For a while there, I was addicted to granola. As in, I probably needed a support group.

It was serious.

I’m mean, what’s not to love? Oats. Almonds. Honey. Vanilla. Various other seriously tasty nuts. It’s perfect for breakfast. It’s wonderful sprinkled over yogurt. Or even ice cream.

Plus each time I make it, the combination of ingredients is a little different, based on what I have in the house, so it’s like a brand new recipe each time.

YUM!

And, it’s easy. Mix, bake and stir. That’s. It.

Homemade Granola

• 3-1/2 cups old fashioned oats (not quick oats)
• 1/2 cup sunflowers
• 1/2 cup nuts (almonds, walnuts, or even peanuts)
• 3/4 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup oil (melted butter, canola oil or coconut oil)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/6 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

The measurements are approximate. If you like more nuts, and less oats, adjust as needed. The recipe is pretty forgiving, so if you have a little more or a little less dry ingredients, the final product will still turn out wonderful.

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together. In a small bowl, mix wet ingredients. Add to dry ingredients and mix until everything is covered. Spread on a 9×13 pan, or a cookie sheet with sides.

Bake for 10 minutes. The stir, making sure that the ingredients on the edges of the pan are moved to the middle and the ingredients in the middle of the pan are moved to the edges. This ensures that everything cooks evenly, and nothing ends up burnt.

Stir every 5 minutes until the ingredients reach a golden brown color. For my oven that is about 20-25 minutes total.

From left: raw ingredients, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 5 minutes, 5 minutes and finished

Once cool, store in an air tight container (large freezer bags work perfectly).

Optional add ins after baking:

• Ground or whole flax seeds
• Wheat germ
• Dried fruit
• Chocolate chips – oh yes, mix these in as soon as you take the pan out of the oven, so they get all melty and clump up the granola. So. Good. (pictured above)

Meal Plan

Toddler Lunches

Monday: Peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches (Wholesome Toddler Food)
Tuesday: Pasta Salad with veggies and low fat Italian dressing
Wednesday: It’s toddler movie day at the local theater, which means pop corn for lunch
Thursday: Bagels with peanut butter, honey and raisins
Friday: Homemade crackers, hummus, cheese and carrots
Saturday: Chicken Nuggets and peas
Sunday: Leftovers

Dinner

Monday: Leftover buffet
Tuesday: Chicken, spinach and Parmesan hot pockets (In Good Cents)
Wednesday: Tomato and Garlic Soup (Aldi)
Thursday: Egg bake – recipe from my mom
Friday: Taking the kiddo out for a Mom-and-Me dinner
Saturday: Pizza with my beer batter pizza dough and homemade sauce (AllRecipes.com)
Sunday: Leftover pizza

I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars, Crackers and Graham Crackers, and Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

This post is proudly linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, It’s a Blog Party and What’s On the Menu Wednesday.

Homemade Granola is a post from: Alli 'n Son

One new recipe that I tried last week was so good that I even ate it for lunch. Which is saying something, since I normally stick to salads and egg sandwiches. Yes, I’m kind of boring about what I eat when I’m cooking for myself.

It was super easy, very delicious, and actually pretty healthy. It’s my new go-to quick lunch. Or breakfast. And sometimes even dinner.

Waffle Sandwiches

• Waffles (frozen or homemade, see recipe below)
• Cream cheese, low fat or fat-free
• Fresh or frozen berries of your choice

In a small bowl mash together about 2 tablespoons cream cheese with about 1 tablespoon fresh or frozen (thawed) berries per sandwich. Add more or less to your taste. Mash until the berries are incorporated into the cream cheese giving you a lovely redish mixture.

Spread one waffle with the cream cheese mixture. Top with another waffle. Take a big old bite, and just try not to eat 4 or 5 more entire waffles.

Or do it the toddler way, and ripe the sandwich apart and enjoy in pieces.

Homemade Waffles

From Betty Crocker’s Cookbook: Bridal Edition

• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups flour (white, whole wheat or white whole wheat)
• 1-3/4 cups milk (I used skim)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Beat eggs in a large bowl with wire whisk until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth.

Pour 2/3 cup batter into the center or a hot, heated waffle iron. Close lid and bake for about 5 minutes.

