Radish Dip

So, this is the second week of our CSA (crop share association), and this is the second week that we've had an inordinate amount of radishes in our share.

I'm not really a fan of radishes.

But my friend clued me into this dip, and I'm thrilled about it.

1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese
8-12 radishes, washed and chopped in half
3/4 - 1 t. salt

Optional ingredients:
dill
garlic

1. Put radishes in a food processor and pulse until radishes are in teeny-tiny pieces....think crushed candy canes...it'll look similar. =)

2. In a bowl, mix the radishes with the cream cheese and salt (and optional ingredients, if you like) with a spoon or stand mixer.

Serve with tortilla chips, celery, cucumber....really, it's all delicious.

Crispy Rice Treats

(from Ellie Krieger)

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup honey
* 1/2 cup natural chunky-style peanut butter
* 6 cups crispy brown rice cereal
* 2/3 cup chopped dried cherries (3 ounces)
* Cooking spray

Directions

Combine honey and peanut butter in a large pot and heat over medium-low heat until melted, about 2-3 minutes. Add brown rice cereal and cherries and stir to combine until mixture is sticky. Press into a 9 by 13-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Let cool, then chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cut into 15 (2 1/2 by 3-inch) squares.

(Note: This is a relatively healthy way to satisfy a craving for sweets. Although, I have been known to throw in a couple of handfuls of dark chocolate chips into the mixture as well :) )

Granola Bars (A.K.A. glorified rice crispies)

This is a revealing recipe. It changes all you think you know about granola bars. It will change the way you think when you call someone a "granola". Anyway, with that disclaimer I would also like to add that this is a very dynamic recipe. You can change it however you want and still get decent results.


Part 1: The sticky stuff

1/2 C. Peanut Butter or other nut butter
1/4 C. Karo Syrup
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
4 lg. Marshmallows
1 t. vanilla (add a bit later)

If you grease up all of your cooking stuff before you do this, it makes cleanup much easier. Make sure you at least do the bowl you mix the sticky stuff in though. Without marshmallows and vanilla, nuke it in your microwave 1 minute. While it's melting follow part 2. Mix thoroughly when done add marshmallows and nuke 1 minute more. When done, add vanilla. (Although I forgot this once and nobody noticed.)


Part 2: The Filling stuff.

2 C. Regular Oats*
1 1/2 C. Crispy Rice Cereal
1/4 C. Chocolate Chips

Mix everything together and press into a 9 in. pan. Allow to cool. Cut into bars. As long as you have 3.75 C. of stuff, it really doesn't matter what you put in your granola bars. Other ideas include but are not limited to: rasins, cranberries, other dried fruit, ground flaxseed, flaked rye, cheerios, other cereal. (I used Oats, Golden Puff cereal, flaxseed, cranberries, and chocolate chips in the ones I made for Tori's birthday party.)

Makes about 2-12 bars. :)

*I would recommend using this much oats every time you make it though.