Healthy Homemade Vegan And Gluten-Free Maple Granola Recipe

by | Mar 13, 2022

I Love Granola With Those Yummy Clusters

You choose all the delicious ingredients. I’ll make some suggestions and you decide what is best for you and your family. I hope you love the idea that this granola is naturally sweetened with maple syrup, but feel free to use a flavoring of your choice. This is a quick and easy recipe that takes about 10 minutes of preparation before you pop it in the oven.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Organic Rolled  Oats

  • 1 1/2/ cups Raw Nuts (almond, cashew, pecan, pistachio, hazelnut, macadamia)

  • 1 cup Seeds of your choice You may also want to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of additional seeds of your choice (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flax seeds)

  • Optional: 1 cup coconut flakes and 1 cup dried fruit (cranberry, pear, apricot, pineapple, cherry, apple, raisin)

  • 1/3 cup Maple Syrup

  • 1/3 cup Coconut Oil or Olive Oil

  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla

  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt 

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamon or nutmeg

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)

Let’s Make Granola:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

  2. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir to combine.

  3. Spread out on a parchment-lined sheet pan or two.

  4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 325 F, stirring halfway through, patting down and rotating the pan. (This patting down process with a spatula halfway through baking allows those wonderful clusters to form.)

  5. Let cool before storing.

  6. Store in an airtight container or jar. It will last up to 6 weeks.

How Are You Planning On Serving Your Granola?

You may enjoy your granola with fresh berries and yogurt.

Perhaps pour almond milk over the top.

Eat it like trailmix or a snack.

Get creative and have fun!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharon

 

Easy To Bake Vegetarian Tacos

by | Mar 9, 2022

Recipes Are Meant To Be Adapted

Easy To Bake Vegetarian Tacos can be made in about 30 minutes — you can keep them vegetarian or add beef or chicken . . . or add other vegetables or any ingredient of your choice.

Ingredients Serves 4:

  • 1 package baked corn tortillas — organic if possible — 8 to 10

  • 1 can seasoned refried beans — organic if possible — feel free to substitute with black beans or cooked and seasoned ground beef, shredded beef or shredded chicken

  • 1 cup of a melty cheese of your choice or a combination — mozzarellla, pepper jack, cheddar, queso fresco, goat cheese

  • For the Topping: Feel free to improvise — diced tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, hot sauce, lime

 

Let’s Put These Tacos Together And Bake ‘Em

 

  1. Preheat oven to 375F

  2. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with parchment — or use what you usually use.

  3. You key is to fit the 8 to 10 taco shells in the best possible arrangement.

  4. Stir the refried or other beans — spoon in 2 heaping tablespoons into each taco shell. If you like, you can top each off with a bit of hot sauce to taste, of course.

  5. You can now add your shredded melty cheese to the top of the beans plus any other ingredients you decided to add. Place it into the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes — or until warmed through.

  6. While baking you can prep the toppings — or if they’re ready to go, kick back and relax.

Garnish with hot sauce, sour cream or whatever your heart desires.

What Do You Think?

This is quick, easy and I believe delicious with all of your fresh ingredients. I would think this would be a go to meal when you’re hungry, but not sure what to make. It’s great or lunch or dinner . . . a tasty snack while watching a favorite television program or video.

Leave me a comment if you tried the recipe or intend to — what additional ingredients would you or did you add?

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharon

Harvest Chex Mix Recipe

by | Nov 4, 2016

Snack recipes are always welcome for Thanksgiving . . . Or between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Here are my suggestions for making this delicious snack for your family and friends.harvestchexmix

Harvest Chex Mix

Ingredients:

  • 1 box Rice Chex Cereal
  • 1 bag Bugles
  • 4 cups Pretzels
  • 1 cup Candy Corn
  • 1 cyo Candy Corn Pumpkins
  • 1 bag Reese’s Pieces
  • Feel free to add pieces of your favorite left-over Halloween candy

Sauce Ingredients:

Yes, there is a buttery brown sugar sauce that goes over the mixture before popping it in the oven.

