Chewy Granola Bars

Have you ever been frustrated at how so many homemade granola bars need to be eaten as cereal instead of bars? They are dry and crumbly,and never fail to make a mess when you try to eat them gracefully. At horse shows, you might as well feed them to your mount so you don't have to wear the crumbs on your shirt! 

So far, this is the best granola bar recipe I have found. They are so chewy and gooey...no need to stress over the crumbles. Best of all, they are chock full of protein-peanut butter, sunflower nuts, and wheat germ, so you can rest assured that you aren't eating a glorified cookie. Have I convinced you to try this recipe?

 First off, like many bar recipes, you want to mix your wet ingredients. I like to melt my butter in a microwave-safe bowl, then throw the sugar, corn syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla on top of it. Mix it well-everyone wants a fair portion of the peanut butter. 



This is where you get to add the good-for-you stuff: oatmeal, wheat germ, sunflower nuts, wheat germ, raisins, sesame seeds, and dark chocolate. Don't you just love that dark chocolate is good for you? 



Okay, mix everything together. Since there is no leavening agent, there is no danger of over mixing. Again, you are ensuring that everyone gets a fair share of the good stuff. Distribute the chocolate as well-no hoarding. 


Press the mixture into a pan. Don't worry about greasing it-there is enough butter in the recipe you don't need extra grease. Many people loyally follow the recipe and grease cookie sheets and pans when there is no need. Most cookie (drop and bar) recipes have enough fat to keep them from sticking without assistance. In fact, if you grease a cookie sheet before baking, your cookies will often have 'fry lines' where the excess oil was.


After baking, allow the bars to cool completely before slicing. Serve with a glass of milk if desired! 

Chewy Granola Bars

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

2/3 c. peanut butter

2 t. vanilla

3 c. quick-cooking oats

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. sunflower nuts

6 T. wheat germ

2 T. sesame seeds

1 c. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350  F. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Press in 9x13 baking pan. Bake for 15 min. Allow to cool before slicing. Makes 24 bars.

Chicken Crunchwraps

A month or so ago, I tried making beef crunchwraps for the first time. Mmmm.....they were awesome. Well, since then we have used up all of our ground beef, so I had to try using poultry. I shredded a couple of cups of chicken, seasoned it with taco seasonings, and went on from there....

Don't all these ingredients look yummy? I use a burrito shell for the base, top it with some homemade queso sauce, put a tostada shell on, then layer meat, lettuce (add tomato if you have some), sour cream, and cheddar cheese. Now, I am EXTREMELY picky about what I like sour cream in/on. A crunchwrap is not on the approved list. However, I made a couple of them with sour cream for my husband. (Don't ya just love seeing that queso sauce ooze out from under the corn shell?)

Cooking these is a bit of a trick. After you have the layers in place, fold the burrito shell around it. Use a hunk of tortilla from a 6 in shell (you don't need much) to cover the hole in the middle. Then, flip it over and fry in a hot pan until the cheddar cheese melts. This will make your patch and folds stick on the wrap like they are supposed to. Then, flip the crunchwrap over and crisp the other side. Now, for the tricky stuff. I like the inside to be piping, steaming, hot. It doesn't have time to get steamy while the tortilla crisps. So, I like to pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds or so to really heat things up and make the inside all gooey. Enjoy!

Chicken Crunchwraps

1/4 c. salsa

1/4 c. Velveeta cheese

Corn tostada shells

Burrito shells

Soft taco shells (Only 1)

2 c. shredded Chicken, seasoned with 1 t. chili powder, 1/2 t. cumin, and 1/2 t. coriander

shredded lettuce

chopped tomato

sour cream

cheddar cheese

Melt the salsa and Velveeta together in the microwave for about a min. Stir together to make a queso sauce. Spread a couple tablespoons of sauce on 4 burrito shells. Top with a tostada shell. Layer meat, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and cheddar cheese on top. Fold burrito shell around the layers. Cover cheese completely with a hunk of the soft taco shell. Flip wrap into a hot skillet. Toast until cheese melts. Flip and let the other side of the tortilla get crispy. Heat further on lower heat or in the microwave. Serve hot.

Makes 4 crunchwraps.

Breakfast...Girly Style

Breakfast is rarely a big deal at our house. If we are not having something microwaveable, we are having granola bars. That is with the exception of snow days and weekends. So...last weekend I decided to make ahead some breakfast foods for the coming week...then I made some delicious parfaits a couple of mornings....so I had to share both.

"Best Ever Blueberry Muffins"

While I hesitate to dub anything 'best ever,' I do have to admit these blueberry muffins make at least the top three. They are neither too moist nor too dry. Best of all, they are not too sweet. I can't stand eating a muffin that tastes like it should be a cupcake. It makes me cringe to think what is happening to my blood sugar-especially if I wash it down with a glass of juice.

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 c. sugar

4 T butter, melted

1 large egg

7/8 c milk

1 c blueberries, frozen or fresh

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a muffin pan with cups or spray with baking spray. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and butter. (Use a fork if you don't have a whisk handy.) Then, lightly mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Just until blended. Add blueberries and stir about five times to mix them in. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake 18-24 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. 

"Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits"

These couldn't be more simple to make. I have a feeling they will become a horse show staple because of their simplicity and delicious flavors. As an added bonus, there are a bazillion different combinations possible, so I will share the basic recipe with you and let you use your imagination for the rest.




Bottom layer: fruit (I recommend using a flavor that will complement your yogurt. Use peaches with peach yogurt; berries with blueberry, black cherry, or mixed berry; strawberries with strawberry or strawberry banana...get the idea?)
Middle layer: Granola without raisins. I used an organic oats and honey granola. 
Top layer: Yogurt flavor of your choice. I just scooped out a single serving of yogurt from an individual container. (Remember, complement the fruit on the bottom.)

If you're really hungry, repeat the layers!

Maxi Skirt Remake

Eons ago, I competed in a Rodeo Queen contest. (Actually, it was eleven years ago.) The speech and interview component required a dressy western outfit. So, my mom and I chose a lovely black skirt with star accents in the form of buttons. A couple of years later, I purchased a burgundy skirt in a similar style. Both skirts fell just below mid calf on me. Unfortunately, ten years later, that is no longer the style. However, maxi skirts/dresses are very popular. I did some searching on Pinterest for a dress similar to what my skirts would look like if I put them together. Here is what I found:

Revolve $195

I thought, "I can do this. I can just take apart the skirts and sew them back together in a pattern of black, purple. It will be easy." HA! It was kind of simple, but very time consuming. It took me a week of using a couple of hours in the evening to remake the skirts. This is what I started with. 

I began by ripping out the seams to so I could insert a couple of purple strips in the midst of the black. I also took off the buttons on the black skirt and the lace/ruffles on the burgundy. I chose to use black for the top because it had much higher quality elastic in the waist. After HOURS of using the seam rippers to painstakingly take out the seams, I could begin to sew. The sewing took a long time as well--pin, sew, pin, sew, repeat. Finally, at the end of the week, I had my finished product:

I love the way it turned out! The skirt is a great length with heels. It goes well with the sweater I have on in the picture, a button down black shirt, and a peasant top I like to wear during warmer weather. I can't wait to wear this remade skirt out sometime! My husband assured me it looks great-like I purchased it this way from the store.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Granola bars have always been a big hit with my husband.I love these bars-they are kind of like s'mores with peanut butter and coconut add-ins. These bars are perfect for hauling along to a horse show or trail ride, or just to eat as a snack.

I discovered this recipe in high school, but I tweaked it for microwave use. You can also add in or leave out ingredients as desired. (I frequently omit the coconut and peanut chunks.)

To get started, place 1/4 c. butter, 1/4 c. vegetable oil, and 60 large marshmallows in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Cook for 2 1/2 minutes on high. Stir. Cook for another 2 min on high. Add 1/4 c. honey and 1/4 c. peanut butter. 
Cook for another 2 min, or until all marshmallows are softened. Watch this closely-DO NOT overcook your marshmallows. Stir again when you remove it from the microwave. Make sure all the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth.

Add in 5 c. quick-cooking oats, 4 1/2 c. Rice Krispies, 1 c. crushed graham crackers, 1 c. coconut,  and 1 c. peanut chunks. Stir. (Make sure all of your ingredients are ready to go. If you wait too long to mix, the marshmallow mixture will cool too much to be easily stirred.)

Spread in a 9" x 13" pan for thick bars or a 15" x 10" pan for a more traditional bar. I opted for thick bars. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top and press them into the bars. Let cool slightly before cutting in order for the bars to harden.

Recipe:

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. vegetable oil

60 large marshmallows (1 1/2 pounds)

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. peanut butter

5 c. quick cooking oats

4 1/2 c. Rice Krispies

1 c. crushed graham crackers

1 c. coconut

1 c. dry roasted peanuts, chopped

mini chocolate chips for sprinkling.

Soften the butter, oil, and marshmallows in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes on high. Stir. Cook for 2 more minutes on high. Add honey and peanut butter. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until all marshmallows are melted. Stir until smooth. Add oats, rice cereal, crackers, coconut, and peanuts. Spread in a 9" x 13" or 15" x 10" pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and press into bars.

Boot Socks-Old Sweater Remake

After a series of snow days, thanks to winter storms Q and Rocky, I had clothing remakes on the mind. I spent several hours one day remaking a men's shirt into a halter top and altering the sides on a few other tops. 

I happened to be wearing an old sweater while I was looking for clothing remake ideas. The fabric was snagged in a few places and the edging was tearing away from the shirt. I decided to wash the sweater, hack off the sleeves, and make boot socks with the old sleeves. I did some 'Pinterest Research' on remaking sweaters into boot socks and found a cute idea for edging the top in a coordinating ribbon. They turned out so cute! I can hardly wait to wear them. (If you want to make your own, simply cut off the sleeves off an old sweater and hem the cut edge.)