When these gorgeous little gems came out of the oven, I ate four of them without stopping to catch my breath and I refuse to be ashamed! With my struggles with gluten over the past four years, I will shamelessly devour any baked good that is gluten free and doesn’t taste like it is gluten free. The only other GF recipe I have eaten this quickly is my Gluten Free Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies…which are nothing short of miraculous if you haven’t tried them yet.This recipe does require a blender to prepare so the batter will turn out perfectly smooth. If you are need of a new powerhouse blender, don’t miss out on my giveaway of a Wolf Gourmet High Performance Blender valued at $599. I’ve been having so much fun playing around with my blender and trying out so many new recipes. Nothing like a new kitchen toy for this food blogger

Brazilian Cheese Bread Bites

1 egg, room temperature
1/3 C olive oil
2/3 C milk
1 1/2 C (170 g) tapioca flour
1/2 C (66 g) queso fresco, or other grated cheese
1 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides to be sure everything gets incorporated well then pulse a few more times. You can keep the batter in the fridge for up to one week at this stage.
2. Grease mini muffin tins and divide the batter into 20 muffins. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until they are puffed up and lightly brown. Eat while warm! You can serve them with a drizzle of honey for a sweet treat.

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Carole here from My Kitchen Escapades and this recipe was the yummy result of the cold weather hitting Minnesota last week. To mark the occasion, I decided to ignore my to-do list and spend the afternoon reading my son’s favorite book “The Giver” by Lois Lowry while eating three (yes, three) bowls of this yummy soup.

I present this yummy Sausage and Spinach Italian Soup to fill that need! Loaded with Italian sausage, cannellini beans, spinach and potatoes.

When I was deciding on what type of soup I wanted to create for this special occasion, I knew it had to be creamy and loaded with good stuff I could pile onto my spoon. My cold day recipe was especially successful with my family and they especially loved dipping some homemade french bread into the crazy delicious broth! This will definitely be on repeat at Casa Jones this long Minnesota winter!

Print

Sausage and Spinach Italian Soup

Ingredients

• 20 oz mild Italian sausage removed from the casing
• 1 large onion chopped
• 8 oz baby portabella mushrooms chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 C chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 15 oz can cannellini beans drained
• 1 pound red potatoes diced
• 12 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 3/4 C heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• sliced provolone cheese

Instructions

• In a large pot, brown the sausage over medium high heat until no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the pan, leaving the grease in the pan. Set aside the sausage. Add the onion and mushrooms to the sausage drippings and sauté until they begin to soften, then add the garlic. Cook for another minute, then add the oregano, basil and red pepper. Stir well then add the chicken broth, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
• Add the bay leaf, beans, and potatoes and allow it to begin to simmer. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach in large handfuls, allowing them to wilt down before adding more. Add the cream and mix it in well. Taste the soup and add any needed salt and pepper to the finished soup before serving.
• To serve, ladle oven safe bowls with the soup and place a slice of provolone on the top of each bowl. Put the soup under a high broiler until the cheese begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes, then serve.

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If you like this recipe, check out this Chicken & Potato Chowder

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This is Carole from My Kitchen Escapades and do I have something great for you. I have always seasoned my taco meat mixing up my favorite yummy spices in my cabinet. It is what my mom did when I was a kid so I had no idea what the stuff from those envelopes ever tasted like. Then this summer came along and I was asked to be the camp cook for over 100 girls. Since I had to prepare over 30 pounds of ground beef, I decided to take the short cut and buy a big jar of pre-made taco seasoning. I didn’t really think twice about that decision….until it came time to eat our walking tacos that night for dinner.I kept taking bites of my walking taco trying to figure out what the heck was wrong with it. It tasted so bland and the meat was all pasty and nasty. Let’s just say I have taken a sacred vow to never use the prepared seasoning packets junk ever again.

If you have never made taco seasoning from scratch, I will forgive you but only if you raise your right hand right now….yes, now….and also vow to never buy those packets ever again. This recipe comes together in less than 2 minutes and your taco loving life will never be the same again.

• 2 Tb chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 Tb cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Mix all the spices together and store in an airtight container. To use, combine 2-3 Tb with one pound of cooked ground beef. The amount depends on how seasoned you like your taco meat.

If you are a fan of taco night, then you will love my Pork Carnitas recipe as well! Click on the picture to check out my all time favorite recipe!

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Hey this is Carole from My Kitchen Escapades and personally, I was “blessed” with the ability to sweat and stink within the first few seconds of my workouts. Currently, I am a Les Mills BODYPUMP instructor and I always wonder what my class members think when they see me dripping with sweat just a few minutes into the hour. Oh well…..I guess they can’t doubt whether or not I am working hard

Between BODYPUMP and training for whatever race is next on the calendar, my workout gear gets used almost daily and because that part of my wardrobe was such an expensive investment, I am very careful about how I wash those clothes. Here are my favorite tips I’ve learned over the years!

5 Simple Solutions for Stinky Workout Clothes

1. Presoak Your Clothes – it is really simple to do and makes a world of difference. Just combine 1 C of plain, cheap white vinegar with a couple gallons of cold water and let your clothes soak in that mixture for an hour. The vinegar does a great job of breaking down the built up sweat, dead skin (gross) and dirt. When the hour is up, just gently squeeze out your clothes before tossing them in the washing machine. No need to rinse them! This is perfectly safe on all types of fabrics so don’t be afraid of doing this with your expensive compression clothing.

2. Toss Out the Fabric Softener – I know this seems illogical because your fabric softener does such a great job making all your other clothes smell better, BUT it is one of the biggest offenders on multiple levels when it comes to work out clothes. First off, the fabric softener leaves a small coating all over the fibers of your clothes which only traps the smells and oils even more. Secondly, fabric softener KILLS the elasticity of your favorite, mega-expensive running tights. Any workout gear that own that has stretch or support will slowly be ruined with fabric softener. Instead, just use some white vinegar in your fabric softener dispenser. It is a natural softener and as mentioned above, does a great job removing stink instead of trapping it, without damaging the elasticity and hold of your clothes.

