Easy Sweet Potato Casserole

Mrs. Cullum shared with me her recipe for easy but delicious Sweet Potato Casserole.  I have made this myself and have to come to really like it especially during the Thanksgiving and Christmas Season.

Ingredients:
1. A large can of sweet potatoes.
2. Sugar (1 cup)
3. Pure Vanilla Extract (1 tsp)
4. Milk (1/3 cup)
5. Butter (melted, 1 stick - oh boy!)
6. Brown sugar (1 cup)
7. Flour (1/3 cup)
8. An extra 1/3 cup of melted butter
9. Pecans (1 cup)

Directions:
Mash together in a big bowl ingredients 1-5.  Do drain the large can of sweet potatoes of liquid.  While you may substitute sugar with Splenda, you must use Pure Vanilla extract (the imitation version is an abomination).  Mash until smooth.  Put in greased 2 quart casserole dish.  In a separate bowl combine ingredients 6-9 (toss with a fork).  Place the seasoned Pecans on top of the potatoes and bake for 30 min.  in a 350 degree oven.

Eat with:
1. Whip cream.

RGeiselman's Home Made Granola

R stands for Robin.  Ms. Robin's Granola Bar was so delicious, I begged her to give me this recipe to share.  She obliged, and now you too can enjoy a delicious taste of home made granola bars.  SO, if you try this out and it is all that and a bag of chips, remember to thank the good Lord (as Isaac Newton said, for filling this earth with food) and Mrs. Geiselman.

Ingredients:

As with baking you normally would have your dry and wet ingredients, I will start with the dry first:

6 cups of Quaker oats (not the instant kind)
2 cups of chopped almonds
1/4 to 1/2 cup pf ground flax seed
1 cup of brown sugar (Raw sugar can also be used instead)
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
[Mix it all up]

Wet ingredients:

1 cup of Canola oil (or olive oil) [FYI, Canola has no smell or flavor in comparison]
1 cup of honey
2 teaspoons of real vanilla flavoring.
[Mix it all up]

Then pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones and mix well, making sure all oats are evenly coated.

Directions:
Heat up the over (325 degrees F). Get a jellyroll pan and cover it with parchment paper, making sure the parchment rides up and over the sides of the pan. This will help when removing the finished product.  Dump the mixture onto the pan. Spread out and flatten or compress the mixture firmly until the mixture is firmly pressed down.  It goes in the over for 30 min.  Remove from the overn and let it cool.  After about 20 min. using a knife cut lines to form individual bars.  It if wants to come apart, stop, wait 10 more min., and try again.  Wait 1 hour (I know, don't roll your eyes on me) and lift the entire product by parchment onto a cooling rack.  Wait until room temp.  When it has cooled down you can beak it by the scores.

Eat with:
Satisfaction and a nice tall glass of Diet Coke (for sure!).