Sugar Cookie Bars

Who doesn't love a good sugar cookie during? I sure do! But let's face it... Sometimes you want the cookie, but just don't feel like waiting for the dough to cool in the fridge, rolling it out, cutting out cute little shapes, and then having to decorate them. This recipe is sugar cookies made simple.

Behold... the Sugar Cookie Bar.

These are just as delicious as your traditional sugar cookie, but not quite as time-consuming. They're a bit like brownies. Well, except they're not brown. You know what I mean though, right? And the cream cheese frosting that tops them is blissful. You can still have fun with them by decorating with different sprinkles and toppings or using different extract in the frosting to change up the flavor. Peppermint frosting topped with crushed candy canes, anyone? :)

Ingredients

For Cookie Dough
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
For Frosting
• 8 oz (1 bar) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

For Cookie Dough
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking sheet.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tarter, baking powder, and salt.
• Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture, adding 1/3 of the flour at a time.
• Spread the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
For Frosting
• In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter.
• Mix in powdered sugar and salt.
• Add milk and vanilla. Continue beating until the consistency is smooth and fluffy.
Assembly
• Allow the cookie bars to cool completely.
• Spread the frosting over the cookie bars.
• Top with sprinkles or decorate as desired.
• Cut into 24 squares.

Banana Quinoa Granola Parfait

By now I'm sure that you've heard about the many wonders of quinoa - protein, fiber, iron, and more! So have you tried it yet? If you haven't, you should. At first I was a bit intimidated by it, but have discovered that it's nothing to be scared of. It's simple to make and delicious. While many quinoa recipes are savory, there is also a sweet side to this ancient little seed. This recipe is a great example of that.

The best part about this recipe is that it takes a simple coconut almond granola and makes it that much more nutritious simply by adding quinoa! Plus, with a dollop of whipped cream this breakfast parfait becomes dessert!

Ingredients

Quinoa Granola
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well and dried
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Bananas
• 3 Bananas, sliced
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Yogurt
• 2 cups vanilla yogurt

Instructions

Quinoa Granola
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, combine oats, quinoa, almonds, coconut, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
• Mix in honey, coconut oil, and vanilla.
• Spread evenly onto a cookie sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then stir. Bake for another 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Bananas
• In a small bowl, gently toss bananas in maple syrup and cinnamon.
Assembly
• In the bottom of 4 bowls/parfait cups/mason jars, spoon in 1/4 cup yogurt.
• Spoon in a layer of bananas and a layer of granola.
• Repeat with 1/4 cup yogurt, bananas, and top with granola.

Cranberry Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I have been blessed in so many ways. Even though I'm sad that my family could not be together today, I had a wonderful day at home hosting my amazing in-laws.

Oh man... I'm full. Really, really full. Sad thing is, it's been several hours since I finished eating. I made a lot of food today. Not only was this my very first attempt at making a turkey, but also my first time to make the entire meal. I sure had fun making it, but man am I exhausted. I mean, I. am. warn. out. In case you were wondering, here's a recap of today's menu:

• Roasted Turkey


• Mashed Potatoes


• Gravy


• Stuffing (from scratch)


• Green Bean Casserole (from scratch)


• Mac and Cheese (from scratch)


• Rolls (from scratch)


• Sweet Potato Pie (crust and filling from scratch)


• Whipped Cream (from scratch)

and last, but not least...

• Cranberry Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust

Of all these options, I've decided to highlight the cheesecake in today's post. I admit, I seriously failed at posting recipes for Thanksgiving. Please forgive me. Maybe I'll do a bit better for Christmas? I'll attempt to begin making it up to you by providing you with this deliciously amazing cheesecake. A few months back I wanted to make a cheesecake to bring over to my neighbor's for dinner. Lucky for me, my mother-in-law has a mean cheesecake recipe. I'm so glad I got it from her. It is to-die-for. Her recipe calls for a graham cracker crust, which is what I usually use, but the other day on the Cooking Channel I saw a cheesecake made with an oatmeal cookie crust. I was so intrigued, I had to try it.

