Chocolate Zucchini Bread

It is no secret that cakes and breads are not exactly "healthy." This is a problem because I love to bake and I especially love to eat what I bake! This chocolate zucchini bread is great because it is fluffy, moist, chocolaty, AND relatively healthy! There is absolutely no flour or sugar in this recipe but you would never know it by tasting the bread! I think it actually tastes more like a chocolate cake than a bread!

To make this chocolate zucchini bread you will need:

• 1 cup ALMOND BUTTER
• 3 Tbs HONEY
• 2 Tbs COCOA POWDER
• 2 LARGE EGGS
• 1/8 tsp SALT
• 1 Tbs VANILLA
• 1 tsp APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
• 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1 cup ZUCCHINI, shredded (squeeze as much of the excess water out as possible)
• Optional: 1/3 cup NUTS (I used pecans)

Start off by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Then put the almond butter, honey, cocoa powder, eggs, salt, and vanilla into a medium bowl. Use a handheld mixer to blend on a medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add the vinegar and baking soda to the mixture and blend for another 30 seconds.

Next, fold in the zucchini and the nuts with a spatula.

It won't exactly look pretty... but I promise it tastes good!

Pour the batter into a loaf pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake the bread for 25-35 minutes depending on how much water you were able to get out of the zucchini.

Note: I would recommend checking the bread with a toothpick every few minutes after the first 25 minutes until it comes out clean.

You can serve it warm or at room temperature!

I cut my bread into pieces that were 3/4 to 1 inch thick which gave me about 10 slices.

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Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ALMOND BUTTER
• 3 Tbs HONEY
• 2 Tbs COCOA POWDER
• 2 LARGE EGGS
• 1/8 tsp SALT
• 1 Tbs VANILLA
• 1 tsp APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
• 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1 cup ZUCCHINI, shredded (squeeze as much of the excess water out as possible)
• Optional: 1/3 cup NUTS (I used pecans)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Put the almond butter, honey, cocoa powder, eggs, salt, and vanilla into a medium bowl. Use a handheld mixer to blend on a medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. Add the vinegar and baking soda to the mixture and blend for another 30 seconds.
4. Next, fold in the zucchini and the nuts with a spatula.
5. Pour the batter into a loaf pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray. 
6. Bake the bread for 25-35 minutes depending on how much water you were able to get out of the zucchini. Note: I would recommend checking the bread with a toothpick every few minutes after the first 25 minutes until it comes out clean.

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I adapted this recipe from the following blog: http://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/organic-chocolate-zucchini-bread-recipe/

Baked Sesame Chicken

Ok, this is officially the best sesame chicken we have made thus far! We have finally found a method of cooking the chicken that makes it taste like it came from a Chinese restaurant!! And the best part is that this recipe is extremely versatile! You could easily substitute the sesame sauce explained below for a General Tso's sauce, orange chicken sauce, or any other sauce you like!

To make this you will need:

• 1 (8-10 oz.) CHICKEN BREAST, cubed
• 1/3 cup CORNSTARCH
• 1-2 EGG WHITES
• SALT
• PEPPER
• 1 Tbs CANOLA OIL
• SESAME SEEDS, to garnish
• Optional: chopped GREEN ONIONS, to garnish

For the sauce you will need:

• 3 Tbs HONEY
• 3 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs KETCHUP
• 2 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• 2 Tbs RICE VINEGAR
• 1/4 tsp SESAME OIL
• 1/4 tsp GARLIC, minced
• 1/4 Tbs CORNSTARCH

Start off by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F. Put the 1/3 cup of cornstarch in a small bowl and the egg whites in a second small bowl. Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and 1/4 Tbs corn starch. Set the sauce aside.

Season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper. Start heating a skillet over medium-high heat with the canola oil. Then coat the chicken cubes in cornstarch...

...dip them in the egg white...

...and throw them in the skillet! Brown the chicken in the skillet and then place the chicken into a greased baking pan. You don't need to worry about cooking the chicken all the way through in the skillet because you will continue cooking it in the oven.

