Peanut Butter Bars with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

I know... another really long title... But these are totally worth having a long title. Yum...

I made these and after having a couple, I made my husband take them to school for the other teachers to eat because I would have eaten them all!

I really like this recipe... and as far as desserts go, it has really good ingredients in the bottom layer at least... The frosting is pretty much all sugar, but the bottom layer has really "healthy" ingredients.

Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Bars

1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup white flour
1/2 tsp. soda

In a large bowl, cream together peanut butter, egg, butter and brown sugar until light and whippy.

Add remaining ingredients

Then press into a small cookie sheet.

My cookie sheet is very old and nasty looking so I lined it with heavy duty aluminum foil and sprayed that with cooking spray.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for exactly NINE minutes. Trust me... Don't cook them any longer than that. They will still look gooey and soft, but they will set up as they cool. Allow to cool before frosting and cutting into bars.

Whippy Cocoa Fudge Frosting
2 sticks butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate ships until just barely melted. Using an electric mixer/beater, beat in the butter, then slowly add the p. sugar and just enough milk to make the frosting a nice spreadable consistency. Frost cooled bars. Allow frosting to set up for about 30 minutes before cutting.

WARNING: These are so delicious you will not be able to stop at one... Make these only with a plan to give them away or serve them to a group of people...
Consider yourself fairly warned!

Down to Earth Granola

This is one of those yummy recipes that I got from one of my sisters... I have a lot of those, you know. Recipes from my sisters that is... and I have lot of sisters too. 4 to be exact. As well as 2 more sisters (who are my brother's wives) and then 4 sisters-in-law on my husband's side. Thankfully, they are all very willing to share their yummy recipes with me. Love them!

Okay, on to the recipe. I LOVE granola but I am just not a huge fan of anything I can find in the store. They are usually sold with raisins or they just aren't "clumpy" enough... Anyway, this recipe produces the YUMMIEST granola and if you like granola plain, granola with milk, or granola on top of your yogurt... then this is the recipe for you! Trust me!

Ingredients:
4 cups oats
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon

1/3- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3-1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

1 cup raisins or craisins (optional) I don't put these in because, like I said... I don't enjoy raisins in my granola.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Stir together dry ingredients (first 5) in large bowl.

Heat oil, honey, and vanilla in saucepan until warm.
Carefully pour over oats mixture and gently stir (you want to try
to maintain some bigger clumps).

Spread on cookie sheet.

Bake 30 minutes, turning with spatula every 10 min.

Don't mind my obnoxiously pink fingernails... I'm helping my husband coach volleyball and last night we had a game. The high school's colors are red/black but the school board chairperson is from here and recently started treatment for breast cancer. So we all wore our "Love, Hope, Volley" T-shirts and painted our nails pink in support of her...

Cool completely.
Stir in raisins or craisins, if desired.
*Watch carefully during cooking to make sure it is not getting
burnt.

Store in an airtight container. I need to get a plastic cereal container from IKEA next time I'm there to store my granola in so that I can pour it... but until then, this container will do.
Now try to pace yourself... It is so delicious! My favorite way to eat it is over yogurt... vanilla is the best, but today I only have strawberry and peach so PEACH won out this time.

This will be my breakfast EVERY.SINGLE.MORNING. until its gone... Its just that good.