Homemade Chewy PB Oat Granola Bars

Here is Heavenly Homemaker's 

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars (you're going to want to double this!)

1/2 cup organic peanut butter
1/3 cup raw honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup oats
1 cup TOTAL of any combination of: sesame seeds, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips
*I used 1 cup kamut puffs, and another cup of a mixture of sesame seeds, currants, and chocolate/carob chips (for a doubled batch) and the kamut puff were amazing in this!!

In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey and coconut oil.

Remove from heat and add one cup of oats.  Choose your favorite combination of coconut flakes, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fruit and mini chocolate chips, to equal a total of ONE CUP. (She just got out her one cup measuring cup and poured in the ingredients until the cup was full.) Pour in and stir well.

Spread mixture into a 8x8 or 9 x 4 inch pan.

Chill for 2 hours, then cut into bars.

Wrap in plastic wrap for a quick grab and go snack!

Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Bread

Definitely a keeper- definitely!! I am munching on this moist and 'just enough' sweet bread as I type. I just might make this for Thanksgiving- maybe for our Thanksgiving breakfast. Our family of four (ok, ok, it was mostly my husband and I) went through an entire loaf in less than 24 hours! It's just that good!

• 3 cups Bob's Red Mill GF flour mix plus 2 tsps xanthan gum
• 2 organic eggs
• 1 pint fresh cranberries (organic if possible) or 2 cups defrosted frozen cranberries, chopped- or you can pulse it your blender or food processor for a few seconds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup xylitol, mixed with 2 tsps molasses (to make a 'brown sugar')
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon orange zest or 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon clove
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease 2 loaf pans.
2. Beat eggs and xylitol mix with electric beater or mixer (or fork if you are lazy like me). Add oil, milk, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Slowly beat in baking soda, baking powder, salt, all spices xanthan gum and flour. Mix until combined.
3. Gently fold in chopped cranberries. Pour into loaf pans and smooth the top of the loaf with a rubber spatula. Bake for about 1 hour.
4. Allow to cool slightly in loaf pan before inverting onto cooling rack.

Delicious fresh from the oven with a little organic butter or coconut oil melted on top!

Raw Berry Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

1 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts

1 cup pitted, packed medjool dates, chopped

Filling:

1 1/4 cup almond milk

1 1/2 cups cashews

1/3 cup raw honey

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

2 cups mixed berries, set aside
(raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)

Methods/steps

Crust:

1) In a food processor, grind the nuts and dates together into a slightly sticky dough. Add 1 -2 tsp water if needed.

2) Press into the bottom of a 6” springform pan, or into a pie plate.

Filling:

1) Blend the first four ingredients until completely smooth. Add the coconut oil. Continue blending until incorporated. Transfer 1 cup of this mixture into a bowl.

2) Add the berries to the remaining cream in the blender and pulse the berries until they start to break down, keeping some texture. Transfer the berry mixture into a bowl.

Assembly:

1) Pour half of one cream onto the crust. Pour the other half on top. Continue, pouring the first cream on top, followed by the second.

2) Now, with a knife, swirl the two creams together into a pretty pattern.

3) Chill the cake for a few hours, or until firm.

Orange Creamsicle Popsicles

Perfect for a hot summer day! We enjoyed these popsicles on my daughter's birthday and again on Memorial Day! Yum!


1 1/2 cup organic heavy cream
1/2 can coconut milk (not lite)
1 cup plain full fat organic yogurt
4 oranges, peeled
3/4 cup xylitol

Mix all ingredients together in your blender until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds or ice cube trays & place toothpicks in the center after covering with plastic wrap. Freeze until solid.

Check out these cool push pop molds I found at Bed Bath and Beyond!
http://www.wdrake.com/WalterDrake/Shopping/ProductDetail.aspx?CID=Garden&SCID=GardenOutdoorEntertaining&ProductID=BC00332934&SourceCode=20509000001&mr:trackingCode=F6202114-E190-DF11-BC8B-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

Chocolate Coconut 'Larabars'

We love bars in our house.... especially my 3 yr old! We make a version of 'mock larabars' quite often. Here is another creation:

Chocolate Coconut Raw Bar

2 cups dates, pitted and soaked
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Cocoa
1/3 ground flax seed
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 raw almonds, finely ground
2 Tbsp raw honey

I grind my almonds, chocolate chips and flax first in my Blentec blender (a food processor will work) and set aside. Next pulse dates. Add cocoa, coconut, coconut oil, honey, flax, almonds, and ground chocolate chips until mixed. Press into a glass pan and refrigerate, cutting into bars when ready to serve.

Amazing Homemade Soft Pretzels

This recipe is SO delicious. If there is ever a day you wish to enjoy your grains.... make these!

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-homemade-soft-pretzels

They freeze well, and xylitol works great in place of sugar if you choose to make the cinnamon sugar variety. In a perfect world, I would be making these often. I just can't get enough of them!

Raw Food Bars (LaraBars)

Here is a lovely version of a mock larabar. Never had a Larabar? You're missing out! So delicious, and so pure. Simple ingredients, and very little for that matter! They are pretty pricey, so here is a version you can make at home.

