Friday Food ~ Granola

We love to start our mornings off with a hearty bowl of granola! Isaac even enjoys granola! I have seen so many different recipes for granola, and each one adds something unique. I took the recipe my parents gave me and the one from my mother-in-law and created this recipe! It works out really well, because we can both enjoy aspects of the granola we used to eat when we were growing up.

Granola

1 large container of old fashioned oats (approx. 10 cups)

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup coconut

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup hot water

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup oil

1 cup chopped dates

Mix first five ingredients in large bowl. Mix brown sugar, water, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and oil in small bowl. Combine all together, except dates. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes. Stir the granola ever 15 minutes during the baking time. Once you take it out of the oven, mix in the chopped dates.

Add all the grains, seeds, and nuts together.

Mix the liquids and sugar/salt together really well. Pour into bowl with dry ingredients and mix. Dump onto dry baking sheets, and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Stir every 15 minutes. Add dates at the end. Store in an airtight container.

Friday Food ~ Peach Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Many happy memories in my life involve pie. My Mom is the queen of pie making, and I only claim the title of pie princess, because she is still occupying that throne! This is originally my Mom's recipe, so I did not "make this one up" as I did the majority of the other recipes you will find on this blog of mine.

Oh, how I wish there was just one more slice of this left in my refrigerator right now. It was divine!
Peach Pie

crust
2 cups all purpose flour
2 TB wheat germ
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup ice water (ice to chill the water is VERY important)

filling
7-8 fresh peaches, or one bag of frozen peaches (this one was made with fresh)
1/2 cup sugar (the peaches were extremely ripe, so I didn't feel the need to add lots of sugar)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup cornstarch

Peel and slice the peaches.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch.

Combine cornstarch mixture with peaches.

For the crust, mix the dry ingredients well.

Measure the oil, then put some ice in a bowl of water. This is very important, because the icy water will combine more completely with the oil than just tap temperature water. Hold the ice cubes back with your hand or a spoon as you pour water into the oil. Mix really, really well with a fork. That's the way Momma taught me, so that's the way I suggest you do it! ;-) (ha ha)

Mix the liquid with the dry, and don't mix it too much, because that will make the crust tough. Mix just enough to combine. Separate the pie dough into two equal lumps. Roll the pie crust out between wax paper.

Peel the top layer of wax paper off, and then lift the bottom sheet with the pie crust dough and dump it into the pie pan. Peel away the wax paper. Lightly touch the dough and press it to evenly distribute it over the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Dump the peaches in.

Roll the top pie crust dough out in the same way, and then form pretty edges all around the pie pan. Cut slits in the top of the pie for the steam to escape while baking.

Enjoy!! I think I'll make another pie this week! It just looks so yummy and I love pie so much!

Friday Food ~ Old Fashioned Coleslaw

Old Fashioned Coleslaw

1 head cabbage, shredded

4 large carrots, shredded

1/2 tsp. salt

1-2 TB vinegar

1-2 TB sugar

1/2 cup mayonnaise (vegenaise works great in this recipe)

Shred the veggies, mix everything together. Taste and see if you like it! If it's a little too salty, at a tiny bit more sugar, and if it isn't tangy enough you can add a little more vinegar.

I love this stuff! If haven't tried it before, you can find it at a health food store or at your local Kroger.

Friday Food ~ Nana's Blueberry Muffins

Nana's Blueberry Muffins

1 egg (I use Egg Replacer, which can be found in the natural food section of most grocery stores)
1/2 cup milk (I use soy milk)
1/4 cup margarine
1 1/2 cup flour (I usually add about 1/2 cup wheat germ in place of part of the flour, that makes these muffins a little extra hearty, healthy)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Apply non-stick cooking spray to one standard sized muffin tin.

Mix all dry ingredients first, then add the liquids, and last the fold in the blueberries gently. Pour the batter into the muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Friday Food ~ Banana Almond Pancakes

Banana Almond Pancakes
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 banana, pureed
3 cups milk (I use soy milk)
1 TB lemon juice
1 cup sliced almonds
Canola oil



Mix all ingredients well. Add a little more milk if the batter seems too thick. Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat for about 4 minutes. Add a small amount of canola oil to the pan and pour about 1/2-1 cup of pancake batter into the frying pan. Cook both sides until golden brown.

Food Friday ~ Magic Bars

I'm not going to claim this recipe as "mine", because the original recipe came off a can of sweetened condensed milk. These cookie bars were always my absolute favorite growing up. I have made them for my family as a little girl, for my friends as a college student and young bachelorette, and now I make them for my family! If you haven't tasted these yummy sweets, try this recipe and it will likely become one of your favorites, too!

