Pumpkin Spice Granola

We enjoyed fresh from the orchard apples all through September.We still have about a peck of mixed apples to eat and I need to go back to the orchard to get my oldest son's favorite, Sun Crisp. I held off on baking pumpkin treats as long as I could so we could enjoy our apples, but when the calendar flipped to October, I decided I held off long enough.

 The first treat of the season was these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares. I subbed oat flour for about half the all-purpose flour and I think it made them even better!

The second treat was Pumpkin Granola. I hunted around the Internet looking for a recipe, but all the Pumpkin Granola recipes I saw had Pumpkin Pie Spice, but no actual pumpkin. Pumpkin is an awesome vegetable, nutritionally, a good source of Vitamin E, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. I have been known to sneak pumpkin in a lot of dishes. It's just plain good, and paired with oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and yummy warm spices, it's a win.

Pumpkin Granola

2 c. old-fashioned oats

2 c. quick oats

3 T. sesame seeds

2 T. ground flax seeds

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

1/4 c. pepitos (or another nut -- almonds are good)

1/2 c. coconut

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1/8 t. cloves

1/8 t. ginger

1/8 t. nutmeg

5 T. coconut oil, melted

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/8 t. salt

3 T. maple syrup

1/2 c. pumpkin puree

1 t. vanilla

dried fruit of your choice -- about 1/2 cup (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

In  large bowl, combine oats, coconut and spices.

In a small bowl, mix melted coconut oil, sugar, salt, syrup, pumpkin and vanilla. Pour onto oat mixture and mix thoroughly (the easiest way to do this is with your impeccably clean hands). Pour mixture onto a large baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. 

When granola is baked remove from oven and if using dried fruit, scatter fruit on the top of the hot granola. Cool completely and then place in a jar or other airtight storage container.

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Mexican Puppy Chow

Before I get started, I have to beg technical help from any of my readers that might navigate blogger with less trouble than I do. I used to be able to figure these things out, but medication has either made my brain foggy or blogger is getting more difficult to navigate.

I changed my photo at the top of this blog and now my blog title needs to be a different color. Trouble is I can't figure out where to do that -- I think blogger switched things. If you know where to make the changes, take pity on me and leave a comment. Thanks.

Puppy Chow, that yummy peanut butter, chocolate, crunchy cereal treat, is one of the snack foods that my kids have never enjoyed, since one of them, my youngest son, has a peanut and tree nut allergy. Not that anyone ever needs to enjoy Puppy Chow, but it is an easy-to-make, tasty treat.

Recently I came across a cinnamon version of the original treat and I was so happy that I would finally be able to make it for my kids. My allergic kid was particularly happy with the new version because he is a cinnamon kinda guy. I modified the recipe I found, mostly because I only had half of a bag of cinnamon chips, but I also think this version has to be better because it has chocolate, hence the name. Mexican chocolate is a cinnamony chocolate and this one has a great combination of both flavors.

If you buy gluten-free cereals, this is a gluten free snack.

Mexican Puppy Chow

9 cups Chex cereal (I used 4 cups of corn and 5 cups of rice Chex -- just the store brand)

1 cup cinnamon baking chips

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Place cereal in a large bowl -- larger than you think you need because you have to toss it.

In a microwave safe bowl place all the chips and heat in micro for one minute. Stir. Repeat, heating for 30 seconds each time and stirring after each heating, until smooth and melted.

Meanwhile mix cinnamon and sugars in a small bowl.

Pour chocolate/cinnamon mixture over cereal and toss until coated. 

Pour about half of sugar over the top and toss some more.

Dump mix onto a large sided baking sheet. Toss with remaining sugar. Cool and enjoy.

Honey Butter Popcorn

I beg your pardon for that really awful iPhone picture of this delightful treat, but I really have to blame it on the deliciousness of the recipe itself, because once I tasted this yummy stuff, I wasn't getting off the sofa to get the camera. No way. I was getting ready to watch Cinderella Man last night -- one of my favorite flicks -- when I decided I needed a bowl of this popcorn I had linked to on Pinterest last week. Because I am doing this trial of wheat-free diet, I have been feeling rather sorry for myself about all the yummy things I am missing out on. Once I realized that this was wheat-free (and totally a treat!) I had to do it. And once I tasted it, I wasn't moving from the sofa until the bowl was finished. Yes, I ate the whole thing.

