Thanks to everyone for the banana recipe suggestions! As part of prepping for Baby #2 I plan to clean out the freezer and restock it with easy-to-heat meals and snacks. Your suggestions will help me make the huge bag of frozen bananas into a variety of new recipes! On my list to try are:
- Banana Blueberry Muffins
- Banana Bran Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Pomegranate Banana Bread
- Hawaiian Banana Nut Bread (modified)
And speaking of recipes... I thought I'd share one that we used this week. I was flipping through a magazine and C saw an ad for granola bars, so naturally she asked if we could make some!
And we did.
Homemade Granola Bars
Disclaimer: I'm very go-with-the-flow when it comes to granola bars. I toss in whatever I have in my cupboard, so the measurements are never exact! I usually add so many extra dry ingredients that I have to dump in extra honey to make it all stick together!
2 1/2 cup quick oats (I often use part quick oats and part old-fashioned)1/2 cup Rice Krispies
1/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, etc.
I always end up adding more. Some other things I often add are sunflower seeds, flax seeds, a sprinkle of oat bran and/or wheat germ, and crushed cereal left at the bottom of the bag (e.g. corn flakes, shreddies, etc.).
Add all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together until combined.
Press into a greased 9x9 pan (or a 9x13 for thinner bars).
Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes and score into bars.
Let it set completely and then cut into bars.
These chewy granola bars are really yummy. I always have a fair bit of crumbling when I try to get them out of the pan, but I save the crumbles to eat with yogurt. They keep well in the fridge, but remember to set them on the counter for a while before you eat them, to let them warm up; otherwise they're a bit hard on your teeth!
I found this recipe on the Internet (somewhere!) about year ago, but didn't save the URL, so I can't credit the original source.
3 comments:
Look like yummy bars!
What a fun time, to be preparing for baby #2! The granola bars look delish. Good luck getting everything ready.
I love granola bars, and I do the same with mine. I add so many things that I have in my cupboards that I need to add something moist to hold it all together (generally peanut butter... I LOVE peanut butter).
With my last pregnancy I planned a month of meals where I was freezing at least half of what I made so I ended up with almost 30 meals in my deep freeze after Baby M was born. It was great. Especially since I was down and out for the count for a few weeks at least. Hubs had no problem coming in, picking the stuff from the deep freeze, following the instructions and popping it into the oven. I'm thinking of doing the same this time. As for baked goods, muffins freeze SO well, and they were such a blessing to have. I'd pop one on the bed table each night to eat while I nursed, since I got so hungry during the night and needed something. And fruit juice. Loved the fruit juice!
Good luck with the freezer foods! I know I need to start on that soon, too!
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