Choco-Cranberry Granola Balls

      We are mid month here....and we just had a huge wind storm and warm temperatures.  Put that together.....ya got a lot of icy roads.  So we had "snow" day here in northern Alberta.  Sun shining...but no school....Buses can't iceskate...a proven fact.  So the boys are maxin' and relaxin' watching Turbo and having a picnic in the livingroom. 

For me, I am realizing that it seems that whatever I plan for my day....may change...and right now it usually is.  Whaddya do?  I am learning to roll with it.  :)

As I've had a bit more time to visit a few of my favorite blog sites these past few days I found a wonderfully, WAY TOO EASY recipe for some no-bake granola bars.  I really didn't realize HOW EASY they are and HOW TASTY too.  Simple ingredients, 15 minutes...presto....a wonderful snack.  Way better than any granola bar out of a box. 

Choco-Cranberry Granola Balls

adapted from Two Peas and their Pod

What You Need:

1/3 cup of honey

1/4 cup of smooth peanut butter

2 Tbsp of butter or margerine

1 Tbsp of maple syrup

1 cup of crisp rice cereal

1 cup of old fashion oats

1/3 cup of dried cranberries

1/3 cup of chocolate chips

What You Do:

1.  In a medium saucepan on medium heat combine honey, peanut butter, maple syrup, and butter.  Melt, stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat.

2.  Add cereal, oats, and cranberries. Stir to combine.  Wait 8-10 minutes to allow mixture to cool, and then add chocolate chips. Stir to combine.

3.  Spoon into medium sized muffin cups and put in them into the fridge for about 15 minutes to set. 

4.  I did keep these in the fridge because I liked them cool, but you don't have to.  Room temperature is fine.

Simple Chocolate Sugar Cookies

 I've had a bit of a break on the blog.  A full and crazy busy holiday season is to blame. I don't mind a busy holiday season, lots of good memories made and time spent with loved ones.   But as January comes around I am ready for some simplicity.....

In the first week of January I take down the Christmas tree and most of the decorations, and then I begin the house "purge".  Getting a bunch of new stuff in the holidays means getting rid of the old stuff.  I go through each room and throw away, give away, or donate as much as I can.  I love the feeling of order and spaciousness I get after a good de-cluttering session.

I also feel a sense of de-cluttering in my cooking this January.  I am enjoying making good food with simple ingredients. This week I made a simple crusted halibut with a brown butter sauce. So easy, simple ingredients and pure tasty flavours.  I also made a simple vegetable rice with cumin and saffron. Tasty. 

Even in my baking I am simplifying.  After a Christmas of eating rich shortbread, almond roca, fruit cake, chocolates in ALLLL forms, and too much caramel and cheddar popcorn.....I need a break!....and a treadmill.... So now that I need to re-stock the larder... I wanted a simple cookie, no fancy "holiday" flavors....simple... and here's what I made.  Enjoy!

Simple Chocolate Sugar Cookies

What you Need:

2 1/4 cups of flour

1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp of Cream of Tarter

1 tsp of baking soda

1/4 tsp of salt

1 cup of butter, softened

1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, plus more (about 1/2 cup) for rolling cookies in.

2 eggs

1 tsp of vanilla

What you do:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

2.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt.  

3.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together, add eggs one at a time and vanilla.  Beat until light and fluffy.

4.  Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, beating until combined.  

5.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in a dish of sugar to coat.

6.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.  Flatten balls with the bottom of a glass.

7.  Bake for 8-9 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool

Enjoy with a simple glass of milk.  :)

Hot Buttered Rum

Only a few days till Christmas.  Our house is surrounded by lots of snow, the lights are up, and the blow-up Tigger is waving happily as he comes out of his blow-up Christmas tree... (Our boys love it!)  Our tree is up, and I have Christmas music blaring as much as I can.  Right now I'm listening to a rocking version of the Carol of the Bells by David Crowder.  Rockin'!!!! (it's very therapeutic to rock out to Christmas carols you know....)

And I am slowly thinking about Christmas goodies.

I don't like to rush the whole baking thing....I don't want any extra "gifts" attached to my thighs and stomach this year.  I like to wait to bake....and then let everyone else eat it up!   But my LIST is up on the fridge.  I'm trying a new gingerbread cookies recipe as we speak, Monkey Munch will be made in a few days, David's cookies - though I'm on the look out for cherry flavoring....eeeek., maple fudge, almond roca....and I think this year....Candied Orange Peel.  I think I may be the only one who will eat it though...but I am okay with that. :)

Anyways, one neat thing my husband David and I are doing this year is watching Christmas movies each night whilst snacking on lovely cheeses and sipping on wines...or hot toddys.  We've watched movies like "White Christmas", "Christmas in Connecticut", "Holiday Inn",  "Home Alone", and last night's was "A Christmas Carol - with Patrick Stewarat... HIGHLY recommend!!!"

But tonight, I have a new drink to try.  Hot Buttered Rum.  You can buy the mixes at stores, but why not try it with REAL BUTTER!!!  So we are. 

