Maple Granola

We love yogurt parfaits and this is my favorite granola recipe!

*makes 10 cups

1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
5 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line cooking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk together maple syrup, vegetable oil, brown sugar, and salt.  Fold in rolled oats and pecans.  Mix until the dry mixture is thoroughly coated.
Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet.  Spread evenly across baking sheet.  Get hands wet and press down on top to compact it.  

Bake for 30-45 minutes until mixture is firm and lightly golden brown in color.  Rotate baking sheet midway through baking.  Break room temperature granola into bite size pieces.  Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one month.

Khyra's Lasagna

This is my best friend's recipe and she is a great cook.  We all love this lasagna!

5 links hot/mild Italian sausage (I do 3 links one, 2 links the other)
1 small yellow onion, small dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
1 package spaghetti seasoning (it is in the package, like taco seasoning packets)
I large can tomato sauce, get a good brand
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes, good brand
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 box lasagna noodles
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Cheddar cheese

Brown sausage and drain most of grease
Put diced onions in with meat and sauté. I do this until the onions are super soft.
Pour in can of diced tomatoes and break up any big to chunks.
Pour in tomato sauce
Mix in garlic, spaghetti seasoning packet and Italian seasoning.
Sit and simmer 2-4 hours stirring occasionally. Make sure the burner is super low, you don't want it to burn.
When you are ready to assemble, cook lasagna noodles and drain

Assembly: (I usually do a 9x13 pan and also a 9x9 pan)
A little bit of sauce on the bottom so it doesn't stick
Layer of lasagna noodles
Layer of sauce
Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese
Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese
Layer of lasagna noodles
Layer of sauce
Light layer of mozzarella cheese
Top with cheddar cheese

Bake at 350 for around 40 minutes ...just make sure the top is starting to golden
Let sit for 10-15 min to set before you cut into it.

*I like to freeze one of the pans before I cook it.  Cover well with foil.  Cook an additional 5-10 minutes.  It freezes pretty well!

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 ounces (about 1/4 cup ) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
one 3.5-ounce packet instant vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt,
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or Mini M&M's

Combine the butter, cream cheese, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined. Add the flour, dry pudding mix, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.  Add chocolate chips and mix until just combined.  Chill dough in fridge for a few hours or in the freezer for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray 9x13 pan.  Drop handfuls of dough all over cookie sheet.  Press with hands to fill the pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until deep golden brown, don't overcook!

*It is also delicious to use white chocolate chips and 1 cup Macadamia nuts.

Pulled Pork

My friend brought us this meal when I had my baby recently and it was delicious!

Marinade
1 bottle of Jan Daniel's Original No. 7 Barbecue Sauce
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. lemon juice
pepper
1.5-2 lbs. boneless country style ribs

Marinate ribs in marinade overnight or for a few hours.  Cook in crockpot on low for 7 hours or on high for 4-5.  Remove pork from crockpot and shred and discard fat.  Place the pork back in the juices.  Pour off a little of the liquid if it is too juicy.  Serve alone or on rolls or buns.

Fried Ice Cream

This is such a yummy recipe and is a new family favorite!

Freeze Cookie Sheet For 1 hour

1⁄2 gallon vanilla ice cream, scooped into large balls, approx. 13 balls per 1⁄2 gallon and place on cold cookie sheet. Return to freezer for a day.

Crush in food processer or blender:

1 box vanilla wafers

3 cups corn flakes

1/3 cup brown sugar

Roll ice cream balls in crumb mixture, 4 beaten eggs, then roll in the crumbs again. Return to freezer for a day.
*If you don't have time to freeze for an entire day, each step can be done for 6 hours instead.

Deep fat fry at 350 for approx. 10 seconds, 5 seconds each side. Use a wire strainer (about 5” with a handle, utensil type strainer) to scoop the loose crumbs from the oil after frying every 2 balls if you need to.

Cover with caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce:

1 cup sugar
4 T. butter
3⁄4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream pinch of salt

Ahead of time, heat cream in microwave for 40 seconds.

Heat a heavy saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes.

 Pour in sugar and stir until completely melted and amber in color, about 3

minutes. Reduce heat to low, add butter all at once. Stir to combine, mixture will bubble up.

Add the heated cream, 2 T at a time to the sugar and butter stirring constantly, keeping a steady boil.

Continue until caramel sauce is melted and smooth.  If chunks of sugar remain, pour in blender and blend until smooth.
This can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Tastes like Werther’s Caramels!