Living in a Cereal World

Do you love banana bread? How about granola? Then you will love this Banana Granola . I don't know how it's possible, maybe it's all in my brain (or taste buds) but this granola tastes like the most walnutty, banana-ish banana bread you've ever had. And I didn't even use walnuts! Of course I have to mention the usual banana caveat: your granola won't be super-crisp because of it, but don't worry, it won't be mushy, either. Just make sure it gets nice and toasty. Seriously, keep an eye on it. Mine was done at the 24-minute mark. And now that I think about it, that's probably also the flavor secret. I know I say all the time that you should try certain recipes, but I'm really really going to stress it this time. It's that's good. ******* Hey, let's keep Banan-uary going! Conveniently, Erin at Well-Plated  has a new recipe for Oatmeal Banana Cookies with Chocolate Chips . I couldn't possibly make a list without a Sally'

So I know I overdid the pumpkin last Fall, and gingerbread season has come and gone, so what's next? Well, I have bananas in the freezer, so I'm making this Banan-uary. But cerealfyre, you ask, why now? The month's almost over, you're bumping up against Pear-bruary. I'll tell you why. Because you need to make this biscotti: Sometimes you want the flavor of banana bread without making banana bread. And sometimes you want to dip things in chocolate. Chocolate-Dipped Banana Bread Biscotti  it is! I wasn't sure if banana biscotti was a thing before I looked it up, but if you can think of a combo it's probably already a thing. Just keep in mind that whatever you bake with bananas is going to be on the softer side. I would recommend baking these for the full amount of time, with the flipping and everything. They'll be crisp but still soft enough to bite without a dunk in a hot drink. Maybe that sounds weird but it works. And did I mention it tastes like

...no one ever said reluctantly. I'd been waiting for the right moment to make these Cranberry Cardamom Spice Muffins  and the moment finally arrived. Don't be intimidated by the amount of cardamom. You might not even be crazy about the scent. But trust me, the flavor totally works in the muffins. Maybe the cinnamon and sugar help to mellow it out, I don't know, but it doesn't have that "edge" to it once baked. Also, the muffins weren't as sweet as I feared. I want to taste the sweet and the tart in a cranberry muffin and I wasn't disappointed. I didn't really pick up on the orange zest but that might've just been that particular muffin. I didn't take a picture because I was a bit sloppy with my muffin cup-filling. There was some runny baked-on batter. And I didn't do the glaze. Glaze hides all your flaws. It also gives you that extra sweetness and orange flavor you might want. I might glaze the rest of the batch that's current

I finally opened this box today and the first thing I did was inhale deeply. Whoooaa was that not necessary. Seriously, don't do it. The berry scent hits you immediately, and it's no wonder--there's so many berry specks in the Os that they're practically pink. Of course this is a good thing if a) you love berries, and b) you love it when a cereal lives up to the promise of its name. You would expect the taste to match the intensity of the scent and it doesn't disappoint. The only issue you might have is with the actual berry flavor. I'd put it somewhere between Berry Berry Kix and Fruity Pebbles, but, you know, without the artificial-ness. You'll have to try it yourself to see if these are the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries you've been missing in your bowl.

Oh, you know I had to try this one first, thanks to my well - documented   love  of cinnamon . The cinnamon scent wafting (dry goods can waft, right?) from the bag was encouraging. The flakes didn't have the traditional "frosty" look; it was more like a glazed cinnamon corn flake. Okay, cinnamon don't let me down. Finally the flavor: my initial reaction was, "um...I guess it tastes like cinnamon. Wait, here it comes. There's the cinnamon." It's more on the spicy side of cinnamon, like a Red Hot without the mouth-burning. It's a corn flake with a sweet cinnamon kick . If that's your thing, you'll want to devour this like Tony the Tiger on the redesigned box (seriously, it's like he's about to pounce on a bowl of Gazelle Flakes or something). One down, several to go!

It was not my intention to do any more baking until the end of the month but I was kind of goaded (guilted?) into it. Fine, you want cookies? You're getting somewhat healthy cookies. I wanted to make something with no butter and with whatever I could scrounge up in the kitchen/fridge. So I made these Zucchini Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies . I had the applesauce; I always have oats. I even had a small zucchini! Most importantly, though, no butter or oil needed. Okay, so I wouldn't feel too bad about eating cookies in January. And actually, they're pretty good. I've made cookies with applesauce before that were too much on the gummy side--I can live with chewy, gummy not so much. These have a bit more heft, probably from the oats. And all these ingredients are the same ones I like in my favorite zucchini bread. So a win-win for me. Now I'm trying to hold out 'til next month to make another biscotti. ****** You're probably wanting a cereal update. I'm s

So just because I haven't been able to get my hands on any new products yet doesn't mean I can't find other ways to expand my cereal horizons. I'm still working my way through all the Barbara's varieties and Morning Oat Crunch was on sale recently. I'm happy to report that "original" doesn't mean "bland." There's still a hint of sweetness from molasses, which was enough for me. I realized I should've tried this first before the Cinnamon  version to get a handle on the kind of cereal this is. I believe I compared it to Quaker Oatmeal Squares before--I still think that's apt, but somehow Morning Oat Crunch is less dense and less weighty after eating. I mean I didn't feel overstuffed. Or maybe I ate just the right amount. No...I still think it's airier. This flavor is a nice complement to other cereals and the strawberries I had this morning.

I guess this is my thing now, making donuts for New Year's. I'm not even a big donut person but I like having the option of making my own. Oh, right, the Maple Bacon Donuts : That's what was left. We ate the rest. I was hoping that a maple bacon donut would go over well with these donut purists in my family. I probably could have dipped a bit longer in the glaze or made it a bit thicker to look like the original recipe photo but it wasn't really necessary. As long as there's bacon, right? I hope everyone's new year is starting off right! I'm looking forward to at least three new cereals this month.