STONEGABLE HOLIDAY GRANOLA BARS

In my house, breakfast is often "on the run". One of our favorite foods to grab-and-go are granola bars.  

Some granola bars are pretty good tasting and good for us... but others... well, we might as well eat a candy bar!

 StoneGable Holiday Granola Bars are chewy, full of oats, krispies, nuts and a trio of delicious dried fruit! My family loves them!!! And they make my whole home smell heavenly when they are baking!

Wrap them in parchment paper and they are very transportable!!!

I keep them in a big glass jar on my kitchen counter... they look festive... at least for awhile. They go fast!

These are much better tasting than their store bought counterpart... probably better for us ... and pretty!

STONEGABLE HOLIDAY GRANOLA BARS

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 egg

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup whipped cream cheese

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1  1/4 cups rice krispies

1 cup dried fruit (I use dried cherries, blueberries and raspberries)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I use 60 % caco)

1/2 cup almonds, sliced

1/2 cups pecans, chopped

1/2 cups Heath Bar bits (these can be omitted, but they are soooo good!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg and honey and beat. Add cream cheese and vanilla and beat until well mixed and smooth.

In a separate bowl add flour, cinnamon, salt, rolled oats and rice krispies. Mix. Stir into the butter mixture.

Add dried fruit, chocolate chips, almonds and pecans.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Dump the granola mixture into the pan. With wet hands, press the granola mixture into the pan, pressing it firmly to compact it.

Sprinkle the Heath Bar bits over the top of the granola and press into it.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Cut into bars while warm. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. 

Granola bars may be frozen and re-thawed.

These are great as a snack and a light dessert too! I save the crumbs and use them to top yogurt!

YUMMY!


Remember to

TUTORIAL TIPS AND TIDBITS #24

It's beginning.... oh, who am I kidding! It has looked like Christmas in the blogishpere for a couple of weeks now!!! There are so many wonderful and creative holiday Tutorials... Tips... and Tidbits!

 But TTT is not just for seasonal projects... make sure you check out all the great creative entries...

Here are a few from last week...

Debbie at CONFESSION OF A PLATE ADDICT showed us how to make BEAUTIFUL SHEET MUSIC DECOR. Wouldn't you love to decorate your mantle with these?

Hot Chocolate and peppermiint, anyone!!! Oh we all love this! Jenn's  CANDY CANE HOT CHOCOLATE BAR was the most viewed entry last week! If you missed it you can visit Jenn at CLEAN AND SCENTSIBLE.

Look at this adorable SIX STEP FELTED WOOL PURSE  fromTraci at THREE DOGS AT HOME! Wouldn't this make a great Christmas gift?

This DEER SILHOUETTE DYI is just gorgeous and is surprisingly easy to make!!! Head over to Jennifer's at CITY FARMHOUSE to see how she did it!

Shirley at HOURSPILITY DESIGNS show us how to ENHANCE AN ISLAND with this small pretty table. I love her style!!!

Planning a dinner during the holidays? Look at these fabulous METALIC PLACE CARDS from Kelly at ECLECTICALLY VINTAGE.  These are on my to-do list!

Andrea at WILLOW WISP COTTAGE made some beautiful CHRISTMAS WOODLAND GIFT TAGS to put on her beautiful packages!!! Head on over to see her and get a link to these free printables.

  I thought this was such a cute idea. I have never sent a Christmas letter... but I thought  this YEAR IN REVIEW idea was adorable!!! A free template is my offering this week.

If you have been featured at TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS please grab a "Featured" button from my sidebar.

Now let's see what great TUTORIALS, TIPS AND TIDBITS  you have for us!

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A YEAR IN REVIEW CHRISTMAS LETTER AND TEMPLATE

I love the idea of a YEAR IN REVIEW... Here is what I am sending to long distance friends and family this year ( I have to proof read it again, sorry if you find a mistake or two or ten)..

 I first saw a YEAR IN REVIEW on Pinterest and thought it was the best idea! So much more interesting and creative to read than the ordinary Christmas letter...

My inspiration comes from MY 3 MONSTERS... Amy's template really helped me! If you want to use her template please, go to her site to copy it. Thanks!

I used a combination of my own digital imaging program and PicMonkey. 

I'm sharing the template in case you would like to use it too! Just copy it to your desktop, open it and add text.

