The Best Granola Ever - total time 30 minutes

You know the phrase "that's so granola"?  Describing something that is plain and boring...   Well those people have never had this granola!  I pretty much make it every week mainly for breakfast parfaits, but it also makes a great snack, especially when you need a few bites in between meals. 

You might buy granola in the store... it might taste good... but it is probably expensive, maybe three servings at best, and you don't know all of the ingredients, or maybe you don't like some of the ingredients.  Granola is soooo easy to make at home!  I had my doubts at first too.  But it really is just combining all the ingredients in a bowl and then spreading it on a cookie sheet, ten minutes in the oven and woop, there it is. ;)
I definitely save money too.  We would normally go through three bags of granola a week plus cereal and English muffins.   I get the main ingredients from bulk bins and the others are usually local and last through many, many batches of granola.  It also keeps me full longer in the mornings, so less snacking before lunch.  And you can make it into granola bars for a snack on the go.

So, chocolate and peanut butter... best combination ever, right?  You probably can't eat Reese cups every day, but this granola is actually healthy and has just enough sweet.  Whole grains and great protein from the seeds and nuts.  Plus it is naturally sweetened with a little honey and maple syrup... oh... and the dark chocolate chips of course... which are totally healthy, I promise!  :) 

Good Day Columbus - Packing Your Lunch

This morning I got to spend some time with the Good Day Columbus crew at Fox28 (check out the video here).  It was a lot of fun seeing everything that goes on behind the scenes and all of the fun segments they get to do.  I helped out with some tips on packing sandwiches for lunches, whether that's for your lunch or your kids' lunch.  It was kind of a mini Chopped challenge to think of some interesting ways to use Klosterman's bread (Ohio family owned bread company).  So here are the three super easy, super quick, all vegetarian sandwiches I came up with....

Peanut Butter Banana Rollup

Perfect for kids!  Just smear some peanut butter on two slices of bread, split the banana in half with your fingers, and wrap the bread around the banana like a taco.  The peanut butter will keep the bread "stuck" to the banana and prevent the banana from oxidizing.  Also delicious toasted a bit for ooey gooey peanut buttery goodness!

Avocado Tomato and Cheese

Kind of your vegetarian BLT.  Avocado makes everything better and a packed lunch is no exception.  Bring the avocado with you if you're worried about browning because all it takes is a spoon to scoop and squish!  The avocado and the cheese act as barriers for your bread to keep from getting soggy from the juicy tomatoes... and I hate soggy bread... you know I'm not recommending anything that would leave you with a soggy mess.  :)

Pear and Brie

During the winter I was obsessed with this panini!  I made them several days in a row, which never happens in my house... we're all about variety.  Even though melty brie is the best, you can still get a good cold sandwich out of this cold duo.  Just slice up the pear and the brie and layer it on.  Extra points for a toaster oven at work because nothing beats melty brie!  :)

 

Here are a couple sneak peeks to the behind-the-scenes view on the Good Day Columbus set...

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Granola Bar - total time 1 hour

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  I've never been one to skip breakfast, I would never make it to lunch without gnawing my arm off.  So to keep my hunger at bay, I start most mornings with a quick parfait.  I loooove this granola I get from Green Bean delivery.  It is so yummy!  And I have tried a lot of different granolas, definitely all of the ones with chocolate in them.  But this one is definitely the best, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, and a little chocolate.  Perfect way to start the day... top it with some berries and yogurt... even better!

We go through this stuff like crazy, like, a couple bags every week.  It's kind of ridiculous.  But we don't always have time in the morning even for a simple parfait (I easily lose track of time before I have had my coffee... even after sometimes... so mornings can go from a leisurely stroll to a mad dash out the door pretty quickly).  So what's a girl going to eat when she's run so fast out the door that she forgot to brush her hair and her phone is still sitting on the kitchen counter?  Granola bars!  A quick grab and go solution.

You could probably just take premade granola and bake it into bars.  But where is the fun in that?  This way you control everything that goes into the bars and can feel good about what you're eating.  No added sugar and tons of protein and fiber... and so yummy... just like McCabe's granola.

It takes a bit of time from start to finish, but it's mostly hands off time.  I walked my dog while everything was cooling, came back, covered them in chocolate, and then went back out with Snoop to finish our walk.  Probably only spent 15 minutes in the kitchen.  Easy peasy!  

