Trader Joe's Cookie Butter Granola Bars

I've made these granola bars a few times now and I am absolutely in love with them! I use Trader Joe's Speculoos Crunchy Cookie Butter. Those of you who have tried this amazing product before know just how good it is. Adding it makes such an addicting granola bar!

What you'll need:

- 1/8 cup coconut oil

- 1/4 cup honey

- 2 tbsp. agave nectar

- 1/3 cup Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter

- 1 3/4 cup oats (I use old fashioned)

- 1/4 cup oat bran

- 1/4 cup unsweetened toasted coconut

- 1 tbsp. flaxseed

- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

Yields ~ 12-14 bars

First, combine the 1 3/4 cup of oats, 1/4 cup of oat bran. 1/4 cup toasted coconut, and 1 tablespoon of flaxseed in a medium or large mixing bowl. Toss and set aside.

Next, combine the 1/4 cup of honey, 1/8 cup of coconut oil and 2 tablespoons of agave nectar in a medium sauce pan on medium heat.

 Heat until it's bubbly then remove from heat.

Then add the 1/3 cup cookie butter to the wet mixture. Stir until smooth.

Once the mixture is stirred thoroughly, let cool until lukewarm. I let it sit in the refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Once cooled, the wet mixture will be pretty thick. Add it to the dry mixture and mix until all the oats are wet and incorporated into the sticky cookie butter substance. You might have to use your hands to mix it if you let it get too cool.

In an 8x8 pan lined with wax paper, pour the granola. Press down on the granola with a spatula as well as you can. Once it looks nice and even, fold the wax paper over the granola and press firmly. Put in the refrigerator for about 4 hours minimum. I prefer overnight to get the right texture and firm hold.

Cut into bars any size you would like and serve!

Easy Buffalo Chicken Cassarole

I haven't posted a recipe in so long! Life has been crazy, but I'm back. :)

What you'll need:

- 1-1.5 lbs cooked chicken (I prefer boiled chicken)

- 1/3 cup buffalo sauce

- 1 cup ranch/blue cheese (I used Hidden Valley ranch)

- 1/3 cup sour cream

- 1 cup shredded cheese (will be split in half)

- 1 can cream of chicken soup

- 5 cups frozen hashbrowns/shredded potatoes

*** I cut this recipe in half due to their only being two of us to eat it, but boy was it gone fast!

First,"marinate" or mix the chicken with the buffalo sauce in a small/medium sized bowl. Sit to the side. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Next, mix the rest of the ingredients together in a medium/large sized bowl. 

Only use half of the shredded cheese in the mixture.

 In a greased 9x13 pan, pour and spread the potato/ranch/cheese etc. mixture. Then, pour the marinated chicken on top. Press the chicken into the bottom mixture. (I'm just scared the chicken will lose its flavor if its all mixed together, but feel free to do just that and let me know how it goes!)

Put it in the oven for 25 minutes, then use the last half of the cheese to cover the top. Cover with foil and bake for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is evenly melted.

 Serve immediately!

It's super yummy as leftovers and will be gone before you know it! Enjoy. :)

Pulled Pork Sliders with an Hawaiian Treat

I finally decided to put this recipe that I repeatedly use for company up on my blog! A friend of ours even dreamed about eating my pulled pork. Compared to the traditional BBQ pulled pork, this recipe has both a tiny kick and a sweetness to it. I'm also proud to say that this is a very easy crock pot recipe! Just set it and forget it! My husband also came up with the idea for roasted (or just heated) pineapple from a restaurant we dinned at recently. It's a hit among our family and friends.

Pulled Pork Sliders

What you'll need:
-1 pork shoulder or butt (around 3.5- 4 lbs)
-3 tbsp. brown sugar
-1 tbsp. salt
-1 tbsp. cumin
-1 tbsp. paprika
-2 tsp. pepper
-2 tsp. garlic powder
-2 tsp. onion powder
-2 tsp. dried oregano
-1 tsp. dried parsley
-1 can (12 oz) Dr. Pepper (or any type of root beer)

Combine all the spices/sugar in a small container and shake it to make a good consistency for the rub.

Measure out 12 oz. Dr. Pepper (or other root beer).

Pour the rub on the pork inside the crock pot. 

Poor the root beer on top of the pork. Rub the pork with the spice/root beer mixture as best as you can. *The pork will be pulled later and will get its fair share of flavor later.

Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours (or longer if you need it) until able to be pulled easily.

 Once the pork has been pulled, it can be served immediately! 

The pork is best served on King's Hawaiian rolls. These compliment the flavor so well.

The Roasted Pineapple

What you'll need:

-1 ripe pineapple

-2 tsp. cinnamon

-1 tbsp. white sugar (or brown)

Begin by slicing off the top of the pineapple and slicing the sides off.

After most of the prickliness is off, slice the pineapple into strips until you get to the core.

Line a baking sheet with foil. And preheat your oven to 250 degrees.

Spread the pineapple out accordingly.

After combining the cinnamon and sugar, spread it over the top of the pineapple slices.

Once they are all coated, put them in the oven for about 10 minutes or warmed up sufficiently.

Once they are warmed up, they are ready to enjoy!

And here's what the meal looks like all together!