Meal Plan

Toddler Lunches

Monday: Peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches (Wholesome Toddler Food)
Tuesday: Tortilla Roll Ups (Snacks for Toddlers)
Wednesday: Grilled cheese and corn
Thursday: Bagels with peanut butter, honey and raisins
Friday: Homemade crackers, hummus, cheese and carrots
Saturday: Pasta Salad with veggies and low fat Italian dressing
Sunday: Leftovers

Dinner

Monday: Chicken enchilada (freezer)
Tuesday: Chicken, spinach and Parmesan hot pockets (In Good Cents)
Wednesday: Whole wheat pasta with meatballs and sauce in the freezer (Mom Advice)
Thursday: Turkey tenderloin on the grill
Friday: Pizza with my beer batter pizza dough and homemade sauce (AllRecipes.com)
Saturday: Family reunion with hubby’s family. We’re bringing cookies (of course).
Sunday: Leftover pizza

I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars, Crackers and Graham Crackers, and Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

This post is proudly linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, It’s a Blog Party and What’s On the Menu Wednesday.

Waffle Sandwich is a post from: Alli 'n Son

There’s just something about July that screams Christmas to me. OK, not really. I think that I’m just really needing an excuse to make a ton of cookies and indulge.

Please tell me that I’m not the only one.

So I thought I’d share, again, one of my favorite Christmas-time cookie recipes. Just in case anyone else is in the mood for Christmas. Or tons and tons of cookies.

I found this recipe in the Penzey’s Spice catalog, which always has tons of tasty recipes. This one I had to make right away. They sounded so good. And they taste even better. Hot chocolate, cream cheese and sugar. Sounds like heaven to me.

Hot Chocolate Snowballs

2/3 cup butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened (I used non-fat)
2/3 cup hot chocolate mix (the recipe calls for Penzey‘s, but I just used what I had in the house)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans (I didn’t use these, not a fan)
1/2 cup extra powdered sugar for rolling
~ optional: cinnamon sugar mix for rolling ~

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, hot chocolate , powdered sugar and vanilla. In a separate bowl sift together the flour and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix until well blended. Stir in the pecans, if using. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat over to 350º. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets (I often line my cookie sheets with tin foil for easy clean up). Back at 350º for 15-18 minutes or until firm. Let cool for 1-2 minutes. roll warm cookies in the powdered sugar (or cinnamon sugar, or a combination of both). Place on wire rack to cool.

More Christmas-Time Goodies

Just in case these don’t take care of any Christmas related cookie cravings, here are more of my favorite Christmas-time cookies.

• Chocolate Haystacks
• Molasses Cookies
• Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies (A Christmas Favorite)
• Andes Creme de Menthe Chunk Cookies
• Frosted Melted Moments (Exploding Cookies)
• Irish Cream – not a cookie, but oh so good
  

Hot Chocolate Snowball Cookies is a post from: Alli 'n Son

It’s bee a tradition in our house for the last, oh, 9 months or so that every Friday we make homemade pizza. Dough from scratch. Pizza sauce prepared in a few different ways. The only thing store bought (other than the ingredients) is the cheese, peperoni and other toppings that strike our fancy.

We’ve tried a variety of pizza dough recipes, and settled on this whole wheat version for a long time. Or some variation of it, depending on how wheat-y we want go to. Or we just resort back to Mom Advice’s Pizza Hut Clone Recipe.

That is, until I found a new recipe. I’m in love. It’s Beer Batter Pizza Dough. Like I said. I’m in love.

This recipe originally came from the most recent Penzie’s catalog. I was so excited, that I ran out for beer the next day, to make the recipe right away. I was gathering the ingredients, putting things together, when I noticed that one very key part of the recipe was missing. It included the amount of beer to use, but it never actually said to use the beer. It just totally skipped over that part.

Hmmm, maybe the beer was just for drinking while making the recipe? No, no that doesn’t make sense, there’s way too much flour for the amount of liquid called for.

So I made it up. It worked. And now I’m sharing it with you.

P.S. This makes a HUGE batch. Enough to freeze half and use the next week. With the remaining dough, we have been dividing it into 3 balls, baking two for eating that night, and creating our own frozen pizza out of the third. Of course I will share with you how to do this.

In a separate post. At a later date. Because I like to build suspense.

Beer Batter Pizza Dough

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 7-8 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 oz can/bottle of beer – room temperature is best

Mix the yeast, water and honey in a small bowl. Let rest until it becomes foamy.

In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of flour and the salt. Add the yeast mixture, stir to combine. Slowly add the beer. Add 1/2 cup of flour at a time, stirring until the dough isn’t sticky (an additional 3 cups).

