Honey Oat Wheat Bread

   by  JL_7978 

Is there anything better than the smell of homemade bread baking in the oven?

I remember visiting my Auntie Laura as a little girl.  She would greet us with floured hands, her apron tied about her dress and her hair pinned back.  I would sit on the stool next to her at the kitchen counter and watch her knead the bread and pat it into loaves as she would hum hymns in between conversation.  At lunch time we were welcomed to the table with thick, warm slices of honey-oat bread accompanied with butter and jam, it was glorious.

Here is that recipe from oh so many years ago.  Enjoy!

Auntie Laura's Bread (yields five to six loaves)

6 cups warm water

6 Tbsp yeast

6 tsp salt

1 cup honey

1 and 1/4 cup oil

16 cups flour 

2 cups oatmeal

Mix yeast and water.

Add honey, oil and oatmeal.

Mix in salt

Mix in flour with your hands until all combined.

Cover bowl with towel and let rise for one hour.

Knead dough.

Cut and shape dough into six loaves.

*At this point you can freeze the dough if you desire.  Just wrap each loaf with greased plastic wrap and place in freezer bags.  When ready to bake, thaw in greased loaf pan and let rise.  Then bake as directed below.*

Put into greased pans and let rise for 40 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when knocked on.

Remove from pans, butter tops lightly and let cool. Mmmmm. Freezes beautifully!

Do you have a favorite bread recipe?  Please feel free to share it below in the comment section.

Homemade Yeast Rolls

I love bread.  I had to fast it for four months while I was getting over an allergy and I think I missed bread more than chocolate.  Is there anything like fresh, warm bread out of the oven slathered with butter?  Mmmm.

Here is a recipe that has been in my family for years, I hope you enjoy it.

   by  advencap 

Aunt Donna's Yeast Rolls
2 cups warm water
2 packages dry yeast
Mix the above and then stir in:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup soft shortening or oil (I use butter)
1 egg
Add:
6 and 1/2 cups of flour and stir until easy to handle.
Lightly knead on a floured surface.  Put dough into a greased bowl and let rise
for one hour.  Punch down dough, shape into rolls and place in a greased pan.
Bake at 375 for 15 - 20 minutes, or till golden brown.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

As the cool air ushers Autumn our way and the forest beyond our meadow boasts colors of red, gold and orange I get ready for the season.

Wearing my flannel pajamas, red knit cap, and peering through frost kissed window panes, this time of year beckons for me to bring out my Dutch oven and make soup and loaves of crusty bread to feed my rosy cheeked crew when they come in from outside.

Butternut Squash Soup

3 to 5 lb butternut squash

1/2 onion, diced

2 to 4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup Half and Half

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg
olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds.  Place on a baking pan... I used a 9x13 pyrex glass dish but you could use a cookie sheet too.  Drizzle squash with olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper.  Roast, flesh side up, for 25 minutes, or till tender.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Sautee onion in fry pan with a little butter or olive oil.  Toss in cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.  Stir and then remove from heat and set aside.

Scoop cooked squash and put into blender.  Add onion and spice mix and your chicken broth.  Start with 2 cups.  Blend!  Add more broth as needed.  Just before serving stir in half and half.

SO delicious!

Crockpot Caramel Apple Butter

Crisp, autumn apples BEG to be simmered for hours with cinnamon and sugar and turned into a delectable treat to top toast, pancakes, muffins, scones, yogurt or whatever your heart desires, with.  This recipe is easy peasey lemon squeezey because it utilizes one of my favorite appliances... the crock-pot.

What you need:
5 and 1/2 pounds of apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup of white sugar*
1 cup of brown sugar*
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt

* I like to start out with just the two cups of sugar.  Depending on the type of apple you are using you may want more sugar.  I suggest letting it cook for a while then tasting it.  You can add more sugar if you would like it to be sweeter. I would add it slowly though... maybe 1/2 cup at a time, let it cook for a bit, taste, and then add more if needed.

Optional: blender or food processor
If you want a finer apple butter you can run your chopped apples through a blender or food processor until they are smaller bits before proceeding with the recipe (not completely pureed like applesauce) or if you like it a bit chunkier then skip this option and carry on.

1. Dump apples into crockpot.

2. Mix sugar and spices into bowl and dump over apples.  Give a good stir.

3. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.

4. Reduce heat to low and cook for 12 more hours, stirring occasionally. Go ahead and taste it when you stir it... if you desire more sugar then add some in.  If I am going to let the apple butter cook overnight I use my "keep warm" setting.  The longer your butter cooks the deeper in color it will get... do not worry about the dark brown hue it is taking, it just means it is going to be delicious!  :)

5. For the last hour of cooking I remove the lid to let it thicken up.  Once it is the desired thickness go ahead and either put it in jars to freeze, refrigerate or give away OR you can process it.

To process in a hot water bath:

1. Make sure your hot water bath is ready and boiling and that your jars are warm and lids are hot.

2. You want your apple butter to be hot.  You can put it up to high in crockpot for 10 to 15 minutes and that should do the trick.

3. Ladle butter into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.  Wipe rims/threads with damp cloth.  Cover jars with hot lids and screw on the rings.

4. Process half pint jars in water bath for 10 minutes and pint jars for 15 minutes.

This recipe makes about 8 half pint jars.

Homemade Pop Tarts

   by  mealmakeovermoms 

I  , my kids, get a little excited over pastry covered in frosting... so I decided to whip up some homemade pop tarts on a whim.

Here is what you need:
Double batch of your favorite pie crust
Filling of your choice (jam, brown sugar and cinnamon, pumpkin pie filling, Nutella, ect.)
Icing


For Brown Sugar Cinnamon I combine:
 1/2 cup brown sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon
I brush melted butter onto the rectangles and cover the rectangle with brown sugar mixture.  Then top with another pastry rectangle.  :)

For jam fillings mix 1 cup of jam with 1 Tbsp of tapioca starch that has been mixed with a 1 Tbsp of cold water.  This will help your jam thicken as the tarts cook.


Prepare your dough and divide in half.  Roll out each half into a large rectangle and cut into small rectangles roughly the size of a pop tart.

On one half of the rectangles you will want to brush the dough with a bit of water, a beaten egg, or some butter.  This is what will help adhere the top of your tart to the bottom portion.

Plop your filling into the center of half of the rectangles leaving some space on all sides.

Place another rectangle over the top of your filling and press down on all sides to make a good seal.  I use a fork to make cute hash marks all around my tart.  It looks more authentic that way.  :)  Poke a few holes with your fork, into the top of each tart so the steam can escape.

Place your tarts on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Serve as is or drizzle some icing on each tart once they have cooled.

For icing:

• 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
•  2 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Mix ingredients and drizzle over pop tarts.  Dot with rainbow sprinkles to add a bit more sugar and extra smiles to your day!  :)

• 
  

Perfect Pumpkin Muffins

   by  tibbygirl 

With Autumn comes my obsession for pumpkin everything... these muffins make the perfect accompaniment to a pumpkin latte and they are HEALTHY for you! It's a win, win people.  The whole family LOVES them.  In fact, my son requested these to be served at his birthday party instead of cake.  We did add chocolate chips to make them more cupcake like... oh, so good!  Enjoy! 

   by  Sarah Cady 

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-grain pastry flour (I  use white wheat)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsulphered molasses
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, molasses, oil and 1 egg until combined. Add the other egg and whisk well. Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of one of the muffins comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool completely on the rack.

yields 12 delectable muffins.

Homemade Foccacia Bread

Wanting to make something different for sandwiches and to use with our alfredo dinner, I decided to try my hand at focaccia bread.  The recipe is incredibly easy and is yummy, the whole family was smiling.

I found this simple video on youtube by Laura Vitalie... click and enjoy.  I used Grampa's Pizza Crust, recipe to whip up these rolls. Wow those you love today with a bit of something savory... these make your kitchen smell amazing!

Bria's Never Fail Pie Crust

   by  ** RCB ** 

For Quiche or Pot Pie
(makes one pie shell)
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter
2 to 3 Tbsp cold water


For Apple Pies or Sweet Treats
(makes one pie shell)
1 cup flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter
1 large egg

For either recipe above combine dry ingredients and mix well.  Cut in butter until it resembles peas.  Add water and egg slowly.  Now you are ready to roll out and assemble your pie.

*I use white whole wheat flour for all of my pie crusts with wonderful results.

This crust is perfect, flaky, buttery goodness.  I use my food processor to mix my dry ingredients and pulse my butter and then I slowly pulse the water in until the dough just barely sticks together.  Makes beautiful crust every time.

Enjoy!

Homemade Honey Smacks

Sometimes I just have a hankering for a sugary cereal from my childhood.  Honey Smacks used to be a favorite of mine and I was bound and determined to try to whip up something healthy for the kids that could be a throwback to my youth.  The results were awesome.

Ingredients:
Bag of puffed rice cereal
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
sprinkle of cinnamon

Place puffed rice on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt the remaining ingredients in a pot on the stove.  Pour honey mixture over puffed rice and stir well.  Return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes.