Please do go the extra step in making the popcorn yourself. No micro popcorn. That stuff is like poison. Yuck. Just a tablespoon of crisco in the bottom of a pot and a single layer of kernels, a lid, and a high fire. Pretty soon, pop, pop, pop.

Then add this delicious honey butter and you have created a decadent and delightful treat. I modified the recipe just slightly because I thought I could make it better. Ha!

Sea Salt Honey Butter Glaze

2 T. butter

2 T. honey

sea salt to taste

Place butter and honey in a small dish or teacup. Microwave for 30 seconds until butter is melted and mixture is bubbly.

Pour over freshly made popcorn. Stir well. Salt and taste. Add salt if needed.

Source: modified from the Faux Martha

Coconut Granola

Never let it be said that I failed a friend in need. My dear friend Maggie up in Minnesota is pregnant and wearing a dull spot on the sofa. Apparently she felt she just might have enough energy to whip up a batch of Coconut Granola, however, because she practically offered her firstborn in exchange for the recipe. I'll tell ya what though, that firstborn is safe with his mama because I want no more teenagers. None, nadda, zip. Hopefully she has all the ingredients on-hand for this recipe, because I hate to see her poor husband sent out to the store again.

I saw the recipe on, you guessed, Pinterest, but I altered it so much due to food allergies and a lack of the proper quantity of maple syrup, I'm just gonna call it my own. If you want to see the original recipe, you can find it here at Two Peas and Their Pod.

Coconut Granola

4 cups old-fashioned oats (or two cups old-fashioned and 2 cups quick oats -- not instant)

1 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

3/4 t. coarse kosher salt (or 1/2 t. table salt)

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. coconut extract

Heat oven to 300 degrees F.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl.

Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and toss with your hands or a spatular until well mixed. Pour onto a large rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown, stirring every ten minutes or so (or send one of the kids to stir it up). Cool completely and then place in a glass jar for storage (or plastic, if you must).

NOTE: If you want to add seeds or nuts just add them. I usually add nuts before the granola bakes, and dried fruit after the granola bakes but while it is still hot. I will say, however, that I missed neither nuts nor fruit in this recipe, and I ate it with milk once and yogurt once (and a tablespoon of homemade strawberry jam -- yum).

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Strawberries, sour cream, and turbinado...oh my

You know about three in the afternoon, when your rear starts to drag, and you seriously wonder whether you can make it until 9 p.m. when you might possibly be able to at least sit, if not lie, down.

I have a little pick-me-up for you.

A little sumpin' sumpin' (no, no, not the alcoholic kind, just the special treat kind).

I had read about these little babies in a few places on the web, but really, they didn't sound so special, until one day I guess I must have actually thought about it, or maybe it was just the arrival of really good strawberries at the grocery store, and I thought, "Hmmm, that might be worth trying."

And I did.

Last evening, Doug took the kids up to the pool for exactly one hour after dinner, and I had all the dinner dishes to wash and put away. But when I finished...I pulled out a brand new, just-bought-that-day quart of strawberries, the (full fat) sour cream (and the Greek yogurt just for testing sake), and the box of turbinado sugar (which had exactly one and one-half tablespoons left in it -- well not exactly, but pretty close. I didn't measure.)

Rinse berries and blot dry with a paper towel. Check. (I washed three)

Stir the sour cream up until creamy and dip two strawberries. I dipped the third in Greek yogurt. Check. (Yeah, just dip them right in the container. Who's gonna tell?)

Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Check.

Place on a pretty plate and repeat with two more (Or however many you want, but don't share. Do. Not. Share. This is mommy's treat.)

Take plate and sit -- you must sit and enjoy.

Bite the end off and then nibble, nibble all the way around until there is nothing left but leaves. (I tossed those over the deck rail so I didn't have to see them on my plate.)

In no time at all I ate all three and then I.licked.the.plate. I did! Really. Nobody was watching.

And then I went back to the kitchen where I had put everything away because I was so convinced these little babies were going to be no big deal and I got it all back out, except I got the brown sugar out since there was no more turbinado sugar. And I tested it (just for you, my friend) to see if the brown sugar was as good. And it was not. But it was good, so if you only have brown sugar, go for it. But I really do like the crunchiness of the turbinado sugar.

Oh my, just thinking about them makes me anxious for three o'clock. Except I have a sick little chick up in bed and I can't run to the store for more turbinado. I'll just muddle through with brown sugar.

I tell you there might not be enough strawberries left in the world for these babies.

You'll thank me. You will.

