Homemade Granola Bars

A friend of mine shared this recipe a few weeks ago and they are soooo good, we braved the heat from the oven to make them again. Let me know if you enjoy them!

1 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter (you can use 1 cup of butter instead of the pb but the flavor is better with the 1/2 cup of each)
1 tsp vanilla
Cream together in large bowl.

Mix in:
4 1/2 cups oats
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or whatever kind you use for baking)
1 tsp baking soda

Once these are mixed you can add in any nuts, dried fruits or chocolate you want up to 2 cups

Press well into a 9x13 pan (the recipe says to lightly grease it, but I don't). Bake @ 325 for 20 to 30 min or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before you cut it and then let it cool completely before removing (if you can wait that long).

Add in ideas:
I use chocolate chips, flax seeds and raisins. You can also try almonds, walnuts, peanuts, chia seeds, cranberries, blueberries, m&m's and those are just off the top of my head. Use what you have!

My next thing to try is making these with coconut oil instead of butter. I'll let you know how they taste! Enjoy!

Mexi-Casserole Recipe

I put this together last night and it was sooooo easy, I had to share. Oh, and it was family tested and approved! :D

1- whole chicken breast (both halves), cut in chucks, any size you like, and sauted in olive oil until cooked
2- 15 oz cans of black beans
24 oz jar of Pace medium chunky salsa
8 oz can of green chilies
2 cups of cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, grated
about 4 large handfuls of tortilla chips, crushed

Cut chicken and let it cook while you prep the rest of the meal. Crush enough chips to cover bottom of 9x13 glass dish. Mix beans, chilies and salsa in a large bowl and pour out over chips. Place chicken over bean mixture and top with cheese. Place in oven at 350 until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Top with sour cream or plain yogurt and enjoy! :D

Let  me know what variations you come up with and tell me what your family thinks!

Good Stewardship in the Home Part 3

This is Part 3 of 3 where we have been talking about stewardship in the home. In Part 1, we talked about Stewardship of our time; using the time we have to train up our children. In Part 2, we talked about that great buzz word, frugality and how to apply the principle of frugality in more ways then just saving money.

This time we are talking about being good stewards of our gifts, whatever those maybe. Each of us has at least one gift that God gave us to be used in serving others.Each one is different and so the application will be different too. I just chose the first few that came to mind to use as examples.

For some of us, our gift is hospitality. If you find your front door is always open and people calling and coming over for a chat, this is probably you. The great thing about a gift is that the only way to waste it is not to use it. In other words, you can only waste it, if you hide it or making excuses for not putting it to use. If you love to entertain, find ways to make it happen. It maybe have dinner for different families in your church once a week. It maybe having a craft day or a quilt day at your home. If you are willing to be used, God knows your gift and He is looking for people willing to be used to minister to the needy and hurting.

If your gift is encouragement, you can find just as many ways to exercise this gift. If you are someone who is always looking for a way to make someone else feel better, this is probably your gift. You could make a list of people to write little notes to, those who are in nursing homes or hospitals are great choices to start. Or how about birthday cards? Or goody plates for public servants at Christmas? Or meals for a new mother or someone recently home from the hospital? Use these are a spring board for more ideas.

If you are gifted as a teacher, look for chances to instruct other ladies in what you know best. Look for young ladies (and their mothers too) you can share your knowledge of homemaking with and do it! Write a blog about an area where you have knowledge to share.Write articles for magazines, in print or online.

Ask God to show you ways to use your gifts and don't forget to involve your children in service. When they are young, they can help you minister in your area(s) of gifting. And as they get older, watch them and help them discover where they are gifted and show them how to use their gifts too!


If this series has encouraged you, please feel free to leave me a comment. If you have questions, or if there is an area you think should be discussed as a later part of this series, please let me know that too!

Blessings, dear friends!

If you missed the first two posts in the series, you can click on the links below to find them.
Good Stewardship in the Home Part 1
Good Stewardship in the Home Part 2