Granola Bars Basic Recipe

Mix:
2 c. oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. peanut butter
dried fruit, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc., as desired

Press into greased 11" x 13" pan. Dough will be very dry and crumbly, but press until dough forms with pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until edges are browned. Take out and let cool entirely. Cut into strips and store in snack size bags.

from Chasten R. who found it at Super Healthy Kids.

Granola

Mix:
6 c. oats
1 c. chopped almonds
1/3 c. sesame seeds
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1-2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix:
1/2 c. olive oil (or canola oil)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. honey
2 tblsp. vanilla

Mix wet and dry ingredients together.
Pour onto cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes.

from Chasten R. who found it at Super Healthy Kids.

Whole Wheat Graham Crackers

While these crackers are not thin like store-bought graham crackers, they are healthy, pure, and delicious. Though graham flour is slightly different from regular whole wheat flour, regular whole wheat flour is a substitute for graham flour.


Graham flour is made from whole wheat flour but it is ground differently. The OSU Extension explains that the "germ, bran, and endosperm are separated and ground separately. The bran and germ are ground coarsely, the endosperm is ground finely, and then they are mixed together. Since graham flour and other whole-wheat flour contain the wheat germ, bran, and endosperm, they are higher in nutrient value than regular all-purpose flour and enriched or self-rising flour."


In a small bowl mix:
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. water
2 tblsp. lemon juice

In a large bowl beat well:
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla
2 beaten eggs

Add the following and mix well:
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
8-10 c. whole wheat pastry flour

When well mixed, divide into four equal portions. The dough will be the consistency of thick cookie dough.

Place each portion on a greased and floured cookie sheet and roll out to 1/8 inch thick. (It's important to roll it out ON the pan, not before and try to transfer.)

Prick with a fork and bake in 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Immediately cut into squares and remove to cooling rack.


from Chasten R. who modified the recipe found in Wheat Cookin' Made Easy.


Did you try them? What did you think?

Cereal Power Bars

The directions say to cool before eating. Chasten wrote, "We didn't cool... We ate, and ate them pretty hot and pretty fast." I guess that tells you something about how good this recipe is. If you buy these ingredients in bulk or stock up on them when you find them on sale and keep them in your food storage, it will be an easy choice to make this healthy recipe.


Line a 13" x 9" pan with foil and spray.

Mix together:
1 2/3 c. cereal (any bran flake type should work)
8 dates, chopped and pitted
1/2 c. coconut
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 can white beans (white kidney or Great Northern) pureed or chopped

Mix in:
1/3 c. honey
3 tblsp. melted butter
2 tblsp. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
dash salt
1 c. cinnamon chips (This was the best part!!)

Spread in lined pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until edges are browned. Cool completely.

From Chasten R. who found it at Super Healthy Kids.

What did you think? Did you finish off the pan before the bars had cooled?

Whole Grain Breakfast Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine and cream till fluffy:
5 tblsp. butter, softened
3 tblsp. canola or vegetable oil
1/2 c. brown sugar

Add and mix in:
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg

Stir in:
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Stir in individually and mix after each:
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. wheat germ

Stir in:
1 c. combination cranberries and raisins, minced

Roll into 1" balls and place on cookie sheets with at least 2" between them.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Don't let them get too brown unless you like them crunchy. Cool on cookie sheets for a few mintues before transferring to a cooling rack.

Notes from the baker: When I baked these, I check them halfway through the baking time and they were still round balls with no indication of flattening. I removed the cookie sheet from the oven, flattened the balls with the bottom of a glass, and returned them to the over until finished. Yours may flatten just fine.


Other dried fruit would work, too.


I think these would work well pressed into a jelly roll or cake pan, scored into granola bar shapes, baked, then broken apart or cut while warm.

I didn't have wheat germ on hand so substituted whole wheat flour.

from Nancy M. who found it at Prudence Pennywise.