PS There was only a slight difference in the ones made with sour cream and the one with Greek Yogurt. I used 2% Fage Greek yogurt, so it could have been the little bit of extra fat from the full fat sour cream that made the difference. Don't skimp here. Go for the real deal, but in a pinch the Greek yogurt will do.

Oh-so-good-and-yummy Granola Bars

Granola bars have become a recent favorite snack food in our house. I used to not buy them because most of them contain nuts, or are manufactured in a facility with tree nuts or peanuts.

My son Noah who has the tree nut/peanut allergies was actually afraid to even try the ones we deemed safe because for so long we had avoided them. But recently he tried one and decided they are a wonderful treat. Because he's 15 years old, 6 feet two inches and around 200 pounds, he can just about eat my weight in granola bars.

I found this recipe recently (actually I think my daughter's little friend gave it to her) and modified it a bit to suit our taste (and budget!). The original recipe came from Rachel Ray. They are super easy to make, and though they still have quite a bit of sugar in them, at least I know what everything is. One batch makes a loaf pan -- then I just cut straight across for six or seven bars. A double batch makes a 9x9 pan which I cut in half one way and then each half in six or seven bars. You can add mini chips to the top (pressing them into the granola bars) or add some nuts, seeds, toasted coconut, raisins -- whatever -- to the mixture. Just don't add so much that they don't stick together anymore. And if you use nuts chop them up.

I tried reducing the sugar content and they didn't turn out as well (they didn't stick together well), but let me know if you have success with that.

the ones with the peanuts did not stick together well at all. Chop your nuts!

Granola Bars

1 cup Rice Krispies

2 cups quick oats (not old-fashioned)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

Grease a loaf pan (9x5). 

In a large bowl mix oats and Rice Krispies.

In a small saucepan place butter, honey and brown sugar. Heat to a boil over medium high heat. Boil for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. 

Pour over oats and Krispies and stir to combine. Pour into loaf pan and press down firmly to compact the mixture really well. I tried buttering my hands, but the best tool was a wide spreading sort of spatula.

Let cool completely -- at least an hour. Refrigerate if necessary. Turn out onto cutting board (or cut in pan). Wrap in waxed paper and store in a glass jar or other airtight container. They will keep for a week or more (if they last!).

St. Paddy's Day treats

It's been awhile since I posted. My sincere apologies. Dinners have been bare bones around here, by and large, which is good timing for Lent even if it wasn't intentional. I did manage to muster the fortitude to party on St. Patrick's Day and my kids (and husband and mother) were most appreciative.

We enjoyed Jessica's Guinness Stew which never fails to please, served over a pile of buttery mashed potatoes. Yum. And, of course, Soda Bread.

We also enjoyed a silly St. Paddy's Day fruit salad, which, fortunately was nutritious and tasty as well as silly. I thought I had accounted for all my colors in the rainbow, but when assembling realized I missed violet. Oh well.

Red: strawberries
Orange: orange slices
Yellow: bananas
Green: kiwi
Blue: blueberries
Indigo: blackberries

The pots of gold are rolos and the clouds are marshmallows (or the marshmallows are clouds, in case ya didn't get that).




We also enjoyed some Leprechaun Bait. I saw it on Pinterest as Bunny Bait and if you google Bunny Bait you'll see a hundred recipes so I'll not link, not knowing the "original."

This is a flexible recipe and you could make it with lots of ingredients or just a few. I used popcorn, crispix cereal and pretzel M&Ms -- just the green and orange -- Ireland's flag colors, and vanilla candy coating. I have to say the popcorn got rather soggy so I don't know if I used too much vanilla coating or the popcorn is supposed to get soft, but I didn't like it and would use something different next time -- maybe plain Bugles, or corn chex and pretzels. You could add nuts if your people like nuts and colored sprinkles if you can find the right colors. I could not find just green sprinkles at the grocer. For Bunny bait you can use pastel M&Ms and pastel sprinkles -- cute, cute. And for Elf Bait, you can use Christmas M&Ms and Turkey Bait -- fall M&Ms. You get the idea -- a multi-holiday treat.

If you serve it, be certain to tell your family that it's sweet. Both my mother and husband grabbed a handful and thought it was salty popcorn which resulted in some strange facial expressions.


My mom also brought over some Shamrock Shortbread cookies. I don't have a recipe, but if you want it, I'll get it. Just ask.