Turn the dough out onto a floured tabletop and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Add flour as needed to keep it from sticking – you may not need the entire 8 cups. Once the dough is soft, smooth and elastic, place it in a greed bowl and let rise for 45-60 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Divide the dough in half (this is a LOT of dough). Put half in a freezer bag, and freeze for a different week. The remaining dough can be divided into 2 large pizzas or 3 medium pizzas.

Preheat the oven to 425º. If using a pizza stone, heat it while the oven is heating up. Roll dough out to desired size. Bake on pizza stone for 5-7 minutes. Take out, add desired toppings, then back for an additional 10 minutes. Or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Meal Plan

Toddler Lunches

Monday: Peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches (Wholesome Toddler Food)
Tuesday: Tortilla Roll Ups (Snacks for Toddlers)
Wednesday: Grilled cheese and corn
Thursday: Bagels with cream cheese and jelly
Friday: Homemade crackers, hummus, cheese and carrots
Saturday: Pasta Salad with veggies and low fat Italian dressing
Sunday: Leftovers

Dinner

Monday: Leftover buffet
Tuesday: Slow cooker BBQ chicken
Wednesday: Black Bean and Mango Chicken Salad (Kraft)
Thursday: Spinach and Bacon Frittata ($5 Dollar Dinners) – I swear we will make it this week
Friday: Pizza with my beer batter pizza dough and homemade sauce (AllRecipes.com)
Saturday: Leftover pizza
Sunday: Chicken sausages on the grill with fresh veggies from the farmer’s market

I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars, Crackers and Graham Crackers, and Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

This post is proudly linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, It’s a Blog Party and What’s On the Menu Wednesday.

Beer Batter Pizza Dough and Meal Plan is a post from: Alli 'n Son

This week’s challenge over at the 90 Day Budget Boot Camp is an easy one: meal planning. Something that I already do, and something that I find really saves me a lot of time, money (most days) and stress. One day of planning, an hour of time tops, and the meals for the week are done. Well, at least dinner is planned. Lunches are kind of free-for-all’s. Dad-oo usually makes his lunches the night before (or the morning of) and I stick to about 3 different meals that I rotate through.

The kiddo on the other hand, has been tough. I’ve gotten in the habit of making the same 4 things for him, simple because I know that he’ll eat it. I hate throwing away food that a picky toddler refuses to eat, but has mashed up with his fingers to an inedible mess. So a couple of weeks ago I started planning a toddler lunch menu. Which has helped. Well, at least I’ve added two more thing to our rotation of lunches. But I have a hard time sticking to it. Lunch ends up being quickly thrown together at the last minute. Either because we were out with friends, running errands or at the park. Nap time is quickly approaching, but I need to fill up the kiddo’s belly first, so he will sleep longer than 30 minutes.

And I need him to sleep longer than 30 minutes. NEED.

So what I’m doing differently this week is writing down our meals on a wipe off board I found at Target this weekend. This way I have them right where I need them, there’s no excuse for not knowing what to make, and there’s a constant reminder of what I made, so I don’t accidentally feed the kiddo PBJ three days in a row. Not that that has ever happened. Ahem.

So, without further ado, here’s my meal plan for the week. (P.S. I’d love it if you popped over to In Good Cents to see what the other challengers are cooking up this week).

Meal Plan

Breakfasts

homemade granola, Greek yogurt, fresh berries, muffins, cereal, waffle-cakes (Waffle batter made on a skillet, because our waffle iron was packed away in the hopes that our house would sell quickly. But didn’t).

Adult Lunches

Egg sandwich, spinach salad with turkey or veggie burgers, or the classic PBJ

Toddler Lunches

Monday: Peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches (Wholesome Toddler Food)
Tuesday: Cheesy veggie quesadilla (Wholesome Toddler Food)
Wednesday: Grilled cheese and corn
Thursday: Pitas stuffed with turkey, hummus and cheese (AllRecipes.com)
Friday: Waffle Sandwiches stuffed with cream cheese and fresh berries (InGoodCents.com)
Saturday: Whole wheat bagel with peanut butter, honey and raisins
Sunday: Homemade crackers, hummus, cheese and carrots

Dinners

Monday: Spinach and Bacon Frittata ($5 Dollar Dinners)
Tuesday: Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry with Chicken and Broccoli (AllRecipes) and Baked Crab Rangoon
Wednesday: Pitas stuffed with hummus, fresh veggies from the farmer’s market, and cheese
Thursday: Grilled Chicken Burgers with homemade buns
Friday: Pizza with my breadmachine pizza dough and homemade sauce (AllRecipes.com)
Saturday: Leftover pizza
Sunday: French Toast Casserole

I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars, Crackers and Graham Crackers, and Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

————–

In case you missed it, this week’s recipe was published yesterday, for the July Fourth.

