Category Archives: Snacks

Time to Make the Doughnuts!

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Cakes, Snacks and tagged with , , , , ,

Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts

I’m not a doughnut person. Glazed, sticky, sweet doughnuts don’t do anything for me. Neither do filled doughnuts, like lemon cream, custard, or raspberry.  Ok, if you twisted my arm I would eat one, and most probably like it, but I don’t go out of my way for doughnuts.  Am I being clear here?   That’s why it’s so surprising that I was all over this recipe when I first came upon it.  I think because they contain pumpkin.  Pumpkin anything will get me every time.

Pumpkin is one of those winter squashes I have been writing about.  They’re everywhere at this time of year.  But when cooking or baking with pumpkin  you don’t want to use the Jack-O-Lantern type, but instead use the small sweet ones called Sugar Babies (or similar name).

“Sugar Baby” Pumpkins

The flesh of these cuties is bright orange, sweet, and smooth, and while the canned version is very convenient, it is not difficult to cook the real deal yourself.  So if you’re making your own pumpkin puree, cut the pumpkin in half, remove seeds, then bake or steam it,  scoop out the flesh, and puree it using a processor, blender, or hand blender.  This can be packed in measured portions and frozen, ready for however you will use it.

When choosing a pumpkin, make sure it’s firm and without soft spots. Under cool conditions pumpkins keep for months without rotting–they love a 50-60 degree porch.  In fact some get sweeter over time, so you need not feel pressured to cook and bake on the same day you buy the pumpkin. And remember the health benefits of this squash: it’s packed with fiber and is a great source of vitamin A.

Hopefully I’ve encouraged you to try using fresh pumpkin–it’s not hard to do–but if not, the canned version is certainly acceptable.  The recipe that follows is for pumpkin cake doughnuts.  With their bright orange color, moist texture, and pumpkin flavor, these baked, not fried, doughnuts are the perfect thing to have with a cup of coffee or a glass of apple cider.

The amount of dough this recipe makes is generous, and I was somewhat limited in pan choice since I only have one doughnut pan which holds six doughnuts.  So I improvised and used a mini bundt pan, only filling each well a third way full. Still having more dough to use, I poured the rest into a six-cup muffin pan, and sprinkled the tops of them with cinnamon chips.  In total,  I got 18 doughnut-bundt-muffins.  No matter what shape they’re in, they taste fantastic.  Perfect for Fall!

PUMPKIN CAKE DOUGHNUTS

YIELD:  (per recipe)  12 doughnuts

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, or 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, plus 1/4 teaspoon each nutmeg and ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 3/4 cups + 2 Tablespoons flour
  • coating:  cinnamon sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 2 standard doughnut pans.  If you don’t have doughnut pans you can bake these in muffin tins, or other similar pans.  They just won’t look like doughnuts.

2.  Beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt and baking powder until smooth.  Hint:  mix spices and baking powder with the sugar using a whisk for good distribution.

3.  Add the flour, stirring just until smooth.

4.  Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full; using a scant  1/4 cup batter in each.  If you’re making muffins, fill each well about 3/4 full;

5.  Bake the doughnuts for 15 – 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean.  Muffins will need to bake for 23 – 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Chips

6.  Upon removing from the oven let the doughnuts cool in their pans about 5 minutes, then loosen their edges and transfer them to a rack to cool.

7.  While the doughnuts are still warm, gently roll them in a cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat.  For muffins sprinkle the tops heavily with the cinnamon sugar.  Store at room temperature for several days

Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts

SOURCE:  King Arthur Baking

Chewy Granola Bars

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When September and back-to-school time rolls around I always think of these bars.  That’s because my children loved them and I always made them to have as after school snacks, or to pack in lunch boxes.  I still make them because Mr. D. likes them a lot and I like to have them around for a healthy snack.

These bars can be customized to your taste by the addition of your favorite fruits and nuts or chips.  They are a great way to use up small amounts of fruits, or chips left over from another recipe.  They also freeze well and pack well so you can have them available all the time.  They can easily go along on a hike, a car trip, or camping.  What I like to do is wrap each square individually in plastic wrap, place in a covered container in the freezer, and take out the desired number as needed.  Last weekend Mr. D, and his friend went fishing for the day, and took some of these bars along to munch on.  His friend called to thank me and tell me how much he liked them.

These bars smell wonderful as they are baking, and eating one leads to wanting  another one, so they don’t last long.  It’s good to make a double recipe if you want to have a quantity on hand;  some to eat, and some to freeze.

