DIY Larabars

I'm kind of proud of myself for making these. Not that they were difficult - actually they were kind of stupidly easy. But because they are a healthy, "real food" alternative to one of our go-to snacks. In stead of tossing the kids a granola bar on the way out the door (becasue we're running late... again) and feeling guilty for giving them junk, I can feel good about this. Plus, both the boys and my husband love them. Easy-peasey breakfast or on-the-go snack while we're running round.

I found a variety of recipes for homemade larabars on Pinterest and finally settled on making my own variation based on flavors I like. I made two kinds. Total time spent, including clean-up = 20 minutes. See? Super easy.

These are the two I tried...

"Cherry Pie"
1/2 C natural almonds (not roasted or salted)
1/2 C pitted whole dates
1 tesp cinnamon
1/8 tesp salt
1 T coconut oil
1 T warm water
1/4 C dried cherries

Pulverize the almonds and dates in the food processor until it gets all crumbly. Add the cinnamon, salt, oil, and water. Mix together on "pulse" mode until it comes together and kind of looks like a dough ball. Then add cherries and pulse a few more times. I wanted bigger chunks of cherries so I added them at the end. I guess you could add them in the beginning if you wanted them all mushed up. If the mixture is too dry just add another Tbsp or so of warm water. It will be kind of sticky, but more dry than cookie dough. Then take all the mixture together in your hands and squeeze it tight - really pack it together like a snowball. Place in a small square pan or loaf pan lined in plastic wrap. Press down and get it all level, however thick you like your bars. Then wrap up in plastic and put in the fridge for a few hours until it gets nice and firm. Remove from the pan, cut into bars, wrap each bar in plastic wrap, store in the fridge.

"Double Chocolate"
1/2 C natural almonds
1/2 C pitted whole dates
1/8 tesp salt
1 T coconut oil
1 T unsweet cocoa powder
1 T warm water
a handfull of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pulverize the almonds and dates in the food processor until it gets all crumbly. Add salt, oil, cocoa, and water. Pulse until it comes together like a dough ball. Add a little more warm water if mixture is too dry. Take mixture out and smash it together in your hands nice and tight like a snowball. Then place in a plastic lined small square pan or loaf pan. Press down until it's all level and smooth, sprinkle a handfull of chocolate chips on top and press them down so they stick. Refrigerate a few hours until it gets firm. Remove from pan, cut into bars, wrap each bar in plastic wrap, store in the fridge.

A few notes:
I hate dates. Really, I think they are way too sweet and gross. But in these recipes you honestly cannot taste them. They provide the sweetness and texture to hold the bars together. So if you hate dates like I do, don't be afraid of making these. Also, coconut oil, if you're not familiar, is a solid when the temp is cool (which it is now), so I don't know how it would act in the summertime, but I think it would be fine.

Also, the possibilities of flavor combos are really endless. I'm looking forward to trying the Key Lime variety on my next batch.

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UPDATE:
Now that I've made these a few times, I'm finding that my family prefers the more simple recipe. {almonds, dates, salt, coconut oil, water} Then I divide the base "dough" in half and put dried cherries & dark chocolate chips in one half and dried cranberries in the other. My boys don't care much for the cocoa or cinnamon kinds.

IHOP Harvest Grain Pancakes

Another good recipe from Jane Merle at church. We use this for the men's breakfast and it's a big hit!

• 3/4 C. Quaker oats
• 3/4 C. whole wheat flour
• 2 tesp. baking soda
• 1 tesp. baking powder
• 1/2 tesp. salt
• 1 and 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 1/4 C. veg. oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped blanched almonds
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped walnuts

Use a blender or food processor to grind the oats until fine like flour. Combine oat flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.

In another bowl combine the wet ingredients with granulated sugar - beat with hand mixer until smooth.

Add dry mixture to wet ingredients, whisking slowly until combined. Add nuts and mix well with mixer.

Use 1/3 C. of batter per pancake and cook 2-4 minutes per side on hot, greased griddle.

Yield: 8 pancakes

*You can mix up a larger batch the dry ingredients ahead of time and store them in a air-tight container.

Sky-High Brunch Bake

This comes from a dear lady at church, Jane Merle. She's an amazing cook!