Once all of the chicken is browned, pour the prepared sauce over the chicken.



Put the pan in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes depending on how big your chunks are. I tossed the chicken every 10 to 15 minutes in the sauce just to make sure the chicken was well coated.

Once the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened you can garnish with the sesame seeds and green onions. (I like topping sesame chicken with green onions, but unfortunately we didn't have any on hand.)

We served the sesame chicken over rice!

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Baked Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:
To make this you will need:

• 1 (8-10 oz.) CHICKEN BREAST, cubed
• 1/3 cup CORNSTARCH
• 1-2 EGG WHITES
• SALT
• PEPPER
• 1 Tbs CANOLA OIL
• SESAME SEEDS, to garnish
• Optional: chopped GREEN ONIONS, to garnish

For the sauce you will need:

• 3 Tbs HONEY
• 3 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs KETCHUP
• 2 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• 2 Tbs RICE VINEGAR
• 1/4 tsp SESAME OIL
• 1/4 tsp GARLIC, minced
• 1/4 Tbs CORNSTARCH

Directions:

1. Start off by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F. Put the 1/3 cup of cornstarch in a small bowl and the egg whites in a second small bowl. Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and 1/4 Tbs corn starch. Set the sauce aside.
2. Season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper. Start heating a skillet over medium-high heat with the canola oil. 
3. Then coat the chicken cubes in cornstarch, dip them in the egg, and throw them in the skillet. Brown the chicken in the skillet and then place the chicken into a greased baking pan. You don't need to worry about cooking the chicken all the way through in the skillet because you will continue cooking it in the oven. 
4. Once all of the chicken is browned, pour the prepared sauce over the chicken. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes depending on how big your chunks are. I tossed the chicken every 10 to 15 minutes in the sauce just to make sure the chicken was well coated. 
5. Once the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened you can garnish with the sesame seeds and green onions. Serve over rice!

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I adapted this recipe from one found on this website: http://therecipecritic.com/2013/09/baked-honey-sesame-chicken/ 

Lighter Sesame Chicken

This recipe for sesame chicken is a little 'lighter' than the other sesame chicken recipe I posted and I actually like it better! I think it has a better flavor and it is just as easy!

To make this you will need:

• 12 oz. CHICKEN THIGHS, cubed
• 1 EGG WHITE
• 2 Tbs CORNSTARCH
• SALT
• PEPPER
• 1/4 cup HONEY
• 2 Tbs SESAME SEEDS
• 2 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 1 GARLIC CLOVE, minced
• 1 Tbs VEGETABLE OIL
• 2-3 GREEN ONIONS, chopped

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg white, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Then, mix in the cubed chicken.

In a small bowl combine the honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic.

Add a tablespoon of oil to a skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Then add the chicken and cook for a 5-7 minutes until done. 

Once the chicken is cooked, pour in the honey mixture and toss the chicken in the sauce. Remove the chicken from the heat and garnish with the chopped green onions! Serve over rice, with steamed broccoli on the side!

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Lighter Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. CHICKEN THIGHS, cubed
• 1 EGG WHITE
• 2 Tbs CORNSTARCH
• SALT
• PEPPER
• 1/4 cup HONEY
• 2 Tbs SESAME SEEDS
• 2 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 1 GARLIC CLOVE, minced
• 1 Tbs VEGETABLE OIL
• 2-3 GREEN ONIONS, chopped

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg white, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Then, mix in the cubed chicken.
2. In a small bowl combine the honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic.
3. Add a tablespoon of oil to a skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Then add the chicken and cook for a 5-7 minutes until done. 
4. Once the chicken is cooked, pour the honey mixture in the skillet and toss the chicken in the sauce. 
5. Remove the chicken from the heat and garnish with the chopped green onions. Serve over rice, with steamed broccoli on the side!

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I found this recipe on the following blog:
http://iowagirleats.com/2012/10/22/take-out-fake-out-lighter-sesame-chicken/

Strawberry Parfait

Just looking at the pictures of this strawberry parfait makes me want to go make myself another one! It is sweet from the strawberries, a little tart from the Greek yogurt, and has a nice crunch from the granola. It is pure perfection! By the way, did you know that 'parfait' literally means 'perfect' in French?! 