Here are some other creative ideas for a YEAR IN REVIEW from Pinterest.

Remember, TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS goes live tonight at 8:00 pm!

Show up... show us... and show off your creative projects, great tips and any other little tidbit!

ARRANGING CHRISTMAS GREENS DYI

There is noting like fresh, live greens to bring the beauty and aroma of Christmas inside!

Fresh greens bring a very organic, natural, woodland look to Christmas decor.

It's easy to put together an arrangement and with a little work keep it looking beautiful and fresh until well after Christmas.

I'll show you how...

ON THE MENU MONDAY~ WEEK OF NOV. 26, 2012

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Here at StoneGable we are a couple pounds fatter and very very happy enjoying friends and family... but now almost everyone has gone home and it is quiet... maybe a little too quiet!

And I am back to eating healthy!

I've gotten many e-mails asking if I really eat what's on the StoneGable menu. Good question!!!


The easy answer is yes... most of the time! But like you, there are days I just don't feel like cooking... or we go out...  or have take-out... or something comes up. I am not a slave to my menu. It works for me not the other way around!!! It also helps that I love to cook and spend time in my kitchen.

I must also let you in on a little secret. I don't eat everything I prepare. I try to make balanced meals for Bobby and whoever is living with us at the time (we are talking hotel here). But I really try to stay away from a carb loaded diet. I have fibromyalgia (another little secret) and carbs can make me very achy. I do eat beans and legumes... but almost no white starches or white sugar.

Take Monday's menu for example. I'll eat the salmon and green beans but not the potatoes!  Staying away from a lot of carbs/starches/white sugar and choosing more protein makes me feel better and keeps food cravings away!

Bobby loves pasta so I make pasta often. I love it too... but if I eat pasta it will just be a very small portion. It took me a l-o-n-g time to figure out that eating pasta was not worth feeling like I had been run over by a truck!

Now you know!!! I'm so happy you asked!

Here's what's ON THE MENU....


MONDAY
APRICOT BALSAMIC GLAZED SALMON
ONION ROASTED POTATOES
ROASTED GREEN BEANS WITH CASHEWS


TUESDAY

TURKEY POT PIE WITH CRANBERRY PECAN PIE CURST

from HOME IS WHERE THE BOAT IS
SPINACH SALAD


WEDNESDAY~ SLOW COOKER DAY
SLOW COOKER CHILI
Rice
BUTTERMILK SWEET CORN BREAD





THURSDAY
Tri Color Ravioli in Marina Sauce
ROASTED PEAR SALAD

FRIDAY
TIPAPIA FISH TACOS
Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad

SATURDAY
STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS
Greek Salad

SUNDAY~ SOUP DAY
MINESTRONE SOUP
Crusty Bread

Here are some great recipes and menus from last week...

I eat eggs almost every morning for breakfast... Betty from MY COZY CORNER just gave me a simple and very delicate OMELETTE FROM MOUNT SAINT-MICHEL to add to my egg recipes. The French can cook eggs... and so can Betty!

If you love Boursin chhese you will love this recipe! Tracey at THE KITCHEN IS MY PLAYGROUND showed us how to make HOMEMADE BOURSIN CHEESE. What a perfect recipe for the holidays!!!

She also has a fabulous WHITE BEAN AND SAUSAGE SOUP I can't wait to try!

Have you ever heard of CHARLOTTE RUSSE? It's a what not a who! This is the most creamy custardy delight!!! You must run over to Laura's at STORYBOOK REALITY and check out this recipe... and maybe give it a try!

I have a foodie blog for you! It's Curt and Jessica's DANCING CARROTS.  They have a great recipe for CINNAMON SUGAR PITA CHIPS WITH FRUIT SALSA. This recipe is a keeper, for sure!

Anne, you must be reading my mind! I try to eat Salmon a few times a week. At least for one dinner a week. I love your ONE SALMON PORTION FOUR WAYS.  If salmon is a part of your diet you will want these recipes from DOMESBLISSITY!

I really think I can smell these unbelievable CHOCOLATE CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKES from StoneGable! Tieghan at HALF BAKED HARVEST shared this fabulous stack with us! Oh, yummy!