CHEWY GRANOLA BARS

YIELD:  about 1 dozen bars, cut 2″ x 4 1/2″

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cups oat flour  (or 1/3 cup quick oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2-3 cups mixed dried fruit and nuts (example: cranberries, apricots, dates, raisins, coconut, almonds, walnuts, chocolate chips)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup, or corn syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13″ x 9 ” pan.

2.  Stir together all the dry ingredients including fruits and nuts.

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter, syrup or honey and water.

4.  Toss the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until the mixture is evenly crumbly.

5.  Spread in prepared pan to evenly cover the bottom and pat down gently.

6.  Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.  Remove from oven, loosen the edges and let cool for 5 minutes.

7.  Use a knife ( or bench knife) to cut bars while still warm.  Cool on rack.  Wrap individually to store or with parchment paper between the layers in an air tight container.  These bars freeze well.

SOURCE:   King Arthur Flour

Peach Soda Ice-cream

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , ,

My very first job as a teenager was in a dairy bar where ice cream in all forms was served along with burgers, hot dogs, fries, and sandwiches.  There I learned how to make sundaes, ice-cream sodas, milkshakes, banana splits, and so much more.  This dairy was very well known throughout the area, and on hot summer evenings and weekends it was packed with customers from morning till evening.  We hustled our butts off, BUT, the payoff was that we could eat our mistakes.  You can be sure we made a few, and funny, it always seemed to happen just before our break or lunch time.  My favorite “mistake” was fresh peach ice-cream with fruit salad topping and lots of whipped cream.   Oh Gosh, my mouth is watering just remembering it.

Well, the point of telling you all of this is to introduce my recipe for  Peach Soda Ice Cream.

Peach Soda Ice Cream

Just a few weeks ago I got an ice cream maker and since then I have made Vanilla, of course,( my husband is a vanilla man);  and strawberry which was very good, and now fresh peach.  Each recipe was a little different in its ingredients.  The unique thing about the peach is that it calls for Peach Soda.

This is a quick and easy version with just 3 ingredients plus the peach soda.  I  did a web search and found some at homer soda .com, and I purchased mine locally at Hosmer Mountain Soda, so if you know of a small specialty soda company somewhere near where you live or can find it on line, you’ll be glad you did–it’s the secret to awesome peach ice cream.

PEACH SODA ICE CREAM

SERVINGS:   Makes about 8 cups

WHAT YOU NEED

  • 1  14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 8 or 9 peaches, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 36 ounces peach soda

WHAT YOU DO

1.  Puree the sweetened condensed milk, peaches and sugar in a blender until peaches are in very small pieces; transfer to a large bowl and stir in the soda.

2.  Churn in an ice cream maker ( in batches if necessary).  Mine required 2 batches.  Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm.   Oh, YUM!,  cool, creamy, and delicious.

SOURCE:  Food Network Magazine

Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Appetizers, Salads, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve been making this salsa every summer since 2003 when the recipe for it was published in our local newspaper. It uses the kernels of sweet corn cut from the cob plus black beans and anything else you might want to add.  That’s what I like about it;  its so versatile.  If I have a tomato that needs to be used, I cut it in, or perhaps an avocado that’s ripe.    If I don’t have a red onion I use scallions,  likewise if I don’t have cilantro I use parsley.  If you like some heat in your salsa, cut in a small jalapeño.   Put everything in a bowl, mix up the super simple dressing, and Bingo! its done.  We use this salsa as a snack, with  healthy multigrain chips,  or sometimes I use it as a salad.  Just put 1/2 cup on a leaf of romaine, arrange some tomato wedges and cucumber sticks around it, and there it is, a quick salad.

I find that the flavor improves if you make it a day ahead of when you will serve it but that’s hard for me to do.  I always want to sample it right away.  Oh, another thing:  if you like cilantro as much as I do, use twice the amount!

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl mix together all of the following:

  • 2 ears fresh corn, cooked, cut kernels from cob
  • 1 16 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Toss all the above with dressing:

  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons oil ( corn, safflower, or olive)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Serve with tortilla chips or cheese quesadillas.

Ballroom Dancing and Brownies

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

A few dancers on the floor.