Hoagie Dip

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This week I tried a recipe that has been on my "recipes to try" list on my sidebar for a while. I saw it back at the end of the professional football season -- a suggested Super Bowl dish. When I saw it I knew my boys would love it and they did. I did, too! All of the flavors of a delicious meat hoagie, in the easy to serve and eat form of a dip. I made two loaves of Artisan Bread (in 5 minutes) and sliced one up and used the other to serve.

My version of the dip is maybe what you would call "poor man's" because I used only salami and ham instead of the pricier prosciutto, but I think this dip would be good with almost any meat -- even bologna. I used 1/2 pound of both ham and salami. I think next time I'll had some hot ham for spice, but other than that I wouldn't change a thing. The day after I made it I thought that using it for cold topping on a hot pepperoni pizza would be almost divine, so we'll try that soon -- a sort of pizza sub. Yum!

Hoagie Dip

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1/2 purple onion diced

4 pickled pepperoncini peppers drained and diced (I used 8 medium)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce chopped about the size of nickels
1 large tomato, halved, seeded, and diced (I used two)
1/2 pound deli-sliced Genoa salami, sliced and diced
1/2 pound deli-sliced ham, sliced and diced
1/4 pound deli-sliced provolone cheese, sliced and diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 10-to-12-inch round loaf of choice, hollowed out
8 hoagie rolls, cut into pieces or halves for spreading dip on (I sliced another loaf of bread)

Combine the chopped vegetables, meats and cheese in a large bowl.

In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, and red pepper flakes and stir until everything is all mixed up.

If you are going to serve within an hour, pour the dressing over the meat/veggie mixture and toss until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you are NOT eating it soon,  keep all ingredients refrigerated until about an hour before then toss together so that the lettuce does not get soggy.

Carve out the center of the bread loaf to make a bowl and cut the top piece taken out into bite-size pieces. Serve the hoagie dip in the bread bowl, with the extra bread and hoagie rolls to scoop it up.

Source: modified from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Yogurt for kiddies

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Back in the post I wrote about my new yogurt maker, a lovely reader, Shaun, mentioned that her daughter likes the yogurt that comes in fun cups and is produced in a color of pink not found in nature (actually Shaun didn't say all that -- I'm embellishing). Shaun felt it would be difficult to convert her daughter to homemade -- the difference is just too much. I can completely sympathize as my daughter thinks that yogurt that comes in crushable cups is "the bomb."

Yesterday, however, when I was stirring a spoonful of strawberry jam into my homemade yogurt, I had a bit of a revelation concerning homemade yogurt and kids who like it sweet and pink. It's possible that a squirt a Hershey's Strawberry Syrup might just make that homemade yogurt a little more palatable. The strawberry syrup is mostly sugar, but since commercial brand yogurt that is marketed for kids is mostly sugar (sugar is the second ingredient in Danimals Crush Cups), you're not doing any more harm. There are, however, other ingredients in commercial yogurt that is not found in homemade, nor in sugar syrup, so I do think it would be healthier overall. Eventually you can cut back slowly on the syrup until it's just a wee bit sweet and pink.

If the kids don't like strawberry, I noticed that allrecipes.com has a recipe for milk syrup using packaged Kool-Aid -- in which the flavors are nearly endless (and ingredients are even more controlled by you).


In making homemade yogurt and using a syrup additive, you will also save money. In my yogurt maker post I reported the cost savings in making my own yogurt. It's a remarkable money saver if you, or your kids eat a lot of yogurt. If the kids must have fun cups to eat their yogurt from, either save up some of those plastic cups from the commercial brand, or pick up a few cute melamine bowls with their favorite cartoon characters -- only to be used for yogurt.

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Mmmm...homemade granola cereal

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For the past six months or so I've had some cold sensitivity in my mouth that eventually prevented me from eating even cold cereal for breakfast. Yogurt? Nope. Not even fresh fruit at room temp. I was stuck with warm foods by and large, and I really missed cold cereal. It's such a great snack in the afternoon or in the evening. I finally bit the bullet (no pun intended) and just over a week ago I had a root canal procedure. Though I had pain for, um about 12 days afterward (still do just slightly), I can eat cold food again. Joy!

I was so happy the other day, I took a picture of my breakfast -- homemade granola with cold milk. Oh yum!

I used the recipe below (which I have posted before), but this one with fruit is yummy too.