To make this 'perfect' treat you will need:

• 5-6 oz. VANILLA GREEK YOGURT
• 5-7 STRAWBERRIES, diced
• 6-8 Tbs GRANOLA

I started off by making some of my favorite granola and then diced up some strawberries.

I then layered them into a small glass with the vanilla Greek yogurt. I added about half of the yogurt to the bottom of the glass, then put in about 3 tablespoons of granola, and lastly about 3 diced strawberries. I then repeated this process with the rest of the yogurt, granola, and strawberries.

That's all there is to it! Now dig in and enjoy!

Famous Dave's Corn Muffins

My family loves to go to Famous Dave's and get some good BBQ. Along with having great BBQ Famous Dave's also has delicious corn muffins! They are sweet, fluffy, and cakey! I made a few small changes to a recipe that I found on a blog (the blog's website is posted at the bottom of this post) and they turned out very close to the muffins Famous Dave's makes!

To make about 16 corn muffins you will need:

• 1 & 3/4 cup CORNMEAL
• 1 & 1/2 cup FLOUR
• 2 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1/4 tsp BAKING SODA
• 3/4 tsp SALT
• 2 EGGS
• 3/4 cup SUGAR
• 1/4 cup VEGETABLE SHORTENING
• 1/2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
• 1 cup MILK (I used 1%)
• 1/4 tsp LEMON JUICE
• 1/3 cup VEGETABLE OIL
• 4 Tbs HONEY
• BUTTER, to spread on the muffins after baking

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Then in a medium sized bowl whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the eggs, sugar, vegetable shortening, and vanilla. Once the ingredients are well combined add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and continue to mix. It should have a course meal texture and look like the picture below.

Then mix in the milk, lemon juice, oil, and honey. This should make it more like a batter.

Line your muffin pan with paper liners and fill the liners about 3/4 the way full with batter. I didn't have any liners on hand when I made them so I skipped that part. I recommend using the liners though, my corn muffins got dark around the outside edges when I baked them.

Bake the corn muffins for 13-16 minutes. After the muffins have baked and are still hot, rub some butter over the top of the muffins! Then eat them!

Yum!

I know the edges are dark, but they still tasted good. Only the very outside of the muffin was slightly overcooked. Use paper liners to prevent the outside of the muffin overcooking!

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Famous Dave's Corn Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 & 3/4 cup CORNMEAL
• 1 & 1/2 cup FLOUR
• 2 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1/4 tsp BAKING SODA
• 3/4 tsp SALT
• 2 EGGS
• 3/4 cup SUGAR
• 1/4 cup VEGETABLE SHORTENING
• 1/2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
• 1 cup MILK (I used 1%)
• 1/4 tsp LEMON JUICE
• 1/3 cup VEGETABLE OIL
• 4 Tbs HONEY
• BUTTER, to spread on the muffins after baking

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Then in a medium sized bowl whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In another bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the eggs, sugar, vegetable shortening, and vanilla. Once the ingredients are well combined add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and continue to mix. It should have a course meal texture.
3. Then mix in the milk, lemon juice, oil, and honey. 
4. Line your muffin pan with paper liners and fill the liners to about 3/4 the way full with batter. 
5. Bake the corn muffins for 13-16 minutes. After the muffins have baked and are still hot, rub some butter over the top of the muffin! Then eat them!

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I found this recipe from the following website: http://www.eatcakefordinner.net/2011/11/famous-daves-cornbread-muffins-copycat.html

Chipotle Chicken Marinade

A few weeks ago we bought a can of chipotles chilies in adobo sauce for a recipe we were trying, and ended up having several extra chilies. We didn't want to waste them so I went on the hunt for another recipe I could use them in. This chipotle chicken marinade is what I found! It is spicy but still has a good flavor and is great on chicken!

