Brown Sugar Fruit Dip

Makes: Approx. 3 cups

1/2 c. brown sugar
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. whipped topping, thawed
Cut-up fruit of choice

With an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add in sour cream and vanilla, beat until blended and smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Chill for 4 hours before serving. Serve with fruit.

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Tips: This is a wonderful fruit dip! It has just enough flavor to enjoy the extra sweetness but it also does not overpower the taste of the fruit. As always, I used my KitchenAid Stand Mixer because it makes things so much easier. Fruit dip is great as an addition to a breakfast fruit platter or a way to convince your kids that fruit is actually dessert!

Recipe from MyRecipes.com

* I'm back after a month off since our new baby arrived! Hopefully I can be more consistent but this isn't the first time I've promised to post more often so we'll see how it goes. Thanks for sticking with Recipes for Moms!

Chewy Granola Bars

Makes: 12-16 bars

3/4 c. sugar
2 T. light corn syrup
6 T. butter, divided, melted
1 2/3 c. quick oats
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
1/2 c. dried cranberries
2/3 c. roasted almonds, finely chopped
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. honey
1 T. water

In a small bowl, combine sugar, corn syrup and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix until well combined. In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients, including chips, fruit and nuts. Stir sugar mixture into dry ingredients and mix well. In another small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Toss wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven; loosen edges and cool 5 minutes. Cut into bars while still warm. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Wrap individually and store in refrigerator or freezer.

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Tips: I have been trying to make an effort to bake more things from scratch in an effort to cut out all the unpronounceable ingredients present in a lot of store-bought items. When I saw this recipe for homemade granola bars, I was excited to try it - and it did not disappoint. The first picture up top is the dry ingredients mixed with the sugar mixture. It takes a bit of mixing but it should be crumbly and still somewhat dry when completely combined. This recipe can take up to 3 cups of nuts, fruits, chips, seeds, coconut, etc. so experiment with whatever your family likes best. I made these before we when camping so we could all have a filling snack between lunch and dinner. They will also make a great lunchbox item for your kiddos. I also shared this recipe at Life as MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour