Make your own granola bars: quick and easy

Lauren Braun Costello -- chef, author and food stylist -- shows busy moms how to make meals using ingredients they already have in their pantries, solving their unique cooking challenges. In this episode, Lauren shows Jennifer C., a mother of two and a PR professional, how to make an easy and healthy snack for her son using currants. Her recipe? Chewy granola bars.

To begin, Lauren mixes together her dry ingredients in a bowl: quick oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, salt, currants and chopped apricots. Feel free to be creative with this part -- you can also add coconut, nuts or other dried fruit.

Next, Lauren moves on to the wet ingredients. (These are mixed in a seperate bowl to ensure they're well-mixed before being combined with the dry ingredients.) The combination of honey and maple syrup makes things sticky and sweet, while vegetable oil contributes necessary fat. Vanilla extract lends a heady perfume to the bars.

She pours the wet ingredients into the dry, then mixes until all of the oats are saturated. When the granola is ready, Lauren lines a baking pan with parchment paper (this will keep the bars from sticking) and presses the granola into the pan. After baking, cut into bars and you're ready to eat.


Ingredients
(yield:16 bars)

2 cups quick rolled oats

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup currants

1 cup dried apricots, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

Gather these tools: cutting board, chef's knife, dry measuring cups, measuring spoons, large mixing bowl, fork, grill or grill pan, small saucepan, wooden spoon, sauté pan, offset spatula

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9" x 13" pan with wax or parchment paper. Stir together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, currants, apricots, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl, being sure to break up any clumps of sugar or dried fruit. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, mix the honey, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown.

Remove from the oven and lift the wax or parchment paper from the pan. Let the granola slab cool for 5 minutes before removing the paper and cutting into bars. Cool completely before eating or wrapping.

Granola bars are so popular that they pack the isles in every grocery store. They are actually very easy to make homemade. The proper mix of oats, seasoning, sweetness, and dried fruit is all you need. Currants are even better than raisins for granola bars because they are half the size with just as much flavor. The result is a pleasing texture in every bite for a deliciously chewy granola bar.

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Timothy's: The best White Chili this side of heaven

"Timothy’s is long gone now, even the building it occupied demolished, but in its day, the East Broadway restaurant had panache and a loyal following for its back room upscale menu as well as its bar menu. The latter featured meatloaf sandwiches and what became the restaurant’s signature dish, white chili. We have many variations from other restaurants in the archives, but this is the one people most often request" (Courier-Journal recipes, Louisville, Kentucky, November 11, 2009).

When I first moved to Louisville, I found this little restaurant named Timothy's. I was looking for a place close by where I could go with a friend or by myself and have a great salad or steaming bowl of comforting soup. Louisville is a big restaurant town with wonderful local places serving interesting and delicious local food. We have a culinary arts school here that's third in the nation and tums out chefs and future restauranteurs who become very competitive. Many remain in Louisville and work as chefs or go into business for themselves. The city really benefits by all the competition as they try to make their restaurants the best in town.

Timothy's is no longer there...sitting by itself on the corner of Broadway and Court St. Painted grey with black and white awnings. it was a wonderfully eccentric eatery, opened by Tim Barnes in the early 1980s. They served continental style food and frequently displayed a "now sauteing" neon sign in the front window. Most Louisvillians will remember it and, although I wasn't introduced to it until I moved here almost 16 years ago, I still remember going there with friends to savor some of their awesome "White Chili".

The original Timothy's had a front room with booth seating and a bar, and a more formal if idiosyncratically decorated back room. The menu in the front room focused on comfort foods, such as meatloaf sandwiches, with a more upscale menu in the back. ..."The white chili was devised by Timothy's original chef as a trendy variation on a familiar, comforting dish. Its trendiness may have intrigued diners to try it, but its satisfying richness, with just a hint of spicy heat, has kept it popular through the years" (Bon Appetit, 1991).

In March of 1991, Bon Appetit did an article on Timothy's and published the White Chili recipe. I was ecstatic when I found it and have been making it ever since. When Tim died in the late 1990s, the restaurant closed and reopened in Indiana in 2003. They still have his chili.

