Healthy & Low Fat Oatmeal Bars and More . . .

continuing from Tuesday's post---


This recipe was recently given to me by a friend. These chewy bars are nutritious, filling and low-fat. And they can be adapted easily to your likes and dislikes. They freeze well and are handy to have on hand for healthy snacking. The ingredients list looks long but it goes together quickly and simply and there is a good chance you already have everything in your pantry. 

Fruity Oatmeal Bars


3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
One 8-ounce container vanilla or plain low-fat yogurt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 T vegetable oil
2 T skim milk
2 tsp vanilla


1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt (optional)


3 cups old fashioned or quick oats, uncooked
1 cup diced dried mixed fruit, raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or other nuts


1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In large bowl combine first seven ingredients and mix well.
3. In another bowl, thoroughly combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
4. Stir in the oats, fruit and nuts.
5. Spread mixture in a 9x13 pan that has been lightly prepared with cooking spray/ or oil.  
6. Bake 28-32 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack. 


Cut into bars. Store tightly covered or freeze.


For more of our favorite oatmeal goody recipes, check out last Tuesday's post and 


Yummy Hearty Breakfast Cookies  http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/09/hearty-breakfast-cookies-healthy-send.html


No-Bake Chocolate/Peanut Butter/Oatmeal cookies http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/09/eggs-are-2-dozen-making-treats-wo-them.html

'til we eat again,
          Simply, Gail

Make Healthy/Yummy No-Bake Granola and more . . . in Minutes

When you hear Granola do you automatically think "healthy?" 


Think again.


While there are a variety of commercial granola in the stores, many are loaded with fats and high fructose corn syrup. Health-food stores sell many different types of "natural" granola, usually much healthier
and . . . usually quite expensive.

Years ago I made it from a-then-favorite-recipe but it was not the healthiest----plus you had to bake it, (and stir it every 15 minutes!)  for an hour.

We have a new favorite (which is Dave's very favorite!!!).  While it is not "guilt-free" the fats and sweeteners do not top the list of ingredients.  Additionally it is quick and easy and, for this time of year, not needing to turn on the oven is a huge plus.  Today's forecast is 106 degrees!

No-Bake Granola

1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup butter
2 Tablespoons honey
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
cinnamon to taste

1/2 cup chopped nuts, as desired.  (I usually add a variety and more than called for)
1/3 cup dried cranberries (Again, I usually add more)

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the oats, stirring constantly until the oats just start to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.  This is the only tricky part of the recipe---watch carefully as they can burn quickly! Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet*  to cool.

In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir int he honey and brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes, until bubbly.  Stir in the nuts and cranberries. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Mixture will be sticky and moist. Pour it all back onto the cookie sheet, spread it out and allow to cool.  It will dry and become crispy as it cools. Break it up as needed and store in an airtight container.


*Note: I use a sheet of parchment paper to line the cookie sheet. This makes it easy to lift up each side of the paper and "funnel" the granola back to the pan, and later to the storage container.

Sometimes I add other dried fruits.
Sometimes I leave the nuts out completely because we have a grandson who is allergic to them.
Sometimes I add coconut along with the nuts and fruit,  
Sometimes I add dried banana pieces at the end of the cooking time.
Sometimes we top it with fresh banana slices or frozen blueberries. 
Always, you can make it to suit yourself and your family!




but, There is more to oats than breakfast cereal!
Even. . .
Smoothies
I frequently make smoothies for a quick breakfast-on-the-go or healthy snack. As with most everything you make yourself, the ingredients can be as varied as your imagination, what your pantry holds, or your individual likes, needs, and/or dislikes. No matter the flavor or combination I also add about 1/3 cup oatmeal (per two servings) because oats are high in protein, vitamins B1, B2, and E.
You can't taste them but you can "feel" them a little bit; kinda like strawberry seeds.


Old-fashioned Oatmeal Pancakes
Mix up a batch of this batter and keep it in the frig----at the ready for a quick stick-to-your-ribs breakfast.
This is a favorite of even those who do not care for regular pancakes. If there are left-overs we even like them plain to snack on.

2 cups regular or quick rolled oats
4 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk*
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

"Old Fashioned" Method:
In a large bowl combine the oats and buttermilk, stirring until well-blended. Cover and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, add all other ingredients and stir well. Spoon batter, about 1/3 cup per pancake, onto griddle and spread out a little. Cook, turning over once, until golden.


"New Fashioned" Method:
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until well blended. Proceed as above.

Notes: 
Batter will be thick. If you wish, you may add a little more milk.
Refrigerate remaining batter and use within a four or five days.
*Instead of commercial buttermilk you can substitute by combining 2/3 cups powdered milk, 2 cups warm water and 2 teaspoons vinegar.

Again, oats are a great and cheap source of protein and can be added in (even "snuck" in) with many other ingredients in a variety of ways.  I'll continue with oats on Friday.  


