Hemp Heart Granola

It’s been a while since I made a batch of granola. I picked up a bag of hemp hearts the other day at Costco – I read they’re really a great source of protein and are packed full of healthy fats. I have never had them before, but figured it would be a good addition to granola. This recipe is super easy to make – really all granola is easy and I like that I can add whatever nuts and mix-ins that I prefer.

I love the hint of maple, cinnamon and vanilla in this granola. I enjoyed it on top of a container of vanilla Greek yogurt and added in a tablespoon of dried cranberries. It would be really good sprinkled on a baked apple or on a smoothie bowl.

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Cranberry Orange Bread

I’m working on cleaning out my fridge and freezer as I prepare for another round of e2M. One year ago, I decide to take control of my health and start an 8-week rapid transformation program. It was a great start to 2021 and I find myself at another place that I need to recommit to this program. So, while I can’t enjoy most of the things I cook and bake, my husband and kids get to be my taste-testers.

I had a random bag of cranberries in my freezer and an orange in the fridge. I figured it was perfect opportunity to make a loaf of cranberry bread. My kids are scheduled to go back to school tomorrow, but with the current climate of Covid cases in our area….I have a feeling they may be back home virtual learning. It sucks, but at this point, I’ll take anything to keep my kids safe. We’re all fully vaccinated and continue to mask in public, but still trying to avoid getting it.

Back to the bread, it’s a simple and easy recipe to make. My daughter loves all things cranberries and the hint of orange zest was perfect. I skipped adding a glaze, but I bet it would be make it a more sweeter bread than tart.

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Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

I shared this recipe when I first started this blog … over 10 years ago .. and it’s one of the recipes that I make a couple times every year. This is the cookie recipe that I my mom and grandmother made when I was kid. We would make several batches at Christmas – one with walnuts and one without. The cookie base is perfect to add in whatever chips, nuts or cookies you’d prefer. Plus, when you change out the pudding mix to a different flavors, the options are endless!

These chocolate chip cookies are soft and so good. I usually slightly under bake mine because that’s how I prefer them, but a couple minutes or two and they become more a cookie with a bit of a crunch. This time I used vanilla pudding mix and chocolate chunks – the chunks were a great swap than regular chocolate chips. Another favorite combination my family likes is chocolate pudding and peanut butter chips.

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Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I bought a pack of portobello mushroom caps and wanted to make stuffed mushrooms. I’ve tried a variety of recipes, but I think this one may be my favorite. It’s simple, easy to make and so filling. Portobello mushrooms are meaty and are a great replacement for meat in some recipes.

These mushrooms are filled with ricotta cheese and spinach and then cooked in your favorite sauce – either homemade or jarred. I used jarred sauce to make this a quick weeknight dinner.

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Brown Sugar Topped Banana Bread

I decided to dig through my posts and redo a recipe from 10 years ago! Again, my kids wanted bananas and they didn’t eat them before they got too ripe. I completely forgot I had this recipe and good it is!

The bread is soft and moist, packed full of bananas and walnuts. The brown sugar topping is sweet and adds the perfect amount of sugar to every bite of bread. These would be great as muffins too.

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Pepperoni Pizza Roll-ups

We were invited to our old neighbor’s annual Halloween parade yesterday and I needed a quick recipe to make. It’s a potluck and there’s always so much delicious food. I was looking for an appetizer that would be ok at room temperature, finger-food and would take no time at all to make after a morning and early afternoon filled with lacrosse practice, a soccer game and a quick grocery shopping trip.

These Pepperoni Pizza Roll-ups were perfect! They use puffed pastry, pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni. You could easily switch out the pepperoni to bacon, veggies or omit it all together. What is your favorite pizza topping that you’d add to your pizza roll-ups?

pepperonipizzarollups
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Weeknight Beef and Broccoli

My kids may complain about not being able to order from our favorite Chinese/Japanese restaurant all the time, but this recipe is just as almost as good as what we get there. It’s a nice change from the regular meals I make and it’s quick and easy to make on a weeknight.

It’s made with simple ingredients and ready in about 30 minutes … perfect for how busy our nights have been come. My kids are back to sports, we’re attending games to cheer on our teams and starting to have evening events for work again.

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Everything No-Knead Bread

We’re all big fans of “everything” bagel season and add it to almost everything – from eggs, avocado to chicken salad and of course on bagels with cream cheese. When I saw this recipe for a non-knead bread made in a Dutch oven, I had to give it a try.

It was really good. I have a few tweaks to try the next time I make it – more seasoning and also letting it proof longer. It was a little cooler than usual when I made this first loaf, and I think the rise could have been better. It’s a good thing we all enjoyed it, because I’ll be making it many more times this fall and winter.

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Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

Oh my kids. They want bananas. I buy bananas. They don’t eat bananas … and I end up with more overripe bananas. I needed to find yet another recipe to make and decided to give these chocolate chip banana bars a try. They smelled amazing and looked so good.

My daughter enjoyed them for breakfast, while my son preferred them as an after dinner snack. They remind me of banana bread, but much quicker to make. If you have overripe bananas, give them a try and let me know what you think!

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