Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars

Believe it or not, I didn't find this recipe on Pinterest. This recipe came to me in an email from Betty Crocker. I was partially drawn to trying these bars, because they used apple butter. Which I have a large jar of in my fridge right now. Also, who doesn't like apples and cinnamon! I changed this recipe from the original by adding oatmeal. I love having oatmeal in my bars and cookies, it makes them feel healthier!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars
adapted from Betty Crocker

Bars

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup apple butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup finely chopped peeled apple (1 medium)

1 cup cinnamon-flavored baking chips 

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk    

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add apple butter, eggs and vanilla; beat until well blended.

On low speed, beat in flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt until well blended. Stir in apple and cinnamon chips. Spread batter in pan.

Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and top is evenly browned. Cool in pan on cooling rack at least 1 hour.

In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over bars. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.

                                         

Wordless Wednesday- looking back

Florida trip 2011
*warning- picture overload*

MPM- Meal Planning Monday

Monday- Chicken Sandwiches and Cheesy Veggies
Tuesday- Kids night @ Pizza Ranch!
Wednesday- Meatloaf, Cheesy Potatoes, and Corn Casserole
Thursday- Grilled Cheese and Soup
Friday- BBQ Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap (leftover from last week)

Anything good on your menu this week?

Mini Apple Crisp Triangles

Since it was a crappy day outside yesterday, I decided it was a great day to bake something new! I found a recipe for Sugar Crumb Crispy, I believe on Pinterest, and added a few things that I thought would make it a little more like mini apple crisp. The ones I made without apple butter actually reminded me of the dessert pizza from Papa Murphys. So you can make them with or without apple butter they are good both ways!

Mini Apple Crisp Triangles

• 3-4 tbs butter *make sure butter is cold*
• 2 tbs sugar
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• dash of salt
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup oatmeal
• Apple Butter
• 1 can Cresent Rolls

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Cut in butter to sugars, cinnamon, and salt and flour to form crumbs.
On an ungreased cookie sheet, separate crescent roll dough into 8 triangles.  Sprinkle crumbs on top.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 8-12 minutes.
After they were cooked and cooled I cut them into smaller triangles but you can leave them big too!


GLAZE

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar  (if the glaze is too runny, just add more powdered sugar to get yours to the desired consistency)
• 1 Tbsp. softened butter
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• 1 to 1-1/2 Tbsp. milk

Blend together and drizzle over triangles.

Below are some step by step photos.....

Cut in butter to sugars, cinnamon, and salt and flour to form crumbs.

On an ungreased cookie sheet, separate crescent roll dough into 8 triangles. Then if you are using Apple Butter, spread that onto the triangles.

Sprinkle crumbs on top. Then Bake 8-12 minutes. I did mine for 10.

Hot out of the oven ready for glaze.

Bubble Up Pizza and Banana Split Dessert

Tonight we had some great friends over for dinner. I love to be able to cook for others and share our favorite recipes. Well, tonight I made a tried and true dessert... Banana Split Dessert. Then I tried making Bubble Up Pizza. I made one pan that was sausage and mushroom, while the other pan was cheesy garlic. The pizza recipe is a great one to be able to throw just about anything you have on hand.

Bubble Up Pizza

2 cans (12oz) golden layer buttermilk biscuits (Pillsbury Grands! Jr)

1 jar (15oz) pizza sauce

2 cups mozzarella cheese

your favorite pizza toppings - cooked sausage, turkey pepperoni, peppers, mushrooms

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut biscuits into quarters and place in medium bowl.  Toss biscuits with pizza sauce.  Add pizza topping and half of the cheese.  Toss until well blended.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Pour biscuit mixture into pan and top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, or until biscuits are done.

*As you can see in the picture, I decided to try making it by only mixing in half the biscuits into the sauce while laying the other half in the bottom of the pan like a crust. I am not sure if it really made much of a difference, but it was good!

Banana Split Dessert

1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 pkg. (8oz each) Cream Cheese, softened

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, drained

3-6 medium bananas

2 cups cold milk

2 pkg. (4 serving size each) Vanilla Pudding

2 cups thawed Cool Whip

1. Mix cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter; press into bottom of 13x9- inch pan. Freeze for 10 minutes.

2. Beat Cream Cheese and remaining cup of sugar in bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Carefully spread cream cheese mixture over crust; top with pineapple. Slice 3-4 bananas and arrange over pineapple. 

3. Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 mins. or until well blended. Stir in 1 cup whipped topping; spread over banana layer in pan. Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with additional graham crackers. 

4. Refrigerate 5 hours. Before serving you can slice additional bananas, or strawberries on top.

Makes 24 servings

Kids say the Darnedest things!

Over the years I have learned that you never know what kids are going to say. This especially rings true with Jayden. Who once asked, "what if God had 3 legs?" Which lead into why I must share this next story....

On our way home from school last week a UPS truck crosses our path.
J- That's not a mail truck
Me- No, that's the UPS man
J- No, that's a POS girl (as it was a female not a male driving the truck). When I grow up I want to be a POS man too.

At that point I couldn't stop laughing and hoping that he doesn't grow up to be a POS man. But a fine, well mannered, witty gentleman. If he so happens to drive the UPS truck too, that would be alright by me.

