Sunday, October 16, 2011

Baking Bliss and Fall Festivities

Fall is truly one of my favorite seasons...and inspires me to bake like crazy!!! I love the kids and husband coming home to a house filled with the aroma of pumpkin spice muffins and snicker doodle cookies!! I always go back to the family activities that involve cooking...we made caramel apples with the cousins this week!


I also have been trying to somehow bring my baked goods into the new restaurant that I work for. They are thinking about doing a rich beer brownie (made with one of our stout beers on draft) paired with a raspberry beer. I made 3 different recipes and had the staff taste test them for the best one.



Seems hard to believe, but we have been trying to bring more healthy choices into our home lately. Although I bake a lot...I give most of it away. We are trying not to give the girls sugar except on special occasions. This week I made a low calorie granola with no sugar, banana, oatmeal raisin cookies, and a some fun chex mix! Here are a couple of the recipes:




TRULY HEALTHY GRANOLA



Ingredients
2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons fruit juice concentrate ( any flavor will work, I use Welch's 100% Juice White Grape Peach)
2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup dried fruit ( I like Sun-maid brand Fruit Bits)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan, heat the juice, honey and maple syrup over medium heat until you can stir the mixture easily, but before it starts to boil. About 5 minutes.
Place the oats in a large mixing bowl. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and stir quickly to coat.
Spread the oats in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the granola is crisp and starts to brown. About 15 minutes. Watch it carefully, or the granola may burn.
Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and while the granola is still warm, toss in the pecans and dried fruit. Sprinkle with cinnamon and finish cooling on the baking sheet.
Store in an airtight container.





BANANA OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
PS You have to freeze a few of these. The kids go crazy for them right out of the freezer!
Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies (Makes 30 Cookies)


3 Bananas (preferably ripe or spotty bananas

2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats

1 Cup Dried Dates, pitted and chopped

1/4 Cup Applesauce

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips, Walnuts or Raisins

1/4 Tsp Salt


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mash bananas in a bowl, and mix in the remaining ingredients.

3. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

4. Using a mini ice cream scoop or tablespoon, place the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 25 Minutes.5. Cool and serve.

** To make into bars – place dough in a greased 7×11 dish, bake for 35-40 minutes then allow to cool. Cut into bars or squares.
**To Freeze: allow cookies to cool after baking then place in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 3 months.


Ashtyn has also been enjoying preschool! Can't believe she is almost 3!!!



The girls have also been going to AWANAS...they love it!!!

We have had our house on the market now for about 2 weeks and had about 8 showings!! Keeping our fingeres crossed!

1 comment:

Amy Gibson said...

I love this post! So psyched to hear they will be using your brownies at work- that is so awesome! Love ya xo