Honey-Vanilla Granola ... & Robbing Our Bees!

Woot, woot!  We completed our first bee robbing of the season this past weekend!  And I immediately came home and whipped up a big ol' batch of this Honey-Vanilla Granola.  It's such a wonderful way to enjoy the beautiful flavor of honey.

I always enjoy taking pictures during our bee robbing.  This time around, I took over 300 photos!  I enjoy sharing them with you, too ... but don't worry, I won't share all 300.  I've picked out just a few of my favorites.  If you'd like to see more photos and process information from previous robbings, click one of these links:

Who Stole the Honey?
2nd Bee Robbing of the Season!


Mark loves it when I share bee robbing photos, too, 'cause it makes him feel like a bee stud.  So without further ado, here is the bee stud and his bees! 

(Notice that he's being all super-studly and not wearing his beekeeper suit.  Our bees are sooooo gentle, that one can get away with this.  Seriously though, people - I DO NOT recommend this.  If you work with bees, wear a beekeeper suit!)

First up is Mark getting the smoker ready.  Our smoker is so super old, and I love it.  I've taken about a million photos of this old smoker.  I just think it has so much character.  (I'm exaggerating, of course, on the million photos ... but I do find myself taking the smoker's picture a lot.)

The smoker

Mark loves this photo of sending smoke into the hive.  It is pretty cool.

Smoke in action!

After he smokes the hive, he takes the top off the hive and takes out a frame or two to see if the honey is ready to be robbed.

Frames in the box

The cows were quite interested in what we were doing ...

Hey.  What are ya doing?

Out come the frames, and they're ready for robbing!  We can tell because they're full, and they have that white stuff (wax) sealing up all the cells.

The honey cells are all capped, so this hive is ready for robbing.

After Mark removes all the frames from the box, we take them inside.  The first step once we're inside is to cut off the wax caps.  Usually, the wax doesn't come off in nice big sheets like Mark got it to in the photo below.  He got lucky with that cut!

Cutting off the wax caps

Depending on what's in bloom at different times, honey can be very different colors and have very different flavors.  It was pretty cool that in this single robbing, we found frames with distinctly different honey color and flavor.  I took the photo below of the wax cuttings to show this.

Look on the left side of the photo --- See the very pale, almost clear-colored honey?  Now look to the right, even with the right-side board of the frame --- See the darker, amber-colored honey drippings?  Pretty big difference.  To me, all honey is delicious, but I do prefer the darker stuff if I have a choice.

Different colors of honey, as seen in the wax cuttings & drippings

Once the wax caps are cut, the frames go in the extractor.  Spinning them in the extractor removes all the honey from the frames.

Extractor

Then you pour off all that beautiful, golden honey into jars ...

Pouring off

... and set the jars aside to rest for a while.  While the jars are sitting there taking their little rest, any impurities ... like bits of wax ... will float to the top.  We then skim this stuff from the jar tops before sealing.

Bits of wax & other impurities float to the top

When we clean up, we 'feed' any drippings on our utensils back to the bees.  I went out and put some drops of honey on the bees' front porch.  It's amazing how fast they clean it up and bring it back in the hive!  I wanted to share this photo because you can actually see the bee's tongue protruding out into the honey.

Look at the bee at the bottom right ... can you see it's tongue??

Bees are cleaning up!

Hopefully we'll be robbing again in a few weeks.  Get busy, little bees so we can come play with you again!

So, have I got your mouth watering for a honey treat?  Well, go on and whip up some Honey-Vanilla Granola.  You know you want to!

(Oh, and please leave a comment for my bee-stud hubby ... he would love it.)

I invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Pinterest, Facebook, Google Friend Connect, Linky Followers, bloglovin', or Feedburner. Buttons are in the right sidebar. I'd love to have you back soon!

Honey-Vanilla Granola

Source:  A Tracey original

Ingredients

• 7 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1 c. wheat germ
• 1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 c. unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. honey
• 3/4 c. canola oil
• 1 T. vanilla extract
• 1 c. golden raisins

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together oats, wheat germ, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and salt.
2. Place honey, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl; stir to combine. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; mix together until oats are evenly coated with the honey mixture.
3. Spread granola mixture onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and stir in golden raisins. Let cool completely. Store tightly covered.

