Vanilla Almond Granola

2 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch salt
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 Tbs vanilla extract

I preheated the oven to 300F and lined a baking sheet with my silicone baking mat.

Then in a bowl I put the oats, almonds, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well. Measure and mix the maple syrup, coconut oil, almond extract and vanilla in to a separate bowl and pour over the dry oat mixture. Make sure all the oats are coated well and moistened.

Using a spatula spread the mixture onto the prepared pan and put into the oven, stirring every 15 minutes for 45 minutes. The granola should cool completely before you put it into a container.

It will keep in the cupboard up to 3 weeks or the freezer up to 3 months. Enjoy.

This came from Sally's baking addiction.

Chili with Roast Beef Chunks

2 cans pinto or kidney beans (4 cups cooked beans if you use dry beans)
2- 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes (1 quart)
1 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
1-12 oz. can roast beef chunks
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 Tbsp. chili powder

Combine ingredients and simmer for 1-2 hours to blend flavors (or 4-6 hours in crock pot). Serves 4

Candy Chippers

A minty chocolate chip cookie warm from the oven and the smell of baking is a memory I have of these Christmas Cookies. I usually make a variety of cookies and put them on a plate.

1/2  cup shortening
1/4  cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp Salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy

Cream together shortening and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Sift flour, salt and soda, add add and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts and peppermint candy. Drop by teaspoonfuls on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 375 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly then remove from pan.

Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses

Cream the first three ingredients together. Add and cream together:

1 egg

Then add:

2 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon

Form into balls and roll in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Ginger Creams

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
2 cups flour
1 tsp. Ginger
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Vanilla Butter Frosting

Mix sugar, shortening, egg, molasses and water. Stir in remaining ingredients except frosting. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until almost no indentation remains when touched, about 8 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool, frost with Vanilla Butter Frosting.

Vanilla Butter Frosting

1/4 cup margarine or Butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
About 1 TBS milk

Mix margarine and powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla and milk until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Raspberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam

6 cups rhubarb, finely chopped
1cup raspberries
4 cups sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 3 oz. pkg. raspberry Jello

Mix rhubarb, raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan. Stir on low heat until juice forms,  then heat to boiling. When the mixture is at full boil, cook for 15 minutes.Then dissolve gelatin into mixture.

Put into hot jars that have been washed in soapy water and then rinsed. Seal with lid and ring, then cool and place into freezer.

You can also make this with strawberries by substituting strawberries for the raspberries and strawberry gelatin for the raspberry gelatin.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

1 cup margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBS powdered sugar
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup chopped nuts
Powdered sugar to roll cookies in, at least 1 cup

Mix margarine, vanilla and water together, add 2 Tbs powdered sugar, flour and nuts. Mix thoroughly. Roll dough into oblongs. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet, 300 degree until lightly browned.  Roll immediately, while still hot in powdered sugar.