That was fun!

The Ultimate Blog Party ends today and the giveaways will be awarded soon. It was lots of fun browsing through the almost 2000 (!!!) blogs that joined in! Thanks to those of you who stopped by EFYP this week from the UBO2010 - hope you stick around! Thought I'd give a shout-out to those of you who commented - everyone give them some love and visit their blogs! :)

Safe Home Happy Mom

Coupon Cookin'

Fields of Heather

Ramblings of a Wannabe Writer

The Groschen Goblins

Debt Princess

The Coupon "High"

Coupon Teacher

Mommas Gone Over the Wall

Secrets of a Southern Kitchen

Healthy Moms

Frugal Students

Chi-Annie: At the Table

Thanks again and see you next year! :D

Coconut Sweet Potato Pie

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I hardly ever follow directions exactly. This was an exception! And so delicious that I made it *twice* in the first 3 weeks after having Cora! This recipe is from Mothering Magazine - enjoy!!!

Coconut Sweet Potato Pie

Crust:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
water if necessary

Filling:
3 cups mashed, cooked sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
Topping:
1 tablespoon unsweetened, shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place oats, walnuts, and coconut in food processor with metal blade. Grind until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add butter or coconut oil and pulse until combined. Add maple syrup and pulse to mix. Test dough by squeezing a small amount together. If it doesn't hold together, mix in water until it holds. Press dough into 8 or 9-inch pie pan.

Place sweet potatoes, eggs, coconut milk, and sweetener in food processor. Puree until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake about 45 minutes, or until edges are golden. Cool at least 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or cold.

Note: Dairy, soy, or rice milk can be substituted for coconut milk in filling if desired. Also, if you don't like coconut, this pie is still delicious with all the coconut omitted.

Make it Yourself Monday: Granola Bars

Welcome new readers and old friends! My goal on Make it Yourself Mondays is to encourage you to branch out and try to make from scratch some of the things you usually buy from the store. This often saves money, and it's always fun! Please link up the things you've been "making yourself" recently at the bottom of this post. :)

I try to make as many of the snacks my husband takes to work as possible. He always has either leftovers or a sandwich, fruit, and some kind of goodie. Sometimes it's crackers and hummus, or a small bag of almonds, but I usually try to pack him something special (aka sweet). This is an awesome alternative to buying expensive granola bars from the store that have who-knows-what in them! Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa's recipe at the Food Network.

Homemade Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup sliced/chopped almonds

1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed

1/2 cup ground flax seed

3 tablespoons salted butter

2/3 cup honey

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter an 8x12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Place the butter, honey, and vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the oatmeal mixture. Add the cranberries and raisins and stir well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting. Makes 12-16 bars.

Notes: you can add some brown sugar or sucanat if you think you'll want it sweeter - I thought it was perfect without it. Also, I don't like the way raisins taste after they've been baked, so next time I'll probably use the apricots or dates the original recipe calls for. And more coconut! Always more! :)

Chicken Fried Rice

A friend treated me to a stir fry the other day that got me craving fried rice so I made a batch and thought I'd share! This is one of my husbands favorite meals and it is definitely comfort food for me!

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked brown rice

1-2 cooked chicken breasts, diced

2 cups veggies, diced (I used peas, carrots, and sweet potato)

1 egg

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

oil (I used coconut oil)

Directions:

Sauté veggies in oil until done in a wok, or high-sided skillet or saucepan. Add chicken, rice, and a tablespoon or so of oil to keep everything from sticking. Cook until warmed through, stirring often. In a small bowl, whisk egg and soy sauce together. Add to rice mixture and stir to evenly combine. Cook, stirring continuously, until egg is fully cooked - it should no longer look wet.

Don't worry, as long as you get the egg to 145 degrees for 15 seconds, you're not risking consuming any harmful bacteria - egg whites look "done" (coagulate) at 144-149 degrees, and egg yolks at 149-158 degrees. In other words, don't stress too much about cooking them forever, they are "safe" before they are "done." (And side note - using pastured eggs from a reliable source may decrease your chances of getting a bad one - http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/01/are-raw-eggs-safe-to-eat-real-food-wednesday.html)

Here are a few more recipes to help use up your leftover rice:

Fruity Brown Rice Salad

Split Pea and Sausage Dahl