you mean you can MAKE granola bars?!

well, that's odd, because i was under the impression that they just come from the store.

sadly, i'm not joking.

having been raised in a fairly large city, i was always taught that food comes from the store. no, seriously. i remember class trips when i was younger, and we were learning about where food comes from, and we went to the grocery store. a big chain store, too. yeah. so you can imagine my surprise when i learned that you grow peanuts and you grow garlic and you can make cottage cheese... and sadly, the list goes on.

and how pathetic is this... i've been baking just about everything from scratch lately - muffins, pie crust, tortillas, cookies, macaroons, you name it, i've made it - and yet this morning - just 15 scant minutes ago, in fact! - i had another one of those moments when i stood in shock for a moment and thought, "WHA-?! you can make those?!?!"

it's true.

and "those," gentle readers, are... wait for it...

granola bars.

ok, ok, i've been wanting to make them for a long time now. you can even find a few posts about them on this very blog. but, um... how can i put this... uh... {looks away}i've never made them before.

i know, i know. pathetic, right?

well, no more, gentle readers! because as of this very morning, i,

heather,

have made

{cue 2001: Space Odyssey music}

GRANOLA BARS!!

and yes, i'm going to give you the recipe. and yes, i actually have pictures this time!! :) (i was planning this post whilst i baked... usually i don't, hence the lack of pics on this site. haha)

so, here you go, my friends: i give you

CHEWY GRANOLA BARS

2 1/2 cups quick rolled oats

1/2 cup Rice Krispies (or nameless equivalent)

1/4 cup coconut

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

simplest directions ever: preheat the oven to 350F. 

mix all the ingredients together until combined. press the mixture into an 8x8 pan.

bake it for 18 to 20 minutes.

let it cool for 10 minutes, and score into bars. then let it set completely, and cut into bars.

seriously, it's that easy. i'm not even joking.

now, there was one glitch in the following of this recipe: somehow, i am out of chocolate chips. i didn't realize that until i got to that line in the recipe. (note to self: pull out ingredients before starting the recipe.) so instead of choco chips, i chopped up an apple and added a little bit (less than 1/2 tsp) of cinnamon. to be honest, i don't know how much i used. the 1/2 tsp spoon was the one i grabbed, and i didn't fill it because cinnamon can be pretty strong sometimes, and i didn't want to overpower the rest of the goodness.

and i as was typing that last sentence the timer beeped and so i pulled the pan out of the oven. and wow!! it looks and smells amazing!! kind of like apple crisp, actually, thanks to my handy-dandy last-minute, semi-panicked substitution. {wink}

ok, a couple tips before you make these: 

1. score the bars after they've cooled for 10 minutes. seriously. use the timer on the oven if you have to, but make sure it cools for at least 10 minutes.
2. let the bars set completely before cutting and removing them from the pan. if they haven't set, they'll fall apart. so wait patiently.
3. once you remove them from the pan, wrap them in cling wrap. this will help them to keep their shape and stay fresh. 
4. this is not a "make in the morning before the kids go to school" recipe. trust me on this one. make these the night before, so you can be sure they're completely ready for the lunch rush in the morning. (that being said, the bars had not completely set when i put them in the kids' lunches today. but i wrapped them up tight - the bars, not the kids - and gave strict instructions that they are to be eaten at second nutrition break. again, the bars, not the kids. here's hoping the bars will be ready by then. {crosses fingers})
5. another thing you could try: score the bars after 10 minutes. wait another 15 or so... then cut them up, wrap them individually in cling wrap, and put them in the freezer for a while. this helps.

they still smell divine. between the bars and my coffee, this house smells like heaven right now. {choir of angels} asher is already begging for a granola bar. it's actually getting a little frustrating. haha but that might be because he's asking in a 4-year-old voice what i'm asking in my head. {wink}

later...
k, i just had one of these bars, and WOW!!!! they're AMAZING!!!! they are chewy, not crunchy, so they're sticky on your fingers, but who cares?! also, next time i might use a little less brown sugar, like 1/3 cup instead of half. with the honey in there, it gets to be a bit too sweet... but then again, i prefer salty over sweet, so maybe it's just me.

in fact, i'm pretty sure it is just me, because asher had one, too, and he said it was really good. but he also said it was a little sticky. i have a recipe for crunchy granola bars, so i might try those next. but these are really good, and i highly recommend them... say... 4 out of 5 yummy sounds. :)

(ps - i'll post pics later... blogger's acting up this morning and won't let me post pics. boourns!!)

