Cranberry Cheesecake Bars Recipe

I first started making these Cranberry Cheesecake Bars just for the holidays, but I love cheesecake so much that I make it whenever the mood strikes.  

Cranberry Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

• 3/4 c plus 1 T firmly packed brown sugar, divided
• 1 c butter, softened
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c old fashioned oats
• 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 can whole cranberry sauce
• 2 T cornstarch

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine 3/4 c brown sugar, butter, flour, and oats until crumbly.  
• Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and set aside.  Press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared 9x13 pan and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice until smooth. 
• In a separate small bowl, combine cornstarch, cranberry sauce, and remaining 1 T brown sugar.  
• Pour cream cheese mixture onto baked crust, followed by cranberry sauce mixture.
• Top with reserved oat mixture.  
• Bake 45 minutes longer.
• Cool and cut into bars.

You can find the original recipe here on the Eagle Brand website.

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Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

I decided to make some cornbread to accompany chili I made for dinner.  Since I had jalapeno and cheddar, I incorporated them into the cornbread.  

I took 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 1/4 cup turbinado cane sugar, 2 t baking powder, and 2 t sea salt and combined them in a bowl. 

In a separate bowl, I mixed together 2 cups whole milk, 3 extra large eggs, 2 sticks of unsalted butter (melted), 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and 9 slices of jarred jalapenos - chopped.

I combined the wet and dry ingredients until mixed through, being careful not to overmix.  After letting the mixture rest for 20 minutes, I poured the batter into a prepared pan, and baked it in a 350-degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for 35 minutes.

I cut them into squares after cooling.  

It was a great complement to the chili - fluffy, moist, and savory!

I adapted this recipe from Food Network.

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Another Breakfast Muffin Recipe

Here is another breakfast muffin recipe that is yummy and packed with nutrients:

Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 c vanilla soy milk
• 1 c old-fashioned oats
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 1 c flour
• 1/4 c organic coconut sugar
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/4 c chia seeds
• 1/4 c ground flax seeds
• 1 c chocolate chips
• 2 T protein powder (I used Truvani Banana Cinnamon)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, combine milk and oats.
• Mix in the sugar, egg, and oil.
• In a small separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.
• Stir flour mixture into oatmeal mixture.
• Stir in the flax seed, chia seeds, chocolate chips, and protein powder.
• Pour batter into prepared muffin cups until they are 2/3 full.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

It's also perfect for afterschool snack or even dessert! 

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Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate Chip + Kaki Mochi Cookies

I bake every week, and I gave one of my kids options as to what I could possibly bake for the week, and the decision was to make Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate Chip + Kaki Mochi Cookies.  

He gave it an unsolicited rating of 8/10.  He said he would've rated it higher if the entire cookie was dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with crushed kaki mochi.

I thought it was great as it was - I love Sweet & Salty!

Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate Chip + Kaki Mochi Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 c unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 c flour
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/8 t salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1 1/2 cups crushed kaki mochi, divided

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars.
• Beat in egg and vanilla.
• In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.
• Slowly stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture.
• Mix in 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 cup of crushed kaki mochi
• Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake approximately 12-14 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips in microwave for 60 seconds on high, and mix until smooth.
• Dip finished cookies into the chocolate, and sprinkle with remaining crushed kaki mochi.

Enjoy!

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Homemade Quinoa Crisps

Whenever we fly on UA, the kids love the chocolate quinoa crisps served onboard.  I decided to try and make some myself!

I tried making them two different ways - one with toasted quinoa, and the other with cooked quinoa, dehydrated, then pan-fried (I wanted to test out different textures of the quinoa).

My kids loved both ways, but my preference was for the cooked, dehydrated quinoa.  I liked the texture of the quinoa better in this version, but the amount of time it took to dehydrate the quinoa I did not like.

Both ways are easy to make, however.  I just toasted some quinoa for the first version and added it to some melted chocolate with peanut butter (I did 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of chocolate, 2 T PB).  The same measurements were used for the dehydrated quinoa.

I first cooked the quinoa then dehydrated it (it was the first time I used the dehydrate function on my air fryer!).  It took 6+ hours to dehydrate.  Then I pan-fried the quinoa in a little oil to rehydrate them and crisp them. 

I spread the mixture onto parchment-lined pans (you can make it as thin or thick as you want) and refrigerated for at least an hour before I broke it into pieces.  You can also dollop them onto the parchment to make rounds.

If you use organic quinoa, organic / natural peanut butter and pure chocolate or less processed chocolate, it can be much healthier, but it's still a pretty decent snack compared to all the processed, sugar snacks out there!

