Serving Up {Cake}: Spiced Oat Pear Blondies

Man on man!  I can't believe that October is nearly a memory and I have not yet posted the recipe for these Spiced Oat Pear Blondies!  Major oversight on my part and one that I am glad that I caught before the demand for fall flavors has completely diminished.

Despite the fact that these really do taste like a little piece of autumn, I have made them throughout the year and enjoy them just as much in April as I do in October.  Because I have made them year round, I can vouch for the fact that you can substitute canned (or in my case, bottled) pears in place of the fresh pear with complete success - just make sure to drain the pears really well before using them so that excess juices don't change the outcome of the dessert.

One Year Ago: Apple Cake with Butter Sauce
Two Years Ago: Pumpkin Bread

SPICED OAT PEAR BLONDIES     
(recipe from Amandeleine)
printable version

Topping:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Blondie:
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into 1/2" slices
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups 1/4-inch cubes of cored, peeled, firm pear (about 2-3 large pears)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick spray.  Set aside.
Combine the topping ingredients of flour, oats, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Add butter and crumble the butter and dry ingredients together until moist crumbs form and no flour remains.  Cover and chill.
For blondie; brown the butter in a medium saucepan by heating over medium heat until melted.  Allow to continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the color deepens and dark brown bits form at the bottom of the pan.  Be careful not to allow the butter to burn.  Pour the browned butter into a medium bowl and all to cool slightly.
Whisk the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl; set aside.  Whisk brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in another large bowl until the mixture is smooth.  Slowly add the browned butter to the brown sugar mixture, whisking constantly and until well blended.
Add pears to the dry ingredients; toss to coat well.  Stir into the brown sugar mixture, carefully combining (batter will be thick).
Smooth batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the chilled topping over the top.
Bake 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and tester inserted into the center comes out almost clean, with a few moist crumbs attached.  Allow to cool.
Cut blondies into squares and dust with powdered sugar, if desired, before serving.

Serving Up {Snack}: No Bake Energy Balls

We are only two weeks into school and I am already dreading the 3:05 pm question....."what's for snack?".  I think that by the time I have answered four children ask me "what's for breakfast?", "what's in my lunch?" and "what's for dinner?" I really should get an option to pass on the snack question - or at the very least they could organize themselves to come to me in a group so that I only had to hear/answer the question once, but they just aren't that organized yet.

The result is that I have snack on the brain a lot.  So when I saw this recipe on pinterest last week (with the eye catching tag of "my favorite snack ever!") I thought to myself, "that is what we are having for snack today".  And while I cannot claim that it is my favorite snack ever, or even in my top 10 because brownie variations probably occupy all 10 of those spots, I will say that these were a tasty little snack without near the guilt of my truly favorite snack ever.  My kids readily agreed!

One Year Ago: 10 Pumpkin Recipes for Fall

Two Years Ago: Creamy White Chili

NO-BAKE ENERGY BALLS     
(recipe via pinterest)
printable version

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.
Using a cookie scoop, make individual balls and store in an airtight container (I store them in the fridge).

Serving Up {Cookies}: Evil Oatmeal Fudge Bars

I have stumbled across this recipe a number of times, and each time I think, "how yummy!" only to realize, "I have this recipe!" (and it IS yummy!)  Most recently the recipe was showcased on a morning news show and I chuckled that they referred to them as Evil Oatmeal Fudge Bars.  Of course by "evil" it translates to I-can't-stop-at-just-one-insanely-delicious...so I feel the name is a good one and I have chosen to use that name as I share this recipe.

One Year Ago: Easy Salsa
Two Years Ago: Zucchini Bread

EVIL OATMEAL FUDGE BARS     
(recipe adapted from aunt Holly, Good Things Utah & Becky Higgins)
printable version

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 c. (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla

In a mixing bowl cream butter and brown sugar, adding eggs and vanilla until well combined. Combine the oats, flour, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl and stir dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Press 2/3 of oat mixture into a greased 9" x 13" baking pan.

In a saucepan combine sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate sauce over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the top of the chocolate.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely prior to cutting into squares.

