Granola

                 

Mmmm it's delicious!! And healthy... and multi-purposed... and really yummy. Okay, enough. I got this recipe from chowwreview.blogspot.com and adapted it a little bit.  Feel free to use your own combo of nuts and dried fruit but this is what I did:

4 c. rolled oats

1 1/4 c. chopped walnuts + 1/4 c. chopped hazelnuts (because I was using up the rest of them)

1/2 c. brown sugar, packed

dash of sea salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. coconut oil

1/4 c. honey

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1 c. craisins + 1/2 c. raisins (to use up the rest of them)

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.  Heat up the coconut oil and honey on the stove until smooth.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour over dry ingredients and mix until evenly coated.  Spread in a 15" x 10" jelly roll pan and bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Mix in dried fruit, let cool.  Can be kept in freezer for up to 3 months, or at room temp for a week.  

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One-Pot Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground meat (beef or turkey)

1 c. mushrooms (I prefer fresh, and sliced)

1/2 c. chopped onion (1 medium)

1 14-oz can chicken broth

1 3/4 c. water

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

1 tsp. dried italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. black pepper

6 oz. dry spaghetti, broken

Directions:

Cook meat, mushrooms, and onion in a large saucepan over med-high heat until meat is browned and onions are tender.  Stir in broth, water, tomato paste, seasoning, and pepper and bring to a boil.  Add in spaghetti, a little at a time, stirring constantly.  Return to a boil, then reduce heat and boil gently for 17-20 minutes or until noodles are to desired doneness and sauce is desired consistency.  Serve with parmesan cheese.

I thought this was absolutely delicious, and Mac loved it too!  It was way easy, and it took about 30 minutes, start to finish.  I didn't have any tomato paste, so I reduced the water to 3/4 cup and used a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce instead. Turned out great!  I also made a whole-wheat french baguette to go along with the meal, and that was an excellent accompaniment to soak up the sauce.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These cookies are completely, one-hundred-percent, irresistible, give-you-a-heart-attack goodness.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (use adam's chunky)

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I actually substituted some whole wheat pastry flour)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

10 reeses' peanut butter cups, cut into eights

Directions:

Cream butter and peanut butter. Add in sugars, beat til creamy, then add in eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy.  Sift together flour, soda, and cocoa.  mix into wet ingredients.  Mix in the goodness (chocolate & peanut butter chips, and pb cups).  Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, although, i've found they need to be cooked about 12 minutes.  They'll still be a little gooey to the touch when they come out of the oven.

Enjoy with a glass of milk!

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