I need to start getting myself geared up and thinking like a competitor. November is not so far away, when I will be out there on the dance floor dancing my heart out for the judges. That’s pretty much why I’m following my current diet plan. Besides that, I need to get totally immersed in ballroom dancing, and step up to the training that’s involved when I compete. When I’m not thinking about foods and cooking (and writing about it), I’m involved with my dance lessons. I take two private lessons and attend group classes –as many as I can manage–in a week. But that’s my usual routine. I will be increasing my lessons to 3/week and trying to get in as much dancing as I can to increase my tolerance and stamina. It’s a matter of really ramping up my activity level, working hard and keeping focused. Ballroom dancing is like any sport, needing strong muscles, balance, rhythm, and being aware of every part of your body as well as being in top physical condition. If you watched any of the Olympic athletes, I’m sure you have an appreciation for that.

The ladies’ gowns are so beautiful.

Well this past weekend I took some time out to attend a local, regional competition just to watch the dancers and to attend the banquet at the end of it all. There’s nothing like a competition to get you in the mood for competing. It’s a friendly environment with all the dancers supporting each other and people like me cheering them on. One thing I know about dancing is that it makes you hungry, and snacks as a source of energy, for those who are dancing, are always welcome. So I baked some brownies to bring along.

I’m not sure if my idea for these brownies is original or if I perhaps read about using pretzels with brownies in one of the many blogs I read, or some other source, but I did not have a recipe. What I did have was a package of peanut butter filled pretzels, so I decided to incorporate them into a nice fudgey brownie, ice the brownies with chocolate peanut butter ganache and put more pretzels on top. More is always better with me, as in: “you can never have too much of a good thing”. And when it comes to anything chocolate usually peanut butter is a good companion. I must confess that in this instance I took a shortcut and used a boxed brownie mix. Ghirardelli Brownie Mix is absolutely the best!

Another view of the dance floor.

PEANUT BUTTER PRETZEL BROWNIES

SERVINGS: 30

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 13″ x 9″ pan.

Prepare the brownie mix as the package directs for fudge brownies.

Crush about 1 cup of peanut butter filled pretzel bites, keeping some of the pieces large. ( mine were Clancy’s brand ) The easiest way to do this is put the pretzels in a zip-lock bag and pound lightly with a meat tenderizer, or rolling pin.

Pour half the brownie batter in the pan, sprinkle on the cup of pretzels, cover with the remaining brownie batter. Bake as directed on the package.

Let brownies cool completely in the pan. Ice with chocolate peanut butter ganache. Cut the brownies into squares ( 5 across by 6 down), and place one whole pretzel on top of each one.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER GANACHE

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 & 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

pinch salt

1. Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.

2. Combine cream, peanut butter and salt over low heat. Stir until smooth. Increase heat to medium-low and, stirring constantly, heat until bubbles form along the edges of the pan.

3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes. The chips will become all melty like. Gently whisk the chocolate chips until the mixture is shiny and combined. Stop mixing when the mixture is combined or it will become kind of grainy. Let the ganache sit to thicken up a bit to spreading consistency. You can put it in the refrigerator, or place over a bowl of ice to speed this up if you are in a hurry.

4. Spread the ganache with an off-set spatula. Hide any left over ganache in the back of the refrigerator, because you will want to eat it with a spoon!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bread, Rolls, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Do you like Banana Bread?   I do.  I think most people do.  How about Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips in it?   Yes?  Me, too.  How about Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips in it and  –wait for it—- Peanut Butter?   WOW!   Do I have your attention now?   Well, this recipe certainly grabbed my attention,  and I only found it because I cleaned my bookcase.  There fallen down behind several bigger books was an old issue of Taste of Home magazine, March, 2009.

I knew when I found it that I must have kept it because of some recipe that appealed to me.  Sure enough, the turned down page indicated bread recipes that had won a contest. ( 12 of them!)  They all looked so good, it would have been a hard decision which to make first except that I had two ripe bananas, and all the other ingredients on hand,  so that was the decision maker.

The  smell of this bread baking is heavenly and anyone at home when you make it will come running to find out what smells so good and when they can have some.  It has a layer of crumb topping and melted chocolate chips in the middle, and more crumbs on top.  Every bite is scrumptious!  The recipe makes 2 loaves;  8 inch x 4 inch pans.

TOPPING

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

BATTER

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 pkg. ( 8 0z. ) cream cheese softened.  1/3 less fat is OK
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup mashed ripe banana
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Add the peanut butter, and using a fork, mix in to form a crumbly mixture.  Set aside.