Last year, I spent the Christmas holidays in the southwest visiting my daughter and her live-in love. They have a great house with 4 cats in Austin Texas. I had a wonderful week of Christmas, zoning out on food, wine, and card playing. We all three love to cook, so instead of going out to eat, we spent every night cooking for each other. I cooked two nights and guess what I made for them...and their friends? Yep! White Chile. And they all loved it! So I've decided to share the recipe with you ..........just go easy of the hot stuff. My mouth is still smarting!

Timothy's White Chili
(Yield: 6 servings)

Ingredients

2-3 8 oz. cans Great Northern Beans

2 LB chicken breasts

1 ½ tsp. oregano

1TBL Olive oil

¼tsp grnd cloves

2 med Onions, chopped

¼ tsp Cayenne

4 Garlic cloves, minced

6 C. Chicken stock or broth

8 oz. Chopped mild green chilies

2tsp. Grnd cumin

3 C. Monterey Jack; grated

1/2 C. Sherry

Garnishes: Salsa, Chopped fresh cilantro, Sour Cream

Instructions

Saute chicken in heavy large saucepan. until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, remove skin, & cut into cubes. Heat oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, then chilies, cumin, oregano, cloves, and cayenne pepper and saute 2 minutes. Add beans and stock and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1/2 hour. Add chicken and 1 cup cheese to chili and stir until cheese melts. Continue to simmer for another 1/2 hour. Add sherry 5 minutes before finished cooking. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls. Serve with remaining cheese, sour cream, salsa and cilantro. (recipe edited by Aleksander House Bed and Breakfast)

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New Year's resolutions don't have to cost an arm and a leg

Stick to your New Year’s resolutions without a pricey gym membership, fancy equipment, expensive classes or other budget-busters. Rest assured, you can stand pat in your resolutions throughout the year without spending a bundle. Here are the most popular New Years resolutions, along with tips on following them when you’re on a tight budget.


Exercise more: Instead of buying an expensive gym membership, put on a pair of sneakers and walk! Walk in the park, walk in town, walk in the city. Borrow a neighbor's dog and walk. Park your car at the far edge of the parking lot and walk. Forgo the elevator and walk the stairs. If you think about it, you’ll find lots of ways to work more walking into your day.
Eat healthy foods: Pursuing a healthy eating program can easily bring down your food costs because healthy eating starts with fresh produce and basic ingredients that don’t cost a lot. See Healthy Eating, for Less for tips, hints and ideas for healthy eating for the budget-minded.
Stop smoking: Instead of expensive medical programs, hypnosis and/or nicotine patches, check out the many free programs and websites that can help you kick the habit. Start with the Centers for Disease Control How to Quit Smoking page: www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit
Take up a hobby or learn a craft: You don’t necessarily need to invest money in materials, books and classes to take up a hobby—why don’t you revisit a pastime that you used to love? Go on and find those knitting needles, or retrieve the roller blades from the back of the closet, or dust off the stamp collection. You just might fall in love again.
Read more: Instead of breaking the bank at the bookstore, visit your local library and check out a new book every week. Most libraries also have magazines for perusing, along with computers with fast internet connections and lots of helpful advice for finding what you need online.
Learn something new: There’s no need to enroll in expensive college classes if you are looking to expand your horizons and learn something new. Look into “auditing” a class at your local university or community college. Many schools will allow you to sit in on classes (and participate!) without paying tuition (and without earning credits—but you just want to learn, right?). You can also inquire at your local library, community center or book store about free or low-cost classes or reading groups covering a huge variety of topics.
Take a vacation: Instead of flying or driving to faraway destinations and spending your hard-earned money on a motel and meals out, take a “staycation.” Stay at home during your time off, but make a commitment to sightsee, visit museums and generally get to know your hometown all over again.

 *Visit a Louisville bed and breakfast We are not far from Indianapolis, Chicago, Cincinnati, and St Louis. Although a little longer drive, it's easy to get here from Nashville and Georgia. And, of course Kentuckians, for the most part, have an doable week-end getaway spot to come to. The bed and breakfasts all have Valentine's Packages to satisfy your romantic mood. Do come and visit us, but call ahead.