3. Toss Out Your Dryer – Again, this one is a multiple offender. The heat of your dryer does nothing good for expensive work out gear. Nothing! The heat ruins the stretch and support of performance gear and shrinks your favorite Nike running shirt that you paid way too much for. The best drying solution for exercise gear? A good old fashioned outdoor clothing line provides the air drying your clothes need without any damage to the fibers, plus the direct sunlight will help kill any lingering odors from your last yoga class.

4. Supplement Your Washing Detergent – For myself, my sweat is killer enough that every few months, I have to break out my strongest anti-stink weapon, 2Toms Stink Free Detergent. I don’t use this on a regular basis because it is a bit pricey and the above mentioned options work for me most weeks. There are quite a few different brands of sports laundry detergent but this one just happens to be the one that works best for me. 5. Wash Your Exercise Clothes Separately – This may not seem important, but I have ruined some expensive gear washing it with other clothes. When you only have your workout clothes in a load, you can be sure that all the above mentioned items are done correctly and no zippers or buttons from other clothes are going to snag your expensive running tights. You can always do this by hand as well if you don’t want to run a small load in your large washer.

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**My friend, this post contains Amazon affiliate links which means I receive a small compensation, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase using my link. If you decide to give these products a try, I will be your bestie if you would use the links from this post. And no worries…. I only link to products that I both use and love! ~Carole

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I have been one very emotional mama the past week as my oldest son prepares to leave for two years as he serves a mission for our church in San Diego, California. He has been gone at college for the past year and is only home for a week before he leaves. Every ounce of my motherly instinct wants to call a mommy foul on him for only being here a week, but how can I? I am so proud of him and the choice he has made. I just wish I had more than a week together before I don’t see him again for 2 years. You understand, right?
Our week together has been nothing short of crazy as we try to do everything and purchase everything that he will need while he is gone. The list is extensive and we live in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota, which makes it even harder!

Since he has been gone for a year at school, the first thing he said to me when we got in the car at the airport was “So Mom….what kind of great food are you going to make me this week?” How can I turn a request like that down? When I saw these Swig Sugar Cookie Bars over on Real Life Dinner, I instantly knew this would be a home run with my boy. His favorite cookies are those expensive Lofthouse cookies you get in the bakery section of your grocery store. These bars are a thousand times better! Yes, a thousand
They are soft, dense and moist, which for me means cookie perfection. I am not a fan of cake textured cookies at all. The frosting recipe is my favorite buttercream recipe and it is always a huge hit. I did add a dash of almond extract to the bars because just that little flavoring does an amazing job of adding great depth of flavor that most sugar cookies lack.

These come together really quick so go make a batch and come back to tell me what you think. Just leave me a quick comment below! And, I wouldn’t mind some love and support as well….my tears are already freely flowing and he hasn’t even left yet!

Ingredients

Print

Swig Sugar Cookie Bars

Ingredients

Bars

• 1/2 C butter room temperature
• 1/4 C + 2 Tb canola oil
• 1/2 C + 2 Tb granulated sugar
• 1/4 C + 2 Tb powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tb water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond flavoring
• 2 3/4 C flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of baking soda

Frosting

• 1/2 C butter room temperature
• 4 C powdered sugar
• 1/4 C half and half
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond flavoring
• pinch salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13 pan.
• Using your mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, oil and both sugars until smooth. Add the egg, water, vanilla and almond flavorings then beat until smooth. Add the flour, salt, baking powder and soda then beat until completely combined.
• Use a rubber spatula and evenly spread the batter in the greased pan. Sprinkle another tablespoon of sugar over the top before putting in the oven for 14-16 minutes. You want the edges of the bars to just barely start to turn brown.....just barely! If you overcook them, they will be dry and crumbly. Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.
• While the bars cool, beat together all the ingredients for the frosting and once the bars have cooled, frost the bars before slicing.

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I have six kiddos and the more they can do for themselves in the kitchen, the happier I am as a busy mom. I am always coming up with quick and easy meals, snacks and treats they can make for themselves. Click here to see all the recipes in my Kids in the Kitchen series, then allow them to do a little work while you sit down for a minute….what a concept!
This very simple fruit dip took a whole 2 minutes for my 5 year old to make, with a bit of measuring help from her big sister. They completely devoured it and especially loved it with apples. I love how healthy it is and packed with protein as a bonus. We ran out of fruit before the dip was gone, but that was only an excuse for the little fingers to plunge into the bowl. Go for it little minions of mine
We had a bit of leftover dip the next day so I got creative and spread a glob of it over my Low Carb Pancakes.….heaven, I tell you!

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Print

Peanut Butter Fruit Dip

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Author Carole

Ingredients

• 2 - 5.3 oz containers of vanilla Greek yogurt
• 3 Tb peanut butter
• 1 Tb honey or agave nectar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and serve with your favorite fresh fruit! Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.

This awesome post has been shared with Home Stories A to Z

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When I first saw this recipe over on Household Almanac, I knew we had to give them a try because my little minions love the sweet and sour combo. The stronger the pucker, the better!

We had a debate over which flavor was the winner, the Green Apple or the Watermelon Candied Grapes. Personally, I preferred the green apple because of how sour it was but the watermelon flavor with the red grapes was a winner as well. Look around the Jello section at your store and try out the flavors that look fun to you!
Candied Grapes

Green or Red grapes

1 box of Green Apple Jello or Watermelon Jello

1. Wash grapes in a colander and allow to drain. Pour jello powder onto a plate and roll the damp grapes around in the powder until coated with the powder. Refrigerate for 1 hour to let the coating set and serve cold.

If you liked this recipe feel free to follow me at My Kitchen Escapades or one of my social media channels (Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter)!

Other recipes you might enjoy from My Kitchen Escapades:

Chicken Parmesan

Pork Carnitas

Caramel Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

This awesome post has been shared with Homestories A to Z and Whipperberry.

