Homemade Granola Bars - who knew?

A few weeks ago, on Pinterest, I pinned a link to homemade granola bars.  Yesterday, I finally got around to making them, and WOW!  This really worked! 

Why am I constantly amazed when things I've been buying at the store are so easy to make?  Why do I always assume it will be difficult to replicate?  Why is the sky blue?  I DON'T KNOW, but I've got to stop! 

I followed the link that led to a link that led to a link to finally arrive at Lauren's Latest for the actual instructions. Just like she says in her post, I took her recipe and tweaked it to make it my own.  I highly encourage you to do the same.

Here is the basic original recipe from Lauren:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats {not rolled oats!}
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter, honey and brown sugar together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased small jelly roll pan {about 12x8x1} and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. {If your pan isn’t small enough, pack the mixture into one side. You really want to press them down so they stick together.} Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly. Cool on a counter top to room temperature for two hours or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

I make them exactly as written the first time, and then I started making this my own.  In the first batch, I thought the honey overwhelmed the other ingredients.  I like honey, but I didn't want honey bars, so on the next batch, I used my 1/4 cup measure and put used 1/2 honey and 1/2 corn syrup.  You could also use the entire 1/4 cup of corn syrup.  I liked the corn syrup best... it's a personal preference.  You do need the entire 1/4 cup of some sticky sweetener, that's part of what holds this stuff together.  Skimp and they will fall apart.

Also, for my second batch, I omitted the vanilla.  I couldn't taste it in the first batch, so I deemed it unnecessary.  Instead of the 1/4 cup butter, I used 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter and 2 tbsp butter.  Then I added to the cereal and oats, 1/2 cup slivered almonds, and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds and 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips.  2 tablespoons in the original recipe was not enough chocolate...again personal preference! 

I also chose to use my 9 x 9 silicone baking pan.  9 x 9 mades the bars the exact thickness I like, and the silicone is so easy to pop them out to cut.  If you don't have a silicone pan, I highly recommend one!

So, here is batch #3.... dried blueberries and coconut!

Melt 1/4 cup butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup corn syrup in sauce pan.  While the butter melts, in a bowl, combine 2 cups quick oats, 1 cup rice cereal, 1/3 cup dried blueberries and 1/3 cup flaked coconut.  NOTE:  I used whole dried blueberries, next time I will chop them up.

Pour sugar mixture over the dry ingredients and stir, stir, stir.  It takes a couple of minutes to completely coat the dry ingredients.  If you are adding chocolate, wait until you have completely coated the dry ingredients and it's cooled just a bit - 3 or 4 minutes, or the chocolate will melt.

Then pour into your pan - again my recommendation is a 9 x 9 silicone pan and pat it down FIRMLY.  If you don't do this, your bars will fall apart and you will have granola sprinkles for your yogurt or ice cream.  Then stick the pan into the refrigerator for 5 minutes.

If you are using silicone, flip your chunk-o-granola out onto a cutting board to cut into rectangles.  If you are using a metal pan, cut in the pan.  Then put the bars into an airtight bag or container and store in the fridge. 

Save the little tidbits of granola that fall off your bars for yogurt or ice cream (or bonus for the cook!).

I don't really know how long these will last in the refrigerator.  I don't think I will get to find out, they are yummy!  I'm going to make the next batch with chocolate rice cereal, chunky peanut butter, mini chocolate chips and dehydrated bananas!  The possibilities are endless!  Thanks Lauren & Pinterest.

Chicken Salad Two Ways

I L-O-V-E chicken salad.  I might eat it every day if it were up to me.  Sadly, it's not up to me, so I don't.  But, I do make it as often as I think I can get away with, and chicken is on sale at the grocery store! 

The Chickens of Podunk are mighty glad that I go to the grocery store for my chicken! 

The secret to my chicken salad is I start with cream cheese.  I'm a big fan of cream cheese, and the chicken sticks together better too.  No falling out of the bun here!  Start with an 8oz block of softened cream cheese - I usually forget, but 30-45 seconds in the microwave will soften it right up.

Then the chicken.  DD#1 and DD#3 went garage sale-ing with me yesterday, and so while we were gone, I had chicken breasts cooking in the crock-pot on low (7-8 hours on low). When I got home yesterday, I put the chicken in the fridge to cool until today.  That make whipping this together a 10 minute dish! 