• 1 pkg (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry - 2 sheets - thawed
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup Ricotta cheese
• dash hot pepper sauce
• 2 pkg (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained very well
• 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 and 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 C. chopped red bell pepper

Preheat oven: 400 degrees

Unfold pastry sheet & roll out one sheet to about 11 inch square and one to 12 inch square. Line bottom and side of greased 9 inch spring form pan with the 12 inch pastry sheet.

Beat eggs with whisk. Reserve about 1 Tbsp. of eggs and set aside. Add Ricotta cheese, pepper sauce & spinach to remaining eggs; mix well until combined. Layer half each of the bacon, cheese, spinach mixture & red peppers in pastry line pan. Repeat layers.

Place remaining pastry sheet over mixture; fold and tuck pastry edges in pan. Pinch edges to seal. Brush top with reserved egg. Cut 5-6 slits in top crust with tip of sharp knife to allow steam to escape.

Bake 45-50 minutes at 400, or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of pan before removing rim.

To make ahead: Assemble and bake ass directed. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. When ready to serve, uncover and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until heated through.

Mary's Overnight Crunch Coffee Cake

Preheat oven: 350 degrees
Servings: 16

Sift together:

• 2 C. flour
• 1 tesp. baking powder
• 1 tesp. baking soda
• 1 tesp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tesp. salt

Cream together until light and fluffy:

• 2/3 C. butter
• 1 C. sugar
• 1/2 C. brown sugar

Add:

• 2 eggs (1 at a time, beat well after each)
• alternate dry ingredients with 1 C. buttermilk into cream mixture

Spread batter into floured 9 x 13 pan.

For Crunch topping, combine:

• 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 1/2 tesp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tesp. nutmeg
• 1/2 C. chopped nuts

Sprinkle over batter.
Refrigerate over night, or 8 hours.
Bake at 350 degrees, 35 - 40 minutes.
Serve warm.

Apple Streusel Muffins

Preheat oven: 375 degrees

Combine:

• 2 C. flour
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 tesp. baking powder
• 1/2 tesp. baking soda
• 1/2 tesp. salt
• 1/2 tesp. cinnamon

In another bowl, whisk together:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C. melted butter
• 1 1/4 tesp. vanilla

Stir wet ingredients into dry. Batter will be stiff

Fold in 1 1/2 C. tart peeled and chopped apples.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

For Streusel topping, cut together:

• 1/3 C. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1/8 tesp. cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. cold butter

Sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, for glaze topping mix together:

• 1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
• 1-2 tesp. milk

Let muffins cool, drizzle glaze over top.

Cherry Coffee Cake

Preheat oven: 350 degrees

For batter:

• 1 1/2 C. dry yellow cake mix
• 1 C. flour
• 1 pkg. (1/4 oz.) yeast
• 2/3 C. warm water
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten - STIR IN

For crumb topping:

• 1/3 C. cold butter
• remaining dry cake mix

For icing:

• 1 C. powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp. kayro syrup
• 1-2 Tbsp. water

Mix batter until smooth. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan.

Spoon on top of batter: 1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling.

Cut cold butter in with remaining dry cake mix to make crumble topping. Sprinkle on top of cherry layer.

Bake 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together ingredients for icing. When cake has cooled slightly, drizzle icing on top.

Breakfast Pizza

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 20 - 25 minutes
Servings: 4

2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 pound Jimmy Dean sausage; browned & drained
1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
4 tablespoons diced sweet red pepper
4 tablespoons diced green pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese
pepper to taste

Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles; arrange into a rectangle on an ungreased baking dish. Build up edges slightly to create a crust; seal perforations.

Cook sausage until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle over crust. Top with potatoes, peppers and cheddar cheese.

Whisk together the eggs, milk and pepper. Pour over pizza; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are completely set and top is golden brown.

Monkey Bread

• 1 pkg. frozen yeast dinner rolls
• 1 pkg. cook & serve butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)
• 1 stick of butter; melted
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 2 tesp. cinnamon
• 1 C. chopped pecans

In a bowl combine pudding mix, sugar, and cinnamon. Place half the pecans, then half of frozen rolls in a well greased bunt pan. Sprinkle half the dry mixture over the rolls. Add other half of nuts, then rolls, then dry ingredients. Lastly, pour melted butter over all.

Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray, and let rise over night in the oven or on the counter.

Bake 350°F for 45 min to 1 hour. You will probably need to place a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch drips.