Brown Sugar Granola

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3 cups oats (use half quick and half old-fashioned for best crunch)
1 c. coconut
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ cup brown sugar
½ t. vanilla
¼ cup canola oil
2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine oats, coconut, cinnamon,
baking powder, salt and sugar.
In a separate bowl, whip vanilla, oil and egg whites with a fork.
Stir wet mixture into dry mixture and combine well.

Spread evenly on a jelly roll pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, or longer, until well browned,
stirring every ten minutes.

Let cool completely, then break up with a spatula.
Store in an airtight container.

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Reindeer Mix

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This yummy snack mix is based on a recipe I found in a Betty Crocker Christmas cookbook. And though it is called Reindeer Mix, I guarantee we still eat it all year long (I actually can't figure out why it is called reindeer mix, I believe it was just a gimmicky name due to the holiday nature of the cookbook). I made a big batch for New Year's Eve and when I was eating a little bit of the leftovers the other day I realized that if I lefty the pretzels out (not hard to do since they don't add that much to the flavor or texture of the snack) it would actually be a gluten-free treat. Yay!

I make mine a little bit differently that the original recipe -- just because I prefer more popcorn  than Bugles, but this is a flexible recipe -- do your own thing. I make my own popcorn because I don't eat microwave popcorn (too many chemicals) so I have listed the quantities for making your own -- it ends up being 4 to 5 cups of popcorn). The seasoning is tasty, but mild -- nothing spicy here.If you leave out the pretzels to make it gluten-free, just substitute with one of the other ingredients or something else that is gluten free (some rice chex would be nice).

Reindeer Mix

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1/3 c. butter

1/2 t. chili powder

1/4 t. garlic powder

salt to taste

heaping 1/3 c. popcorn kernels

2 T. corn oil

2 c. Bugle snacks (regular flavored are gluten-free; I don't know about the flavored ones)

2 cups pretzel sticks, broken in half

1 c. potato sticks (like these)

 Heat oven to 300 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large pot over high heat and add popcorn kernels. Heat until first kernel pops and then cover, sliding pot back and forth on flame to keep kernels moving in the pot. As popcorn pops, occasionally lift lid slightly to allow steam to escape. When popping slows down, remove from heat. Scoop popped corn into a large mixing bowl, taking care to not transfer and unpopped or half-popped kernels. Add Bugles, pretzels and potato sticks.

Place butter and seasonings in a glass measuring cup and heated until butter is melted in the microwave (or on low in a saucepan).  Pour melted butter over dry ingredients and stir to mix thoroughly. Pour onto a large baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, stirring twice. Cool.

Adapted from Betty Crocker Best Christmas

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Jalapeno Popper Dip

During college football season, every Saturday presents an opportunity for a yummy appetizer-style meal. I don't do this "tailgate party" every weekend, but a couple weekends a year -- usually when the Ohio State Buckeyes play a night game -- I have fun with dinner. The kids, of course, love it when we have munchies for supper, even though it makes more work for the cook.

A few weeks ago the dinner menu was appetizers and this new-to-us appetizer was on the menu. It was a huge hit, especially with the "boys" -- my husband included. It was very easy to throw together and it really only calls for small handful of ingredients. The recipe came from allrecipes and I altered the recipe to bake it in the oven -- I like a browned top on a dip like this.

We enjoyed it with tortilla chips and Asiago bread slices toasted in the oven (I used the Demi loaf which is small in diameter and made perfect little toasts).

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
4 oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
2 oz. canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth (I used the Kitchen Aid). Stir in green chilies and jalapeno peppers. Pour mixture into an oven-proof serving dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or toasted bread.

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Source: adapted from allrecipes

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Cheese and Guinness Spread

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Last weekend I was looking for a few recipes to make for a homemade tailgate party. It's college football season in Buckeye territory and at least a part of each Saturday is usually spent watching a game on the TV. Last Saturday the game was at 3:30 p.m. and so the game time overlapped with supper time, thus dinner was tailgate party fare.

My husband enjoys Guinness beer (his preference is for a Black and Tan) and so I knew he would like this spread. Served with carrot and zucchini chips, as well as some whole wheat crackers, I enjoyed this spread, as did the kids. The flavor of the beer is present, but not overpowering. I modified the recipe, found at myrecipes.com, just a bit.

Cheese and Guinness Spread

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4 T. unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 ounces Guinness stout
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 t. caraway seeds
1/2 t. paprika
Salt and pepper

Assorted crackers and crudités

In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until soft, 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a food processor and let cool.

Add Guinness, cheeses, caraway and paprika to food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a serving bowl, cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers and crudités.

