Magic Granola

A few things about this granola-
1.  you can change the add ins and seasonings for each season or personal taste but do not mix in chocolate chips or any other dried fruit until it is out of the oven.
2. To make it truly magical feel free to add a little something extra

Ingredients:
1 container of oats (not the minute oats they get gummy)
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup of coconut or canola oil
1 tbs pumpkin pie seasoning
1 tbs vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 bag of chopped pecans
1 bag of dried cranberries
1c of shredded coconut
1 c of mini marshmallows

  Preheat the oven to 325. Cover a large cookie sheet with tin foil and spray with nonstick spray. Mix  inthe seasonings with the oats, cranberries and nuts and then add in remaining ingredients. Mix until everything well coated. Spread out evenly on the sheet and bake for one hour stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan and then break apart into chunks.

Banana Cake

Banana Cake
This recipe is modified from the Pioneer Woman.
We LOVE it! Because we always have an abundance of 1/2eaten bananas:)


Original Pioneer Woman Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 sticks Butter
• 1-1/2 cup + 2 TBLS Sugar
• 3 whole Eggs
• 1-1/2 cup Mashed Ripe Bananas
• 4 cups + 2 TBLS Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1-1/2 cup Sour Cream

Toohey Add ins and substitutions:
3 cups + 2TBLS White Flour
1 cup Whole wheat flour
1TBLS Vanilla (add in with eggs)
1 Cup of Dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour bundt pan.
Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beating for a few seconds after each addition. Add mashed bananas and beat.
Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Add dry ingredients and sour cream alternately to the mixing bowl. Beat well until all combined.
Pour into bundt pan and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Invert on a cooling rack and allow cake to cool slightly before slicing and serving with softened butter.

Halibut w Caper Salsa Verde

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 

1 1/2 teaspoons capers, drained and minced 

1 teaspoon minced shallots 

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind 

1/8 teaspoon anchovy paste (I use one anchovy finely chopped)

2  (6-ounce) skinless halibut fillets 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, parsley, and next 6 ingredients (through anchovy paste) in a small bowl, tossing well; set aside.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle fish fillets evenly with salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Add fish fillets to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve fish with salsa verde.

Serve with Asiago Roasted Fennel: Preheat oven to 400°. Remove outer leaves from 1 large fennel bulb; cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place fennel on a jelly-roll pan; drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with 1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt and 1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes. Toss with 2 tablespoons grated fresh Asiago cheese. Bake an additional 12 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.

Fish Stew w Fennel and Baby Potatoes

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 ounces small waxy potatoes (such as baby Yukon Gold), scrubbed, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1/2 medium fennel bulb, finely chopped (I use the whole bulb)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless flounder or fluke fillet, cut into 2" pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• Lemon wedges (for serving)

I serve it with crusty bread. 

Preparation

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook potatoes, tossing occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add fennel and garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is soft, about 2 minutes. Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add 2 cups water to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10–12 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche. Add flounder, cover pot, and reduce heat. Simmer until fish is cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Stir dill into stew; season with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

Per serving: 380 calories, 19 g fat, 2 g fiber

Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

No-Bake Chocolate-Almond Oat Bars (Guten Free)

1 cup smooth almond butter

1/2 cup honey

1 stick unsalted butter

2 cups rolled oats (Bobs Red Mill produces gluten-free, available at Bradley Park Publix

or P'tree Natural Foods)

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao preferable)

1 cup pure shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.  Line with parchment, leaving 2

inches of overhang on 2 sides.  Melt almond butter, honey, and butter in a saucepan

over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes.  Remove from heat and add

remaining ingredients, stirring until chocolate has melted and ingredients are well

combined.

Pour mixture into prepared pan.  Refrigerate until chocolate hardens, at least 3 hours

and up to 1 day.  Run an knife around the edges, then use parchment paper to remove

from paper and transfer to cutting board.  Cut into bars.  Bars can be stored in

refrigerator for up to 3 days.

My Aunt made these for me and they are incredible!  They freeze well and would be great for a holiday sweets exchange!

Grandma Ida Skipper's Brown Rice

1.5 cup rice

3 cans beef consumme soup

3/4 stick butter

1 onion

Water chestnuts, sliced

Pepper to taste

Melt butter in pan. Brown rice. Add rice, consumme, onion, water chestnuts and pepper to baking dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed. 

Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri

I

This is another recipe from Erin M. People freak out when we serve it.  It's delicious  with roasted butternut squash mash and roasted vegetables. 

For the Chimichurri I do rough chops and then everything into the food processor

-6 cloves garlic

-2 jalapeno

-1/4 cup red wine vinegar

-about 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

-about 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh oregano

-3 limes juiced

-1 cup evoo(I add by quarter cups to taste)

-1 teaspoon kosher salt 

-1 teaspoon black pepper

For the Tenderloin combine all below ingredients and marinate for 24 hours. This marinade works for 2 tenderloins. Grilling it is delicious but in the winter we sear it on all sides in the skillet and then into the oven. 

-1/2 cup soy sauce

-1 teaspoon sesame oil

-1/4 cup OJ

-1/4 cup honey

-2 tablespoons peeled chopped ginger

-3 garlic cloves chopped

-2 tablespoons scallions chopped

-Fresh ground pepper

Honey Glazed Fried Chicken & Kale Fried Rice

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts cut into strips
2 c buttermilk
1tbs of your fav hot sauce (we use Franks)
1-2 cups flour enough to coat all chicken
tbs Paprika
tbs garlic powder
S&P ( use a good amount of salt)
Lrge Bottle of canola or peanut oil
Honey
Lemon
Dutch oven or deep pan

Soak the chicken in the buttermilk and hot sauce for 2hours in the fridge.  Take out and bring to room temp before breading and frying.
Mix flour and seasonings in a bowl
Coat chicken in flour mixture and lay flat on a plate or tray
Pour oil in a Dutch

oven or deep skillet (need about 2 inches of oil)
Bring oil to about 350 (should sizzle when you drop in chicken)
Fry on one side for 3-5 min flip and do same on the other (it browns once it comes out of the oil)
Remove and place on a paper towel
drizzle warm honey over the top and a squeeze of lemon

Kale Fried Rice- this is a lazy version of Gwen Paltrow's which is also delicious
1 lrg bunch of kale- rib removed and cut in thin strips
1 clove of garlic
1 shallot
about a tbs of minced ginger
1tbs coconut oil
2tbs rice wine vinegar
2tbs of sesame oil
2tbs of Soy sauce (we omit this because the kiddos don't like it)

cooked rice ( we use a brown white mix)
  

Steam rice with one clove of garlic and set aside
Fry Kale, shallots and ginger in coconut oil until kale is wilted
Add rice wine vinegar and deglaze
reduce heat to low and add in rice and sesame oil

* My kids love to dip the chicken in ketchup and honey

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