No Bake Reese’s Crispy Cookies

My favorite part about shopping the after-holiday clearance sales is finding tons of great candy at a deeply discounted price! Once I remove the wrapper, nobody will know that I used Christmas candy for my Valentine's Day baking, or Easter candy at the Fourth of July (except you, my readers!). As long as you make sure to check the expiration date on the packages, you will save lots of money!

This week, when I stopped by my local grocery store for a quick in-between shopping run, I found a great deal on mini Reese's peanut butter cups. The best part? The bold lettering on the back stating the candy is gluten free! (It's always important to check for this information since allergen warnings can sometimes differ on seasonal candy.)

No Bake Reese’s Crispy Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients
5 cups crisped rice cereal (I use Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice)
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter
20 miniature sized Reese's peanut butter cups, cut into quarters
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter chips

Directions
1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is evenly combined and smooth (about 5 minutes).
3. Add cereal to peanut butter mixture and stir to evenly coat.
4. Fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips.
5. Add Reese's peanut butter cups last to minimize melting.
6. Drop 1/4 cup sized scoops of mixture onto lined baking sheets. Slightly flatten so they look more like a cookie than a ball.
7. Store at room temperature with wax paper between layers so they don't stick together. (Note: Chilling the cookies makes them hard to bite into! If refrigerated, bring cookies to room temperature before eating.)

Note: Use small cookie dough scoop for mini bite-sized cookies.

Recipe adapted from My Incredible Recipes.

Baked Potato Soup

With our Christmas Eve church service at 5 o'clock in the evening, I knew I wouldn't have a lot of time to prep for dinner when we got home. (We normally eat around 5:45pm and obviously we'd be home well past then.) This recipe was a life saver!

I assembled all the ingredients in the crock pot in the morning, had it cook throughout the day, finished getting the soup made in the late afternoon, and turned down the temperature to warm before leaving the house. When we returned home, I gave the soup a good stir and ladeled it into bowls. Everyone topped their own serving with the garnishes of their choosing and...voila! Dinner was on the table in 5 minutes.

Baked Potato Soup
Crock Pot Recipe

Ingredients
2 lbs potatoes, washed and peeled, diced into cubes
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth (about 4 cups)
8 oz package cream cheese, softened

Directions
1. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, and chicken broth to slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
3. Add cream cheese and puree soup with immersion blender until cream cheese is incorporated. Make smooth or chunky to taste.
4. Top individual servings with shredded cheese, sliced green onion, crumbled bacon, french fried onions, etc.

Recipe adapted from Mama Loves Food.

Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

The year my son started preschool was the beginning of the sugar cookie tradition at our house! Every winter, the kids got to spend an entire preschool day in the kitchen, baking and decorating cookies with their teachers and parent volunteers. They then got to share and eat these cookies with their friends and family after their Christmas program in December.

My older two children are 23 months apart (on the dot), so we spent four consecutive holidays making these sugar cookies. The following year, my youngest daughter was not yet old enough to start preschool (she's three years behind her older sister in school), so my kids requested that we continue the annual tradition at home. How could I say no to that?!

At preschool, the kids decorated the cookie cut-outs with sprinkles pressed into the dough before baking. I figured I could improve upon an already good thing with the addition of some buttercream frosting and then sprinkles after baking. :) Either way, these are the best sugar cookies I've ever eaten!

Sugar Cookies
Yield: about 4-5 dozen (depends on cookie cutter shapes/sizes)

Ingredients
3 cups powdered sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
3 tsp vanilla
5 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar

Directions
1. Make dough day before planning to bake: Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Blend in dry ingredients. Pat dough into large ball and place inside gallon size Ziploc bag; seal tightly. Chill in refrigerator overnight.
2. Take dough out of refrigerator shortly before rolling out to bake.
3. Preheat oven to 375°F (or 350°F if using convection oven).
4. Open bag and invert dough onto clean countertop. Gently knead dough with hands. Dough will be crumbly at first but will stick together more as it warms up. Roll dough in powdered sugar (not flour!) to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake 5-8 minutes.
6. Let cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
7. Once cool, decorate with buttercream frosting (see below) and holiday sprinkles!

