Care Package 24 and 25: Fruit Bars and Granola Cookies

I think I've been doing pretty well at sending healthy snacks the past few weeks. It helps that I've been cutting back on sugar myself. I'm not craving sweets, so I don't need to use Brian as an excuse to bake sugary things!

For the 24th care package, I whipped up another batch of Oasis Fruit Bars using pineapple, mango, cranberries, plums, apricots, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. This recipe is awesome and can easily be adapted depending on what type of fruits/nuts you have around the kitchen. I hope everyone enjoyed this batch as much as they did the last one!

The base is super simple:


1/2 C brown sugar
2 TBS butter
2 Eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda



Blend these ingredients together then add in a total of 3 Cups of any fruit/nut combo that strikes your fancy. Press the dough into a 9x13" baking pan and bake at 325 for 35 minutes.

Last week I branched out and used a different cookbook to whip up a batch of Granola Cookies. I'm pretty happy with this recipe, though the cookies came out a lot more chewy than I imagined.

Granola Cookies
1/2 C butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1/3 C peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 C wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
2 C granola cereal
1/3 C raisins
1/2 C chopped walnuts

Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and egg. Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Add the granola, raisins and chopped walnuts. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

The Outsiders

For some odd reason, I was thinking about the movie "The Outsiders" based on the book we had to read in middle school. I don't remember what got me on this train of thought, but what really stuck in my mind was the line "Nothing gold can stay, Pony Boy." As I was poking around on some of the blogs I follow, I found that this poem was also on another crafter's mind!

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Doing Fun Stuff in Savannah

It's been a fun and busy weekend here in Savannah! On Thursday night SCAD presented "Back to the Future" in Forsyth Park and on Friday night they showed "Up." They put a huge inflatable screen inside the bandshell and set up speakers around the green. Overall it was well done, but I certainly missed the orderly aisles that Wilcox Park arranged. Maybe next time they'll make an effort to leave walking areas open so you don't have to climb over people.

Saturday was the Annual Sidewalk Festival. I don't remember why, but I missed it last year. So this year I was sure to walk around and enjoy the awesome drawings. I brought Harley and she was surprisingly well behaved considering how many other dogs were around. Below are some of my favorite entries for your viewing pleasure (I would have taken more pictures, but my batteries have a habit of dying at inopportune times...).

Care Package 23: Howling good Crispies

I have a couple of very interesting cookbooks on my shelf. Of course, there is the wonderful "Lipsmackin' Vegetarian Backpackin'" and the trusty "Joy of Cooking." I have a Winnie the Pooh cookbook, and even a Roald Dahl cookbook. Back around Thanksgiving I came across the Bubba Rose Biscuit Company's "Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook." It's a neat little book (there are only about 25 recipes) for making tasty, healthy treats for pups. I made Harley a batch of the fake-chocolate chip cookies and she LOVED them! (unfortunately, that cookie started the whole eating-anything-left-on-the-counter problem...)

Well, I was wondering what to make for Brian the other week and felt a bit stumped. To clear my mind, I started flipping through the Bubba Rose book. As I was looking at some of the recipes, I thought "These sound good enough to eat!" So I decided to try another recipe, but for people instead of dogs.

They turned out delicious! In the book, the cookie is called Peanut Brittle, but I replaced the crushed peanuts that were supposed to be pressed into the top of the dough with M&M's (clearly not for dog consumption), so I call them Peanut Butter Crispies. Brian said they were good, and the guys in his unit seemed to agree. He was a good sport when I told him I made him dog biscuits, and I left it up to him as to whether to tell the other guys. I also made a few without the M&Ms, and Harley loves them, too!


Peanut Butter Crispies

3 C brown rice flour (I don't really like the result with rice flour, and will probably just use whole wheat next time)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 C honey
1/4 C molasses
1/2 C peanut butter
1/4 C canola oil
1 C M&Ms

Preheat oven to 325. Combine all ingredients except M&Ms in a food processor until completely mixed. It should form a stiff dough. Press the dough onto a rimmed cookie sheet (if you line the cookie sheet with parchment paper, it makes clean-up easier). Cover dough with parchment paper and roll until smooth and about 1/4 inch thick. Press the M&Ms gently into the dough, and score into squares with a sharp knife. Bake 30 - 40 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack, then break apart at the scored lines.

Hopping into Spring!

I am just having way too much fun knitting cute toys! I mean, it's not like I NEED an adorable stuffed toy frog... They're just so much FUN to make!

Now that I've finished Mr. Frog, I decided to re-visit an old project that I started last year but haven't touched in... um, I have no idea when I last worked on it! I think I started it around Memorial Day of last year. Yikes, better get cracking! There's no good reason a shrug should be stuck as a "Work In Progress" status for over a year. I told myself that I can not make another knitted toy until I finish this shrug. Stay tuned to see if my willpower lasts...

P.S. Don't you just love my little stitch markers? I made them from jewelry supplies and they are working like a charm!

Gratuitously cheerful spring photos!

Harley and I took a late morning stroll around the park last week and I was actually awake enough to remember my camera! Enjoy!

Care Packages 21 and 22: Trail Mix and Making a Scene

The last few weekends have been even busier than normal, so I had to take it kinda easy on the care packages. Two weeks ago I didn't have any time to bake at all, so I sent yet another batch of Trail Mix. The granola that forms the base of the trail mix is so incredibly good that I have been known to just stand over the sink and shovel it into my mouth straight from the container. I hope that doesn't ruin any one's opinion of me...

Last week I got a bit more creative. I had found some fun movie-themed goodies and a couple of campy DVDs, so I made a Movie Date package!

This box included: Twizzlers, Sno-Caps, fun-size Twix/Snickers/M&Ms, gummi worms, chocolate covered nuts and Reese's Peanut Butter cups, movie snack box and napkins, two old-school John Wayne movies, two super-silly Sci-Fi flicks and two early Hitchcock films.

I know it's not in the least bit healthy, but it sure was fun to put together! I wish someone had sent me something like this in college so I could have had friends over for a fun movie night.