Pretzel Bites. A perfect snack.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been in the baking mood lately.  It's super rare, but I've been home a lot the past couple of weeks.  I'm usually, on a good week, home maybe 1 day out of the week.  With commitments at my kids school, meetings, or appointments, my week gets filled FAST!
Thankfully, I've had some down-time, which has allowed me to really tackle my house cleaning, organizing, and has even left some time for a little reading and baking :)
On Sunday I made these little pretzel bites which were a HUGE hit with the family!  I was a little uncertain if they'd notice that I used whole wheat flour, but thankfully no one said anything!!  The recipe really isn't difficult, maybe a little time-consuming, but not difficult at all!  If you've never tried making homemade pretzels, I highly recommend it. Your family will thank you :)

HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZEL BITES {recipe by Two Peas and their Pod }


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water {not hot}
• 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1 packet active dry yeast {I used perfect rise yeast}
• 3 oz. unsalted butter,  melted {I used salted butter}
• 2 1/2  tsp. kosher salt {I reduced the salt to 1 1/2 tsp. because I used salted butter}
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour {I used about 2 1/2 cups of TJ's White Whole Wheat Flour}
• cooking spray
• 3 quarts water
• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 1 whole egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. cold water
• coarse sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

  Combine the warm water, brown sugar, yeast and butter together in a bowl with a stand mixer.  Mix with the dough hook to combine and let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until combined.  Increase the speed to medium and continue to knead until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 minutes {mine didn't take that long}.  If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour 1 Tbsp. at a time.  Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball with the palm of your hands.

Spray a bowl with cooking spray, add the dough and turn to coat with oil.  Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm spot until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bring water to boil in a large pot over high heat and add the baking soda.

Have a couple of baking sheets ready, sprayed with cooking spray.

 Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured surface.  Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/2 ounces each.  Roll each piece into a long rope measuring about 22 inches. Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces to make the pretzel bites.  Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches, about 15 bites at a time.  Boil for about 30 seconds.  Remove bites with slotted spoon and place on prepared baking sheet.  Make sure the pretzels are not touching.  Brush the tops with egg wash and season liberally with the coarse sea salt.  Place into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.

 Serve with mustard or make your own cheese sauce.  The original recipe over at Two Peas and their Pod has a cheese sauce to go with the pretzels.  

S'mores Cookies

I'm enjoying a lazy morning with my kiddos.  We had a busy weekend of "spring cleaning" so today is just going to be whatever they want to do...which I'm secretly hoping is to watch movies and stay in jammies most of the day :)  I had an itch to do an overhaul on my pantry this weekend and even though it took literally ALL day saturday, it is now a super organized/clutter free pantry.  It feels so good that I find a reason to go over there just to take a peek every now and then!  I really do love being organized, but with three kids and a busy life, most of what I'd "like" to do in my home get's put on hold until it's something that I "have" to do when it starts getting to the point that it's driving me crazy!!

I moved on to my daughter's room after that and I'm still weeding things out of there, but my hope is that before summer, we can have a home where clutter is non-existent.  Can that really happen???

On to the recipe...

I made these cookies for my kids monthly bake sale last week and apparently they were a big hit with the kids.  One of my children came home and said, "my friend wants you to tell her mom how you made these".  Isn't that cute?

Well, this wasn't my recipe, but it was a fun, easy recipe to make!  Of course I found it on Pinterest :)

Try these, they're really yummy!  I made as many as I could on one large jelly roll pan, then for the rest of the dough, I broke up my remaining chocolate and graham crackers, and mixed them in the dough, then scooped them like a regular cookie. Those were the ones I got to keep at home, and they were just like a gooey s'mores, but with a chocolate chip cookie kick!  Enjoy!!

S'MORES COOKIES {recipe from The girl who ate everything }

INGREDIENTS: {makes about 2 dozen}

• 11 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temp.
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 3 regular size Hershey's bars, broken into pieces
• 2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares

DIRECTIONS:

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking pans with parchment paper or non-stick foil (THIS IS A MUST).  I used a large jelly roll pan and filled up as many graham crackers as I could fit, then I used a small baking sheet to do the rest.

