Granola

Home-made Granola over some yogurt is one of our favorite breakfast/snack foods.

When I make this, I just use what I have on hand and don't really measure. This is the basic idea.

4 C of rolled oats

1/2 C honey

1 tsp Vanilla extract or almond extract

3/4 C of coconut

1/4 C wheat germ or wheat bran

EVOO or Veg. oil

brown sugar to taste (but not a necessity)

Add other things if you desire....such as

Sliced almonds,brazil nuts, pecans, cashews, etc...

Raisins, cranberries or other dried fruit

flax seed

Maple syrup (works well if you don't have any honey)

Stir together the dry ingredients first then pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until coated.

Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes, stir and cook for another 10 minutes. Cool completely and store in a container or ziploc bag.

Fall = Pumpkin

Great Pumpkin recipes to enjoy during the Fall season!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Make your favorite pancake recipe and add 1/2 cup pumpkin for ever 2 cups flour. Mix and make like you would normal pancakes. Serve with syrup!

Pumpkin Cookies and/or muffins

1 box of Spice Cake Mix (may need to add a little flour)
1 can of pumpkin
about 1/3 cup of butterscotch chips or chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix everything in a bowl & bake for cookies.

For cupcakes: fill paper cupcake holder 2/3 the way full (or however you would usually fill up a holder for muffins) bake at 325 for about 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Butter (from Better Homes & Garden)

4 cups Pumpkin Puree

1 1/4 cup pure mapke syrup

1/2 cup apple juice

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1. In a saucepan combine all ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Cook, uncovered on medium-low heat for 25 min or until thick. Remove from heat and cool.

2. To serve or ladle into airtight jars and refrigerate or freeze for later use. Leave 1/2-inch head space in the jars. Cover & store in refrigerator for a week or freeze up to 6 months.

Great on bread, pancakes & muffins.

Pumpkin Soup (received this recipe from a good friend-so yummy!)

Saute:
1 small onion, chopped
2 t. butter.

Add:
1 can broth.
Boil until soft. Purree. Return to pot with:
1 more can of broth.

Add: 1 14-oz can pumpkin
3/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/8 t. black pepper

Cook 10 minutes. At this point, you can refrigerate your mix until just before the meal.

Before your meal, add:
1 C heavy cream
Warm, but do not boil.

Serve with Croûtons

Asparagus

I received this recipe from another family in our ward. Since that time, this is the only way we eat asparagus. My kids always ask for more. Hope you all enjoy it too :)

Ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil
Italian seasoning
asparagus
Parmesean cheese

Directions:
1. coat bottom of baking dish with the extra olive oil and liberally sprinkle Italian Seasoning in oil...place in oven as you heat it to 400 degrees (heating gets the seasoning infused into the oil)

Meanwhile snap the asparagus at the breaking point (discard the tougher lower ends)

2. Take pan out of oven and roll asaragus in flavored oil so it is well coated on all sides (thin asparagus works best) Place in heated oven and let roast for 7-8 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and sprinkle liberally with Parmesean cheese.

Chicken Pot Pie

Home-made chicken pot pie

2 cooked and cut up chicken breasts (I grilled the chicken)
4 peeled, diced, and cooked potatoes (you can use 1 can of diced potatoes)
1-2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onion chopped
1 bag frozen vegetables
Seasonings (I used salt, pepper and garlic)
2 pie crusts (I used the pillsbury pie crusts)

Boil potatoes until they are soft but not mushy
Mix chicken, potatoes, onions, cream soup, frozen vegetables and seasonings together in a bowl
Put one pie crust in a pie pan and the fill your pie - then put the other pie crust on top, fold top crust under bottom pie crust and pinch
cut slots with a knife on the top pie crust.
Bake the pie in a 400 degree oven, for 30 to 40 minutes until the crust looks done!