Jonathan's Favorite Granola Bars

You can add pretty much anything you want to these bars (raisins, dried apricots, etc.).

3 cups quick cooking oats
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X13 pan.

2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with your hands or spatula. Press flat into the pan.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes the cut into desired size. Let cool completely before serving.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

These are great for breakfast or a healthy snack.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup craisins
1/4 cup pecans or walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin cups with liners.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pice spice; set aside. Combine brown sugar, while sugar, applesauce, pumpkin, buttermilk, and eggs. Mix until well blended. Pour pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in craisins and nuts.

3. Divide batter into muffin tins. Bake 15-20 minutes. Cool in the muffin pan on a wire rack before removing muffins.

Makes 12 muffins. Ready in 40 minutes.

*pumpkin pie spice substitute: 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

Blendar Salsa

A friend gave me this recipe and now I don't use anything else to make salsa.

Blend in blender:
20 oz diced tomatoes
1/2 chopped onion
1 jalapeno
(add tomatios make it spicier)

Add:
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
half bunch of cilantro leaves

Blend again to desired consistency.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Streusel Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
7 tablespoons butter, melted

Muffin Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries (keep in freezer until last possible moment)

1. For the streusel: combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Drizzle with melted butter and toss with a fork until evenly moistened and mixture forms chunks.

2. For the muffins: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375. Either grease and flour muffin tin or use paper liners. Whisk egg in medium bowl until pale and evenly combined, 30 seconds. Add vanilla, sugar, and zest and whisk vigorously until thick, 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in melted butter, add buttermilk and whisk until combined.

3. Reserve 1 tablespoon flour. Whisk remaining flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Fold in egg mixture until nearly combined. Toss blueberries with reserved flour and fold into batter until just combined.

4. Divide batter in muffin tin and top with streusel. Bake until light golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out with a few dry crumbs attached, 23-27 minutes. Cool muffins for 20 minutes in tin, the transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

*recipe credit: Cook's Country

Granola Bars

I found a great granola bar recipe which has been my favorite so far. I changed the recipe quite a bit to be healthier and this is what I've come up with. I've made a batch weekly because we love them so much.

4 cups rolled oats (I've used both rolled oats and quick oats and can't tell a difference)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 c softened butter

1/3 cup applesauce

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup nuts

Press into a greased 9x13 inch pan. (I spray my hand with cooking spray to press because it's pretty sticky.) Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes. When I take them out of the oven I press them again with the back of the spatula. Cool in the pan. When they are cool cut into your desired size.