"Banana Split" Granola

Wow. It has been a little while since my last post. Sorry, just a lot going on in life outside of this blog and I got a bit distracted. But I am back for now with a new recipe for ya.

As I have mentioned, I enjoy making my own granola and frequently bake up a batch for my dad as well. Whats fun is that there are so many combinations you can put together for a granola to make it your own. Bananas happen to be one of the few fruits I do not care for but given that my dad likes them, I thought I'd get creative with banana chips. Though my first thought was a tropical mix, I did not have many of the ingredients so that will have to make its way on here at another time. What I did have was chocolate chips, freeze dried strawberry's (yummy in oatmeal), and dried cherries. I'd say that sounds like a banana split!

I got the freeze dried strawberries and banana chips at Target if you are having trouble looking for them.

Banana Split Granola

4 Cups old fashion oats
1/2 Cup wheat bran
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 Cup water
1/2 Cup honey
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP canola oil
2 tsp Vanilla
1 Cup banana chips (dried banana slices)
2/3 Cup freeze dried strawberries
1/2 Cup semisweet chocolate chips (you can use half white chocolate chips or butterscotch if you'd like)
1/2 Cup dried cherries

In a large bowl, combine the oats, wheat bran, cinnamon, and salt.

In a small saucepan, add the water, honey, brown sugar, canola oil, and vanilla. Place over medium heat, and whisk just until all is combined. The honey and brown sugar should be dissolved and blended. Give it a final whisk and pour over the oat mixture. Stir until well combined, (it helps to used a clean or gloved hand to do this).

Spread in an even layer onto two nonstick sheet pans. Bake at 275 degrees for about 50 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring every 15 minutes and swapping oven racks if necessary for even cooking. Let cool completely before stirring in the banana chips, freeze dried strawberries, chocolate chips (must be cool before adding as you don't want them to melt), and dried cherries. Store in an airtight container.

*If desired, you can also add nuts of your choice.

Getting Garden Happy!

Today we have officially hit 80 degrees here and it was beautiful out. Still hard to believe that a week ago we  woke up to a few 30 degree mornings but, regardless, I'm feeling Spring-y (not a word, I know). A few days ago I got some seeds started indoors and the garden already has a few things planted in it. We usually plant a few Spring vegetables early in the season knowing that if a frost does happen to come through, you simply plant over again. Sometimes cold weather want's to make one last appearance before Spring totally sets in but we have actually been lucky in the past.

Throughout gardening season, we plant a LOT and are garden is usually booming. Here is the long list of goodies we have available to us just feet from our house:

Tomatoes (several varieties)
Spinach
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Sugar snap peas
Green beans
Lettuce
Cucumber
Peppers
Basil
Oregano

...and a few extras we like to try out here and there. Some years we will try some new herbs while others my dad will plant radishes. One day, (who knows, maybe this year) I will try out a few berry bushes, but considering I could eat a pound of strawberries in one sitting, I am not sure if it would be worth it. I will have to look into that one. Anyways, here's the garden all ready for some goodness! The garden happens to be in our side yard rather than back, so my house is not in the picture, but it is just a few steps away from it....can't ask for much more...

Tropical BBQ Pork Chops (or chicken)

Ok so I take back what I said in my last post as far as the weather. A taste of Spring was all we got for a day or two then it went back to 26 degrees yesterday at 6:30 in the morning. Its a lot better today, but I still don't think I will be bringing out my flip flops or anything. Not until it reaches high 70's or (even better) 80's will I be content. Actually, being a person that gets cold easier I have no problem with it being in the low 90's but I'm sure there are many who would disagree with me on that one.

Luckily, cold weather doesn't mean I can't get a taste of grilled chicken or grill a few pork chops for the family. I like to use a heavy-bottomed, good-quality, grill pan when the outdoor one is not a desirable option. Also, as I have mentioned before, the big grill in the back is my dad's and therefore I do not use it much. I will prepare the food before cooking, but the grill is the one thing my dad can call "his" when it comes to cooking and such. So if it's something for just myself or my dad is not available to fire up the outdoor grill, I bring out my grill pan. Though I use chicken breast if I am cooking this for myself, the picture below is of pork chops. The spices and sauce work great on either so use whatever you are in the mood for. You can vary the kind of juice you use and the variety of BBQ sauce. I have used both pineapple and peach mango juices with good results. This time around, I used pineapple with honey BBQ sauce.

Tropical BBQ Pork or Chicken

Serves: 6

Spice Rub:

2 tsp Garlic powder
2 tsp Dried thyme
1 tsp Ground allspice
1/2 tsp Chili powder
1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
Cayenne pepper to taste if you'd like it spicy


Sauce:

3/4 Cup BBQ sauce
1/3 Cup pineapple, mango, or passion fruit juice (peach mango works well also)


1 TBSP Canola oil
6 Medium pork chops or boneless, skinless, chicken breasts





Preheat your grill or heavy bottomed grill pan to medium-high heat. If needed, pound your pork or chicken with a meat mallet to make uniform in size. This does not take a lot of force so don't over do it.

In a small saucepan, stir together the BBQ sauce and juice. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, and let cook until slightly thickened. You don't have to reduce it but remember that the juice will give the BBQ sauce a thinner consistency.

Preheat your grill or heavy-bottomed grill pan to medium high.

In a small dish, combine all ingredients for the spice mixture. Gently rub over your pork chops or chicken and brush with oil. Place on grill, and cook until meat is done in the middle, turning once and basing with sauce during last few minutes of cooking. If you chose pork chops, you need to cook it to at least 145 degrees while chicken needs to be 165 degrees (internal temperature). For pork, 145 is the minimum temperature as determined by the USDA but that will leave it slightly pink in the middle. Though I do not eat pork, my family seems to prefer it when I cook pork to about 150 degrees and let it rest. No pink but still juicy and flavorful. Check this out for more info if you are interested Safe Cooking Temperatures . Remember chicken must always be cooked to 165 degrees; there is no "range" for it.

Serve with your warm tropical BBQ sauce.

It's (finally) Feeling Like Spring!

Though I would not call it warm and sunny quite yet, today has given me a glimpse of spring that I have been longing for since February. Don't get me wrong, I love winter around the holidays and there is nothing like an occasional snowfall, but considering my harsh feelings toward freezing cold temperatures, I am ready for spring once March gets here.

Today also happens to be my birthday (yes, its April fool's day) so I guess maybe that was a little gift to me. This week I will be starting a few plants indoors for our vegetable garden that I will occasionally post pictures of on here as things get going. This year I have decided to try something new; canning. I make home made tomato sauce all the time and I love a good spread of fruit preserves. Canning supplies was a part of my birthday gift this year. My next task is to read up on it so I can know what I'm doing and be ready to start this summer. Stay tuned for that one!

Happy April!