How do you feel about cranberry sauce? My family has always had it on the Thanksgiving table, but I've never cared for it. I do like cranberries though. So instead of topping this with a canned pie filling, I decided not to leave cranberries behind and made a cranberry compote. It makes a great sweet and tangy topping for the cheesecake.

Ingredients

For Crust
• 3/4 cup oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• 1/2 unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
For Cheesecake
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 (16 oz) container sour cream
• 3 1/2 (8 oz) cream cheese bars, room temperature
For Compote
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

For Crust
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet.
• In a medium bowl, stir together oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream 1/4 cup butter with sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
• Add oat/flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until flour is incorporated.
• Spread the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet until about 1/2 inch thick.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Allow to cool on the baking sheet.
• After the cookie has cooled, place in a large freezer bag.
• Crush to small crumbs (the same as you would for a graham cracker crust) and pour in 1/2 cup melted butter and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
• Once the butter and cinnamon are well incorporated into the cookie crumbs, dump the mixture into a spring form pan.
• Press the mixture firmly onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan. Set aside.
For Cheesecake
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, on low speed, blend eggs, sugar, vanilla, almond, lemon juice, and salt until fluffy (about 1 ½ to 2 min).
• Blend in sour cream.
• Cut each cream cheese bar into quarters and add a quarter at a time to mixture while mixer is on.
• Pour over the cookie crust.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the edges are slightly brown.
• Turn the oven off and prop open the oven door.
• Allow the cheesecake to cool completely in the oven.
• Move the cheesecake to the refrigerator and cool overnight or for at least 4 hours.
For Compote
• Place cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• In a small bowl, stir together water and cornstarch. Add to the saucepan.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until cranberries soften and begin to "pop."
• Remove from heat and cool completely.
• Serve over cheesecake.

Pumpkin Pancakes

For the first 5 years that my husband and I were together he was convinced that he did not like pancakes. So for 5 years we didn't eat pancakes. 5 years! Finally, one morning earlier this year, when I really wanted some pancakes, I decided to just make them. If he didn't like them, he could figure something else out to eat. After calling him into the kitchen and telling him that breakfast was ready, I showed him what I had made. Pancakes. He kind of crinkled his nose in disappointment, but he said that he would at least try them. In hesitation, he took the first bite. Then the second. And before I knew it he had gobbled down the whole plate. He loved them! That's right, he loved my pancakes. I couldn't believe it. All this time he was adamant that he just wasn't a fan of pancakes. And all this time my kitchen had been pancake-less!

Ever since that day we've been having pancakes for breakfast every couple of weeks. He even asks me if I'll make them. Go figure. Just to keep things interesting we've tried regular, whole wheat, banana, vegan, chocolate chip, blueberry... and this morning pumpkin. I'm a fan. They're a great breakfast on a fall morning.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 cup + 2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cloves.

In another bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, and egg.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry.

Heat skillet over medium heat. Melt butter in skillet or spray with cooking spray.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.

Once the top of the pancake begins to bubble, flip. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve with syrup and your favorite topping (pecans in photo above).

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Hot Chococlate

It's chilly outside! In this weather, a few things come to mind that are essential: a coat, a fireplace/heater, soup, socks, and hot chocolate. Yesterday, we started a fire in our fireplace for the first time since moving into our house. The previous owners couldn't have used it anymore than a time or two. I don't know how they couldn't. We love starting a fire and cuddling on the couch with hot chocolate in hand. Speaking of hot chocolate, I woke up with hot chocolate on my mind. This recipe is simple and delicious. It's a great start or finish to a chilly day. You won't see any reason to buy those little packets after trying this recipe.

Before I share the recipe, I should apologize for my absence over the past week. Aside from school and work, I've been busy moving. Not physically moving, but moving in the blog world! That's right, I'm getting ready to move to my own domain. I know I just got here a little over a month ago, but I can't wait to have my very own space. Expect the new site to launch very soon!

Hot Chocolate

Adapted from Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Recipes

Ingredients

1/4 cup water
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

In a small sauce pan, whisk together water, cocoa, and sugar. Heat, whisking continuously, until it just comes to a boil. Whisk in milk and heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla. Pour into a mug and top with fresh whipped cream or marshmallows.