Mock Larabar Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars

1 cup oats
2 cups dates
1 cup organic raisins
1/2 cup ground nuts- almonds or walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Soak 2 cups dates in water for a few minutes.
Grind up your oats, then nuts and set aside.









Pulse dates in blender or food processor a few times, then add raisins. Add vanilla extract (might need to add a touch of water too if it's not mixing well).





Mix in ground oats and nuts. Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix together by hand, forming into a ball.







Press into a square dish and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.







Cut into squares or bars. Store in fridge.

Peanut Butter Love

We.Love.Peanut.Butter.Period.

However, I hate all the sugar they put in it! We usually buy organic brands, they at least do not contain refined sugar and hydrogenated oils. A Favorite of ours is Maranatha brand. You'll pay a pretty penny for this jar of yummy goodness, but at least the ingredients are as follows:

Organic Dry Roasted Peanuts, Organic Palm Oil, Organic Cane Sugar, Sea Salt.

Compare that to a commercial brand, such as, Jif or Peter Pan and you get:

MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT. (JIF)

Peanuts, Corn Syrup Solids, Soy Protein, Sugar, Salt, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Cottonseed and Rapeseed)Minerals (Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Phosphate, Copper Sulfate)Vitamins (Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid) (Peter Pan Reduced Fat Version)

Can I get a... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

First off, it was hard for me to locate online the ingredient lists, especially for the Peter Pan brand. Like they have something to hide maybe? And if 'choosy' moms choose Jif... then oh my. What does choosy mean again?

Throwing this out there.... maybe parents will be offended... BUT most kids LOVE peanut butter right? PB and J, a well loved, kid friendly/favorite lunch (don't even get me started on commercial jelly and wonderbread- or commercial wheat bread for that matter. Or some organic wheat breads for another matter....ok, focus Dana, focus!). Do any of us parents really know what these ingredients are in our child's Peter Pan peanut butter??? Let me let you in on my knowledge. Take out EVERY SINGLE INGREDIENT, MINUS THE PEANUTS, and you should feel good about feeding this to your child. I once heard someone's very bold statement that feeding a child unhealthily should be considered child abuse. This sure pissed a lot of people off! But think about this, if we do not know what is in the food we feed them, or know what these ingredients do to their/our health, can we argue this accusation? 'Food' for thought.

So! Here is my solution. A frugal, healthy and easy solution. Seriously. $2. Five minutes. You can do that for your little munchkin, can't you?

Homemade Peanut Butter

3 Cups Peanuts

3 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Combine in blender. Blend for a minute or two, then scrape with a spatula. Repeat. And Repeat again.... and again... until your desired consistency. Store in fridge. Makes about 2 cups.

Add raw honey for a sweeter peanut butter.

And eat that yummy goodness straight from the spoon and bask in your healthy treat.

Veggie Dip

CREAMY GREEN VEGGIE DIP

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,2215,158180-235200,00.html Content Copyright © 2010 Cooks.com - All rights reserved. 1/2 cup organic sour cream 1/2 cup mixed herbs, such as, parsley, chives and dill 1/3 cup grapeseed oil vegenaise 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 12 oz organic cream cheese, room temperature Assorted vegetables, such as, baby carrots, sliced bell peppers, cucumbers In blender, process sour cream, herbs, vegenaise, 2 tablespoons water, vinegar, salt, and cayenne pepper until smooth and pale green. Cut cream cheese into chunks. Add to blender, one at a time, processing until smooth. Transfer mix to serving bowl. Serve with fresh vegetables.

PESTO!

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts (I used walnuts)
  
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves
  
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices. Yummy!

Homemade Granola Bars

Making your own granola bars is one of those "throw whatever you have on hand in" type of recipe! Here's one that I did:

GRANOLA BARS

3 cups oats 1/3 cup organic raisins 1/3 cup dried organic cranberries (watch out for added sugars and hydrogenated oils) 1/3 cup dried cherries (same) 1 1/4 cup nuts (any kind), chopped 3 tbsps flax seed 3 tbsps sesame seeds 3 tbsps sunflower seeds 6 pitted and chopped dates 1/4 cup raw honey 1/4 cup molasses 1/2 cup sucanat 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 free range egg, beaten 2/3 cup organic butter or coconut oil 1 teaspoon vanilla Making the Granola: Add all ingredients to a large bowl, mixing well. Press firmly into a 15"X10" glass pan which has been generously sprayed with grapeseed oil spray. Bake at 350°F for about 20-30 minutes, or until lightly browned along edges. Cool. Cut into bars. **Mine did not stick together well after sitting for one day. I think if you refrigerated them, they would stick better right away. It's possible to make a double batch for granola cereal two ways; before adding the honey, remove half of the mixture and store in refrigerator to be used as breakfast cereal, or combine all ingredients and toast in oven on a baking sheet, using a spatula to mix/turn. Proceed with remaining mixture as above to make the bars.

Coconut Flour Apple Muffin HEAVEN!

Best coconut flour recipe I have tried yet! Easy and delicious. And I loved that I didn't have to change any ingredients- it was already healthy! :)

Enjoy!

