Chocolate Nutella Granola

Is granola still healthy if you add Nutella and chocolate chips? All the healthy elements are still there so let’s say yes! We love to eat it by the handful, yesterday we had it with vanilla yogurt and berries, and today I added banana and vanilla almond milk and had the most delicious lunch.

5 cups crispy rice cereal
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup rough chopped pecans
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 cups raisins
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbl cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Nutella
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°. In large bowl, mix together crispy rice cereal, oats, wheat germ, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut, dates, dried cranberries, and cinnamon. In saucepan, melt butter, Nutella, and brown sugar together. Add maple syrup, salt, and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients and stir gently until thoroughly combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread out evenly on two cookie sheets that have been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 8 minutes, remove and gently stir and spread out again. Bake another 8 minutes, remove, gently stir and spread out again. Bake 8 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool completely. Store in airtight container. Eat as a snack, in a bowl with milk or on top of ice cream, yogurt, you decide.

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Homemade Power Bars

Have you seen the section at your local grocery store for Power Bars? It has grown, unbelievable the types, variety, and flavor combinations. Do you think some people are living on these things? I guess if you are on the go and need to refuel in a hurry it’s the perfect product. So, here is a natural and healthy version to make at home for probably half (if not more than half) the cost. Inspired by eatingwell.com.

I know, this totally strays from my normal posts. Never fear, something terribly indulgent will follow soon. ;o)

1 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 Tbl flax seeds
1 Tbl sesame seeds
1 cup crisp rice cereal
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup golden raisin
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9″x9″ pan with foil and spray with non stick spray.

Spread oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds on baking sheet. Bake until oats are lightly toasted and nuts are fragrant, shaking pan halfway through, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to large bowl. Add rice cereal, raisins, golden raisins, dried cranberries, and dates; toss to combine.

Combine peanut butter, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until mixture bubbles lightly, 2 to 5 minutes.

Pour peanut butter mixture over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Transfer to prepared pan. Lightly coat your hand with cooking spray and press mixture down firmly to make even layer. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Using foil, pull out of pan; cut into bars.

One Year Ago: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls

Two Years Ago: Cinnamon Cornbread with Cardamom Honey Butter

Favorite Stuffing for Thanksgiving

This is my favorite stuffing, Sausage Seed Cornbread Stuffing.  This is a big problem for me, every time I make this stuffing I have a control problem.  I try to limit myself but I know it’s there, haunting me from the refrigerator…warm me up, don’t you want some more?  Yes, but I have already had you for breakfast, lunch, dinner and numerous snacks.  Stuffing is my favorite dish at Thanksgiving followed closely by sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, rolls and everything else!

Cornbread recipe (easy recipe below) for a 9×9 baked in a 13×9 and cubed, lay out on cookie sheet to dry out a bit
1 lb sausage, browned (in a pinch Jimmy Dean Fully Cooked turkey sausage crumbles, love shortcuts)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped onion
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 pkg seasoned cubed bread stuffing (7.5-10 oz)
3 Tbl poppy seeds
3 Tbl sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp sage
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 Tbl parsley
2-3 cups chicken broth
season salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350°.  Melt butter in fry pan and saute onion and celery until soft.  In large bowl combine cornbread, seasoned bread stuffing, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkins seeds and walnuts.  Stir all together and then stir in browned sausage and celery/onion mixture.  Sprinkle with sage, poultry seasoning, and parsley, mix in.  Begin pouring chicken broth over stuffing, it will take at least 2 cups, then pour enough until starts to hold together as you turn in over with a spoon.  You want it to hold together but not turn to mush.  Sprinkle with season salt, gently stir in, and taste.  Repeat until desired taste.  Spoon into a 13×9 pan (I use a 15×10 to have more crisp surface area).  Bake for 40-55 minutes depending on your desired browning, check frequently.  Optional-add waterchestnuts, mushrooms, craisins…make it your favorite.

Easy Cornbread for 9×9 (13×9 for stuffing):
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375°.  Spray pan.  In microwave safe bowl, melt butter.  Stir in sugar.  Add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture.  Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (18-25 for 13×9) or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  For stuffing, cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out on wire rack and cool.  Cut into cubes.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Seed Bread

My family and others request this bread.  Loaded with five different seeds and cracked wheat.  I find most of these seeds in the bulk isle of most grocery stores.

1 cup cracked wheat
1 cup boiling water
1 cup warm water (110°)
1/4 cup sugar
2 pkgs (4½ tsp) dry yeast
2 cups wheat flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbl salt
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
3½ cups white flour

Put cracked wheat in a bowl and pour boiling water over, let soak about 15 minutes.  In mixer (Kitchenaid or similar with bread hook), pour warm water, sprinkle sugar then yeast.  When yeast is foamy, stir in wheat flour, eggs, salt, and oil.  Combine all the seeds in a large bowl and set aside 1/4 cup to sprinkle over top of loaves.  In the large bowl with seeds, stir in presoaked cracked wheat and 1 cup of white flour.  Stir this seed mixture into yeast mixture in the mixer.  Mix in remaining 2½ cups white flour and knead.  Turn dough into oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour.  Divide dough in half and shape into 2 long loaves and place side by side on baking sheet.  Allow to rise about 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375°.  Bake loaves until almost done about 30 minutes. Brush with water or egg white and sprinkle with reserved seeds, continue baking about 5-10 minutes longer.  When the loaves are done, they will make a hollow sound when tapped.  Cool on rack before slicing.

Oatmeal Wheat Bread with Sunflower Seeds

This is a hearty bread with good texture but not too heavy on the whole wheat.  The true test with wheat bread seems to be if I can get my son to eat it, this one works.

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp yeast
1 Tbl sugar
1/2 cup white flour
1½ tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1½ cups wheat flour
1¼ cups white flour

In saucepan combine oats and milk.  Cook over medium heat until oats are soft about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sunflower seeds and oil; cool to lukewarm.  In large bowl, dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water with 1 Tbl sugar.  Pour oatmeal mixture into yeast.  Add the 1/2 cup white flour, salt, and sugar, blend.  Mix in remaining wheat flour and white flour to make a stiff dough.  Knead.  Turn into greased bowl, let rise about 1 hour.  Punch down and make into one loaf.  Put in greased bread pan, let rise 45 minutes.  Bake in 350° oven for 38-45 minutes.