Ina's Granola

We started making this granola last year around Mother's Day and my mom got on a kick and started making it like crazy in the last couple of months. I made a double batch to give some to my best friends when I saw them last week. It is really good, really fast and easy and such a great treat for your friends and family! Ina's original recipe is 3 times this so this has been divided down for a smaller portion!

1 cup oats
1/2 cup nuts (we use almonds or pecans, you could use anything)
1/2 cup coconut (we use just the sweetened stuff in the bag!)
3 Tbl vegetable oil
2 Tbl Honey
1/4 cup dried cranberries, cherries, really any dried fruit you like

Combine all ingredients and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake on 350 for 15-20 minutes until everything is nice and golden, you may want to fluff everything halfway through to make sure it all gets golden!

Ina's Peanut Butter Frosting

This frosting is so fluffy and good. I am really excited to make a nice fluffy chocolate cake and put it on it, my hubby would really love that!


Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing from Ina Garten

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

My hubby's breakfast treats

My mother-in-law makes these for my hubby every time we go down to visit them. I finally decided to start making them and I'm glad I did as this gets my hubby to eat breakfast everyday so I will continue making them.

1 package smoked sausage
1 container refrigerator biscuits (any kind will work)

If your container of biscuits have 10 in them then cut your smoked sausage into 10 pieces (same for if they have 8, do 8. etc). Smash a biscuit in the palm of your hand into an oval shape. Place a slice of sausage into the top of the biscuit and roll up. You can totally enclose the sausage or leave some open. You can also place some cheese into the middle as well. I usually take a slice of American cheese and fold into thirds and place a third in each biscuit.
Bake at 375 for about 13-15 minutes until nice and golden brown!

My mom's banana bread!

I have no idea where my mom got this recipe as it's the one she's made forever! It is so good especially made into muffins with some mini-chocolate chips added!

1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 med)
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 Tbl oil
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup nuts (I use pecans, but walnuts would be good)
2 1/2 cups flour

Grease and flour 9x5x3 in loaf pan (or muffin cups). Measure all ingredients into large bowl, beat on med speed 1/2 minute, scraping sides and bottom of bowl constantly. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 55-65 mins for loaf about 18 mins for muffins, until wooden pick comes out clean. Remove from pan, cool before slicing.

My sister-in-laws wedding cake

I have been making wedding cakes for 2 years now and am needing to post all of them. I will post the newest one now since I have the picture with me. It's for my sister-in-laws April wedding. She has asked me to make the cake and I am very excited to do it for them! I made a mock one so she could see what I was thinking of doing with her vision! This is how it turned out!

Goat Cheese Chicken

This is another recipe brought about due to me having some goat cheese on hand. We absolutely love goat cheese and I thought what could be better than combining it with chicken!
1/4 of a log of soft goat cheese
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to 1/8"
3 Tbl marinara sauce (again I use Prego)
1/3 cup italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese together in a shallow dish. Spread enough goat cheese to cover the chicken and then place 1 tbl of the marinara on each chicken breast. Roll the chicken up. Coat in the parmesan cheese/bread crumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for about 20 mins (I use a meat thermometer so I'm not sure on cooking time).

The BEST Appetizer EVER

Me and my mom once went to Carraba's Italian Restaurant and had the most wonderful appetizer that they call Scotty Thompson. I had a log of goat cheese that I was wanting to make for dinner and that's how these next two came about!

1 log of soft goat cheese
1/2-1 cup of marinara sauce (I used Prego)
6 slices Texas Toast
1 stick butter
1 tbl garlic powder

Heat oven to 400. Place log of goat cheese in pan sprayed with Pam. Cover cheese with marinara sauce. Bake for about 20 minutes until it's nice and melted. Meanwhile melt butter in microwave dish (I use a glass measuring cup) and then stir in the garlic powder. Place Texas Toast slices on a baking sheet. Cut off crusts and then spread the butter mixture over both sides. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Serve the toasts along side the goat cheese mixture. YUM!