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Last weekend was the church’s annual campout for all the Dads and their sons. From the stories they tell when they get home, I know it is a great time but for us Jones girls, we live for our annual Girls Night. It always includes an order or two of mozzarella sticks, a movie, pedicures and then everyone sleeping in Mom’s bed together.

One of the reasons my boys love going camping with their Dad is because he breaks out all their favorite junk food that Mom just won’t buy for them. Chips, pop, candy, cookies, hot dogs, donuts and anything else they request!

This year, when the boys returned from their cold, wet campout, I decided to take a few of those junk food leftovers and turn them into a great camping treat without having to venture outside in the cold and rain….Indoor S’mOreos were born

Who needs to suffer through the smoke, bugs, cold and rain when you can have it all right in the comfort of your home?

Indoor SmOreos

• Oreos
• Hershey’s bars
• Mini marshmallows

Place your oven rack to the highest position and turn your broiler on high. Separate the Oreos and lay them open onto a cookie sheet. Place two squares of chocolate on top of the frosted side of the cookie, then top with 5 mini marshmallows. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes, until the marshmallows are golden brown. Remove from the oven and replace the top of the cookie.

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This awesome post has been shared with Tatertots and Jello and Whipperberry

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Carole from My Kitchen Escapades here and I am pumped to share with you my favorite blogging tip of all time!

It has been 7 years since I began my food blog at My Kitchen Escapades and when I look back at some of my older photos, I can’t help but cringe! In fact, I have started a new Recipe Retake Series just so you can have a proper photo of some of my earlier recipes. You deserve it!

Over the years, the biggest lighting roadblock I’ve encountered are the long Minnesota winters because it gets dark at 5:00 pm. I love natural sunlight for shooting my photos, but that isn’t always available when I am pulling a recipe out the oven. Especially since most of the baking I do for our family of 8 is after my littles are fast asleep in their beds and it is pitch black outside.

So, let’s take a minute and take a look at different lighting options with the exact same photo….

For the above photo, it was dark outside, so I used the lights in my dining room. I played with the manual settings of my camera as best I could, but still ended up with a very orange colored photo. This orange color is a trademark of many of my after dark photos in the first few years of My Kitchen Escapades

This next photo, above, is the same set up again but using the flash on my Nikon D60 instead of the dining room lights. While the coloring is much better, the flash creates such overexposure in the foreground, while some very ugly shadows in the back. Better than orange, but not by much!

So how did I get the killer lighting in the final photo below?

Some time back, I invested a little bit of money into a tabletop Lowel Ego Artificial Light. It was $100 and, outside of my camera upgrade, hands-down the best investment I have made for my little blog. It comes with two Ego bulbs inside the fixture, a light diffuser built in, and the folded reflector (shown on the right of the above picture) and I find it perfect for taking indoor pictures. Some bloggers like to use two lights, one on each side, but I much prefer a single light source and a bit of shadow in my photos.

If you don’t want to slap down $100, you can buy Lowel Ego lightbulbs for any fixture you already own but be sure you use a diffuser of some type or the light will be too harsh. Depending on the photo set up, sometime I will also use white foam core board behind and under the food I am shooting all for a super bright and cheery photo in the end. But heaven knows, I love a killer, dark and sexy food photo as well….

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My little three had so much fun making these cupcakes, especially the bunny ears. However, my five year old was the only one who let me photograph her while working. I think the other five kids might start charging me to model for blog posts if I’m not careful!

Are you ready to get your kiddos in the kitchen and make some together? They couldn’t be more simple! First, bake up a batch of cupcakes and allow them to cool.

While they are cooling, make your bunny ears by cutting large marshmallows in half diagonally and dipping the cut side into some pink sugar sprinkles.

To frost the cupcakes, you have a few options depending on how much time you have. I used white frosting and piped it on using a grass tip. It looks just like a furry little bunny You could also cover them in white frosting and then roll the frosting in coconut, but if your kids feel the way mine do about coconut, that won’t be an option. You last option, and the one my kids used when decorating their cupcakes, is to use a knife and slather on the white frosting.

My kids loved taking these adorable cupcakes to school the next day. They got so many comments and questions about how they made them from both adults and their friends.

This amazing post has been shared with Living Well Spending Less and Tatertots and Jello.

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Two weeks ago, I mentioned in a post that every week at the grocery store, I buy a 5 pound package of boneless skinless chicken breasts. I bake the whole package at one time, cut up the chicken and use it all week for lunches and dinners. It is a huge time saver for me and it also keeps me on track for eating healthy. You see, if I know I have some yummy chicken already cooked in fridge at home, it is easier to pass by those lousy fast food places!
Apparently, you loved this idea as well because I received so many emails asking how I bake my chicken and then how to use it to make quick meals. In response, I present to you my Chicken 5 – 5: how to turn 5 pounds of chicken into 5 quick and easy dinner recipes for a whole week of menus!

I use my juicy and flavorful cooked chicken breasts in so many different ways, often depending on my mood, but I thought it was important that I share with you my 5 favorite recipes to use my pre-baked chicken in! My recipe for the actual baked chicken breasts is at the bottom of this post, so just keep scrolling, just keep scrolling, just keep scrolling…..

Candied Pecan Chicken Salad

Grilled California Club Wraps

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Avocado and Bacon Pasta Salad

White Chicken Chili

Simple Baked Chicken Breasts
recipe by My Kitchen Escapades

5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 lime (red wine vinegar can be substituted)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a large cookie sheet that has edges.
2. Trim any fat from the chicken breasts and place them smooth side down on the cookie sheet. Squeeze half the lime over the top of all the chicken and then generously season with the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Turn the chicken over and repeat the lime juice and seasonings with the other side.
3. Bake for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to sit on the pan for at least 5 minutes before cutting into pieces. Pour a 1/4 C of very hot water in the bottom of the empty pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the drippings off the bottom of the pan. Place chicken into an airtight container and pour the drippings over the top. Chicken stays good in the fridge for 10 days. Use in your favorite recipes!

This amazing post has been shared with Living Well Spending Less and Whipperberry.