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Easy Recipe: Pavlova

My niece who is gluten-sensitive was coming over for dinner, and I wanted to make a dessert that she could enjoy, so I searched the internet for "easy gluten-free dessert recipes" and recipes for Pavlova popped up first. I selected a recipe by Rosina from the Allrecipes.com website that had an average rating of 5 stars based on 496 ratings.  It looked fairly easy and I had most of the ingredients on-hand. I just needed to buy a box of powdered sugar, frozen strawberries (our local grocery store was out of fresh), and fresh kiwis. 

RECIPE:

• 4 large egg whites

• 1 ¼ cups white sugar

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 pint heavy cream

• 6 kiwi, peeled and sliced

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a round baking pie pan to draw a 9" circle on the paper.

Beat egg whites in a large glass, metal, or ceramic  bowl until stiff but not dry.  Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Keep mixing until the mixture is white, glossy and thick.

Gently fold in the cornstarch, vanilla, and lemon juice.

Spoon (we poured!) the mixture onto the parchment paper, towards the center. Use a spoon to spread mixture out towards the edge of the circle, building an edge. There should be a slight depression in the center.

Use a spoon to spread mixture out towards the edge of the circle, building an edge. There should be a slight depression in the center.

Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees.

The meringue should be dry on the outside.

Beat heavy cream in a mixing bowl until thickened. I added 1/4 cups of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the cream to sweeten it up (that was the recipe for whipped cream on the box of heavy cream).

The recipe instructs us to fill the center of the meringue with whipped cream but the boys applied the whipped cream all over the top!

Top with fresh fruit of your choice and enjoy!

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Breakfast Muffin Recipe

I've been experimenting with Breakfast Muffin recipes lately since one of my kids likes to just eat something quick, and this recipe is pretty versatile!

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 c butter, softened
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 large banana, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c yogurt
• 2 c almond flour (you can sub with all-purpose)
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 c flax seeds
• 1 c chocolate chips
• granola (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy.
• Mix in banana, eggs, and yogurt.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and flax.
• Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into cups of prepared muffin tin, approximately 3/4 full for each cup.
• Top each cup with granola.
• Bake for 11 minutes, then increase temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 5 more minutes, to get the tops golden brown. 

These muffins are great for breakfast, an afterschool snack, or even dessert!

You can also mix in chia seeds, hemp seeds, protein powder, and other ingredients you may have on hand.  

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My Go-To Afterschool Snack Recipes

School has been back in session for a while now for us, which meant I'm back to prepping afterschool snacks when I can. 

Here is a roundup of a few of my go-tos, which I make weekly on a rotating basis. 

Energy Bites can be made with whatever you have on hand.  I've made them in all sorts of varieties (S'mores, Nutella, cocoa, etc., and they are freezable too!

Chocolate Covered-Mandarins (with sea salt or crushed pistachios).

Smoothies are another treat that I make with whatever fruits I have on hand.  The topping possibilities are endless!

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Chocolate Macadamia Spread Swirl Bars Recipe

I love Farm Link because I find things from local businesses that I never tried before.  One such item is the Chocolate Macadamia Spread from Manoa Chocolate, and I ended up baking with it!

I made Chocolate Macadamia Spread Swirl Bars which turned out really soft, chewy, and delicious!

Chocolate Macadamia Spread Swirl Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 c butter, softened
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 3/4 c white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 t vanilla
• 1 c flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 c chocolate chips
• 1/4 c Chocolate Macadamia Spread

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix peanut butter, butter, and sugars until smooth.
• Add in eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• Mix in flour and baking powder.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Spread mixture into 9x13 pan.
• Add dollops of Chocolate Macadamia Nut spread to top of mixture and swirl with a knife.
• Bake for 33-35 minutes.
• Enjoy!

 

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Easy Recipe - Eggplant Bruschetta

Thinking of what to bring to a potluck or family gathering? Try this easy Eggplant Bruschetta recipe. It's plant-based, quick, uses minimal ingredients, and can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.   I added a few additional ingredients to this recipe, as you will see below.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Rinse and cut about 3 cups of cherry tomatoes in half. Add to halved tomatoes to the pan with a couple cloves of crushed garlic. Sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes, then crush with a fork.

2. Add cubed eggplant, salt, pepper, and one cup of water. Stir, then cover with a lid for 15 minutes (stirring occasionally).

3. After 15 minutes, remove the cover and add one can of tomato paste and one tablespoon balsamic vinegar and stir for 5-10 minutes until mixture thickens. Top with fresh basil leaves.

4. Toast sliced bread (I used sourdough), drizzle toasted bread with olive oil and garlic, then top with the eggplant mixture. 

 5. Enjoy! 

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Tested and Loved: Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

I had overripe bananas so I looked for a banana bread recipe from my most favorite dessert recipe book: Hawaii's Best Local Desserts by Jean Watanabe Hee.  I found one combining banana bread with chocolate!  Perfect!