Check out the Cookie-Style Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Budget Boot Camp Week 1: Meal Plan is a post from: Alli 'n Son

And I suppose fireworks, grilling out, family and friends.

But whatever, the important part is ice cream.

Of course I volunteered to bring dessert to our family get together, and came up with these easy to make ice cream sandwiches – cookie style. You can make them as complicated (homemade everything) or as simple (store bought everything) as you want.

I decided to make my own cookies (recipe stolen borrowed from Pioneer Woman, Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies)

Picked my favorite ice cream flavor (yes, that’s cookie dough ice cream).

And some fun, patriotic sprinkles.

Place one scoop of softened ice cream on the bottom of one cookie. Just try not to dig out all of the cookie bites and eat them. Just try.

Smoosh the ice cream with a second cookie.

Sprinkle with some festive sprinkles.

Cookie-Style Ice Cream Sandwiches

Makes 12 ice cream sandwiches.

24 Cookies, homemade or store bought
1 Container ice cream softened – let it sit on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes
Sprinkles

Place 12 cookies, upside down, on 2 cookie sheets. Scoop one scoop of ice cream on each cookie. Place one cookie on top of each ice cream scoop, gently pressing down until the ice cream flattens out to the size of the cookie. Dust with sprinkles. Place the 2 cookie sheets in the freezer until the ice cream hardens. Store in a plastic freezer bag or plastic container.

Most importantly, enjoy with your friends and family!

This post is proudly linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, and What’s On the Menu Wednesday.

Fourth of July Treat: Cookie-Style Ice Cream Sandwiches is a post from: Alli 'n Son

It’s summer time. Hooray! You know what that means? Bug bites? Long sunny days? Thunder storms? Beautiful flowers?

Yes. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about somethings sweet. Juicy. Plump. Something that tastes a little sinful, but really isn’t.

I’m talking about blueberries. BLUEBERRIES!

In the words of my two year old, “I love them”.

While blueberries are great by the handful, sprinkled in yogurt, over ice cream or in smoothies, they are even better in muffins. Topped with streusel. Mmmmmm, streusel. It’s the perfect way to start a summer morning.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. See that beautiful golden color? That’s due to agave nectar.

Fold in some plump, juicy blueberries…

Add a crumbly streusel topping…

Bake to a golden, oozy perfection.

Are you drooling yet?

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

2-1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
———-
1-1/2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
———-
1/2 cup oil (canola, coconut or softened butter)
3/4 cup agave nectar (or 1/2 cup and subtract 1/4 cup flour from above)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup milk
———-
2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
5 table spoons
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375º. Line 12 muffin tins (I love these Reusable Silicone Baking Cups).

In a small bowl, sift together the 2-1/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside

Wash blueberries and mix with 1-1/2 tablespoon four. This will help them from sinking to the bottom of the batter, and from keeping the batter from turning blue.

In a large bowl, beat oil and agave nectar (or sugar) until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice. Fold in the dry ingredients, alternatively with the milk, until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour  into muffin tins.

In a small bowl combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins, and lightly pat in place. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toot pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Meal Plan

Dinners for the week:

Monday: Turkey, black bean and hummus panini
Tuesday: Slower cooker chicken enchiladas (5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes)
Wednesday: Spinach and Bacon Frittata ($5 Dollar Dinners)
Thursday: Salads with fresh veggies from the Farmer’s Market
Friday: Pizza with my breadmachine pizza dough and homemade sauce (AllRecipes.com)
Saturday: Leftover pizza
Sunday: French toast casserole (AllRecipes.com)

Toddler-friendly lunches:

Monday: Peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches (Wholesome Toddler Food)
Tuesday: Cheesy veggie quesadilla (Wholesome Toddler Food)
Wednesday: Grilled cheese and corn
Thursday: Stuffed pitas with turkey, hummus and cheese
Friday: Chicken nuggets and carrots
Saturday: Whole wheat bagel with peanut butter, honey and raisins
Sunday: Homemade crackers, hummus, cheese and carrots

I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars, Crackers and Graham Crackers, and Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

This post is also linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Cupcake Tuesday and What’s On the Menu Wednesday.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins and Meal Plan is a post from: Alli 'n Son

So when CSNstores.com asked if I’d like to review a product of my choice from one of their 200+ web sites, I knew just what we were going to order. After a small bump in the ordering process, which was quickly resolved by my contact’s prompt reply to my email, this little number was on her way to our front door:

Look at that beauty.