Buttercream Frosting
Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients
1/2 cup Crisco (original kind only!)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 tsp clear vanilla extract*
4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk (I use almond milk)

*Note: Do not use regular vanilla extract! Using clear vanilla extract keeps the frosting a bright white color.

Directions
1. Stiff Consistency: In large bowl, cream Crisco and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
2. Thin (Spreading) Consistency: Beat in additional 2 Tbsp milk.

Recipe adapted from Wilton.

(In case you were wondering, this frosting works great for decorating cakes and cupcakes, too!)

Creme Brulee Bars

These bars have all the makings of the classic French dessert: a soft, rich, and chewy bottom with a contrasting layer of crunchy sugar on top!

Creme Brulee Bars
Yield: 9x9 pan

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs, room temperature
8 oz bag toffee bits (about 1 1/3 cups)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9x9 pan with cooking spray.
2. Melt butter and white chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly.
3. Stir together flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, and eggs. Add white chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle toffee bits evenly over top. Return to oven and bake another 8-12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Be careful not to overbake (it will brown more on sides and bottom than on top).
5. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Recipe adapted from Crazy for Crust.

Chocolate Kiss Cookies

I made these for my son's Christmas party at school today and there was not a single cookie left! I'm going to take that as a good sign that the third graders loved them. :) I will definitely add this recipe to my annual Christmas cookie collection!

Chocolate Kiss Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
4 Tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup nonpareil sprinkles
36 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
3. In bowl of stand mixer (or using handheld mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Add dry ingredients, milk, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until combined. Batter will be stiff.
4. Pour sprinkles into small bowl. Using small cookie dough scoop (or about 2 Tbsp dough per cookie), roll balls of dough between hands, then roll each ball in sprinkles to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
5. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.
6. Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Press chocolate kiss into center of each cookie. Cookies will crack so gently squeeze cookie around Hershey's kiss to set. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
7. Cookies will keep in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Winter is the perfect time of year to cozy up with a warm bowl of delicious soup!

Now a close up of all that cheesy, creamy goodness studded with tender (and healthy!) broccoli. You'll never think twice about buying pre-made soup again once you've given this a try...it's that good!

Cheesy Broccoli Soup
Crock Pot Recipe

Ingredients
1 lb frozen broccoli, thawed and chopped
1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
10.5 oz can gluten free cream of chicken soup (see this post)
14.5 oz can chicken broth
dash of pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on low 5-6 hours.
3. Stir to combine before serving.

Note: Recipe can easily be doubled!

Recipe adapted from "Cheesy Broccoli Soup" found on page 39 of Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook: 600 Slow Cooker Holiday Recipes by Phyllis Pellman Good.

Cream of Chicken Soup

I've posted before about feeling like I had to start over with cooking when I went gluten free because of one simple ingredient: cream of condensed soup. It seemed like every recipe called for at least one can, and I could never figure out a good substitute that would still have the dish turn out the same way as before. Then I discovered Great Value gluten free cream of mushroom soup by accident at Walmart one day. Then at a later point, I found Great Value gluten free cream of chicken soup at a different Walmart in town, also by mistake!

After those discoveries, I stocked up (because I didn't want to have to accidentally find them again!) and then did some research to see if I could find a better (read: cheaper) alternative. (At $1.42 per can here in South Dakota, that's crazy expensive compared to the non-GF version!) That's when I discovered this amazing product: Augason Farms Cream of Chicken Soup Mix.

The reviews on Amazon looked promising, so I decided to give it a shot! I actually bought the product from Target, though, because of the 5% discount and free shipping by using my REDcard (every woman's best friend!).

The following recipe is the golden ticket to using this product. The canister contains nearly 11 cups of soup mix, so it can make roughly 21 equivalent cans of condensed soup. Calculating the Target price of $19.99 (at my time of purchase) with the REDcard discount brings the cost down to $18.99 which is only $0.90 per can!

Equals 1 can of condensed soup:
  1/2 cup Augason Farms Cream of Chicken Soup Mix
  1 3/4 cups water
Bring water to a boil. Add soup mix. Simmer 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently.

The best part is, if you are using this in a crock pot recipe, you can skip the cooking part completely. Just add the water and soup mix to your slow cooker and it will do the work for you!

