Category Archives: After School Snacks

January 12, 2012 · 12:31 pm

Homemade Maple Cinnamon Granola

I love making my own homemade granola. It’s great to eat like cereal and it’s a great addition to yogurt as well.

Ingredients:
3 cups oatmeal (uncooked)
1 cup chopped or slivered almonds
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup pure maple syrup

Instructions:
Mix ingredients together in a large bowl. Transfer onto a large baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.

Bake at 325°F for 35 minutes (stirring once halfway through cooking time). Allow to cool completely on tray.

Store in airtight jars or containers.

What did the family think? I am the only granola eater in the family. I liked it. It was a lot crunchier than other granolas I have made.

Where did this recipe come from? Cooking on the Side

photo from thekitchn.com

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January 6, 2012 · 5:35 pm

Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies

I needed to pack some snacks for the boys to have at school and realized that the only thing I had in the house that would qualify as a healthy snack was popcorn. What’s wrong with popcorn? Nothing, but they have been eating a lot of it lately and I think they were getting pretty tired of it, so I decided to make them some cookies that also happen to be on the healthy side.

Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. honey
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. applesauce
1 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. cloves
3 c. oatmeal

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Mix butter, sugars, vanilla, egg and applesauce. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Drop teaspoon on greased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes until firm.

Did I change anything? The recipe originally had white sugar which I changed to honey. I think I also accidentally put in twice as much baking soda. The cookies turned out fine though, so either way I am sure you’ll be okay.

What did the family think? Well, they’re healthy and there isn’t any chocolate in them, so our youngest didn’t like them, but I knew that would happen before I even made them. I figured it was worth a try though.

Where did this recipe come from? Cooks.com

photo from The Yummy Life

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December 19, 2011 · 11:40 am

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies

This is the only recipe on this whole blog that I have not personally tasted, but it didn’t make a ton of cookies and I was making them for the teachers at the kids’ school. So I just crossed my fingers and hoped they were good. They must have been because my cookie tray was returned to me with a post-it on it that said “Delicious!”. Not only are they delicious, but they are also very festive since they’re red.

Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1 box red velvet cake mix
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cheesecake filling:
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the white chocolate drizzle:
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, melted

Instructions:
To make cookies, in a large bowl combine cake mix and flour. Whisk until clumps disappear. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake mix, flour, eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap. The dough will be oily. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

While the dough is in the frig, make the cheesecake filling since it needs to hang out in the freezer for a while. To make the cheesecake filling, using a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Using a teaspoon, scoop out cheesecake filling and place on a plate. Continue scooping out cheesecake filling into teaspoon balls until you have 10. Place plate in the freezer and freeze for at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. To assemble the cookies, take about 1/4 cup of red velvet cookie dough and flatten in your hands. Place a teaspoon of cheesecake filling in the center and wrap the cookie dough around the filling. Gently roll into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet. Scoop onto lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheets. Only bake 3 cookies at a time. The cookies are large and will spread. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the cookies begin to crackle. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove from baking sheet to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl or over a double-boiler. Drizzle the white chocolate over the cooled cookies. Let the cookies set until the chocolate hardens. Serve and enjoy!

Did I change anything? No, but take note that these cookies take a while to make. If I had read the whole recipe ahead of time I would have noticed that they have to sit for two hours before you can actually bake them.

What did the family think? No one here got to eat any, but the teachers thought they were great. 🙂

Where did this recipe come from? Two Peas and their Pod

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Make Ahead of Time, Vegetarian

December 18, 2011 · 11:39 am

Cinnamon Apple Granola

Now that I’ve discovered that granola is actually very easy to make, I have been trying all kinds of different varieties and variations. I made this one yesterday and it turned out great.

Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed
2 medium apples , chopped
1 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 8×10 pan with aluminum foil and lightly oil.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Evenly spread oat mixture on pan.

Bake 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

If you like crunchier granola, cook an extra 5 minutes.

Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Did I change anything? I added the wheat germ and the flax seed. Those can be left out if you don’t have them.

What did the family think? No one eat the granola in this house except me.

Where did this recipe come from? Adapted from a recipe from Food.com

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December 10, 2011 · 2:02 pm

Mini Eggnog Muffins with Eggnog Glaze

These are the yummy treats I made last night. They are very Christmasy and you don’t have to like eggnog to like them.

Ingredients:
For the muffins
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup eggnog
2 2/3 cups all-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt

For the glaze
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup eggnog
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 mini muffin pans. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream together the butter, canola oil, and sugars till smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla and egg nog, beating to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.

Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pans, filling the cups nearly full. Bake the muffins for 10-12 minutes, or until they’re a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean. Remove muffins from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes.

To make the glaze, combine butter, sugar, eggnog, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Dip the tops of each muffin into the glaze and let cool on a wire cooling rack until glaze sets up.

Did I change anything? I simplified the steps and I didn’t sift the powdered sugar as the original recipe instructed. The next time I make these, I will use less sugar. They are sweet!

What did the family think? The family didn’t eat them because we had to take them to a function at church this morning. They will also be going to a violin recital this afternoon!

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from Two Peas and their Pod and they got it from King Arthur Flour.