SNOW CREAM!!!!!!!

well, it is yet another snow day around here. that's right, the last day of school before march break, and we get a snow storm. i'm not joking.

and so... what do you do when school is cancelled and you're exhausted and low on funds and low on groceries and therefore also low on snackables? you find an easy recipe online and open the back door. {wink}

i looked up a recipe online, and since there were four ingredients, and there's four of us, we each had to remember one ingredient:
blithe: 1 cup sugar
bram: 1 tbsp vanilla
asher: 2 cups milk (although when i asked him what he was supposed to remember, he said, "2." "two what?" i asked. "too much!" so helpful. thanks. haha)
me: 3L (1 gallon) snow

basically, mix it all together in a bowl. dish it out. enjoy. :)

the verdict? from the mouths of babes....

this makes my mouff freezing!

this tastes good!

this tastes like outside!

this makes my taste buds freeze!

dat's why it is snow!

diss makes me shiver why it's so good!

and i would add, it tastes like christmas. you know... if christmas was, um... edible?? is that right? somehow i don't think so... please tell me you know what i mean, though. haha

that all means it's good. :)

gotta love snow days!!!!

snow day = kitchen day!!

the menu for today:

breakfast: oatmeal chocolate chip muffins. yes, from a mix, but they were yummy!

lunch: split pea soup. (see recipe below)

snack: peanut butter nuggets. (see recipe below)

supper: probably potato pancakes. le yum!

i made the muffins myself, and added a bit of cinnamon, as i mentioned in my previous post. they were good!! i also made the soup on my own, but it would have been very easy for blithe to help with it. probably not the boys, but definitely blithe. the PB nuggets will be made by the kids and me, though mostly them. the potato pancakes, i will likely make those myself. here are the recipes:

Split Pea Soup with veggies
split peas. i don't know how much. just throw them into the pot.
chicken broth. i just poured until it covered the peas.
water. added just a little bit, not much. enough to make it about an inch higher than the peas
some chopped carrots.
half a small onion, chopped.
garlic, salt

seriously, toss it all into a pot, turn on the stove, and walk away. easy peasy. once it's done cooking, use a hand blender to... um... blend it. and then enjoy. it will be nice and thick (but not too thick). it's good with crackers, though i suspect croutons would be even better.

Peanut Butter Nuggets (from allrecipes.com)
2/3 cup crushed cornflakes (or rice krispies... because that's what i have on hand)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey

1. mix 1/2 cup corn flakes, coconut, peanut butter and honey together.
2. shape into small balls and roll them in remaining cornflakes.

*these cookies can be put in the fridge to firm up.
**these cookies freeze well.
***yield: 2 dozen

UPDATE: the kids loved making these, and we all loved eating them!! we rolled them in icing sugar instead of rice krispies, and they were wonderful!!


Old-Fashioned Potato Pancakes (from allrecipes.com)
3 cups shredded peeled potatoes
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cups grated onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley. (obviously, you would need more if you're using dried... which is what i have)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Rinse potatoes in cold water; drain thoroughly. in a bowl, mix potatoes, eggs, onion, flour, parsley, salt and pepper. pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle. fry 5-6 minutes on each side or until potatoes are tender and pancakes are golden brown.
*yield 2 servings
**i usually shred 3 to 4 potatoes and then just eyeball the quantities from there. always turns out deliciously! :)
***mmm... potato pancakes with syrup... le drool!!!

birthdays!!!!

yup, i'm in a birthday frame of mind lately.

both the boys have birthdays in early december. and so... we're having a party.

yes. party. singular. as in, only one.

they both wanted to have their party at the bowling alley. bram's best friend has his b-day party there last month, and bram loved it. so, of course, we just have to do that, too.

but... it's kind of expensive. so......

i presented them the option of "plan B"... and thank God, they loved it and are very excited about. here's the new plan:

we're still bowling, but we're doing it at home. we're going to clear out the playroom (as much as possible) and set up two "bowling alleys" using those plastic bowling sets. you know... like this:

so that's part of what we'll be doing. we'll also play some more "classic" games:

and maybe a couple others... musical chairs (sorry, no cutesy picture, since it's just chairs and music), that sort of thing.

and the piece de resistance??

before everyone arrives, the boys are going to help me make cupcakes. i picked up a couple "cupcake mix in a tubes" yesterday.

so that's what we're going to use to make the cupcakes beforehand. they'll bake while the kids are arriving, and then, once they've cooled,

THEY'RE ALL GOING TO DECORATE THEIR OWN CUPCAKES!!!!

i've got chocolate and white cupcakes, chocolate and white icing, and some sprinkles etc. i'll be picking up some more decorating supplies this week, so they'll have quite the selection. i'm really excited about this part of the party. :)

and so are the boys. which is the best part, if you ask me.

i also managed to pick up a couple cases of pop (7Up and A&W root beer), because they were on sale. and i might pick up a couple cheap pizzas on party day, or i'll make some popcorn with fun flavouring, and some chips or something fun like that.

