Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bites

The end of the year is RAPIDLY approaching.  There are only 2 WEEKS left!!  Where did the year go?  Didn’t I just start college?  Shouldn't I be preparing for midterms instead final exams?  Shouldn't I have months, not days, to do everything I wanted to do before the end of the year?

As the end of the year approaches, so does the intimidating task of packing my entire room and moving out.  Oooohhhhh man.  That will be quite the project.  Where do I even start?

Well I decided to start with my snack drawer.  In an attempt to clean it out, today we’re making peanut butter oatmeal bites!

What you need:

1 ½ C Old fashioned oats

1/3 C Honey

1/3 C Peanut butter (I used the dehydrated kind, so I had to add the appropriate amount of water)

2 Tbs each raisins, chocolate chips

Other mix ins: shredded coconut, rice krispies, crushed pretzels (I didn’t think of this until after I had mixed the ingredients, so that’s why they’re not pictured!)

What you do:

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. If you choose to add other mix ins, start with 1/3 C of each and then play with the proportions depending on the texture (i.e. is the batter too thick? Too dry?).  Scoop into 1inch balls and let harden in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

Now if only packing up the rest of my room was this easy and delicious…

Greek Yogurt Brownies

Life gets busy, especially this time of the year.  With there being only three weeks left until the end of the semester, my schedule has been pretty packed with studying for exams, group projects, preparing for my dance recital, and end-of-the-year club activities.  

These brownies are a great way to offset all of that school stress.  These are the easiest brownies I've ever made, and believe me, I’ve made a lot of brownies in my life.  You don’t have to measure oil or crack a single egg! They are quick to throw together and can bake in the oven while you review for your upcoming exams. 

What you need:

1 18.3 oz Box of your favorite brownie mix

¼ C Water

1 5.3 oz Container Greek yogurt (I used vanilla)

½ C Chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9X13 baking pan.  Stir the brownie mix, water, and yogurt until nearly combined and then add the chocolate chips, if using.  Spread the batter into the prepared pan. 

Sprinkle additional chocolate chips over the top, if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the brownies start pulling away from the edge slightly, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

These brownies are chewy, and aren’t as fudgy as traditional brownies.  You can taste a little bit of the sour tang from the Greek yogurt, but since I used vanilla yogurt rather than original, the sourness was not very pronounced.  

The best news about these brownies (besides the fact that they are super easy to make) is that they have Greek yogurt, so they're totally a health food, right?   I mean, they have added protein, calcium, probiotics...  

I'll use that as an excuse when reaching for my second helping. 

Cream Cheese Spaghetti

Pasta is one of those classic dishes I feel like everyone needs to learn how to make at some point in their life (preferably before you’re out living on your own).  If you can boil pasta and open a jar, then you’re good to go.  You can even add ground beef or chicken if you’re feeling fancy! This recipe is just as easy to make as the aforementioned dish, but the addition of cream cheese adds an extra level of richness and makes it feel a little more fancy.   

And as a bonus, we get to use up some of that leftover cream cheese from last week's recipe!

What you need:

½ lb Spaghetti pasta

14 oz Jar tomato pasta sauce

4 Tbs Cream Cheese

4 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Parmesan Cheese, for serving (optional)

Note: I used mozzarella cheese strings because that is what I had available.  They work fine in this recipe, but just make sure you shred or slice them before adding to the sauce. 

What you do:

 Cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package directions.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta sauce, mozzarella, and cream cheese together over low heat until blended and warm, stirring frequently.  Normally I would suggest adding the shredded mozzarella at the end when you add the pasta, but I used cheese strings which are much more resistant to melting.

  Drain the spaghetti and add to sauce.  Top with Parmesan, if desired.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Stuffed Waffle Sandwiches with Caramelized Bananas

Sorry for the long title, but I didn't know how to make it any shorter without excluding anything!  This is definitely a Friday kind of recipe.  It’s easy to make, but it tastes really indulgent, which makes it the perfect way to end your busy week and start your (hopefully!) relaxing weekend.  It’s slightly on the sweeter side, so if you don’t like things very sweet, you can increase the amount of cream cheese and/or peanut butter to add more of a bite to your sandwich and cut through the sweetness.  

What you need:

4 Buttermilk frozen waffles, thawed or slightly toasted (if you have the luxury of possessing a toaster.  My dorm, unfortunately does not have one)

For the filling:

2 Medium bananas, sliced

2 Tbs Brown Sugar

4 Tbs Butter, divided

4 Tbs Plain cream cheese

1 Tbs Peanut butter

1 tsp Vanilla extract

What you do:

Melt 2 Tbs butter and brown sugar in a skillet until mixture is slightly golden and bubbly.  Add the sliced bananas and cook until soft and caramelized.  Remove from heat.  I was really tempted to stop here, but I promised you a sandwich, and a sandwich we will have!  P.S. this makes a wonderful ice cream topping!

Meanwhile, thaw/toast the waffles.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla extract.  Feel free to sample some and adjust the taste (sweetness, peanut butter, etc.) to your liking.

I feel silly instructing you on how to make a sandwich, but here it goes. Spread the remaining 2 Tbs butter evenly on the waffles and place butter side down while you finish the assembly.  Spread the cream cheese filling on both halves and pile on the caramelized bananas.  Grill the sandwiches in the skillet until filling is slightly melted and waffles are toasted.

Top with additional caramelized bananas or powdered sugar.  

This definitely needs to be part of your plans for the weekend.