Basic Granola

I'm making this right now, and my kitchen smells wonderful. You'll love this easy recipe:

6 1/4 c. rolled oats (I use the quick oats from the dry pack cannery)
1 c. coconut
1/2 c. slivered almonds (or pecans, or whatever nuts you have on hand)
1/4 c. sesame seeds, unsalted (opt.)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil
3/4 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
Dried fruit (opt.)

Stir dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix oil and honey together and heat until honey is warm and runny. Stir in vanilla. Add to dry ingredients; stir until well combined. Spread onto two cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes until lightly browned, stirring every 10 minutes during baking. Cool on cookie sheets, and then add in any dried fruit you like (my favorites are craisins, dried apples, or apricots). Store in airtight container up to 6 weeks.

Bean Burrito Filling

This recipe is submitted by Kristie Taylor, who got it from her cousin. This makes a great filling for bean burritos. You can subsitute garlic powder for the cloves and dried onions for the fresh ones.

1 medium bag of pinto beans (about 1/2 of a number 10 can)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
water to cover beans
2 T salt

You have to sort the beans by putting them on a cookie sheet and removing any rocks or stones. (I know this sounds crazy but you really find stones in the beans and if you don't do it then when you bite into a stone you loose your appetite.) After cleaning the beans soak in water over night, enough water to cover the beans. The next morning drain the beans and put them in a crock pot. Add other ingredients. Add enough water to cover the beans. Let cook for 3-4 hours on high until beans are soft. Spoon off any beans that are floating on top. Use a Kitchen Aid mixer to mix the beans, beat the beans and add water from the crock pot to make the beans the consistency you would like. This makes a lot of beans that you can put into smaller bags and freeze to use at a later time.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup ground wheat flour and 1 cup white flour
1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
chopped nuts or chocolate chips - opt.

Mash bananas and set aside. In a bowl cream sugar and butter together. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to first mixture and stir together. Stir in nuts or chocolate chips. Place in two greased 9x5" or 3 mini loaf pans and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 275 and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.
Submitted by Ines Seamons

Blender Pancakes - Submitted by Rachel Lister

This is a great way to get more whole grains into your diet and it is so easy to make. My kids love it and it is easier to keep on hand than boxed mixes.

Ingredients

3/4 c. whole wheat (you do not grind & you do not have to soak it--just pour it in, trust me).
1 c. milk (in hard times, powdered milk mixed with water works great.
Dash of salt

Put all the above in blender and blend for 5 minutes.

Then add, while still blending:
2 eggs (again powdered eggs mixed with water works very well)
1/3 c. oil
2 t. baking powder

Preparation

Pour onto hot skillet (350 degrees is perfect) or cook on stove about med-high heat. Have your skillet ready when the pancakes are finished blending. For best results don't let the mix sit too long. Makes about 8 - 10 med. pancakes.