Breakfast Bags & Granola recipe

(yes, that's my baby girl.... last Christmas.... she'll be 1 next week..... where did my baby go?)

I am hoping no one on my Christmas list is reading this............ if you are either stop reading or act surprised come Christmas!

This year most everyone is getting some form of this idea, some more then others, some a portion of it..... depending on the person, family and such.

I am taking a basket

(Goodwill often has nice ones, reasonably priced!)

or a reusable grocery sack and making

"Breakfast Bags/Baskets",

here's my current thoughts on what's going inside!

Granola (see recipe below)

(I am thinking in a clear sack, tied with a pretty ribbon!)

Biscuit mix and a jar of homemade jam

( I just followed the directions on the Pomona Pectin insert for the kinds of fruit I used, so far I have made peach, strawberry and blackberry and I am planning on make THIS recipe later this week when my pears get ripe)

Pancake/Waffle mix

Hot cocoa mix

Box of tea

(watch for sales and coupons to stock up almost free!)

I am still working in my biscuit and pancake mix......... combining some "classic" ones I have and trying to make a little healthier, while not requiring refrigeration! I will share down the road when I figure out my recipe exactly. BUT, basically, it will be all the dry ingredients all ready mixed with a note attached on how much water/milk and eggs to mix together before making.

Granola

Mix together:

6 c. oats

2 c. bran cereal

¾ c. slivered almonds

¾ c. sunflower seeds

1 c. flaxseed meal

Heat in saucepan till blended:

1 c. honey

½ c. maple syrup

1/3 c. coconut oil

Pour over dry mixture and blend thoroughly

Pour into a shallow baking pan and cook at 250 for 2? hours, stirring every 30-40 minutes - (I forgot to time how long I actually cooked it!)

Cool completely

Add:

1 c. assorted nuts, chopped

1 c. coconut flakes

½ c. raisins

1 c. dried fruit

½ c. dark chocolate chips (if you like chocolate in your granola, my husband didn’t care for the chocolate, but liked the rest!)

Store in an airtight container. Serve with milk or over yogurt.

This post is part of Pennywise Platter, (Homemade Gift Edition!) at Nourishing Gourmet

Colossians 3:12-14

"Put on then,

.... this isn't gonna happen by itself..... it is a choice I make... each day ... every moment throughout the day.... I will do this.....

as God's chosen ones,

.... this is WHY I can and do this..... God has chosen me for this task..... He and only HE can give the power and strength to do this.....

holy and beloved,

..... doesn't it warm your heart and give you such encouragement to keep on keeping on ..... to "put on" another day when we are called holy and beloved ........ we are loved by God......

compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

.... oh, it's not easy, especially when they people you deal with most... most often.... every day..... all day..... are preschoolers........ who have such a knack for stretching your compassion...... requiring kindness often........ exercising your humility and meekness........ and don't even start on the patience!

bearing with one another

..... to come along aside and encourage...... am I being faithful to do this to those around me...... who can I encourage today?

and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

..... this isn't an option, it is a command...... we have been forgiven so much......... how can we not forgive those around us......

And above all these put on love,

..... if we could just love perfectly......... everything else would be so easy..... oh it's easy to say "i love you".... but do you show it..... in your thoughts...... in your expressions....... in your words..... in your actions...... do the people closest to you feel loved by you.........

which binds everything together in perfect harmony."

..... perfect harmony........ it all works together....... as we ACT, in God's power...... because of His love.... displaying compassion, kindness, patience, whatever is needed at the moment...... we can encourage, build up and tear down..... and when keep in mind all you have been forgiven..... it's possible to forgive completely...... and IF NOTHING ELSE just love them...... love them when they aren't lovable ..... when they are unforgiving ..... when they are not kind.... impatient ..... rude ...... just love...... because in love you can find that perfect harmony....... regardless of the "tone of the music" around you ...... it will be perfect harmony as the Lord works in you.... through you..... taking another step into Christ-like-ness.........

Colossians 3:12-14 esv, with my thoughts added

Hot Fudge Sauce

Hot Fudge Sauce

Melt:

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

Add:

2 cups conf./powdered sugar

1 1/3 cups (or a 12 oz can!) evaporated milk

Stir into chocolate/butter mix

Bring to a boil and cook 8 minutes

Add 1 tsp vanilla

Ready to serve, store or whatever you like!

This made just shy a full quart jar-full.

I like to spoon some over a banana for a semi-healthy dessert or stir into milk or just eat some off a spoon when you need a quick chocolate fix!

This recipe is from my friend Laurie..... who according to the recipe card copy I have got it from her mother-in-law......... I cannot take any credit for it, but it sure it yummy!

Stuffed Peppers

This is one of my classic stand-by meals.

I often make it ahead and stick 4 in the freezer and cook 4 that night.