  • 3/4 cup melted Butter
  • 3/4 cup packed Brown Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Vanilla Extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 275°F
  2. Melt the butter in the microwave
  3. Add the brown sugar and vanilla extract to the melted butter and whisk until combined and dissolved
  4. In a large bowl, add the Chex, bugles and pretzels
  5. Pour the sauce over this mixture and toss gently until evenly coated
  6. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper
  7. Divide the mixture on the two baking sheets, spreading in an even layer on each baking sheet
  8. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes
  9. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  10. Put the cooled mixture into a large bowl
  11. Add the candy
  12. Toss to combine evenly
  13. Store any left-overs in an air-tight container

Well, there you go! It’s a great treat that will give you a fun Fall taste.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharon

Yummy Witch Puddles Recipe

by | Oct 11, 2016

That witch in the Wizard of Oz never could get a break . . . now you’ll have a delicious treat in her melted honor.

Halloween is fun . . . and the food can be, too.meltedwitchpuddles

Witch Puddles doesn’t sound all that appealing . . . but with Oreo Cookies and Hershey Kisses . . . It’s a chocolate feast in a puddle.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients make about 3 dozen Puddle Witches

  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 4 drops yellow food coloring
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of flaked coconut
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 6 tablespoons shortening, divided
  • 36 Oreo cookies
  • 36 Hershey Kisses
  • 4 cups vanilla or white chocolate chips
  • 36 pretzel sticks

Directions:

  1. Place water and food coloring in a large resealable plastic bag.
  2. Add coconut to the bag.
  3. Seal and shake to tint the coconut.
  4. In the microwave, melt chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons shortening. Stir until smooth.
  5. Let’s make the witches’ hats! Place 1/3 cup of the chocolate mixture in a resealable plastic bag. Cut a small hole in a corner of the bag.
  6. Pipe a small amount of chocolate on a cookie.
  7. Dip the Kiss in the chocolate on the Oreo.
  8. Set on waxed paper to dry. Repeat for the remaining cookies.
  9. For the puddles, melt the vanilla or white chocolate chips with the remaining shortening. Stir until smooth.
  10. Place the mixture in a large resealable plastic bag, cut a small hole in a corner of the bag.
  11. Pipe the mixture into the shape of a puddle onto a waxed paper lined baking sheet.
  12. Place a witch’s hat on the puddle.
  13. Place a pretzel stick alongside the hat; sprinkle with tinted coconut at the end of the pretzel stick to look like a broom.
  14. Repeat with remaining puddles, hats and brooms.
  15. Chill for 15 minutes or until set.
  16. Store in an airtight container.

If you’d like, you may want to tint the white chocolate with green food coloring . . . but I think the white works fine . . .

This is a fun project your friends and family will enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharon

Apple Pie Cookie Recipe

by | Jun 30, 2016

I love apple pie however I can get that delicious taste.

A cookie would hit the spot just about now.Apple-Pie-Breakfast-Cookies1

Especially one with all the ingredients of an apple pie with walnuts and raisins and diced apples to give it a satisfying crunch. These would be great for breakfast, as a snack for the kids or just any time a cold glass of milk would be welcome . . . or with coffee or hot chocolate. These would be excellent all year round.

I’m not a walnut fan, but I do like almonds. Or you can forget the nuts . . . and the raisins . . .

Fix these however you like . . . That’s the fun of making things yourself.

Apple Pie Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/2 cup cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 cup diced apple pieces
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or a nut of your choice — or not nuts at all
  • 1/2 cup raisins — or not

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. In a large bowl stir together the oats, salt and spices.
  3. In a small bowl whisk the eggs, apple sauce, sugar and oil. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
  4. Fold in the diced apples, nuts and raisins.
  5. Drop 1/4 cup size portions of batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
  6. Flatten the cookies a bit.
  7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until set.
  8. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before transferring them to an airtight container.

This recipe makes about a dozen cookies.

Have fun and enjoy!

Sharon