Buckeye Cookies - total time 1 hour

If you live in Ohio, you're probably getting excited about the Ohio State bowl game (well, as long as you're over the loss to Michigan State).  I'm sure there are other teams that get the same level of fan-demonium as the Buckeyes, but without a professional football home team to cheer for, everyone gets behind the Bucks.  

For us, game time is a great time to get things done in town... no traffic, no crowds, no worries!  But it is still fun for us to watch with a large group of friends and family with a spread of tasty appetizers and a few cutesy themed desserts!  

I'm no stranger to a peanut butter and chocolate dessert... they are definitely some of my favorites!  I love the sweet and salty mix, it just heightens the flavors.  I remember making buckeyes in my freshman dorm room with only a microwave and my desk (no fancy double boiler, or even a stove top available) for the Ohio State v Michigan game.  When you have to have buckeyes for the biggest rivalry in college football, you'll find a way.

So after years and years of making traditional buckeyes, I now try to twist that tradition into other desserts.  Buckeye Brownies, Buckeye Bark, Buckeye Mix-Ins... to name a few.  Well, my favorite dessert category is definitely cookies... so this year it is Buckeye cookies for game day!

Take 5 Cupcakes - total time 1 hour

Happy Halloween!  Trick-or-treat is postpone tonight because of a big storm heading our way (it is already getting windy and rainy outside)... so we're watching scary movies tonight instead of passing out candy.

Halloween is probably the most fun holiday.  It's all about sweets and treats, being creative and dressing up, getting scared.  All kinds of cute kids in costumes and fun parties for adults.  What's not to like?!

Every year I make sure to buy a bag of my favorite candy; Take 5.  Then I hide all of them in the bottom of the bowl and act surprised when they're the only candy left after all of the trick-or-treaters have gone home.  I feel like I never see Take 5 candy bars unless it is Halloween, so I have to save some for myself!  I mean, whoever thought to combine these five ingredients is a genius!  

So it seems only logical to turn my favorite candy bar into a cupcake (I mean, I already made a Muddy Buddies version).  Peanut butter frosting is one of my favorites!  Between PB frosting and Baileys frosting, I can't decide which I love more.  These little cakes are so delish... it is really the perfect combination of sweet and salty indulgence!

Take 5 Muddy Buddies - total time 20 minutes

Probably the first thing I ever learned how to make myself was puppy chow.  Or muddy buddies if you prefer.  Both names are kind of weird.  I mean, puppy chow?  People think you are trying to feed them dog food.  And then muddy buddies... kind of like mud pies.  Why would mud be appetizing?

Puppy chow is so easy to make!  Just melt some chocolate, peanut butter, and butter on Chex cereal... shake in a paper bag... then add powdered sugar... done!  Once everyone gets over the name, they are scarfing down the chocolaty, peanut buttery goodness.  Tastes like childhood!

Fast forward to adulthood and sometimes you just want a snack that will take you back to simpler times.  This time we're adding caramel and pretzels to the mix... a little extra sweet and a little extra salty.  Yum!

French Toast King Style - total time 20 minutes

I really don't know much about Elvis, but he knew what he was talking about when it came to peanut butter and banana sandwiches!  He would have loved this melty, ooey gooey french toast.  Good thing it is quick and easy because I am really not a morning person even though I love breakfast.  So easy that even if my brain is still half asleep it still comes out delicious!

Peanut Butter Frosting on Brownie Cupcakes - total time 1 hour

Oh snap!  (Do people still say that?)  When I saw this buckeye brownie cupcake recipe by six sisters stuff on Pinterest, I thought it was a perfect solve for the fact that I don't like cake but have fun making cupcakes. I do like brownies!  Problem solved!  But that isn't the best part of this recipe... the star is definitely the frosting!  I had to hold myself back from piping the stuff straight into my mouth.  :)  

You should probably get in the kitchen and make some of these, now.  I took pictures of the process, but didn't change the recipe at all... so head over to six sisters stuff to get the details.