Magic Bars

1 package of graham crackers (not the whole box)

1/2 cup melted margarine
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (I usually use the fat free one--tastes the same to me)
1 small package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
9 X 12 casserole dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush the graham crackers in the package, or by using a blender or food processor. Pour the melted margarine into sprayed casserole dish. Dump the crushed graham cracker crumbs into the pan and press to form a smooth, layer. Layer in the rest of the ingredients in the order listed above. Press down gently to combine everything. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is very lightly golden.
Dump the graham crackers into the baking dish, and press firmly. Next, layer in the sweetened condensed milk and sprinkle with the semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Cover with coconut and chopped pecans.

Bake 25-30 minutes until lightly golden brown on top.

Friday Food ~ Herbal Mint Tea

Herbal Mint Tea

4 cups water

9 herbal mint tea bags (see below for my favorite brand)

3 large bowls of ice

1/2 cup sugar

You can use a tea maker and follow their instructions for the amount of water and ice. Keep the 9 bags to 1/2 cup sugar ratio. If you make this tea in a tea pot or sauce pan, follow the measurements above. Serve with lots of ice! Ahhhhhh. . . so refreshing!

Friday Food ~ African Horned Melon

I absolutely LOVE to try new things! I am very adventurous when it comes to trying new food, especially fruit! I'm a vegetarian, so there are some limits there. But, I digress. This African Horned Melon caught my attention at the grocery store today! I love the color orange, and it's spiky exterior was very intriguing. I was desperate to find out what it looked like on the inside, and better yet, how it tastes!
We cut it open and were shocked to see it's green, slimy, seedy flesh! Wow, that was a surprise! Let the adventure begin! I had a few quick thoughts . . . hmmm I hope it is ripe . . . hmmm I hope I'm not supposed to cook it or something . . . (you know some food, like rhubarb, can be poisonous if not cooked). A quick search on google, assured it was meant to be eaten fresh and raw. So, after I slowly dismissed each of my worries, I got a spoon out and dug in! Wow, no not wow, yummy, more like . . . Wow, that's funky! It tastes as slimy as it looks! Those seeds taste like you are eating nothing but the seedy part of a cucumber, in mass quantity. The flavor is kind of lightly sour. It's not gross, but I can't say it's yummy either. I would say it is interesting.

Friday Food ~ Four-way Juice

This juice has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember! I loved waking up to enjoy a warm, homemade breakfast including this sweet, tropical juice! It's super simple to make. Just throw the following ingredients into your blender in batches. You will need to work in batches, because everything won't fit in all at once. Also, you can add most of the water directly into the serving pitcher to minimize the amount of times you need to run the blender. Plus, if you use less water in the blender, the fruit and juice concentrate will blend smoother, faster. After everything has been blended and poured into the pitcher, give the Four-way Juice a quick stir. It will be frothy. . . and oh, so yummy!

Four-way Juice
1 ripe banana
1 apple, peeled and sliced*
1 can of frozen orange juice concentrate
1 can of frozen pineapple juice concentrate
6 cups of water

*Note: If you don't have much time or don't feel like peeling and slicing the apple, you can add about 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce into the blender instead of the apple.

Friday Food ~ Vegetarian Turkey Wraps

I forget how easy it is to make a wrap sometimes! I made these Vegetarian Turkey Wraps the other day, and they were so delicious, fast, and fully of healthy veggies!

Here's how we made ours, but a wrap can include so many different types of "stuff", so get creative!

We started with a layer of "sauce" --my husband likes mayonnaise, and I prefer Ranch dressing. Next, we added a couple of slices of cheese --provolone for Jason, and mozzarella for me. Then, lay three slides of vegetarian turkey slices on top of the cheese. Finally, we layered in lots of veggies --tomatoes, lettuce, black olives, and avocado! I like to grill it a little, to melt the cheese, and it helps the whole thing stay together really nicely! Plus, the edges get a golden and crusty. You don't need any oil to do this, either, just use a non-stick pan! Yummy!

Food Friday ~ Herbal Popcorn

Herbal Popcorn
1 cup popcorn, unpopped
1 tsp. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 TB margarine

Pop the popcorn in an air popper or in a pan with a small amount of olive oil on the stove. Melt the margarine in the microwave. Mix the spices together in a small cup. Separate the popcorn into two large bowls with lids. Drizzle the melted margarine evening over both batches and sprinkle the spices over both. Shake the bowls with their lids on. Enjoy!