'til we eat again,

            Simply, Gail

P.S. I have NO idea why parts of the blog are highlighted. I can't figure out what I did to cause it and I can't find how to undo it.

Simple Strawberry Salsa w/Cinnamon-Sugar Chips

Linda's Salsa Starts with Luscious Strawberries

Looking for 

the perfect accompaniment 

to a summer meal 

or a festive appetizer for a simple get-together? 

This change-of-pace salsa along with "dusted" tortilla chips may be just what you're 

looking for! 

Linda's Fresh Strawberry Salsa

2 pints strawberries, hulled and chopped

1/3 cup chopped bell pepper (either green or yellow)

1/3 cup bottled Russian salad dressing

1 tsp. chopped parsley or cilantro

2 drops hot sauce (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine above. Chill to allow flavors to blend. 

"Dusted" Cinnamon-Sugar Chips

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Simply brush flour tortillas with water. Sprinkle with mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Cut into wedges and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 4 minutes on each side. Cool. 

'til we eat again,

          Simply, Gail

Simply, Gail: A Confession, a Correction & an Apology

I have been trying. . .honest I have
--unsuccessfully--
so this is what I must do

Dear Readers,

For those of you who have been with me since the beginning, you know that I didn't have a clue about blogging, or even what a blog was, when I started 11 months ago.  I've obviously learned a lot ----- but, definitely not enough. 

Confession(s)

• Last October we took a vacation and I wrote several posts ahead. And scheduled them for posting on the scheduled dates. I was so proud of myself for being able to figure out how to do that.  What's that they say about "pride coming before the fall?"

• When we returned home and I started to again post "real time" I discovered I had forgotten how to include/link the recipes in my posts to the Recipe column on the right side of the blog.

• And then, the entire problem entirely slipped my mind. And rarely surfaced....and then, at most inconvenient times. 

• In January a grandson helped me make a "cookbook" page for the recipes, and he carefully gave me instructions on how he did it so I could carry on. I even wrote them down.  Today I carefully read (and re-read) these but can't grasp what they are telling me to do.

Corrections 

Yesterday a friend called asking me how to find a recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago. I went blank for a minute and then, regaining my senses, I told her to simply scroll down the posts until she came to the picture of the hula dancers. 

Ooops!  This is not how it is suppose to work!

I spent many hours yesterday trying to figure out how to add the post recipe links to the Recipe column.

And, thankfully, I finally figured it out.  

I am not proud, but I am very satisfied-----and relieved.

I was shocked to discover I added 83 of them (a few are listed in more than one category)! How could I have gotten that far behind in just a couple of months?  Another shock ---- not a couple of months but eight!

Apology

I don't mean to be presumptuous but if you are reading this, I am sorry for any inconvenience or frustration I may have caused you. 

I have tried, and am still trying, to find out if it is possible to put the recipes in a folder where they are in a printable format.   This is probably an impossibility, at least at my level of expertise. 

As of now, the Cookbook tab at the top of the blog is gone, but SOMEHOW (which I can't explain) the heading for recipe links down the right hand side is "Cookbook."

Thanks for your patience. Hopefully I have provided some simple helps, hints, ideas, and more these past 11 months. 

Thanks, Helen, for asking how to find your recipe.

I am Simply, Gail

Fresh Peppers' HOT-O-METER Scale . . .

Just how HOT do you like your peppers?  This will help you.

Scale: 0 (mild)  to 10 (!!!) 

Anaheim - 2.5

Sweet, mild flavor. Can be added to stew, salsa, or soups. Great stuffed for Chile Relleno.

Choose glossy, unbroken skin with well-attached caps.

Banana - 0

Mild and sweet. Add raw to salads or in sandwiches. Try in soups, sauces or stews.

Choose bright colored, firm flesh.

Habanero - 10 !!!

The hottest chili on this list! Use in hot sauce or hot salsas.

Choose shiny skin, and bright, firm flesh.

Hungarian Wax - 1

Slightly sweet, but hotter when mature. Add to sauces, salads, relishes, and dips. You can pickle them.

Choose bright colored, smooth skin. 

Jalapeno - 5.5

Hot, vegetable flavor. Add to stew, salsa, sauces. Try pickled or stuffed.

Choose bright green, firm flesh.

Poblano - 3

Bell pepper-like flavor. Add to salsa or soups. Use for Chile Relleno. Darker color means more flavor.

Choose smooth, unwrinkled skin.

Red Fresno - 6.5

Hot with subtle sweetness. Add to salsa, ceviches, bread batter. Try stuffed. 

Choose brightly colored with firm flesh.

Serrano - 7 !

Hot, maturing to slightly sweet. Use in table sauces, relishes, with vegetables, or pickled.

Choose firm, heavy, smooth-skinned.

Thai - 8 !!

Hot! 3X as potent as the Serrano. Add to dips, sauces, casseroles, meat and poultry dishes. Choose firm flesh.