Hawaiian Bread

This is a very moist cake which keeps for several days.


Mix together:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
2 eggs
1 can crushed pineapple with juice (12-20 ounces)
1/2 c. grated coconut
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tblsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Put in a bread pan. Sprinkle the top with extra coconut, a little brown sugar, and some nuts.

Bake in oven set at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until cooked all the way through. (Test by poking a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it's finished. If not, let bake a little longer.)

Recipe shared by Chasten R. who found it at Super Healthy Kids.





Did you try this recipe? What did you think? Did you make any substitutions and if so, how did they work?

Peanut Butter Balls

This is a super easy recipe that children may enjoy making. Though you freeze the balls for a brief time, store in the refrigerator (if they last that long) and allow to stand at room temperature a few minutes before serving. The added bonus of this recipe is that every ingredient is probably part of your food storage. If you run out of everything else, you and your family can still have a healthy, slightly sweet snack.

Mix together:
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 c. powdered milk
1 c. quick oats
1/2 c. honey

Form into 1" balls and place on a plate. Freeze for 10-30 minutes.

From Chasten R.


Did you try these? Did your family like them? How long did they last?

Molasses Coconut Lunch Box Bars

Beat together until well mixed:
3 eggs
1/2 c. honey

Gradually beat in:
1/2 c. light molasses
1/2 c. butter, melted

Mix and sift together:
2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. mace

Blend the flour/spice mixture into the molasses mixture.

Stir in:
4 oz. flaked coconut
1 c. raisins

Turn into greased 15" x 10" jelly roll pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Spread with powdered sugar glaze if desired. Cut into bars.

from Chasten R.

Flour Tortilla Mix

from Sherrida U.

This is a wet mix which can be stored in the refrigerator at least a week. You can have fresh tortillas every day!

Flour Tortilla Mix
Mix:
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup oil
2 cups whole wheat flour

Mix and add to above mixture:
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups white flour

Add flour until the dough becomes soft and elastic.

Roll dough thin.

Cook in a non-stick or cast iron frying pan heated to sizzling hot. (You can tell it's sizzling hot when a drop of water splashed onto the pan sizzles.)

Add-A-Crunch Oat Topping

Serve as a topping over fruit salad, fruit, yogurt, frozen yogurt, ice cream, or pudding. Also great on bran muffins.


Add-A-Crunch

Combine and mix well:
1 1/4 c. uncooked oats (quick or old-fashioned)
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup wheat germ or processed bran or nuts
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Cook in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Spread onto ungreased cookie sheet to cool. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator up to 3 months.

Makes 2 cups.

A note from Janni: I put my Add-A-Crunch in the oven at 270 degrees for 15-20 minutes and skip burning it in a skillet when I get distracted.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

We tried those whole wheat tortillas again last night and I found them just as good as the first time. They are really flexible after being cooked so you can make wraps easily. I don't know if they remain soft like that as we never have any left to store. I am trying Sherrida's method of storing them in the frig before cooking and will let you know how they do.

Anyway I promised to give this recipe to the sisters the night we learned mixes. Below is the video I watched. You can also see the video and detailed, step-by-step photos and instructions at Novel Eats. I made them without the machine, though the blender is needed to process the oat and walnuts. I like this especially with white wheat.


Whole Wheat Tortillas
This recipe makes about 16 8- to 10-inch tortillas

2 cups hot water
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts (I think you could probably also use pecans)
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups white flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Blend together the hot water, rolled oats, walnuts and salt for a couple of minutes. If you have a high power blender you can probably get away with less time, but lower powered blenders probably need a full two or three minutes.

While your liquid mixture is blending, stir together the white and whole wheat flours in a large mixing bowl.

Pour your liquid mixture into the flour and mix. Mix by hand until you can knead it. Knead until soft and everything is incorporated 3 to 4 min. Let sit 10 min and roll out golf ball size dough balls. This is very easy to roll and can be made really thin.