I ended up halving the recipe and skipping the lemon juice. It made three mini loaves for me.  Before giving any away, my son and I did a taste test. We liked it so much that we kept two loaves and gave away one.  

The original Chocolate Banana Bread recipe will yield: two 9x5 inch loaves. In a large bowl, beat 4 eggs with 1 cup vegetable oil. In another bowl, sift: 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Add the dry to the wet and blend well.  Mix 3 cups mashed bananas with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and add to mix.  Mix in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.  Grease loaf pans well before pouring in batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 55 minutes.  

Moist and delicious!

Hope you enjoy the bread as much as we did!

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Gyudon Recipe

While in South Korea, my youngest son loved eating Gyudon, which is actually a popular Japanese dish.

It seemed easy enough to make at home, so I found a recipe online and worked with what I had or bought so I could make it for him.

I took 1 lb of shabu shabu beef, since it was already thinly sliced, and cut it into 2-3" pieces. 

I mixed 1 cup dashi (I tried the Foodland Umami Dashi), 2 T sugar, 2 T water, 2 T mirin, and 6 T soy sauce.  

I poured the sauce in the bottom of a pan, placed onion slices (1 large onion) on top, and then the beef on top of the onions.

I then covered it and cooked on medium heat until browned, skimming the fat with a strainer.

Once everything was cooked and mixed, I poured some sauce over hot rice, then added the meat and onions.

I topped with green onion curls and an onsen egg!

It was quick and easy, and turned out super delish!

You can find the original recipe here at Just One Cookbook.

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Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies Recipe

I had been browsing for a mint chocolate chip cookie recipe and I came across one using Andes Mints. I didn’t know that Andes even made a mint chocolate baking chip, so I was excited to try it out. I liked that they were chocolate cookies with the mint chips so they would be extra chocolaty.  The recipe is by Lovetobeinthekitchen.com and can be found here. 

First, beat ½ cup butter (room temperature), ½ cup sugar, and ½ cup dark brown sugar (packed) together until creamy (about 2-3 minutes). Mix in 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract. 

 

In another bowl, add 1 cup flour, ½ cup + 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (go slow- cocoa powder flies everywhere!) 1 tsp baking soda, and whisk to mix. Full disclosure: the original recipe calls for salt and unsalted butter, but I usually skip adding salt as I normally use salted butter. 

Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture a little at a time. Mix in 2 Tbsp. of milk. Finally, add in 1 cup Andes Creme de Menthe Chocolate Baking Chips and 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. I used a cookie scooper, but the recipe says to roll about 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and place on the baking sheets. I think I should have done this and my cookies may have been thicker. You can also top the cookies with some Andes Mints for looks. 

Next time I’ll roll the cookies to get them thicker. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then move to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!! 

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S’mores Brownie Recipe

S’mores have been on my mind since our stay at Bellows where we roasted marshmallows each night so I was very excited when I came across a recipe for S’mores Brownies on the Betty Crocker website. 

You could probably use any brownie mix or make them by scratch. All you need to make them s’mores brownies is by topping the freshly baked brownies with 2 cups mini-marshmallows and 8 graham crackers broken up. Broil for about 30 seconds. I recommend keeping a close eye so you don’t burn the topping like I did.

60 seconds was way too long! Lol!

Top with broken pieces of a Hershey’s bar or other chocolate. Let the chocolate set before cutting. Betty recommends 3 hours, but I found that to be torture so we cut in after dinner. I’d like to think the burnt crackers and marshmallows added to the authenticity of a campfire. All joking aside, the dessert was delicious! 

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Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

I love a good veggie dish, and after seeing a Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna recipe in Health magazine, I decided to give it a try.

I took a 15 oz package of thawed, chopped spinach (undrained) and mixed with a 12-oz jar of marinated, chopped artichokes.  I then took 3 chopped shallots (the recipe called for 1 leek, but I couldn't find any at the grocery store) and sauteed with 4 minced garlic cloves in 2 T olive oil and 2 T butter for 3-4 minutes.  I added 1/3 c flour, stirring constantly for an additional minute.  I whisked in 4 c whole milk, stirring until thickened, 6-7 minutes.  I sprinkled in 1 1/2 t salt.

In a prepared 13x9 baking dish, I layered 1 c of the white sauce, then 3 no-boil lasagna noodles, and then 1/2 of the spinach and artichoke mixture, followed by 1/3 of the remaining white sauce and 1/2 c shredded mozzarella (the original recipe called or fontina, but the store didn't have that either).  Then I made another layer of noodles, then spinach mixture, then sauce, then cheese, then topped with more noodles and sauce.  I baked covered for 35 minutes in a preheated 400-degree Fahrenheit oven, then sprinkled with 1/3 c mozzarella, and cooked for 15 minutes more.  I garnished with parsley before serving.

YUMMY!!!

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