bram is especially excited about the goody bags. he's been nagging me to go to the dollar store to get stuff. "and make sure you get something for the grown-ups, because grown-ups need treats every now and then, too, right, mommy?"

and perhaps you're wondering about decorations. admit it, you were. {wink} well, my friend, i'm waaaay ahead of you. this week, we will be heading to the dollar store for some contruction paper. the boys (and blithe) will be making paper chains to hang up around the house. we'll also get some balloons and hang those around the house, as well. sure, it's nothing fancy, but it's fun, and the boys can help, so they'll love that.

so, there you have it. a double b-day partay for the boys.

can you believe, my little men are going to be 6 and 4???? i'm having a little trouble believing it, but i'm sooooo excited!!!

by popular request...

my recipe for hash brown casserole. (and be warned: this is one of my recipes. so expect my unique measurements.)

some hash browns. judge the amount based on the size of the dish-thingy
one onion, chopped
cheese. grated. i like a lot of cheese. because i like cheese a lot.
a can of cream of broccoli soup (or cream of broccoli and cheese soup. that's awesome.)
some milk. again, i don't measure, so just eyeball it.

sometimes i throw in some veggies. usually more broccoli, if i have it. because i also like broccoli. i have also been known to throw in some sausage. again, because i like sausage.

so i throw it into the oven, at say... 350-ish. and i let it cook... until it's done.

and then we devour it. because it's just. that. good.

ok, i just re-read this post, and wow. why do i even bother sharing recipes??? unless this is how you cook, this makes no sense!!! i'm really sorry, gentle readers. maybe in the future, i'll be more diligent when cooking and actually - gasp! - measure something.

but probably not.

the only thing better than chocolate treats... is homemade chocolate treats.

blithe and i spent the evening together tonight, and i have to say, it was such a special time. we don't often get time together without the boys, so this was truly wonderful.

i will post in a little while about the why's and what's about the evening on blithe's blog, but here is what i want to post about here:

WE MADE CHOCOLATES!!!!!

we decided that chocolate would be a perfect treat for two ladies, so off we trekked to Bulk Barn and picked up some melting chocolate (milk and dark - i might be indecisive... i'll let you know when i figure it out) and some skor bits. mmm... skor bits...

so we came home and melted said chocolate. blithe threw some of the pieces into the pot and stirred it up, and then she tossed in the skor bits. together, we poured the melted goodness into these little cups and left them to set.

i'm about to try one now... unwrapping it...putting it into my mouth... savouring it as it melts in my mouth (well, the chocolate is melting. skor bits don't melt)... stroking out from the goodness...

oh, i don't think i should share these with blithe. i'm going to have to save her from them. they're just no good. [wink]

alright, alright. i'll let her have some. after all, i promised that she could take some (1 or 2 pieces) in her lunch tomorrow. and we're going to give the boys each a piece, too, because they will love it.

we have never made chocolates. usually i just buy a twix or kitkat or something... occasionally, i indulge in dark chocolate with red chili (which is beautiful, by the way). but the chocolate blithe and i made tonight... these are wonderful, and beyond easy, and we are sooooooooooooooooo making this again!!!!

i still have the dark chocolate pieces. i just need to find the right je ne sais quoi to put in it. so tomorrow, i will be adventuring in a couple shops i know. what fun!

chocolate salami?? WHA-?!?!

once again, i'm watching Taste Budz with the kids. and today they are making... get this!!... chocolate salami!! as a lover of chocolate AND salami, i'm intrigued!! here's the recipe:

3.5 oz dark chocolate
3.5 oz milk chocolate
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 lady finger cookies
1/2 cup almonds, chopped, skin on, toasted
1 cup Rice Krispies
1/2 cup dried cherries, cranberries or apricots, finely chopped
fruit, for serving with salami (try strawberries, kiwis, pomegranate or raspberries).

Directions
Melt dark chocolate, milk chocolate and butter over a double boiler.

when chocolate is melted, stir in honey, cinnamon, salt and vanilla.

crush lady fingers in ziploc bag. you need about 1 cup of rough, coarse crumbs.

add lady finger crumbs, almonds, Rice Krispies, and dried cherries to the chocolate mix. stir to combine. let cool 10 to 15 minutes. this will make it easier to roll the mixture.

roll in parchment paper to form a log. then wrap tightly in saran wrap, tapering ends so they are rounded like a salami. refrigerate until set, about 2 to 3 hours.

cut chocolate salami into 1/2" to 1/3" slices. serve with small dollop of yogurt cream. store in refrigerator. makes about 20 slices.


i wish i could show you a picture, but i can't find one. you'll just have to believe me when i say that it looks amazing!!!! if you want to find the recipe for yourself, check out Taste Buds.