One final note: IT'S DELICIOUS!

Zucchini Pizza

One of the hardest parts of eating gluten free is having to give up the good old standby: pizza. But let me back up for a minute. Remember how I mentioned in a previous post that my in-laws grow such a bountiful garden in Minnesota? Well, zucchini is another vegetable that they always have in abundant supply and luckily they are willing to share! So when I was talking to my friend, Steph, at playgroup one day about ways to cook with the zucchini, she shared this recipe with me. (I can only bake so many loaves of zucchini bread!) At the time, I was not eating gluten free. (Maybe it was foreshadowing?!) Fast forward to now, this dish satisfies my pizza craving!

Here's a look at the crust after the first round in the oven. I'm pretty sure I could just cut it up into slices and eat it as is! As a matter of fact, this could actually be a great appetizer recipe to bake in mini muffin cups for bite-sized portions that are perfect for hungry guests around the holidays.

A nice cross-section of the dish shows the zucchini crust from earlier on the bottom, the meat, onion and tomato sauce mixture in the middle, and a thick gooey layer of melted cheese on the top (my favorite!).

(Note: I didn't have a green pepper on hand, as called for in the recipe, when I made this for dinner, but it greatly adds to the dish flavor-wise, so I will make sure to pick one up the next time I make it.)

And last, but not least, the food on the plate! I'll admit that it's not too pretty to look at (we just scooped it out of the pan with a large serving spoon), but it is oh-so-delicious to eat (I promise!).

Zucchini Pizza
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients
4 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini (about 2 small)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
green pepper, chopped (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Squeeze excess moisture from zucchini using paper towel. (May need to do this a couple times.)
3. Combine zucchini with eggs, parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Press into greased 9x13 pan. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook beef and onion. Add tomato sauce and oregano. Spoon over cooked zucchini layer. Top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with chopped green pepper, if using.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

Hot Fudge Cheesecake Brownies

If you're looking for a rich, indulgent dessert, then you've come to the right place! The creamy, chocolatey cheesecake sandwiched between two brownie layers sprinkled with chocolate chips on top will leave your sweet-tooth satisfied (and craving more!).

Hot Fudge Cheesecake Brownies
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients
For brownies:
 1 cup unsalted butter
 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 2 cups granulated sugar
 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
 1 tsp vanilla
 1/2 tsp salt
 4 eggs
 1 1/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
 1 1/2 cups additional chocolate chips (or chopped peanut butter cups), for topping

For cheesecake:
 8 oz cream cheese, softened
 1 jar hot fudge topping (about 12-16 ounces)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Make brownies: Place butter and 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips in large microwave-safe mixing bowl and heat on high power in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Stir in cocoa powder until completely incorporated. Add both sugars, vanilla, and salt, stirring to combine. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until completely mixed through. Gently stir in flour until incorporated and no more flour is visible. Batter will be thick.
3. Spread 2/3 of brownie batter in prepared pan. Set the rest aside.
4. Make cheesecake: In stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and hot fudge until smooth and no lumps remain. Gently spread over bottom brownie layer.
5. Carefully layer remaining brownie batter on top of cheesecake layer. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips and/or chopped peanut butter cups.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until brownies are set with just a little wiggle in the center and they start to pull away slightly from the edges of the pan. Cool completely.
7. Chill at least 2 hours before cutting. Store in refrigerator in sealed container.

Recipe adapted from Crazy for Crust.

Almond Bark Cookies

This recipe holds a tremendous amount of sentimental value for me. When I was in junior high, I regularly babysat for our neighbors across the street who had two little boys. The parents went to a number of holiday parties every winter, and Mrs. Rickert made the most delicious Christmas sweets! These cookies were by far my most favorite treat of hers. One day my mom told her how much I loved these cookies. From then on, she made sure to have some for me every time I would go over to her house to babysit! She was such a thoughtful woman. Thankfully she shared the recipe with my mom because we moved out of state a couple years later. Now I think of her, the boys, and all our fun babysitting memories every Christmas when I make these cookies!

Almond Bark Cookies
Yield: depends on how large or small you make them!

