Homemade Date Bars

So I had some dates in the pantry from a Morrocan dish I made recently and I was looking for a way to use them in something else. 

At first I thought I'd probably find bread of some kind but as I started looking through recipes I kept seeing different versions of date bars and they sounded like a winner.

This is my version of them and we thought they turned out really well. It's a little something different from our usual but it was very yummy and I felt it could be classified with some good nutritional value since it had fruit in it! :)

I realized I didn't take any photos of the finished product, but I got a couple of the assembly.

 Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter softened

1/2 lb pitted dates, diced

1 cup water

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp almond extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl combine oats, flour, salt, baking soda and 3/4 cup brown sugar. Then mix in butter until crumbly.

Press half or a little more of the mixture into the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch square pan and bake for about 10-15 minutes (until starting to brown around edges).

In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the diced dates (I used kitchen scissors to cut them up - much easier than chopping!), water and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened.

Stir in almond extract (you can use lemon juice if you prefer or don't have almond extract) and remove from heat.

Spread filling over baked crumb mixture base.

Spreading the date mixture in the middle

Then sprinkle remaining crumb mixture all of the top and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until top is lightly toasted. Cool before cutting.

Happy Baking!

What's Up Wednesday 7/26/17

Hard to believe it's the end of July already! What happened?!

I'm joining the What's Up Wednesday link up today with Mix and Match Mama, The Larson Lingo and Sheaffer Told Me To.

1. What we’re eating this week
Trying to eat healthier. Monday I had a meeting where we ordered in so I had a yummy berry salad with chicken.
Tuesday we had baked chicken with couscous and green peas.
The rest of the week will probably include beef and turkey, some guacamole and other random items.

2. What I’m reminiscing about

Trips to the beach. Trips anywhere really. I am dreaming about a vacation right now. We're about to be pet sitting for family members going on vacation and I could just about cry because we aren't going too.

3. What I’m loving

Just loving life. Enjoying some swimming and other fun summer activity.

4. What we’ve been up to

We've done a little more work on the land. I have stacked logs with the Bobcat all by myself. This was my first pile.

I was very proud of my amateur self.

We've also been trying to fight bugs off the trees that have been cut, but it's challenging since we don't have a way to mill them right away, or a kiln to dry them in.

You hear the most annoying little sucking and clicking sounds of the bugs just eating away. We really want to be able to save the wood for use down the road but how do you keep the annoying critters from eating all through them after you cut them?

Anyone know? We could use some help!

5. What I’m dreading

Work. Honestly these days it is a dread, even more so than usual. I'm really looking in earnest to find some ways to work from home and be able to replace at least a good portion of the income from my current job so that I can be a little less miserable in life and actually be the home maker I want to be. 

6. What I’m working on
Still working on finding a new, reliable, legitimate source of income that doesn't make me a grumpy person all week long. ;) 

7. What I’m excited about
Lots of things. Too many to share today but sometime soon maybe. ;)

8. What I’m watching/reading
I'm about to start reading the balance of Grace and faith. Reading my Bible as always.

9. What I'm listening to

Lately worship music has been my go to. I need it.

10. What I'm wearing

Shorts and t-shirts when I'm not at work.

11. What I'm doing this weekend.

Pet and house sitting. Maybe some work on the land. House planning.

12. What I'm looking forward to next month
A vacation hopefully!

13. What else is new?
Lots of work related stuff.

Bonus Question: 
What's your favorite thing about summer?
The longer days. Love having more daylight to enjoy the outdoors. Swimming and all kinds of fun activities.

Friday Favorites 7/21/17

Friday is here. YAY!

I'm sharing my Friday favorites with A Little Bit of Everything, Momfessionals and Grace and Love blog.

1. It's the weekend. Need I say more? It's been such a long week and I'm ready for some time to not be at work. Amen.

2. This little cutie found a great home.

I was sad she had to go but very thankful she is going to a loving family.

3. This face occasionally greeting me when I get home from work and all I want to do is crawl under a rock.

It's not a great photo because she doesn't like to pose, but she will literally just about climb in my lap before I can get out of the car because she is happy to see me. And she isn't even my dog, she belongs to the neighbors. 

It does a heart good to have such a happy, loving greeting to come home to from time to time though. :)

4. This dish. I used it to make my homemade chicken pot pie in last week and it just makes me happy.

It's so pretty and feminine and it just makes dinner more fun! I need to make a dessert in it soon. That would definitely be fun. YUM!

Happy Friday!

Easy Homemade Cream Soup Substitute

I am not a fan of the canned cream soups. Never have been.

I always felt when I was growing up like the casseroles and things made with them just had too clumpy and gross of a texture.

I've also become more conscious of what we eat over the years when it comes to processed foods.

So these two facts led me to search for an easy way to substitute for cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup in recipes. There are so many great recipes that use them and I needed an easy go to way to make it from scratch.

I've tried a few different ways I feel like, but this one is super simple, doesn't take long, and I've been very pleased with the result.

I use it in my chicken pot pie and any other recipes that call for cream of chicken or mushroom soup and it works beautifully! 