NOTE:  This recipe can easily be halved to make a smaller batch.

Enjoy!


This post is linked with Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, Trick or Treat Tuesday hosted by Inside BruCrew Life, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Share Your Creations hosted by Kristen's Creations, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm, Foodie Friday hosted by Simple Living with Diane Balch, Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Strut Your Stuff Saturday hosted by Six Sisters' Stuff, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Addicted to Recipes, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Nap Time, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Mangia Mondays hosted by Shine Your Light, Sunday Showcase Party hosted by Under the Table and Dreaming, The Cure for the Common Monday hosted by Lines Across.

XEATM5FUTE4U

Woot, woot!  We completed our first bee robbing of the season this past weekend!  And I immediately came home and whipped up a big ol' batch of this Honey-Vanilla Granola.  It's such a wonderful way to enjoy the beautiful flavor of honey.

I always enjoy taking pictures during our bee robbing.  This time around, I took over 300 photos!  I enjoy sharing them with you, too ... but don't worry, I won't share all 300.  I've picked out just a few of my favorites.  If you'd like to see more photos and process information from previous robbings, click one of these links:

Who Stole the Honey?
2nd Bee Robbing of the Season!


Mark loves it when I share bee robbing photos, too, 'cause it makes him feel like a bee stud.  So without further ado, here is the bee stud and his bees! 

(Notice that he's being all super-studly and not wearing his beekeeper suit.  Our bees are sooooo gentle, that one can get away with this.  Seriously though, people - I DO NOT recommend this.  If you work with bees, wear a beekeeper suit!)

First up is Mark getting the smoker ready.  Our smoker is so super old, and I love it.  I've taken about a million photos of this old smoker.  I just think it has so much character.  (I'm exaggerating, of course, on the million photos ... but I do find myself taking the smoker's picture a lot.)

The smoker

Mark loves this photo of sending smoke into the hive.  It is pretty cool.

Smoke in action!

After he smokes the hive, he takes the top off the hive and takes out a frame or two to see if the honey is ready to be robbed.

Frames in the box

The cows were quite interested in what we were doing ...

Hey.  What are ya doing?

Out come the frames, and they're ready for robbing!  We can tell because they're full, and they have that white stuff (wax) sealing up all the cells.

The honey cells are all capped, so this hive is ready for robbing.

After Mark removes all the frames from the box, we take them inside.  The first step once we're inside is to cut off the wax caps.  Usually, the wax doesn't come off in nice big sheets like Mark got it to in the photo below.  He got lucky with that cut!

Cutting off the wax caps

Depending on what's in bloom at different times, honey can be very different colors and have very different flavors.  It was pretty cool that in this single robbing, we found frames with distinctly different honey color and flavor.  I took the photo below of the wax cuttings to show this.

Look on the left side of the photo --- See the very pale, almost clear-colored honey?  Now look to the right, even with the right-side board of the frame --- See the darker, amber-colored honey drippings?  Pretty big difference.  To me, all honey is delicious, but I do prefer the darker stuff if I have a choice.

Different colors of honey, as seen in the wax cuttings & drippings

Once the wax caps are cut, the frames go in the extractor.  Spinning them in the extractor removes all the honey from the frames.

Extractor

Then you pour off all that beautiful, golden honey into jars ...

Pouring off

... and set the jars aside to rest for a while.  While the jars are sitting there taking their little rest, any impurities ... like bits of wax ... will float to the top.  We then skim this stuff from the jar tops before sealing.

Bits of wax & other impurities float to the top

When we clean up, we 'feed' any drippings on our utensils back to the bees.  I went out and put some drops of honey on the bees' front porch.  It's amazing how fast they clean it up and bring it back in the hive!  I wanted to share this photo because you can actually see the bee's tongue protruding out into the honey.

Look at the bee at the bottom right ... can you see it's tongue??

Bees are cleaning up!

Hopefully we'll be robbing again in a few weeks.  Get busy, little bees so we can come play with you again!

So, have I got your mouth watering for a honey treat?  Well, go on and whip up some Honey-Vanilla Granola.  You know you want to!

(Oh, and please leave a comment for my bee-stud hubby ... he would love it.)

I invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Pinterest, Facebook, Google Friend Connect, Linky Followers, bloglovin', or Feedburner. Buttons are in the right sidebar. I'd love to have you back soon!

Honey-Vanilla Granola

Source:  A Tracey original

Ingredients

• 7 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1 c. wheat germ
• 1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 c. unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. honey
• 3/4 c. canola oil
• 1 T. vanilla extract
• 1 c. golden raisins

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together oats, wheat germ, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and salt.
2. Place honey, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl; stir to combine. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; mix together until oats are evenly coated with the honey mixture.
3. Spread granola mixture onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and stir in golden raisins. Let cool completely. Store tightly covered.

NOTE:  This recipe can easily be halved to make a smaller batch.

Enjoy!


This post is linked with Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, Trick or Treat Tuesday hosted by Inside BruCrew Life, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Share Your Creations hosted by Kristen's Creations, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm, Foodie Friday hosted by Simple Living with Diane Balch, Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Strut Your Stuff Saturday hosted by Six Sisters' Stuff, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Addicted to Recipes, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Nap Time, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Mangia Mondays hosted by Shine Your Light, Sunday Showcase Party hosted by Under the Table and Dreaming, The Cure for the Common Monday hosted by Lines Across.

XEATM5FUTE4U

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Tangy Broccoli Salad

Broccoli salad is one of my favorite salads that doesn't have pasta or potatoes in it.  I like that it's sweet & zesty at the same time & is on the healthier side.  Plus it's a gluten free dish!  This dish is lightened up quite a bit.  It has just enough dressing to give it a nice flavor without being overly creamy & fattening.  

Tangy Broccoli Salad

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut small
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup honey roasted/salted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 5 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp & crumbled/chopped
• 1/2 cup Light Miracle Whip
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl except for last 3 items.
2. Whisk the Light Miracle Whip, apple cider vinegar, & sugar in a separate bowl for the dressing.  Drizzle on top of salad & toss until evenly coated.  
3. Let marinade in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

Broccoli salad is one of my favorite salads that doesn't have pasta or potatoes in it.  I like that it's sweet & zesty at the same time & is on the healthier side.  Plus it's a gluten free dish!  This dish is lightened up quite a bit.  It has just enough dressing to give it a nice flavor without being overly creamy & fattening.  

Tangy Broccoli Salad

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut small
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup honey roasted/salted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 5 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp & crumbled/chopped
• 1/2 cup Light Miracle Whip
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl except for last 3 items.
2. Whisk the Light Miracle Whip, apple cider vinegar, & sugar in a separate bowl for the dressing.  Drizzle on top of salad & toss until evenly coated.  
3. Let marinade in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Toffee Bars & Honoring My Mom

In honor of my Mom for Mother's Day tomorrow, I decided to post a recipe that is right up her alley ... these rich-and-delicious Toffee Bars.  My Mom loves Heath Bars (which you sprinkle on the top of these little beauties).  And pecans.  And ooey-gooey buttery sweet cookie crusts.  And chocolate ... Oh, yes - she loves chocolate.  Almost as much as I do.  Which is a lot.

So don't these chocolate, pecan, and Heath Bar-topped, brown sugar cookie crusted Toffee Bars sound just perfect for her?  (Hint, hint - the answer is 'yes.')

Also in honor of my Mom for Mother's Day, I decided to share two of my favorite memories of Mom from growing up.

Of course, many of my fondest memories ... far too many to count ... are of us working together in the kitchen.  My Mom is one of those Moms who prepared a home-cooked meal almost every night of our growing-up lives.  I truly don't know how she did it.  As much as I love to cook, I still have difficulty getting a home-cooked meal on the table just several times a week (I try to cook for two nights worth every time I cook) -- and it's just my husband and myself.  She worked full time, ran two kids around to all our 'stuff,' and still made delicious, well-balanced home-cooked meals each night.  My hat's off to you, Mom.

I would help.  And I loved it.  I was Mom's sous-chef, and learned so much from her about baking and cooking all sorts of stuff, and about experimenting with different foods and flavors.  Mom, like me, was always trying new recipes.  She figured worst case was, if we didn't like something, she just wouldn't make it again.  No harm, no foul ... I like that attitude.