Source: modified from myrecipes.com

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Pizza Rolls

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Lunch is such an issue in my house. My picky children just don't like to eat the same thing all the time. I could eat peanut butter and jelly every day. They balk if I serve the same thing two weeks in a row. Most of the time I just ignore their complaints, but once in a great while I create something new, and to their liking. These pizza rolls were created to shush them. They are just like cinnamon rolls, but with pizza toppings inside instead of cinnamon and sugar. They are really yummy. I used pepperoni and cheese, but you could use cooked sausage, or veggies, or make it into something else entirely -- like corned beef, Swiss and sauerkraut, or ham and Swiss with Dijon mayo -- the possibilities are endless. They would be great to serve at a party or for a ball game on the television.

Pizza Rolls
serves 6

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1 cup warm water
2 t. yeast (or one package)
2 T. sugar
2 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
3 - 3 1/2 cups flour (amount needed depends on brand of flour and humidity)

6 oz. package sliced pepperoni
8 oz. package shredded pizza cheese (or mozzarella)
14 can pizza sauce, or 2 cups homemade

Combine water, yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 c. flour, oil and salt and mix with dough hook until dough forms (or if mixing by hand, with a spoon). Add flour, 1/4 c. at a time, kneading at low speed until a smooth elastic dough forms,
about 5 minutes, in mixer (or if kneading by hand, turn onto floured surface
and knead until smooth and elastic). Place in a greased bowl, turning once. Cover and let rise about one hour, until doubled. Punch down. Roll dough out into a rectangle 24 inches long and about 10 inches wide on a lightly floured surface.

Spread with about 2/3 cup sauce. Place pepperoni and cheese in bowl of food processor and pulse until chopped finely (but not pureed -- see picture of mixture). Spread pepperoni mixture over sauce. Roll up from long side and pinch edges to seal.



Cut in half and then cut each half in half. Cut each quarter into three pieces for a total of twelve rolls. Place rolls in a greased 13 x 9 pan. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. and when preheated, bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until rolls are golden brown and when poked in the middle look completely baked.

Let cool for 10 minutes or so and serve with leftover sauce warmed up.

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It's Summer...

...there goes the grocery budget.

Kids are home (one more than usual) plus they are a little bored. That equals eating and a big grocery bill. Today was my first official grocery shop of the summer and I'm ready to ship them off to work camps.

I noticed, however, when I shopped at Giant Eagle (I buy my meat from Giant Eagle and every thing else from my local discount grocer) that I have an almost 20 % discount waiting on me. If you're not familiar with Giant Eagle (in Ohio, PA, and WVa), my food purchases give me a discount on gasoline, and my gasoline purchases give me a discount on groceries. So I have almost 20 % off my food bill coming and I think I'm going to plan ahead for a month and buy all the meat I need. That should help a little bit, especially if I buy only sale meat.

I also stocked up on some veggies, cut them up and put them in a container in the fridge. They eat Ranch dip with the veggies, but at least they are not dipping chips. You could do the same thing with fruit and some yummy fruit dip. I'll probably alternate fruit and veggies.



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Baked Tortilla Chips

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Not long ago I realized that some of the foods we eat the most are least likely to end up here in the form of a recipe. They just don't really seem blog-worthy to me. I guess because they are just quick dishes that I've created and adapted along the way.

When my friend Sara recently shared that her son had made corn tortillas, I realized that corn chips was one of those recipes I never shared. I keep a jumbo bag of corn tortillas in the fridge at all times, and if we want chips, we heat the oven. They are baked, which makes them healthy, and by buying a bag of tortillas in bulk (Giant Eagle sells a bag of store-brand quality tortillas in the dairy section for about $3.49 per 84 tortillas -- X four chips per tortilla -- that's a lot of chips for $3.49), they are very budget-friendly. And because they are homemade, we don't waste any.

Baked Corn Chips

corn tortillas
canola oil spray (or today I would use a healthier option like grapeseed oil)
salt

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut each tortilla in four or five triangles (quarters is easiest, but sometimes little mouths have trouble with them cut so big). Place on a cookie sheet and spray top side only with canola oil. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Salt immediately, and enjoy.

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Oven Baked Onion Rings

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Since I learned that I have high cholesterol (and probably always will -- family history), I think about fats every single time I put something into my mouth. Every day is a balancing act -- good fats, bad fats, not too much fat. Some days I do better than others, and I think that's o.k. I don't expect that I will eat only fruits and vegetables for the rest of my days. Some days you just have to eat corned beef -- just a smaller portion.

