Oat and Jam Bars

1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fruit jam (strawberry, blackberry, apricot, etc.)

Cream butter and sugar. Combine flour, oats, baking powder and salt separately. Add to butter/sugar mixture and mix well. Measure out 2 cups of mixture and press into an 8x8" pan. Spread jam over pressed mixture then gently press remaining crumbs on top. Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Allow to completely cool before cutting and serving.

Excellent Blueberry Muffins

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar plus 5T for topping
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup applesauce)
1 t grated orange zest
1 cup fresh or frozen bluberries

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt)
3. In separate bowl whisk together wet ingredients (milk, eggs, oil, and orange zest)
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Gently fold in blueberries.
6. Fill muffin tin with batter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Apple Dumplings

These were posted on The Pioneer Woman website and I tried them a few weeks ago. I can't even describe in words how delicious they were. I took them to our family Easter dinner and the whole pan was gone in a matter of minutes!

Ingredients:

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew (*I didn't have Mountain Dew, nor do I really like the flavor of it, so I used 1/2 a can of Ginger Ale and thought it was great!)

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Banana Shake

2 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
2 cups nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 T honey
a handful of ice

Process all ingredients in blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Parley P. Platt's Perky Peach Pie

I know, the name is lame. My dad came up with it a LONG time ago. But the pie is delish and one of few fresh pie recipes I know of that doesn't call for gelatin. Plus it's super easy and the perfect summer dessert!

9-inch Baked Pie Shell
5 cups sliced fresh peaches
Acsorbic acid (use according to directions) - for discoloration
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 package cream cheese, softened

Bake pie shell. Mash enough peaches to measure one cup (about 1 1/2 medium ones). Mix sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir in water and fruit gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil and stir 1 minute; cool.

Beat cream cheese until smooth; spread on bottom of pie shell (to prevent crust from becoming soggy). Fill shell with remaining peaches; pour cooked peach mixture over top. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Alternatives:
Strawberry Pie: Use 6 1/2 cups strawberries in place of peaches.
Raspberry Pie: Use 6 1/2 cups raspberries in place of peaches.

Coconut Mango Chicken

Another Rachael Ray creation I tried tonight. It was yum-0!

Ingredients:
1 T vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into strips
2 t ground coriander
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used frozen mango that was already peeled and chopped)
salt and pepper
Two 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed (I only used one since we have a small family)
2 T fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped mint (I just used about a teaspoon of dried mint)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the coriander and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to a plate. Add the coconut milk to the skillet, increase the heat and boil to reduce by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mango and cook until warmed through. Return the chicken to the skillet, toss and remove from the heat; season with salt and pepper.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, simmer the black beans over low heat. Stir in the lime juice and 3 Tablespoons of mint.
*I had leftover rice that I just through in with the black beans to reheat. It turned out good!

3. Divide the beans among 4 plates. Top with the chicken and remaining mint.

Banana Sushi (Rachael Ray)

Ingredients
* 4 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed
* 2 bananas, peeled and ends trimmed
* 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, apple butter or Nutella, whichever you prefer or have on hand

Preparation
1. Lay two slices of bread on the counter next to each other, slightly overlapping one over the other to create one big, rectangular piece. Press the slices together at the seam and use a rolling pin to gently flatten them.
2. Gently spread your favorite spread evenly over both of the bread pieces and lay a whole banana in the middle. Carefully roll up the bread around the banana.
3. Slice each log into six pieces that are 1-1 1/2-inches thick. Repeat with the remaining bread slices, spread and banana and serve.

Fruit Kabobs

Ingredients
Various fruits you can stick on a skewer (strawberries, grapes, bananas, apples, mandarin oranges, pineapple, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, etc.)
Flavored yogurt

Preparation
1. Cut fruit into bite size pieces then stick them on skewers.
2. Serve with yogurt for dipping.

Fruit Pizza

Ingredients

• Pita Bread
• 1 (8 oz) pkg. Cream Cheese
• 32 oz. Marshmallow Fluff
• Variety of sliced fruits (i.e. strawberries, melon, blueberries or pineapple or whatever you like)

Preparation
1. Place the cream cheese and the marshmallow fluff in a mixing bowl and blend with a mixer until smooth.
2. Next cut the pita bread in half lengthwise so the inside of the bread becomes the pizza "crust.”
3. Then spread the cream cheese/fluff mixture evenly over the top of the pizza.
4. Then top pizza with whatever fruit you like.

Frozen Bananas

Ingredients

• Bananas
• Honey
• Granola, Nuts, or Sprinkles
• Plastic Wrap
• Popsicle Sticks

Preparation
1. Peel the bananas and then cut them in half cross-ways.
2. Insert a popsicle stick in one end of each banana half.
3. Place the honey and the granola/nuts/sprinkles on separate shallow plates...
...then roll the banana halves in the honey...
...then in the granola/nuts/sprinkles.
4. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and place in the freezer until well-frozen. And enjoy!

Yummy Easy Fruit Dip

I found this on allrecipes.com and chose it because I had the ingredients on hand. Who knew it would be so yummy!

1 C brown sugar
1/4 C butter (original recipe called for 1/2, but I thought it turned out great with less)
1 C sour cream
3 t vanilla

In small pan melt butter and sugar together till all the sugar is moist. In medium bowl mix together sour cream, sugar mixture, and vanilla. Can serve warm or chilled.

I served it with various berries, but it would also be great on apples and pears, or anything, really.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

My mom found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and made it last Sunday, it was FABULOUS! I couldn't stop eating it!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
• 8 ounces raspberries
• 1 pound strawberries
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
• 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• butter flavored cooking spray
• 2 cups cinnamon sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit and spice mixture.