Cool on baking sheet.  Cereal will crisp up upon cooling.  Once cooled, store in an airtight container.  I enjoy eating it plain but it was good tossed into yogurt, eaten as cereal or used in granola bars.

Leave a comment below and let me know what  you like to dish up for breakfast.

Gingerbread Scones

 On a rainy morning I enjoy serving up something warm out of the oven alongside a cup of tea.  As the children tottle down the stairs the smell of ginger and molasses entice them to make their way to the table and conjure up memories of Christmastime.  This recipe from Serious Eats was a big hit in our home.  We used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose and the scones were still flaky and delicious.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cups

When my little man's second birthday rolled around I knew we needed to do something FUN for dessert.  I decided to give him the most bang for his birthday and combine two of his favorite goodies... brownies and cookies.  The results were EPIC!

Is your mouth watering yet?  

Okay so here is what you are going to need:

*Your favorite brownie mix or recipe (our favorite recipe is here, just do yourself a favor and click the link because you will never buy boxed again after tasting these bites of fudgy perfection.)

*Your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe or pre-made dough (our favorite recipe is by Ghirradeli and we use their 60% cacoa baking chips and always, ALWAYS use BUTTER.)

*2 Muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray.  This recipe makes a dozen Brownie Cups but you will need the extra muffin tin for the leftover cookie batter.  :)

*A crowd of chocolate lovers to help you eat the sweet rewards that are soon to come from your oven OR you can mail some to me.  :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray muffin tins liberally with cooking spray.

Mix up your brownie batter.  

Scoop into greased muffin tin.  I used a medium cookie scoop which is about 2Tbsp. The brownie mix will cover about 1/4 to 1/3 of each muffin cup.  Place filled muffin tin in fridge while you whip up the cookie dough.

Next mix up your cookie dough and pop it in the freezer for five minutes so when your "brookie" bakes the cookie dough will not sink to the bottom.

Pull out muffin tins from fridge and scoop (using same size scoop) cookie dough on top of each brownie batter cup.  If you have leftover cookie dough just fill up an empty muffin cup with it and enjoy the oh so gooey goodness that it becomes... you will thank me for it later.

Cookies made in a muffin tin = breakfast  :)

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until cookie is golden.  Let cool for ten minutes in the pans before running a knife around the edge to loosen and pop em' out.

Stack those cute little goodies up and take pictures liberally before devouring.

Am I the only person who thinks these are adorable?

nom * nom * nom

And because my boy LOVES Kipper - we made some "cupcake" toppers.

Enjoy the sweeter side of life this week and leave me a comment below if you tried this recipe!  :)

Lemon Blueberry Cake

In my neck of the woods Spring is the sweet song of robins,

the laughter of children playing in squishy squashy mud, 

and the vibrant violet burst of the crocus a midst the dead grass.

Spring is also a great time for bursts of lemon mingled with sugary sweetness and dotted with luscious blueberries.  

Oh you know you wanna... go ahead, indulge in a bite of spring, invite a friend over for tea and company as you savor each bite.

Or you can keep it all to yourself, I am sure it will freeze beautifully.  Head on over to Sally's Baking Addiction and make up a slice of heaven this week. 

*For the record, I made this as a two layer cake using the exact same recipe although I did substitute white whole wheat flour for the all purpose flour.*

Happy Spring and Happy Baking!

What is your favorite spring time treat to whip up for your family?

Perfect Pot Roast

As a person who has food allergies/sensitivities I try to keep the food in our house as whole/real as possible.  So when I went in search of a pot roast recipe online I was so discouraged to see that most of them had onion soup mix or canned cream of mushroom soup.  That is when I decided to check out PDub' and see if she had anything for me.  As if I even had to ask.

If you want a no nonsense, melt in your mouth, pot roast that screams "serve me with a side of mashed taters' PLEASE" then look no further.  Check out Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast and invite the fam over for dinner just so they can praise you to the skies.

Enjoy!

Fail Proof Pork Tenderloin

Oh how I love to cook...  and eat.  :)  I just love me some good ol' fashioned cooking with real ingredients.  When I stumbled upon an awesome sale on pork tenderloin at the store I had to snatch up several and then search for some variations on how to serve them.

Check out these amazing recipes for a memorable meal:

Teriyaki pork tenderloin - I prepped this meal and just threw it in a Ziplock bag in the freezer so I can toss it in the crock pot some night for an easy meal.

