Chocolate Chip Apple Strawberry Snack Bars

This recipe uses a lot of food storage items. Freeze dried strawberries, dehydrated apple slices/pieces, Whole wheat, sweetened coconut flakes, oats and granola. These are all items I try to keep in my food storage, as my children love the dried fruits. I had the kids help me add ingredients and asked them if they like the items I put in it. They all said "yes". So I'm hoping that there will be more kids eating these than just me. Last time I made snack bars the boys had one bite and then didn't really want anymore. This time I added more chocolate and chocolate chips to hopefully have them eat them.

Preheat oven 350F

First add Dry Ingredients:
4 cups oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups apple slices/dices
2 cups wheat germ
2 cups freeze dried strawberries
1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Stir to incorporate all dry ingredients. Then add all wet ingredients:

Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pint apple sauce (homemade)
1 cup honey
3 eggs
6 tsp vanilla

Stir to mix all wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.

Spoon or dump all mixture on to a large jelly roll pan. Flatten out and evenly distribute. This should fill the whole pan with mixture all the way to the top of the sides of the jelly roll pan.

Bake 30-35 minutes at 350F and edges are golden brown. Remove from oven let cool slightly and cut in the pan. Makes anywhere from 42-84 snack bars depending on how you slice it.

I loved the last snack bars I made. I'm hoping the kids love these.

Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe I made up. I have been making it for a few years now. I started making it because I had gotten a butternut squash from a bountiful basket and didn't know what to do with it. So I searched recipes online and saw several for butternut squash soup. None of them sounded too bad, but I didn't have everything that those recipe called for. So I improvised and created this DELICIOUS soup. I emphasize this because I have made it for a few of my friends and they are still begging for the recipe and for me to make them my soup. They crave it. They call me and ask if I'm going to make any anytime soon. I figured it was about time to add this to my blog recipes. I hope you enjoy this simple recipe as much as my family, friends and I do. It's perfect for a cold wintery day or just because you want some.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

64 oz of chicken stock/broth
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
4 apples- gala, fuji or braeburn - peeled and diced
4 med - small potatoes - peeled and diced
1 onion diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz cream cheese - room temperature
S & P to taste

Directions

In a Large Crockpot (6 qt or larger), add the butternut squash, apples, potatoes, onion and chicken stock. Set on low for 8 - 10 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Once they are soft and mushy, use a submersible blender and blend until smooth, add chicken soup and tempered cream cheese. Continue to use the blender until nice and smooth consistency. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste. Top with bacon bits and chives, or a little sour cream and cheese.

Serve warm.

Verdict on this... HEAVENLY! nice and smooth, rich and creamy, sweet and savory... the best of all world.

Please let me know what you think of my recipe. I love getting feedback from all who visit my blog. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Clean Eating Spiced Honey Apple Oats

Spiced Honey Apple Oats

Serving Size: 1

1/3 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup water

2 tbsp honey

¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 apple pealed, cored, sliced and diced.

In a small pan add water and apples, bring to a boil, then add oats. Cook 10-15 min depending on desired consistency. Add honey, pumpkin pie spice. Stir and serve Warm.

2 tbsp honey

Sausage, Bacon, Apple Stuffing

Since I was going all out this thanksgiving with 9 pies, turkey, homemade rolls, creamed peas with pearl onions, green been casserole, mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows, mashed potatoes... That I would not just do a box mix stuffing, but a "fancy" stuffing. One with yumminess in it to make it over the top! I wanted to stuff my turkey with flavor. So here is the stuffing I used. It as good. :)

Ingredients:

1 - 16oz bag of cubed stuffing - white and wheat blend

1 box cornbread stuffing

3 cans chicken broth

2 granny smith apples - cored, peeled, and diced

1 lb bulk ground sausage

3/4 lb chopped bacon

1/2 onion diced

1 cup celery diced

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Brown and drain the sausage, set aside. Brown and remove the bacon - keeping the bacon grease. cook the chopped onion and celery til translucent in the bacon grease. In a large bowl, put the stuffing mixes in, the drained sausage, the browned bacon, mushrooms, apples, cumin, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the onions and celery and mix well. Add the cans of chicken broth one at a time, once the stuffing is as moist as you want, then stuff the turkey, or place in a 13X9 prepared baking dish. If using the baking dish, bake in a 350F oven for 30-35 min.

The turkey stuffed will help cook the stuffing further.

This is a delicious stuffing mix. My husband said he could tell the added flavor helped the turkey taste even better. With the aroma of bacon and sausage, and the sweetness from the apples. MMM so yummy. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think of this stuffing mix. :)

Apple, Pear, Squash Crumb Pie

I know it looks a lot like my apple crumb pie. It is similar, but different. This time I had some leftover brown sugar, butter and cinnamon spaghetti squash, and it tastes so much like apples, I thought it might be good in a pie. I cut up my apples which were starting to go soft, and the spaghetti squash, and I realized that my home canned pears would make a yummy addition. So, out came a jar of pears that I canned last year. :) I made my favorite pie crust, and put that on the bottom, then I filled the middle with yummy goodness, and then topped it with the amazing crumb topping from my previous apple crumb pie. Here is how to make your own version. Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 cup spaghetti squash precooked with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

3 red delicious apples peeled, cored and diced

3 gala apples peeled, cored and diced

1 pint jar of canned pears, diced

3 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 lemon - juice

Topping:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup quick oats

3/4 cup melted butter

1 packed cup brown sugar

Crust:

2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup milk

This will make two 9 inch pies.

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix the crust ingredients together and roll out and place in your pie pans. Set Aside. Peel, core and dice the apples, dice the pears, and mince the spaghetti squash and place together in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon on top and mix in, to help the apples not change color. Lightly toss together in a separate bowl the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg then toss together with the fruit mixture. make sure all is well incorporated. Spoon mixture into the prepared pie pans. 1/2 in each pan.

In a separate bowl mix together the crumb topping. Stir well. Lightly crumble on top of each pie, use 1/2 of mixture on each pie.

Place pies in the oven for 50-60 min. Pies will bubble and crust will lightly brown.

Remove and let set, until cooled.

Serve and enjoy :)

Dutch Apple Pie

Dutch Apple Pie

Ok, so I have all these apples that I need to use up. I don't think that the kids mind too much for me to cut up a few to make a pie. I asked the kids what they wanted me to make with the apples and the unanimous vote was Apple Pie. So, I decided to make my husbands favorite... Dutch Apple Pie. I have actually never made one before. I usually buy it for him. So, today I did something new, and made him a homemade dutch apple pie. Let's just say he's happy. :)

It was fairly easy to make, I had Braeden make the crumb topping/crust. Mikey helped me make the filling :). I love it when they help me cook.

Ingredients:

Crumb crust/topping:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

3/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

2/3 cup sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 1/4 cups cold water

3 cups diced peeled tart apples (I used red delicious)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats and butter; set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate; set aside.

For filling, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water in a large saucepan until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in apples and vanilla.

Pour into crust; top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350F for 40-45 min. or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 6-8 servings.

I got this recipe from Tasteofhome.com. It looks so yummy. It had great reviews. I did add as suggested by a reviewer to add a little apple pie spice. I only had pumpkin pie spice. But I used it very sparingly. Only a dash or two.