I was also Mom's dishwasher.  That part I absolutely DID NOT like.

But let's talk about a couple of memories that are not food related.

Fun Memory #1

I was a bit of a metal-head, music-wise, when I was in grade school and high school.  So was my brother.  (We were children of the '80s people, so please cut us a little slack on this.  Okay?)  I loved my heavy metal music and '80s hair bands ... and will admit that I am occasionally known to still to-this-day rock it out to AC/DC or the Scorpions while driving around in my Volvo.  Which cracks me up.  A Volvo-driving, AC/DC-listening, 41-year-old ... quite the funny picture.

Anyway, this leads to one of my favorite memories of Mom (and Dad) when I was growing up.  See, when I was in the 8th grade and my brother was in early high school, my brother and I wanted to go to an Ozzy Osbourne concert.  In Montreal. 

I grew up in a very small town in Vermont, very close to the Canadian border, so Montreal was about a 3-hour drive.  Well, do you think our parents were going to let us cross a border into another country by ourselves?  And go from eensy-weensy little town where everyone knows your name to a huge city by ourselves??  And mix-and-mingle with an Ozzy Osbourne concert crowd by ourselves???

Nope.  Absolutely not. 

Solution?  Mom and Dad went with us.  To an Ozzy Osbourne concert.  Coolest parents ever. 



Fun Memory #2

When it came time to go to college, my brother left Vermont and went far, far away - moving to North Carolina to go to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  When it came time for me to go to college, I received an offer of a full academic scholarship to ... wouldn't ya know ... the University of Vermont ... just one hour away from the town I grew up in (and, therefore, just one hour away from my parents).  I was immensely grateful for the scholarship, don't get me wrong, ... and the University of Vermont is a fabulous school ... but, I was ready to have and assert my independence.

So how was I going to go to college just one hour away from home?  ('Cause you can't just pass up a full scholarship to a great school, right?.  That would be c-r-a-z-y.)

Well, I made a deal with my parents.  We agreed that, no matter what, my parents could not come visit me without calling and planning that visit in advance.  My stance?  If you couldn't drop in on my brother ('cause he was a 17 hour drive away), then you can't just drop in on me.  Mom and Dad agreed.  They're good-and-reasonable parents like that.

Now, picture it's the second week of my freshman year of college, on a lazy Saturday morning.  About 9:00 in the morning, the phone rings.

Just who do you think it was??  I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count.

Yup, it was my Mom.

The conversation went something like this...

MOM:  "Good morning!  Your Dad and I just wanted to check and see if it was okay to come see you today.  We've got to run a few errands up that way, and we'd really love to see you."

ME:  "Well, ... sure ... I guess that would be okay."

MOM:  "Great!  'Cause we're downstairs in your dorm."

So sweet. 

Now, Mom ... crank up some Ozzy, make yourself a batch of these Toffee Bars, and give me a call.  And if you happen to be making that call from 'just downstairs,' I'd love it.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

I invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Pinterest, Facebook, Google Friend Connect, Linky Followers, bloglovin', or Feedburner. Buttons are in the right sidebar. I'd love to have you back soon!

Toffee Bars
Source:  Adapted from a friend's family recipe

Ingredients
Crust:
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. light brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour, which is what I use)

Topping:
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped pecans
3/4 c. chopped Heath Bar or Heath toffee bits


Directions
For the crust:
1.  With an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla, and salt.

2.  With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour and mix until just combined.  The dough will be stiff.

3.  Pat dough evenly into the bottom of a 9x13" coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees until pale golden on top, about 15-20 minutes.

For the topping:
4.  Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the crust.  Return pan to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes until the chocolate chips are beginning to melt.

5.  Remove the pan from the oven and spread the chocolate evenly over the crust.  Sprinkle the pecans and Heath bar toffee pieces evenly over the chocolate.

6.  Let cool completely in the pan.  Use a sharp knife to cut into small squares.

Enjoy!


