Tag Archives: snacks

Apple-Cinnamon Granola

Apple Cinnamon Granola

Ingredients
2 cups of rolled oats
2 cups of puffed red wheat cereal
1 cups of chopped walnuts
2 cups of dried apple rings, chopped
2 TBS of brown sugar
1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
3 TBS of cinnamon
1 TBS of apple spice
1 TBS of canola oil
1 TBS of honey
1/4 cup of almonds, chopped or slivered

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.

In a large mixing bowl, add the rolled oats, puffed rice, walnut and almonds.  Mix and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, at the canola oil, apple sauce, brown sugar, cinnamon and apple spice. Stir and let it get to a boil.  Remove from the heat, then pour over the oats/nuts mixture. Stir it, making sure it’s evenly mixed. Sprinkle in a little more cinnamon.   Pour the mixture onto the cookie sheet and spread evenly.

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Using a spatula, stir the mixture, turning it over. Then bake for an additional 12 minutes and remove from the oven.

In a small bowl, add the chopped apple rings,  the honey, sprinkle some cinnamon and stir around.  Add the apples to the granola on the cookie sheet.
Stir the mixture and turn it around, then  put it back in the oven for 15 minutes.  After the 15 minutes, turn the mixture over again, then bake for just another 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and let cool completely. The granola will get its crunchiness at this stage.

Store in an airtight container.

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Eat with yogurt, milk,  or ice cream. It’s soo good.
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Other Granola Recipes:
Cranberry Almond Granola

Rinse, Cut and Store Fruits for Easy Snacking

Quick Snack Idea – Fresh Fruit.

As soon as I come home from the grocery store, I rinse the fruits and veggies and cut up any fruits that require being cut. I store them in clear containers and leave them in the refrigerator for quick snacking, or use them when packing my lunch for work.

It’s so simple and time-saving. Rinse, cut, store. Then it’s ready to eat. Imagine if you had to cut open the watermelon just to have a piece, or rinse the berries and grapes first. You’d probably change your mind and choose something that doesn’t require prep.

This morning when packing my lunch, I just pulled out the various fruits in the fridge and put them in a container.  Now I have a fun midday snack.

 Rinse, cut, store.  Do it.

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Holiday Rice Krispy Treats

The classics seem to never fail. Rice Krispy Treats are perfect for all ages and most all occasions.  Below is the classic Rice Krispy Treat recipe from the Kellogg website, with some additions I made for that holiday feel, smell and taste.

Rice Krispy Treats,  holiday style!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons of butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz) regular marshmallows
6 cups of Rice Krispies
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1 teaspoon of peppermint extract
1-2 peppermint candy canes, broken up into pieces

1. In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melt.  Add the teaspoon of peppermint extract.

2. Add the Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using a buttered spatula or wax paper press mixture into a 13x9x2 inch pan coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle the chopped up candy on top of the mixture. Cool.  Cut into 2 inch squares. Best if served the same day.

Make Your Own Granola

Here is a quick and simple way to make homemade granola.

Cranberry Almond Granola
What you need:       
Mixing Bowl
Spoon
Cookie Sheet
Foil or Parchment paper

Ingredients 
Oats
Almonds (sliced or chopped work best)
Honey
Dried cranberries
Cinnamon
Sunflower seeds (optional)
Flax seeds (optional

Set the oven for 325 degrees. Line the cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.

1. In a mixing bowl,  add 2 cups of oats, 1 cup of almonds, 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup of flax seeds. Add about about 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix it all up.

2. Add some honey and stir it up.  I used about 3-4 tablespoons. I kind of just eyeballed it,  so you might want to use more or less.
Here’s the mix. I apologize for the bad lighting.

3. Lay the mixture flat on the cookie sheet. You may have to use a your mixing spoon to take a part any clumps.

 4. Bake for 17-23 minutes, or until browned.

5. Remove from oven and use spatula to turn mixture over. Let cool. Sprinkle about one to one and a half cups of dried cranberries.  Mix it around.

Store the granola as you please.  I’ve been saving glass jars from various condiments to re-use for things like this.

Now you have granola!

Note: I was able to fill 2 jars just like the pic above, using the recipe and measurements above.

This is a “crumble” granola  that can be used as a topping on yogurt, ice cream, etc. You can also make granola bars.  You’d have to use a lil bit more honey and/or some molasses. When you flatten it on the cookie sheet you’ll need to keep the granola pieces close to together, and might want to the stack it higher. You notice how I made a thin layer on the sheet, you may want to make it thicker.  Experiment with it and see what happens.