Barefoot Contessa Granola Bars

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Cooks Note: I have never attempted to make granola bars. To be honest, I thought why make something like granola bars when you can buy them? Well, I was wrong. As I get older I realize there are so many artificial ingredients and sodium and crap in the stuff you buy on the shelves, why not make a version you feel safe eating? That is where Ina Garten comes in. All of her recipes are amazing, but this one I am in love with. This was simple, quick and now I want to eat the whole pan. Try them, you will love them!

Ingredients:

• 2 C whole oats
• 1 C sliced almonds
• 1 C sweetened coconut
• 1/2 C wheat germ
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 2/3 C honey
• 1/4 C light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 C chopped dates
• 1/2 C chopped, dried apricots
• 1/2 C dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a large sheets pan, mix together the oats, almonds and coconut. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes then dump into a large mixing bowl. Add wheat germ and reduce oven temp to 300. 

2. While oats are toasting, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for one minute once it reaches boiling. 

3. Pour the hot mixture over the ingredients in the bowl. Add the dried fruit and mix well.

4. Put mixture into a slightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and press firmly with wet hands. 

5. Bake 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool completely 2-3 hours, before slicing and serving. 

This Pinspiration comes from Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa)

Oven Baked Chili Dogs

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Cooks Note: There is not too much to say about this. They are chili dogs, they are covered in cheese and they are baked to bubbly goodness. The baking gave the bun a little bit of a crispness and the condiments added prior to baking gave them really good flavor. I used turkey chili with no beans just because that is my preference, but you can use canned or homemade chili, turkey or beef dogs, whatever you like. My family loved them and yours will too!

Ingredients:

8 Hot Dogs
8 Hot Dog buns
1 can of chili
1/2 white onion, diced
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Mayo
Mustard
Sweet Relish
Ketchup

Directions:

1.Line the inside of the hot dog buns with a little mayo (gives you a crispy edge and no, you can't taste it), sweet relish, mustard and ketchup. Don't saturate the buns, just enough for a little flavor

2.Fill with the hot dogs and squish all of the buns into a 9x13 baking dish

3.Top dogs with chili and shredded cheese (as much or as little as you want) and diced onions. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 

4.Remove with a spatula and serve immediately 

This Pinspiration comes from Patti Brown

Cinnamon Roll Cake

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Cooks Note: I saw this recipe on Facebook and it sounded so deliciously warm and cozy, I went straight to the kitchen and made it. This is one of those recipes that you have all the ingredients for all the time, so it was a quick and simple cake, that tastes like you slaved away. 

This cake would be great for having the girls over for coffee, Saturday morning breakfast or as an after dinner dessert. The warm cinnamon melts in your mouth and the cinnamon roll icing is the icing on the cake, no, truly. (ha) The only changes I have to this recipe, is that I had to leave my cake in the oven for about 40 minutes. And, I did not use all of the icing, because I did not want to saturate the cake. 

Your family and friends will rave and think you are the best baker in town. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla together

2. Stir in melted butter, slowly. Pour into greased 9x13 pan

3. Mix topping ingredients (3/4 cup butter, softened, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon). Drop over cake mixture evenly.

4. Swirl your topping and cake mixture with a knife, going up and down the length of the pan (but only inserting it into the cake mix a little, not all the way).

5. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes

                                               Just out of the over (pre-icing)

6. Top with glaze which is made by mixing 2 cups powdered sugar, 5 TB milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Drizzle over the cake while it is still warm.

This pinspiration comes from Lilluna