Last week I put Oven Baked Reubens on my menu -- a way to use up leftover New England Boiled Dinner corned beef. I put less beef on my sandwich than I would have before, and I used light Swiss cheese -- compromise. I also compromised on my side dish -- Oven Fried Onion Rings. Not exactly low in fat, but much lower than deep-fried and so delicious. Oh my goodness! These will make it on our menu frequently, and I think next time they might be paired with a Chocolate Malt (low fat ice cream). Between the sandwich and the onion rings, the meal was definitely diner fare.

I found the recipe at the Brown-Eyed Baker and I don't think there is a thing I could do to perfect it. My only tip is to keep one hand dry and one hand wet when you are breading to keep from washing continually. Also -- I did not have any parchment paper on hand so I used aluminum foil and sprayed it with cooking spray. Whoops -- one more tip -- I first crushed the chips by hand, inside the bag, but found the crumbs were not fine enough. I ended up throwing them into the food processor for a whirl.

Oven-Fried Onion Rings

about six side-dish servings

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2 medium (or 1 large) sweet onions, sliced ½-inch thick

¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ cup buttermilk
1 egg
¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1½ cups crushed potato chips (kettle-cooked chips, if available)

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine ¼ cup flour, salt, black pepper and cayenne in a bowl.

In another bowl combine the buttermilk, egg and additional flour, whisking until a smooth batter is formed.

In a third bowl, place the crushed potato chips.

Prepare the onion rings by first dipping a ring into the seasoned flour, then into the batter (let the excess batter drip off), and then coat with the crushed potato chips. As you finish the rings, place them on a large plate. Repeat with all rings (make sure you have all the rings breaded before you proceed).

Cover a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper (or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray -- I used two cooking sheets so they would have plenty of room). Drizzle the vegetable oil on the parchment-lined sheet and place in the oven for 8 minutes. Carefully remove the sheet from the oven and tilt to evenly coat with oil.

Working quickly, place your onion rings on the baking sheet and return to oven. Bake for 8 minutes, then flip onion rings (carefully or the breading will come off) and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown.

While baking, prepare your dipping sauce!

Dipping Sauce

½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 Tablespoons horseradish
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash ground black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker
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Mango Salsa

One night last week, the day we ate White Chicken Chili for dinner, I made a bowl of Mango Salsa to go with our dinner. I've been trying to incorporate more fruit in the children's diet, and since they love salsa, I thought a good way to get them to eat more fruit would be through fruit salsa. They love the combination of fruit and spicy, so I mixed the mango with some avocado, some sweet peppers, some hot pepper and red onion, along with lime juice and cilantro. The jalapeño ended up being a really spicy one, so I didn't eat much, but the guys finished the bowl. The jalapeño was so hot, in fact, it burned my fingers for hours afterward. I fell asleep clutching a cold pack. Dumb move -- wear gloves, or at least plastic bags, on your hands before handling jalapeños. I've chopped jalapeño dozens of times, but it only takes one really hot one to teach you a lesson.

This recipe can be modified to suit your taste. If you don't like spicy foods, leave out the jalapeño, or use half. I wouldn't buy cilantro just for this dish, but use it if you have some on hand or have it in the garden. Make sure you chop every thing in a very fine dice -- remember you're going to eat it on a chip. If you've never sliced a mango before, check out these pictures. I have a few of my own below.

Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, finely diced **
1/2 cup finely diced red, yellow or orange pepper
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 jalapeno, minced
1 ripe avocado diced
juice of half a lime (about 2 T.)
2 T. minced cilantro
Tortilla chips

Mix all ingredients and chill for about an hour. Serve with tortilla chips.



** Slice off each side of the mango, cutting parallel to the edge of the pit.
With your knife, make a grid by cutting into the flesh perpendicular to the skin.


Turn the skin inside out" and cut parallel to the skin, cutting the flesh away.

Lovely, creamy, fresh yogurt

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I've mentioned before that I have become a huge fan of Greek yogurt. It's my one splurge at the grocery store -- the only thing I buy just for myself. And it is a splurge at $4.99 for a 2-cup container, or $2 for a little personal serving with a side of fruit. Expensive, but I always justify the purchase by saying, "at least it's not chocolate."