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November 30, 2011 · 8:54 am

Waffle Iron French Toast

Not only does this turn out amazing, but it so much easier to make it this way. We had this for dinner last night with eggs, bacon and fruit salad and it was a HUGE hit! I made extra so we would have some for breakfast the next day, too. If you are wondering what kind of bread to use, I ended up using some cinnamon bread I had purchased that turned out to be kind of dry and no one would eat it, but it was the perfect bread for this recipe since it already had a little cinnamon in it.

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoons brown sugar
10-12 slices bread

Instructions:
Preheat the waffle iron and spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, then add the remaining ingredients and whisk until mixed.

Dip 1 slice of bread into mixture, covering both sides. Place in the waffle maker.

Repeat with whatever number of slices will fit in the waffle iron.

Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Did I change anything? I reduced the amount of brown sugar. The original recipe called for 2 T.

What did the family think? Thumbs up…way up! They asked for seconds and then went back for thirds. We had it for breakfast this morning, too.

Where did this recipe come from? Group Recipes

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November 28, 2011 · 2:45 pm

Cinnamon Almond Granola

We are back from our trip to Kansas for Thanksgiving and started today with a trip to the doctor’s office for a cast for our youngest who broke his arm while practicing tae kwon do with his older brother…never a dull moment. Before we went to the doctor, however, I sat down and ate a tasty bowl of this very yummy granola cereal.

Ingredients:
3 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup Slivered Almonds
1 cup Shredded Coconut
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed
1/4 cups Butter
1/4 cups Honey
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
1 pinch Salt
1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
1 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Pour oats, coconut, almonds, wheat germs and flax seed into a large bowl.

In small bowl, mix butter, honey and brown sugar together. Microwave on high for about 1 minute or until sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour ingredients from small bowl into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

Spread granola mixture evenly on tray and bake 40 minutes stirring every 20 minutes.

Cool on sheet tray and store in air tight containers.

Did I change anything? I added the wheat germ and flax seed. If you don’t have those just use four cups of oats instead.

What did the family think? This is for me only. 🙂 They did comment on how good it smelled though.

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from a recipe at Lauren’s Latest

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November 11, 2011 · 7:09 pm

Cinnamon Rolls with Buttermilk Cream Cheese Glaze

We had these with our breakfast for dinner last night. They were good last night, but they were even better as leftovers for breakfast today.

Ingredients:
Filling
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt

Dough
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (4 1/8 oz) whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
5 tbsp butter, melted and cooled, divided

Glaze
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 oz light cream cheese
1 tbsp buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with aluminum foil and lightly grease.

Prepare the filling. Whisk together all filling ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all purpose flour, whole what flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Add in buttermilk and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter and mix until dough starts to come together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes, until dough begins to look smooth and can be handled easily.

Place dough on a floured surface and press or roll out into a 9×12-inch rectangle. Take remaining tablespoon of melted butter and brush over dough rectangle. Sprinkle evenly with filling mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border around each edge. Roll the dough up into a tight spiral. Pinch seam to seal.

Use a serrated knife to cut dough into 9 even pieces. Gently flatten each of the rolls before placing them in the prepared pan, to even them out if they were misshaped when sliced.

Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 12 minutes covered, then uncover the rolls and bake for 14-18 minutes, until golden brown. Use the foil to lift the rolls out of the baking pan and place them on a wire rack. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk all glaze ingredients together with a hand mixer until very smooth. Drizzle over slightly cooled rolls and serve.

Store leftovers (if you have any, which I doubt you will) in an airtight container after they have completely cooled.

What did the family think? They were so good that hubby couldn’t believe I made them. I will just go ahead and take that as a compliment.

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from Handle the Heat. They got it from America’s Test Kitchens.

photo from Handle the Heat

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November 5, 2011 · 1:35 pm

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

If these don’t say fall, then I don’t know what does. We had these for lunch today with some scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage and fruit salad. It was a perfect warm fall lunch on a very chilly rainy day.

Ingredients:
For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1¼ cups vegetable oil

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Set aside.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350Ëš F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Place a dollop of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (It may be hard to resist immediate consumption, but the cream cheese filling gets very hot!)

Did I change anything? I used less sugar than the original recipe called for and I made the filling procedures a lot easier and a lot less time consuming. I also left off the topping that was supposed to go on top of the muffins and I only made half of the recipe. The recipe above will make about 24 muffins. I didn’t want to make that many.

What did the family think? Everyone that has had one loves them.

Where did this recipe come from? Annie’s Eats

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October 25, 2011 · 2:52 pm

Mini Chocolate Chip or Blueberry Muffins

We had these as part of our Sunday brunch last weekend and they were a hit! I made them with chocolate chips, but there are some blueberries in the frig right now so I can make another batch with blueberries. These are great for snacks, too.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup blueberries or chocolate chips
1 egg
1/2 cup skim milk
1/8 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk dry ingredients and blueberries/chocolate chips in one bowl and set aside.

Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and use a spatula to very gently fold mixtures together, about 5 or 6 strokes only. There will be lumps; do not over-mix.

Spoon batter into greased mini muffin tin and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

Did I change anything? I used less sugar and would have added more chocolate chips. I wanted then to be more chocolaty. The above recipe reflects the sugar change, but not the chocolate chip changes I would make. Adjust the chocolate factor to your liking.

What did the family think? Yum!

Where did this recipe come from? Food.com

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