Oatmeal Bar War: Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Battle number 2.  Another attempt at gaining a foothold in the oatmeal bar business.  Not that I am going to sell them.  Just that I want to make them and eat them.  Either way, this is not something an obsesive compulsive like me should really go into.  Baking can be such a torture.  Sometimes.
Origin:  http://www.allrecipes.com/
Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup quick cookign oats
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup melter butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup stawberry preserves
• 1/2 cup coconut flake

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. Add in butter and vanilla and stir until crumbly.
4. Set aside 1 cup.
5. Press remaining crumb mixture into a 13x9" baking pan. 
6. Spread preserves over crust.
7. Combine coconut flake with reserved crumb mixture and sprinkle over preserves.
8. Bake for 30min.

Okay, so the bastards that posted this on http://www.allrecipes.com/ had instrustions that read, "In a bowl, combine all dry ingrediats."  I took this to include the coconut flake as well.  I was wrong because as I was following the directions I got the part listed as number 6.  Sure I should have read the directions first but where is the fun and adventure in that.  Either way, I like it my way.  So get rid fo number 6 and add the coconut to number 2 and all will be fantastic.  Also, Strawberry jam work just as well as preserves.
Overall, another hit on the recipe front.  This absolutly makes the book.

Oatmeal Bars War: Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

Okay, so I was at this 5k race which I was neither running or volunteering for which is weird.  Actually, it was Rae's second 5k and I was there as an Athletic Supporter.  And they had these oatmeal bars there for post race refreshments.  They were deliscious and I promptl stole a bunch for later runs/work outs.  The thing is oatmeal bars can be a real good source of energy for both recovery and refueling during a long work out.  With that being said I decided to go out and try and make some oatmeal bars for future use. 

 

Source:  http://www.allrecipes.com/

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup pecans
• 3/4 cup old-fasioned rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven toe 350F and lightly grease 11"x7" baking pan
2. Pour melted btter into mixing bowl with egg, brown sugar and vanilla extract and beat.
3. Stir in baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice and flour until throughtly blended. 
4. Mix in cranberries, pecans and oates till blended evenly.
5. Bake in over for 15 minutes.
6. Cool before cutting into squares.

This recipe is written a little over complicated but is really very easy.  The actual instructions talk about sifting powders together but I say just add the small quantity stuff in to make sure it gets toroughly mixed and then add the flour.  It works the same.  The other thing is I own no pumpkin spice so that was left out and more cinimon was added.  I am not sure what old-fashioned rolled oats are but I used quick cut oats and the bars were fantastic. 
One last thing to note.  Wait till they are cool to cut.  If not it like eating warm oatmeal goo.  Sure it tastes great but nothing that will resemble a bar will come out of it and it will most likely fall on the floor. 
Overall, a great recipe and will definately make the book.

Banana Nut Bread

So, what do you do with bananas when you forget to eat them.  At one point I thought about giving them to the dog but Booger just throws them back up.  It is funny seeing a whole banana come back up.  Either way, that is not the best option.  Cookies?  Maybe.  Bread?  Yes.  Banana Nut Bread!!!!!

Origin:  southernfood.about.com

Ingrediants:

• 1 1/3 cup mashed bananas
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 tsp veg oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 2/3 cups bisquick
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350F, grease bottom of loaf pan.
In mixing bowl, combine all except Bisquick and nuts.  Stir until blended.  Stir in Bisquick and nuts.  Pour into loaf pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.

This is amazingly simple and makes a great banana nut bread.  Really, this works if you dump the entire stuff into the loaf pan and mix it there.  I love this recipe and so does Rae.  It is already in the book.

Swiss Loaf

"The I Hate to Cook Book" is an amazing book with interesting easy recipes and great humor.  The real interesting part is the tastes of  1950's and 1960's.  Food has really changed.  Either way, here is meat loaf with a twist.

Origin:  "The I Hate to Cook Book"

Ingrediants:

• 2 pounds hamburger
• 1 1/2 cups dices Swiss Cheese
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 12 cup chopped green peppers
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cp dry bread crumbs

Directions:
"Just mix thest things together in the approximate order they're given, then press it all into one big greased loaf pan, or used two.  Bake, uncoverd at 350F for abotu an hour and a half, then yodel for the family."


Honestly, not much to this.  A couple of changes.  I have never owned celery salt so there was none added.  Green bell peppers are the most foul of all living things so I substituted red ones instead.  I also cut the recipe in half.  2 pounds of meat seemed excessive.  The other thing is I used 80/20 ground beef so meat loaf does not really work that well.  I think I may have to brown and drain prior if I decide to try this again. 

For the moment this is not making it into the book.