What's Cookin' This Week

For Breakfast:
Wholly Granola
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 ½ cups sliced or slivered almonds
½ cup packed light brown sugar (optional)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup expeller pressed oil
¼ cup honey (increase if no sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups raisins or dried cranberries

(I usually sprinkle in wheat germ and flax seeds, and sometimes add coconut or vary the nuts I use. If I add a lot of other goodies, I increase the oil and honey to 2/3 and 2/3.)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. In a saucepan, heat the honey and oil until warm. Stir in the vanilla. Pour the liquid mixture over the oats. Stir gently.Spread granola in a jelly roll pan (I prefer the large stoneware bar pan). Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes (or not at all if you use the stone!). Transfer pan to a cooling rack and stir in raisins or cranberries. Allow to cool completely and then store in an air-tight container. Can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Makes approximately 9 cups. Enjoy!


Baked Oatmeal
3 cups oatmeal
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1 cup raisins, nuts, apples, etc. (free choice!)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into an 8 by 8 pan (or round baking dish). Again, I LOVE stones for this. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until turning brown on top. Serve with warm milk. Yum!


For Lunch:
1) Quesadillas or Homemade Bean and Cheese Nachos
2) Whole wheat Pita Pizzas
3) Tomato Soup and Toasted Cheese
4) Baked Macaroni and Cheese
1 and 1/2 cups uncooked whole grain macaroni
2 Tbl. butter
4 Tbl. flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
2 and 1/2 cups milk
1 cup to 1 and 1/2 cups cheese (all kinds are good!)
salt and pepper, dry mustard to taste
topping: wheat germ mixed with a scant tsp of butter and/or cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni. Meanwhile, melt butter and whisk in flour over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the dry milk and chopped onion and seasonings. Whisk in milk gradually until mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat until it bubbles and thickens, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cheese until it is melted through. Drain macaroni and add it to the cheese sauce. Pour into a prepared casserole dish and top with dry mixure. Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until very hot and bubbly. (though sometimes we have ours straight from the stove and it's good, too!)

5)Tuna Quiche
1 deep dish pie crust (thaw and bake 5 minutes at 400)
6 oz. tuna
1 cup Swiss cheese
Mix:
1 Tbl. lemon juice
salt and pepper
1 cup evaporated milk (I use dry milk to make 1 cup of thick milk)
chives or scallions
3 eggs

In baked crust, layer tuna and cheese. Pour liquid ingredients over this and bake at 425 for 15 minutes and then turn oven to 350 and bake another 20 minutes. Yum!