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Seven years ago, my hubby and I did away with buying Christmas presents for our six children. We had spent months trying to come up with gifts that weren’t: #1 – a waste of money and #2 – a gift just because we needed to have stuff under the tree. So we just stopped buying it all.

Now before you go all commando in the comments below, you have to understand what we do instead of gifts. While we may not need anymore “stuff” under the Christmas tree, we desperately need more time together as a family. So, we take that money we would have spent on “stuff” and go on a great family vacation instead. We are now making memories that will last a lifetime, which is especially important considering how fast my children are growing up and leaving home.

Since we could never afford a vacation over Christmas break, we pull our kiddos out of school and go in January or February. This year we are headed on a cruise across the gorgeous Caribbean. With the miserable cold we’ve been having in Minnesota, this vacation can not come soon enough!

I am so obsessed with getting on this boat and away from the cold that it is even coming out in my baking! This Pineapple Coconut Banana Bread is perfectly tropical and helps me visualize what it will be like sitting on my balcony watching the gorgeous blue water go by. Maybe it can help you escape a little bit too

Print

Pineapple Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 C oil
• 1 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C mashed banana about 2 medium bananas
• 1/3 C crushed pineapple drained
• 1/2 C shredded coconut
• 2 C flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar and eggs until smooth. Add the banana, pineapple and coconut and whisk well.
• Add the dry ingredients and using a rubber spatula, gently fold together the flour into the batter. You want to leave a few streaks of flour and be sure you do not over mix!
• Grease an 8x4" bread pan and pour the batter into it.
• Bake for 65-70 minutes until he top springs back when touched.
• Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely. Bread is best if it has the chance to sit overnight wrapped in plastic wrap.

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Thanks Carole! This sounds delicious!

This amazing post can also be found on Whipperberry!

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All the special treats that come out of my kitchen during the Christmas season means that my kitchen is always full of little hands trying to sneak a taste when I have my back turned. I can’t get upset because I like to sneak as well when no one is looking! While the simple solution to my “little hands” problem would be to ban them all from the kitchen, instead I choose to get them involved. With six kids, I’ve made it a priority to be sure all six of them leave with some great kitchen skills. In fact twice a month, I post the recipes, ideas and anecdotes I use to get my kiddos involved and learning in the kitchen. Just click this picture and you can join in on the fun too! These Cinnamon Roll Pretzels were the prefect opportunity to get those little hands working hard for me. They are very simple to make and my kids favorite part was using their clean hands to mix the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the pretzels. My preschooler told me it was just like playing in the sand box If you love the whole sweet and salty taste profile, you will adore this recipe. Each one truly is like a little crunchy cinnamon roll and they are addictive so BE WARNED!Cinnamon Roll Pretzels

5 C pretzels
1/4 C buttter, melted
1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C white chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Add the pretzels to a large mixing bowl and then combine the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pour over the pretzels and using your hands to coat all the pretzels with the sugar mixture. It helps to rub them a bit. Bake for 12 minutes and then once they have completely cooled, drizzle on the melted white chocolate. Once the chocolate is set, store in an airtight container.

Recipe from CrunchyCreamySweet.com

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As the Holiday Season rapidly approaches this year, I am thoroughly enjoying how stress free my life is compared to last year. You see, last year, my oldest married her sweetheart two days after Christmas. While I was thrilled for the two of them and loved everything that went into my first child getting married, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Even a year later, it is hard for me to put into words what the holidays were like for me last year.

I was up to my eyeballs in wedding decor, budgets, invites, menus, cakes, dresses, photos, dj’s……. I actually turned some of that madness into an 18 part blog series “Gorgeous Weddings on a Budget.” If it had been up to me, I would have focused on nothing but the wedding but since I had 5 other children still at home expecting a normal Thanksgiving and Christmas, I did the best I could. It wasn’t up to par with normal years, but it was still half decent.

I wish I would have thought of these quick little pie bites last year when I needed some solutions to my standard holiday baking. I guess all my original thinking skills during that time were taken up in a different venue.
These little gems of decadence make the perfect little bites to toss in your pie hole. Plus, how can you go wrong with a dessert that only takes TWO ingredients to make??? If you want to make them even more pie-like, don’t hesitate to drop of dollop of whipped cream on top of them first. I wish I could honestly claim that since they are bite sized, they have no calories. Let’s just pretend it is true. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t!

Nutella Pie Bites – makes 38 bites
recipe by My Kitchen Escapades

1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 pie crusts total)
1 jar Nutella

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unroll the pie crusts on a surface lightly dusted with flour. Using a 2 inch round cutter, cut out circles from the dough. Knead together the scraps, roll them out and cut more circles. Place a dollop of Nutella in the center of each dough circle. I found using 2 butter knives worked best for that task.

2. Dip your finger in some water and run it around the outside of each circle to slightly moisten the edge. To form the square, pinch the opposite side of the circle to form two corners of the square. The turn it 90 degrees and pinch the opposite sides once more to form the square. Make sure you pinch them firmly or they will pop back open when they bake.

3. If desired, brush the dough with a bit of beaten egg to help give the finished product more color and shine. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the bites are golden brown. Remove from the pan to cool. You can serve them plain or with a small dollop of whipped cream on top.

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 This amazing idea has been shared with Whipperberry

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Last Saturday at 3:30 in the morning, I received the following text from my oldest son, who is in his freshman year at BYU:

“Hey Mom! We got bored and decided to dye my hair.”

Well….a million possible responses ran through my head at that ridiculous hour, but I did the wise thing by rolling over, muttering “just perfect” under my breath, and going back to sleep. If he wasn’t 1200 miles away, I would have smacked him up side that red head.

I finally responded to his text the next morning, after I had attended church. I wanted to be in the proper Christian mind-frame

My newly styled son would have despised this chicken as much as I despise his hair. You see, my favorite BYU student can not stand artichokes, so I guess that gives us a second good reason for him to be 1200 miles away from home this week

All the rest of the Jones family (with their normal colored hair), thoroughly loved my latest chicken bake creation! It is so flavorful and makes a fab pan sauce that you can serve over pasta or rice. I love that there are a TON of great Italian goodies in the dish, along with the moist and tender chicken. No skimping on the extras in this recipe!

