Time to Redirect!

So I've been going on this blog for around 5 years now, I can hardly believe it's been that long! And for a while now I've been feeling like I needed a change. I am certainly no expert on blog design, I know basically nothing about HTML and coding (not even sure if I'm using these terms correctly!). So I bit the bullet and have completed updated and changed the blog. I've moved to a new host, got my own domain name, and redesigned everything! I hate leaving this site but it was time.

If anyone is interested in following me in my new space, head over to the new Delectably Mine and check it out, let me know what you think. And check out the first post on the new site, a wonderful Banana Poppy Seed Muffin that you are definitely going to want to try!! See y'all there!

Looking for the recipe?? You'll find it HERE!!

Peanut Butter and Oat Snack Bars

I've been on a search for some time now for my perfect go-to granola/snack bar. I do have a fantastic granola bar recipe already on this site, a recipe that is far and away the most popular recipe I've ever posted. While I love these granola bars, and have made them many, many times, I'm on the hunt for something different. I want a bar I can feel good about eating any time, day or night, one that has a modest amount of sugar and fat, and comes together easily using ingredients I will always have on hand. I also want bars that really hold together well. Something I can just throw into a bag in the morning and take with me that won't fall to pieces, or crumble everywhere, making a mess when I want to eat it. 

Throughout the last few months I've been looking at tons of different recipes and trying some out here and there. Part of my problem is that since I live alone, I find it difficult to eat what I make quickly, so this has been a slow process, but a fun one still. I want to share one of the bars I made recently. While it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, it turned out to be a wonderful recipe that hit almost all my requirements. I started with a fairly healthy cookie recipe and adapted it to bars. They baked up beautifully! The end result was a very sturdy, pretty nutritious, tasty bar that will be wonderful for a quick breakfast or satisfying mid-afternoon snack. 

You may wonder why they were not exactly what I was looking for. Really the only thing I would like to be slightly different is the texture of the bar. Because they do have 1/2 cup of flour in them, they turned out a little cakier than I would like. The flour did help them hold together very well, but it also made them feel a little more cookie-bar-like than granola-bar-like. Regardless, this is a great recipe that I will definitely keep in the rotation.

***UPDATE: I've moved! Check out my redesigned blog at delectablymine.com for this post and many more!

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

An unusual mid-week post today. I actually have some time off right now and am enjoying it immensely. This includes plenty of extra time in the kitchen! What I want to share today is not really much of a recipe, but a very simple method for preparing slow roasted tomatoes. I miss tomatoes so much in the winter, and every time I see them for sale at the grocery store I secretly want to buy them, but I resist because I know they will have no flavor and a poor texture. It's just not worth buying fresh tomatoes in the winter, unless that is, you want to do something like this to them. 

Slow roasting tomatoes is such a wonderful thing to do with those sad winter tomatoes. You're basically just drying them out and intensifying the sweet and savory flavor of the tomato. When these are done they are almost like candy they are so sweet. I think they are absolutely fantastic on basically anything, and so easy. All it takes is an afternoon in a low oven and you can have a whole tray of these sweet jewels. 

Tahini Butter Cookies

I believe I've mentioned it before, but that won't stop me from saying it again, I LOVE tahini. Over the past several years I've begun to use it more and more in all sorts of things. My first real introduction to tahini was when I started making my own hummus. I'm sure a lot of other people have the same experience. While I liked it well enough at that time, it wasn't until I'd been using it for a while that I truly fell in love. Now I could use it in almost anything. It's great in salad dressings (check out this salad for an example), sauces, and granola to name just a very few. One of my favorite uses is as an alternative to peanut butter on a piece of toast. Slather on the tahini and drizzle with a touch of honey, it's a heavenly combination. 

And yes, tahini is definitely a great addition to cookies! I've been wanting to try this for a little while now, so I had a free morning this week and I whipped up a half batch of these wonderful tahini butter cookies. They are simply wonderful, especially for someone who loves tahini as much as I do. They are incredibly tender and buttery (surprisingly very reminiscent of these snowball cookies) and are covered with a sweet coating of powdered sugar and cinnamon that bakes into a moist and tender crust on the outside, almost like a built in icing. And as for the flavor, the tahini really shines through. It's savory nuttiness is a wonderful contrast to these sweet and delicate morsels. If you already love tahini like I do, or even if you've never had tahini in your life, you must make these cookies!

Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Salad with Lemony Tahini Dressing

This is a salad that I actually made a few months ago and am now getting around to posting about. Just because it took me a little while to post it though does not mean that it wasn't a fantastic salad. I had been looking for a hearty winter salad to bring to a family gathering. I wanted something seasonal but not the typical cranberry walnut apple salad or Brussel sprout and butternut squash salad. These are all absolutely delicious, but I was in the mood for something a little different. 

The recipe caught my eye because it used cauliflower, which I love, that is roasted with some of my favorite spices and topped with a creamy and lemony tahini dressing that is simply scrumptious. A few lentils are thrown in to add heartiness, some dried fruit, toasted nuts, and red onion finish the whole thing off. It came together beautifully, the perfect combination of flavors and textures, a perfect winter salad. 

Peanut Butter Snack Cake

 If you're a peanut butter fan (and let's be honest, who isn't? If you're allergic to peanuts I am very, very sorry), and you're looking for a fun baking project this week then I have just the recipe for you. This peanut butter snack cake is the perfect combination of tender, buttery cake mixed with the rich deliciousness of creamy peanut butter. The peanut flavor really shines through in this cake without being overwhelming, and the tender crumb of the finished loaf is delicate yet sturdy. 

I left my loaf plain and simple, but a handful of chocolate chips in the batter, or a drizzle of chocolate over the top once cool would no doubt be wonderful. Or if you're into the whole peanut butter and jelly thing, a swirl of homemade jam whirled into the batter right before baking, or a cup of fresh fruit  gently folded in would also be simply scrumptious. Customize to your hearts content!

Seedy Sourdough Crackers

I love making homemade crackers. Hang on, let me rephrase that; I love having homemade crackers on hand to eat. I have to admit I don't always love making them. But honestly, they're not that big of a pain to make, it just takes a bit of time, especially when you have a big recipe. But the end results are completely worth it and that is why I keep making different versions of homemade crackers again and again. 

This recipe is probably the best that I've made to date. I used a basic recipe for sourdough crackers that I've used in the past, but to add some interest to the crackers I added some seeds and grains, for flavor, texture and looks. Looking at what I had hanging around, I decided on poppy seeds, sunflower seeds and rolled oats. I coarsely ground the sunflower seeds and oats in a food processor for just a second or two before adding them so the pieces wouldn't be too big. The resulting crackers turned out delicious! Crisp and nutty with a slight tang from the sourdough. I highly recommend taking the time if you have it to roll out these addicting homemade crackers.