Serving Up {Cookies}: Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

Do the school cafeteria's in other parts of the country still serve Peanut Butter Fingers as part of school lunch?  I went to school in Utah and they were a staple when I was a kid!  But my own children's school only has dessert once a week, and never Peanut Butter Fingers, so my kids were totally unfamiliar with them when I introduced them.

To me, this dessert totally defines school lunches.  In fact, in high school you could buy Peanut Butter Fingers in the "a la carte" line which means that sometimes lunch consisted of nothing more than a Peanut Butter Finger and a milk if you were lucky (not me mom, other people!).

As school begins again in the next few weeks, this is a worthy treat to make as you take a little trip down memory lane and introduce your own family to school lunches in the "olden days".

One Year Ago: Frozen Peaches

Two Years Ago: Pesto Pea Salad

LUNCH LADY PEANUT BUTTER BARS     

printable version

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
additional peanut butter
chocolate frosting***(recipe to follow)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray large cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Cream butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl.  Add eggs, vanilla and peanut butter; continue to mix until well combined.  In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, salt, flour and oatmeal.  Gradually add dry ingredients to mixing bowl.  Spread batter onto prepared baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes (the center will be soft but you do NOT want to overbake).  Allow to cool slightly.

While the bars are still slightly warm, spread with peanut butter.  You want a thin, even layer but can use more and make a thicker layer if you prefer.
Allow the bars to cool completely and then frost with favorite chocolate frosting.
Cut, serve & enjoy.

MY FAVORITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

Combine butter and cocoa in a medium saucepan and allow butter to melt completely over med-low heat.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt.  Add milk and powdered sugar alternately until you reach desirable spreadable consistency.

Serving Up {Cookies}: Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I feel so fortunate to have stumbled across this recipe many years ago.  The recipe was on the back of the package of craisens,  Generally when I purchase ingredients, I already know what I am going to make with them so it is pretty rare for me to even glance at the recipes on the packaging.  I guess this recipe taught me a lesson.  And a pretty delicious lesson at that.

The combination of sweet white chocolate (I like to use the large chunks of white chocolate) with the tart craisen, all in a chewy oatmeal cookie base - perfection!  Go ahead and just double the recipe - I know that I always do :)

One Year Ago: Strawberry Daiquiri Ice Cream Shake

Two Years Ago: Homemade Oreo Cookies

                          French Bread

OATMEAL CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES     
(recipe from Craisins package)
printable version

2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cup old-fashioned oats
1 ½ cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 6-ounce package craisins (dried cranberries)
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Serving Up {Cookies}: No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal

I mentioned that my oven has been out of commission recently.  Which means my craving for a treat just kept growing and growing until it was monstrous in size.  I didn't have the patience to make something that required refrigeration (pudding) or required freezing (ice cream) so I had to come up with something I could make without an oven that would still be able to tackle my craving.

I pulled out this recipe, which is actually a favorite of my kids to make because it is so easy, and within 10 minutes I was dropping little balls of chocolate goodness onto wax paper to cool.  Shortly afterwards my husband arrived home and saw the treats on the counter and said, "you read my mine!  I've been needing a treat!".  I guess the broken oven was having the same effect on him :)  I thought that he was just in need of a treat but he informed me later that he LOVES these little chocolate balls.   Whether it's for the simplicity or for the taste - these really do hit the spot!

One Year Ago: Thai Coconut Ginger Broth

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES     
printable version

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
4 T. cocoa
2-1/2 cups oats
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add the oats, vanilla, and peanut butter. Mix until well blended. Spoon onto waxed paper and allow to cool.

Serving Up {Breakfast}: Bite Sized Versions

Summer is here and school is out...we are enjoying the lazy starts to our days as much as I thought that we would be.  I think I didn't serve breakfast yesterday until 10 a.m. which is probably the latest so far...and half of us were still in our pajamas when breakfast was served!  What can I say?  We are enjoying it while we can because in July we begin all sorts of summer camps and morning swim lessons and we may as well be back in school for all the early morning commitments we have!

With all the time I've had in the mornings, I have enjoyed making our favorite breakfast meals but have mixed a couple of them up to give them new life.  You wouldn't think that serving "mini" versions of meals that my kids eat all the time would really make that big of an impact on the kids, but it has!

