Jubilation Granola Chews

Have you ever purchased a box of those chewy granola bars? These Jubilation Granola Chews are soft and chewy like those bars but much better. We really loved this recipe.  I think I will be making this recipe before any trip.

This weeks Project Pastry Queen was picked by Amanda of Homekeeping Adventures. The other great thing about this recipe is if you don't have almonds use walnuts. You can vary the ingredients with whatever you have on hand. Please make sure to check out the other members variations of this recipe. After I made the recipe, I individually wrapped each one for a quick snack to go.

Jubilation Granola Chews
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup golden flax seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. On a baking sheet, toast the oatmeal for about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, add the toasted oatmeal and set aside.
4. On the same baking sheet previously used, add the nuts, coconut, sunflower, and flax seeds.
5. Toast the nut mixture in the oven for about 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
6. Add the mixture to the oatmeal bowl. Set aside.
7. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.
8. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, and water.
9. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a bowl.
10. Reduce the heat to medium heat and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture reaches around 234 to 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
11. Stir in the butter, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla.
12. After combining, add the honey mixture to the oatmeal bowl and stir to combine.
13. Pour the mixture into the greased 9x13 baking pan.
14. Evenly press the mixture into the pan using a sheet of wax paper.
15. Allow the mixture to cool for about 1 hour.
16. Cut the bars in about 4 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch bars.

Recipe adapted from Pastry Queen cookbook. 

Did you already know...
-In 1930, three cranberry growers formed Ocean Spray.
-The companies first product sold was jellied cranberry sauce.
-Cranisins were first introduced in 1993.

April Fools Day

Do you play practical jokes on each other? My husband has been fooled several times by his siblings. One time he was given a fake lottery ticket and thought he won big. I'm a good wife and I don't play pranks on him. I have scared him a couple of times especially when he is watching scary movies but that is different. I have not played any practical jokes on the kids. They have tried to fool me but they will need to work harder. My son thinks April Fools Day is the day you should tell jokes. I prefer the jokes over pranks any day.

For this April Fools, I wanted to make something fun. My children picked this recipe. My sister has made these cupcakes many times and said they were easy. I thought they were a lot of fun to make. Our oldest son asked if I had made my meatballs and stuck them on top of the cupcakes. The meatballs are very convincing.

Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcakes
12 cupcakes
1 (16 oz) container of vanilla frosting
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
yellow food dye (optional)
1 cup strawberry jam
12 Ferrero Rocher Hazelnut chocolates

Directions:

1. Cook your cupcakes according to desired recipe. Allow to cool.
2. Place all of the cupcakes close together and touching each other. 
3. In a small bowl, combine the frosting with the vanilla extract and a couple drops of the yellow food dye. 
4. Spoon the frosting into a large plastic freezer bag. 
5. Seal the bag and cut off a small corner of the bag.
6. Pipe the frosting all over the cupcakes making it look like spaghetti. Have some of the frosting hang over the sides of the cupcakes.
7. In a small bowl,  add the strawberry jam and stir.
8. Add the chocolates and cover well.
9. Spoon a little of the jam onto the cupcakes.
10. Place one of the jam covered chocolates on top of each cupcake. 

Recipe adapted from Hello Cupcake cookbook by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.

Did you already know......
-New Years Day once was celebrated on April 1st but with the Gregorian calendar the New Years Day was moved to January 1st.
 -Check out this site for some April Fool's Ideas. 

Are you done yet?

Have a fun and safe April Fool's Day.

Impeccable day

Yesterday after I kissed my daughter, I said to her, "Have a wonderful day." Then I kissed my son good bye and I didn't want to be repetitive so I said, "Have a great day." He looked at me disappointed and asked, "I can't have a wonderful day?" 

Don't worry because I replied that I hope he has an impeccable day. When I kissed them good bye today, I told them both to have a wonderful day. They both replied impeccable day. I just wonder what type of day they will have tomorrow.

I hope you will have a wonderful, great, and impeccable day. If you make this dish, at least your supper will be great. I even had leftovers to freeze for another day. I figure if I make more of the recipes in The Pioneer Woman Cooks Cookbook then I can justify why I should buy her new cookbook. I served the chicken spaghetti with this bread which my husband request often. I just formed rolls instead and they came out wonderful.

Chicken Spaghetti
1 chicken, cup into pieces
1 lb spaghetti
1 4 oz. pimiento jar, diced and drained
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp Lawry's season salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Add the chicken to a stock pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the chicken until it is cooked about 25 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool.
4. From the pot, remove 2 cups of broth and set aside.
5. Bring the remaining liquid in the pot to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook until al dente.
6. Drain the spaghetti and discard the liquid from the pot.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
8. Add the cream of mushroom soup, and about 1 1/2 cups of cheddar to the spaghetti. Toss lightly. Set aside.
9. Remove the chicken from the bones and cut up.
10. Add the chicken to the spaghetti with the season salt, black pepper, and the cayenne pepper.
11. Add the 2 cups of reserved broth to the spaghetti and toss.
12. Stir the mixture together well. Add more seasonings if desired.
13. Pour the mixture into a large baking pan and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. 
14. Bake the chicken spaghetti for 35 to 45 minutes until bubbly.