Meal Planning Monday- A Day late

I know it isn't monday, but it feels like it! We really enjoyed our 3 day weekend. Since Mike and I were either working or doing the single parent thing all weekend, it was nice to have Monday to relax and do some projects around the house. We also, played tag team and got to see our niece and nephew. I can't believe they are 5 months already. Our kids did awesome sitting in the waiting room, it helped that they had some pretty cool toys to play with in there!

Our Menu this week:

Monday: Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuesday: Roast, Potatoes and Carrots in the Crockpot

Wednesday: Cheese and Broccoli Quiche

Thursday: Honey Pecan Pork Chops, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Garlic Green Beans

Friday: Turkey Stroganoff

Saturday: BBQ Ranch Chicken and Bacon Wraps

Mexican Black Bean Lasagna

I found this recipe a while back and it freezes really well. I have made it for new moms, family members, and to stock my freezer.

I apologize, I don't have any pictures of the finished product. But, this picture is of the "stuffing" and I think it just looks so gorgeous and yummy! Which by the way it is great just like this on chips.

Ingredients:
 1 can whole kernel corn, rinsed or 8oz. frozen corn 

 1/3 cup sliced green onions  

 2 tsp ground cumin  

 2 tsp oregano  

 1 can black beans, rinsed  

 1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (14.5 oz.)  

 1 can chopped green chilies  

 4-6 taco size flour or corn tortillas  

 2 cups four cheese Mexican blend cheese  

 ¼ cup chopped cilantro, optional 

Preheat oven to 400 °F . Combine the first seven ingredients in a bowl and mix 

well. Coat two 8x8 pans (I usually use a circle casserole dish that is the same size as my tortillas) or one 9x13 pan with cooking spray.   Place a layer of  

tortillas in the bottom each dish (1 ½ tortillas in the 9x13) Spoon 1/4 of the corn 

and tomato mixture over the tortillas. Top with 1/4 cup of cheese. Repeat the 

layers in each pan. 

Foil and bake for 15 minutes.

  

Freezing Directions: Cover with labeled foil and freeze. Thaw for 24 hours and 

heat at 400 for 30 minutes. 

  

Serving Suggestions: Garnish with sour cream or guacamole. Serve with green 

salad and/or vegetable, Mexican rice, tortilla chips and salsa. 

Meal Planning Monday

Monday- Crock Pot Lasagna and Salad
Tuesday- Eat out @ Panera for school fundraiser
Wednesday- Homemade Pizza for Dex's birthday
Thursday- BBQ Chicken and mashed potatoes
Friday- Salisbury Steak and veggies






This weekend three of us decided to help my mom out and model for her bridal show at Bliss Bridal and Formalwear. Here is a picture of two of my cuties!

Easy your way eggs!

My kids love when we have breakfast for supper, and who wouldn't! I mean come on Breakfast is the best meal and most important meal of the day! So this particular week, Gabby requested that we have Cinnamon Rolls and Scrambled Eggs. Now the kids and the adults like different things in their eggs, so I wasn't really looking forward to making multiple pans of scrambled eggs. Then, I found a recipe for mini frittatas that let everyone choose their ingredients and I could make them all at once. A great time saver!

The kids had ham, bacon, and cheese. While Mike and I had a combination of mushrooms, spinach, ham, and onions.

Mini Frittatas

Ingredients

    4 large eggs

    1/4 cup half-and-half

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    Assorted mix-ins (such as shredded cheese, diced vegetables, and cooked and chopped bacon, ham, or sausage)

Instructions

    1. Heat your oven to 350º F and coat a 6-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

    2. Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, and salt in a medium bowl, then evenly distribute the egg mixture among the muffin cups.

    3. Add about 2 tablespoons of mix-ins to each cup, then sprinkle on a bit of Parmesan cheese, if you like.

    4. Bake the frittatas until they are puffy and the edges are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. (If necessary, run a butter knife around the edge of each one to loosen them before removing them from the pan.) 

Makes 6 mini frittatas.

The Cinnamon Rolls were from Amy's Finer Things

Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls

1/2 c. very warm water

1 T. sugar

2 T. yeast

1/2 c. melted butter

2 eggs

2 t. salt

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. warm milk

5 1/2 c. flour (I usually sneak in about 2 cups whole wheat and then finish it off with unbleached)

butter

brown sugar

sugar

cinnamon

Icing

butter

vanilla

milk

powdered sugar

1. Combine water, 1 T. sugar and yeast.  Set aside for 5 minutes to activate.
2. Mix 1/2 c. sugar, melted butter, eggs, and salt.  Add yeast mixture.
3. Stir in warm milk.
4. Add 5 cups flour, 1-2 cups at a time.
5. Knead dough on a well-floured surface, adding flour as necessary, until dough isn’t sticky.
6. Let rise until double in a clean, oiled bowl.
7. Punch down risen dough.  Separate into two pieces.
8. Roll out dough in a large rectangle.  Spread with softened butter.  Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon.
9. Roll dough.  Floss dough into about 12 (1-inch) rolls.  Place in 9×13 pan.  Let rise until double.
10. Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes.  Spread icing while hot.

For icing, melt butter (about 2 T.).  Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 T. milk.  Sift powdered sugar into mixture and stir well.  I never measure this.  You can absolutely use more of any ingredient.