Sunday, May 18, 2014

Peanut Butter Dream Bars

Here's another recipe/result of my Pinterest surfing. I currently have 388 pins on my "Sweets" board, which is a little crazy. When in the world am I going to make 388 different desserts!?!  The recipes that I actually make have to not only look good, but be simple enough for me to take the time to do. One day a few weeks ago- this recipe fit those requirements, so I gave it a try. It did not disappoint!! Peanut butter and chocolate is always a good idea. These bars add oatmeal and end up a little melty and gooey. I found them best served warm with ice cream and chocolate sauce. Our weather has been up and down A LOT over the last few weeks, but the next time its up and we can host a backyard bbq, this dessert will definitely be on my menu!

-Wendy

Peanut Butter Dream Bars


Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Wendy (found on Pinterest)

Prep time:

Cook time:

Total time:

Serves: 25


Ingredients


  • 1 c melted butter

  • 1 c brown sugar

  • 1 tsp bakíng soda

  • 2 1/4 c quíck cookíng oatmeal

  • 1 1/2 c flour

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 c peanut butter

  • 1 can sweetened condensed mílk

  • 1 Kíng síze Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup candy bars, roughly chopped

  • 1 c chocolate chips




Instructions



  1. Preheat oven to 350.

  2. Líne a 9×13 pan wíth tín foíl and spray líghlty wíth cooking spray.

  3. In a medíum míxíng bowl, stír together melted butter, sugar, soda, oatmeal, flour & salt untíl ít’s crumbly. Set asíde about 1 cup or a líttle more.

  4. Press the rest of the crust into the prepared pan. Bake crust for 10 minutes.

  5. Whíle crust ís cookíng, ín a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and sweetened condensed mílk.

  6. Once crust has baked, evenly pour and spread peanut butter fíllíng over the baked crust. Be gentle so you don’t pull up the warm crust whíle you spread the fíllíng.

  7. Evenly sprínkle the reserved crumbs on top of the peanut butter and sweetened condensed mílk míxture. Bake at 350 for about 15 mínutes.

  8. After 15 mínutes, remove from the oven and sprínkle the chopped candy bars and chocolate chíps evenly over the top. Return to oven to bake for another 5-10 mínutes or untíl the toppíng ís líght golden brown and candy bars/chíps are meltíng.

  9. Allow to cool to make cuttíng and servíng easíer.







 

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

No-Cook Overnight Oatmeal with Chia

I love oatmeal but I'm not very fond of the instant packs so I find that I don't have it as often as I'd like since the mornings are always so rushed and usually involve me yelling at one child or another at some point (or many points).  So when I came across this recipe on the Betty Crocker website and saw that it was a make ahead, I HAD to try it. Plus, it  contained my then-new obsession, chia seeds AND was no cook! Practically perfect in every way!

I was a little leery of the no-cook part in all honesty...I thought, "How could uncooked oatmeal taste good? And not be all chewy and hard and gross?".  Well, it works.

The possibilities for this small but mighty recipe are ENDLESS...I tried out a few versions and I'll list them within the recipe but truly it can go as far as your imagination, and palate will take you. If you try some of your own variations, please share in the comments. We'd love to hear them!

~Leah

No-Cook Overnight Oatmeal with Chia


Recipe Type: Breakfast

Author: Leah (adapted from Betty Crocker)

Prep time:

Cook time:

Total time:

Serves: 1


Ingredients


  • Base Recipe

  • 1/4 c old fashioned oats

  • 1 tsp chia seeds

  • 6 oz. yogurt (any flavor, see below for suggestions)

  • Cranberry Almond

  • vanilla yogurt

  • 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

  • dried cranberries

  • slivered almonds

  • Apple Crisp

  • vanilla or apple pie/apple crisp yogurt

  • chopped Granny Smith apples

  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

  • chopped walnuts

  • Pina Colada

  • vanilla, coconut, or pineapple yogurt

  • pineapple tidbits

  • shaved coconut




Instructions



  1. Stir oats and chia together then yogurt (or yogurt and milk if using Greek yogurt -- see notes) in half-pint canning jar (or other resealable container).

  2. Cover; refrigerate about 8 hours. When ready to serve, sprinkle with toppings.






Notes

Feel free to use greek yogurt also, but bear in mind that it makes it a lot thicker... so use 1/4 cup greek yogurt and 1/3 cup milk or almond or coconut milk to thin it.