Of course Dad-oo took this baby out for a test run as soon as he could. It did take a little while to get the hang of, since stainless steel needs a lower temp that other pans, due to excellent heat distribution. But he quickly figured it out. His deglazing dreams have come true. I’m pretty sure that we will never go back to our nonstick cookware. Never.

What else did we like about this pan? If you deglaze, it is super easy to clean (or you can just pop it in the dishwasher. It’s really deep, so recipes like the one below are easy to pull off. And you can pop it into the oven, up to 350º.

Look at this baby cook!

Last week we made a delicious chicken recipe, just perfect for this pan. And can I just say that the chicken turned out so juicy and tender. It was perfect. Of course, I’m sharing the recipe with you.

Chicken in Tomato Vinegar Sauce

Adapted from Aldi Meal Planner

2 tbsp  olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained or undrained
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf, broken
1-1/2 lb boneless chicken breast halves (approximately 4)
1/4 tsp rosemary, or 1 tsp fresh, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy sauce pan. Saute garlic for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, vinegar and bay leaf. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the sauce has reduce and thickened (sauce will take longer to thicken if using undrained tomatoes).

Rub the chicken breasts with rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Saute chicken until cooked, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm.

Pour tomato sauce into same nonstick skillet and simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Reduce heat to low. Stir in butter, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaf.

Serve sauce over chicken, with a side of wild rice and your favorite veggie.

Meal Plan

Dinners for the week:

Monday: Leftovers from the weekend
Tuesday: Fish tacos
Wednesday: Cheese tortellini with homemade marinara sauce and garlic bread on the grill ($5 dinners)
Thursday: Brats, broccoli and red potatoes on the grill
Friday: Pizza with my breadmachine pizza dough and homemade sauce (AllRecipes.com)
Saturday: Leftover pizza
Sunday: French toast casserole (AllRecipes.com)

Toddler-friendly lunches:

Monday: Peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches
Tuesday: Cheesy veggie quesadilla (Wholesome Toddler Food)
Wednesday: Grilled cheese and corn
Thursday: Stuffed pitas with turkey, hummus and cheese
Friday: Chicken nuggets and carrots
Saturday: Whole wheat bagel with peanut butter, honey and raisins
Sunday: Homemade crackers, hummus, cheese and carrots

I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars, Crackers and Graham Crackers, and Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

This post is also linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Tasty Tuesday.

Disclosure: CSNstores.com provided me with a $50 gift code to use towards the purchase of a product to review on one of their web sites. Everything that I wrote is my honest opinion. Read my full disclosure policy.

Chicken in Tomato Vinegar Sauce and Meal Plan is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Well, I had the opportunity to pick another product to try out, and I jumped at the Coconut Peanut Butter. I love peanut butter. The kiddo loves peanut butter. Dad-oo loves peanut butter. We couldn’t lose.

When I received the jar last week, I quickly jumped to Tropical Traditions recipe site, Free Coconut Recipes. I needed something indulgent to make with it. Or maybe I was having a bad day and needed a sweet treat. Either way, I found these.

The recipe couldn’t have been simpler. They were super easy to make and on-my-goodness, just like the peanut butter itself, they are rich and indulgent. I can’t wait to make PBJ sandwiches with this stuff.

You can pop over to Free Coconut Recipes and browse around to see the other fantastic things you can make with Coconut Peanut Butter and Tropical Traditions other great products. But I thought I’d share the Inside-Out Peanut Butter Cups recipe right here.

P.S. Keep on reading, there’s a giveaway!

Inside-Out Peanut Butter Cups

Semisweet chocolate chips, as needed (start with 1/2 cup)
Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter, as needed

Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners, or 12 Silicone Reusable Muffin Liners.

If your coconut peanut butter is solid, just place the jar in a bowl filled with hot water so it will become a runny consistency. Pour coconut peanut butter into a muffin pan lined with paper cups, just enough to make a bottom layer, abut 1/4″ thick.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth and completely melted. Spoon the chocolate into each paper cup (it’s the middle of your inside-out ‘coconut’ peanut butter cup).

Drizzle more coconut peanut butter over the top. Pop the pan into the freezer or fridge for just a few minutes so they can harden.

Want to Buy Coconut Peanut Butter?

Pop on over to Tropical Traditions. They have amazing sales going on all the time. When you place your order, please click on “Referred by a Friend” and in the box that says “How did you hear of us?” enter my sponsor ID number 5851533.