What a lovely recipe... WHITE CHICKEN CHILI! I'll be making this next week with leftover smoked turkey! This recipe and tempting photo are from Mimi at MIMI'S MAGIC APRON.

This week's featured menu comes from J-Lee at DOMESTIC ENGINEER EXTRAORDINAIRE.

She had a pumpkin baked oatmeal that is on my must-try list!!!

Here's hoping everyone has a Thanksgiving full of fun, family and lots and lots of fabulous food!!!

NOW WHAT'S ON YOUR MENU...

NOW WHAT'S ON YOUR MENU THIS WEEK...

 

Thanks, for joining us and sharing!

* Please link your post using your permalink

* Please link back to ON THE MENU MONDAY in the body of your post

* It would be so nice if you followed me!

* Please visit other OTMM participants

* Please link up only photographs that belong to you. 

*By participating, you are giving me permission to use your linked post and picture as a featured link in an upcoming ON THE MENU MONDAY.

FOODIE FRIDAY

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE~ NOV. 25, 2012

Isaiah 9:6 is one of those scriptures that is closely associated with Christmas.  It is a beautiful scripture... filled with the promise of an infant... a child... and a king!

But Isaiah 9:6 is more than just a scripture we read on the front of a Christmas card... it is rich in interesting history and heavy with strong imagery...

Isaiah 9:6 was written by a prophet of Israel when the young nation had been fractured in two by distentions and intrigues! The Northern Kingdom was ruled by a string of terrible ungodly kings and Ahaz (you know, Jezebel's husband) was reigning at the time of this beautiful prophesy! The date in history was about 725 BC.

Ahaz rejected God's hand of protection on Israel and instead turned to the very people that God had told them not to make an alliance with! Not only that, Ahaz led the people into idolatry and every kind of baseness... including infanticide! The people of Israel were in big, big trouble! God had tried for a very long time to woo them back to Him, but they turned away from Him in defiance!

During the time of Isaiah 9:6 God is pouring out his prophesy of judgement on the people of Israel.  Judgement, not because he is a mean God... but judgement as a way to make things hard enough on them that they would return to Him... and also as a just and forewarned punishment for their disobedience.

So right in the huge mess of  Israel's disobedience and God's horrific judgement... God stops... and utters words of promise and redemption and comfort!

I can just see it... God in his righteous wrath is telling the prophet what will happen to this terrible king and His disobedient people...God is making list after list of their wrongs and ways they had gone astray! He is on a roll!!!!  Dolling out judgments right and left... and... all of a sudden He stops... and takes a deep breath.  Love fills His face. His eyes are sad though, hurt by the rejection and sin of the people He loves so much...

He has such good news for His people... the people of judgement... He can't contain it. So right in the middle of this judgement prophesy God burst forth with the most incredibly wonderful news... news of a baby that will be born to them... a child, God's eternally existing Son that will He will give to them.  He tells them that the government will rest upon this baby... this given child's shoulders... an ancient sign of a king and kingdom! This baby...  this child will someday have rule over a government!

But, God was not sending just another king... this king would be anointed for the job (meaning of Messiah)!

  He would be a Wonderful Counselor... One so splendidly and utterly wise...able to perfectly direct the human race.

He would be Mighty God...a strong God. This is so interesting to note, that in ancient times everyone in the known world believed in a god. How people knew who was the best or the real god was by seeing who was the strongest god! A god who showed himself powerful was surely the true god! So God is letting His disobedient people know that this ruler would be THE true God himself!

He would be Eternal Father...these words in the original text literally say "forever father". It does not mean that this king is God the Father... but that he is a forever and ever king. It is an ancient term of great Hebraic poetic beauty... this king is described as as eternal father, showing His duration of forever and ever... His "without end" royal paternity!

He would be Prince of Peace... this is the most complex and rich phrase to describe this king. The word peace in Hebrew is Shalom... it is a word that encompasses such a deep and wide meaning. Shalom is the idea of "wholeness".  It is the idea of perfect rest, because we are whole and healthy in every single aspect of life. Who wouldn't be at peace in that state!

This king would be the royal mediator of perfect wholeness. And he would bring about the most important peace of all... peace between God and man! He would be the bridge to a perfect intimate and everlasting relationship of complete wholeness between His subjects and the true God!