It's very easy to adapt and don't tell my husband, but I often use up leftovers this way...... you can only serve them so many times before they start getting tired of them, but add a little rice and another spice and stick it in a pepper........... TA-DA - new dish! :-)

Stuffed Peppers

4-8 peppers, tops cut off, seeds removed

(I can only get 4 peppers in my crockpot at a time......... and it's just me and my husband and 3 small kids so we usually do one for each adult and the kids all split one and one left for husband's lunch the next day!)

1 pound ground beef, browned

2 cups cooked rice or barley

1 cup corn (usually frozen.....!)

1 can diced tomatoes

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup cheese, grated

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1-2 tsp oregano, basil or cilantro

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

Mix everything together well and spoon into peppers, I sometimes replace the tops and often don't - chopping the tops and throwing into a salad!

Place in crockpot and cook on low 4-6 hours - till pepper is desired tenderness.

Can place in crockpot frozen........ increase cook time a couple hours.

Like I said, I often make this "cleaning out the refrigerator" - I might mix some sausage gravy, rice and zucchini......... chicken soup trying not to get too much broth......... chicken, rice and brocoli casserole........... the possibilities are endless and make for a wonderful "re-use" of food and the ease of the crockpot! Obviously, please adjust the spices and such to your taste and what combinations of food you are using!

This post is linked to Sarah's Musings "For the love of a Slow Cooker" Carnival

Roasted Cabbage

One of my favorite crockpot side dishes - and really quick and easy too!

This is from A Year of Slow Cooking's blog - my notes or changes are in italics.

ROASTED CABBAGE

--1 small head of cabbage

--12-14 colorful baby potatoes (or regular potatoes.... or red ones..... I've used everything!)*

--10-12 whole cloves of garlic

--1/4 cup olive oil (maybe a little more, closer to a 1/3?)

--2 T balsamic vinegar (I use AT LEAST this, honestly I usually just pour over the top..... probably more like 1/4-1/3 of a cup!)

--1 t kosher salt

--1/2 t black pepper

*Depending on how much cabbage I have I would use maybe 2-3 cups largely diced potatoes, more like chunks and if I have carrots, I usually throw in 1-2 cups, again large chunks of those as well cause my boys love cooked carrots!

--wash vegetables

--cut potatoes into 1 inch chunks (I didn't peel them)

--cut cabbage into wedges--don't worry about separating the leaves (maybe 4-6 pieces depending on how large your cabbage is)

--throw veggies into the crockpot with the whole garlic cloves

--add olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar

--toss with hands to coat thoroughly.

DO NOT ADD WATER.

cook on high for 3 hours, low for 4-6. (I might cook mine a little longer..... closer to the 6 hrs? usually get it in by lunch time or sooner for dinner, BUT I am also at a higher altitude which might affect it too!)

the vegetables are done when the potatoes reach desired tenderness.

the cabbage will get a little caramelized and crispy around the edges where they touch the crock walls. That's okay--it tastes good!

This is wonderful hot of the crockpot, looks a little "wilted" the next day, but still tastes fine. I often will mix with some chicken or something and broth and make a veggie soup of some sort with the leftovers............. (or chop it smaller and feed it to my 11 month old!)

This post is linked to Sarah's Musings "For the love of a Slow Cooker" Carnival

today

Do you every have those days when you get alot done? I love those days. I have been "meaning to" get a list of things done in the kitchen and it keeps getting pushed aside, but I decided this morning I just need to do it. So, I did!

~3 pumpkins - cut, cooked, cooled and jarred for the freezer (still have 3 sitting on my counter too, but the oven is only so big!)

~6 pounds of organic carrots, peeled, chopped and frozen for use in soups or side dishes

~3-4 pounds of zucchini, sliced and frozen

~ 1 quart of hot fudge sauce made (you know this was really the priority!)

~ 1 large pot of vegetable broth cooking on the stove (gotta do something with all those carrot peels, zucchini ends and stringy bits of pumpkin!)

~ fed poor dying sourdough starter and was thrilled to see it seems to be coming back to life!

~ have pumpkin seeds cooking in the crockpot at my 4 yr olds request - I had no idea he even knew pumpkins had seeds that could be cooked and thought to ask as I was having husband cut the pumpkins for me this morning! Couldn't say no, even though I have never really gotten pumpkin seeds to cook well, oven or crockpot!

I still have an acorn squash and sweet potatoes to cook - still trying to decide though if I want to just make them into dinner or into baby servings for the little girl!

And I really wanted to get some more tortillas made this week, but that will have to wait till another day. Maybe if the afternoon goes well I will get it soaking and mixed up this afternoon!

Plus, I even know what is for dinner, it's all ready to put together later this afternoon! And I have leftover focaccia bread to go with it!