I have some other killer chicken bakes over on My Kitchen Escapades, so if this Italian Chicken Bake is right up your alley, be sure to click on the pictures below to see some of my other favorites!

Print

Italian Chicken Bake

Author My Kitchen Escapades

Ingredients

• 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 onion chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
• 2 Tb oil
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 C chicken broth
• 1 package Good Seasons Zesty Italian dressing mix
• 14 ounce can quartered artichoke hearts drained & chopped
• 4 roma tomatoes chopped
• 5 ounces fresh spinach
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim the chicken breasts and use your hand to flatten out the thick end of the breast a bit. Lay them in a 9x13 baking pan that has been lightly greased.
• In a skillet, heat the oil over high heat and then add the onions and mushrooms. Cook until they are softened.
• In a large microwave safe bowl, place the cream cheese and chicken broth. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes and then use a whisk to blend completely. Add the dressing mix, garlic powder, pepper and salt. Mix well. Mix in the cooked onions and mushrooms, along with the artichokes, tomatoes and spinach.
• Pour the mixture over the chicken and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is firm. Add the cheese over the top and place under the broiler to brown the cheese.

Parmesan Chicken Bake

Cheesy Spinach Mushroom Chicken Bake

Basil Artichoke Chicken Bake

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This post was shared with: Whipperberry and Living Well Spending Less

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Ok…..before Sherri kicks me in the butt…..I will be honest and admit that I do have two sisters, but I could never picture the three of us trying to be successful business partners. We just aren’t as fabulous and miraculous as the Wixom women are

Next week, I will actually get to hang out with my favorite two sisters and one of my brothers as we celebrate my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I never used to think much of wedding anniversaries until I got married myself. It is hard work to stay married. It is even harder work to stay happily married. My parents made it look so easy over the past 50 years, but since I have been doing this whole marriage thing for almost 22 years now, I know better and couldn’t be more proud of the life they have made for themselves and their posterity.

Packed in my luggage next week, will be two loaves of this Gluten Free Sandwich Bread. As a bread/roll addict, it has been my salvation since being diagnosed with a nasty gluten intolerance a few years ago. Don’t ever buy that rubbery crap they call gluten free “bread” from the store. Nasty! This really come together very quickly, but does take the specialty flours/ingredients that go hand in hand with gluten free baking.

I have quite a few home-runs when it comes to my gluten free baking repertoire, but here are my absolute favorites. Just click on the pictures below for the recipes!

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Carole, thanks once again for an outstanding recipe!  We have family members who are gluten free who are going to LOVE this!

We shared this with: Living Well Spending Less, Tatertots and Jello, and Whipperberry

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I’ve been psychotically busy over the past two weeks preparing to be the camp cook for our church’s girls camp. I was alone in my assignment to cook for 120 mouths so I really can’t put into words the amount of time, stress and craziness that has been in my life recently. To keep myself from going completely insane, I kept the week’s menu very simple and I hope no one is disappointed. I’m sure everyone was thinking they would be eating a ton of homemade goodies and treats since a food blogger was doing all the food. Oh well My inner foodie couldn’t be completely ignored however so I decided to treat the campers and make 240 homemade rolls for dinner the first night. Yes, it was ambitious with everything else I had to prepare so I knew the only way I could make it work was to break out my technique for DIY Rhodes Rolls. It is a huge time saver!
To make frozen dinner rolls, first mix up a batch of your favorite dinner roll recipe. (Don’t have one? Click here for my rockstar dinner roll recipe that people just can’t get enough of!) Allow your dough to raise until double while it is covered. After it has risen once, shape your rolls as desired on a lightly greased cookie sheet then cover lightly.
You don’t want your rolls to raise completely at this stage. In fact, you just want them to begin to puff up a little bit. Compare my first picture to this second picture to see what I mean by just beginning to puff up. Once they hit this stage, put the whole pan into the freezer, uncovered, until they are frozen solid. This take between 8-12 hours.
Once your rolls are completely frozen, just toss them into a large freezer bag and put them back into the freezer until you need them. They will stay good in the freezer for about a month.
When it comes time to turn your frozen dough into amazingly delicious rolls like these ones here, just place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet and cover them lightly. Let them rise until doubled in size. Since they are frozen, this can take anywhere from 5-7 hours depending on how warm your home is. If you need to speed up the process, you can always heat your oven to 150 degrees and let them rise in there, which will cut the rising time in half. Once they are fully risen, bake them according to the original recipe’s instructions.

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We’re sharing this post with:

Living Well Spending Less

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You see this cutie patootie? This is my baby girl who is 4 years old and she has the greatest hair! It is long. It is thick. It holds any style you put it in. It is everything I always wanted my own hair to be but I guess she was blessed with the rockin’ hair genes and I was blessed with something else in the gene pool. I’ll have to get back to you on exactly what that blessing is because I’m struggling at the moment to come up with something

Even though she was blessed with amazing hair, she was not blessed with the patience to have it brushed out on a daily basis. I have to keep her distracted by letting her watch Frozen on my iPad while I work through her hair every morning. I also lay on the compliments really thick such as, “You have really beautiful hair just like Elsa’s!” That gets her every time

My other trick I use to get her hair brushed out is this amazing detangle spray. I used to buy it by the case because with three girls, I needed A LOT of detangle spray in the Jones household. About a year ago, I got tired of paying so much for something I knew I could make for myself. After a few different versions, this is my no-fail recipe for detangle spray!

Simply use an empty spray bottle and fill it 1/4 of the way full of hair conditioner. The cheaper the conditioner, the better. Slowly add enough hot water to fill the bottle half way. Screw on the lid and gently shake the bottle to dissolve the conditioner into the water. Add more hot water to finish filling the bottle. Done! Just shake it well before using it and you just saved yourself a ton of money Follow Carole from My Kitchen Escapades on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook!