Baked Boneless Buffalo Wings

HAPPY ELECTION DAY!

It's a beautiful day to be an American! No matter what your political beliefs, there's no doubt that this is an important day. I'm very excited, nervous, and anxious! I hope that you exercised your right to vote!

I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight. I decided not to do Taco Tuesday today (even though I heard that it's National Nacho Day... say whhhaaattt?), so I just might have to make something Tex-Mex another day of the week. I saw a commercial for a wing restaurant, which looked delicious and my mind was made. Personally, I prefer boneless wings because they are less work to eat, while my husband prefers bone-in wings, so I actually made both. And I only fry something every once in awhile and would rather bake whenever possible, so I decided to make Baked Boneless Buffalo Wings.

Day 6 of Thanks: I am thankful to live in the United States of America, the land of the free, a democratic republic in which we have the right to vote for the individuals that we wish to represent us.

Baked Boneless Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
Buffalo wing sauce (enough to coat)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray baking pan with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine flour, panko, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika, and pepper. In another bowl, beat the milk and eggs.

Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch, bite-sized cubes. Place half of the chicken in the milk/egg mixture and coat, then put in the flour mixture, tossing to coat. Evenly spread the pieces on the baking pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning over after half of the time.

After removing chicken from the oven, put it in a large mixing bowl. Coat with the buffalo sauce and toss to evenly coat all of the pieces.

Serve with carrots & celery and blue cheese or ranch.

Chocolate Chip Nutella Cookies

I spent the weekend in the woods.

Rather than spending opening weekend of deer season at home as a "hunting widow," I chose to tag along. Even though we came home empty handed, we had a great time. Every now and then it's nice to get away from the city lights and enjoy nature. I like to think it keeps me sane. There's just something about sleeping in a tent under 4 blankets on an air mattress that's 75% deflated by the morning, waking up to the sound of thunder and raindrops dripping off of the leaves, cooking dinner over an open flame, listening to the footsteps of armadillos and squirrels as they scurry through the woods, and spending quality time with family without the interruption of television, laptops, or iPads. Of course, that's not to say that I wasn't happy to come home to my comfy bed and a warm shower... because I most certainly was.

Last night I was feeling the need to get in the kitchen and whip something up. As I searched through the pantry, I came across a jar of Nutella. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I have quite a love for this jar of pure awesomeness. It is delicious. I once heard someone give the advice to another person that since they hadn't tried it yet, they shouldn't ever because they would be hooked. I think they were right. After you've tried it, I'm not sure how you couldn't like it. Or love it. Next to the Nutella laid a bag of chocolate chips. So I had no choice but to make cookies out of them.

Chocolate Chip Nutella Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup Nutella

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together Nutella, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla. 

In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips. 

Refrigerate cookie dough for about 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Roll dough into tablespoon-size balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack.

P.S.

I'm about 5 days late, but I figured I would really like to join in on the 30 Days of Thanks fun. So here are my first 5 days:

• Day 1: I am thankful for the love and blessings of Jesus. 
• Day 2: I am thankful for amazing husband. He is the best man, friend, and husband that I could have ever asked for. I am so blessed to have him in my life.
• Day 3: I am thankful for my family. They are always there to support me and I love them so very much.
• Day 4: I am thankful for our sweet dog, Minnie. She just joined our family a month ago, after we inherited her from Jody's grandparents. I'm so happy she is with us. 
• Day 5: I am thankful to have a job working with a group of very wonderful people. 

Chicken and Bean Baked Flautas

Taco Tuesday. It's becoming a tradition in our household. Over the past few years, it's pretty much become routine for us to have a Mexican inspired dish on Tuesday nights. I love Mexican food. At the beginning of each month I make a big batch of refried beans and black beans. I separate them into freezer bags and store them in the freezer until I need them on Taco Tuesday! [Recipe to come] Most of the time, I'll just make chicken or ground turkey tacos with a side of rice and beans. Not only are they so quick and easy, I never get sick of tacos. Sometimes I like to switch it up, though - enchiladas, taquitos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, taco salad, flautas... This week's recipe is Chicken and Bean Baked Flautas. These crispy baked tortillas are stuffed with a mix of chicken, cheese, and beans. They're great served with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, margaritas, or wine :)

Chicken and Bean Baked Flautas

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, chopped
4 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
2 cups refried beans or 1 can refried beans
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 cup fresh grated cheese
1/4 tbsp cilantro, chopped
12 flour tortillas
Olive oil for brushing

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno, saute for about 2 minutes. Add chicken and beans to the pan. Sprinkle in cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Mix in cheese and cilantro and heat until cheese is melted.

