Peanut Butter Granola

 From:  Peanut Butter Granola - JoyFoodSunshine

• ▢4 cups quick-cooking oats
• ▢1-2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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• ▢1/2 - 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, etc.

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

Grease a large cookie sheet and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together oats, salt and cinnamon. Set aside

In a microwave safe dish or on the stovetop, melt the peanut butter until smooth.  Then, add in the applesauce.  Let it warm just a little to take off some of the liquid.

Stir in dry ingredients and mix until well combined.  This will take some elbow grease.  You want the peanut butter mixture on all the oats, but you don't want it to be wet or you will get soggy granola.

Spread mixture on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until granola is lightly browned, stirring the granola once gently halfway through. (A great way to test for doneness is to remove a small portion of the granola from the pan and set it on the counter. If it hardens as it cools the rest of the granola is done)!

Remove from oven and let sit until cooled.

100% Whole Grain Wheat Bread

 From:  Whole Grain Wheat Bread Recipe - Food.com

ingredients

• 1 3⁄8cups hot water
• 1⁄4cup olive oil, any oil is fine
• 1⁄4cup honey
• 1tablespoon molasses
• 1⁄2tablespoon salt, Sea Salt is good
• 3 3⁄4cups of 100% whole grain wheat flour
• 1tablespoon dry active yeast

directions

• Place the first five ingredients in the bowl and mix.
• Proof yeast in water and add 1 tsp sugar or honey to make sure it is good.  
• Add: 2 Cups 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour. (to cool the water and end up with warm dough) Mix then add 2 Tbs of Dry Active Yeast. If your not sure about your yeast proof it in a little warm water first.
• Add honey and oil to mixing bowl and stir.  Add the yeast/water and stir again.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes to proof again.
• Add: 3 Cups of 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour.
• Mix until the consistency is somewhat even. Then continue to slowly add flour 1/2 Cup at a time until the dough quits sticking to the sides of the bowl. It should be tacky to the touch. The trick is to have enough consistency to stand up with the least amount of flour so the bread will be fluffy.  Don't over mix or the bread will be tough.
• Lift the dough up or pull it back from one side and pour just a little olive oil into the bowl and grease it.  Flip the dough around several times so it is coated with the oil.  This will prevent it from sticking after it rises.  Leave it in the mixer to rise.  Cover with a wet cloth or plastic wrap for about an hour.
• Grease a bread pan with cooking spray. 
• Mix the dough again just enough to knock it down at least close to the original size.
• Drop the dough on a floured surface so you can kneed the dough and shape it. Kneed it for 3 minutes or so and shape it with your hands to make a nice ball getting enough flour on it so it isn't sticky. Shape the loaf by turning the dough under its self over and over. When the dough is shaped the sides and ends will be sealed and all you will see is a nice oblong shaped loaf with smooth sides and top. Drop the loaf in your bread pan and let it rise until almost doubled. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 36 minutes. If you forgot to preheat 41 minutes. (gas oven).
• When done turn the bread out of the pan to a rack to cool. You can eat it right away (a great time for real butter) don't wrap it until completely cooled. (Condensation will make it soggy) Put in tinfoil to store on the counter. If you put it in the refrigerator it will turn into a brick. Enjoy.

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Maple Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

 From: Maple Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies - Cookie and Kate

Ingredients

⅔ cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup real maple syrup, preferably grade B

1/3 cup applesauce

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats, ground for 30 seconds in a food processor or blender

1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

chopped walnuts to taste

sunflower seeds to taste

chocolate chips to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and apply cooking spray to a smaller pan such as 8x10.

Mix everything through the vanilla in a bowl.  Mix well.  

Add everything through the oats and mix well.

Fold in the nuts, seeds, and chocolate chips.

Put dough into baking pan and smooth so it is even.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Healthy Pumpkin Oat bars

 From:  Healthy Pumpkin Oat Cookies - Running on Real Food

Ingredients 

4 cups rolled oats or quick oats

1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

6 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Instructions 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl to form a thick dough. If you’re adding any additional ingredients like nuts, seeds or coconut, add those as well. Start with 6 tbsp of sweetener and adjust sweetness as desired. 

Spray 9x13 pan with olive oil spray.  Add batter.  

Bake approximately 20 minutes.

I store them in the fridge.

