Recipes that I've made Recently

Because I am so sure that you are just DYING to know what comes out of my kitchen! These have been a pretty big hit at my house lately, so I thought I would share.

Pumpkin Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

My friend Jessica brought these to a soup party that she orchestrated (everyone brings a different kind of soup, swap leftovers at the end of the night- genius!). The other women there were being all demure, or else were just full from soup, and left half of their bars sitting on their plate. I, on the other hand, ate every last bite of my bar, and would have happily eaten the rest of the pan! The good news is that these are somewhat healthy, but don't taste it at all. My husband said that they taste like Seven Layer Magic Bars, but they're missing the half cup of butter called for in that recipe- he didn't realize it at all!

Ingredients
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg or vegan egg substitute equivalent
1 can pumpkin
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 – 1/2 cup shredded coconut
Directions
Mix sugar, applesauce, egg, and pumpkin until well blended.
Stir in flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and chocolate chips.
Pour into a prepared 13 x 9 inch pan. Spread it out evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle on the coconut.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan completely before cutting into bars. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches

In a completely unrelated recipe, I made this for dinner tonight and my husband approved! I served the beef on hard rolls with provolone cheese. I bought sweet peppers to roast and throw in there too, but that just didn't happen today. I have plenty leftover, hopefully to freeze and serve for dinner another night. Here's my version of the recipe:

About 1-1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp onion salt

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 bay leaf

1/2 small pkg (.7 oz) dry Italian-style salad dressing mix

3 lb chuck roast

Directions:

Place beef in slow cooker. I used 2 qt size and it was perfect. Pour water in bottom of the slow cooker. Pour spices on top of beef, then turn beef over. Cover, and cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Just before serving, pour off juices into a gravy separator. Allow fat to rise to the top, then pour juices back into the slow cooker. Shred meat with a fork and serve on hard rolls.