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1/2 cup chicken broth (you could use other broth too)

1/2 cup milk (I use either 2% or whole)

1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
In a small skillet or sauce pan heat the butter until melted over medium heat

Sprinkle the flour over butter 1 tbsp at a time whisking each until smooth

Whisk and cook a couple of minutes until thick, bubbly, and starting to brown

Slowly add the broth and then the milk continuously whisking until smooth

Add salt and pepper and continue cooking until thick and bubbly and desired consistency is reached

Friday Favorites 7/7/17

I am so glad it is Friday! Even though this was technically a short week, it felt so long.

I'm sharing my Friday favorites with A Little Bit of Everything, Momfessionals and Grace and Love blog.

My favorites this week:

1. A short work week. Even though it felt long. It was great to spend a little time with our families for the holiday and celebrate our freedom.

2. Our recent trips to the beach. They were a little tiring and not exactly vacation since work was involved, but when you get to enjoy this view and a little bit of beach time I call it a good day.

3. This sweet little thing showed up at my parents house on Monday.

None of us can keep it due to allergies, living arrangements, etc but we are trying to find it a really good home.

I'm enjoying loving on it a little while we look though.

4. This yummy carrot cake.

I need to make another one soon. There has to be a good excuse coming up for something.

5. Clearance sales! On the way home from the beach we stopped at the outlets. I didn't except to buy anything but found a couple of deals and ended up going for it.

My sister has raved about the Vera Bradley travel bags and not only were they 50% off but then another 30% on top of that. So I purchased one with travel compartments. Now I need to plan a trip so I can test it out.

The other purchase was after years of buying cheap purses and replacing them with more cheap purses when they fall apart and I've squeezed every last drop of life it off them and then some. I wandered in the Coach store just for kicks because my sister has talked about them a lot.

The whole store was 50% off with another 50% off coupon they were handing out.

I still didn't expect to find anything, but meandered back to the clearance section and found a nice deal.

I still left the store and only came back after thinking about it, but I decided to give it a try and see if it really is worth it.

I have NEVER been a brand name person so these two purchases were out of my comfort zone, but she swears the quality makes a difference so we will see! And since they were really good deals I feel pretty good about them and I'm hoping they will last a long time!

Hope everyone had a great Independence Day and has a great weekend!

Rose Petal Keepsake

I am a sentimental person. I admit it.

I have a much harder time throwing away something if someone I love gave it to me. 

I love getting flowers but I'd rather not most of the time because then they die and it makes me sad to have to throw them away. My sweet hubby knows this. He tends to not buy me flowers too often but when he does I want to keep something from them.

I have dried flowers before but then I never know exactly what to do with them.

Several years ago I came up with a solution.

I've always taken a photo of the flowers when they are fresh and beautiful, but then I came up with this way of keeping something from them that didn't take up much space and was easy to do.

I take a petal or two from the flowers and dry that. Then I take a small strip of paper with the date and occasion written on it and curl it up.

Then I place the dried petals and the curled paper into this cute little glass heart container I got at a craft store.

It's a cute and sweet display and it doesn't take up much room at all and every time I pass by it I think about the sweet memories those petals represent.

Granny's Carrot Cake

For one of our many recent birthday parties my mom asked me if I would make a carrot cake. One of the birthday people is not eating chocolate right now and they both really like carrot cake so it seemed like the perfect choice.

In my family I am known as the only one who can make my grandmother's carrot cake successfully. My mom and sister have both tried and their cakes have either exploded or imploded. I'm not sure exactly how or why but if someone wants a carrot cake, they ask me to make it.

It's really a simple recipe though so they both want to try it again and you should try it too!

First I greased two 9" round cake pans.

Then I cut wax paper to line the bottom of each one. Greasing the pan first caused it to adhere very easily to the bottom of the pan. 

 Then I greased and floured the bottom (which was now covered in wax paper) and the sides of each pan.  

After that it was time to make the batter.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.

Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack in pan. 

Then invert the cake to remove from pan and gently remove the wax paper. Then I turned them right side up again to finish cooling.

After cooling completely I then put my cakes in the freezer for about a half an hour to make frosting them easier and reduce the crumbs. I mixed up the frosting while they were chilling.

Once I was ready to frost I used two pieces of wax paper placed underneath the bottom layer on the cake plate while frosting. Then once you are done, you just gently pull out those pieces and you have a nice clean cake plate!

First frost the top and sides of bottom layer followed by top and sides of top layer. 

Store in fridge after frosting but pull it out to come to room temperature prior to serving. Or eat it cold if that's your thing!

 Once it was done I decorated it with some store bought candy and candles since it was for a birthday celebration. As you can see one of our honorees was turning 40, but I won't tell which one it was. :)

Oh so yummy!

Ingredients

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil (Granny's recipe specifically says Wesson which makes me smile, I use whatever I have)
4 eggs
2 cups grated carrots

For icing:

1 stick butter

8 oz cream cheese, very softened
1 box confectioners sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup broken nuts (optional)

Directions
Grease and flour two round 8 or 9" cake pans
Line bottom of pans with wax paper
Grease and flour the now wax paper lined cake pans
Mix first 5 ingredients together
Add oil
Add eggs one at a time
Beat well
Fold in grated carrots, mix well
Divide batter evenly between pans, smooth tops with spatula if desired
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack

Directions for frosting
Cream together cream cheese and butter

Mix in confectioners sugar a little at a time being careful to not send white poufs of sugar all over your kitchen. Not that I've ever done that or anything

Mix in vanilla

Fold in nuts if desired