First, I put about 3" of hot, soapy water in my sink for finger rinsing.  I hate chicken grease on my fingers, and this little trick keeps my from using those greasy fingers to turn on the water and then having to clean the faucet! 

Remove the skin and the bones from the chicken breasts (rinse fingers in soapy water).  You can certainly use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead so you can skip this step, but that is almost always alot more expensive, so I will remove the skin and bones.  Plus, the cats will love me later.

Once you have remove the skin and the bones, dice into chunks.  The size of the chunks are a personal preference... I like it chunky, so my chunks are about 1". 

Add to the softened cream cheese...(you will have to trust me here, it's under the chicken!). Then add about 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp seasoned salt, 1/3 cup diced celery and 1/3 cup diced onions.  I was out of celery and the last onion was sprouting (desperate need to go to grocery store) so you will not see these in my chicken salad.  I may use this as an excuse to make it again later this week!

Stir well to combine.  Now, here is where the two ways comes in.  Put 1/2 of chicken mixture into another bowl.

  To the bowl on the left, I add about 3 tbsp of hot sauce or wing sauce.  We like Frank's Redhot sauce.  Any brand will do.  Feel free to add more if you like the heat.  Stir well. 

To the bowl on the right, I add a heaping tablespoon (out of the silverware drawer, not the official measuring devise) of mayo and a couple squirts of horseradish sauce.  Then I stir with the tablespoon to combine. 

Serve on croissant rolls (our favorite) but any bread or bun will do.  I serve the buffalo chicken salad with cheddar cheese and lettuce (here again...missing the lettuce... must go to grocery store) and sometime a squirt of ranch dressing.  I serve the plain chicken salad with a slice of swiss cheese, lettuce, and sometimes a slice of tomato. 

Yummy and versatile chicken salad! 

If you have or create other versions, I would love to hear them!  I'm working on a Spicy Thai Peanut version right now and will let you know.

Recipe

1 1/2 - 2 lbs cooked chicken (skin and bones removed)

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp seasoned salt

1/3 cup dices celery

1/3 cup dices onions

Stir to combine. 

To make Buffalo Chicken Salad, add:

3 tbsp hot sauce or wing sauce

Serve on bun, croissant or bread with cheddar cheese, lettuce and a squirt of ranch dressing.

For plain Chicken Salad, add:

Heaping tbsp mayo

3 tbsp horseradish sauce

Serve on bun, croissant or bread with swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato.

Sparkly Light Switch Covers

After a couple of whirl wind weeks... DD#2 graduated from high school, family down to visit and a week away from home on business, I can finally get back into a routine and get some posts up!  This project I started about 6 months ago, you know, just about Christmas time.  Isn't that when every teenage girl decides she MUST totally re-do her room?  New curtains, new mini blinds, new paint, crown molding, closet update, the whole nine yards.  And for some reason can't understand why you aren't as excited as she is, and don't even think you can pass this off as a Christmas present! Teenagers in Podunk are just like all other teenagers!

But I digress...sometimes you've just gotta wait and see how a project turns out.  I was a little sceptical when DD#2 showed this to me and declared that she wanted these for her bedroom that we were already painting an obnoxious fabulous pepto bismol pink! I didn't think they would hold up to the wear and tear of a teenager, but they have!  And now I want to share them with you.  SPARKLY light switch covers!!  

It was a little challenging to get a picture of them... they sparkle and reflect light like crazy, but if you have a daughter who's into BLING, by all means, these are amazing.  Slightly scratchy, but amazing!

We started out with the existing light switch cover - cheap, plastic and ugly.  I just wiped it clean with a damp cloth (trust me it needed done...icky) and let it dry completely.




My original thing of glitter with MUCH bigger!  Just using this one for reference.



Sorry, there are no pictures for this process... remember, I didn't really think it would work?  Well, I should have taken pictures anyway!

First I laid down some newspapers because I tend to be messy.  Then I smeared a pretty thick layer of Mod Podge over the entire surface of the switch plate.  Be sure you get it all the way over to the edges.  Then I sprinkled very liberally with glitter.  The glitter pictured is NOT the size I used... maybe 4 x that much.  Be sure you get glitter clear over to the edges (do you notice a reoccurring theme here?).  I let that set for about 30 minutes before lightly tapping the loose glitter off.  I recycled that glitter for switch plate #2.  Then I let it dry overnight.  

Once it's dry, I took it outside and sprayed it liberally with the clear polyurethane pictured.  I bought the gloss, but it comes in matte too.  Personal preference.  Then I let it dry for at least 4 hours and sprayed it again.  I did 3 coats of polyurethane and let the final coat dry overnight. 

That's it.  We hung it and have been using it for over 6 months now with no signs of wear and tear at all.   

Glitter comes in a variety of colors, and if you wanted to go crazy you could even do a design (thinking stripes or chevron would be cute).  And if you're like me, and love crafts and have girls, you probably even have all the supplies on hand, which makes it even better.

Egg Rolls Because I Can!

I am a huge fan of the egg roll.  Something about the crunchy outside, and the warm and slightly crunchy veggie inside, and of course, the dipping sauce.  YUM. 

Friday, on my revamped weekly menu called for Bourbon Chicken and Egg rolls.  Sometimes I buy egg rolls, but this time I had purchased the ingredients to make egg rolls.  I am trying to find any reason to use my new kitchen gadget, the Chop 'N Prep.  I love this little thing! 

I don't have an official "recipe" for egg rolls.  In my mind, it's a bit of a "wing it" sort of food.  For the purposes of this blog, I've attempted to capture the steps, and will give approximate quantities (but no promises here!). 

You will need to start with egg roll wrappers (one package). If you have never purchased them before, they can be found in the refrigerated produce section.  DD#3 went grocery shopping with me last week, and had no idea where to find them.  She could simply not believe that was where the grocery store "hid" them.  I asked her where they should be, she just shrugged, and said "well, not there."

Next, for my egg rolls, I used about 1/2 a small head of cabbage, one carrot and four mushrooms. 

Using my Chop "N Prep, I chopped them up into little pieces (no kidding, little pieces!).

And I almost forgot, half of a yellow onion.  You can add any other vegetables you want.  If you want spicy egg rolls, add a jalapeno.  If you have some vegetables you need to use, add them.  No right or wrong combination - I think the only necessity is the cabbage. 

If you don't want to chop up all this stuff, because you don't have a fun little kitchen gadget, or because you are short on time, or just because, buy a bag of coleslaw mix and add a diced onion.

Normally, I would use some ground pork or small shrimp as the meat in the egg rolls.  This time, I had a leftover grilled chicken breast.  I chopped it up and added it to the vegetables.  You can also just make these veggie.

Then I added about 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil (I like sesame, so you might want 1tbsp), 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tbsp sugar, and a little salt.  I'm trying to cut back on salt, so just do a taste test for the salt. 

Lay out an egg roll wrapper so it looks like a diamond, and put about 1/3 cup or so in the middle of the wrapper.

Then fold the bottom point up over the mixture.

Then the right and the left sides in so it looks like a little envelope.



Wet your fingers with water, and moisten the flap (just like an envelope) and roll from the bottom to the top.

Heat at least 2" of oil (peanut is preferred, but canola is OK too) to about 300 degrees.  I don't think I every really check the temperature, instead I cut a tiny piece of egg roll wrapper off and drop it in the oil.  If is starts to fry, it's hot enough.  If the wrapper sinks to the bottom of the oil, it's not hot enough yet.  This is the medium setting on my electric stove, preheated for about 10 minutes.

Fry for about 2 minutes per side, rolling the egg roll over in the oil to get an even fry.  Good luck with this one.  Sometimes they stay rolled over, and sometimes they are stubborn.  Just trying to get an even brown.


Please don't judge the dirty stove top!

Place a couple of paper towels on a place, and CAREFULLY remove the egg roll from the HOT oil.  If your kiddos are helping make these, this is an adult step! 



I got this one a little too brown - taking pictures, I forgot to get out the paper towels!  But trust me, it was still delicious! 

Make or purchase your favorite dipping sauce.  Serve hot.  Enjoy!

It Slices, It Dices, It Makes Julienne Fries!

Meet my newest kitchen gadget.  Maybe I exaggerate a lot just a touch in the post title, but this thing is NIFTY!

It's a Tupperware Chop 'N Prep (I love my tupperware) and my kids won it at a 4-H horse show!  I like the horse show prizes, the kids, not so much!  See the little white handle on the top of the lid?  You pull it, just like starting a weed whacker, to chop up your vegetables - chop only (no slicing, dicing or julienne-ing. I just thought that was a catchy title). 

You put your vegetables in (or I guess it could be whatever kind of food you want chopped) and close the lid.  It's kind of small (you get about a cup of the chopped whatever), but we'll call it fun sized.  Then you pull the cord 5 or 6 or 10 times, and voila, chopped up stuff!