We’re sharing this post with:

Living Well Spending Less

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As a momma to six kids, one of my tricks to having a successful summer is to have options for my kids.  Not just a few options.  A large, long list of options.  If my kids are bored, they get into trouble.

So to combat such situations,  I have a long list of activities for them when boredom sets in and then the Jones household can remain at a somewhat tolerable level of craziness.

I have made many different types of play dough, including a classic play dough and a foam dough.  This recipe for Silky Soft Play Dough turns out exactly like the title describes:  silky and soft!  We used a cheap strawberry conditioner, which made this dough smell good enough to eat.  It isn’t extremely stiff either, which makes it so fun to squoosh and squeeze through your fingers.  (Is squoosh even a real word??)

Silk Soft Play Dough

1 C hair conditioner – the cheaper, the better!

2 1/2 C corn starch

1.  In a large bowl, combine both ingredients until a dough forms then turn out the dough onto the counter dusted with corn starch.  Knead the dough, adding any additional corn starch as needed.  Store in an airtight bag or container.

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Strawberry Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

(makes 10-12 pancakes)

recipe adapted from Creme de la Crumb

1 1/2 C flour

1 1/2 Tb poppyseeds

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 C sugar

juice of 2 lemons

1 C buttermilk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg, divided

Syrup:

1 1/2 C fresh strawberries, diced

1 1/2 C sugar

1/2 C water

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tb honey

1.  Prepare the syrup by combining all the syrup ingredients in a medium sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from heat and blend until smooth. You can keep the syrup warm on the stove over low heat.

2.  Preheat a large skillet over medium low heat and spray with cooking spray.  In a large bowl combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, lemon juice and zest.  Add the buttermilk, vanilla and egg yolk and whisk until smooth.  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet.  Combine just until incorporated, the batter should still be lumpy.  Beat the egg white until stiff in a small bowl and gently fold it into the batter.

3.  Pour 1/4 C of batter onto preheated skillet and cook on both sides for about 1 minute on each side.  Serve with the warm syrup, additional fresh strawberries and a dollop of whip cream if desired!

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I’m not quite sure why she insisted on wearing safety goggles to apply the green sprinkles, but who was I to argue?  You never know when a rogue green sprinkle might jump up off the cupcake and attack

While my little cutie was working so hard on her cupcakes, I was digging in my freezer for some yeast and came upon two packages of frozen, shredded zucchini from my garden last summer.  Jackpot!  I completely forgot that I froze some leftover shredded zucchini after my massive zucchini baking day.

I knew instantly what recipe I wanted to try with my two frozen gems of zucchini because this recipe has been quietly calling my name all winter long.  The results were delicious!  I love zucchini in breads and muffins because they add the perfect amount of moistness and heft without tasting like zucchini.  I made a double batch since I had enough zucchini to do so and both loaves were gone within the first day.  In my book, that means the family loved it

Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread

recipe adapted from Nancy Creative

(makes 1 loaf)

2 eggs

1 1/3 C sugar

1/2 C canola oil

1/2 C buttermilk

1 lemon, both zest and juice

1 C grated zucchini

2 C cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Glaze:

1 C powdered sugar

1 Tb lemon juice

2 Tb milk

1.  In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until light in color.  Add the oil, lemon juice and zest, buttermilk and zucchini.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt and blend together just until blended.  Do not over mix.

2.  Pour batter into a greased 9×5 loaf pan.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no raw batter on it.

3.  Mix together the glaze and while the loaf is still warm, pour on the glaze.  I used a wire rack over a cookie sheet so I could scoop up the glaze that fell off and reapply it.  Bread is best if it is wrapped and rests overnight before serving.

We are sharing this with: Living Well Spending Less, Lamberts Lately, What’s Cooking Love, Tatertots And Jello, Whipperberry, Sunny Simple , The Country Cook, Mandy’s Recipe Book,  Inside BruCrew Life,

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So for the past two weeks, my baby girl has been getting up many hours before school starts, bundling up against the Minnesota winter and delivering newspapers.  Our local paper does not have a Sunday paper so she is also learning a whole new level of appreciation for the Sabbath being a day of rest

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

recipe adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

5-6 pounds boneless pork butt

3 cups Coke (not diet!)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp salt

2 cups enchilada sauce

1 1/2 cups Coke

2 – 7 oz cans green chiles

2 cups brown sugar

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As much as possible, I like to pack our food that we will consume during our road trips.  I can’t stand fast food.  I used to love it, but now it just makes me nauseous.  I wish I could say it was because I am super healthy and would never put such garbage into my body, but we all know better than that.  I just don’t like it anymore.

These pizza roll-ups are a staple in our house for road trips, lunch boxes and to toss in the freezer for a quick dinner.  I always make a child version (just cheese) and an adult version (packed with meats and veggies).

Getting ready for the big game in a few weeks?  These also make great party food to feed all your hungry guests.  You could even make them smaller and bite-sized if you wanted!

Pizza Roll-Ups

recipe by My Kitchen Escapades

1 recipe of pizza dough 

1 small can of tomato sauce

1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese

6 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

Toppings such as pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers (optional)

salt and pepper

garlic powder

onion powder

italian seasoning

1.  Allow the pizza dough to rise one time after making it according to the recipe.  Roll the dough on a lightly floured counter top into a 18×12″ rectangle.

2.  Spread on the tomato sauce (as thick or thin as you would like) then season it well by sprinkling the top with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and italian seasoning.

3.  Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese, then the mozzarella cheese.  If you are adding any toppings, add those after both the cheeses.  Starting on the long side, roll up the dough into a tight log.  Cut into 12 even pieces and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Allow to rise for about 15 minutes, covered.

4.  Bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated 475 degree oven until the rolls are lightly browned.  Serve hot or allow to come to room temperature before wrapping for lunches.

