Archives for February 2015

Valentine’s Day Granola Cookies

GranolaCookies

I’m a pretty big fan of granola. Are you? 

I bet you didn’t know that nothing says Happy Valentine’s Day more than granola.

It’s true.

When you make these Valentine’s Day Granola Cookies, it’s like a big old gigantic bear hug of Valentine’s Day goodness. For one because you can make them into cute and adorable little hearts. And for two because you’ll make them healthier for your favorite Valentine.

Granola Cookies 1

These tasty cookies are made using better for you ingredients, so you can feel good about making these for your Valentine.

I recently read a research study that showed that corn oil is better at lowering cholesterol than extra virgin olive oil! You learn something new every day!

I like to use Mazola® Corn Oil because it has a neutral flavor and lets the other flavors in my cooking and baking stand out. Mazola® Corn Oil made a great addition to the granola cookies that I made. I’ve also used to it to make breaded chicken and stir-fry. 

Granola Cookies 2

I have a special tip for you. Happy Valentine’s Day from me. I love you. Yes, I do! I can’t take all the credit for it. I saw this on Rachael Ray recently and thought it was genius so I had to share. 

Sticky stuff like honey is so hard to measure out and then get out of the measuring cup. You lose some as you pour it out because it sticks. I never feel like I get all the honey out. Here’s a tip:

  • Put plastic wrap into your measuring cup
  • Fill with desired honey (or sticky substance like corn syrup)
  • Bunch at the top.
  • Snip off a small hole and squeeze out every last drop.
  • Throw away plastic wrap and have a CLEAN measuring cup with no honey lost in the process! 


Granola Cookies 4Granola Cookies 5Granola Cookies 6

 

Genius, right? LIFE-changing!

Granola Cookies 7

The Mazola® Corn Oil does a great job holding all my wet ingredients together. The egg whites and honey kinda want to go off and do their own gloppy goo mess, but the oil man. It keeps the harmony.

Granola Cookies 8

I will not lie to you, Valentine. I did eat from this very spoon.

Granola Cookies 9

Here is yet another genius idea. I KNOW! I really, really love you.

Put a cookie cutter on parchment paper (that’s on a cookie sheet). Spray it with a taddy bit of cooking spray to keep from sticking. Then spoon in your granola and pat down. Remove your cookie cutter and you have your heart-shaped cookie. 

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I was so happy with how they turned out. I was going for a cookie-like texture and not a granola bar and this was exactly what I got!

Granola Cookies 11

I’ll be making these often. I love how versatile they are. You can add in raisins or nuts or whatever you’d like. I added a few chocolate chips to these and red sprinkles on top to be festive. You can certainly leave them out to keep them better for you.

Check out more research facts about the benefits of Corn Oil and be sure to check out Mazola®, too!

Valentine's Day Granola Cookies
Yields 15
Skip the chocolate and try these better for you granola cookies instead!
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Ingredients
  1. 2 and 1/2 c old fashioned oats
  2. 1 c crisp rice cereal
  3. 1/2 Mazola® Corn Oil
  4. 1/4 pure honey
  5. 2 egg whites
  6. 2 tsp vanilla extract
  7. 1/4 c chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Mix together oats, cereal, and chocolate chips.
  3. Wisk together oil, honey, egg whites, and vanilla.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
  5. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Place greased cookie cutter on parchment paper and scoop in granola. Flatten and remove. Repeat until all granola is used.
  7. Bake 15 minutes or until sides begin to brown.
Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filing Cabinet Makeover

Filing

I think it’s safe to say that most filing cabinets are pretty boring. They just don’t offer them in a plethora of prints or colors. The office supply store isn’t really concerned whether our filing cabinet matches our aqua theme or not. Well, all I can say is how dare they!

It gave me a little DIY project to sink to teeth into. 

I purchased a massive tanker desk at a thrift store recently. I knew it needed a friend.

A filing cabinet friend. 

I thought what better way to practice my metal object furniture redoing, than with a filing cabinet.

Before

I guess it’s a good thing that I had this old black/ugly filing cabinet hanging around.

Confession: I had to YouTube how to remove the drawers. Leave it to me to have a filing cabinet with drawers that didn’t remove the same as most.

Spray Paint

My weapons of choice for this Filing Cabinet Makeover.

I knew I needed to prime this sucker so the paint would stick to the metal. Walmart’s Krylon has always been good to me in the past. It’s cheap too, so Krylon it is!

Gift Bags as drop cloths

I started by wiping the filing cabinet down with a damp cloth. You know, to get the cooties off. 

Then I went into my garage where the temperature was twelve below zero. Not really, but it felt that way. Because my DIY projects can’t wait until the summer. Noooo. I have to do them when it’s frigid and I can barely hold a can of spray paint because my fingers are trying to fall off because of frost bite.

Next, I perused my garage for something to use as a drop cloth.

Of course! The Christmas gift bags that we received that were larger than life! I’ll cut them and place them underneath. 

Bad idea. Don’t recommend it.

I primed the whole thing and then let it dry for an hour and a half. Then went back and sprayed on the aqua-ness.

Filing Cabinet Makeover 1

I used my Silhouette Portrait machine (which I’m obsessed with) to cut out these cute little flowers. Then I painted them onto the filing cabinet in a few random places.

Filing Cabinet Makeover 2

I think they added a nice little touch!

Filing Cabinet Makeover 3

And then BAM! Mr. Filing Cabinet became Mr. Awesome Filing Cabinet!

Filing

It goes really well with my DIY Tanker Desk Makeover. I can’t wait to show that to you!

Stay cool Mr. Awesome Filing Cabinet.

You are way too cool for school.


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