For the marinade you will need:

• 3 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 2 cloves GARLIC
• 1 Tbs HONEY
• 1/4 tsp CUMIN
• 2 CHIPOTLE CHILIES IN ADOBO SAUCE (seeds and all)
• pinch of SALT
• pinch of PEPPER

Throw all of the above ingredients into a food processor and blend until the contents are thick and not chunky. That's it! 

Spread the marinade over your chicken or throw the marinade and chicken into a baggie and let it sit for 2 hours. Then bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes depending on how thick your chicken is.

After the chicken is cooked through you can serve it as is or do what my husband did and cube it, mix in some rice, and add some steamed broccoli (as seen below).

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Chipotle Chicken Marinade

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 2 cloves GARLIC
• 1 Tbs HONEY
• 1/4 tsp CUMIN
• 2 CHIPOTLE CHILIES IN ADOBO SAUCE (seeds and all)
• pinch of SALT
• pinch of PEPPER

Directions:

1. Throw all of the above ingredients into a food processor and blend until the contents are thick and not chunky. That's it! 
2. Spread the marinade over your chicken or throw the marinade and chicken into a baggie and let it sit for 2 hours. 
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes depending on how thick your chicken is.

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Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

Here is a recipe for orange chicken! Now, if you are thinking Panda Express Copycat recipe then don't get too exited because this does not taste anything like that! It is good though!

To make the sauce you will need:

• 1/2 cup ORANGE JUICE
• 2 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs RICE VINEGAR
• 1 Tbs OYSTER SAUCE
• 1 Tbs ORANGE ZEST
• 2 large cloves GARLIC
• Optional: HONEY, to taste

For the stir-fry you will need:

• 1 lb. CHICKEN, cubed
• 3 Tbs CORN STARCH
• SALT
• PEPPER
• 4 cups VEGETABLES (whatever you like, broccoli, carrots, green peppers, mushrooms, snap peas, been sprouts, etc.)
• OLIVE OIL
• 1/2 cup YELLOW ONION, chopped
• RICE

Start off by blending all of the ingredients in the sauce together in a food processor for about 10 seconds. Add honey as you see necessary to make the sauce taste yummy. Once you are satisfied with the sauce, pour it into a skillet and heat it on medium-high for 5 minutes. Then transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.

If you are using fresh vegetables such as broccoli or carrots, steam them for a few minutes to get the vegetable almost cooked. Also, start heating up a pot of boiling water to cook the rice. 

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then coat it in the corn starch. Heat about 1 Tbs of olive oil in the skillet on medium-high. Then, cook the chicken and onion in the skillet until the chicken has cooked through. Once the water is boiling add the rice to start cooking. 

Add the vegetables into the skillet and stir-fry them together. Add the the sauce to the stir-fry a few tablespoons at a time to allow the sauce to cook down a little bit as it is added. Once all of the sauce is added and everything is cooked through, serve the stir-fry over rice and eat up!

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Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup ORANGE JUICE
• 2 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs RICE VINEGAR
• 1 Tbs OYSTER SAUCE
• 1 Tbs ORANGE ZEST
• 2 large cloves GARLIC
• Optional: HONEY, to taste

Stir-fry:

• 1 lb. CHICKEN, cubed
• 3 Tbs CORN STARCH
• SALT
• PEPPER
• 4 cups VEGETABLES (whatever you like, broccoli, carrots, green peppers, mushrooms, snap peas, been sprouts, etc.)
• OLIVE OIL
• 1/2 cup YELLOW ONION, chopped
• RICE

Directions:

1. Start heating up a pot of boiling water to cook the rice. Once the water is boiling add the rice to start cooking. 
2. Blend all of the sauce ingredients together in a food processor for about 10 seconds. Add honey as needed. 
3. Once you are satisfied with the sauce, pour it into a skillet and heat it on medium-high for 5 minutes. Then transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.
4. If you are using fresh vegetables such as broccoli or carrots, steam them for a few minutes to get the vegetable almost cooked. 
5. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then coat it in the corn starch. 
6. Heat about 1 Tbs of olive oil in the skillet on medium-high. Then, cook the chicken and onion in the skillet until the chicken has cooked through. 
7. Add the rest of the vegetables into the skillet and stir-fry them together. 
8. Add the the sauce to the stir-fry a few tablespoons at a time to allow the sauce to cook down a little bit as it is added. 
9. Once all of the sauce is added and everything is cooked through, serve the stir-fry over rice and eat up!