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After our first big snow storm last week, my house looked like a winter clothing store exploded inside my house.  Seriously.  Boots, gloves, hats, snow pants, coats and various winter paraphernalia were scattered through every room of my house.  My half dozen kids were desperately scrounging around for winter gear that would fit their growing bodies and discarding the ones that didn’t fit all around the house.

You would be shocked if I told you the amount of money we spend every year on snow pants alone.  No matter how expensive or well built, my kids can tear open a knee or seam better than any kid out there.  Don’t even get me started on the number of lost gloves left on playgrounds, school buses, or buried somewhere deep in a snow fort.

After my kiddos came in from their snow adventures, their first words were “Can we have some hot chocolate?”  What kind of Mom would I be if I didn’t comply?  When I was a kid, there was nothing better than coming inside after sledding all afternoon to a steaming cup of hot chocolate.  I can even remember the specific mugs my Mom would use.

Hot Chocolate Mix

(makes enough for 24 cups)

3 C powdered milk

3/4 C powdered creamer

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder

1.  Whisk together all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

2.  To serve, mix a 1/4 C of the mix with 8-10 ounces of hot water, depending on how rich you like your hot cocoa.

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There are many wonderful blessings that come from being a Momma to six children.  Listening to their annoying music is not one of them.

I’m sure you are well aware of the song, “The Fox” by Ylvis.  (If not, remember, I warned you before you click over to listen to it).  While all my kids enjoy the song, my three year old is obsessed with it.  It is on constant replay when she uses the iPad, she sings it no matter what else she is doing (playing, eating, peeing, going to bed….) plus insists that I dance along with her anytime she hears it.  There is no escaping.

My real problem with this song is the fact that it gets stuck in my head for days on end and drives me insane!  Back when my oldest was three, it was all those poke-your-eyes-out Barney songs that would loop around endlessly in my head.  I haven’t decided yet which is worse.

Vanilla Pudding M&M Cookies

makes 24 cookies

(recipe adapted from Picky Palate)

1/2 C butter, room temperature

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 C flour

3 Tb instant vanilla pudding mix

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C mini semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 C mini M&M’s

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until well combined.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat again.  Add flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until it comes together into a batter.  It will start of dry and crumbly, but keep mixing!  Add the chocolate chips and M&M’s then stir them in gently.

2.  Evenly portion the dough onto the trays.  I used a small cookie scoop, but will try a larger one next time for bigger cookies!  Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to lightly brown on the edges.  Do not overcook!  Let the cookies cool for 8 minutes before removing them from the cookie sheet.

Carole – Thanks so much for this cookie recipe.  I can’t wait to try it with the pudding mix in it.  Sounds wonderful!  And  did anybody else click through to the Fox Song?   I couldn’t resist the temptation, could you?  I can just imagine Carole’s three year old belting out this song!  Very cute!

Our Thursday Party List!

Gingerly Made – Glued to my Crafts – Live Laugh Rowe – Lamberts Lately – The 36th Avenue – Fireflies and Jelly Beans

The Crafty Blog Stalker – Real Coake – 52 Mantels – Living Well Spending Less

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I have a small garden but I am not a gardener.  You see, I am notorious for garden neglect once I complete the initial planting in the spring. Every year I have such great intentions to tend my garden so carefully but it never happens.  This neglect manifests itself best in the monster sized zucchini I harvest, instead of the desired small, sweet and deliciously tender ones I wanted.  These massive zucchinis aren’t good for much except to use in baking, so I have been producing all kinds of baked zucchini products over the past few weeks.

These Banana Zucchini Muffins are dense, moist and delicious, but they also use the other food I always seem to have in great abundance:  over-ripe bananas!  Plus, the use of whole wheat flour, agave and applesauce makes a mommy quite happy on the nutritional end.

Banana Zucchini Muffins

(recipe adapted from Savoring the Thyme)

makes 18 muffins

1 C whole wheat flour

1 C white flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 C agave nectar

3/4 C brown sugar

1/4 C melted butter

1/2 C unsweetened applesauce

3 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 C grated zucchini

1 medium very ripe banana, mashed

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line the muffin tins with paper liners.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients together until well combined.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold to combine.  Do not over mix!

2.  Fill the muffin liners so they are filled not quite to the top of the liner.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the center of the muffins spring back when lightly touched.  To freeze, wait until they cool completely then individually wrap each muffin in plastic wrap tightly.

Linking with these sites today:

Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Simply Sweet Home, Thirty Handmade Days, Living Well Spending Less, The Pin Junkie, Serenity Now Blog, French Country Cottage, The Frugal Girls, While He Was Napping, Romantic Home, The Answer is Chocolate, Simply Designing, Shaken Together Life, Naptime Crafters, Truly Lovely Blog, Chic on a Shoestring Budget, Shabby Nest

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Those chunky cheekies also made another appearance this week when checking-in on her before I went to bed.  She was sound asleep and naked once more, but accompanied with an extremely large collection of toys perfectly lined up in a very OCD manner.

I’ve decided both of these instances are cute and adorable.  I even took pictures to use as blackmail for when she is older.  However, if there is a third naked occurrence anytime soon, I might have to begin seeking help.

Maybe if I only ate salads, exercised all day long and never ate anything indulgent like this casserole, I could have the same confidence that my naked 3 year old has But nah…it’s not worth it. The reason I exercise every day is mainly so I can eat more food every day.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

recipe adapted from tastykitchen.com

Base:

1 large rotisserie chicken, meat removed and pulled (about 5-6 C)

1/2 pound sliced deli-style black forest ham, chopped

1/2 pound sliced swiss cheese

Sauce:

4 Tb butter

4 Tb flour

3 C milk

2 Tb lemon juice

1 Tb dijion mustard

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

Topping:

4 Tb melted butter

1 1/4 C seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 C parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray. Layer the chicken in the bottom of the dish followed by the ham and finally the swiss cheese.

2.  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the milk, whisking to keep clumps from forming.

3.  Turn the heat to high and cook until the sauce thickens and boils completely, whisking often.  Remove from the heat and add the remaining sauce ingredients. Pour the finished sauce over the base layer already in the dish.