So, in the end of this beautiful bible passage we see God in righteous judgement... literally taking a "time out" and pouring the extreme and lavish blessing of the good news like a balm over a hurting and disobedient people!

Did the news change the judgement of God?... No!

Did it turn the peoples hearts back to this God of perfect love?... No!

Did it give them a promise to cling on to?... Some maybe!

But here WE are two and a half centuries later... reading it on Christmas cards!  Why?

Because this news... this good new of a coming king still applies to us!

The king has come as a baby... the son of Mary. He has come as the Son of God given by the Father.  He has come and made a way for us to be eternally at Peace with God through the His death on the cross. He is the anointed king who will have a forever kingdom!

I hope this "Christmas" verse is more meaningful to you... more of a reason for true worship... more of a picture of the Author of Christmas... the Lord Jesus... the coming KING!

CHRISTMAS COMES TO STONEGABLE~ THE BLOG!

Christmas begins at StoneGable... the blog... with my new Christmas header!

Many people ask how I create my seasonal blog headers. Here is how I create my images...

example of a "work in progress"~ wreath and snow created using picmonkey

Let me first say that I work with a fabulous blog designer, Julie from BLOGGER BOUTIQUE. I'm not a techie so I need a little help. Make sure to see the special offer from Julie at the end of this post.

To create this Christmas header I used pictures from my own stash and edited them with an old old program  called MICROSOFT DIGITAL IMAGING. A "chalk" filter was applied to each image.

If you don't have a digital imaging program you should check out PICMONKEY. I'm amazed how well this free, no registration, on-line editor works!  PicMonkey has some great new winter effects! Even if you are not a blogger this program is amazing for photos and scrapbooks!


Here is a before photo I took of Father Christmas in Williamsburg last year...

And here it is edited and the filter applied for the header...  I love that soft smuggy look!

Here is the wreath I used in my header... again, Christmas in Williamsburg...

And here it is edited and the chalk filter applied...

I will be working on my sidebar too... adding Holiday posts and images.  Keep an eye out for the changes!

Julie, my fabulous blog designer, is offering StoneGable readers a 25% discount on all blog designs (not on  singular add-on services).

Just go to BLOGGER BOUTIQUE and type in StoneGable25 when you contact her. The offer is good until December 31, 2012.

This would make a great Christmas gift for you from someone who is having a hard time knowing what to get you!!!! Sounds like the perfect gift to me!

I hope you find Christmas cheer, here at StoneGable, all holiday season long!

A NEW ARRIVAL

Look what showed up on my doorstep on Wednesday afternoon!

Finally... our new Pottery Barn Comfort sofa!

I thought you would like a little look...

TUTORIAL TIPS AND TIDBITS #23

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! 

I am so thankful for all of my blogging friends and dear readers! Thanks for your kind words and support! I wish everyone a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

Here are some great posts from last week...

THANKSGIVING PIES

I was a busy girl yesterday... baking pies for Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin and Pecan...

Here's a peek and some recipes...and some helpful tips...

The pie dough I use comes from Martha Stewart. Her Pate' Brisee is one I have used for years... and it is the best, really! So easy, flaky and it hold up well!

Let's get started making delicious pies...

THIS IS NOT A CHRISTMAS MANTLE!

To the untrained eye (wink, wink) this mantle may appear to be a Christmas mantle... but...

IT IS NOT... oh, no...no...no!

This is my THANKSGIVING mantle.  Both Thanksgiving and Christmas have shared custody of pinecones!

This mantle... this THANKSGIVING mantle... with just a few tweaks and tiny changes of green,  will easily transform into my Christmas mantle this weekend...

But for now... it is all about Thanksgiving...

The pumpkins that nested on my mantle all fall were beginning to get a little soft around the edges... so they got tossed and replaced with mercury glass, silver and pinecones... THANKSGIVING mercury glass, silver and pinecones!

Some of the pinecones are really candles from Pottery Barn... but they won't be lit until Christmas Eve... when the mantle will be decked in Christmas pinecones!

Pinecones and silver are a pair made for eachother... rustic and luxe!

Votives in mercury glass candle holders and white lanterns make puddles of soft golden light on the mantle.

Next week I'll show you my Christmas mantle!

Don't forget to join me for TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS... linky goes live at 8:00 PM.

Come show up and show off what creative things you are doing!!!