Lay out graham crackers on the prepared pans so they are touching side by side.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides as needed.  Add vanilla and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine on low speed.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the marshmallows and chocolate chips.  You can chill the dough for 1 hour, but I didn't.

Place tablespoons of dough directly onto the graham cracker squares.  I left about 1 inches in between dough balls.  Press down slightly with fingertips.  

Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey's bar pieces into the dough.  You can place as many pieces of chocolate as you want.  

Bake for 5-7 minutes more or until dough is beginning to turn golden at the edges.  

Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting.  I grabbed the sides of the parchment paper to remove from pan, then used a sharp knife to cut each square.  

Here's the dough being scooped onto the graham crackers

This is after the first 5 minutes of baking...

Fresh out of the oven!

This is what I did with the leftover dough...really yummy & gooey!

The BEST Granola Bars

I'm a granola bar lover!  The ones I love the most are the Cliff Mojo bars.  They are my favorite for pre or post runs/workouts.  I love them so much that I'm always trying to figure out a way to re-create them!
I like using pretty simple/organic ingredients, so when I noticed that brown rice syrup was listed in the ingredients, I ran to our local natural foods store and found a nice big jar of it.
The wonderful thing about brown rice syrup is it has a really great consistency to hold a granola bar together, it's not overly sweet, and it's all natural.  So I combined a bunch of ingredients that I love and made these granola bars.  The last time I made them I used pretzel sticks, but unfortunately I didn't have any on hand this time.  They really add a nice salty crunch though!  The great thing about this recipe is you can play around with it any way you like...add different dried fruits, different nuts, leave out the nuts, and it's a NO-bake recipe!

GRANOLA BARS {my recipe}


INGREDIENTS: {makes 12+ bars depending on how large you cut them}

• 2 cups crispy rice cereal {I use Trader Joes brand}
• 1-1/2 cups rolled oats {if you feel adventurous, toast the oats in the oven first}
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds
• 1/2 cup dried pumpkin seeds 
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut {optional}
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 3 Tbsp. flaxseed 
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup {find it at most health food stores}
• 3 Tbsp. honey
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, or any nut butter {I used NO sugar added peanut butter}
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pretzel sticks {optional}

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, stir together the rice cereal, oats, cranberries, almonds, pumpkin seeds, coconut and flaxseed.  Set aside.  Line a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper, or grease with cooking spray.

Combine the brown sugar, brown rice syrup and peanut butter in a small saucepan.  Heat to medium-low just until sauce begins to thin out.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt.  Pour over the cereal mixture and mix well.  **Now I don't like my chocolate chips to melt when the warm mixture gets poured on top, so I like to add the chocolate chips after this point and give another good stir.

Press firmly into the prepared pan.  I use the back of a buttered spoon and press down really hard so everything holds together.  Allow to cool completely then lift out of pan with the sides of the parchment paper and cut into squares or rectangles.  *If you are wanting them to cool quickly, you can place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Caramel Corn...so addicting!

Warning...this caramel corn is highly addictive!!  I've been making this recipe for a while now and when I get the ingredients out to make it, I immediately start drooling.  I crunchy, chewy and everything I love in caramel corn.  It makes a big recipe so it's perfect to take on a trip, or for a birthday party, or just to munch on over a weekend.  I made it last Saturday for my daughters soccer team, then made it again Monday night for a Halloween party.  It's fun and it's sure to please everyone...if not, there's more for you!

Caramel Corn {recipe adapted slightly from Paula Deen }


INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 bags microwave popcorn, popped {I use simply salted Orville Redenbacher's Natural}
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

  Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Spray a large baking pan or roaster with cooking spray.

Pop popcorn and pour into a large bowl.  I use a slotted spoon to scoop out any kernels that didn't pop.  

Over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar, salt and corn syrup and boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla extract.  Stir well.  Pour over the popped popcorn and stir well to coat.  Bake in sprayed baking pan for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  

Immediately pour into a large clean brown paper bag and shake.  Spread out on waxed paper to cool.  