I chopped up cabbage for these pictures, I'm going to make egg rolls later.  DD#3 made fresh salsa last night in about 5 minutes, which we scarfed down in under 5 minutes! I am also going to try chopping up a leftover grilled chicken breast to make chicken salad for lunch today. This would be a great gadget for a younger child to be able to help in the kitchen.  Self-contained - no mess and no chance of chopping off your fingers!  Would also be great to take camping, no electricity required.

I am so excited about my new little chopper - I added it to a blog party over at "The Johanson Journey".  Go check it out! I say it's mine (even though the kids won it) since I'm sure I will be the one using it and washing it.  Oh, and it's dishwasher safe too - at least when I ran it through the dishwasher it didn't fall apart or anything.  The only down side to this (in my opinion) is the price if you have to buy it - retails for $45.00.  Personally, I'm hoping there is another horse show soon with Tupperware prizes!  

 

The "Art" of procrastination.

Our best friend's daughter K is going to have a baby.  We've known K since she was maybe 3 or 4 years old, and have watched her grow up, to to college, move off, come back, go back to college again, move off, and move back.  Typical 20's stuff.  Around Christmas, she and TJ announced they were going to be parents, and our friends are pretty excited.  This will make grand baby #3 for them.

K's baby shower was Saturday, and while I had the best intentions, when I woke up on Saturday morning, her present wasn't done.  Well, to be perfectly truthful here, it wasn't even started!  While this might throw most people into some sort of panic, I just looked at the fabric (which I had purchased on Monday, and washed on Tuesday) and went and made come coffee.  The shower didn't start until 1:30pm.

I started in earnest, cutting out the fabric about 9am, right after DD#2 and DD#3 left for a 4-H function.  I had decided to make here some baprons and some burp cloths, matching of course, and in her jungle nursery themed fabric. 

Fabric found at Hobby Lobby

I had decided to make her 3 of both, so I cut 3 bapron pieces from each of the fabric to make one bapron from the animal print, one from the green plaid, and one reversible.  You can find this great pattern by visiting Jess at "Craftiness is not Optional".  If you haven't been over there she has tons of great patterns and tutorials and the most adorable baby ever!

Cut 3 from both fabrics

Then I cut out the burp cloths.  I found this great, super easy pattern at "Cloud 9 Fabrics".  I started out only going to make 3, but had just the right amount of fabric to make 4, so 4 it is.  I didn't take pictures of that - kind of dull actually. 

Now it's about 9:30am.



I started sewing.  I didn't take pictures of that either (hard to sew and photograph).  The burp cloths took about 30 minutes beginning to end (I do have a serger, your time may vary) including the top stitching that really makes them look nice.

Now it's about 10am. 

I started on the baprons, and got the fronts and backs sewn together and was ready to started the bias tape trim when I suddenly remembered, when I purchased the fabric, I didn't pick up the bias tape. I rummaged through my stash of bias tape and had a dark brown and a lime green, enough for two bibs, so finished up the two bibs.

Now it's about 11am. 

I've never made bias tape before, but I've read a couple of tutorials, so I pulled out my fabric stash, and found what I thought  hoped would be enough to make bias tape. 

Then I went and took a shower so my hair would have time to air dry.  I MOST CERTAINLY did not take a picture of that!

Now it's about 11:30am. 

I pulled out the iron, and the ironing board, and a ruler.  DD#1 has my rotary cutter and mat, so the bias tape will have to be done the old fashioned way.  I cut out 2" wide strips of fabric on the bias, and kept cutting until I thought hoped I had enough.  I sewed all of my strips together, and then measured the strips - whew, just enough.  Now, with my trusty iron and ironing board I ironed the double fold bias tape.  I did not take pictures of that either.  Hot iron, camera, fingers... I didn't see that turning out well.  The good news is that the bias tape turned out perfectly.  The really good news for you is that I can advise you to never make bias tape this way, instead go to the tutorial I found here and follow it.  Dana at "MADE"  explains it better than I ever could.  I will be making all of my bias tape following her instructions from now on.  Not one bit scary, now that I've done it.

Oh, and it's now noon.

I took my adorable brown gingham bias tape and finished bib #3.

It's 12:20pm.



Middle bib is reversible

Entire jungle set

I got out my gift bag and "wrapped" up the little jungle set, added the card, then straighted my hair and threw on a nice shirt (defined by me as anything not a t-shirt) and out the door. 