Yellow Hot "Caribe" - 5

Slightly sweet. Usually pickled, but can be used in sauces, casseroles, or salsas.

Choose bright color and smooth skin.

Note: This heat-scale was obtained from the produce section of our local market.

Warning: Be very, very careful when working with chili peppers. They can badly burn, causing blisters. Use gloves with working with hot ones and remove all seeds and ribs. Set the seeds aside if you want to add a few to the recipe at the last as needed, if you want to make it hotter.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after working with the chilies and be sure and keep your hands away from your eyes. 

Check back next Friday for a simple and yummy strawberry salsa and the cinnamon-sugar chips to scoop it with.

'til we eat again,

          Simply, Gail

Simple Fresh Salsa

Quick Fresh Salsa Spices Up Any Meal

The one certain thing about making salsa is there is no certain thing

There is no certain way to make it!

There are no certain ingredients to use!

And, it is almost certain you can't goof it up!

The most basic and common ingredients are chopped tomatoes, onions, and chilies. Lime juice and cilantro are usually included, but the variations and additions are limited only by your imagination, and what you have available.

Other possible ingredients include. . .

Mangoes

Peaches

Beans

Corn

Strawberries

Avocados

. . . to name a few. 

The "heat" is determined by the type/amount of chilies and whether you include some of their seeds.

It is fun to experiment and since you can make it in small amounts, experimenting is inexpensive.

Here is a basic starter recipe.

Royal's Mild Salsa

2 Roma tomatoes (again, other types may be used)

1/4 medium red onion (or onion type of your choice)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

fresh cilantro to taste

juice from 1/2 of a fresh lime

Chop above to desired sizes, combine, and chill to blend flavors.

'till we eat again,

       Simply, Gail

Recalling Public Toilet Sitting Rules. . . at least in the USA

Even cats follow the toilet-sitting rules!
"Never, never, sit on a public toilet seat!!!"  

It's vacation season which includes more visits to public toilets.  

Oh, the ritual! 

The admonishment:   "Never, never, sit on a public toilet seat!!!"  

 

Did your mother ever say that?   Bet they did.

Have you ever said that to your kids?  Bet your have.

The following has been tucked away in my "possibles" box for several years.  I'm sorry I don't know who wrote it as I like to give credit where credit is due.

TOILET SQUATTING: EXERCISE CLASS

My mother was a fanatic about public toilets. As a little girl, she'd bring me in the stall, teach me to wad up toilet paper and wipe the seat. Then she'd carefully lay strips of toilet paper to cover the seat. Finally she'd instruct, "Never, never sit on a public toilet seat." And then she'd demonstrate "The Stance," which consisted of balancing over the toilet in a sitting position without actually letting any of your flesh make contact with the toilet seat. But, by this time, I'd have wet down my leg. And we'd go home.

That was a long time ago. Even now in our more mature years, "The Stance" is excruciatingly difficult to maintain especially when one's bladder is very full. When you have to "go" in a public bathroom, you find a line of women that makes you think there's a half-price sale on Mel Gibson's underwear in there. So, you wait and smile politely at all the other ladies, also crossing their legs and smiling politely. 

And you finally get closer.

You check for feet under stall doors. Everyone is occupied. Finally, a stall door opens and you dash, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall. You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter. You hang your purse on the door hook, yank down your pants and assume "The Stance" as your thighs experience a quake that would register an eight on the Richter scale.

To take your mind off it, you reach for the toilet paper. The toilet paper dispenser is empty. Your thighs shake more. You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on that's in your purse. It would have to do. You crumble it in the puffiest way possible. It is still smaller than your thumbnail.

Someone pushes open your stall door because the latch doesn't work and your purse  whams you in the head. "Occupied!" your scream as you reach out for the door, dropping your tissue in a puddle and falling backward, directly onto the toilet seat.

You get up quickly, but it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with all the germs and life forms on the bare seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper, not that there was any, even if you had enough time to. And your mother would be utterly ashamed of you if she knew, because her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, "You don't know what kind of diseases you could get."

And by this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, sending up a stream, of water akin to a fountain and then it suddenly sucks everything down with such a force that you grab onto the toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged to China.

At that point, you give up. You're soaked by the splashing water. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket, then. . .

slink out inconspicuously to the sinks. 

You can't figure out how to operate the sinks with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past a line of women, still waiting, cross-legged and unable to smile politely at this point.  

One kind soul at the very end of the line points out that you are trailing a piece of toilet paper on your shoe as long as the Mississippi River! You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and say warmly, "Here. You might need this."

At this time, you see your spouse, who has entered, used and exited his bathroom and read a copy of War and Peace while waiting for you.  

"What took you so long?" he asks, annoyed. This is when you kick him sharply in the shin and go home.

This is dedicated to all women everywhere who have ever had to deal with a public toilet. And it finally explains to all you men what takes us so long.