Peanut Butter Soup (Thai Style) - total time 45 minutes

When I think of peanut butter, I think of desserts and sandwiches... never for dinner!  I was first introduced to a dinner entree two years ago at Northstar Cafe where they have a Thai dish with rice, peanut sauce, and vegetables.  I'll try pretty much anything once, I do love peanut butter, and discovered I loved it!  I tried my hand at recreating it at home later that week and it turned out pretty good.  But since then, I kind of forgot about it until I started researching different vegetarian recipes (you know, more than just the normal go-to meals with this whole 40 day challenge).  A lot of Thai food kept popping up in my searches and in the cookbooks I was looking through.  

So enter this soup...  Even though I knew I had enjoyed previous dinners using peanut butter, I was nervous all over again.  Turns out, there was nothing to be nervous about!  The soup is rich and creamy.  The peanut butter is really the star ingredient with only hints of the tomato juice and vegetable broth.  The rice and garbanzo beans give the soup some texture and the spices really compliment the sweet peanut butter with a slight kick. Definitely a recipe worth trying, even if you are as nervous as I was!

1 15oz. can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and peeled
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown rice
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper

1.  Saute onions and garlic in a little olive oil.  Add broth, juice, and spices, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.
2.  While simmering, rinse and peel the garbanzo beans.  Add rice, beans, and peanut butter into the broth and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

Buckeye Bark - total time 45 minutes

So every year for Christmas I make buckeye candy, among other treats and cookies of course.  Buckeyes are pretty labor intensive for something you don't have to bake or cook.  Rolling the balls, refrigerating  making sure the 'eye' is just right, not having too much chocolate that it pools while cooling... it's enough to make you give up before starting!  And then... I saw this idea on Pinterest!  So I took my buckeye recipe and made it into bark... easy, poppable, and just as delicious!

2 cups dark chocolate, melted
1 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

1.  Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave.  Spread thin layer of chocolate on parchment paper and put in freezer for 3 minutes to set chocolate.
2.  While the chocolate is in the freezer, combine the peanut butter, melted butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar to make the peanut butter 'dough'.  Spread peanut butter over the frozen chocolate and place back in freezer for 2 minutes.
3.  Pour remaining chocolate over top of the peanut butter and spread evenly.  Place tray back in freezer for 20 minutes.  
4.  Cut bark into one to two inch chunks.  Bark is best kept cold to prevent the peanut butter from oozing out of the chocolate.. but peanut butter and chocolate is good no matter the temperature.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls (with mix-ins) - total time 40 minutes

I usually make buckeyes every Christmas... they are pretty much expected by several family members.  Getting that 'eye' perfect and on top is harder than it seems, otherwise, buckeyes are pretty easy to make.  After the success with Chubby Hubby Truffles, I made the buckeye 'batter' and three different 'mix-ins' (a-la-Coldstone Creamery); pretzel (aka Chubby Hubby), pretzel and caramel (aka Take 5), and crushed graham cracker.  I think my favorite is the graham cracker mix-in, but everyone had their own favorite.

Buckeye Batter
2 cups creamy peanut butter
.5 cup powdered sugar
.25 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Mix ingredients together, including desired mix-ins.  
2.  Roll into balls and put in freezer while melting chocolate in double boiler.
3.  Dip cold peanut butter balls into chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off and place on wax paper (optional: add sprinkles or drizzle topping).  Refrigerate for 5 minutes to let chocolate set.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Cookies - total time 1 hour

I used to make banana bread often.  But since I have started making an effort to eat locally/seasonally... bananas are never really in season in Ohio (pawpaws taste similar, but are hard to find).  So when I got bananas from the grocery store the other day, I forgot we had them!  They ripened to the point they were just too mushy to eat and I didn't want banana bread... but how about banana cookies!  I'm always up for some cookies, these guys are light like banana bread, but sweet and chocolaty like the normal chocolate chip variety.  They got the co-worker seal of approval as the whole jar was gone by lunch time.  Yum!

2.5 cups flour
2 ripe bananas
4 tbsp butter
3 tbsp peanut butter
.5 sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
8 oz chocolate chips
top with vanilla sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash butter and bananas in mixer until well combined.  Add both sugars and beat on high for one minute.  Add in peanut butter, egg, and vanilla; mix slowly.
2.  Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add a half cup at a time into the banana mixture.  Add chocolate chips.
3.  Refridgerate dough for one hour!  This allows the flour to absorb the fat (PB and butter) but is short enough to prevent the banana from browning.
4.  Bake for 12 minutes and allow to cool on a rack.