And of course, there are lots of popular resolutions that don’t cost a cent to begin with. You don’t need a lot of money to pursue these resolutions:

• Cook more

• Get organized

• Spend more time with family and friends

• Help others or volunteer


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Roadkill: An Appalacian tradition

So.......What's for lunch?

source

Eating organic on a budget is a good thing. So eating roadkill makes perfect sense – it’s all about using what’s available. It has an even lower environmental footprint than being a conventional vegetarian who buys groceries at the market, plus, it’s free.

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In West Virginia, no one used to argue with the notion that there “ain’t nothing better” than finding a fresh-killed animal on the side of the road. The dirty work already done, all folks had to do was throw that critter in a pot and get ready for some groundroots grub. But times have changed and so have most of our tastes and sensibilities. Despite the fact that the rest of the country has given up on RoadKill and gone onto to more domestic pasteurs, there are still those who prefer their possum hot off the pavement instead of the grill.

.So, where can you find hundreds of visitors whooping it up over a big bowl of Rattlesnake stew or Biscuits and Groundhog gravy? You guessed it: at the West Virginia Road Kill Cook-off in Marlington, WV. Every September about 10,000 people from all over the country come to the gathering.

All dishes featured in the festival must have animals commonly found dead on the side of the road…such as deer, squirrels and snakes as their main ingredient.

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Yum! Possum stew

Poking fun at the state’s hillbilly image, Marlinton began the Roadkill Cook-Off ( see Video)13 years ago as a way to draw visitors to their scenic, historic town. “It brings a lot of people out,” notes chef and president of the county commission, Joel Callison. “Roadkill happens here every day…” In past years’ crowds have sampled dishes like Pothole Possum Stew, Fricasseed Wabbit Gumbo and Smeared Hog with Squirrel Gravy. The RoadKill Cook-Off is so popular that it fills all the motels and hotels in the county when it takes place on the last Saturday in September”, said David Cain, who runs the event and samples all the dishes.

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Cain explains: “The animal one cooks must be one that is commonly found dead on the side of the road (possum, beaver, raccoon, snake, deer, etc.), but the animals must not actually come from the side of the road. That’s part of the official rules.” Does anybody actually ever check? If you plan to cook, you need to bring all of your own equipment. As far as what to cook, the sky is the limit. Grilling, chilling, baking, flaking, flipping , dipping, whatever.

What will you be up against? Try Stewed Blood with Moose Balls on the Half Shell or Stir-Tired Possum. The competition is tough. But the winner can go away $300, which to most who enter means they don’t have to scoop up animals from the highway for the rest of the month.

So, do the popularity of festivals like the RoadKill Cook-Off mean more Americans will become open to the idea of foraging for food? Probably not – it’s all about the novelty factor for most. But it’s an intriguing idea.

How about a big bowl of Pothole Possom Stew?

Ingredients

• One possum, skinned, pieced
• Couple of onions, potatos, other veggies, chopped 
• 1 can of mushroom soup
• 2 cans of beef gravy
• 1 can of water
• Tbsp each of pepper and salt

Instructions

• Boil the possum meat in a large pot of water
• with a half cup of salt for about half a day.
• Pour the water out and add all the stuff to it.
• ring to a boil, then simmer covered 4 to 8 hrs.

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Non-gluten Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Found a wonderful recipe for my non-gluten guests. Tried it and it's fabulous. I don't have Celiac's disease...I can eat wheat, but I'm very fond of some of the non-gluten recipes I've gathered together for my special guests. I have many of them listed on my Aleksander House site under "breakfast" but thought I'd post this Rhubarb one here on my blog for a while before I transfer it over to the Aleksander House site.Ingredients:

Ingredients
1/2 cup margarine
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups GF flour mix
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
2 cups chopped rhubarb

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Mix margarine and sugar together; beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in remaining dry ingredients followed by milk, then add finely chopped rhubarb. Pour into greased pan then sprinkle mixed topping on top. Bake in 9x13 inch pan for 35-40 minutes.

*Note: Half this recipe works well in an 8x8 inch pan.

