Easy Granola Bars

Props going out to Lynn's Kitchen Adventures for this easy recipe. We have used it a LOT since I found it...it's really that good! Here's the recipe plus a few tips:

Easy Granola Bars
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats ( I have used regular and it's just fine here)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter melted
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Press into a greased 9×13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. If you brown them too much the will be crisp granola bars. Let cool 5 minutes and then cut. Let cool completely before eating.

I didn't have any chocolate chips so this time I used peanut butter chips and white chocolate chips-YUM. Use what you like and you can use dried fruits also like raisins, cranberries, cherries, or apricots. Chopped nuts may be added too for more protein, honestly whatever you like...chuck it on in! I like to use my old but washed out baggies for messy spreading jobs like this...a bit of butter on your hands will keep you from sticking too!

And finally...I'd like to take a moment to thank all our Veterans on this fine Veterans Day....Every moment of freedom I've got is because of the wonderful men and women who fight for me and my littles and our Country! May Gob bless each and every one of you! And for my family in the service...I think and pray for you often!

Menu Monday

Menu II

Monday- No Boil EASY Homemade Mac and Cheese, Apple Slices w/Homemade Caramel Dip,Green Beans

Tuesday- Fish Sandwiches, Home Fries, Fruit cup.

Wednesday- Spaghetti and Meat Balls, Salad, Garlic Bread

Thursday- Breaded and Baked Chicken Strips, Rice and Lentil side dish, Broccoli Normandy

Friday- Pizza, Yogurt Cups, Veggie Tray

Saturday- Grilled Cheese, Chicken Noodle/veggie Soup, Sunshine Fruit Bowl.

Sunday- Pork Chops, Baked Potatoes, Honey Glazed Carrots.

Snacks to Make

Banana Bread

Cake Box Cookies

Easy Granola Bars

The chicken noodle/veggie soup will be made from any leftover chicken strips and the leftover broccoli Normandy (this is just a frozen bag mix of broccoli cauliflower and carrots) plus any leftover green beans from Monday. I could even throw in a scoop or two of the lentil and rice side dish if I were to want to instead of noodles for the starch...we'll see! I'll share a few of the recipes this week as time allows...we are finishing our kitchen redo up this week-hopefully! The walls are painted and now we just have the floor to finish up. Then I have to put it all back together and CLEAN it all before Thanksgiving gets here! Happy cooking everybody! May we nourish our families body's and their spirits this week as best as we can through the Lord!!!

Thanksgiving Feast Menu

Bountiful Thanksgiving, Turkey on Oak Leaf

It isn't so far off now, is it? I get to host this year -but my group isn't too big this time....only 11. 11 is a nice cozy number and just right for being able to give personal attention to each of my guests! It is such a blessing to be able to open our homes to others through out the year. I'm looking forward to this year...I have a lot to be thankful for! Maybe I'll do a thankful for post later. We are redoing our kitchen just a bit right now. Some painting and new peel and stick linoleum....it's a very frugal change....but it really needed it. The wall paper was so warn from washing that it shed every time I wiped it! I just hope it's all done before my guests come. I'll post before and afters when it's all done. So on to the menu. I'll be picking up the items in the next week except the turkey. That I get the week of and just let him thaw in the fridge until it's time to cook him....plus the longer you wait on the turkey....the lower the price per pound gets!! I will be getting 2 or 3 this year when they go on sale as I have some extra space in the freezer.

Thanksgiving Menu

Roasted Turkey and gravy

Cranberry sauce

Mashed potatoes

Sweet potato casserole

Country Green beans

Sweet and sour cucumbers

Stuffing

"The" Bread and honey butter

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin bread (My Mom is bringing this)

Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake (My Mom is bringing this)

Coffee

Iced tea

Milk

Juice

Water

No Boil EASY Mac~n~Cheese

My Monday menu plan mentioned my easy no boil mac and cheese, I wanted to post up this recipe for anyone interested. Here's what my Mac and Cheese looks like. Doesn't it look GOOD? I think so! We really like mac and cheese at our home....well truth be told...the kids and I really like it. DH HATES it! Most Monday's he is not home for dinner with the family...so most Monday's we like to have Mac and cheese. It really doesn't get boring as you can very it a lot form week to week. You can add in cubed chicken or ham and peas or broccoli...you can even vary the cheeses for variety. This one was made with mainly pepper jack cheese....that's monteray Jack and jalapeno cheese...oooo it was good this time! This recipe is SO easy because it all mixes in one pan and you don't boil the noodles...you just mix, cook and eat! Couldn't be easier!

Here's what you'll need:
1/4 c butter
1 lbs cheese (really any kind YOU like) shredded or cubed or sliced thin
3 cups DRY macaroni
4 cups Milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in a 8x8 pan. Add dry noodles and stir to coat. Salt and pepper to taste. Add cheese and milk. Bake uncovered 350 degrees for 45 - 60 mins. I like to stir mine half way through...it seems to cook better that way. If you need to make this more healthy by all means use olive oil and whole wheat noodles and a lower fat cheese and milk.
This time I used mainly pepper jack cheese with a bit of colby and a few handfuls of pizza cheese and mexican cheese. Basically I had all sorts of little bits of cheeses left over from the past few weeks that I needed to get used up. The picture above is only half done with the cheeses. When I use sliced cheese I just lay it over the top and stir it half way during the cooking process to mix it all up as it melts.

This is with the milk added and all ready to go into the oven at 350 degrees....mine took about 45 mins to be done. I added paprika just because.If you are adding meat or veggies you can add them now. I stirred half way through the bake time.

All done and ready to eat! YUM! At this point you could top with buttered bread crumbs and put back in the oven for 5 mins to brown if you like your mac and cheese that way....we never bother with it. Hope you try this easy recipe and ENJOY it!!

Blog Shout out!!!

You gotta LOVE Clara the depression cooking Granny, right? Well come visit Mikki each week at The Not So Perfect Housewife as she cooks her way through Clara's book.... Clara's Kitchen.

Menu Monday

Menu II

I HAVE to get back to my meal planning. The holidays are so here now....not only do I have to watch the budget but I have to plan carefully to have enough room in the fridge and freezer when the time is needed for the Holiday feasts! I think I'm hosting both this year- Thanksgiving and Christmas....no worries though as I'm up for the challenge and ministry opportunities! Now repeat several times with me... and try to sound convincing....

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling."

1 Peter 4:9

We eat pretty basic here so nothing fancy. I'll use my blog to get back in the swing of things...and LOL...it'll give me something to blog about on Monday's!! If I cook anything I think may be of interest.....I'll try to remember to blog it....it's funny I put the camera away for summer and it feels strange to take pictures of the ordinary things I do now....LOL! I really only focus on dinners as breakfasts the kids either do at school or we have the same things...cereal (hot or cold), eggs, toast and peanut butter, bagels w/cream cheese. And since the kids are in school right now...DH and I eat mainly leftover dinner items or just a simple meat sandwich with fruit.

Monday- No Boil EASY Homemade Mac and Cheese, Grapes, Carrots

Tuesday- Smoked Sausage, Sour Kraut, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans

Wednesday- Roast Beef , Corn, Mashed Potatoes

Thursday- Chicken Pattie Sandwich, Potato Salad, Pineapple

Friday- Pizza, Carrots, Apples

Saturday- Hash, Pineapple, Sweet and Sour Cucumbers

Sunday- Tacos, Refried Beans, Mexican Black Bean Salsa, Carrots, Apples

Do y'all know that hash is just your leftover roast beef shredded or cubed and heated through with cubed white potatoes and any extra gravy or thickened broth? It's kinda like a stew only no carrots.