Ingredients
24 oz package white almond bark
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups peanuts (I use lightly salted)
3 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups crisped rice cereal (I use Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice)

Directions
1. Put almond bark in glass bowl and follow melting directions on package.
2. Add peanut butter. Stir until smooth.
3. Add peanuts, marshmallows, and cereal. Stir until evenly coated.
4. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. Chill to set.
5. Store in refrigerator.

Marshmallow Milk Chocolate Fudge

I felt like getting creative in the kitchen today and wanted to figure out a way to use up the rest of the evaporated milk from my Cookies & Cream Fudge recipe that I made a couple days ago. (I bought the larger 12 oz can and didn't want it to go to waste.) And that's how this recipe was born!

I love that this chocolate fudge acts as a complement to the white version. I actually packaged up both varieties and gave them as a gift to some new neighbors as a "welcome to the neighborhood" gift! (I made sure to inquire about food allergies first to ensure they would be safe for the family to eat.)

Marshmallow Milk Chocolate Fudge
Yield: depends on how small/large you cut the pieces!

Ingredients
3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2/3 cup (5 oz can) evaporated milk
2 cups milk chocolate chips
7 oz jar marshmallow fluff*
3 cups mini marshmallows

*WARNING! Did you know that marshmallow fluff can be a hidden source of gluten? Beware of the generic or off-brands which are often cross-contaminated with wheat. I go with a national name brand like Kraft.

Directions
1. Line cookie sheet with foil.
2. Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in milk chocolate chips and marshmallow fluff until smooth.
4. Fold in mini marshmallows.
5. Pour fudge onto lined cookie sheet.
6. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm.
7. Lift from cookie sheet and remove foil. Cut into pieces. Store in refrigerator.

Cookies & Cream Fudge

This recipe is a long-standing tradition at our house. I make it every single Christmas, without fail! Since this is not the usual chocolate fudge, it's a unique gift that everyone will enjoy. Be prepared to share the recipe! I get asked for it all the time. :)

Cookies & Cream Fudge
Yield: depends on how small/large you cut the pieces!

Ingredients

• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 2/3 cup (5 oz can) evaporated milk
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 7 oz jar marshmallow fluff*
• 10.5 oz package Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies (see photo below)

*WARNING! Did you know that marshmallow fluff can be a hidden source of gluten? Beware of the generic or off-brands which are often cross-contaminated with wheat. I go with a national name brand like Kraft.

Directions

1. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Chop up cookies. Set aside.
3. Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in white chocolate chips and marshmallow fluff until smooth.
5. Fold in crumbled cookies.
6. Pour fudge onto lined cookie sheet.
7. Cool at room temperature until pan is no longer warm (about 2-3 hours). Then move pan to refrigerator to chill (about 1-2 hours).
8. Lift from cookie sheet and discard parchment. Cut into pieces. Store in refrigerator.

Almond Flour Banana Bread

With the holidays coming up, I thought it would be fun to share a recipe that is meant for just that...sharing! These mini loaves of banana bread are a break from the traditional loaf by using almond flour as the the base and honey as the sweetener with some seasonal spices that make it taste festive.

Disclaimer: When making this recipe, don't judge a book by its cover! I was skeptical on how the bread would taste based on the dark exterior. I went so far as to make my husband try it first (while still not touching it myself!). I broke down a couple days later and gave it a taste. I was pleasantly surprised by how moist and delicious it was!

Almond Flour Banana Bread
Yield: 4 mini loaves

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sour cream
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease four mini loaf pans with Crisco.
2. In large bowl, mix together dry ingredients: almond flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda.
3. In medium size bowl, whisk eggs. Add honey, sour cream, mashed bananas, and vanilla. Whisk together until combined.
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until combined. Fold in chopped pecans.
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until center is firm. Allow to cool. Run knife along edge of each loaf and remove from pans.
6. Slice and enjoy!

Notes
• For muffins, line 18 cups with paper liners. Cook for 20 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Live Simply.

What's for Dinner?

That's the very question I asked myself this morning when planning out my family's meals for the day. Yesterday I was full of inspiration (pork chops on the grill, spinach salad, and mashed potatoes!), but today... not so much. So I took a look in my pantry, threw some ingredients in the crock pot, and the result was delicious! (And you know what? With the red and green colors, it's rather festive for the season, too!)

