a better snack bar

aaaAbetterSnack

Almost everyone remembers making some sort of snack bars growing up. Either it was a ‘Rice Krispie treats’, Smoores or a more exotic fruit bar that made everyone smile. Remembering those days, we started thinking about making a better bar.

Many folks today enjoy a snack bar of some sort, but be careful to read the label as some contain ingredients which are not always the best for you in the long run. Personally, I like to avoid high fructose corn syrup which is appealing to many in that it is cheaper than regular cane sugar and 70% sweeter…. but it has drawn some serious questions. Now it is only a correlation, but obesity in America took off just about the same time as high fructose corn syrup became the mainstream sugar of choice for manufacturers. However, by making stuff yourself , you can avoid a lot of this ( although — admittedly — some items in this recipe contain questionable ingredients  … but I am working on substitutes for them as well).

Here is our high fiber, Bran and peanut butter snack bar recipe-in-progress!

I also want to keep the eventual snack portions about 130 calories each and add nuts and chocolate when I am done. I am even toying with a sweet Coffee snack… we’ll see where this adventure takes us!

Oh yes, it’s good!

Roger Freberg

not Trojan but close enough

Mythos a fine beer from Greece
Mythos a fine beer from Greece

Well, it’s not a beer from Troy and although the Greeks brought the walls down with their horse, we’ve got the horse now! So, when my wife and daughters came back from a conference in Athens, they couldn’t help but tell me of the wonders… which I will now enjoy myself! Fortunately, I was able to procure a sample or two from our local BEVMO.

However, it is  corned beef curing time… so this time the beer of choice will be Greek! Yes, I don’t use water in my brine mixture… only beer!

“Yasas!”

RECIPE: making corned beef & pastrami

RECIPE: corned beef pie

Roger Freberg

life is a bowl of bagels!

Bagels are the staff of life!
Bagels are the staff of life!

Nothing is more fun that to play around with the types of bread used for lunchtime sandwiches. The variety of bread used adds a lot of interest to the meal without adding to the waistline!

One of my favorite breads is the humble bagel! I love bagels covered with seeds and containing some surprises! My favorite addition is a cinnamon blend and blueberries!

Here’s how I like it best!

How was your lunch?

Roger

the apples are not quite ready

The apples are ripening... but alas, not fast enough!
The apples are ripening... but alas, not fast enough!

I had hoped to have at least one apple pie in the oven by now, but our tree is a bit of a trickster. It looked like it was about to produce more than I could imagine and quickly, then suddenly, it slowed down. As we say in Marketing, this is the part of the ‘vertical integration process’ of our organization that fails to make its deadlines! I find trees so unpredictable.

My basic Apple Pie and Apple Sauce Recipe

As for recipes, I enjoy our more ‘natural style’ but this year I think I am going to produce pies with a thicker and more abundant syrup but maintaining the relative seasoning and sauteing.

ready for the oven!
ready for the oven!

yum! Apple Pie season for me is almost here!

Roger Freberg

Smokey Mountain Smoker and Me

My Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker
My Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker

Although it’s still half a month off, what a great birthday present! One of the things I missed about the south is the flavor of really smoked foods. Here in California, folks throw some wood on the coals and call that ‘smoking’…oh please!

Laura was horrified that I might convert an old water heater into a smoker, so I think she did the next best thing by finding a superb smoker for my cooking pleasures! Weber makes a wonderful smoker in two sizes that she bought through Sears on line that is wonderful.

The pictures above are of me opening my ‘surprise’ and my smoker going at 4:30 am this morning! I have been making my own corned beef these past weeks and smoking converts it to Pastrami… my wife’s favorite meat! Ah… I see there was method in her gift!…. smart girl.

There are many great recipes on line, so I would follow them or check on the ones at Morton.com. However, my basic corned beef spices:

1/2 tsp of each: red pepper flakes, Carraway and Coriander
crushed cinnamon stick
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp each of: mustard seed, ginger
1 tsp of black peppercorn
8 whole cloves
6 Juniper berries ( a strong taste)
12 allspice berries

6- 8 lb brisket

my brine mixture containing 5 cups water and 3 cups ( 2 bottles) Heineken beer ( in my daughter’s honor)

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Now to convert Corned Beef to Pastrami requires smoking for about 6 hours or so.

After washing and soaking I added the following seasonings prior to smoking: Pimenton ( Spanish smoked Paprika), salt, black pepper, garlic powder and a smattering of Pickling spices

Laura's Pastrami on a Quinoa onion Roll!
Laura's Pastrami on a Quinoa onion Roll!

Now to enjoy!

Roger