This post is linked with Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Strut Your Stuff Saturday hosted by Six Sisters' Stuff, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Nap Time, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Addicted to Recipes, Sunday Showcase Party hosted by Under the Table and Dreaming, Mangia Monday hosted by Shine Your Light, Martha Monday hosted by Watch Out, Martha!, Crazy Sweet Tuesday hosted by Crazy for Crust, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, Trick or Treat Tuesday hosted by Inside BruCrew Life, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Share Your Creations hosted by Kristen's Creations, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm, Weekend Bloggy Reading hosted by Serenity Now, Foodie Friday hosted by Simple Living with Diane Balch, Makin' You Crave Monday hosted by Mrs. Happy Homemaker, On the Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable, Whatcha Whipped Up Wednesday hosted by DJ's Sugar Shack, Weekend Wrap Up hosted by Tater Tots & Jello, Weekend Potluck hosted by The Country Cook, Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round-Up, Strut Your Stuff Saturday.

In honor of my Mom for Mother's Day tomorrow, I decided to post a recipe that is right up her alley ... these rich-and-delicious Toffee Bars.  My Mom loves Heath Bars (which you sprinkle on the top of these little beauties).  And pecans.  And ooey-gooey buttery sweet cookie crusts.  And chocolate ... Oh, yes - she loves chocolate.  Almost as much as I do.  Which is a lot.

So don't these chocolate, pecan, and Heath Bar-topped, brown sugar cookie crusted Toffee Bars sound just perfect for her?  (Hint, hint - the answer is 'yes.')

Also in honor of my Mom for Mother's Day, I decided to share two of my favorite memories of Mom from growing up.

Of course, many of my fondest memories ... far too many to count ... are of us working together in the kitchen.  My Mom is one of those Moms who prepared a home-cooked meal almost every night of our growing-up lives.  I truly don't know how she did it.  As much as I love to cook, I still have difficulty getting a home-cooked meal on the table just several times a week (I try to cook for two nights worth every time I cook) -- and it's just my husband and myself.  She worked full time, ran two kids around to all our 'stuff,' and still made delicious, well-balanced home-cooked meals each night.  My hat's off to you, Mom.

I would help.  And I loved it.  I was Mom's sous-chef, and learned so much from her about baking and cooking all sorts of stuff, and about experimenting with different foods and flavors.  Mom, like me, was always trying new recipes.  She figured worst case was, if we didn't like something, she just wouldn't make it again.  No harm, no foul ... I like that attitude.

I was also Mom's dishwasher.  That part I absolutely DID NOT like.

But let's talk about a couple of memories that are not food related.

Fun Memory #1

I was a bit of a metal-head, music-wise, when I was in grade school and high school.  So was my brother.  (We were children of the '80s people, so please cut us a little slack on this.  Okay?)  I loved my heavy metal music and '80s hair bands ... and will admit that I am occasionally known to still to-this-day rock it out to AC/DC or the Scorpions while driving around in my Volvo.  Which cracks me up.  A Volvo-driving, AC/DC-listening, 41-year-old ... quite the funny picture.

Anyway, this leads to one of my favorite memories of Mom (and Dad) when I was growing up.  See, when I was in the 8th grade and my brother was in early high school, my brother and I wanted to go to an Ozzy Osbourne concert.  In Montreal. 

I grew up in a very small town in Vermont, very close to the Canadian border, so Montreal was about a 3-hour drive.  Well, do you think our parents were going to let us cross a border into another country by ourselves?  And go from eensy-weensy little town where everyone knows your name to a huge city by ourselves??  And mix-and-mingle with an Ozzy Osbourne concert crowd by ourselves???

Nope.  Absolutely not. 

Solution?  Mom and Dad went with us.  To an Ozzy Osbourne concert.  Coolest parents ever. 



Fun Memory #2

When it came time to go to college, my brother left Vermont and went far, far away - moving to North Carolina to go to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  When it came time for me to go to college, I received an offer of a full academic scholarship to ... wouldn't ya know ... the University of Vermont ... just one hour away from the town I grew up in (and, therefore, just one hour away from my parents).  I was immensely grateful for the scholarship, don't get me wrong, ... and the University of Vermont is a fabulous school ... but, I was ready to have and assert my independence.

So how was I going to go to college just one hour away from home?  ('Cause you can't just pass up a full scholarship to a great school, right?.  That would be c-r-a-z-y.)

