glass so it will warm slowly, cold dish + hot oven = potential glass breakage!)  Bake for 40 minute and remove foil.  Bake about 10 minutes more until well set and starting to brown.  Let sit 5-10 minutes then top pieces with powdered sugar.  Serve with fruit for a yummy treat!

It's not Baskin Robbins....

But it sure is YUMMY!  HEY, did you know tomorrow is Father's Day?  In case you forgot, run get these ingredients and make him this cake.  He'll love you forever!  Well, he will love you forever anyways because he is your Daddy, but he will love this cake forever!


Ice Cream Sammich Cake


What you need:
2 boxes of ice cream sandwiches (regular or sugar free)
Big ole tub of Cool Whip (or a can or 2 or whipped cream, or some real homemade whipped cream if you don't have a bunch of children running around like I do, which make you forget you are whipping cream, then you have butter.  Wait, where was I?  Oh yeah...CAKE)
1 package of Oreo cookies (with several missing because you scarfed them because no one was looking when you opened them)  Oh yeah, crush the rest up.
1 bottle or can of chocolate syrup


What you Do:
Take a 13x9 pan.  Unwrap enough ice cream sandwiches to cover the bottom.  Add a later of Cool Whip nice and thick.  Add crumbled cookies and drizzle chocolate syrup all over.  Repeat.  Freeze that baby and then EAT IT UP.  YUMMMMM!  


Can you tell I just made this?????  I don't know who is more excited, the kids, Daddy, or ME!

Easy Peasy Iced Coffee

So I am a total caffeine addict!  Coffee...tea...diet cokes (which in the south is anything with bubbles!)  Mmmm, love it!  Try this to get your coffee and caffeine fix in hot weather.


What you need:
About 6 cups of strong coffee
1 can Eagle Brand milk


What you do:
Mix it together, chill, pour over ice, drink and swear to your kids it is NOT chocolate milk and they can NOT have a drink!!!


Its so good!!!  You can add vanilla or chocolate syrup also to change the flavor.

Awesome Chicken Marinade

Its as hot as a kiln outside...what better weather to stand over a 500 degree fire in???  At least you aren't heating up your house!  Try this marinade next time you decide to!


Awesome Chicken Marinade
What you need:
2/3 cup oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


What you do:
Mix it all together add to a large ziploc bag.  Add chicken and allow to marinate 30 minutes to 4 hours in the fridge.  Grill chicken as desired.


This sounds like an odd combination of ingredients, but it is crazy tasty!  Try it!

Chicken Crescent Bundles

These are in the oven for lunch, even though its way too hot to have the oven on!  They were really easy to put together!

Chicken Crescent Bundles

What you need:

2 cups cooked chopped chicken (I used 2 cans)

3-4oz softened cream cheese

1 TBSP chopped green onion

2oz jar chopped pimentos

1/4-1/2 c. shredded cheese, any kind you like or have

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

salt & pepper, to taste

1 can crescent rolls

1 TBSP melted butter

2 TBSP bread crumbs or crushed croutons

What you do:

Soften cream cheese (fat free or low fat could be used) in microwave at 50% powder for 30 seconds if you forget to set it out like I did.  Chop or drain chicken if using canned.  Mix cream cheese with garlic powder and a few grinds of black pepper.  Add in onions, pimentos, cheese, and chicken.  Mix well and taste for salt.

Pop open crescent rolls (I use reduced fat because they don't cook up as greasy).  Leave them in squares of 2 stuck together (you should have 4) and press seams together smushing them out a little (yep, I said smushing)  Put a good scoop of filling on them.  Original recipe said 1/2 cup but I don't think I used that much because I wanted to have room to pull the corners up.  Pull opposite corners up to meet in the middle and press seams together making a nice little square package.  You can also separate into individual triangles before fulling and put a couple of tablespoons of filling on one, top with another, and seal edges.  Brush with melted butter and top with crumbs.  Bake at 350 until golden and yummy, about 20 minutes.  While baking, eat leftover filling on crackers because its crazy tasty!  I am thinking it would make a good chicken salad on its own!

Too Hot to Cook???

So, its about as hot as the surface of the sun here in Arkansas!  Its been too hot to cook, but I have been anyways.  I think I am going to dust off this recipe, dig out the Crock Pot and have Thanksgiving in June!


I was never able to make my Mom's dressing, mainly because she doesn't measure anything.  I looked and looked and finally found a recipe that was the texture we like and tweaked it to our tastes.  I make it without the chicken for the Holidays.  But adding chicken makes it a wonderful main dish.  Its quick and easy to throw together and won't heat up your kitchen!  You can make fresh cornbread, or throw leftover cornbread in a freezer bag and toss it in the deep freeze until you have about a pan's worth, then make dressing!


Crock Pot Dressing

What you need:

Desired amount of cooked chicken, shredded (about a pound)

1 10-inch skillet cornbread

1 ( 6 oz) pkg stuffing mix (like Stove Top, any flavor)

4 eggs (beaten)

2 cans Cream of Chicken soup (can do one can cream of chicken and one cream of celery)

2 cans chicken broth

2 tsp. poultry seasoning

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery (can omit if using 1 can of cream of celery)

salt and pepper to taste

3 T. butter

What you do: 

Mix ingredients together. Put in crock. Top with butter. Cook on low for four hours or on high for two hours.

And what's dressing without gravy????

Quick Chicken Gravy

What you need:

4 TBSP butter

4 TBSP flour

1 can low sodium chicken broth

1 can cream chicken soup

salt & pepper to taste

What you do:

Melt butter and whisk in flour over medium-high heat.  Whisk until light golden brown.  Whisk in broth and soup until thickened.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Cheddar Scallion Biscuits

I adapted this from this recipe at Epicurious. They were really easy and pretty tasty...they would be even better brushed with garlic butter like Cheddar Bay Biscuits at Red Lobster.


Cheddar Scallion Biscuits
What you need:
2 1/4 c. flour, all-purpose
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
6 TBSP. cold butter, cubed
1 1/2 c. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
3-4 scallions (green onions), chopped
1 c. buttermilk (or 1 c. with 2 tbsp. lemon juice, add milk to make 1 c. and let stand 5 minutes)


What you do:
Sift dry ingredients together.  Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, although I have never been able to figure out the knife method.  You can use your fingers to smush it into the flour well too.  Stir in cheeses and scallions.  Stir in buttermilk just until combined.
Drop by large spoonfuls on a greased baking sheet.  (I used a silpat.  Parchment would work well too) Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  Baking time will vary based on the size of your biscuits.
Optional:  Stir 1/2 tsp garlic powder until 1/4 c. melted butter and brush on hot biscuits.  Nom Nom Nom!

Smoked Rice

This so easy and yummy for summer cook-outs!  I have done it with brown rice also and it works just as well.
  
Smoked Rice (Some people called it BBQ Rice)


What you need:
2 c. cooked rice (white or brown)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can chicken broth (a little more than a cup)
1/4 c. butter (1/2 stick)
1/2c. onion, chopped
1/2c. celery chopped
1/4 c. green or red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder (or a couple of cloves minced)
1-2 tsp. liquid smoke
salt & pepper to taste


What you do:
Saute onions, celery, and peppers (if using) in butter until translucent (add garlic at the end if using fresh).  Add soup, broth, and seasonings and mix well.  Stir in rice. Start with 1 tsp liquid smoke, mix and taste.  We like a little more than 1 tsp, but its strong, so see how "smokey" you like it.  Pour into buttered (or sprayed) casserole dish and bake at 350 until bubbly...about 45 minutes.  Enjoy with ribs, pork loin, grilled chicken, you name it!