  1. In a large bowl cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in bananas and vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon;  Stir into creamed mixture just till moistened.
  2. Divide half the batter between two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans; sprinkle with half of the topping.  Top with the chocolate chips.  Repeat layers of batter and topping.

   

  1. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to finish cooling.

    

From My Experience:  If you do not have the exact pan size,  go a little bigger rather than smaller  because this is a fairly large recipe and pans will be full.  Also use more than half the crumb topping in the center of the breads, and less for the crumb topping.  I split mine in half as directed and as the bread rose in the oven the crumbs fell off and burned on the oven floor.  More crumbs fell off as I tried to get the breads out of the pans.  Finally, I would suggest using mini chocolate chips so they melt during baking.  My chips were the large size and they remained whole instead of melting .  Everything tasted wonderful, but these were the problems I encountered.

SOURCE:   Taste of Home magazine,   March, 2009

Grilled Cheddar and Bacon Waffle Sandwich

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Breakfast, Brunch, Quick Meals, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

It seems that when ever I make waffles there are always some left over.  Does this happen to you, too?  What I usually do is toast the pieces in the toaster and have them for breakfast or a snack, spread with jam or peanut butter.  Well as luck would have it on the day I made the Summertime Vegetable Soup, (see July 16 post)  I had a few pieces of left-over waffle in the refrigerator.  I was planning on making grilled cheese sandwiches to go with the soup, when inspiration struck:  how about using the waffles instead of bread for the sandwiches.  Bingo!  I was all over that in a second!

Out came the waffles, some sliced cheddar cheese, and some precooked bacon.  On a hot grill pan I placed the bacon just to crisp it up, and it was nice enough to leave behind a tiny bit of fat to grease the pan.  Next I lay the bottom waffle piece on the pan, covered it with slices of the cheddar cheese, lay on the bacon, more cheese to cover, then the top layer of waffle.   Couldn’t be more simple.   Keep the heat on low to let the sandwich toast slowly, so the cheese will melt, but not burn the waffle, since it’s already cooked.   WOW!  These were delicious, and a perfect accompaniment to the soup.

Makin’ Whoopie—-Pies, that is.

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Cakes, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Did you know that June is Dessert for Dudes month?  Yes, the third annual!  What is Dessert for Dudes month you ask?  In honor of Father’s Day a fellow food blogger  (Bake at 350 ), is  highlighting desserts that are especially dude-worthy.  She has invited other bloggers to join in.  I think  this is a marvelous idea and so I too will be honoring the men in my life with desserts that they particularly like.  Last week (June 7) I presented the recipe for Rhubarb Pie which is my husband’s favorite kind of pie.  Today’s recipe is in honor of my dance partner, who loves all kinds of sweets, and chocolate in particular.

Last week we were dancing to the tune “Makin’ Whoopee” when he said “there’s a title for your blog,  what can you do with Whoopee”?  My reply:  “make Whoopie Pies”.  Now, I’m not sure how familiar you all might be with Whoopie Pies.  They began as a regional favorite that has been attributed to the Amish people, and the states of Maine and Pennsylvania, both of which had large populations of Amish, claim to be the birth place of the Whoopie Pie.  Here in the Northeast they can still be found in small convenience stores and country markets, usually located up front near the checkout.  The classic whoopie pie consists of two large discs of chocolate cake enclosing a mega-dollop of cream filling.

The recipe I have for you today is for the classic style whoopie pie, although they can be made in other flavors with complimentary fillings.   Individually packaged, they make a nice take-along for a hike, a picnic, or whenever the need arises for a sweet treat.  OK, enough background information,  let’s get started.  Whoopie Pies here we come!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Creme Filling.

This recipe calls for cocoa.  I like to use Dutch Process cocoa for its nice dark color but any cocoa will work.  I would recommend Hershey’s Extra Dark, if you can’t find Dutch Process cocoa.  Also I add a little espresso powder because I feel it deepens the chocolate flavor and adds a special little nuance.

