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.

Homemade Crunchy Maple Quinoa Cereal.

We love our favorite granola, but even the yummiest stuff needs a break. OhSheGlows has some gooood stuff, and this granola is one of them. I add some mixed nuts to roast with it because it's just gooood. I'll eat it like popcorn too.

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2-3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch or two sea salt

1 1/2 cups favorite nuts, chopped (i like almonds, pecans and walnuts)

In a small bowl mix everything together. Pour onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Break up into chunks with a spoon and flatten with a hand as if you were making flatbread. Cook for 30-50 minutes at 325*F, being sure to check half way through and adjust cooking time if necessary. Flip cereal around with a spatula for more even cooking. Cereal should be slightly golden brown when finished. Remove from oven and cool.

Enjoy in a bowl with your favorite milk and toppings over top! Peaches please.

Lemon Chia Seed Muffins.

These are my new favorite muffins and have been for 6 months now (it's now May when I'm actually posting it). I love lemon. And I love the health benefits of chia seeds. The combo is a match made in heaven. Shayne even likes these, and he's not a huge lemon fan. Ya done it again Mama Pea. Thank.you.

"Slightly sweet, moist and just lemony enough, they are classic, but won't hinder any drug tests."
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (i use almond)
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached organic flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/3 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup agave nectar and/or maple syrup
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine milk and lemon juice and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chia seeds.

To the milk mixture, add coconut oil, agave or maple syrup, applesauce, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon zest.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined.

Fill each well of a muffin tin that has been lightly greased or line with muffin cups 2/3rds of the way full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Chia Energy Porridge.

Don't judge this by the picture... I almost didn't post it because it totally looks unappetizing. But trust me, it is goooood! Maybe a good sub for the morning oatmeal, but I am for sure liking it for after school snack!

1/2 cup hemp/almond milk
1 1/2 tablespoons chia seed**(bulk at Central Market)
1/2 apple, shredded
1 tablespoon raisins
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Stir together chia and milk. Set aside for 15 mins, or as long as overnight for the chia to swell. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Garnish with anything you wish...

belly biters: me, ava, nolan - love it... shayne has yet to try... and Coco wasn't texturing it

 

Thank you Crysta for the intro and Sweetly Raw for posting it!

 

**Sweetly Raw says... "It should be dubbed "the wonder seed" - chia is packed with quality protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and is the richest known plant source of omega-3. In addition it is easy to digest and can be stored for long periods of time without going rancid (unlike other nuts/seeds, particularly flax). Throw some chia into liquid overnight and you've got the base for an excellent breakfast in the morning."

Chia Snowballs.

These are so, SOOO good and pretty cute.

1 cup peanut butter (natural, without added sugar)
½ cup honey (don't use agave, it's not sticky enough to form into balls or keep in bars)
¼ cup brown rice syrup (or date syrup)
2½ cups brown rice cereal (i used puffed millet)
½ cup oats
2 tablespoons chia seeds
optional: 1 cup finely shredded coconut

Mix all of the ingredients together except for the coconut. Roll the mixture into balls and then roll in the coconut. Or, if omitting the coconut, press mixture into an 8x8” pan and let it sit until soft, about 1 hour.

{I've added the shredded coconut in with the mixture before I rolled it into balls. The first time I made these, using agave, the balls weren't staying in balls and the coconut wasn't sticking very well. Conclusion: agave isn't sticky enough. So, stick to the sticky honey and I'm sure the coconut would then stick on.}

Note: Chia seeds are a power food. Packed with nutrition, they contain 19-23% protein. Two ounces of chia seeds will give you more Omega-3 than 1¾ pounds of salmon. Chia also has three times more flavanol (to fight cancer) than blueberries.

Vegan Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding.

I found this on LovesVeggiesAndYoga and it's Ava's favorite dessert to go in her little ziploc lunch container for school. Yeah for all the protein, fiber and little Omega 3's these little seeds have! Hardly a dessert! I usually double or triple this batch.

2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 cup nut milk
2 tablespoons agave and/or stevia to taste
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all the ingredients. Stir all the ingredients together and leave on countertop for 20 minutes. Use a whisk if necessary & it may seem like all that chocolate will never dissolve, but it will. And the results will be so worth it.

Come back to it 20 minutes later and stir again. Either devour now...

...Or pop in the fridge for a few hours. Know that the pudding will continue to thicken for the next 4-6 hours. What I like to do is put it in the freezer after it's thickened in the fridge to create an almost ice-creamy like treat with frozen chocolate chia pudding.

This is after 4 hours in the fridge. Whatever you do with it, it'll be chocolaty & yummy, plus you're getting all the great health benefits of chia seeds like extra Omega 3's, yay for the little chia seeds!