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook. 

Did you already know...
-In 1938, Lawry's season salt was created in Beverly Hills, CA.
- The Lawry's Prime Rib Restaurant created it to season its Prime Rib.
-It contains no MSG.

deliquify

Since my husband loves ice cream, I showed him how easy it was to make his own. I asked him what type he would like and it was peanut butter. It turned out great. My youngest daughter did not finish her bowl and left it on the kitchen counter. The ice cream did not liquify as expected ice cream to do. My oldest daughter said it was not ice cream. I told her it was so she challenged me and told me to look up the definition of ice cream. In which, I did and told her this recipe does meet the definition of ice cream just because it didn't deliquify. She informed me that deliquify was not a word. Don't you just love teenagers? 

 I am no English major and deliquify is not in the dictionary. I checked several. I told her that it should be and my definition would be when a solid does not turn into a liquid as expected. She said it would mean a liquid was removed. I am really glad I see my tax dollars are paying for her to receive a decent education. So, I guess the correct nonexistent word I should have used was aliquify. The prefix a-means completely so aliquify should mean to make it completely liquid, right? Note: I am not asking my soon to be college student these questions any more.

My daughter and I did continue our discussion of deliquify. I told her that if a popular artist sang a song with deliquify in it then it would be in the dictionary. For an example, "You deliquify my heart, baby!" Right? She agreed with that statement. We did both come to the agreement that it would be a cool name for a band. "See Deliquify in concert, tonight!"

Peanut Butter Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups peanut butter
1 cup of peanut butter cups

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of heavy cream, the sugar, and salt. 
2. Stir the mixture over medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining heavy cream, milk, and vanilla. Stir well.
4. Add the peanut butter.
5. Stir the mixture over medium low heat until all of the peanut butter has melted.
6. Allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes before chilling the mixture in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
7. When the mixture has thoroughly chilled, add the mixture to the ice cream maker and mix according to the ice cream machine manufacturer's instructions.
8. When recommended, add the peanut butter cups to the ice cream machine. 

Recipe adapted from The Perfect Scoop cookbook. 

Did you already know....
-When a solid becomes a liquid, it has melted or dissolved. 
-The melting point to change a solid into a liquid varies depending on the solid.
-The melting point of water is 32 degrees F.
-The melting point of peanut butter is a lot higher than water. (The only answer I found was around 150 degrees F but it seemed too high.)

Patty Melt

Sometimes on the weekend, my husband brings us out for breakfast. It is really nice. Our first date, we went to breakfast. Sometimes, we do not arrive to the restaurant until it is the borderline between the breakfast and lunch menu. Please remember we call our son Mr. Brevity for a reason.

One of the restaurants we visit have patty melts on their lunch menu. So when I asked my husband what I should make for supper, he said patty melts. I was surprised and I knew our teenager would be happy. I didn't know what constituted a patty melt. What I found out is that a patty melt is made on rye bread. It has taken me 10 years to convince my husband to eat whole wheat bread. My husband will eat whole white bread. I knew I could never get him to eat rye bread even 20 years from now.

The other thing about patty melts is the presence of caramelized onions. I hadn't realized the steps involved to make a patty melt. I actually thought it was just a hamburger on toasted bread. How wrong was I? I will admit I used a whole white bread with cheddar cheese. My husband asked for American cheese. I will say this meal was very dangerous and I will not make it often. It tasted too good. I served it with a spinach salad.

Patty Melt
8 slices of bread (rye is the preference)
4 oz. of butter, softened
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs hamburger
4 slices of cheese (swiss is the traditional selection)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter one side of the bread.
3. Place the bread with the butter side up on a baking pan.
4. Bake the bread for about 8 minutes or until the bread is toasted to the desired darkness. 
5. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
6. In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
7. Add the onions and saute the onions until caramelized.
8. Form the hamburger into patties.
9. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the hamburgers for about 5 minutes per a side or until internal temperature reaches around 160 degrees.
10. Once the toast has cooked, flip the bread over and add the desired cheese on top.
11. Place the baking pan back into the oven and cook until the cheese has melted.
12. Remove from the oven and assemble.
13. Place the caramelized onions on top of the cheese.
14. Add the cooked hamburger patty and top with another piece of bread with the butter side up. 

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats and Friendly's.

Did you already know........
- In 1935, the first Friendly's restaurant opened in Massachusetts.
-Two young brothers opened the ice cream shop.
-For 5 cents, the Blake brothers sold double dipped ice cream cones.
-Friendly's restaurants filed for Chapter 11 in 2011.