But while I've neglected writing, I have thought about you a lot! and I promise to catch you up on the fantastic homemade granola and crockpot chicken soup that happened last week. :)
Soup first.
In an effort to save money, I decided to buy a whole baking hen rather than boneless skinless breasts, and cook and separate it myself. Doing so really does save a lot of money. Rather than spend $8ish on a few pounds of chicken breasts that would last about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks (if I'm lucky), I spent $5ish on slightly more poundage, and got free healthy chicken broth to boot! I got the idea from blog I recently started stalking, The Cheapskate Cook.
Ingredients:
1 baking hen, thawed, gizzards removed
1/2 an onion, chopped
1-2 c raw/fresh frozen veggies like carrots, celery, turnips, potatoes, etc. (chopped)
1 bay leaf (optional- I didn't use one because I didn't have it on hand, and it was still great.)
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1-2 T each of your favorite herbs/spices. I used rosemary, basil, oregano, and black pepper.
a sprinkling of salt (added at the end)
water
After removing the gizzards (not difficult at all once the chicken is thawed) and rinsing it, place 1/2 of the onion, herbs, and spices inside the chest cavity. Place the chicken in the crockpot. Surround with the rest of the ingredients. Pour water slowly into the crockpot until an inch or two below the edge.
Turn it on low for about 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Add salt.
You're done!
Once the chicken's cooked, turn off the crockpot and allow it to cool. If you want, you can pull out some of the veggies and meat for a quick and easy dinner (I did!). You get the most out of your chicken if you debone it (save the bones for more broth if you want- they can be used twice); put the meat, bones, and broth each in their own freezer bag and you have makings for lots of healthy chicken-based meals on hand!
and to make soup:
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c water
1 c shredded chicken
1/2 c fresh frozen carrots and peas
1/2 t rosemary
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 c orzo
Method:
Toss everything but the chicken in a pot and bring it to a slow boil. Add the chicken and boil for just a few minutes so it gets hot, but not flavorless. Enjoy!!
See now, wasn't that easy? The granola was too :) I got the base recipe from a blog called Smitten Kitchen. The best part? It's truly healthy granola, so you can eat dessert for breakfast and not feel guilty. :)
So now for the first .... (imagine me tapping out a drumroll on my keyboard...) Dessert of the Month!!!
Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
1 2/3 c rolled oats (NOT the quick-cook kind)
1/2 to 3/4 sugar (granulated, artificial, or brown, it's up to you. So far, I've used granulated and it's good.)
1/3 c oat flour (easily made by placing rolled oats in a food processor or blender till they're in very small bits)
1/2 t salt alternative (optional)
1/4 t ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 c Dried fruit, nuts, candy, or cereal. (So far, I've experimented with chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, Rice Krispies, and dried blueberries, and they're all fantastic.)
1/3 c peanut or other nut butter (I recommend crunchy!)
1 t vanilla (optional)
7 t melted butter or oil (use olive oil or canola butter if you want to be healthier)
1/3 c sweet syrup (i.e. honey, maple, corn, or agave syrup)
1 T water
2 T ground or whole flax seeds (optional)
Method
Line a baking pan longways with parchment paper so that it covers only the center (not the sides), but come up over the edges at the ends. Grease or butter the paper and pan. Stir together dry ingredients. Place all liquid ingredients in a microwaveable container and zap them for a couple of minutes on medium power. Stir the liquids until the peanut butter melts into the rest. Slowly drizzle into the dry mixture while gently stirring and tossing. Press the mixture into the pan. Pack it as densely as you can. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (until golden brown all over top). Allow the granola to cool COMPLETELY, and for best results chill overnight in the fridge. Don't get impatient and cut them warm like I did with my first batch. Unless you want yummy granola in a non-bar form in your cereal for the next week. ;) Once they're cool, use the parchment paper to carefully lift the granola out of the pan onto a large cutting board. Cut it into squares with a long carving knife or butcher knife. For ultimate freshness, wrap them individually in saran wrap and store them in a ziplock or tupperware container in the fridge.
SOOOO GOOD!!
I hope that tides you over till next time. And if that takes a little over a week, I apologize... My hubby's laptop has to get sent away and fixed, and I don't have one of my own right now 'cause I drowned the last one, so internet access is gonna be a little scarce at our house. :(
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