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Easy Gingerbread House to make with kids

We all know how much most kids like making stuff in the kitchen, with or without mom. And making cookies is one of their favorite activities...probably because they can eat the lovely little morsels after they come from the oven looking all delicious and tempting.

When Christmas comes around, making cookies for gifts or to serve to family and friends becomes one of the most intriguing and fun things for kids to do, aside from trimming the tree of course. Those who cook or bake with children try to keep the project fairly simple and would most likely not think that making a gingerbread house would be easy.

However, I found this video on line that makes constructing one's very own little house of candy and cookies something that can be done by most children, let's say, over five years old. So mom or grand-mom or dad or whoever...get out those baking pans, run to the store and buy the necessary ingredients, and let's get started

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A Victorian Christmas in Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville's Christmas Tree

If you're looking for a charming place to have an old fashioned Christmas, Louisville Kentucky is the place for you. Christmas time here is an absolute delight. Louisville is a charming city with row upon row of historic Victorian houses which, when dressed for the holidays, look like a page out of a Charles Dickens novel. There's nothing more picturesque. And, if you're thinking about staying for a few days, the many bed and breakfasts here will be delight you. Along with treating you to southern hospitality and serving the very best in gourmet breakfasts, the Innkeepers go all to decorate their beautiful Victorian mansions, both inside and out.

Christmas is one of the loveliest and most charming time of the year to visit is Old Louisville. Everything is so festive and there is so much to do. A family tradition of many is to drive around in December in search of the best Christmas lights Louisville house displays. However, as the years go by, the best neighborhoods for Christmas light displays change. If you haven't rented a car, You could always take a taxi to look at Christmas lights. Most of the drivers know the best neighborhoods

There are a few houses on Mile of Sunshine Drive in Okolona that go above and beyond. They are worth a stop for sure, and donations go to the Home of the Innocents. Freeman Lake Park in Elizabethtown, about an hour from Louisville has a drive-thru Christmas lights display, as well as the Mega Caverns under the Zoo. Then, of course, most of Old Louisville is pretty well decorated and lit up for the holidays. "My family goes to Christmas By The River in Brandenburg Kentucky every year. The lights are beautiful, and the grand kids love it." (Guest - ) Michelle

 You might enjoy midnight mass at the cathedral of the assumption downtown. If you go, get there early and you might just get a seat. Also check out some holiday plays at actors theater or Huber's farm over the river. I think they have a holiday show..  And a really fun and interesting thing to do is glassblowing an ornament at Glass works.

Another fun thing is the Holiday Cruise with Santa that the Bell of Louisville has on the Spirit of Jefferson, December 19th this year from 2-4 pm. You board downtown at the 4th St. wharf. Call 502-574-2992 or (toll-free) 866-832-0011 for information, to make a reservation, or to check the status of the cruise. [for more details]

The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without a visit with Marie, her Nutcracker Prince  and that nasty rascal the Rat King. You can be a part of all the magic and wonder new Brown-Forman Nutcracker has to offer. The choreography is by Val Caniparoli and the music by Peter IlyichTchaikovsky. The performances run December 4-19 down town at the Center for Performing Arts.

Also at the Kentucky Performing Center for the Arts will be The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, December 11-19. and performances of the classic It's A Wonderful Life all though out December. Check out the Kentucky Center  for The Arts on the Internet.

Our wonderful Actor's Theater will also be getting in on the holiday fun with performances of and A Christmas Carol, December 7-23, again down town Louisville on Main Street. Call 502-584-1205. Adapted by Barbara Field from Charles Dickens and directed by Sean Daniels, this  music-filled holiday celebration is Louisville’s biggest and best holiday tradition—the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and th e spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future, brought to life with visual splendor and the warmth of holiday music. 

Another Louisville holiday tradition is "Light Up Louisville" which was November 26th. It is held in in Jefferson SquarePark  in downtown Louisville (6th St & Park) and ushers in the magic of the holiday season with a fifty foot tree, lights, fireworks and music which transforms downtown into a fantasy land aglow with the spirit of the holidays. The fun of Light Up Louisville will continue through the holiday season with displays and lights featured nightly. Called Lou-minations, it's a 14-minute display of lights and music on Metro Hall presented by GE. Paired with a carriage ride and dinner at one of Louisville’s many great restaurants and you have the makings for a very special holiday experience.

