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.

Cinnamon Rolls and Chocolate chip cookies

Today we are making cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies. I'm using the recipe from Pinterest that looks amazing and makes a ton for cinnamon rolls so we can share with our friends. I found the recipe here. I am not going to use raisins... those should never be in cinnamon rolls or even bread pudding... I could go into a whole diatribe about that... but I digress... not going to go there today. So that is one thing that will definitely be changed from the original recipe. I am not quite sure but I also love to add not just white sugar to my cinnamon rolls but also cinnamon chips and brown sugar. We will be also making a cream cheese frosting for the top of these delicious nuggets of goodness. I am grateful to be able to have a friend come and make these with me. It will also be a homeschooling lesson for science for my 15 yr old. I've taught my older two sons to make pretzels and bread from scratch. So we are doing cinnamon rolls for this son. This way all of my older three sons will know how to make something with yeast and learn that powerful lesson of how all things are alive... even the bread we make.

My chocolate chip cookie recipe will be from my Better Homes and Garden cookbook Limited Edition 1930-2000. I love a good Chocolate Chip cookie. I also believe whole heartedly they should have butter and shortening. Not many recipes call for both. So it's hard to find those that call for both. They make a far superior cookie. I double the recipe. I will be listing the ingredients doubled here.

Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 cup shortening
1 cup butter (I use salted)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups unbleached flour
2 pkg semi sweet chocolate chip pieces


1. In a large mixing bowl (I use my kitchen aid) beat the shortening and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda. Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla til combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixture. Stir in remaining flour. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons or an ice-cream scoop about 2 inches apart on uncreased cookie sheet or parchment paper. Bake 375F degrees oven 8-10 min till edges are lightly browned. Let sit for a bout 30 seconds to 1 min before removing from pan. Transfer to wire rack or wax paper and let cool. Makes about 120 cookies... I use a large scoop. So makes about 60.

BTS Cake (Better than S)

 BTS Cake

This cake is so delicious, devilish, decadent, put you in a diabetic coma delicious! You might be wondering why I (a diabetic) would post this picture and this recipe. Well, I never said I was perfect at keeping a healthy life style, plus if you don't indulge every once in a while, you won't be able to keep up the healthy eating, you'll feel like it's not worth it. So I had a small piece of my son's birthday cake. This is only made about once or twice a year. It is so delicious that dreams and the eye roll back in your head feelings exist! 

My eldest son has an affection for chocolate. A strong one. Maybe it dates back to when I was pregnant with him and I had extreme cravings for chocolate brownie sundae's from Baskin' Robins, with chocolate peanut butter ice-cream with hot fudge sauce, whipped cream and a cherry on top. That was several times a week, while pregnant with him. He loves peanut butter and chocolate... what can I say, he still does. :)

We make this and we all go in a slight coma... not really, but it definitely gets really quiet when everyone is eating their slice of this heavenly cake.

 Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 box chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 1/4 c water
1/2 c oil
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 bottle chocolate syrup
1 bottle caramel sauce
1 bag Heath bar pieces
1 can praline almonds
1 large tub of non dairy whipped topping

Directions:

Make the cake mix with the pudding, eggs, water and oil listed... Do NOT follow ingredient list on back of the box mix. Bake 30-35 min in a 13X9 pan. Once it's baked and hot out of the oven, poke holes on top of the hot cake with the small end of a wooden spoon. placing holes all over the top of the cake. Once you have a "holey" cake, pour the sweetened condensed milk on top of the hot cake. Then set in the refrigerator to cool. Once it's about halfway cooled off, add the chocolate sauce and caramel sauce to the top of the cake, Leaving some of each for the top of the cake later. Place back in the refrigerator to complete cooling. Once completely cooled off, add the whipped topping, sprinkle with the almonds and Heath bar pieces and drizzle with chocolate and caramel sauce.  Dig in and enjoy...

This cake is so decadent and rich. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

I have started a part-time job, so I haven't had much time for cooking from scratch lately, trying to juggle work, school, kids, family you know all the stuff that makes us busy, busy, busy! I have taken advantage of a few extra hours today, since it's stake conference at church. I have made some yumminess to add to my boys lunches this week. I doubled the original recipe, so we could have a few as a snack today and still have some for lunches. I also had 6 bananas that I needed to use.

These bars are moist and delicious. My kids have been begging for more. I guess that's a sign of success! :)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4-6 medium)
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 pkg (2 cups) chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
1 1/2 cup walnuts (optional - I didn't use any nuts)

Directions:

1. Grease 2 large jelly roll pans 15X10X1 baking pans. set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the grandulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt, beat til combined. Beat in the eggs, bananas, and vanilla til combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in the chocolate pieces and if desired nuts.
2. Spread the prepared baking pan with the mixture. Bake in a 350F oven about 25 minutes or til golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes a bunch, depending on how big you cut the bars.