Want to Win Coconut Peanut Butter?

To enter, simply visit Tropical Traditions and tell me what product you would like to try. Or leave just leave a comment. This is a mandatory entry and must be done before the extra entries..

Want extra entries? Leave a separate comment for each one, worth one extra entry each.

** Update: Due to Facebook policy, I had to remove the become a fan entries. For those who have already left a comment saying they are a fan, the entries still count. Sorry for any confusion. **

1. Subscribe to my blog.
2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway.
3. Add my button to your blog (code is on the side bar).
4. Subscribe to Tropical Traditions newsletter. Leave a comment telling me that you subscribed.
5. Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter.

This giveaway ends June 25st, 2010 at 11:59 CST. The winner will be picked by Random.org.

Meal Plan

Here’s what we are cooking up for the week.

Monday: Bacon and Egg Quesadillas ($5 Dinners)
Tuesday: Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs (AllRecipes.com)
Wednesday: Turkey, Hummus and Cheese Paninis
Thursday: Chicken in Tomato Vinegar Sauce (Aldi Meals)
Friday: Pizza with my breadmachine pizza dough and homemade sauce (AllRecipes.com)
Saturday: Leftover pizza
Sunday: Turkey brats on the grill

As usual, I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars. Homemade Crackers and some graham crackers. And of course my Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

This post is also linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Tasty Tuesday.

Giveaway Disclosure: The giveaway is open to readers within the US and Canada. Winner must contact me within 3 days after receiving my email. Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. Read my full disclosure policy.

Inside-Out Peanut Butter Cups, Giveaway & Meal Plan is a post from: Alli 'n Son

So, last week I decided that I needed to soak my own beans, rather than buy then canned. Why or why would I do this when canned beans are so easy? Well, it’s a better value to buy dry beans, soaking them is pretty easy, I can control the amount of salt that goes in them, and of course I avoid the BPA found in cans.

Of course I was under one very wrong assumption.

I thought that you only needed to soak the beans.

I had no idea that you needed to cook them afterwards.

One night last week, I set out my large pot, filled it with water and the dry black beans and let it soak overnight. Actually, by the time I got around to checking on them, it had been about, 16 hours I think. More than enough time to soften and turn them into the kind of beans you get in a can.

Or so I thought.

One quick test revealed crunch, icky tasty beans. FAIL. What in the world did I do wrong?

It turns out that you have to cook the beans after you soak them. Hey, I can hear you laughing over there.

So cook them I did, and a short time later, they came out perfectly. With one small bag of dried beans, I ended up with 6 cups of cooked beans. Four cups for dinner and two cups for freezing.

And yes, I will be doing it again. It’s easy, and once I cooked the dang things, pretty tasty. Here’s my recipe.

Soaking and Cooking Dry Beans

Rinse dry beans in water and check for any small stones or other non-bean particles (I didn’t find anything in my beans).

Fill your largest pot with 6-8 cups of water. Add the rinsed dry beans and allow to soak over night, or at least 6-8 hours.

Once the beans have soaked, dump the water and rinse.

Put the beans back in the pot and add water so there is at least one inch of water above the beans. Set to simmer for 45 minutes to 2 hours. I simmered the black beans for 1 hour and 15 minutes and they were perfect. Test your beans along the way to get the desired softness. Add water as needed so the beans remain covered while cooking.

Once the beans are done, dump out the water and rinse. If you aren’t using them right away, I recommend freezing them in 2 cup servings, perfect for most recipes.

Charlotte also introduced me to cooking beans in a slow cooker, which I’ll have to try out next time around. I love slow cookers.

Photo copy right of DeclanZimmerman

Meal Plan

Here’s what we are cooking up for the week.

Monday: Nachos with leftover brown rice ($5 Dinners)
Tuesday: Grilled Brown Sugar Pork Chops (AllReipces.com)
Wednesday: German Oven Pancake (recipe from my mom)
Thursday: Spaghetti with homemade meatballs (Mom advice)
Friday: Pizza with my breadmachine pizza dough and homemade sauce (AllRecipes.com)
Saturday: Leftover pizza
Sunday: Turkey brats on the grill

As usual, I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars. Homemade Crackers and some graham crackers. And of course my Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

What are you eating this week?

Don’t forget about the Thank You Journal carnival. What are you thankful for this week?

This post is also linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Tasty Tuesday.

Soaking Beans and Meal Plan is a post from: Alli 'n Son