Spoon in about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla. Roll up tortilla and place in a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Lightly brush olive oil on the top of the tortillas.

Bake in a preheated oven. After 15 minutes, turn the tortillas. Let them bake for another 10 minutes and turn to another side. Bake the remaining two sides for 5 minutes each. Remove when the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.

Serve with guacamole, sour cream, or salsa (or all 3!).

Pomegranate and Mandarin Orange Baby Kale Salad

Today's recipe features two ingredients that I discovered only last year. Yeah, okay, so I didn't really just discover that they existed - I knew what they were. I just never really gave them a chance. Quite honestly, kale scared me. I had no clue what to do with it. And pomegranate... I didn't even know where to being...

On two separate grocery shopping trips, I decided to be brave and bought each of them. On both occasions, I spent a couple of days contemplating what exactly I was going to do with them. With the kale, I decided to play it safe and make a kale salad... and I liked it. For the pomegranate, I had to lean on Google for some advice - how was I even supposed to cut into this thing? After a little research, I headed to the kitchen to dissect this interesting little fruit... 20 minutes later... Yes, 20 minutes later... I had finally removed all of the bright red seeds from the peel and membrane. Despite this time consuming process, I didn't regret it. I loved every tart, juicy bite of this wonderful fall fruit.

So here I am, no longer scared of kale and pomegranate, offering you a delicious, refreshing, crisp, tart, and sweet salad recipe. I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

Pomegranate and Mandarin Orange Baby Kale Salad

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp honey
Zest of 1 mandarin orange
Juice of 1 mandarin orange
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups baby kale
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 mandarin orange, peeled and separated into wedges

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, orange zest, orange juice, salt and pepper.

Place kale in a bowl. Pour dressing over kale and toss to coat. Top with pomegranate seeds and orange wedges.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

I couldn’t help myself. I had to buy it…

As I was walking through the store yesterday, I looked over and saw this shiny, fluted… bundt cake pan! It was just sitting there shouting my name, “ROSE! Buy me!” So I did. I’m kind of surprised that I don’t already have one, but I’m even more surprised that I have never made a bundt cake! Can you believe it? Me neither. So I decided it was about time. I mean, what better time than now, with the birth of my blog and all?

On my drive home I was contemplating what kind of cake I should make. Then it hit me – pumpkin, of course! I figured it would be best to continue my pumpkin spree so that I won’t feel so guilty for abandoning it for a good portion of the month. Plus, it helps me to be in the fall and Halloween spirit :-) It's been awhile since I've made any type of pumpkin cake, but I happen to love pumpkin cake/cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, so I wanted to combine the two in a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake! A delicious pumpkin cake filled with a sweet cream cheese center... Remember when I mentioned the smell through the house from the Pumpkin Granola? This cake was even better! The cinnamon, the nutmeg, the vanilla... the combination was amazing. When I took it out of the oven, it looked so delicious. I knew that I should let it cool completely on the cooling rack, bundt I just couldn't help myself. (Ha! Get it? But... Bundt... Okay, corny, I know.) Needless to say, I loved this cake and I hope that you do too. 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Ingedients

1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour 

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil, slightly melted

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease bundt pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

In a the bowl of a stand mixer, combine pumpkin, sugar, coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Use the paddle attachment to mix. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Once eggs are mixed in, add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just blended, then add the remaining half, again mixing until just blended.

In a small mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla, and cinnamon, mixing until smooth.

