Recipe: Salted Caramels

Remember that jar of salted caramels I made?  I think it's time I finally put up the recipe for it :).  Mind you, I'm new to candy making.  I've made this recipe a few times now though, so I feel comfortable sharing it with everyone.  I haven't messed it up yet, so hopefully if you try it, it'll work out beautifully!

The recipe I used is from here, and one of the major differences is I don't use Fluer de Sel since I've never found it (and I'm lazy to go buy it online).  I also cook the caramel mixture to a different temperature, so it's not as soft.  Enough rambling, and more recipe!

Salted Caramel Recipe

Recipe: Sweet and Crunchy Granola

I enjoy eating granola.  I don't eat it all the time, but from time to time I like to snack on it.  Besides eating it out of hand, my next favorite thing to do with granola is to add it to my yogurt with some fresh fruits.

I've made my own granola now for over a year now.  I originally made it for a secret Santa gift where I needed to give a present each day of the work week, of course the person I got wrote almost nothing that was within the budget except granola.  What I ended up doing was make a base granola, then added different things to it each day :).  First day he got it plain, the next dried berries, another day dried fruits, another extra nuts, and the last day chocolates.  He said his favorite was plain, and I tend to agree with him.

The recipe I will feature will be just the base recipe, but even there I will have optional items.  It simply depends on your tastes, or on what you have in your kitchen.

I did base this recipe on Alton Brown's granola recipe, but I have added more to it, and changed around a few things.  


Oatmeal Recipe:

Pan De Sal (Bread of Salt) Recipe

 Pan de sal is a Filipino bread/roll.  Despite the name translation, it doesn't taste at all like salt.  In fact it has a slightly sweet flavor.  We were lucky enough to have a few Filipino bakeries in our area, and it's something I grew up with.  I always wanted to learn how to make it, so of course I love the fact that I can turn to the internet for guidance.  I found the following recipe on Pasalang Pinoy, my ingredient list is the same as theirs, but I do some things different from their procedure.



Recipe (makes 24 small rolls):
Approximate time: 2 hours (or less) from beginning to end

Recipe: Steal Cut Oatmeal

For the past week I've been cooking and eating steal cut oatmeal, and I like the fact that I don't feel hungry too soon after I eat it.  I will make an attempt to eat steal cut oats more often, probably during the weekdays.  The year before I got pregnant I was pretty good about eating steal cut oats, but now it's almost been 2 years since I've made this a regular thing.  What I used to do was make a batch of steal cut oatmeal one evening, then I would either pack it in individual containers or one big ol' container and stuff it in the refrigerator (usually it depended on what containers were empty ha ha).  For the next few days we would have oatmeal for breakfast.

I love that my baby also is enjoying oatmeal with me!  I usually make her's a little less sweet, and I'll only add dried fruits (no nuts), and she likes it.  She'll point to the bowl when she wants more, which I think is so awesome.  I'm hoping she will continue to like it.

I have modified Alton Brown's recipe for steal cut oatmeal slightly (based on what I usually have on hand), and also on what I like.  You'll find I'm all about changing around recipes to suit what your tastes/needs are.

Recipe: Blueberry Muffins

I love surfing the internet for new recipes!  I usually try to find the recipes that have rave reviews (and having all the ingredients on hand is nice).  This particular recipe I used can be found right here: To Die For Blueberry Muffins.  Not sure if they're to die for, I like being alive, but I found them to be pretty tasty!  Another plus is my husband, daughter, and other family members approve of it :).

Now, I'm notorious for changing around recipes, but I kept true to this recipe.  The only thing I did add was the flour to the blueberries.

Recipe (makes 12 muffins):