Carrot Cake Magic Bars

You can find recipes just about every flavor of magic bars you can think of.  Same with M&M's.  Back at Easter Walmart had the carrot cake M&M's.  I found recipes last year using the M&M's but couldn't find them.  This year I found the M&M's but had a hard time find the recipe again. If you like carrot cake I think you will like this nice twist.

The base of these bars is a carrot cake mix.

Start with the cake mix in a bowl.

Add 1 egg and one stick of softened butter.

Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Mix well.  You might want to use a pastry cutter because the mixer made a mess on the counter.  Cake mix went flying.

Spread it out in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish that has been coated with non stick spray.

Spread  a 1/2 cup, give or take, of pineapple preserves on top of the cake mix.

Sprinkle 1 cup shredded coconut on top of the preserves.

Rough chop 1/2 cup walnuts

Sprinkle on top

Add one can of sweetened condensed milk.

Make sure it is distributed evenly.

This is what the carrot cake M&M's look like.  You will have to wait until next year to find them again.

Sprinkle about 1 cup on top. Place in a preheated 350 oven and bake for 35 minutes.

Fresh from the oven.  Let them sit until they are cooled completely before cutting.  They really cut better if you let them sit overnight.

Carrot Cake Magic Bars Recipe
1 carrot cake mix
1 softened stick of butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pineapple preserves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup shredded coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup carrot cake M&M's
Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 35 minutes.

Shoney's Strawberry Pie

Growing up we ate at Shoney's a lot and one of the best things on their menu was the fresh strawberry pie.  This recipe came from my Dedication Day cookbook and that was published long before all these "copycat" recipes started to pop up.  But it is a copycat of the Shoney's pie.  It might even be a little better.  It is very easy to make as well.

These strawberries came from Maggie Valley.  If you live close to Grant you should make the trip to pick up some of these great strawberries.

Bake a pie crust according to the package directions.  Of course you can make a homemade pie crust if you want, but these frozen ones are really good.

Wash and dry your strawberries and then cut them to fit into the pie shell.  You don't want huge pieces of strawberries.

Then you need to put together a double broiler.

Add 1 cup water

1 cup sugar

4 Tablespoons of flour.

Whisk until it is smooth.

Now the words all cooks hate to hear "cook until thick".  How thick, how long, is it getting thick I can't tell.  All these things go through my head when I an stirring something that says cook until thick.

Once it is thick, remove from heat and add the box of strawberry jello.

Whisk until it is mixed well and there are no clumps.

Let it cool for just a few minutes so you don't cook your strawberries.

Then pour over the strawberries. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

When it is time to serve take out of the fridge.  Doesn't that look good?

Look at all those strawberries.

Add some whipped cream and enjoy.

Strawberry Pie Recipe

1 pie shell

1 3 oz box of strawberry jello I used sugar free.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

4 Tablespoon flour

Apple Spice Quinoa Granola

It's granola time again.  It was Daddy's birthday so I had to try out a new granola recipe on him.  This one has the quinoa in it again.  I like quinoa in the granola it gives it a nice nutty taste to it.

I know it looks like a lot of ingredients but it is worth it.

Start with 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

The recipe calls for 1 cup of almonds.  It suggested half sliced and half whole almonds.  So 1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup whole almonds

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (smells so good)

1/8 teaspoon salt

Stir it well.

Peel and chop one apple.

Add the apple to the oat mixture.

Toss well so the apples will be covered a little.

In another bowl add 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix well.

Pour over the oat mixture.

Stir so all the oats are well coated.

Spread out on two parchment lined cookie sheets.  Place in a preheated 325 oven.  Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Here it is fresh from the oven.  The bottom oven cooked it a little more so that pan is browner. Let cool on the pans for about 20 minutes.

Break apart and add about 3/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins.  Store in an airtight container.

Apple spice Quinoa Granola Recipe

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup almonds

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large apple peeled and diced

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup cranberries or raisins