Frosted Scotch Bars

My life is a whirlwind!!!  From soccer coach, to baseball fan, to president of Parent Teacher Organization, to mommy, to wife...wow, I'm exhausted just typing that out!  I rarely feel caught up at home anymore, mostly because I'm rarely home.  Yesterday although, I was home most of the day until it was time to pick up my kids.  It was nice.  I ran around the house from room to room trying to get as much done as I could.  I'm pretty satisfied with the results, but there's still so much more to do.  Oh well, I rewarded myself with these outrageously rich, but satisfying treats.  This is a recipe from a long time friend.  The kids adore these, but I have to give a disclaimer...cut them into small squares.  You'll thank me.  I took a big square for myself, ate it all in one minute, then got a major stomach ache.  My eyes were way bigger than my stomach!  But I just love the chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch combination...nothing quite like it!  The chocolate layer is definitely more frosting-like, which I adore!


Frosted Scotch Bars {recipe by a dear friend}


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bag butterscotch chips
• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter 
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 1 bag chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• evaporated milk {about 2-3 Tbsp.}
• sifted powdered sugar {about 1/4 cup}
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

  Coat a 9 by 13 dish with cooking spray. 

 Melt together the butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat.  

Place rice krispies in a large bowl.  Once butterscotch/peanut butter mixture is melted, pour over the cereal and mix completely.  Place in the sprayed dish and press down with the back of a large spoon that is coated with butter {this helps keep it from sticking to the spoon}.  

Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add the evaporated milk and the sifted powdered sugar.  Stir to combine.  The consistency should be creamy...if it isn't, add a little more evaporated milk.  Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.  

Spread over the top of the rice krispies in the pan and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  

I like them best cold, so I store them in the refrierator.  Pour a big glass of milk and enjoy!

Snack Time! Apricot Oatmeal Bars

I'm a big fan of apricots, especially dried ones.  They make a great snack when you pair them with a handful of almonds.  The only thing I make with dried apricots are my mom's apricot tarts, which for some strange reason, I only make at Christmas-time.
This recipe I've made before but I modified it a little this time around.  It comes from Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook.  My oldest loves to get this cookbook out every now and then to find something for him and I to make together.  I love that he has an interest in cooking and that he likes to experiment in the kitchen {supervised that is}.  Give these a try with your little ones and I guarantee they'll appreciate them much more when they have a hand in making them!

Apricot Oatmeal Bars {adapted from Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook}


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup firmly packed dried apricots 
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup apricot jam, softened for 30 seconds in the microwave
• 1 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

  Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Remove saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.  

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with a large piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Allow some to hang over sides.  If using parchment paper, spray the bottom of the pan before you lay the paper down.  It will help the paper lay flat.  If using aluminum foil, you will want to lightly spray or butter the foil after placing it in the pan.  

Using kitchen scissors, snip the apricots into about 1/2-inch pieces.  In a mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix until well blended.  

Add the snipped apricots, melted butter, and vanilla to the bowl.  Stir until well blended.  The dough will be moist and crumbly.  

Dump HALF of  the dough into the prepared baking pan.  Press it into the pan with your fingers.  

Next spread the softened apricot jam over the dough.  Finally, dump the remaining half of the dough on top of the jam and press firmly.  

Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.  Cool completely on wire rack.  

To cut the bars, lift the foil or paper from the pan and place on a cutting board.  Peel away the foil from the sides and bottom.  Using a sharp knife, cut the big square into 18 rectangles.  Store in an airtight container.

NOTE:  I used a small rectangular pan because oddly enough I don't have a 9-inch square pan

Here's the dough all mixed up

  first half of the dough pressed down into the pan

next comes the jam

second half of the dough pressed over the jam

Hummus

One of my long-time friends passed this recipe on to me.  It was a staple in his house and it is now one in ours too!  I know hummus is available at just about every grocery store around, but honestly, if you want to save a little money and treat yourself, you should definitely make this!  My kids absolutely LOVE it...especially when I buy flat bread and grill it for them.  I almost always double the recipe just to have a lot around, but it does make a good amount with the regular recipe.
Give it a try!