Spread half of the pumpkin batter evenly into the bundt pan. Carefully spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter. Spoon in the remaining batter. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then place cake on a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Top with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Pumpkin Granola

I can't believe that October is nearly over and I've managed to make just two pumpkin recipes this month. One of those being yesterday morning's pumpkin overnight oats and the other this delicious pumpkin granola. I figure that even if the weather in North Texas is too warm to feel like fall, a pumpkin recipe will surely put me in a fall mindset. The smell that resonates through the house as this granola bakes is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

If you've never attempted to make granola before, you need to. It is so simple you will wonder why you ever even bought it. It's also really easy to substitute ingredients. Don't like pecans? Use walnuts. Add dried cranberries. Or chocolate chips. This pumpkin granola can easily be made into a whole different granola.

Enjoy this granola as cereal with some unsweetened almond milk, over greek yogurt, as a topping to overnight oats, or on its own as a crunchy snack. Any way you choose - it's simply delightful.

Pumpkin Granola

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup raw hulled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:
1/3 cup pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, stir together wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until all the dry ingredients are well coated.

Split the mixture between two baking sheets and spread evenly. Place one baking sheet on the top rack and the other on the bottom. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Every 10 minutes, switch the sheets between top and bottom racks and stir to ensure that they cook evenly.  When granola is done, remove from the oven. Allow to cool on sheets for about 30 minutes. Transfer to airtight container or ziplock bag and store in the refrigerator.

*Tip: Don't stir the granola right after it comes out of the oven. It will feel soft at first, but after you let it cool completely it will harden up and create yummy, crunchy granola clusters [my fav!].

Teriyaki Sauce

Living in Western Washington, there are a few things that you become very familiar with seeing - coffee stands, mountains, rain, and teriyaki restaurants. Mmm, teriyaki... If you've ever been to Seattle, I'm sure that these are some things you may have noticed. If you haven't taken the time to try teriyaki, I highly recommend you add it to your next trip's itinerary. You'll be happy you did! Sadly, there seems to be a shortage of teriyaki-loving restaurateurs in Dallas and all of the teriyaki related menu items that I've come across just haven't been the same. Good news is.... this homesick Washingtonian has found a solution. This teriyaki recipe is so good, you'll want to put it on everything - rice, chicken, vegetables, pork, pizza, ice cream... Okay, eh, maybe not ice cream. But it is seriously delicious!

Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
5 tbsp turbinado sugar or packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Directions

In a saucepan, mix soy sauce, water, ground ginger, garlic powder, sugar, and honey, over medium heat. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Add the mixture to the saucepan. Stirring frequently, heat over medium heat until sauce reaches desired thickness. If necessary, add water if sauce is too thick.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls Ups

These individual serving size lasagna roll ups are so simple to make. I was able to come home from work, assemble them, roll them up, pop them in the oven, and eat just in time to run out the door for class.

 
Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients

10 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked
6 cups fresh baby spinach and 1 cup water or 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach
15 oz. cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1 cup low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella, shredded
1 egg
Salt and pepper
3 cups marinara sauce*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. If using fresh spinach: Chop spinach. Place spinach in a large pot with about 1 cup of water over high heat. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 3-4 minutes or until spinach wilts. Drain spinach. 
3. In a medium boil, combine spinach, cottage/ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, egg, salt and pepper. 
4. In the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish, ladle in half of the marinara sauce (about 1 1/2 cups).
5. Dry the cooked lasagna noodles of any water. Place a piece of wax paper on the counter to use as your rolling surface. Lay noodles flat on wax paper. Spread cheese mixture evenly over all the noodles. Roll the noodles.
6. Place the rolls evenly spaced in the baking dish over the marinara sauce. 
7. Ladle the remaining marinara sauce over the rolls. Top with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
8. Cover with foil and put in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is melted.

*I make my own marinara sauce. I've provided the recipe below. I like to make a big batch that I can portion out and freeze. If you're pressed for time, you can use jarred sauce.

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

2 15 oz cans organic tomato sauce

1 15 oz can organic diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper 

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp sugar*

1 bay leaf

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and sugar. Pulse until combined.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add onion and garlic, saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add tomato sauce mixture and bay leaf to skillet.
5. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Stir in chopped basil leaves. 
7. Allow the sauce to cool before freezing.

*I use turbinado sugar or sugar-in-the-raw.