Well, I made a deal with my parents.  We agreed that, no matter what, my parents could not come visit me without calling and planning that visit in advance.  My stance?  If you couldn't drop in on my brother ('cause he was a 17 hour drive away), then you can't just drop in on me.  Mom and Dad agreed.  They're good-and-reasonable parents like that.

Now, picture it's the second week of my freshman year of college, on a lazy Saturday morning.  About 9:00 in the morning, the phone rings.

Just who do you think it was??  I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count.

Yup, it was my Mom.

The conversation went something like this...

MOM:  "Good morning!  Your Dad and I just wanted to check and see if it was okay to come see you today.  We've got to run a few errands up that way, and we'd really love to see you."

ME:  "Well, ... sure ... I guess that would be okay."

MOM:  "Great!  'Cause we're downstairs in your dorm."

So sweet. 

Now, Mom ... crank up some Ozzy, make yourself a batch of these Toffee Bars, and give me a call.  And if you happen to be making that call from 'just downstairs,' I'd love it.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

I invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Pinterest, Facebook, Google Friend Connect, Linky Followers, bloglovin', or Feedburner. Buttons are in the right sidebar. I'd love to have you back soon!

Toffee Bars
Source:  Adapted from a friend's family recipe

Ingredients
Crust:
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. light brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour, which is what I use)

Topping:
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped pecans
3/4 c. chopped Heath Bar or Heath toffee bits


Directions
For the crust:
1.  With an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla, and salt.

2.  With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour and mix until just combined.  The dough will be stiff.

3.  Pat dough evenly into the bottom of a 9x13" coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees until pale golden on top, about 15-20 minutes.

For the topping:
4.  Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the crust.  Return pan to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes until the chocolate chips are beginning to melt.

5.  Remove the pan from the oven and spread the chocolate evenly over the crust.  Sprinkle the pecans and Heath bar toffee pieces evenly over the chocolate.

6.  Let cool completely in the pan.  Use a sharp knife to cut into small squares.

Enjoy!


This post is linked with Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Strut Your Stuff Saturday hosted by Six Sisters' Stuff, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Nap Time, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Addicted to Recipes, Sunday Showcase Party hosted by Under the Table and Dreaming, Mangia Monday hosted by Shine Your Light, Martha Monday hosted by Watch Out, Martha!, Crazy Sweet Tuesday hosted by Crazy for Crust, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, Trick or Treat Tuesday hosted by Inside BruCrew Life, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Share Your Creations hosted by Kristen's Creations, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm, Weekend Bloggy Reading hosted by Serenity Now, Foodie Friday hosted by Simple Living with Diane Balch, Makin' You Crave Monday hosted by Mrs. Happy Homemaker, On the Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable, Whatcha Whipped Up Wednesday hosted by DJ's Sugar Shack, Weekend Wrap Up hosted by Tater Tots & Jello, Weekend Potluck hosted by The Country Cook, Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round-Up, Strut Your Stuff Saturday.

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Shrimp Scampi

When I cook for someone else in my household, meals are delicious and balanced. They involve protein, starch and vegetables. However, when my boyfriend is out of town for work and I am by myself for a few days, my meals are not balanced. On those days, my meals consist of celery and peanut butter, or a pound of shellfish and half a bottle of wine. My favorite option is shrimp scampi. There is no easier recipe


Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled in de-veined
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• chopped parsley
• salt and pepper
• zest and juice of one lemon
• splash of white wine

Directions

1. Sautee garlic in butter. Add peeled shrimp and season as desired
2. Add lemon and white wine until it’s cooked off. Add parsley at the very end and cook until just barely done.

When I cook for someone else in my household, meals are delicious and balanced. They involve protein, starch and vegetables. However, when my boyfriend is out of town for work and I am by myself for a few days, my meals are not balanced. On those days, my meals consist of celery and peanut butter, or a pound of shellfish and half a bottle of wine. My favorite option is shrimp scampi. There is no easier recipe


Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled in de-veined
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• chopped parsley
• salt and pepper
• zest and juice of one lemon
• splash of white wine

Directions

1. Sautee garlic in butter. Add peeled shrimp and season as desired
2. Add lemon and white wine until it’s cooked off. Add parsley at the very end and cook until just barely done.