HUMMUS {adapted from my friend Mo}

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 Cup lemon juice {freshly squeezed}
• 2 Tbsp. Tahini {sesame seed paste, found at local grocery stores or at a Mediterranean store}
• 2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Put garlic in food processor; blend.  Add beans, drizzle tahini, then add juice.  Pulse until smooth, scraping down sides a couple of times.  While food processor is going, drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil one tablespoon at a time until everything comes together and is smooth and creamy. 

Enjoy with flat bread, pita bread or pita chips.  

A Piece of My Heart...And an Ice Cream Treat

School officially began today!! I sent off my three kiddos...AND a piece of my heart!

Ella is a BIG girl now as she begins Kindergarten! Honestly, I can't even believe that I officially have no more kids at home. It's strange, but exciting in many ways! For the past 9 years I've had at least one, two or three of my kids home with me and now that they are all in school, I'm a little shell-shocked! Of course I have a plan...STAY BUSY! But I also want to take time to just wait and find rest in the Lord and see how He is going to use me this year. I'll miss my one on one time with Ella, but I know she's in good hands AND she has her 2 BIG brothers watching over her!

Go get em Ella!!

So every year since school started for them, I like to surprise them with a little treat. Sometimes it's cupcakes, one year it was a pencil cake and THIS year it's:

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

Such a treat!!!

Honestly the easiest dessert to make AND if you want to, there are ways to make it even easier! I went to Panera and got some of their HUGE chocolate chip cookies and bought some vanilla ice cream, then looked in my pantry for sprinkles (which I always have a ton of).

INGREDIENTS: Makes 3

• 6 Large Chocolate Chip Cookies (or ANY flavor you like)
• Your favorite half gallon of ice cream, softened (I used Vanilla)
• Sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

Let Ice cream soften for at least 20 minutes. Spread the sprinkles out in a large pie plate and set aside. Lay out cookies, bottom side up on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place one LARGE scoop of ice cream on the center of 3 cookies, then GENTLY press the other cookie on top. Once the cookies are "sandwiched", roll them in the sprinkles. If the sprinkles aren't sticking, you can grab a handful and sprinkle them on yourself. Immediately place in the freezer until ice cream hardens back up.

Handmade Soft Pretzels

We love pretzels in our family! Many years back we started taking trips to Lake Tahoe with my family, both in the summer and the winter. There's a beautiful resort on the North Shore we stay at that has an amazing lake-front lodge restaurant. There are panoramic views of the lake and in the winter, it's fun to find a cozy spot to eat breakfast and watch the snow fall onto the lake.

Well, I can't quite remember when it happened, but some years ago my husband began a love-affair with their bread basket. Yes, a bread basket...but not any ordinary bread basket. This basket comes filled with something for everyone: sourdough rolls, garlic rolls, breadsticks and little miniature loaves of PRETZEL BREAD!

All of these come homemade and they are warm & tasty. But something about that pretzel bread won over my husbands heart. From then on, he was determined to find it somewhere, but it was nowhere to be found. That left him begging me to "PLEASE re-create" the pretzel bread!!

Well, I've gotten a few recipes off the web, but have honestly never made it. I guess we'll just have to try to get to Tahoe this winter and find ourselves cozy inside the lodge with a glass of wine and a basket of pretzel bread. That actually sounds like a better idea to me!!

Anyway, I found this recipe from good old Alton Brown...these will have to satisfy for now, but I must say, this recipe is SUPER GOOD and very easy to make!

I used Sea Salt to sprinkle on the top, but next time I think I'll try a little cinnamon-sugar mixture or maybe even a garlic-herb. I'm also thinking I'll make a double batch, bake then freeze some. Try them...the kids will LOVE them and they are a perfect after-school snack!

INGREDIENTS: (Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007)

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 pkg. active dry yeast
• 2 oz. unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable oil, for pans
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
• Pretzel salt or Coarse Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Combine water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 min. or until the mixture begins to foam.