Creamy Chicken with Spinach & Sun Dried Tomatoes
Crock Pot Recipe

Ingredients
1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast (fresh or frozen)
10.5 oz can gluten free cream of chicken soup (see this post for details)
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
10 oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 oz package sun dried tomatoes*
salt, to taste

Directions
1. Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with cream of chicken soup.
2. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
3. Shred chicken with two forks. Stir in cream cheese.
4. Squeeze excess moisture from chopped spinach. Add to slow cooker along with sun dried tomatoes. Stir.
5. Replace cover and cook additional 1-2 hours for flavors to develop.
6. If desired, top individual servings with shredded cheese, bacon crumbles, etc.

* I used these julienne cut sun dried tomatoes from Trader Joe's.

Notes
• If using whole sun dried tomatoes, make sure to chop or slice into smaller pieces.
• If using oil packed tomatoes (from a jar), drain well on a paper towel before adding to slow cooker.

{Christmas} Puppy Chow

Put a holiday spin on an old favorite by adding red and green candies to the pillows of white snow!

{Christmas} Puppy Chow
Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
6 cups Rice Chex cereal
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 cup Christmas M&M’s milk chocolate candies

Directions
1. In large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir and heat 30 seconds longer on HIGH, or until melted when stirred. (I usually have to do two 30-second intervals.) Stir in peanut butter until smooth.
2. Fold in cereal until evenly coated.
3. Place 1 cup powdered sugar in gallon Ziploc bag. Spoon coated cereal into bag. Top with remaining 1 cup powdered sugar. Close bag.
4. Gently toss cereal mixture until evenly coated.
5. Transfer to storage container. (This step is vital... don't leave it in the bag!) Leave open to cool, gently shaking container every so often to release heat.
6. Once completely cooled, pour M&M's on cereal mix and cover with lid. Shake the container gently to evenly distribute the candies.

Notes
* I doubled the recipe, using an entire 12 oz box of Rice Chex cereal and a full 11.4 oz bag of milk chocolate M&M's, although I made the recipe in two smaller batches as outlined above.
* A different flavor of Christmas M&M's could be used in place of milk chocolate (such as peanut or peanut butter)... the choice is yours!
* This recipe could be adapted for any holiday year-round with seasonal-colored M&M's:
   • Valentine's Day: red, pink, white
   • Spring/Easter: pink, yellow, green, blue, purple (pastels)
   • Fall/Autumn: red, maroon, yellow, brown
   • Halloween: orange, brown
   • Christmas: red, green
   • Birthday: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, brown (traditional colors)

Chewy No Bake Granola Bars

These granola bars include nutrition-packed ingredients while at the same time tasting like an indulgent treat that you can feel good about feeding your family. Forget about all the preservatives found in the store-bought version!

I pack my husband's lunch every morning before he heads off to work, and these bars are part of my regular rotation of homemade snacks that I always keep on hand. I alternate between these and the No Bake Energy Bites depending on how much prep time I have since these bars require the stove top while the bites are a stir-and-go recipe. (Both are still super simple, though!)

Chewy No Bake Granola Bars
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups crisped rice cereal (I use Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice)
1 3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats
1/4 cup wheat germ (or ground flaxseed, wheat bran, additional oats, etc.)*
1/2 cup additional mix-ins (i.e. shredded coconut, chopped nuts, raisins or other dried fruit, sesame seed, sunflower kernels, etc.)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup peanut butter (creamy and/or crunchy)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided

*My favorite thing to use for this item in the ingredient list is this Super Seed & Ancient Grain Blend from Trader Joe's. We don't have this store locally, so my mom (who lives in Texas) ships these bags to me a few times throughout the year!

Directions
1. Combine first 4 dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a saucepan, mix the honey, brown sugar, and salt. Over medium-low heat, stir until the mixture comes to a complete boil for 30-60 seconds.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until smooth.
4. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Grease 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Sprinkle half of chocolate chips in pan. Scoop mixture over chocolate chips in pan. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Press down into even layer. (I use the palm of my hand.)
6. Let cool before cutting into bars.

Recipe adapted from Money Saving Mom.

