Creamy Chicken & Noodles

Recipe provided by Jennifer Newell of Newell Day Care Home

Ingredients
3 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2- 10 3/4 oz. cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. butter, sliced (optional- good without butter added)
4- 10 1/2 oz. cans chicken broth
24-oz. pkg. frozen egg noodles

Instructions
Combine chicken breast, cream of chicken soup, butter, and chicken broth  in a slow cooker.

Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 hours.

One hour before serving, remove chicken, shred and return to slow cooker.

Stir in frozen egg noodles; cover and cook on the low setting for one hour.

Serves 4 to 6.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Recipe provided by Jana Conev

Ingredients
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
dash of cinnamon or nutmeg

Instructions
1.  Mix oatmeal, buttermilk and 3 eggs.

2.  Refrigerate overnight or 1 hour.

3.  Add vegetable oil, flour, sugar, baking soda and dash of cinnamon or nutmeg

4.   Mix batter

5.   Pour batter onto hot griddle. Flip pancakes when the edges appear cooked and the batter bubbles on top.

Easy-to-Do Gingerbread People

Recipe provided by the University of Illinois Extension

Ingredients
A gingerbread-man cookie cutter
Several slices of whole wheat bread
Peanut butter
Raisins
Dried cherries, cranberries or red hots

Instructions
1. Cut a gingerbread man shape out of the soft part of the bread with the cookie cutter.
2. Try to get more than one shape out of each slice of bread.
3. With a knife, spread peanut butter over the cut shapes.
4. Use raisins and dried cherries, cranberries or red hots to make the eyes, noses, mouths, and buttons on your Gingerbread People.

Muscle Mix

from USDA

This granola can be made in advance and stored for later use. Use this tasty treat as a topping for yogurt, pancakes, cereal, or cottage cheese.

Ingredients

3/4 cup oats – regular, rolled
1/2 TB honey
1  1/4 tsp brown sugar
1 TB water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 TB sunflower or sesame seeds
1 TB chopped nuts (optional)
1 TB dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, apricots) chopped finely

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees
2. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or oil lightly.
3. Place oats in a large bowl and set aside.
4. Add nuts and seeds to the oats in the bowl.
5. Put brown sugar, honey and water in a microwave safe bowl or in a saucepan on low and heat until sugar dissolves (1 minute or less).
6. Add vanilla and salt to the melted sugar mixture. Pour over oat-nut mixture in the large bowl and stir well.
7. Spread granola mixture evenly on the prepared pan.
8. Bake 18-20 minutes.
9. Remove from oven. Sprinkle dried fruit on top while still warm. Cool before serving.

5 servings

Cranberry Granola Bars

from USDA

Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
2 TB + 1 tsp brown sugar
1 TB + 1 tsp of oil
1  1/2 cups oats
1  1/4 cups toasted rice cereal
1  1/4 cups dried cranberries

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine honey, brown sugar, and oil in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until well mixed and sugar is melted.
3. Mix oats, rice cereal, and cranberries. Add honey mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
4. Pat firmly into a 9″ x 13″ baking pan.
5. Bake for 15 minutes; press mixture firmly, once more into the bottom of the pan. Bake 5 minutes more.
6. Cool completely. Refrigerate at least one hour for easier cutting. Cut into 2″ x 2″ bars

24 servings