Granola bars (for kids with allergies)

The incidence of allergies in children is on the rise, and while doctors aren't sure what is causing this increase, I know first-hand what a bummer it can be to find out your child can't eat certain foods. My little guy is allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs, and peanuts, which means carrying around an EpiPen Jr. (basically a needle loaded with adrenalin in case of a life-threatening reaction) and educating all our friends and loved ones about his condition.

Moms like me are so very excited when we find recipes that work for our kids and actually taste good. This recipe was featured on Martha Stewart's show, and our family makes it all the time. It really is tasty enough for everyone and super fast to make.

Granola bars

Over medium-high heat, stir these ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

Bring to a boil and stir 2 minutes (err on the side of overcooking; the end product will not hold its shape if not allowed to boil for a good 2 minutes)

Add the following:

1 3/4 quick-cooking oatmeal

1 3/4 rice cereal (Rice Krispies or Rice Chex work great; you could also substitute Corn Chex or whatever cereal your kiddos favor)

Dump into a well-greased half-size cookie sheet. Spread but don't press down. Add raisins, marshmallows, or additional goodies. Gently press down. Cut at room temperature.

Valentine Day Cupcake Giveaway

If you live near Idaho Falls, be sure to check out the Valentine cupcake giveaway on the Vanilla Spice Cupcakes blog.

Buttermilk Pie

So last weekend, my husband went to lunch with some of his family. When he came home, he was telling me all about this buttermilk pie that his dad had gotten. Well, later that day I was looking at my regular recipe blogs (see sidebar) and someone had just posted this recipe on Tasty Kitchen. I think I was meant to make it. This is a very simple recipe. I don't know how to explain the pie. It's kind of got the same texture as pecan pie (minus the pecans) and it is kind of a caramel custard flavor. Very yummy!

Oh, and I have sadly used up all of my vanilla, so I had to use my beloved vanilla bean paste for this recipe. It worked great! That's what those little black specks are that you see in the picture.


½ cups buttermilk
1 ½ cup sugar
¼ cups flour
½ stick butter, melted
3 Eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 whole pie crust

Blend buttermilk, sugar, flour, and melted butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir and pour into an uncooked pie shell. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Recipe from Tasty Kitchen