Chocolate Volcano Cookies

I love a recipe with a super-short list of ingredients, especially when they are things I keep on hand at all times anyway! So when I ran across this recipe in a magazine I was flipping through, I was able to give it a try right away (e.g. this afternoon) without a special trip to the grocery store.

These cookies are light, airy, and full of chocolate flavor as the chewy texture melts in your mouth!

Chocolate Volcano Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (I used a combination of the two)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa, and salt. Add egg whites and vanilla. Stir until smooth. (Batter will be thick.) Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Lightly coat two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Using small cookie dough scoop, drop batter on prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. (Cookies will spread as they bake.)
5. Bake 13-15 minutes, until crackly and set. (For best results, cook one pan at a time in center of oven.)
6. Let cool 3 minutes on baking sheet before using metal spatula to transfer cookies to wax paper to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from December 2017 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

You know what I like best about this recipe? It is super versatile! The first time I made it, I used blueberry pie filling as suggested. The bars were delicious! After that, I took the liberty of trying some other fruit fillings. Our favorites have been apricot jam and seedless blackberry jam (pictured below). The possibilities are endless!

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
Yield: 9x9 pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp almond milk
• 21 ounces blueberry pie filling (or 18 ounces jam)*

*Use any flavor of pie filling or jam. If using pie filling, bars will turn out more like a cobbler. If using jam, bars will be more firm.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Using pastry blender (or fork), cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk.
3. Grease 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Press 2/3 flour mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
4. Spread pie filling (or jam) on top of crust.
5. Sprinkle with remaining flour mixture. Pat topping gently into pie filling (or jam) with fingers.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and filling bubbles along edges.
7. Allow bars to cool completely, then cut and serve.

Recipe adapted from Real House Moms.

Herbed Chicken

If you have children (or a picky spouse!), you know how challenging it can be to find a meal that everyone at the table will eat. So I was fairly pessimistic when I first tried this recipe a few years ago figuring at least one of my kids would dislike it (I already had one of them in mind!). Boy was I wrong! Not only did Jared and I love this dish as adults, but all three of my children ate it without a fight (win!). This recipe is a staple in our rotation of dinners and hopefully you can add it to your repertoire, too!

Herbed Chicken
Crock Pot Recipe

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs, fresh or frozen)
10.5 oz can gluten free cream of chicken soup (see note below)
1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions
1. Arrange chicken in slow cooker.
2. Layer remaining ingredients on top of chicken.
3. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
4. Shred chicken with two forks and stir to coat in sauce.
5. Serve over cooked rice with a side of steamed broccoli.

Note
If you've checked out my Green Bean Casserole post, then you may recall that I was pleasantly surprised (okay, shocked) the day that I discovered Walmart's Great Value brand made gluten free cream of mushroom soup. I thought I was forever doomed to have to throw out all of my recipes that called for a can of condensed cream-of-whatever soup! Well color me surprised when I went to a different Walmart in town (I think we have at least 6 locations scattered around Sioux Falls) and I discovered gluten free cream of chicken soup! (I may have bought every can on the shelf... literally.)

Recipe adapted from "Herbed Chicken" found on page 163 of Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook: 600 Slow Cooker Holiday Recipes by Phyllis Pellman Good.

Pear and Banana Loaf

When you have a pear tree on your property (like we do), you need to find a way to take advantage of all that fruit! You can only eat so many pears straight off the tree. :)

Pear and Banana Loaf
Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 cup chopped pears (tossed in lemon juice to prevent browning)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 335°F. (I have a convection oven. If using a standard oven, increase temperature to 350°F.)
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into bowl; set aside.
3. In separate bowl, mix together sugar and bananas. Whisk in eggs, milk, and oil. Add dry ingredients; mix until well combined (but don't beat). Gently fold in pears.
4. Pour into loaf pan greased with Crisco. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cool 5-10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

Recipe adapted from Some More Please!

My Mantra

I'm pretty sure this is the best bumper sticker ever... it sums up my life philosophy!

P.S. I'm not usually a bumper sticker kind of girl, but if I had that one, you bet your bottom dollar I'd put it on my car! (Okay, minivan... that I swore I would never drive... but I got suckered in by the sliding doors and there's no turning back!)