Mediterranean Spinach & Cheese Baked Medallions

Recipe from Instagram

Makes 12 

Ingredients:

- 6 cups fresh spinach, chopped (1 bag of spinach from Aldi)
- 2 cup cottage cheese.
- 1 cup feta, crumbled.
- 4 large eggs.
- 2 slightly generous tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 tbsp extra‑virgin olive oil.
- 1 tsp garlic powder.
- 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 °F.
2. Sauté spinach in olive oil until wilted; cool (I also squeeze to get all the water out.)
3. Mix cottage cheese, feta, eggs, flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano.
4. Fold in spinach.
5. Spray muffin tins.  (These do tend to stick.  I might try using paper cups next time.)
6. Spoon mix into tins, ¾ full.
7. Bake 18‑20 min until golden.
8. Cool & serve.

Carrot Cake

 From:  Easy Carrot Cake Recipe - Love and Lemons

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup light or dark brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pans
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups grated carrots, about 9 ounces
• 1 cup chopped pecans toasted
• 8 pecan halves toasted for the top -set aside

Frosting see below

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the eggs and whisk until well combined, then whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the carrots and pecans.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tops spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each cake, then invert onto a large plate or baking sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
• Optional step: When the cakes are completely cool, use a large serrated knife to slice off the domed part of one of the cakes to create a flat top. Use this cake as the bottom layer in a layer cake.
• Frost the flat surface with cream cheese frosting, then place the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake, if desired, with the remaining frosting.  Take a pipping bag or sandwich bag and fill with frosting.  Make 8 evenly spaced decorative poofs of frosting on the top.  Place a toasted pecan on top of each.

Frosting

3-4 tbsp butter -room temp

1 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar - May need a little more depending on your taste

4oz cream cheese - room temp

½ tsp vanilla

Mix

Dorsey's Nut Recipe

 1 pound brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

Cook to soft ball 250 degrees

Add

5 tablespoon sherry

1 teaspoon maple flavoring

Cook to soft ball 250 degrees

Beat to fudge consistency.

Add

1 pound pecans

Gently stir to coat nuts

Pour out onto cookie sheet and separate - be careful not to burn your fingers.

Italian Bread

From:  Italian Bread Recipe - Amanda's Cookin'

Yields: 2 loaves

1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast 2 packets

½ cup warm water 110F

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

2 cups hot water hot to the touch, not boiling (115-120F)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup vegetable oil

5-6 cups all-purpose flour add more if needed to get to a pliable dough

1 large egg white for brushing on loaves

Notes:

If your dough is still super sticky, you can add small amounts of flour until the dough just comes together.

You can use the packets of active dry yeast available at any grocery store. I bake a lot of bread, so I prefer to by SAF instant yeast in larger packages. If you use active dry, just follow the instructions in the recipe and let it sit for a few minutes to proof (it will get a little foamy).

When a bread recipe calls for warm water, the temperature should be around 110 degrees F. If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast, and too cold will delay the rise process.

Use regular white granulated sugar for this recipe.

In a separate step, you’ll also use hot water in this recipe. Since you are mixing it with other ingredients before adding the yeast mixture it will be fine. You want hot tap water, not boiling water.

Regular everyday table salt is used, not Kosher or sea salt.

A note about yeast:

You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If you use active dry yeast it needs to be proofed in order for it to be reactivated. Instant dry yeast doesn’t need proofing. Active dry yeast must be reactivated by proofing in warm water, or the bread won’t rise properly. This process is to “prove” that the yeast is still alive.

This recipe calls for vegetable oil, but olive oil can also be used.

We are using all-purpose flour, white not wheat, to make this bread.

Instructions:

Dissolve yeast, 1/2 cup warm water (110F), and 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar in a small bowl.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine 2 cups hot water (115-120F), 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, the salt, and the oil. Add 3 cups of flour to the mixture in this large bowl/mixer and mix well. Stir in yeast mixture.

Add 2 – 3 cups more flour and mix until well blended. (At this point your dough will still be quite sticky). Leave in bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour. (If using a mixer, remove the bowl from the mixer and cover. Otherwise your paddle attachment or dough hook will get covered in dough when it rises). NO KNEADING IS REQUIRED.

After the rise, if the dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour until its workable. For some people this can be up to a cup or more! Just don't dry out the dough. Add by quarter cupfuls until its workable.

Divide dough into 2 (or 3 if you want smaller loaves) pieces. Roll out each piece on a floured surface into the length desired then roll up lengthwise like a jelly roll. If it's still too sticky, add more flour until it's workable but not dry.

Put on a greased cookie sheet, sealed side down, and tuck the ends under. Slash the top diagonally across the top every couple of inches with a sharp knife.

Cover and let loaves rise 30 more minutes.

While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whisk the egg white and brush over the top of loaves.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.