Granola Bars. {Carrie}

I haven't a clue why these aren't up on this blog yet. They're a family favorite and I've been making them for years. Starting the day after Carrie made some for me.

Shayne loves them because I sent a batch with him to France when he went with my dad and brothers to watch the Tour de France and go cycling... so it takes him back to the mountains of France. May not to the same for you... but I promise, you'll love them.

 

Double the batch up and freeze a pan, they're awesome from the freezer. Keep them in the fridge. You can change them up with what you like... but here's our favorite way...

 

2/3 cup natural peanut butter

1 cup honey

Mix together- will be very difficult. I let the kitchen-aid have at it.

1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

2 2/3 cup oats

1/3 cup wheat germ

1 1/2 cup nuts (combo is best)

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup raisins (we omit, aren't raisin in bar fans)

 

Add into the peanut/honey mixture and blend until all incorporated. Press good and firm into a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350*F for 15 minutes.

Let cool and cut into squares. Keep in the fridge when you're not chowing down on them.

 

*Ours are usually a bit crumbly because I add more nuts and not any more "glue". But it's all good.

Chocolate Mudballs.

 

So yum, and the kids love making these too. A cross between chia snowballs and chocolate balls.

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup brown rice syrup (honey or agave)
1 1/2 cups puffed millet or brown rice krispies
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup wheat germ (or ground flax)
2 tablespoons powdered cocoa
1/4 cup chocolate chips, optional
unsweetened flaked coconut, optional

Heat the peanut butter and brown rice syrup until melted.  In a separate bowl mix cereal, oats, wheat germ, cocoa, and chocolate chips (if using).  Roll into balls using about a tablespoon of mixture.  Roll in coconut or sesame seeds if desired.  Store in refrigerator.*Or add the coconut into the mixture, then roll.

from Simply Real Food

Robyn's Granola.

This is a GreenSmoothieGirl one, you can see her video of it here. And, we're all in love here. This is Ava's favorite thing to take for lunch {almond milk in the soup container, peaches and granola in ziplocks... and she makes it at the table herself.} Shayne and the rest of us eat it as a snack. So yummy. Plus, when you make it your house will smell amazing. Bottle that up and put it in a candle.

8 cups rolled oats

1 cup raw wheat germ

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1 1/2 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Combine all in a big 'ole bowl (yes, that's a technical term). I always like to pulse the nuts in a food processor. Not into nut dust, but broken up since the kids aren't fans of big 'ole chunks of nuts (there's that technical term again). The nuts are SO yummy after they're roasted a bit... so keep 'em a little chunky.

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup grade B maple syrup (or molasses)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup coconut oil (cold pressed, unrefined)

1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine all in a pot and heat on stove until barely melted. Add to oat mixture and stir til well combined. Lay out on baking sheets, with a lip, or in a big baking roasting pan. Bake at 250* for 45-90 minutes until dry, stirring well every 20 minutes.

Yum! I love it with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and peaches.




{{p.s. - I totally took that picture up top, and I think I actually may have gotten the hang of photographing my food. Na, probably just really good lighting.}}



Banana-Wheat Germ Muffins

YUM! I was thinking we'd have some left over for snacks tomorrow. Should have known better, that my 3 adult size proportions kids would finish them off. Shayne and I of course helped. I made with safflower oil, next time I'll just do applesauce. They seemed a little heavy because of the oil.

1 cup plain soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 very ripe bananas
1/3 cup canola oil/applesauce
shy 1/3 cup agave nectar (or 1/3 cup sugar)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
3/4 cup wheat germ
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375*F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

Pour the soy milk into a measuring cup and add the vinegar to it. Set it aside to curdle.

Meanwhile, mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add the soy milk mixture to the bowl along with the oil, agave nectar, and vanilla, and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, wheat germ, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the banana mixture and use a wooden spoon to gently stir the ingredients, until all the dry ingredients are just moistened.

Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full and bake for 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and, once cool enough to handle, transfer to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way. You can also serve them warm, if you like!

Veganomicon, pg 226

makes 12 muffins

time: about 40 minutes

BELLY BITERS:

shayne {new faves!} jen {yum!} ava {double yum!} nolan {yum!} corynn {yum!}