This recipe comes from my 1930-2000 Limited Edition Better Homes and Gardens New CookBook. This recipe is already doubled. If you want to make a smaller batch, just cut the ingredient amount in half. This is great for those bruised/ultra soft bananas.

These are nice and moist, so tasty! :)

Ooey Gooey Cake

The name of this cake may seem quite in appropriate... but it so is. This cake is so delicious! It is heaven in cake form. At least in my opinion. If you like chocolate, caramel, and more chocolate... then this is your kind of cake. This is a very rich cake. So a glass of milk is totally needed. And if your on a "diet" you will have to make believe that your no longer on a "diet", because your going to die and go to heaven, and forget about what ever it was you were trying to avoid... It's all here! This cake is what I'm going to eat for breakfast, I made it last night and because it's so rich I only can eat one piece a day. However, my children can eat it non stop... so I have to put limits on this cake. I think if I had made a jello cake instead I could eat the whole thing in one night, but this takes time to savor and enjoy! You'll see what I mean when I tell you how to make it. Oh, and it's so easy it's a semi-from scratch. I made it at home but with items that can be purchased from the store. Be fore warned.. this may cause sever drooling, chocolate fit attacks, and a sweet tooth...

Ingredients:
1 chocolate cake mix (including ingredients to make cake mix)
1-2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
chocolate syrup
caramel sauce
whipped cream
1 bamboo skewer

Directions:
Make the chocolate cake mix according to package directions in a 13X9 pan. After you pull it out of the oven HOT. (That is key) poke holes in the cake mix with the bamboo skewer (all along the top of the cake). Next, pore sweetened condensed milk on top of the Hot cake, then pore caramel and chocolate sauce on top of the sweetened condensed milk.

Either place in the refrigerator or set out on the counter top to allow the cake to cool and soak up the deliciousness. Before serving. Either spread non-dairy whipped topping, or Whipped Cream (I recommend) on top, then drizzle more chocolate sauce and caramel sauce on top.

Serve with a large glass of milk.

Verdict!
HEAVEN in a pan! That is if your a chocolate fan! if not, try my jello cake if you prefer a fruity flavor or non-chocolate and lower calorie cake.

No Bake Fudgey Rocky Road Cookies

No Bake Fudgey Rocky Road Cookies

Since today is a rainy/snowy day, I wanted to make hot chocolate... And then I remembered... I had a recipe for some No Bake Cookies. I thought to my self, that would be GREAT with hot cocoa, and a nice treat for Family Home Evening tonight. So, I pulled together all of my ingredients to make sure I had everything. Then all of a sudden... TADA!!! It's done... That simple, that easy. :)

Ingredients

1/2 bag of mini marshmallows

6 cups granola

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 1/3 cup peanut butter or sunflower butter

4 cups sugar

2 sticks of margarine or butter

1 cup milk

2/3 cup cocoa

4 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup peanuts or sunflowers (optional)

set out foil or wax paper on your table or large surface (i.e. countertops). Set aside measured, peanut butter/sunflower butter, vanilla extract, granola, mini marshmallows and oats.

In a large sauce pot combine over medium heat sugar, butter, milk and cocoa. constantly stirring mixture until comes to a rolling boil.

Remove from heat and add in the peanut/sunflower butter, vanilla, granola, mini marshmallows, and oats, the Peanuts/sunflowers if desired.

Stirring quickly incorporating all items. Once incorporated drop by heaping spoonfuls on to prepared surface... foil or wax paper. Cool and store in a cool, dry place.

Makes A TON of cookies. :) this is a double recipe, depending on how big you make your cookies, will depend on yield. Should make at least 4 dozen cookies.

Verdict! these cookies are the BOM Diggity! I know I'm lame, anywho, This is a yummy treat. I tried to make this so those with kids who are allergic to peanuts could still make this yummy treat. Substituting the sunflower butter and sunflower seads.. If you make homemade granola then this is good to use that too. You can substitute quick cooking oats for the granola if you don't have granola. I just thought the crunch of the granola would be delish in this dish. :) Let me know what you think.. :)

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Today I made some chocolate chip banana bread loaves. 5 small loaves and 1 medium loaf. I had 9 banana's that needed used. So this was a great idea to use the banana's.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 c all purpose flour

4 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp cinnamon (ground)

3 eggs

3 c mashed bananas (9 medium)

2 1/4 c sugar

3/4 c cooking oil

3 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

1 1/2 c chocolate chips

1. Grease the bottom & 1/2 inch up sides of loaf pan; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, & 1/4 tsp salt (optional). Make a well, in the center of dry mixture, set aside.

2. In another bowl combine the egg, bananas, sugar, cooking oil, and lemon peel. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir til just moistened.

3. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350F oven 30-35 min for mini loaves or 50-60 for regular loaf, til a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 min. Remove loaf from pan. Cool on rack. Wrap in syranrap & store over night before slicing