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I never ever thought I would make granola bars.  There a tons of agreeable varieties on the shelves at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Shaws…hell, even Food Emporium (whom I loathed in NYC) had a decent selection.  They aren’t very expensive so picking up a few different types is never a problem.  So I think I shocked even myself when I decided to whip up a batch this week (ok, it was actually because I didn’t have buttermilk in the house to make a chocolate cake).

My apartment smelled delicious though; warm honey, cinnamon and toasted oats make for a nice combination of scents when it’s chilly outside!  And then, I pulled the ultimate rookie move.  I burned them. Sigh.  That will teach me for attempting to write a cover letter, gchat with a team member and tweet all while attempting to make these!  The ones on the edge of the pan are pretty unbearable, but the inner ones aren’t too bad.  In fact, the top half are actually quite tasty.  I will need to make a second attempt because I know their potential goodness.  I will also need to start buying rolled oats in bulk if that is the case, 7 cups is a lot of whole grain!

Granola Bars

• 7 c rolled oats (NOT quick-cooking oats)
• 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 1/2 tspn salt
• 3/4 c honey
• 3/4 c packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tspn cinnamon
• 1 1/2 c coarsely chopped nuts (I used sunflower nuts, almonds and added dried cranberries)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F
2. Toss oil, oats and salt together and put on a baking sheet.  Toast in the oven, stirring frequently ~20-25 minutes
3. Cook honey and brown sugar in a sauce-pan over medium-heat to melt the sugar.  Add the extract and cinnamon then set aside
4. Remove the oats from the oven and lower the temperature to 300°F.  Toss the oats with the honey mixture and nuts
5. Line a 12×18 baking sheet with foil and coat with a vegetable spray.  Spread the mixture onto the pan and pack tightly and evenly
6. Bake until golden, 34-40 minutes
7. Cook on a wire rack for ~15 minutes then cut into 2×3 inch bars in the pan.  Let cool completely before removing from the pan
8. Because I think everything tastes better with chocolate, I melted some semi-sweet chips and drizzled over the bars prior to removing them from the pan (which also helped with the burn taste)

Source: The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

When some people get stressed, they withdraw and hide away in a corner, others like to complain about how busy they.  Personally, I either run or bake.  Since I ran 6.5 miles yesterday, I figured tonight it was time to put some loaves in the oven (not my oven people, get your mind out of the gutter).

The chilly weather led me to buy cranberries yesterday.  That of course left me with a bag of cranberries in my fridge (really, I never buy cranberries except at Thanksgiving!)  After a quick kitchen inventory and recipe investigation, Cranberry-Orange-Nut Bread seemed like the perfect Fall recipe.  It also gave me an excuse to try out the mini-loaf pans I bought recently.

Cranberry-Orange-Nut-Bread

• 2 c. flour (I used 1 c. white and 1c. whole wheat)
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/s tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 c. cranberries
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 1/2 chopped nuts (I used pecans)
• 3/4 c. orange juice**

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and grease the pans
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda together
3. Add the beaten egg, oil, orange zest and juice, stir
4. Mix in the cranberries and nuts
5. Pour into the pans and bake ~55 minutes (~30 minutes for the mini loaf pans)

I know you’re not supposed to cut bread while still warm…but it is delicious that way!

**Ok, I didn’t actually have 3/4 c of orange juice because I only had one orange and no juice in my apartment.  I was able to squeeze out approximately 1/2 cup of juice and then supplemented with 1/3 cup of milk and the recipe came out fine.

If you know me or have read the “About” section, you would know that I’m currently living in Boston, actually Cambridge, but that’s a minor detail.  What you may not know is that I went to Tufts for my undergrad degree and spent four years plus a couple of summers in the Boston area.

School has been amazing so far (I got to drive one of the T subway cars for one of my team projects!), but unfortunately I’ve had limited free time to cook, let alone eat out somewhere besides the Au Bon Pain or Cosi near campus (and the transition back to a student budget isn’t helping).

I have managed to hit up a few good places, but my *favorites* as an undergrad have been more difficult to visit.  I’ve been thinking about this for a little while now and there are actually a couple of reasons why I haven’t made a stronger effort to see some of these restaurants.  The first is pretty obvious; I’m busy and somewhat lazy.  Treking to Davis square to grab a sandwich just isn’t worth the effort sometimes and trying to get someone to come with isn’t the easiest thing either.

The second half of the reason relates more to nostalgia.  I have such fond memories of certain places during college, whether it be related to the actual food or just the experience.  To put it bluntly, I’m scared.  I’ve been scared to return to my old stomping grounds to discover change.  They places might be exactly the same, but I’m different.  What if something isn’t the way I remembered it?  Will that tarnish my beloved college memories?  I know it’s silly to think my memories will be altered, but the thought has crossed my mind.

Well I am happy to report one place was exactly like I remembered.  My friend Leah was in town from California and after grabbing dinner in Harvard Square, we couldn’t pass up the temptation of dessert at FInale.  Lead ordered the famed, Molten Chocolate Cake, while I went ahead and had the Boston Cream.  The dessert had yellow cake, vanilla Bavarian cream and chocolate ganache.  Additionally there were mini-chocolate whoopie pies on the side and cherry almond florentines served with vanilla ice cream.

Yes, I got so excited I took out my camera and looked like a tourist visiting Boston for the first time.

Overall, it was rich (I couldn’t finish!) and delicious.  I honestly have to say, my favorite part was the Florentine and vanilla ice cream.  It was the right about of salty and sweet, crunchiness and smoothness.  The Whoopie Pies were also really nice, although I think they could be better compared to high-end Oreos.  They had a bite to them and were rich in chocolate flavor.  The actual Boston Creme itself was not my favorite part of the dish.  The ganache and cream were fantastic and very light.  The cake wasn’t heavy, but dense.  I would have preferred a little bit lighter style.  The presentation was beautiful, although there could have been a bit more attention to detail.  The Whoopie Pies were a little uneven and the corner of the Boston Cream was a little sloppy.

In the end, I’m glad I was able visit an old favorite and not be disappointed.  I guess it’s time to dust off the food rolodex and hit up some other great places in Boston!  As always, suggestions are welcome (and appreciated!)

Sorry accounting, but this is definitely the best thing I’ve seen all day:

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And we ate and ate.   And when it was all over, we ate again.

The occasion?  My sister was hitched last weekend in an all-out affair.  To give you an idea of what it was like, my family is half-Italian, part Irish and lives on Long Island…in other words; we know how to throw a party.

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