large family food idea snacks granola bars

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Around our household, Wednesday is Kitchen Day.  On kitchen day, we usually spend the day baking and preparing foods for the week.  I try and choose at least 2 snacks to make for the week for us to enjoy.  This was one that was on my list to try and so we did.  It is now part of our rotation in our Master snacks list.

This past year, I have been trying to build my large family food idea lists.  I want foods that are easy to make and that my family enjoys.  We have tried numerous granola bar recipes over the years and many have failed.  This is one given to me by a dear friend and it is delicious.

  • 2-20 oz pkg mini marshmallows
  • 1 1/2 c butter
  • 1/2 c oil
  • 1/2 c honey
  • 1/2 c peanut butter
  • 10 c oatmeal
  • 9 c Rice Krispies
  • 2 pkg graham crackers, crushed
  • 1 pkg chocolate chips

 

Melt the first 5 ingredients until just melted over med low heat006

In a large mixing bowl, mix the oatmeal, Rice Krispies, graham crackers , and chocolate chips.008Pour the melted mixture over top of the dry mixture009Stir until combined010Press into a greased, jelly style roll pan011

Let cool and then cut into bars.  Keep extra bars covered in a container.  You will get 2 large jelly style pans from this recipe.026Recipe for the “smaller” families

  • 20 oz mini marshmallows
  • 3/4 c butter
  • 1/4 c oil
  • 1/4 c honey
  • 1/4 c peanut butter
  • 5 c oatmeal
  • 4 1/2 c Rice Krispies
  • 1 pkg graham crackers crushed
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

 

Easiest way to preserve tomatoes–freezing them

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Having a large family, has meant that we try and do as much preserving as we can.

When it comes to putting up food for the winter months, my first choice is to freeze it.  This year we did strawberry jam and froze it.  We picked blueberries and froze them.  We made applesauce, around 200 quarts and froze it!  We also did tomatoes.

We love to eat spaghetti, at least once per week.  I have found that we can easily make a sauce with a few cans of diced tomatoes and one can of tomato sauce.  We then add basil, oregano, onion, green pepper, and garlic.  Let it simmer on the stove and add your meat.  Delicious, homemade flavor.  Once I realized that I would be able to get away with that kind of sauce for my family instead of the “store bought” version, I wanted to put up some tomatoes for the winter months.

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I have realized that the easiest way to preserve tomatoes is by freezing them.

I used to can it into jars and it would be a long process of skinning the tomatoes and smashing it—no more of that, I do not have time.  I have found this method to be super easy and the best, quickest version for our large family.

I actually had a fussing one year old, while I was trying to do this so our 8 year old took charged and did it all for me!

The tomatoes that we had purchased were a thick meaty type, so we chopped the tomatoes in quarters..


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Then placed them into the food processor, skins and all
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let it whirl, until pureed
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We then poured them into quart sized containers.  Put them in our freezer until ready to use.  Simple and easy.  Makes a delicious, fresh from the garden flavor spaghetti sauce.061

 

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