Grandma's Granola and Lara Bars

Yesterday I made Grandma's granola but changed a few things to cut back on sugar and use healthier fats. I used agave instead of brown sugar. (I only used a cup cause that's all I had.) I also used coconut oil instead of canola/vegetable. My oats were organic but that was by chance more than planned. Anyway it is really yummy and I hope Grandma will forgive me for messing with her recipe.

So today used the granola and made Lara Bars. It's really simple...

1 cup (cooked) granola
1/2 cup pitted medjool dates
1-2 T water

Put it all in a food processor and mix until combined. Probably took me about 3 minutes to get to the consistency I wanted (you want to be able to make a big ball). Once it's the right consistency ball it up and then flatten it into a pan or cutting board. Cut the bars to the size you want - I got 8 (1 inch by 2 inch) rectangles.

My kids LOVE them and they taste so much better than the store bought variety. Give them a try!

Strawberry Dressing

I made this dressing last week and it is so yummy! My friend made this for a party a few months ago and it was a huge hit. Definitely worth a try. Enjoy!

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup vegetable oil

8 strawberries, stems removed

Puree strawberries in food processor or blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend (blending helps to incorporate tehoil and makes the dressing a little creamier). Serve over a delicious bed of greens and other slad trimmings (I like berries, nuts, feta, goat cheese, bacon, chicken, other fruits etc.).

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Some of you may have seen this floating around Pinterest. Well, let me tell you, it is Amazing. We have done this a couple of times for Sunday Brunch and everyone loves it. I altered the original recipe because it had a little too much butter and sugar, and I don't how the original is, but with the lower amounts it was still amazing and I don't think it was lacking in the least.


Cake:
3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt
3/4 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Topping:
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Mix everything together except for the butter. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla


While warm drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Bacon Chicken Pasta

16 oz farfalle pasta (bow-tie)

1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

4 chicken breasts

3-4 cloves of garlic

1T pepper

3/4 cup butter

1 lb bacon (previously cooked and crumbled) **must be real, fresh cooked bacon. not "bacon bits or real bacon"

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 120z lawry's mesquite marinade with lime juice

In Crock Pot cook chicken in marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices and allow to cool, shred. Set aside.

Half an hour before serving, boil pasta.

in a small sauce pan melt better. Then add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, cheese and bacon. Wisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add some milk for desired consistency. In a large bowl pour sauce over cooked drained pasta. Add chicken, stir through. Sprinkle with a little bit more cheese for presentation on top.

This is so good and so easy!

Thai-Style Chicken Soup

2 onions, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 T minced or grated fresh ginger

1 T vegetable oil

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 (14 oz) cans coconut milk

2 stalks lemon grass, bottom 5 inches only

2 carrots, peeled and sliced, 1/4 inch think

3 T fish sauce

10 cilantro stems, tied together with twine

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

Salt and pepper

8 oz white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin

3 T fresh lime juice from 2 limes

1 T sugar

2 tsp Thai red curry paste

Garnishes

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 fresh Thai, serrano or jalapeno chiles, stemmed seeded and sliced thin

2 scallions sliced thin

Lime wedges, for serving

**This is a crock pot recipe. However, my friend Jamie recommended stove top, which is what I did. I just adapted the following recipe.

1. Microwave onions, garlic, ginger and oil in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.

2. Stir broth, 1 can coconut milk, lemon grass, carrots, 1 T fish sauce, and cilantro stems into slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours on low.

3. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-sized pieces. Let soup settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon. Discard lemon grass and cilantro stems.

4. Stir in mushrooms, cover and cook on high until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 15 minutes. Microwave remaining can coconut milk in bowl until hot, about 3 minutes, then whisk in remaining 2 T fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and curry paste to dissolve.

5. Stir hot coconut milk mixture and shredded chicken into soup and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with garnishes.

Clam Chowder

This is the one Alicia sent me. I need it somewhere where I can always find it so I'm posting it here.

Mom Morgan Boston Clam Chowda

2 cans chopped clams
1 cup onions, chopped fine
1 cup diced celery
2 cups diced potatoes
3/4 cup flour
1 cube butter
1 quart 1/2 and 1/2
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp sugar

Drain juice from clams and pour over veggies in medium saucepan. Add enough water to barely cover and summer until veggies are tender- about 20 min.

In the meantime melt butter; add flour and cook for a minute or two. Add cream and cook and stir until smooth and thick using a wire whisk to blend.

Add cooked veggies and clams and heat through. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Optional: add thyme and marjoram to taste.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

(I would double it next time for my family--as is it only makes about 3-4 good sized servings)

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 Tbsp. roasted garlic olive oil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. flour
14 oz. chicken broth
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Place cauliflower in small roasting pan, drizzle with oil and season with garlic powder, salt & pepper, toss to coat
Roast the cauliflower, stirring frequently until golden brown and tender (20 min or so)
Melt butter in saucepan, add onion and brown (about 10 min.). Sprinkle with flour and add liquid, bringing to a boil while it thickens.
Turn down heat and add the roasted cauliflower. Blend half and add back in for thicker consistency.

So yummy!!