Puffed Cranberry Walnut Granola

As my kids tell me.. I am a bit of a health food junkie!  

So here are some yummy granola I created after buying some deliciously overpriced bars!

Puffed Cranberry Walnut Granola

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups puffed rice

2 cups puffed wheat

1 1/2 cups pecans

1 cup dried cranberries

In a small saucepan melt butter.  

Add brown sugar, honey and vanilla and bring to a boil.

In a separate bowl combine puffed rice, wheat, pecans and dried fruit. 

Pour liquid over dry ingredients and mix.  

Put mixture into a greased baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Then eat and enjoy with yogurt

or as a popable hand snack!

I am sharing with


Love,

Pinkapotamus

Whatever the Pantry Holds Granola

I Love, LOve LOVE granola.. but what I don't love is the price tag.. Seriously I find it offensive that a box of granola is like $4 bucks.. uggh.  But really I eat it on EVERYTHING, yogurt, ice cream, with milk, without it as a hand snack, with fruit, as a smoothie topping... well, you get the point!

So here is my cheap, quick version with things that are almost ALWAYS available in my pantry!

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups oats

1 cup of Cherrios

1 cup of Rice Krispies

1 cup of Rice check

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup cranberries

(optional) 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine oil, butter, brown sugar, molasses, honey and vanilla in a small pot.  Bring to a boil then set aside.

In a large bowl combine oats, all cereals, walnut and cranberries.

  Top with syrup and mix.

Then place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Once done, toss in the chocolate chips.. then ENJOY ... on everything or straight out of the bowl!

I am sharing with

Love,
A very happy, granola munching Pinkapotamus

Eggplant Bruschetta

First I just have to say that I am sooo excited as I was featured yesterday at

for my Love Bugs

and Today at

for my X's and O's Wreath!  Thanks ladies for the huge honor!  I am such a big fan of both of your blogs s.. if you haven't checked out these fine ladies and their blogs.. then you SHOULD!

Now on to the FOOD!  Just the word bruschetta makes my mouth water!  I can't get enough of it and when you add eggplant to it.. it makes it twice as yummy!  So here is my awesome recipe for Eggplant Bruschetta!

Ingredients

Eggplant

2 large eggplants

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs

splash of milk

salt and pepper

Topping

1 container cherry tomatoes

(or several large tomatoes)

1 package of parsley

1 onion

parmesan

Start with your eggplant.

Peel and cut into circles.

Once peeled and cut place in a large colander and salt generously. 

This will get out any bitter taste within the eggplant.  Set aside for one half hour. 

When time is up rinse eggplant well with water and dry. 

Then put eggs, milk, salt and pepper in one bowl and bread crumbs in another. 

Egg and bread eggplant and fry in 3 TBLS canola oil until golden brown.  (If you are looking for a healthier version leave this step out and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.)

Then arrange on a rack on a baking sheet and set aside.

Now is time to make the topping.. oohhh my favorite part!

 Okay if you don't own a NINJA you should run out and get one.. like now! 

Okay and if not.. then ha ha you have to chop the veggies by hand.   Seriously!  Once the veggies are chopped mix in salt and pepper to taste. 

Then spoon over the top of anxiously awaiting eggplants. 

Top with a sprinkle of parmesan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. 

Then enjoy and trust me.. you will!  I know I did!

Oh yeah and this dinner is kid approved!

Yum!

I am sharing with

Love,

Pinkapotamus

I LOVE Cake!!

When my husband and I first met 11 years ago I swear that i was totally unprepared for REAL life. I had no cooking or cleaning abilities. I truly believed that soup came from a can and cake came from a box. After many years and many miserably failed attempts at cooking (mostly in the first 4 years of our relationship) things have changed dramatically.

Our daughter was born when I was 23 and I decided that if I was going to be a stay at home mom.. I was going to be a rock star at it! I got many cooking lessons on the weekends (from my awesome hubby) and slowly but surely my skills improved.. now I feel like an expert.. people ask ME for recipes!

One of our favorite recipes is yellow cake from scratch! No hydrogenated oils or corn syrup here! Here is the recipe along with some variations to really mix it up!

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 small round pans, two large round pans or one 1/4 sheet pan

2. Cream together softened butter and sugar. Incorporate eggs one at a time (I like to leave mine on the counter to get to room temperature before I use them.. makes the cake moister)

3. Add in vanilla (even if you forget the vanilla it is still super yummy!)

4. In separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt until combined

5. Mix in flour and milk into the wet ingredients starting and ending with flour

6. Pour into greased pans

7. Bake for 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. This varies depending on the amount of cake pans used and your oven

We love to take this cake and eat it right out of the pans.. but we have also made some slamming cakes with it too! Here are some examples:

1. Make chocolate icing (from scratch of coure) and top with sprinkles

2. Make vanilla pudding to put between the layers. Add strawberries. Top with homemade whipped cream and blueberries for a light cake

3. This is my rock star cake.. very impressive! Make whipped cream into the consistency of butter. Put aside. Then make chocolate ganache out of chocolate chips and half and half. Let the ganache cool. Layer the cake with the whipped cream in the middle and on top. The take the cooled ganache and pour over the top. It will look like a boston cream pie but tastes like it came from the bakery!

Love
Pinkapotamus