Stick of Butter Rice? Not so much

I was really intrigued when I saw this recipe on Pinterest...

I mean, Stick of Butter Rice....everything is better with butter, right?  At least that's what Paula Deen says.  No, it's not.  I was excited for this recipe.  It was simple.  A can of Beef Broth, a can of French Onion Soup, a cup of rice and a stick of butter.  BOOM!  4 ingredients and 1 hour.  I was so disappointed.  The texture was lovely but it really lacked any flavor.  And, as it cooled, the butter pooled everywhere and was very unsightly.

So, here is my mission.  Take these ingredients, add, subtract, divide and conquer this recipe into something SPECTACULAR.  Stay tuned...

Homemade Granola Bars

My husband eats a lot of granola bars, like 4 a day.  Well, after reading the labels and determining he was getting way too much processed sugar, I decided to try to make my own.  These are my first attempt and were "safe" ones.  I think they turned out really good and I will venture into other recipes after this.

The one on the left is a Honey Peanut Butter and the other is a Chocolate Coconut Bar.  The Honey Peanut Butter bar did not set up as solid as I would have liked but it is still delicious.  The Chocolate Coconut Bar is probably one of the best things I have ever tasted.  The texture is so creamy and it has such a great flavor.

Honey Peanut Butter Bar

1 cup Peanut Butter (You can use natural, crunchy or smooth)

1 cup honey

3 cups oats (I used Old Fashioned Oats)

Heat the Peanut Butter and Honey either in a  saucepan or in the microwave until it is smooth and liquid.  Stir in the oats and then flatten into a foil lined baking dish.  Cover and refrigerate overnight, cut and enjoy.  For thicker bars, just use a smaller pan.  I used a 9x13 casserole dish and cut it into about 24 bars.

Chocolate Coconut Bars

1 cup Peanut Butter (You can use natural, crunchy or smooth)

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup butter (or you could use coconut oil)

2 cups oats (I used Old Fashioned Oats)

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1-1/4 cup chocolate chips (You can use any flavor you want, I had semi-sweet on hand)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the peanut butter, honey and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  While that is warming up, put the oats, coconut and nuts in a bowl and combine.  Then, make a well in the middle and put the chocolate chips in the well.  Once the mixture on the stove has melted together and is hot, remove it from the heat and pour over the chocolate chips.  Stir the mixture so that the chips melt, add in the vanilla and then combine the entire bowl together until it is mixed thoroughly.  Spread into a 9x13 pan and leave in the fridge overnight.  Cut into bars and enjoy.  This made about 24 bars as well.

Yum!  Look at those delicious bars.

Happy New Year....Can I Still Say That?

Well, it's 2014 and I have been on hyper-drive since late November.

We spent Thanksgiving with my Dad and had a wonderful time.

 

Santa even came to visit...

 

The first weekend in December, we went on a weekend trip to Leavenworth, WA...

 

 

And before I knew it, it was Christmas.  We didn't even have time to get a Christmas tree, that's how insane it was.  We celebrated 8 different times in 2 weeks, ncluding 3 on Christmas day.  But my nephews make it all worth it.

(One is a doll and the other is my nephew....hmmmm)

Planning big things for 2014.  My husband and I are both officers in our Car Club so there will be lots of activities and cruises to come.  We will start out the year with a Super Bowl party with my beloved Seahawks, then the Daytona 500 followed by a Mardi Gras themed Party in March.  We have a trip planned to the beach in February for our 9th Anniversary and I am taking a Girl's trip in March. I am already working on some new recipes and hope to share them soon.  I have so many things pinned on my Pinterest boards that I really wanna get to.  My cousin is having a baby and I have so many baby projects I want to do.  Hopefully I will get back into it.  The last few months, I have just been lazy and uncreative.  Is this a resolution?  I don't know.