Recently, however, I sat up and took notice when Sara made her own yogurt. Make your own yogurt? I never even thought of it. The thought of making my own yogurt was like the thought of making Swiss cheese. I just never imagined I could. But, I have found that making my own yogurt is really as easy as making bread. It's more science than cooking, and once you get the procedure down, it's like magic!

I admit the first time I made it, it was a complete flop. I ended up with a crock pot full of room-temperature milk and a thin layer of yogurt on the bottom. But I examined my technique and realized I completely left out the science. I kept track of the time each step required, but didn't take the temperature of the milk -- crucial step in yogurt-making. There are basically three steps in making yogurt: (1) heat the milk up to a high enough temperature as to kill any germs that might grow in the process, (2) cool the milk down so you don't kill the yogurt cultures when you add the yogurt to the milk, (3) grow the yogurt by adding it to the milk and then keeping the milk at a warm enough temperature. Step three was where I made my mistake the first time -- my kitchen was much too cold for the yogurt to grow, so it just sat there and did nothing. The second and third times I made it, I kept my milk nice and warm, and it grew and grew and grew into a lovely, creamy whole milk yogurt. Yum!

You can find loads of recipes on the internet, but they are all basically the same. You can use the crock pot to heat your milk, or the stove. I use the crock pot because it's fairly simple and I know I won't walk away from the stove and burn my milk. The second time I made it, however, I was in a bit of a hurry and so I heated the milk in the microwave to get it warm and then let the crock pot do the rest of the work. It's a bit of a trick to get the temperature just right for the third step -- growing the yogurt. I placed my crock pot, wrapped in towels, in the microwave which is above my stove. I turn the light on above the stove and it heats the inside of the microwave to a nice toasty temperature, not too hot, just warm. It's a great place for growing bread dough, too. I also turned my oven on for a just a short while to boost my initial warm temperature. Like I said, it's a bit of a trick, so you may have to try a couple different places to get it right. I have read that some folks use a heating pad, others a incandescent light bulb (basically what I do), and others yet the pilot light on the stove The key is too keep it right around 116 degrees F.

After my yogurt grows, in order to get that rich, creamy consistency of Greek yogurt, I strain a lot of the liquid out overnight in the refrigerator. If I didn't continue on with that step, I would have regular yogurt -- whole milk variety. It's still very thick and creamy, but not quite the way I like it. I lay a double thickness of cheesecloth in a strainer, spoon in the yogurt and tie it with a string, so that all of the yogurt is contained in the cheesecloth. I set the strainer in a bowl overnight and then in the morning, I have thick, creamy Greek yogurt. So yummy! And my cost -- $1.79 for a quart of Greek yogurt.

After straining overnight in the refrigerator.



The liquid that strained out -- I find it mysterious!

I make myself some fruit sauce to mix in.

Homemade Yogurt
yield 1 quart Greek yogurt

2 quarts whole or low-fat milk
(don't go below 2 percent milk-fat until you know what you're doing)
1/2 cup yogurt
(the fresher the better and no additives -- just plain yogurt -- check the ingredients)

(the beauty of the homemade yogurt is that once you make a batch, you just buy the milk to keep it going -- the last 1/2 cup goes toward the next batch)

Pour milk into the crockpot (if you use the stove -- heat it slowly)
Put it on low for (about) 2.5 hours -- it must reach 180 degrees (it could take an hour it could take four -- the temperature is the important part). Turn off the crockpot and let it sit for (about) 3 hours (my house is cool and it didn't take even close to three hours) -- you want to get it around 116 degrees F.
Stir the yogurt gently into the milk -- very gently, but thoroughly.
Wrap crockpot in a thick towel and let sit (in a warm place) for (about) 8 hours.

Your yogurt should be thick and creamy. If it is not thick, but has started to turn, crank up the heat and let it sit a little longer.

For Greek yogurt, place thickened yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth, coffee filters or a clean tea towels. Refrigerate for about 12 hours or until desired consistency is achieved.

Remember to save the last 1/2 cup for the next batch!

Here is a link for a stovetop method that I have also tried and it turned out well.

UPDATED: After making a dozen batches, I have found that the yogurt does not need to strain overnight. Just an hour on the kitchen counter before it hits the fridge is sufficient. And if you whisk the finished product for a minute or two, you will have a creamier product that is less likely to separate.



Blueberry Sauce

1 cup sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries


In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and sugar. Add water.
Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes
or until blueberries are burst.




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Got Pumpkins?

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Be sure to save those seeds.



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