Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

 1/4 c coconut oil

1/4 c honey

1/2 c peanut butter

1/4 c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp sea salt

3 c oats

1/2 c chopped nuts or seeds (I used cashews and sunflower seeds)

3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

In saucepan, melt coconut oil, peanut butter, honey, and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in vanilla and salt. Let cool for about 10 minutes so it doesn’t melt the chocolate chips. 

In bowl, put oats and nuts/ seeds. Stir in peanut matter mixture until well coated. Mix in chocolate chips. In 9x9 pan, place nonstick parchment paper. Press mixture into pan firmly and evenly. Let chill for 2 hours then cut into bars. I like to keep mine in refrigerator. 

You can easily mix up the add-ins! Any type of nut or seeds (pecans, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, flax, etc) or substitute raisins, cranberries, white chocolate chips. 

Wedge Salad

 Head of iceberg lettuce

Thick cut bacon

Cherry tomatoes

Blue cheese

Blue cheese dressing

Balsamic glaze

Slice the stem out of the head of lettuce. Slice into fourths or eights, depending on how many people you want to serve and portion sizes. Drizzle with dressing first, then blue cheese, bacon, and tomatoes. Drizzle with balsamic glaze last if you want it.  

Lava Cakes

 2 packages Bakers semi-sweet chocolate bars

1 c butter

2 c powdered sugar

4 eggs

4 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

12 T flour

Melt butter and chocolate in glass bowl in microwave on 1 minute intervals on high. Keep stirring with whisk until melted. Stir in powdered sugar. Mix in eggs and yolks with mixer for about 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Stir in flour just until blended. 

Butter 8 ramekins well and then sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa powder. Pour batter 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 425 degrees for about 12-14 minutes. 

Serve with ice cream or cool whip. 

Chocolate Bundt Cake

 Devils Food boxed cake mix (the kind with pudding already in it)

1 c cold coffee

1/4 c melted butter

4 eggs

Beat until fluffy. Bake in Bundt pan according to package directions. 

Chocolate Glaze:

6 T butter

5 T cocoa powder

1 T espresso powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 c powdered sugar

Little bit of hot water

In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in cocoa and espresso powder. Mix on low for a few minutes. Add in vanilla and salt. Whisk in powdered sugar. Add 1 tablespoon of hot water at a time until it is the consistency to drizzle on cooled cake. 

Sweet Potato Casserole

 6 jumbo sweet potatoes

3 eggs

1/2 c milk or cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c melted butter

Wash potatoes, pierce with fork, and wrap in foil. Bake for 1 hour at 400 or until tender. Once cool, peel from skins and use a beater to whip. Mix in other ingredients. Put in pan. 

Topping:

3 T cold butter

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

Mini marshmallows

Cut cold butter into pecans, brown sugar, and flour. Sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes. Bake at 400 for 45 min. Take out and put marshmallows on top and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Watch carefully as marshmallows can go from melted to burnt quickly! 

Chicken Roll-Ups

 6 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped 

6 slices of bacon, crumbled

1 block cream cheese, softened

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

2 tubes crescent rolls

1 can cream of chicken

1/4 c milk

Salt, pepper 

Mix chicken, bacon, cheese, and cream cheese. Unroll crescent rolls. Fill each thick end of crescent roll with. Chicken mixture. Roll up and place in greased backing dish. Mix cream of mushroom, milk and spices in small bowl. Pour over crescent rolls. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min.

Jalapeño Cheese Grits

 6 cups boiling water

1 1/2 c quick cooking grits

1 stick butter

1 T salt

1 lb Mexican Velveeta cheese

4 oz can chopped green chiles

3 beaten eggs

Add grits to boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Add butter, salt, cheese, and chiles. Let cool, then add beaten eggs. Transfer to 2 qt baking dish and bake at 350* for 1 hour.