Homemade Granola Bars

These are always a hit at my house and my sister just asked for the recipe, so I thought I would post it on here.

Ingredients:
2 cups oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
1 c peanuts, crushed
3/4 cup sunflower kernals
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 T butter
2 t vanilla extract
8 oz dried fruit (or choc chips or pb chips)

Put oats, germ, peanuts, kernals in baking pan and toast in oven at 400' for 10-12 minutes, stirring very frequently.

Put sugar, honey, butter, and vanilla in saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Then mix both mixtures and the fruit together well.

Line a 9X13 dish with waxed paper and pour mixture in evenly. Put another sheet of waxed paper across the top and take another 9X13 pan and push down evenly but hard on your granola mixture. Then let it sit for 30 minutes to set.

Then take it and carefully transfer to a cutting board and cut into the size of bars you want.

Make sure to keep these in an air-tight container. I usually leave half out and put half in the fridge until the first half is eaten. Since they do not contain preservatives they will stay good forever!

Homemade Playdoh

Tonight I made some playdoh for the kids to play with. They have a lot of fun with this stuff and it is super easy and cheap to make. And you don't have to worry about what's in it. It usually lasts 2-4 weeks here, I just keep it in a ziploc when they aren't playing with it. Here is my favorite recipe:

1 c flour
1/2 c salt
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 c water
1 tbsp oil
5-10 drops of food coloring (optional)

Combine the first three ingredients in a small saucepan.
Mix the wet ingredient together and slowly stir into dry mixture. Once it is all mixed together, put pan on stove over medium heat. Stir constantly. It is done when it forms a ball. Then I place it on a piece of wax paper on the counter and let it cool a little and then knead it until it is really smooth.

Then give it to the kids and let the fun begin!

Salsa Recipe

A few people have asked me how I make my salsa and how to can it, so here is my super simple instructions. The only ingredients in my salsa are: tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno peppers. The truth is I don't use any recipe, so I don't have amounts for anything.

Take your canner or a very large pot and fill with enough water so that it will be at least 2" above the top of the jars when they are put in. If you don't have a wire rack to put in your canner, put a towel in it. The reason for this is that you do not want the jars sitting on the bottom of the pot because it can cause breakage. Put it on the stove with the lid on, on high.

First I take my tomatoes, wash them and core them, and throw them in the food processor. I run that until it is "salsa" consistency. I empty that into a large bowl or pitcher. And repeat that as many times as I have to, to get all the tomatoes done. I then process my onions, I use 2-4 depending on the amount of tomatoes I have. Then I wash and cut the stem off my peppers, and then process them. (Note: I do not take the seeds out as a lot of people do, so if you are looking for a very mild salsa, you might want to.) I would suggest you process a few peppers at a time, stir them into your salsa, and then taste it to see if the heat is right for you . If not, add a few more at a time till you get it hot enough. I use approximately two handfuls for a small batch or four handfuls for a large batch. So then you make sure it is all mixed together well.

Next I get my clean jars, rings, and lids. You need to put citric acid in each jar, 1/2 tsp in each quart jar or 1/4 tsp in each pint jar. Fill the jars with salsa but leave 1/2" headspace. Wipe off the very top of the jar so that it will seal correctly. Then put on lids and rings.

When the water in the canner is at a rolling boil, you can put your jars in. Make sure they are not touching each other and that the water level is above the jars. Then replace the lid and wait for the water to return to a boil. Once it starts boiling again set your timer for 20 minutes. Make sure it continues to boil the entire time. After 20 minutes you take the jars out and set them on a dry towel on your counter top or table, somewhere they can sit overnight. Make sure they are not touching each other at this time also. Then simply leave them set, don't touch them.

The next morning you need to check to make sure they have sealed correctly. Take off the rings and gently push down in the middle of the lid, make sure it doesn't pop up. As long as they are sealed well, go ahead and mark them, and put them away. If one or more is not sealed, you can simply store it in the fridge or you can get a new lid and put it through the water bath again.

You have just made your very own salsa, doesn't that feel great!