Happy Eating!!! :)

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Here's my most coveted recipe. I've finally translated my unmeasured quantities into measured ones. I hope you like it! :)

What you'll need:
-2 chicken breasts or 1 lb chicken
-2 quarts + water
-2 1/4 cups Bisquick
-2/3 cup milk
-heaping tbsp. oregano
-heaping tbsp. parsley
-1 tsp. onion powder
-2 tsp. celery seed
-1 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
-1/2 tsp. pepper
-1 1/2 tsp. celery salt
-1/2 tbsp. salt (more or less depending on how salty you would like it to be)

First, put about 2 quarts or so of water in a large pot. Add the chicken and boil for about 20 minutes.

While the chicken is boiling, make the dumplings by following the directions on the side of the Bisquick box for biscuits/dumplings. (Mix 2 1/4 cup bisquick with 2/3 cup milk)

Remove the chicken after 20 minutes and shred. Then add back to the pot.

Next, add all the spices to the pot and stir. Allow the pot to keep at a slight rolling boil.

 Once you've added the spices, you can begin to cook the dumplings. Start by taking small chunks of the dough mixture and add them to the boiling water. Make an entire layer and let cook for about 10 miniutes before adding more.

After your first layer is done cooking, add the rest of the dough where there's lots of bubbles (open spaces). This allows the new dumplings to cook underneath the already cooked ones. Once you've added the rest of the dough, reduce the heat to medium to low, but still allowing for a low boil. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.



The dumplings will look nice and smooth when they are done cooking.

 After its done simmering, serve. This recipe tastes great right after it's done cooking and for leftovers. It's great any time of the year.

Happy Eating! :)

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Now here's a classic soup that everyone loves!

Serving Size: 10 (I cut this recipe in half, since there's only two of us.)

What you'll need:
-1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
-1 onion, chopped
-1/3 cup flour
-4 cups milk
-2 cups half and half
-4 heads broccoli, chopped with small stems
-dash of nutmeg
-some salt
-some pepper
-3 cups cheddar cheese
-2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

First, melt the butter, then add the onions and sauté on medium heat. Cook them for about 4 minutes then add the flour.

After that, slowly add the half and half and the milk and bring the heat down to a simmer (low).

Next, add the broccoli, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Let this simmer for about 20 or 25 minutes, or until the broccoli is cooked thoroughly.

 Then add the cheese, stirring one handful at a time. If you like your broccoli to be chunky in your soup, add the chicken or vegetable broth here and heat and serve.

I blended my soup after the broccoli was cooked to give it a good consistency. After blending, I added the broth.

Once your soup is the right heat and blended thoroughly, you may serve, garnishes or not.

It's a nice hardy soup to serve anytime of the year!

Happy Eating! :)

Honey Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

I've decided to take a stab at baking! Granted, I've made many cakes and cupcakes before, but they we all either yellow cake or chocolate. These aren't bad flavors, but I wanted to make (and taste) something different. So here's some honey cupcakes!


What you'll need:

The Batter

-1 stick butter, room temperature
-3/4 cup sugar-
2 eggs
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup buttermilk
-1/4 cup honey
-1 tsp vanilla

* I halved this recipe because I only have mini cupcake pans (I love small things).
** This recipe yields 12 cupcakes or 30-32 mini cupcakes.
*** If you don't have buttermilk, use 1 tbsp. of lemon juice to every one cup of milk to make one cup of buttermilk.

Directions:

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Then cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer on high for about 3 minutes or until creamy and smooth. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients, except the buttermilk, and mix well. Add half the dry ingredients and add half of the buttermilk at a time and mix well each time.

For mini cupcakes, I used a 1 tbsp. to fill my cupcake liners with batter 2/3 to 3/4 of the way to the top. For standard sized cupcakes, use a measuring cup or an ice cream scoop to have even sized cupcakes.

Bake standard cupcakes for about 18 minutes or so. For mini cupcakes, bake for about 13 minutes.

*Remember, ovens vary!!!

Bake until your toothpick comes out clean! Then let cool to about room temperature before icing them.

I got my inspiration for this recipe from: http://www.thecakeblog.com/2011/06/honey-cupcake-recipe.html

The Icing

What you'll need:

-1/2 stick butter
-1/2 tsp. vanilla
-2 cups confectioners' sugar
-2 tbsp. milk

Directions:

Cream the butter and vanilla together. Then add a little bit of sugar at a time until all has been used. Add the milk and beat well until creamy and smooth.

Happy Eating! :)

Baked Shrimp Scampi Tossed with Angel Hair Pasta

Here is my own spin on a recipe that's been going around Pinterest lately.

What you'll need:
- 1 1/2 sticks butter melted *
- Any size/amount raw or cooked shrimp thawed **
- 1 1/2 tbsp. parsley
- 3/4 tbsp. chopped garlic
- 3/4 tbsp. oregano
- dash of garlic salt
-1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- angel hair pasta (amount depends on how many you want to feed)

* depending on how much garlic/butter sauce you would like to use, add or subtract the amount of butter

**  I used medium cooked shrimp and they ended up being slightly tough. If you would like them to not be tough, just use raw shrimp instead.

To get started, melt the butter and then add the chopped garlic into it and stir. Then spread out over a baking sheet/pan.

Then lay out the shelled shrimp. (Usually shrimp comes with the shell and tail on, just make sure you take them off before sticking them on the baking sheet.) Then add the rest of the ingredients, minus the angel hair pasta. Put in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until shrimp are fully cooked.

While the shrimp are in the oven, cook the pasta. You may serve the pasta plain or with a tablespoon of olive oil and some salt to add flavor.

When the shrimp are done, remove the shrimp and the butter sauce from the pan and serve over hot pasta.

Happy Eating! :-)