Pulled pork  - great for a weekend BBQ with corn on the cob and a gathering of laughter lovin' friends.  Don't forget to serve em' up with a side of napkins, or a shirt you don't care about.  :)  To keep the recipe more real/whole if that is your conviction then whip up your own BBQ sauce and find a natural rootbeer that does not have HFCS like Blue Sky.

Roasted pork tenderloin with apples - Incredibly easy and oh so delicious.  This dish is not only beautiful it melts in your mouth.  Perfect for Sunday dinner.  Instead of Dijon mustard I used the leftover honey mustard sauce I made with our homemade chicken nuggets and brushed it on the pork loin.  YUM!


What is a tried and true recipe that gets your family running to the table?

Homemade Chicken Nuggets (bread free) and Hand Cut Fries

  by  my_amii 

I stumbled across this gem of a blog called 100 Days of Real Food.  She has a terrific recipe for Homemade Chicken Nuggets however they have bread crumbs in the recipe ( I am sensitive to yeast) so I substituted 3/4 cup raw wheat germ and 1/4 cup flour for the bread crumbs and they turned out awesome.  Drop by Lisa's blog and be encouraged at how easy it is to feed your family wholesome, real food.

Whip up some of Ellen Krieger's oven fries  to make the kiddos really smile.  :)

Happy Cookin'!

Count Down To Christmas Cookie Recipes

*Christmas*

One, simple word that brings so much anticipation and joy wrapped up in wonder.  I love everything about this season.  The swirling snowflakes that dance outside my window, the smell of balsam and cinnamon that fill the house, twinkling lights, familiar carols, the gathering of family, the celebration of my Savior's birth, decorating my home, our annual party and the plethora of goodies we bake up to pass out to those who grace our lives whether it be the mailman, the teller at the bank, our neighbors, or our best friends.

As we prepare for another wonder-filled season I wanted to share with you some of my favorite cookie recipes.  Enjoy filling your home with sweet smelling scents and your bellies with decadent goodness.

Photo from Recipe Girl

*Candy Cane Kiss Cookies*
If you are like me, you do the happy dance when the new Kisses come out for the holiday season.  I have a passion for the Candy Cane kisses.  Not only are they adorable... adorned in red and white stripes thus making a pretty centerpiece when placed in a candy dish at the center of your table, but they are insanely addicting.  The bits of chocolate in the batter are wonderful.  These cookies pair nicely with a hot cup of cocoa piled high with whipped cream.  Mmmmm.

*Big, Soft Ginger Cookies*
If you like a good ol' ginger cookie then do yourself a favor and make up a DOUBLE batch of these.  As always, I substitute butter for margarine in any recipe.  Serve these up with a tall glass of milk and It's A Wonderful Life!

* Pretzel Turtles*
Okay, so technically they are not a cookie but these little bite sized goodies are too easy to make and too yummy to pass up.  We make large batches of these to have at our annual Christmas Eve party.  If you don't have Rolos you can use Kisses (the peppermint ones are wonderful in this recipe too) and top em' with a Christmas colored M&M if there are any nut allergies you are concerned of.  Put a bunch in a clear bag and tie with a festive bow for a gift for your mail carrier.  :)

* Classic Chocolate Chip *
This is by far my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I use Ghirradeli 60% cocoa chips and keep the batter in the fridge between cooking batches and they come out perfect every time.  Make ice cream sandwiches and take two cookies and fill them with peppermint ice cream (or whatever flavor you want) and roll in mini chocolate chips or crushed candy canes.  Um, yes please!

* Snickerdoodles *
Not only are they fun to say, they are also fun to eat!  Snickerdoodles will always remind me of my sweet Aunt Julie who would whip these up for us when I would spend the night.  This buttery cookie melts in your mouth as the cinnamon and sugar bring back memories of yesteryear.  Great with your favorite cup of coffee.  Make the dough up ahead of time, scoop onto cookie sheets and freeze, then once dough is frozen pop into a ziplock freezer bag so when unexpected company stops by you can bake up a batch of "mmm, mmm, good" in a matter of minutes.

What are some of your favorite cookie recipes?

Happy Baking!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

Brrr, it's chilly outside... bring on the soup!  We called this soup Bugs Bunny Soup so the little kids would eat it.  Everyone gobbled it up and asked for more.  Pairs nicely with homemade biscuits or a chunk of cornbread.

   by  mealmakeovermoms 

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 to 6 medium carrots, peeled (optional) and cut into chunks
spices of choice  - I used cinnamon, coriander, ginger and nutmeg.
olive oil
1 onion, diced
7 cloves garlic (5 whole and peeled and two minced)
1 summer squash, diced
6 cups chicken broth/stock


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place potatoes, carrots and spices of choice in a Ziplock bag.  Drizzle with olive oil, seal bag and shake it. Enjoy the free arm workout. :)  Place veggies on a cookie pan, add the whole cloves of garlic and roast for 20 minutes, stirring half way through.

