Apple Cider Bars

Here is what happens when your first photo attempts are blurry and you make a yummy new snack. All that ends up being left is an itty bitty little bite left for a photo op.


I love apple cider.Which is odd because I hate straight apple juice. Must be all those mulling spices. I am a spicy kind of gal. The 100 percent stuff is my favorite. But in a pinch I will drink the powdered mix stuff. While you might be able to use the powdered apple cider mix for this recipe if you can have the real stuff go for it. However this is a food storage blog and this recipe would be a great addition to your food storage recipe arsenal.

So how could I resist trying the recipe found on the bakck of the Litehouse Apple Cider. Like I said these bars got gobbled -- for breakfast, for snack, for dessert. I was a little afraid of the Cheerios on the ingredient list but they add a really tasty crunch. I also substituted 1 chopped apple for the dried apple chips because I have a box full of apples waiting to be used. However, I love that I can pull apple chips out of my pantry to make this recipe even when apples are not in season.

The end result: These bars have a mildly spicy tang reminiscent of a warm cup of cider.

The Recipe
1 1/4 Cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup softened butter
4 Cups Cheerios (I used Honey Nut Cheerios)
1 Cup Apple Cider
1/2 cup chopped dried apples or 1 cup diced apple
1 egg
1 cup oats
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup raisins
1 TB vanilla
1 1/2 Cups flour

Heat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Boil 1 Cup cideer and apples in saucepan until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup.

Mix sugar, butter, peanut butter, cider, vanilla and egg in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except for Cheerios.

Gently stir in cereal.

Pour into ungreased 9x13 pan and Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and cut into bars.

Chicken Noodle Soup on Pantry Shelf - -A Review

We are soup people in the fall and winter and my family especially loves chicken noodle soup. I have a great homemade recipe they love but while it is soup season, it is also cold season. Sometimes we are too tired, too sick and too busy to do a full blown homemade soup. Now my kids and husband love Campbells chicken noodle soup. I am not a fan, unless you count how easy it is.

So, I found this dehydrated soup mix in a small can -- Not one of those huge #10 cans that feeds an army and needs to be used within a certain amount of time once it is opened. Nope, it was a smaller version of Auguson Farms chicken noodle soup. And it was MSG free. And it had eight servings -- perfect for my family of five.  We take big soup servings. And it only cost $3.50 a can at Fresh Market. Umm that was a review waiting to happen. So, it was soup night and I was busy and tired and a little sick. Perfect.

So here is the verdict. I definitely like it better than Campbells. It is heartier and more filling. It is not as good as the homemade stuff. Of course not. But it is so simple to make and it has some nice thick noodles. It does need a thick slice of bread or a roll to create a meal. It's not that hearty that it can stand on its own. I think it is a good meal for $3.50 and my son said. "Yep it is pretty good." I went out and bought two more cans for my food storage.

Now just for fun I also bought these cute soup bowls for a $1.25 a piece at Fresh Market. We are desperately low on soup bowls in this house and we eat soup every Tuesday. I could not resist.

To make the soup.
Simply whisk soup into 8 1/2 cups of boiling water. Reduce to low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Nutella Smoothie -- Healthy Version

The picture didn't turn out great but we've all seen a pumpkin smoothie.
Now there are plenty of sweet creamy decadent recipes for pumpkin shakes full of ice cream, sugar and whip cream. That is all good and I am sure that I am going to indulge in at least one of those. But for breakfast or an afternoon healthy snack, I wanted something a little healthier -- which just a touch of decadence.

Pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors. Plus it is a superfood and has all kinds of unbelievable superhero powers. See my Alive! Utah's Taste article this month to discover its superhero qualities. I love that it is so creamy and yet so good for you. So, instead of loading my afternoon power shake with tons of ice cream and whip cream I decided to try a healthier route with just a touch of decadence from some Nutella.

P.S. We used Soymilk in this recipe instead of milk. My daughter recently discovered she is lactose intolerant and while yogurt doesn't seem to bother her -- milk wreaks havoc on her tummy and digestion. She wanted to try this recipe so I used Soy Milk (which is also healthy for you). Feel free to use lowfat milk if you want.

Now this recipe is not knock your socks off sweet. However it is tangy, rich, refreshing and just a tad spicy.

Recipe

1  4 oz carton of vanilla yogurt,frozen (for a sweeter version add a 1/2 cup of ice cream)
1 cup soymilk (plus a little more if you want a milder pumpkin flavor)
2/3 cup pumpkin
2 shakes of nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
3 Tb brown sugar
2 heaping TB of Nutella

We just put a carton of vanilla yogurt in the freezer until frozen. Combine ingredients in blender until smooth.
Top each smoothie with and additional tsp of Nutella and a dollop of whip cream if  you want.

Dried Pears -- Tasty Treat

My kids and I have a kind of food love affair with dried fruit. We love to snack on dried apples, pineapple, raisins, and apricots. When I tasted some dried pears my sister had packed on her latest road trip -- I knew that a good portion of my half box of pears would make its way onto the dehydrator. I love it when I get good ideas from my sisters. So this is an easy way to use up a surplus of pears. And they are tasty. I am getting ready to make up a second batch now.

Tip: Don't dehydrate them so long that they become completely crisp. Leave them a little chewy but not moist.

This is a really simple process but you need a dehydrator. If you don't have one consider borrowing or going in on one with a friend. I shared the cost of my dehydrator with a good friend.

Pears -- Depends on dehydrator but I would set aside about 10.
Fruit Fresh (this inhibits discoloration and can be found near the canning supplies)
Sugar -- Just a pinch or two.

Peel, slice and decore pears.
Sprinkle with fruit fresh and gently toss.

Place slices on drying racks and sprinkle each with a pinch of sugar.

Dehydrate until desired doneness. Mine usually takes about 4 hours.

Store in an airtight container.