Call Me a Hippie, but I Love Granola

I have always loved granola, but the high fat content and calories always deterred me from eating it.  When my sweet boyfriend got some granola as a housewarming gift from his new neighbors, I got inspired to create my own "healthi-fied" granola recipe!

~Crunchy Granola

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup coconut

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash salt

6 T honey 

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup craisins

2 T brown sugar

1/2 cup almond milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, mix honey, almond milk, and brown sugar over medium heat until combined.  In a bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, cinnamon, salt and mixture from the saucepan. Place on a sheet pan and put in oven. Bake for 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring occasionally. 

Remove pan from oven and add raisins. Cool on a rack, stirring once in a while until granola reaches room temperature. Transfer to a sealed container.

Enjoy on top of granola, with milk, or just sneaking it from the container!

International Crepes

It's official.  I have graduated from nursing school!  Now, I have more time to cook, photograph, and blog in between study for my Board Exams.

I know that I have posted my recipe for crepes before, but I love experimenting with new fillings.  This particular recipe might be my favorite.  This is the Hawaiian Pizza Crepe!

~Hawaiian Pizza Crepes

Crepe Recipe

Filling:
1 cup marinara sauce
1 package of deli ham, chopped
1 can of pineapple tidbits, drained
1 package low-fat mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Cook your crepes and then top each with marinara sauce, ham, pineapple, cheese and red pepper flakes.  Roll the crepe and warm in the microwave for a few seconds to melt the cheese.  Enjoy this international delight!

Revamped Cake Mix Cupcakes

I have always loved any sweet that is made from scratch.  I'm not going to lie, I have been known to turn up my nose at break and bake cookies and cake mixes.  Whew, I'm glad to get that off my chest!  Well, that is not the case anymore.  My palette has evolved... and I have discovered this new recipe!  Enjoy!

~Revamped Cake Mix Cupcakes

1 box of yellow cake mix
Eggs called for on the box +1 egg
Substitute the oil called for on box with the same amount of melted butter
Substitute the water called for on the box with the same amount of buttermilk

I know it sounds difficult, but trust me, it's easy!  Combine all of the ingredients and beat for 2 minutes. Poor into lined muffin tins or a greased cake pan. Bake according to the instructions on the box.  Test with a toothpick and then allow to cool!

While you are waiting for your confections to cool, whip up some of this awesome buttercream icing!

~Awesome Buttercream Icing


1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup real butter
1 1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
1 dash salt
5 cups confectioners' sugar
2 -3 tablespoons milk

Cream butter and shortening; then add vanilla and salt. Add sugar a cup at a time beating on medium speed. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time and beat on high until completely blended.

Cissy's Easy Fruit Cake Cookies

These ain't your Grandma's fruit cake cookies... well, actually they are MY Grandma, Cissy's, fruit cake cookies.  Many people turn up their noses at fruitcake, but these cookies are a different story.  They are sweet and salty, crunchy and soft, rich and addictive... pretty much everything you want in a dessert.  So throw those preconceived notions about fruitcake aside and whip up a batch of Cissy's Easy Fruit Cake Cookies!

~Cissy's Easy Fruit Cake Cookies

1 cup candied pineapple
1 cup candied red cherries
1 cup candied green cherries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup pecans
2 1/2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut fruit into small pieces. Chop nuts. Mix fruit and nuts. Sift together dry ingredients over the fruit. Mix the fruit and dry ingredients (yes, you will probably have to use your hands and get messy!)
Cream the butter and sugar; add the eggs. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, nuts and fruit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop the batter onto the sheet by the teaspoon.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies... You might have had them before, but you have never tasted them like this!  They are delicious, easy (ONLY 2 INGREDIENTS!), and (semi-)healthy! So buy some cake mix and pumpkin and heat up that oven.  You'll thank me!

~Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

1 can pumpkin puree

1 box of yellow cake mix

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix the box cake and the pumpkin puree until combined. Take a teaspoon ice cream scoop and drop the batter onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 13 minutes. Allow the pies to cool and then slice them in half horizontally. Spread cinnamon cream cheese icing in the center and enjoy!

~Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and cinnamon.

As American as Apple Pie(lets)

"As American as Apple Pie".  It's not a saying for no reason.  Just because you're patriotic doesn't mean that you always want to make a whole pie though.  So try out these pie-lets... They are sure to please!

~Apple Pie-lets

1 can of crescent rolls
2 apples
2 T sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 T melted butter (divided)
Extra cinnamon and sugar to top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a baking sheet.
Finely chop apples and coat with 1 T butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
Place the mixture in the center of each crescent triangle and fold it over and seal the edges with a fork.
Place each folded triangle on the baking sheet.  Brush the tops with the other tablespoon of butter and the extra cinnamon sugar.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream!

Star-Spangled Cookie Pops

Iced sugar cookie pops.  What a way to celebrate our country on Labor Day!  These cookies are easy, delicious, and cute enough to serve at any party (or to just eat at home)!

~Sugar cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. 

Roll out the cookie dough on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick.  Use a star shaped cookie cutter and place on a greased sheet pan.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. 

Working quickly, insert a bamboo skewer into the bottom of the cookie about 3/4 inch.  Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.  Let cool completely before icing.

~Buttercream Icing

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Directions

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and vanilla. Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered until ready to decorate.  Top cookies with sprinkles.