Put all of the following in a large mixer bowl, and beat together, scraping down the bowl several times as you go:

  • Butter, 1/2 cup, softened
  • Brown sugar, 1 cup
  • baking powder, 1 teaspoon
  • baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon
  • salt, 3/4 teaspoon
  • vanilla, 1 teaspoon
  • espresso powder, 1 teaspoon
2.  1 large egg.  Add to above mixture, and beat again, scraping down the bowl well.
3.  1/2 cup  Dutch Process cocoa, whisked together with 2 2/3 cups flour.  Add to the creamed mixture alternately with 1 cup milk.
4.  Prepare 2  baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.  Now you need to decide on cookie size:  Standard pies are about 5 inches in diameter.  To get this size use a muffin scoop to measure batter;  i.e.,about 1/4 cup .  Yield will be 8-9 large pies.  For a smaller pie about 2 3/4 ” diameter, measure batter out with a cookie scoop, about 2 1/2 tablespoons of batter, for a yield of 16 pies.
5.  Drop batter onto prepared baking sheets leaving plenty of space between mounds as they will spread.  Bake 14-16 minutes. (start checking at 14 minutes)  They should look set, dull not shiny, and feel firm to touch.  Cool completely on baking pans.  When they are luke warm lift gently with a spatula if they are stuck.  Wait till completely cooled to fill.
      
Before baking (left), shiny, moist chocolate blobs.  After baking (right), puffed, dull, set,  firm to touch.
Creme Filling
Aaaaah, the filling!  These are the ingredients:
  • 1 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 1/3 cup Marshmallow Fluff or Marshmallow creme
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1.  Beat shortening, sugar and Fluff till well combined.  I’m anticipating your question:  “Can I substitute butter for shortening”?  Well, if you do you will be making a soft butter creme filling..  “Real” whoopie filling was made of lots of shortening, sugar and raw egg whites.  These days the egg whites are replaced by the Marshmallow Fluff.  This has a stiffer consistency than Marshmallow Creme, so if using Creme, you may need to add a little more sugar.  Remember if you don’t use shortening, you’re not making a true whoopie. Most shortening sold today is free of trans fats, if that’s your worry.

2.  Continuing:  Beat everything till smooth.  Now add the vanilla, and salt dissolved in water.  Beat again till smooth

.

3.  To fill the pies,  scoop about 1 Tablespoon filling (for smaller pies) and place on flat side of a chocolate cake.  Place another cake on top and gently squeeze together to push the filling to the edges.  To fill the larger size cakes, use 2-3 tablespoons of filling, and do the same thing;  put it on one cake, top with another cake and squeeze.

4.  Do these look like snack cake heaven, or what?

Try one and say,  WHOOPEE!

SOURCE:  adapted from One Girl Cookies

Grab ‘N Go: Granola and Yogurt

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Quick Meals, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Over the course of the last few years I’ve been moving away from buying ready made foods like cereals, soups, sauces, etc. and making more and more of these items myself.  My reasons are  threefold;  environmental:  less packaging to dispose of;  health:  I can eliminate all those unpronounceable ingredients, and have better control over what we are eating; and emotional:  I feel really good knowing I can make it as good or better than what’s in a package.  Granola is one of those packaged items that I have ceased buying and now make at home.

Granola is very versatile.  It can be added to foods, as in a crumbly topping on a fruit cobbler, put on foods to add crunch, like over fruits, or ice-cream, or eaten out-of-hand as a snack.  So with that said, I have been making homemade granola and  spreading it around  rather liberally.  My lunches consist, for the most part, of fruit smoothies, or yogurt with granola on top; and for my husband, I send him off to work with a nutritious salad for lunch, and a bag of granola for a mid-afternoon snack.  Each time I make it I vary the fruits and nuts I put in it, so it does not become boring.

For anyone who needs a quick “grab and go” breakfast, or who brings lunch to work, yogurt and granola is a delicious, good-for-you duo.  I like Greek style yogurt because it’s thicker than regular styles, and because it packs almost twice the protein, so you’re not as likely to get the mid-morning munchies.  You can also stretch your budget by purchasing the large size yogurt and putting it into smaller 8 0z. containers.  Likewise package your granola in baggies, so when you’re ready to leave the house, just grab one of each and  you will be on your way with a breakfast or lunch that is economical, delicious, and good for you.

Trail Mix Granola

Makes about 5 cups

  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats


    Have all your ingredients ready before starting to assemble.

  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups add-ins, like dried cranberries, cherries, apricots, figs, raisins; coconut, nuts such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts.

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Whisk together oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a glass measuring cup.  Heat briefly in microwave ( 1 minute at 50% power) to blend  and melt any sugar lumps.  Stir well,  then pour over oats in a  large bowl and toss to coat.

3.  Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes.