While veggies are roasting saute onion with some olive oil in a soup pot until onions are soft.  Add the summer squash and minced garlic and saute for another 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  When veggies are finished roasting in the oven add them to the soup.  Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  Before serving, puree in small batches in a blender/food processor.  Serve it up with some bread and/or a side salad.

Is the change in temperature beckoning you to bake bread, simmer soup, and don cute blazers!  Tell me all about it by leaving a comment below.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, you read that correctly.  It is possible to have oh, so yummy CHOCOLATE chip cookies that are vegan.  :)  (it's okay to dance... I did too!)

So, if you want a cookie with a crisp buttery outside with a soft chocolate inside then here is what you are gonna need:

2 and 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Earth Balance buttery sticks
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax plus 3 Tbsp hot water.  Whisk together and let set ten minutes while you prepare the cookie dough)
3 Tbsp peanut butter
2 cups Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips (YES... these are vegan.  Unfortunately the 60% cocoa is not)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir flour baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.  In large mixer bowl beat Earth Balance with sugars at medium speed until creamy.  Add vanilla and flax egg, once combined add the peanut butter.  Gradually blend in the flour mixture until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by tablespoonfull onto a baking sheet (preferably lined with a Sil Pat) and bake for 9 to 11 minutes or till' golden.  Yeah, these are the real deal baby!  Grab your favorite cup o' dairy-free milk and raise a glass.
Please feel free to share this recipe but since it is an original I would appreciate it if you linked back to my blog.  I have big plans for these culinary creations of mine...  :).
Enjoy!

Oh so pretty... they did not last long.  :)

So, if you want a crisp buttery outside with a soft chocolate inside then here is what you are gonna need:

2 and 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Earth Balance buttery sticks
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax plus 3 Tbsp hot water.  Whisk together and let set ten minutes while you prepare the cookie dough)
3 Tbsp peanut butter
2 cups Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips (YES... these are vegan.  Unfortunately the 60% cocoa is not)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir flour baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.  In large mixer bowl beat Earth Balance with sugars at medium speed until creamy.  Add vanilla and flax egg, once combined add the peanut butter.  Gradually blend in the flour mixture until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by tablespoon-full onto a baking sheet (preferably lined with a Sil Pat) and bake for 9 to 11 minutes or till' golden.  Yeah, these are the real deal baby!  Grab your favorite cup o' dairy-free milk and raise a glass.
Please feel free to share this recipe but since it is an original I would appreciate it if you linked back to my blog.  I have big plans for these culinary creations of mine...  :).
Enjoy!

Banana Pops

Banana Pops Alison Miksch/Photolibrary/Getty  Images

To beat the summer heat we whipped up this kid friendly dessert.  What you need:
3 bananas
6 popsicles
6 ounces of chocolate (one ounce per banana)
wax paper
a freezer
(makes 6 pops)

Make sure your bananas are ripe (I like mine with a few freckles) and peel and cut in half, cross wise.

Place popsicle stick into cut end of banana and place on baking sheet covered with wax paper.  Repeat with remaining bananas.  Freeze for half an hour.  Melt chocolate in double boiler (or microwave), stir, and then coat bananas with chocolate.  I used a spoon and poured the chocolate over each banana and then smoothed it with the back of the spoon.  Place chocolate covered banana on waxed paper and let kids top with favorite toppings (granola, nuts, coconut, sprinkles... the possibilities are endless).  Let set for 10 minutes to let the chocolate harden and then enjoy.  You can pop em' in the fridge for a few minutes if you want the chocolate to harden faster.  :)

*What is your favorite popsicle flavor?* (leave your comment below to let me know)
I am in love with Edy's pineapple fruit bars.  I love the fresh taste and the tropical zing they have. Mmmm.

Molasses Bars (dairy free and egg free)

As I strive to make healthy choices for my family I also want to make sure the kids have something special to munch on during the week.  These bars are made with whole wheat flour, very little sugar, and are Mommy Acceptable (which means I won't break out in hives).

Photo by CATIETOD

Molasses Bars
Cream together:
1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup brown sugar

Then add:
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup soy milk

Sift together in separate bowl:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 and 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

Add flour mixture slowly to wet ingredients.  Pour into 8" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.  Cut into bars and cool on wire rack.  makes 15 bars.  Enjoy!