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The website where I found this recipe is: http://www.pbs.org/parents/kitchenexplorers/2012/08/30/orange-chicken-vegetable-stir-fry/

Honey Italian Marinated Chicken

This is a recipe for a Honey Italian Marinade! This is probably the easiest marinade you will ever make. There are only 2 ingredients! To make it you will need:

• 2 Tbs HONEY
• 1/2 cup KRAFT ZESTY ITALIAN DRESSING

You will of course also need the chicken...

• 2 BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS

I think the easiest way to make this is to put your defrosted chicken breasts into a sandwich baggie (you could also just use a bowl if you prefer) and then add the honey and dressing. Seal the baggie, and then squish around the ingredients until the honey and dressing are mixed and they are all over the chicken. 

Let the baggie sit for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator to allow the chicken to absorb all of the flavors!

Then cook up the chicken on the stove, using a spoon to drizzle the marinade over the chicken as it cooks. You could also bake the chicken in the oven if you prefer.

 We served our chicken with green beans, roasted potatoes, and a slice of cheesy crusty bread!

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Honey Italian Marinated Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs HONEY
• 1/2 cup KRAFT ZESTY ITALIAN DRESSING
• 2 BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS

Directions:

1. I think the easiest way to make this is to put your chicken breasts into a sandwich baggie (you could also just use a bowl if you prefer) and then add the honey and dressing. Seal the baggie, and then squish around the ingredients until the honey and dressing are mixed and they are all over the chicken. 
2. Let the baggie sit for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator to allow the chicken to absorb all of the flavors!
3. Then cook up the chicken on the stove, using a spoon to drizzle the marinade over the chicken as it cooks. You could also bake the chicken in the oven if you prefer.

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This recipe was adapted by a recipe on this website:

http://neinahpets.hubpages.com/hub/Healthy-Recipes-Dinner-for-Two-Honey-Italian-Marinated-Chicken-Breast-Recipe

Berry Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

I love fruit! Not usually on salads, but this salad just sounded so good! It is a perfect summer salad to have when all of the berries are in season!

In order to make it you will need:

• 3-4 cups of ROMAINE LETTUCE 
• 1/2 cup fresh BLUEBERRIES
• 1/2 cup fresh STRAWBERRIES, sliced
• 1 oz. crumbled FETA CHEESE
• 1 Tbs SALAD DRESSING

Make sure to rinse all of the ingredients to remove any dirt, toss together in a bowl, add the dressing, and serve! I made a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, but a poppy seed dressing, or simply a balsamic vinaigrette would also be good!

To make the Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette you will need:

• 1 cup fresh STRAWBERRIES
• 2 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 2 Tbs BALSAMIC VINEGAR
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 tsp PEPPER
• 1 tsp HONEY

I simply threw all of the ingredients into my food processor and blended until smooth! Simple as that!

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Berry Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Berry Salad:

• 3-4 cups of ROMAINE LETTUCE 
• 1/2 cup fresh BLUEBERRIES
• 1/2 cup fresh STRAWBERRIES, sliced
• 1 oz. crumbled FETA CHEESE
• 1 Tbs SALAD DRESSING

Strawberry Balsamic Dressing:

• 1 cup fresh STRAWBERRIES
• 2 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 2 Tbs BALSAMIC VINEGAR
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 tsp PEPPER
• 1 tsp HONEY

Directions:

Berry Salad:

1. Make sure to rinse all of the ingredients to remove any dirt, toss together in a bowl, add the dressing, and serve! 
2. I made a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, but a poppy seed dressing, or simply a balsamic vinaigrette would also be good!