COOL NO LONGER THAN 5 MINUTES. Turn pan over on serving dish and enjoy.

Gooey, warm, sweet, and perfect for Christmas breakfast. (Our family likes a feast... can you tell?)

Christmas Citrus Salad

• 5 lbs. Naval oranges
• 5 lbs. Ruby Red grapefruit
• 3 large cans mandarin oranges
• 1 C. sugar
• Salt to taste

Over a large bowl, peel and segment oranges and grapefruit, removing all pith and membranes. (This process takes a long time!) Prepare fruit over the bowl so you can catch all the juice - that's what makes it good. Add canned oranges and their juice. Add sugar and salt to taste. (You will probably need a lot more salt than you think.) Mix well.

Place in a large plastic container with a lid. Refrigerate at least overnight, longer if possible.

This is such a yummy family tradition. Because it takes so long to make, we only have it on Christmas morning along with our Christmas Breakfast Casserole. But it's well worth the effort!

Christmas Breakfast Casserole

Makes: 9 x 13 pan (which serves 8 or 12 depending on how hungry you are!)

• 10 slices of bread; diced up
• 1 pound package Jimmy Dean sausage; browned & drained
• 2 C. potatoes; peeled, diced and cooked until half-way softened (can be added to sausage to cook)
• 1/2 medium onion; diced
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper; diced
• 2 C. milk
• 8 eggs
• 1 T Worcestershire
• 1 tesp. dry mustard
• 3 C. shredded cheese (colby-jack or cheddar)

Dice up bread and place in bottom of glass 9x13 pan.

Brown the sausage. Peel and cut up potatoes, add to sausage to soften up a bit. Drain off grease.

In a large bowl beat eggs, whisk in milk, Worcestershire, dry mustard. Dice up onion and green pepper. Add veggies, potatoes, and sausage to egg mixture.

Pour over top of bread. Top with shredded cheese.

Better if refrigerated overnight before baking.

Bake covered in foil for 1 hour @ 350 degrees. Uncover for the last 20 minutes.

This is a close variation of the dish we always have for breakfast on Christmas morning. I'm not usually a big fan of egg, but this one is very good with all the other ingredients.

We like to have this with our favorite Christmas Citrus Salad.

Roman Doughnuts

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 10 minutes

1 can of refrigerated canned biscuits
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1/2 C. Sugar + 2 Tesp. cinnamon, mixed together

Cut each biscuit into 4ths. Dip into melted butter, then dip into cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake according to package directions. (no need to grease the cookie sheet)

You may change the ratio of cinnamon and sugar to suit your taste. You also might need more or less butter depending on how liberally you dunk the dough. :)

This is super quick and easy, and great for the kids to help with. We made this at our church VBS this year and it was a big success!

Crescent Roll-ups

Prep: 5 min
Bake: 10-13 min

1 can of refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 pkg cream cheese
2 Tbsp raspberry preserves

Blend cheese and preserves until mixed well. Lay out rolls on baking sheet, spread about 1 Tbsp of the mixture on each triangle, then roll up as usual. Bake according to package directions, until golden.

Alternative:
1 can of refrigerated crescent rolls
4 Tbsp real bacon bits
4 Tbsp shredded cheese

Lay rolls out on baking sheet, sprinkle with cheese and bacon, roll up as usual. Bake according to package directions, until golden.

This is not grandiose, but it's good. I made it up today.

French Toast - Alton Brown style

Prep time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 (2 slices per person)

• 8 slices of bread (the thick kind is best)
• 3 eggs
• 1 C milk
• 2 Tbsp honey, warmed in microwave for 15 seconds
• 1/4 tesp. salt
• 1/2 tesp. cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Powdered sugar or syrup for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, milk, honey, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Pour into a pie plate.

Over medium heat, melt enough butter in a non-stick griddle to coat the bottom. Soak 2 slices of bread for 10 seconds per side, then place on griddle, let them brown on both sides, then remove and place on baking sheet in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat process for other pieces of bread.

Of course, if you have a large griddle, you can do more than 2 at a time. But don't soak them ahead of time if you can't fit them in right away. They'll just get soggy if you do that.

After baking for 5 minutes, dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with syrup, serve immediately.

I made my first attempt at French Toast this weekend and loved the way this recipe tasted. I got it from Alton Brown's "Good Eats" website. I think what makes them better is baking them, they turn out crunchy and not at all soggy.