Taste and create - very very late

I cannot believe that I am so late with this. Well....actually I can. The deadline snuck up on me and then I had one hell of a weekend that provided me no time to be blogging. But all of that aside....here is my creation. I was paired up with Poor Nima's Tasty Treats. And I am quite bummed that I didn't make any of the Indian dishes on her blog. I saw Caramel Bread Pudding and I was hooked - it looked like the thick dense bread pudding that I love. So I made it. The caramel taste was very yummy, but the bread pudding didn't quite have the taste I was looking for.... :(

So I decided to make something else on her blog...and made the Penne in Cheese Sauce. Loved it! But have no pictures of it! We gobbled it up so fast when I remembered to take pictures it was way to late! I made it with wagon wheel pasta and asparagus. Jason LOVED it. We will be making that again for sure.

I have bookmarked several of her recipes to make in the future. Jason and I love Indian and since we don't get out on dates much making it at home will have to do!

Check out all the other match ups at Taste and Create!

Again, I am sorry for the lateness of this post - wont happen again!

Take Care,
Tania

Love Big, Bake Often

My First Taste And Create

So this is my first time participating in Taste and Create. It is basically a blog event where you are matched up with another blogger and you each bake/make something from each other's blog. Simple, right? Not so simple. I was matched up with Laura and her blog "The Spiced Life", and let me tell you choosing just one recipe to make wasn't easy. There are so many recipes on her blog that tempted me....Thai food, pasta dishes, bread, cookies....etc.... But I finally saw this one and knew that I had to make them with the boys! Aiden didn't really want to participate and Jakob was really only interested in the M&M's...but these are awesome. I, too, was a little skeptical of a recipe that came from a Sesame Street Cookbook....my boys love these...and so did all the gals and their kiddos at the playgroup where the pan of them was devoured!

I managed to get a couple of photos before everyone snatched them up, and I was able to bring a couple home to Jason to try, and he liked them too!

I give you.....Sesame Street M&M Oat Bars....

Sesame Street M&M Oat Bars

Adapted from Sesame Street Yummy Cookies: Baking With Kids

1 cup (126 g) AP flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1 T water

1 1/2 t vanilla

1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/4 cups total of chocolate chips, chunks and/or M&Ms (I used mini M&Ms and mini chocolate chips and topped with regular M&Ms)

Preheat the oven to 375 F with a rack placed in the center. Grease and then line with parchment paper a 9 inch square baking pan. The grease will help the parchment paper stay down.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.Beat the sugar and butter until creamy (it will not get fluffy). Add the egg, water and vanilla and then beat until well blended.Add the oats and the flour mixture and stir in. Add 3/4 cup of the chocolate chunks, chips or M&Ms into the batter and mix in. Do not over-mix.

Spread the batter--it will be stiff--into the prepared baking pan with a spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chunks, chips or M&Ms.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the center is set.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Try these - they are easy to make, fun to make with your kids, taste delicious, and they aren't terribly bad for your kiddos!

And I think I will participate in Taste and Create again....what better way to find new blogs, make new friends, and try new recipes?!? Be sure to stop by Taste and Create and see what everyone else has been making....

Take Care,
Tania

Love Big, Bake Often