Add the flour and butter and, using a spatula OR a dough hook attached to your mixer, mix until well combined. Continue kneading for about 5-10 min or until dough is smooth and elastic. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for around 55 min. or until the dough has doubled in size. ***Now, mine didn't quite double in size, but everything turned out fine!

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with oil. Set aside. Bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8 quart pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24 in. rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined pans.

Place pretzels in boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a LARGE flat spatula. (They will be slippery) Return to the sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt (or any other spice you'd like). Bake until dark golden brown in color, approx. 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for a few min. before serving.

I cut them then shaped into balls

Look how hard they are concentrating!

here's my U shape...perfection is NOT necessary!

looking a little better...

Everyones took a dip in the water, now it's time for the oven

Baked Oatmeal...oh so good!

Oh soooo good!!!! I can't believe it's taken me so long to find this recipe! This warm & cozy breakfast/snack recipe comes from a cookbook that was put out by our church, which has recipes compiled from many of the women (past & present). A sweet lady submitted this recipe and I've been eyeing it for a while. We've had a lot of fog & cold mornings here on the coast lately, so I decided one morning to bake this oatmeal up for my kiddos. It was super easy and I fell in love with it instantly. The kids really enjoyed it too (no mushy-ness).

I mean, regular old oatmeal can get pretty boring sometimes, but Baked Oatmeal will never be boring in my book! Try it on a cold morning and then heat up leftovers for a snack or for the next morning.

INGREDIENTS: (adapted recipe)

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:

Mix eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the egg mixture; stir in milk. Bake in a greased 9 by 13 baking dish at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm with a little milk & maybe a sprinkle of brown sugar on top or some fresh berries.

Chewy Granola Bars

A few months back I decided that I was going to try making granola bars. We love granola bars in our house & with me being a busy mom and a runner, I like to snack on bars that will give me some good energy without being loaded down with too much fat or sugar. So I figured, what the heck, I'll give it a try! The first ones turned out a little dry, the second batch was better, but not quite what I was hoping for. Tonight I made a batch & they were really good! The kids were begging for one, so once they were cool enough I cut them up and gave them a little snack before bed! I'd love some suggestions on how these could be even better, so feel free to give me your input!!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 Cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg white, beaten until frothy
• 1/2 Cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 Tbsp. honey
• 1/4 Cup Natural Peanut Butter (try Sunflower Seed Butter if you have nut allergies)
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 Cup slivered Almonds, toasted
• 1/4 Cup dried fruit (I use cranberries)
• 1/4 Cup mini chocolate chips
• (Optional) 1/4 Cup shredded Coconut

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix together first 5 ingredients. In mixing bowl, beat egg white until frothy, then add next 4 ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, then add nuts, fruit, choc. chips and coconut. Combine together and pour into a greased 9 by 13 pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden edges.

Cool for at least an hour, then cut into bars. Makes 12-18 bars. Store in airtight container or separately in small ziploc bags (which make them easy to grab & go)!

Vanilla-Scented Granola

This has got to be one of the best granola's around! It's simple, makes the house smell AMAZING and is frightfully addicting! Which means, it doesn't last more than a day or so in this house!! I usually only make this a couple times a year and mostly around Christmas time because it's a great gift idea and like I said, super easy to make! But, who says I have to wait till Christmas to have the best granola ever?! Eat it alone or with a little plain yogurt & berries...YUMMMM and I think you'll agree!!

Vanilla-Scented Granola

(Bon Appetite Mar. 02)

• Non-stick Spray
• 4 Cups old-fashioned Oats
• 1 Cup sliced Almonds
• 1/2 Cup (packed) Brown Sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/3 Cup Canola Oil
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar
• 4 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

*Position rack in middle of oven & pre-heat to 300 degrees. Lightly spray large jelly roll pan with nonstick spray. Mix next 5 ingredients in a large bowl.

*Combine oil, honey and sugar in small saucepan; bring to simmer over med. heat. Remove and stir in Vanilla. Pour hot liquid over oat mix; stir well.

*Using hands, toss mix thoroughly. Spread granola on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown stirring occasionally; about 30 min.

Transfer sheet to rack, cool completely.

My little helper

No Ella, not that big of a bite!