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Strawberry Guava Popsicles

I knew it would be a good idea to buy popsicle molds so I can make some homemade treats for my little kids this summer.  I found a really cute one at Dollar Tree.  Tiny little popsicles!  Perfect for kids.  Let the popsicle experiments begin!  This one is simple, with a delicate flavor.  Perfect combination!  I really like the thick, creamy texture that the yogurt gives the popsicle.

Strawberry Guava Popsicles

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup guava nectar (down the juice aisle in a soda type can; cost around $0.35)
• 1/2 lb strawberries, rinsed & hulled

1. Place all ingredients in a blender & blend until smooth. Strain out seeds, if desired.
2. Pour mixture into prepared popsicle molds.  
3. Freeze for 4+ hours depending on the size of the mold.  

*May also use small dixie cups & wooden sticks for popsicle molds.  Place plastic wrap over the top of the cup & poke the stick through the middle where you want it to stay in the center of the popsicle; then freeze.  Place outside of cup under warm running water & twist to remove, when ready to eat.  

I cut off the tops of plastic spoons & left the cut side out of the popsicle for my "wooden sticks" DIY popsicles.

I knew it would be a good idea to buy popsicle molds so I can make some homemade treats for my little kids this summer.  I found a really cute one at Dollar Tree.  Tiny little popsicles!  Perfect for kids.  Let the popsicle experiments begin!  This one is simple, with a delicate flavor.  Perfect combination!  I really like the thick, creamy texture that the yogurt gives the popsicle.

Strawberry Guava Popsicles

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup guava nectar (down the juice aisle in a soda type can; cost around $0.35)
• 1/2 lb strawberries, rinsed & hulled

1. Place all ingredients in a blender & blend until smooth. Strain out seeds, if desired.
2. Pour mixture into prepared popsicle molds.  
3. Freeze for 4+ hours depending on the size of the mold.  

*May also use small dixie cups & wooden sticks for popsicle molds.  Place plastic wrap over the top of the cup & poke the stick through the middle where you want it to stay in the center of the popsicle; then freeze.  Place outside of cup under warm running water & twist to remove, when ready to eat.  

I cut off the tops of plastic spoons & left the cut side out of the popsicle for my "wooden sticks" DIY popsicles.

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Vegetable Lasagna

I will timidly admit that I love Stouffer's Vegetable Lasagna.  I know I shouldn't be eating boxed or frozen meals, but sometimes I just need a break from the kitchen & something quick for dinner.  

I decided I better make my own homemade version, so I can feel a little better about what is going inside.  This vegetable lasagna is really tasty!  Plus you can pack it with vegetables.  For some odd reason, my two year old didn't want the broccoli or carrots, even though he usually eats those, but he didn't even notice the yellow squash & even if he did, I would have told him it was just cheese.  Haha.  Get those kids to eat their vegetables any way you can!  Make this soon, it's good!

Vegetable Lasagna

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 recipe Light Alfredo Sauce (or 2 cups alfredo sauce)
• 1 1/2 cups baby carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups yellow squash, julienne (Makes it look like shredded cheese to the kids.)
• Salt & Pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• Optional: Panko & butter to create a crispy topping

1. Cook lasagna noodles according to directions on the package.  Rinse in cold water.  Set on a paper towel until ready to assemble.  Prepare light alfredo sauce.  Set aside.
2. Saute carrots in a small amount of oil for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften (Depends on how thin you cut them.  I even added a little water to sweat the carrots.)  Season with salt, pepper, & onion powder.  Add broccoli & squash for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.
3. Spoon some sauce on the bottom of a rectangular baking dish.  Place 3 noodles.  Layer: sauce, vegetables, cheese, noodles.  Repeat: sauce, vegetables, cheese, noodles.  Save some sauce & cheese for the top (You can save some vegetables for the top too, if you want to make it pretty.)  Mix 1 cup breadcrumbs with 1-2 Tbsp of butter for your crumb topping if you want it.  
4. Cover with foil & bake at 350*F for 45 minutes or until sauce bubbles & cheese melts.  Remove foil the last 10 minutes if you want a crispy brown bubbly cheese or crumb topping.  *Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting & serving for sauce to thicken.