I baked my recipe for BAKED OATMEAL into muffin-sized servings and the kids went crazy for it.  Again, nothing was altered except the baking dish but it was enough to be new and exciting for the young'uns.

Baked in the muffin tins, I still put mine into a bowl, broke it apart and splashed a little coconut or rice milk over it.  But my husband ate his as a muffin -which makes a terrific "on the go" option and is a completely flour-free breakfast option should you be looking for such a thing.

Find my Baked Oatmeal recipe here and note that I reduced my baking time to 30 minutes when using the muffin tins.

With the success of the Baked Oatmeal, I had to try our EGG PIE (German Pancake) recipe in a similar manner.  Again - a total hit!

Find my recipe for Egg Pie here and note that I divided the batter between 24 muffin tins - you don't want to fill them more than 1/4 full or they won't puff and be airy and light.  I also decreased my baking time to 15 minutes when using the muffin tins.

One Year Ago: Cool Berry Soup

                        Caramel Rice Krispie Treats

Serving Up {Dessert}: Carmelitas

Doesn't the word "Carmelitas" just sound exotic...maybe a bit dangerous or forbidden....or tempting!  Definitely yes to tempting and while you are at it lets add amazing and delicious and addicting and gone!

I have read a fair number of recipes for carmelitas and this recipe hooked me because instead of using jarred caramel sauce, you unwrap little caramel squares and melt them with cream and the result is SO MUCH BETTER than jarred sauce.  Trust me on this!  Just go on and write "caramels" on the grocery list right now. Better yet, just go slip on your shoes and make a quick run to the market.  You will thank me in an hour from now when you are enjoying your first bite of this...

One Year Ago: Homemade Wheat Bread

                        Starbuck's Coffee Cake

CARMELITAS     

(recipe adapted from LuLu the Baker)

printable version

1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cup flour
2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

60 caramel squares, unwrapped
3/4 cup heavy cream


In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine caramels and cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each time until caramel is melted and smooth.

Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the crust. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.

Serving Up {Breakfast}: Five Grain Cereal

This is a recipe from the Blendtec recipe book.  I love hot cereal so this is one of the first recipes I tried and I make it at least a couple of times a week.  I love that I am grinding whole grains right in front of myself and then cooking them - no wondering what preservatives or additives are going into my morning breakfast cereal or that of my kids.

FIVE GRAIN CEREAL     Pin It
(recipe from Blendtec Fresh Blends)
printable version

1 cup oat groats
1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup cornmeal

Add all the ingredients to the blender jar, in the order listed and secure the lid.  Press "speed up" to speed 4, running for 10-12 seconds.  Transfer the freshly cut grains to a resealable container.

To prepare hot cereal, add 1 cup water per 1/3 cup five grain cereal to a saucepan and whisk together.  Bring the cereal to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3-5minutes until thickened.
Top with a sprinkle of brown sugar or honey.  Serve.

Serving Up {Breakfast}: Baked Oatmeal

Do you ever wake up and just crave oatmeal cookies for breakfast? 

I don't really either, but this recipe tastes like you are eating oatmeal cookies for breakfast.  How is that for a good reason to get out of bed?  

This recipe is one that serves as a starting point.  You can alter and adjust any of the ingredients to your own taste.  Swap the craisins for raisens, increase the spices, add some wheat germ.  In fact, the addition of coconut is my own addition that wasn't in the original recipe. 

Once baked you can cut it and serve it with a spatula as "slices" of oatmeal goodness - but when I want to serve it like that I find that I like it to be thicker and so I will make increase the recipe to 1 1/2 in size.  (Done that way you can easily wrap individual portions and freeze them for quick breakfast options for another date)  Otherwise I will just spoon out the baked oatmeal and serve it crumbly in a bowl - sometimes even adding a little bit of whole milk.  Again, this recipe is ready for you to personalize to your own liking.  Have fun with it!

BAKED OATMEAL     

(adapted recipe from The Picky Apple)
(printable version)



3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
½ cup melted butter **
2 tsp. vanilla
¾ cup dried cranberries

** I frequently use coconut oil to replace the butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together oats, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Allow to sit and allow the oatmeal to absorb the moisture for 10 minutes.  Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.