It's now 1pm. 

Short drive to the church where the shower is taking place.  Walk in the door - it's 1:25pm.

Now that's the art of procrastination!

What's better than cheap??

Free of course!

Daughter #2's boyfriend Landon was helping move a friend's warehouse, and the people who owned the building were getting rid of these "shelves".  For free!

But they are BIG, and HEAVY, so we borrowed a flat bed trailer from a friend and brought them home to make into three sided buildings - one for the cows and one for the horses.

It took 6 of us to unload the things off the trailer... I think Landon loaded them by himself.  (He's handy.. I think I'll keep him!)  Then we bought runners for the bottom, and 4 x 8 sheets of plywood for the sides, and some tar paper for the roof (which they had used as a shelf).

Now if they will just magically assemble themselves.  We are currently in talks about the "right" way to make these buildings, so I would estimate they will be done right after winter turns to spring and the cows no longer need them.

Sunshine believes this. 

 "More cow cookies please!"

Homemade Laundry Soap

It's time to make laundry soap.  I've been making this for just over two years now, and I wouldn't go back to the high priced store kind.  No way!  For those of you who have the high efficiency front load washing machines and worry about using this, that's exactly what I have,   Whirlpool Duets.  You will find this recipe all over the Internet, so I don't have anything special or new, but I do have PICTURES with mine!!

It's a pretty simple deal.  3 ingredients, 4 if you count water, 5 if you want fragrance.

1 bar Fels-Naptha Soap

1 cup Super Washing Soda

½ cup Borax

Water - HOT from the tap

5 gallon bucket

Optional : essential oil 10drops per gallon (lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil, etc.)

 Oh, I guess 6 if you count the bucket!  Is a bucket an ingredient?? 

First step is to grate the soap.  You can use a food processor if you like, but a regular cheese grater works just fine.  I grate it over a paper towel so I can pick the towel up and use it to pour the soap into the water in that step.

When you're done, it looks a little like a pile of cheddar cheese.  Then put a pot of water on the stove over medium low heat - the amount of water is somewhere around 3 - 4 cups. This does not need to be exact, you're just going to melt the soap here. 

PLEASE, PLEASE do not look at the dirty stove!  We are making soap here! 

Then using your paper towel, pour the soap into the water and give it a quick stir.  Don't have the heat too high, we are just melting the soap, not boiling it.  If you boil it you will have a giant mess!  I might have done that before (I'm not saying!).

Now, get out the other ingredients, 1 cup of washing soda... I've included a picture of the box.  I sure wish I had a picture when I was trying to find this stuff.  I was looking for a little box, like the baking soda comes in!  I got mine at the local Krogers, usually grocery stores have it. They also have the Fels-Naptha soap.  My local Wal-Mart does not.

And now the 5 gallon bucket.  Put about a half gallon of the hottest water that comes out of your tap into the bucket.  Add the 1 cup of washing soda to the water.

Stir it completely with a LONG handled spoon. 

Now add the 1/2 cup of borax.  I don't have a picture of that box, but it's alot easier to find.  Stir this completely into the water and washing soda mixture.  When you think it's completely stirred together, stir it some more.  That's one of the thing I've learned, getting this stuff stirred together well is the trick to great soap.

Go back to your melting soap hand give it another stir.  Don't stir it too much, or it will foam up and you can't tell if it's melted yet!

Once it's completely melted, pour it into the water/washing soda/borax bucket.  It will quickly turn thick.

and STIR!  Then STIR some more.

After you have stirred it completely, I use the same pot I melted the soap in to add one pot of hot water at a time to the mixture, stirring completely between pots of water.  I repeat this until my 5 gallon bucket is about 3/4 full.  If you are going to add fragrance, either do it now, or you could wait until you put it into the containers so you can have several fragrances from one batch.  The mixture should be about the consistency of runny pudding.  Let this mixture sit overnight to gel up.  Now get out your containers and a funnel.



Pour the finished laundry soap into your containers (I love these old vinegar containers because the cap is attached!).  If you want to use several fragrances, add them to the containers before you fill them and then shake to mix.  Don't fill them all the way, as you will want to have some head room to shake the soap before every use as it might separate some.  It all depends on how long it takes you to use 5 gallons of laundry soap!  A front load washer takes about 1/4 cup and a top load takes about 1/2 cup of soap. 

This makes great gifts for your family, friends and neighbors if you don't have room to store it all.