I will timidly admit that I love Stouffer's Vegetable Lasagna.  I know I shouldn't be eating boxed or frozen meals, but sometimes I just need a break from the kitchen & something quick for dinner.  

I decided I better make my own homemade version, so I can feel a little better about what is going inside.  This vegetable lasagna is really tasty!  Plus you can pack it with vegetables.  For some odd reason, my two year old didn't want the broccoli or carrots, even though he usually eats those, but he didn't even notice the yellow squash & even if he did, I would have told him it was just cheese.  Haha.  Get those kids to eat their vegetables any way you can!  Make this soon, it's good!

Vegetable Lasagna

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 recipe Light Alfredo Sauce (or 2 cups alfredo sauce)
• 1 1/2 cups baby carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups yellow squash, julienne (Makes it look like shredded cheese to the kids.)
• Salt & Pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• Optional: Panko & butter to create a crispy topping

1. Cook lasagna noodles according to directions on the package.  Rinse in cold water.  Set on a paper towel until ready to assemble.  Prepare light alfredo sauce.  Set aside.
2. Saute carrots in a small amount of oil for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften (Depends on how thin you cut them.  I even added a little water to sweat the carrots.)  Season with salt, pepper, & onion powder.  Add broccoli & squash for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.
3. Spoon some sauce on the bottom of a rectangular baking dish.  Place 3 noodles.  Layer: sauce, vegetables, cheese, noodles.  Repeat: sauce, vegetables, cheese, noodles.  Save some sauce & cheese for the top (You can save some vegetables for the top too, if you want to make it pretty.)  Mix 1 cup breadcrumbs with 1-2 Tbsp of butter for your crumb topping if you want it.  
4. Cover with foil & bake at 350*F for 45 minutes or until sauce bubbles & cheese melts.  Remove foil the last 10 minutes if you want a crispy brown bubbly cheese or crumb topping.  *Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting & serving for sauce to thicken.

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Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Do you wanna know how to make your kids happy?

Tell them you're making cake for breakfast.

Works for me! 

This cake is just wonderful - it's sweet (but not too much so, although I think I'll reduce the sugar next time by a quarter cup just to reduce calories- we'll probably not even notice) and tender and chock full of blueberries (I always use frozen and they work out great) and I bet it would work just as well with raspberries or blackberries too.

I hate to admit it, but between my 4 (eating) kids and myself, we can pretty much put away this entire thing in one morning.  Yes, those are humongous servings.  I should probably supplement our breakfast with some other fruit or something else so we don't eat so much cake. 

Maybe next time. 

Ha. 
Recipe: adapted from Finding Joy in my Kitchen

1/4 cup (expeller pressed) coconut oil, melted OR use 3 T. softened butter
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1-2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375°. 
Cream together oil and sugars.  Add applesauce, egg, yogurt, and vanilla and mix gently.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients, and slowly add into the creamed mixture.
Mix just until moistened.
Fold in blueberries.
Spread into a lightly greased 13x9" pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Test for doneness with a toothpick.
Serve warm.

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday

Do you wanna know how to make your kids happy?

Tell them you're making cake for breakfast.

Works for me! 

This cake is just wonderful - it's sweet (but not too much so, although I think I'll reduce the sugar next time by a quarter cup just to reduce calories- we'll probably not even notice) and tender and chock full of blueberries (I always use frozen and they work out great) and I bet it would work just as well with raspberries or blackberries too.

I hate to admit it, but between my 4 (eating) kids and myself, we can pretty much put away this entire thing in one morning.  Yes, those are humongous servings.  I should probably supplement our breakfast with some other fruit or something else so we don't eat so much cake. 

Maybe next time. 

Ha. 
Recipe: adapted from Finding Joy in my Kitchen

1/4 cup (expeller pressed) coconut oil, melted OR use 3 T. softened butter
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1-2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375°. 
Cream together oil and sugars.  Add applesauce, egg, yogurt, and vanilla and mix gently.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients, and slowly add into the creamed mixture.
Mix just until moistened.
Fold in blueberries.
Spread into a lightly greased 13x9" pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Test for doneness with a toothpick.
Serve warm.

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday

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