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/09/spiced-apple-muffins-gluten-grain-and-dairy-free.html

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prep the muffin tins. I suggest using muffin papers (baking cups), otherwise you can grease it.

Dry Ingredients:

1/2 cup of coconut flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon medium grind sea salt (if you use fine, use 1/4 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

In a medium size bowl combine the dry ingredient and briskly whisk until all lumps are removed.

Add:

1/3 cup of coconut oil
1/4 cup of honey

Melt together on the stove top, just until melted (don’t get it hot, otherwise it could cook your eggs prematurely).

And:

3 eggs, lightly whisked.

Whisk until everything is well combined, and then add:

3/4 cup of shredded apples (wash, and core the apples, and then shred, peel and all)*see note above*

Divide between ten muffin tins, and bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle of the muffin.

Allow to cool for a few minutes and take out of the muffin tins and serve!

Homemade Fudgesicles!

Prepare yourself for melt in your mouth yummy goodness!!! These fudgesicles have a small story behind them: I have had several people mention to me lately about using avocado as a great base for raw desserts. I am all about avocado, so I decided to give a dessert a try. I did an avocado-chocolate-coconut cream popsicle. Not our favorite! Nothing like an avocado pop right? Well, just wasn't my cup of tea. I will definitely try more raw desserts using avocado, but these popsicles needed another try. Enter, fudgesicles! So basically I just took out the avocado, and added some extra goodness. Now we are talking. Now I am pleased with my result!!! :)...........ok ok my sweet friend Christy reminded me today that I forgot to add the dates. Whoops!!! So we can't rule out avocado fudgesicles just yet! ;)

1 can organic coconut milk (very creamy brand such as Thai)
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup raw honey
1 tsp stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend in your blender until mixed. Pour into your popsicle molds and freeze :)

Extra add ins:

For chocolate peanut butter pops add about 3 good size tablespoons organic peanut butter and blend.

For a minty treat, add 6-8 Newman's Own Organic Newman's O's Mint cookies and blend. (These contain organic sugar)

Each recipe makes 6-8 fudgesicles.

Homemade Popsicles

This summer we've made some yummy homemade popsicles, as they are a favorite of any child! Most recently, we made Strawberry Coconut Popsicles. Great dairy free option.

My daughter also loves this creation:

Makes 4 small popsicles

Mix together in a cup:
About 2-3 Tbsps organic lemon juice
About 2-3 Tbsps organic lime juice
1 tsp stevia
2 cups water

Mix together; taste and adjust to your preference... this recipe is just a guide for you.
Pour in your molds and freeze until solid.

We have recently found popsicle molds with straws attached and are super excited!

Homemade Frozen Yogurt

Try making your own frozen yogurt for a special dessert treat! Super easy.

All you need is:

one small bag of frozen fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, peaches, etc. (organic)
and one tub of organic cream top (whole milk) vanilla yogurt (I used Stoneyfield Farms)

Blend the two until mixed in your blender then put back into the yogurt tub. Needs to freeze for several hours. And once frozen solid, you may need to take it out and let sit on the counter for a few minutes in order to scoop some out! Yum :)

*You could also use plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with honey or stevia, etc.

Dana and Matt's Breakfast Delight!

Matt and I used to make this breakfast all the time when we were dating. Really, it could be a quick lunch or dinner too! It's super yummy and just fun to make. Bake it a little more and you have a breakfast pizza, bake it a little less and you can roll it up as a breakfast burrito.

Makes 2:

2 whole grain tortillas, such as Ezekiel brand

About 4 free range organic eggs scrambled

4 slices of uncured turkey bacon cooked

1 organic potato washed and sliced thin

1 onion chopped

raw cheddar cheese shredded (about 1/2 cup or so)

sea salt and pepper

Cook onions and potatoes in a pan, covered, over medium high heat. Stir often. Add salt and pepper and some grapeseed or coconut oil so it doesn't stick.

Meanwhile, scramble eggs in another pan and cook the bacon when the eggs are done.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place in this order on your tortilla: eggs, chopped cooked bacon, potatoes and onions, cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes, give or take depending on how crispy you want it and if you want a pizza or a burrito. :)

Yum.

Popcorn For Dummies

Like my title? Well that was me a year ago. If you had asked me to make you homemade popcorn I would have replied, "Isn't that what microwaves are for?". A healthy living journey is all about the little changes, so homemade popcorn was it. My husband graciously showed me how easy and simple it was. :) So I am now blogging about this 'duh' kind of recipe, because I am sure there are others out there like me who didn't even think to give it a try. ;)

Cover the bottom of your pot with grapeseed oil (he likes coconut oil, but I think it then tastes like coconut. Coconut popcorn? One coconut item I don't prefer!)
Heat on high with one kernel in pot.
When the kernel pops, cover the bottom with more kernels, reduce heat to med-low and cover. Shake the pot to keep it mixed up.
When the popping slows down or stops, remove from heat and mix in organic butter and sea salt to your taste. Now enjoy. The only thing that makes microwave popcorn better is not having to wash the dish! But hey, if washing an extra dish means a healthier life, I think I can handle the extra dish. ;)