Strawberry Balsamic Dressing:

1. I simply threw all of the ingredients into my food processor and blended until smooth! Simple as that!

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The recipe that I based the dressing off of can be found at this website:
http://www.fitsugar.com/Healthy-Recipe-Strawberry-Balsamic-Vinaigrette-3368831

Honey Lime Chicken Marinade

Here is a marinade that will give your chicken a fresh, bright, citrus flavor! After marinading, you can grill it, bake it, or stir-fry it! We chose do make a stir-fry this time. 

For the marinade you will need:

• 3 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs HONEY
• 1 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 2 cloves of GARLIC
• 2 tsp SRIRACHA hot sauce
• RED PEPPER FLAKES to taste (we used about 1 tsp)
• 2-3 Tbs fresh chopped CILANTRO
• 2 LIMES, cubed
• 1 lb SKINLESS BONELESS CHICKEN BREASTS

In a large baggie combine all of the above ingredients. Squeeze the lime cubes into the baggie to release some of the juice, but make sure to throw the rind in the bag as well. Allow the chicken to marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. 

To make a stir-fry like we did you will also need:

• 1/2 a RED BELL PEPPER, sliced
• 1/2 a GREEN BELL PEPPER, sliced
• 1/2 a ONION, sliced
• 2 servings of RICE

In a skillet we sauteed the peppers and onion until they were tender. We then added the chicken to the skillet along with several tablespoons of the marinade and sauteed it until the chicken was cooked through and all of the flavors had melded together. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Granola Trail Mix

This trail mix is a great snack! I found a recipe online for a simple granola and then added some of my favorite nuts and berries.

To make the granola you will need:

• 1/2 cup BROWN SUGAR
• 1/2 cup HONEY
• 1/4 cup CANOLA OIL
• 4 cups OLD FASHIONED OATS (not quick oats)
• 1/2 tsp CINNAMON
• 1/4 tsp SALT
• 1 cup NUTS (I used walnuts)

Start by preheating the oven to 250 degrees F. While the oven is preheating, add the brown sugar, honey, and canola oil to a saucepan on the stove and heat the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.

Combine the oats, cinnamon, salt, nuts, and sugar mixture from the stove in a bowl. Mix until the oats are evenly coated.

Next, spray a cookie sheet with PAM and spread the granola mixture all over the cookie sheet. Make sure to press the granola down onto the sheet before putting it into the oven.

Bake the granola for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. After it has baked for 1 hour let the granola cool completely and then break up it up and put the pieces into baggies (or an air tight container).

The granola is good to eat by itself or to sprinkle on top of yogurt, but this time I used it in trail mix. For my trail mix I got:

• YOGURT COVERED RAISINS
• DRIED CRANBERRIES

I divided the granola up into 8 baggies (approx. 3 oz./bag) and then divided the yogurt covered raisins (approx. 1 oz./bag) and dried cranberries (approx. 0.7 oz./bag) equally among the 8 bags. 

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Granola Trail Mix

Ingredients:

Granola:

• 1/2 cup BROWN SUGAR
• 1/2 cup HONEY
• 1/4 cup CANOLA OIL
• 4 cups OLD FASHIONED OATS (not quick oats)
• 1/2 tsp CINNAMON
• 1/4 tsp SALT
• 1 cup NUTS (I used walnuts)

Trail Mix:

• GRANOLA
• YOGURT COVERED RAISINS
• DRIED CRANBERRIES

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. 
2. While the oven is preheating, add the brown sugar, honey, and canola oil to a saucepan on the stove and heat the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Combine the oats, cinnamon, salt, nuts, and sugar mixture from the stove in a bowl. Mix until the oats are evenly coated.
4. Next, spray a cookie sheet with PAM and spread the granola mixture all over the cookie sheet. Make sure to press the granola down onto the sheet before putting it into the oven.
5. Bake the granola for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. After it has baked for 1 hour let the granola cool completely and then break up it up and put the pieces into baggies (or an air tight container).
6. I divided the granola up into 8 baggies (approx. 3 oz./bag) and then added some yogurt covered raisins (approx. 1 oz./bag) and dried cranberries (approx. 0.7 oz./bag). 

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This is the website where I found the granola recipe: http://lmld.org/2013/05/24/simple-granola/