Almond Gravy Plus

We usually like our gravy over biscuits, but it's also delicious over mashed potatoes, gluten "steaks," cooked brown rice (a family favorite), and... cantaloupe!! I made a large amount of this and used the rest with cooked frozen mixed vegetables and chopped potatoes and some chopped Boca Chicken patties in a store-bought pie crust for a delicious pot pie. :-)

Almond Gravy Plus*

½ cup Almonds, slivered
1 cup unbleached flour
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups water
½ cup scrambled tofu, "Sausage" Crumbles, TVP, etc., or your favorite breakfast protein!

1. Blend almonds in 2 cups of the (hot) water until very smooth. Add remaining water, flour and salt and blend.

2. Bring mixture to a boil and then lower heat to medium, stirring frequently. Add your favorite breakfast veggie meat in (1/2 - 1 cup) and heat through.

3. Enjoy over biscuits, or as my Papa loves, over cantaloupe! :-)

*I call it gravy plus because you can add whatever veggie meat or tofu you like. It's quite versatile.

Carob Bars - You Asked For It!

Here is a yummy variation on a recipe I got from a friend, Linda F. The addition of the paraffin (which is how they do the chocolate covered bananas or my old favorite, Dairy Queen butterscotch dipped cones!) makes it stay firmer. This can be purchased in the canning section of your favorite grocery store.

Carob Bars

1 cup carob powder
⅓ cup powdered sugar
1 ⅓ cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 tablespoons Roma
3 tablespoons paraffin, shaved into curls
 
This recipe works great for coating things like ice cream sandwiches or nuts for trail mix, but works best when you first make it. Carob tends to not remelt very nicely.

1. Blend dry ingredients until very smooth.

2. Melt coconut oil and paraffin wax on the stovetop. When it's liquid, remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

3. Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper or parchment paper and spread mixture smoothly over it.

4. Allow to cool and harden (freezing to speed this process is fine). Break into chunks and use as you would candy bars (s'mores, chips in cookies, etc.).

No Bake Granola Bars - Yum!

My apologies for being gone for so long!! Thank you for your patience. I am now officially a nurse... waiting (im)patiently to take my state boards to officially be an "RN." I'm actually really looking forward to the test. Graduation was great - so many people came to support me for my graduation and/or pinning and many other sent blessings on facebook, or phone calls or cards. So thankful!


I've been interviewing at several hospitals in the area and am praying for 1. them to hurry up and not be so slow moving (lol) and 2. that we will have wisdom to choose the best job for my career and my family. Such fun times! :-)

Tomorrow we are going to camp meeting in TN for the day and I am looking forward to it. I tried to make a special and delicious meal and one thing I wanted was a new granola bar recipe. These definitely fit the bill of what I was craving. I just love it when I "score" with all 4 "boys" and me!

No Bake Granola Bars

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup crisp rice cereal
½ cup raisins
½ cup slivered almonds
⅓ cup shredded coconut
⅓ cup peanut butter
½ cup sugar
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon vanilla
¾ cup carob chips, I used chunks (my own homemade - so much cheaper!)

1. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with wax paper.

2. Mix oats and crisp rice cereal, raisins, almonds, carob chunks and coconut together in a large bowl.

3. Boil peanut butter, honey, sugar and vanilla together, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.

4. Mix all together thoroughly and press tightly into the 9 inch baking pan. Allow to cool completely and use the wax paper to pop bars out onto a cutting surface. Cut into 12 bars and enjoy!