There are many other holiday activities you might enjoy during the month of December. You can check on line or wait until you get here and visit out two visitors centers: Old Louisville Visitors Center and the Louisville Visitors Center. Here are a few more suggestions:

Westport Villiage Xmas lights

Where: Westport Village
What: This annual Westport Village Christmas lights unveiling event includes the holiday tradition of pictures with Santa, horse-drawn sleigh rides, an outdoor Christmas concert, local choirs, and Christmas carolers.

First Friday Trolley Hop

When: December 4th Where: Downtown Louisville What: A tour of dozens of galleries in Downtown Louisville’s art district, taking participants to several different art galleries located on the Main, Market, and Fourth Street strips.

2009 Hollydays Art and Gift Market

When: December 4-6 Where: Mellwood Arts and Entertainment Center What: Art Fair and Christmas Sale

Santa Safari

When: December 5-6
Where: The Louisville Zoo
What: Eat and make cookies with Santa and other North Pole characters while enjoying a full day of animal-watching at the Zoo.

Olde Tyme Christmas on Frankfort Avenue

When: December 5
Where: Frankfort Avenue
What: This Louisville Christmas event features the Santa Sprint Run and Stroll, festive Dog Walk, Good Neighbor Awards, holiday refreshments, photo opportunities with Santa at the Louisville Water Company, and trolley, horse, and carriage rides.

Old Louisville Holiday House Tour

Come and explore the country’s most extensive collection of Victorian mansions and picturesque homes at the 34th Annual Old Louisville Holiday House Tour and Festival, an absolute must for architecture buffs and history enthusiasts alike. In keeping with the rich tradition of Southern hospitality, homeowners in the nation’s premier Victorian neighborhood invite you and yours inside their charming residences to get a unique glimpse of life from a bygone era – a slower time when elegant women rushed about in bustles and corsets and when dapper gentlemen donned tails and ties for dinner. Good cheer and tidings of the season abound as visitors to this one-of-a-kind national historic preservation district tour eight neighborhood dwellings that have been lovingly decked in Old-World finery and festive holiday décor. Enjoy the spirit of the yuletide at this matchless holiday event in the heart of Kentucky’s largest city and see why people are talking about America’s Victorian Gem, Old Louisville.

When: December 4th and 5th, 2010
Where: St. James Court
What: This tour of Old Louisville showcases seven historical Victorian homes, both inside and out, that are decorated for Christmas.

The 2010 Holiday House Tour begins with complimentary parking at Cochran Elementary School, 5th & Lee Streets, with shuttle van transportation to the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, 1402 St. James Court, where all tickets are picked up.
     Shuttles run continuously between all of the house tour homes and bed and breakfast inns and The Chapel of St. Philip.
    The Holiday Gift Boutique is open during the tour. It offers unique craft items and a holding area for packages.
    Ticket sales, will-call tickets, and the Holiday Gift Boutique are located directly behind the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum on Magnolia Ave.
     During the tour, The Conrad-Caldwell House Museum will host a high Victorian Tea at the Inn at the Park, 1332 South Fourth Street, each day with seatings from noon until 4 pm. The Tea will feature English teas and a tasteful sampling of savories and sweets reminiscent of holiday teas in the 19th century. The food will be prepared by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant, and served by the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum Volunteers. Entertainment will be provided by harpist, Nancy Stagner. You may order tickets to the Victorian Tea by calling the Old Louisville Information Center at 502 635-5244. Tickets to the Victorian Tea are $20 each and may also be purchased during the tour at the door of The Conrad-Caldwell House or at the Inn at the Park. (http://www.holidayhousetour.com/)

If you come: Be sure to book you accommodations early. Not all of the bed and breakfasts will be taking guests on Christmas and New Year's Eve. But be sure to check them out before you make your final plans. For information, check out the Old Louisville Information Center phone: 502 635-5244 email: olnc at bellsouth.net

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