4.  In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients until the butter is evenly distributed over the crumbs.  Sprinkle over the top of the dish and bake for 45 minutes.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving so the sauce will thicken just a bit.

                                        

It’s a Friday party with these sites today!

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For anyone who has braved camping, you understand how much work is required to get it all ready.  There are 8 of us and I work for days on end before we leave, especially on the food.  I don’t want to spend my limited camping time prepping and cooking our meals so I do as much prep work as I possibly can at home.

For these Onion Bombs, I made all the bombs at home, double wrapped them in foil and kept them cold until we cooked them on the third night of our camping trip.  My only mistake was not making enough because everyone loved them.  (Which was hard for my children to admit after so much whining and complaining about an “eeeewwwww onion”)  Next time, I will double this recipe but even that may not be enough for all of us.  Big hit!

If you aren’t the camping type, just toss these in a hot 350 degree oven at home instead!

Onion Bombs

recipe by Carole Jones of mykitchenescapades.com

(makes 5-6 bombs)

2 large onions

1 pound ground beef

1 pound sausage

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 Tb worcestershire sauce

1 egg, beaten

1/2 C fresh bread crumbs

1/2 C freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

tomato sauce or ketchup (optional)

1.  Cut the both end off the onions, set them on one cut end, then cut in half.  Peel the onion and separate into matching pieces.

2.  In a bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients except for the tomato sauce.  It is easiest to use your hands but do not over mix or the result will be very dense!  Fill both matching sides of the onion then press them together, wrap them twice in foil and set aside.

3.  To cook, place them in a large amount of very hot coals for15 minutes, flip over and cook for another 15 minutes.  Total cooking time will depend on the size of your bombs and the hotness of your coals so check on them to be sure they are cooked all the way through.  You could also roast these in a 350 degree oven if you aren’t camping!

4.  To serve, remove the foil and top with tomato sauce or ketchup if desired.

Here are a few of our other favorite camping recipes!  Just click on the picture to be taken to the recipe.

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I know I should begin with an introduction of some type since this is my first time posting on MFP,  however that makes me feel like an awkward, insecure teenage girl trying to convince people to like me and my blog, My Kitchen Escapades.  So instead, I will just have to win you over with my recipes because my food does a better job of convincing people to like me than my personality.  Honestly.

1. Food…..and mountains of it! — Not only are you feeding your family but also the endless supply of friends and neighbors who know you keep mountains of food at your house.
2. Entertainment — This comes in so many different forms depending on a child’s age and interests, but it all boils down to one critical point:  if your kids get bored, they come and find YOU!!!
3. Work — Everyone home 24/7 = Everything a mess 24/7 if everyone doesn’t do their part to survive.
4. Time — It can be 15 minutes or it can be a whole afternoon but those moments of time you spend together as a family is what your kids will remember when they reminisce about the Summer of 2013.

The kids and I had so much fun creating all the different variations of this same recipe base.  I made one double batch of the base, but used these five different mix-ins to create all our favorites.  Actually, I created SIX varieties, because my oldest son only likes plain granola bars.  Have fun with this base and mix in all the great stuff your own family loves!  I’m sure you can come up with amazing variations that will make mine seems as boring as my son’s plain ones

**UPDATE 3/7/14**  I have received many questions about using coconut oil instead of butter, and agave instead of honey, so I created a revised recipe using those substitutions!  Just click here for the instructions and tell me what you think.  I can’t tell the difference!  Carole

No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

(recipe makes a 9×13 pan)

recipe by Carole Jones of My Kitchen Escapades

2 cups quick cooking oats (or pulse whole oats in a food processor a bit)

1 C rice crispy cereal

1/4 C shredded coconut

1/4 C butter

1/4 C honey

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix -In variations listed below

1.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, cereal and coconut.  Set a small saucepan over medium high heat and melt the butter.  Add the honey, brown sugar and salt.  Stir together then leave it alone as it comes to a boil.  Once the boil has reached all the way around the edges of the pan, begin timing.  Allow this mixture to boil for 2 minutes and 15 seconds.  During this time, you may need to turn the heat down a bit so it doesn’t overflow, but be sure it keeps boiling.

2.  Add the vanilla and then pour the mixture over the oats, using a rubber spatula to get all the sugar mixture out of the pan.  Mix the ingredients together until the oats are completely coated.  Add in your desired mix-in then press very firmly into a lightly greased 9×13″ pan.  If you like your bars thicker, you can use a smaller pan.  If you do not press firmly enough, the bars will fall apart when you eat them.  Place them in the fridge for 20 minutes then cut to size.

Chocolate Chip

Add 1/2 C of mini chocolate chips to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan, allowing it cool just a bit or you will end up with melted chips.  Sprinkle on a few extra chips over the top after they are pressed into the pan.

White Chocolate Cranberry

Add 1/3 C of white chocolate chips and 1/3 C of Craisins to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan, allowing it to cool just a bit first or you will end up with melted chips.

Candy Bar

Add 1/3 C of Heath bar pieces, 1/3 C of mini M&M’s and 1/3 C of chopped pretzels to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan.

Peanut Butter

Add 2 Tb of peanut butter to the finished sugar mixture before pouring it over the oats.  Once mixed with the oats, add 1/2 C peanut butter chips before pressing into the pan.

Raisin Nut

Add 1/3 C of chopped raisins and 1/3 C of chopped pecans to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan.

Here are a few more recipes you should try from Carole:

Parmesan Chicken Bake

Sauce Pan M&M Cookies

Almond Poppy Seed Coffee Cake with Almond Streusel

 

 

You can also find me on Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

Link Parties: The Shabby Nest/Chic on A Shoestring/Whipperberry/Truly Lovely/Naptime Crafters/Shaken Together/Simply Designing/The Answer is Chocolate/My Romantic Home/VMG206/While He Was Napping/The Frugal Gals/The French Country Cottage/Serenity Now/Somewhat Simple/Craftionary/Just Us Four/The Pin Junkie/Living Well Spending Less/Thirty Handmade Days/Be Betsy

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