Here's how.  Go pop some popcorn, Catch a Bing C. flick, and sip on this.

Hot Buttered Rum

adapted from: A Thousand Threads

What You Need:

3/4 cup of softened butter ( I used salted...you can use unsalted)

2 cups of light brown sugar, packed

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp of ground cloves

1 tsp vanilla extract

Rum (dark or spiced)

boiling water or apple cider

What to do:

1.  Cream together butter, sugar, spices, and vanilla.  Roll into a cylinder and wrap in parchment paper.  

2.  Freeze.

3.  When ready to make, cut of 2 tablespoons of butter mixture and place in a small mug. Add 1-2 oz of  rum and then top off cup with boiling water.  Stir and serve immediately!

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

We truly just came out of some crazy, crazy weather these past few days.  Lots of snow, wind, and freezing rain....makes for an interesting week.  My oldest has been having "Snow Days" for the past couple of days, and we only ventured forth today....because we needed groceries.

Looking on the positive side to the Great Blizzard...WE WILL HAVE SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS!  Lots o snow....:)  Good thing too, shhh, we got the boys some GT racers.. (Good thing they are not proficient readers yet...that,  and my blog doesn't have Lego or Ninja Turtles in it...so no interest what so ever....)

BUT, the boys WERE interested in these AMAZING cookies.

I will put this out there.  These are my favourite Oatmeal cookies so far.  They were eaten up with great gusto and I have to make another batch here soon.  SOOO GOOD.  Definitely on my go-to list.  So here it is.  Add it to your Christmas baking list.  You will not regret it.  :)

ICED OATMEAL COOKIES

adapted from Mother Thyme

What you Need:

2 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups all purpose flour

1 TBSP of baking powder

half a tsp of baking soda

half a tsp salt

2 tsp of cinnamon

half a tsp of ground nutmeg

1 cup of hard margarine or butter (softened)

1 cup of brown sugar (packed)

half a cup of granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp of vanilla extract

For the glaze:

2 cups of icing sugar (confectioners)

4 TBSP of milk

What to Do:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Have baking sheets prepped with parchment paper or silicone mats.

2.  Place oats into a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds.  

3.  In a medium bowl combine, oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4.  In a large bowl, beat margarine, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.  Beat until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat a bit more.

5.  In small batches add the dry ingredients while you are beating.  Beat until combined.

6.  Using about 2 TBSP of dough for each cookie, roll dough into balls and place onto baking sheets.

7.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Until golden brown on bottoms.

8.  Remove to cooling racks.  Cool

9.  Make glaze: combine icing sugar and milk and stir to make glaze.

Dip tops of cookies into glaze and allow to set.

Eat with gusto or savour with a cup of hot chocolate.  So yummy!

Citrus Hot Toddys

As the weather is cooler....I yearn for comfort and warmth.  I sit by the fireplace, have a warm blanket around my legs, slippers... Oh so cozy!  I love it!  My husband and I usually spend our evenings this way watching our favorite tv show when the kiddos are asleep.  We usually make ourselves a cracker and fancy cheese plate and have grown-up drink.  And we've discovered.....TODDYS....

And not just a simple toddy of rum, hot water and cinnamon....This toddy takes it up to another level!  Citrus!!!!  I've combined fresh lemon and orange juices, sweet honey, and cinnamon.  Add to that some spirits (we like spiced rum) and some hot water....you have a perfect cozy drink!  This would also be very comforting after a day out on the slopes, or sledding, or shovelling, or staying inside watching everyone else....shovel.....

:)

So, break out a couple of your favorite mugs, mix up these easy ingredients, light a fire (or turn on that fireplace station on tv) turn on some Christmas tunes...(NO ITS NOT TOO EARLY!!!!) and sip this sweet nectar....

Citrus Honey Toddys

adapted from:  Camille Styles

What you Need:

(serves 2)

- juice of one lemon

- juice of one navel orange

- 2 TBSP of honey

- 1/3 cup of spiced rum

- 1 cup plus 1/4 cup of hot water

- 2 lemon wedges

- 2 cinnamon sticks

What to do:

In a glass bowl combine, juices of lemon and orange, honey, rum, and hot water. 

Divide into mugs.  Check to see if its your desired temperature for hot drinks.

Add lemon wedges and cinnamon sticks

Enjoy!

Glazed Chocolate Mini-Donuts

So we've finally had our first big snow!  And I am okay with it.....I'm not ready for extreme cold yet and thankfully we've had decent temperatures for our area.  Snow gear is out in full force and we've already had our first mitten casualty....Lost forever in the bowels of the Elementary School lost and found bin....

I gotta go buy some more mittens.  I'm slightly anal about it when one is lost.  I go searching for it...

In grocery store parking lots...

tearing through bins.....

Yep...apparently I've got a problem with lost mittens...

