Great Harvest Fruit Bars

I'm posting this recipe that Jenny sent me- looks good!

"Fruit Bars that are pretty darn close to the ones at Great Harvest.

I haven't been able to find a recipe online for the Great Harvest fruit bars! So I have combined a couple of recipes and think these come really close. I wanted to post, because I'll bet there are a lot of other people looking for the recipe!"

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 T milk
about 1 1/2 cups fruit- fresh or frozen (at Great Harvest, they seem to put in whatever is in season- peaches, berries, cherries, rhubarb...)

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Add dry ingredients. Once mixed, stir in the milk. Spread into a 9x13 pan that's been lined with parchment. Then sprinkle on the fruit- all one kind, or a mix. Cook at 350 for 30-35 minutes- the center will be a little spongy, but not soupy. And, if you use frozen fruit, it will take a little longer.

Santa Snack Mix

The little santa hats in this snack mix might be the cutest thing to come out of my kitchen since the dump truck cake. Seriously, when I came across these on the internet, I just knew my Christmas could not be complete until I tried making them! They would make a cute addition to your holiday treats by themselves, if you didn't want to make the rest of the snack mix along with them, (although it's really good!) Such an adorable delicacy deserves to be shared with all the world, so unless you are totally immune to cuteness (Mark) you'll want to make these too! They're a little labor intensive, it's true, but not more than any other candy recipe and there's no thermometer or special, secret boiling point to worry about, so that was a plus for me! Here's the recipe. (and a lot of photos.)

For the hats you will need:

white candy melts

1 tbs. shortening to thin the coating

red candy melts (or add red food color to the white)

bugles

Wilton sugar crystals or white sprinkles

mini marshmallows

wax paper

Melt your red candy melts according to directions. Stir in 1 tbs. shortening. Dump your bag of Bugles in a bowl, and choose ones that are open on the bottom so they will stand up to dry. Dip all but the very tips in red coating, tap of excess on side of bowl, and set on a cookie sheet with wax paper on it to dry.

When they are dry, melt the white candymelts. (You will only need a small bowl of these.) Dip the bottom of the hats to form a white brim, dip in the sugar, and set them back on the cookie sheet to set.

Now you are ready for the tops- with your kitchen shears or a clean pair of scissors, cut about 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows into halves. (Cut them through their middles, not across the flat top). Dip the bare tips of the bugles back into the remelted red coating, and poke a half marshmallow onto the hat, holding on for just a second to let it set.

To assemble the rest of the snack mix in a large bowl stir together about

2 cups Rice Chex cereal

2 cups pretzels

1 cup peanuts

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1 bag Christmas M&M's

Melt 1 bag white chocolate chips, pour over mixture and stir quickly. Chocolate will harden fast, so get everything coated evenly and pour onto another cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Put it back in the bowl when the chocolate is dry, add 1/2 to 2/3 of a bag of red and green M&M's. Add the santa hats. Almost too cute to eat!

And here is a link back to the original recipe.

Amazing Almond Cake

This is a yummy cake that can be made for a last minute party or as a quick dessert. Hailey thought it would also be good to serve for brunch or something similar. It is SUPER fast and turns out perfectly every time. People will be impressed, just don't let them know how easy it is to make! :)

Almond Cake

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (not margarine)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract (I'm generous with this)
sliced almonds

Melt butter, not margarine, in a glass mixing bowl in the microwave. Add all other ingredients to that, mixing with a spoon. Pour into a lightly greased (with Pam) pie plate. Spread evenly and sprinkle with sliced almonds on top. Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour or until light brown and rounded. Cool and/or refrigerate, and cut into tiny wedges.

Gluten Free Brownines

It was recently brought to my attention that I have several friends that are allergic to Gluten. So in my quest to find new ways of cooking, I came across these delicious brownies that oddly enough are made from......Black Beans. I know, it sounds weird, but trust me, these are to die for and are much more healthy than regular brownies. If my family can't tell the difference, neither will you. Enjoy!

Black Bean Brownines

INGREDIENTS

• 1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 eggs
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish.
2. Combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a blender; blend until smooth.
3. Pour the mixtrue into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30-40 minutes.