4.   Let cool slightly, then transfer back into large bowl and stir in add-ins.  Let cool completely before packaging, or store in air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

SOURCE:  Quick Vegetarian Pleasures

Making Homemade Pizza

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Main Dish, Quick Meals, Snacks and tagged with , , , , ,

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like pizza.  Do you?  But it’s hard to please everyone as they all have their favorites.   Well, with my family I have pretty much solved this problem.  I make pizza at home, and everyone can choose their own topping.  Depending on what I have on hand, I present them with 3-4 choices, and we go from there.

Today, I am going to share with you the three most commonly chosen pizzas at my house.  They all start the same way with the basic crust. Depending on how much time I have to prepare, I use one of the following types:

  1. Made from scratch pizza dough.( Please see separate post for my dough recipe)  Again, I rely on my bread machine to make a basic dough, which produces about  2 pounds.  I do this periodically, and freeze it in 1 pound balls.  Defrost at room temperature, stretch to fit your pan, and you’re ready to build your pizza.
  2. Frozen dough from the grocery store.  Defrost and use as described above.
  3. Preformed pizza shell like BOBOLI.  This gives you the option of making one 10″ pie, or choose a package with 4 smaller individual pies.

Always prepare your pan in advance.  This can be a pizza pan, a pizza stone, or large baking sheet.  Mist or brush with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with corn meal. This is optional, but it gives the crust a nice crunch.  Roll or stretch the dough to fit the pan.  Note:  yeast doughs like to fight you; the more you stretch them the more they seem to shrink back. To  win this fight, take it slow.  Stretch a little, wait, let it rest.  Stretch some more,wait, let it rest.  Be patient, and you will win.   Try to have as uniform a thickness as possible.  There will be some air bubbles throughout. They are what give lightness to your crust.  Before layering on the toppings, mist or brush the crust with olive oil, especially the outer margin, so it will brown nicely.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pizza Deluxe

  • 2-3  links Italian Sausage, hot or sweet, casings removed
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into strips
  • 1 large onion, cut in half, then into wedges
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup basil pesto
  • 1  cup marinara sauce
  • 1 cup shredded cheese ( pizza blend is good, or any combination you prefer)
  1. In a large skillet crumble the sausage and ground beef together, and cook until browned.  Remove meats to a bowl, and drain pan, leaving a small amount of drippings.
  2. Place peppers and onions in skillet over medium heat and saute until beginning to soften.  Add mushrooms. and cook 2-3 minutes more.  Remove from heat.

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3.  Spred the basil pesto evenly over the dough. Top with the marinara sauce.

4.  Add the cooked meats over the sauce.

5.  Top evenly with the vegetables.

6.  Before topping with the cheese, I like to sprinkle a little dried oregano, and red pepper flakes over the vegetables.

      Top with cheese(s).

7.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Kickin Chicken Pizza

  • 5-6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained and broken into small pieces
  • 1 tesp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup barbeque sauce–your choice
  • 4 oz. pepper-jack cheese
  •  1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded.  (Rotisserie chicken is good here)
  • 8 oz. Mexican cheese blend
  • 1/2 tesp. red pepper flakes, optional
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Follow directions given above for pan preparation.  Mist dough crust with olive oil.  Set aside.
  2. Heat a medium skillet on med-high, cook bacon, drain and crumble.  Reserve 1 teaspoon bacon drippings, add 1 teaspoon olive oil, swirl to coat pan.  Saute onions and peppers until tender crisp, add garlic and continue sauteing for 40-45 seconds or until garlic is aromatic.
  3. Remove from heat and set aside.  Spread BBQ sauce over crust, leaving a small margin at edges. Layer ingredients in the following order:  pepper-jack cheese, shredded chicken, onion-pepper mixture, Mexican cheese blend, top with crumbled bacon and red pepper flakes, if using.
  4. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.

Hawaiian Pizza

  • 1 cup Alfredo Sauce with Cheese  (like Classico)
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 cup cooked ham steak, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple, in chunks
  • 3 slices bacon, cooked crisp, and broken into small pieces

 Prepare pizza crust and pan as directed above, misting with olive oil, especially the edges.

1. In small sauce pan, heat Alfred0 Sauce, thinning with 1/4 cup milk.   Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, and mix until smooth.

2. Spread Alfredo Sauce mixture on pizza crust, leaving a small margin at the edges.

3. Top with ham pieces, pineapple chunks and bacon pieces.

4. Sprinkle on remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until browned.