But I don't have a problem with donuts....mini ones to be precise!  I bought myself a new silicone mini-donuts baking pan..So fun..Yes, I could use my mini muffin pans for the same purpose...but mini donuts are so cute!  So to try out the pan I made these sweet babies...And they are GOOOOOOOOD!  Easy to make, easy to eat!  If you don't have a mini-donut baking pan....don't sweat it...use that mini-muffin pan that I know everyone has hidden amongst the  bundt, cheesecake (various sizes) jelly roll, and every size cake pan...

:)

Glazed Chocolate Mini-Donuts

adapted from Buns in My Oven

What you Need:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup of cocoa powder

1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips

1/2 tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp of vanilla

1 egg

6 TBSP of sour cream (preferably full fat)

1/4 cup of milk

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

For the Glaze:

1 1/4 cups of powdered (icing) sugar

6 TBSP of milk

1 tsp of vanilla

What You Do:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

2.  In a large bowl combine dry ingredients for the donuts.

3.  In a small bowl whisk together vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil. Once well-mixed, pour wet ingredients into the dry.  With a spatula or wooden spoon stir to combine.  Don't over-mix.

4.  You can spoon batter into a greased mini-donut pan (or mini muffin pan), or you can spoon batter into a piping bag and "pipe" the batter into the pans.  I did this and found it less messy.

5.  Bake for 10 - 12 minutes in oven. 

6.   Remove from pan and cool on rack.

7.  Make Glaze.  In a small saucepan over medium-low heat combine glaze ingredients.  Heat and keep stirring for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

8. Dunk cooled donuts into glaze and place on rack to cool and allow the glaze to harden.  This may take a bit of time...be patient....:)

Enjoy.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and baking soda.
In a small bowl, beat together the vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
Spoon in a greased donut pan.
Bake for 8 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them.
Let the donuts cool in the pan before glazing.
To make the glaze:
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Remove from the heat.
Dunk the donuts in the glaze to fully coat and place on a wire rack to set.
Read more at http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/04/01/glazed-chocolate-donuts/#SXgWSlVi51mRZpQB.9

Ingredients:

For the donuts:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
6 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

To make the donuts:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and baking soda.
In a small bowl, beat together the vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
Spoon in a greased donut pan.
Bake for 8 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them.
Let the donuts cool in the pan before glazing.
To make the glaze:
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Remove from the heat.
Dunk the donuts in the glaze to fully coat and place on a wire rack to set.

Read more at http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/04/01/glazed-chocolate-donuts/#SXgWSlVi51mRZpQB.99

Ingredients:

For the donuts:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
6 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

To make the donuts:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and baking soda.
In a small bowl, beat together the vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
Spoon in a greased donut pan.
Bake for 8 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them.
Let the donuts cool in the pan before glazing.
To make the glaze:
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Remove from the heat.
Dunk the donuts in the glaze to fully coat and place on a wire rack to set.

Read more at http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/04/01/glazed-chocolate-donuts/#SXgWSlVi51mRZpQB.99

Jiffy Cinnamon Buns

As a busy mom I do appreciate things that are "jiffy".  Things like canned soup, KD, apple sauce, yogurt tubes, and juice boxes.  Yes, even store-bought cookies and microwave popcorn are nice on occasion too.  When you don't have all the time in the world....these things are helpful in a pinch.

That is what I think about cinnamon buns.  I do like....um...love cinnamon buns.....but the time it takes to make them.  They can be.....well.....not so....jiffy.  This can be a problem for the mom who is running to skating, swimming, pre-school, play groups, pick up school kids, groceries, mail, clean,....ya...you get it...I bet you get it REALLY GOOD.  I'm speakin' your language....:_

So there are these babies...A jiffy, biscuit-based cinnamon bun that really takes no time to make...OK...a bit of time....but it is so manageable. So next time you get a hankerin' for some cinnamon bun love.....try these....:)

Jiffy Cinnamon Buns

adapted from Company's Coming

What you NEED:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 TBSP granulated sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup cold butter or margarine

1 cup cold milk

for filling mixture:

1/3 cup butter or margarine softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

3 tsp cinnamon

**if you like raisins or currants you can add 1/3 cup to the filling mixture..

What you DO:

1.In a large bowl combine, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in the first amount of butter until crumbly.

2.  Add milk to bowl.  Stir to form a soft dough.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead dough 8 - 10 times.  Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle about 1 cm (1/3 inch) thick and 30 cm (12 inches) long.

Width will vary...no worries.

3.  In a medium bowl cream second amount of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together.  

*** at this point I put muffin liners into a muffin tin.  Its easier for me.  You can just grease a muffin tin if ya like.  

4.  Place 1 tsp of filling mixture into bottom of each muffin liner or tin.  Spread remaining mixture onto the dough rectangle.  Sprinkle with the raisins or currants if you like these.

5.  Roll dough up length ways like a jelly roll.  Mark first with knife 12 even lines/spaces for the rolls.  Cut.  Place cut side down into muffin pan.  

6.  Bake in 400 degrees oven for 20 - 25 minutes.  

7.  Let cool 10 minutes in pan once removed from oven.  Remove from muffin tins.  

ENJOY!!!!  with a coffee is really good.