Oatmeal Raisin Energy Bars

Meet my new favorite snack.  I know I've posted a few too many Larabar knock-off recipes lately but this one is too good not to share.  Definitely ranks #1.  Easy to grab when you're on the go and a great pre-run snack to fuel you up without weighing you down.  

I love the flavor and texture of the toasted oats and almonds.  Molly tried them and said they tasted like peanut butter and jelly.  So perhaps I should call these PB&J Bars?  Anyways, I tried to make these with various nut butters and raisins.  The verdict?  Golden raisins win and the natural, salted peanut butter is key.  

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Raw Bars

I have been on a kick making homemade raw bars or homemade "larabars".  First, there were the Chocolate Chip Cookie Raw Bars, and since then I have made a few others varieties -- including Dark Chocolate Cherry and Vanilla Walnut Shortbread.  Loved 'em both!  However, these are my favorite so far.  Its no surprise since one of my favorite snacks is dark chocolate chips, pistachios and dried cherries -- the perfect trail mix blend. 

 

I've made these bars twice now because I love them so much.  That's saying a lot because I normally prefer to experiment with new flavors and recipes.  I prefer to store them in the freezer because they last longer and they get soft at room temp. 

 

If you have any raw bar recipes, send them my way!

 

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

I don't have an earth shattering recipe to share with you today -- just a simple and healthy snack! Although I make a lot of sweet treats, I balance all of my baking with a pretty healthy lifestyle -- yoga, running and clean eating. Since I am a frequent snacker, I'm always looking for new options. I love, love, love chickpeas so these have been making it into the rotation. Enjoy them sweet or savory -- they can be seasoned just about any way you'd like.

Simple Slow Cooker Curry Lentils

 

Its the second day of Spring and it still feels like winter in Columbus.  I'm still enjoying warm, comfort foods, wearing cozy sweaters and my winter coat AND I've used my slow cooker twice in the past week!  Since I don't see it warming up anytime soon, I thought I'd share this recipe with you.  Its simple, healthy and flavor-packed. 

Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas

I thought I'd take a break from all of the sweet treats to share a simple breakfast idea with you. 

 

I love oatmeal.  This has not always been the case.  I used to be an oatmeal hater.  I forced myself to suck it down during my first job in Chicago, when the easiest thing to do was grab a pack of the Quaker instant (super sweet) stuff on my way out the door -- maple and brown sugar was my go-to. 

 

Then I discovered overnight oats.  Yogurt, almond milk, rolled oats and naturally sweetened with bananas or berries -- my new go-to!  However, on the weekends, baking is my preferred prep method.  The banana bread baked oatmeal still takes the cake but I love the addition of berries in Gina's version!  If you're feeding a larger group, follow her recipe for baking the oatmeal in a larger pan.        

Chocolate Chip Cookie Raw Bars

If you're a fan of Larabars, I have a great recipe for you today!  I'm big on DIY recipes so when I saw a recipe for homemade Larabars, I knew I had to make them.  I don't know what it is but I just get a great sense of satisfaction knowing I made something from scratch.  My DIY list is growing....

the recent Sweet and Spicy Jerky

various Nut Butters (Honey and Sea Salt Almond Butter & Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter to name a few)

LOADS of Granola

Homemade Graham Crackers

Dog Biscuits

AND I just started a new list of baking projects that I can't wait to tackle (first up, bagels and doughnuts!). 

Crunchy Cherry-Almond Granola Bars

I can't take credit for finding this recipe.  My mom made them and they are absolutely delicious.  I'm a snacker and like to have granola bars around for an easy snack to grab on the go -- a few of my favorites are Luna, KIND and Clif Mojo but homemade bars win any day.  One of my very first posts was a homemade granola bar recipe by Ina that I also love.  In terms of nutritional value, I think these ones score a little bit higher.  Anyways, these were too good not to share even if I didn't make them -- thanks, Mom!

Gingerbread Granola

 

We've shared lots of granola recipes with you over the past few years.  This just might be my favorite of them all.  I made it for the first time last year and couldn't wait for the opportunity to make it again.  The smell when you are making this is just like gingersnap cookies -- heavenly.  I love the use of molasses instead of honey and the spices are so comforting. 

If you love gingerbread -- try these Ginger Pumpkin Chewies or the classic Sugar Crusted Ginger Chewies -- two of my favorites!

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

I don't know about you but I can't get enough of the squash this time of year.  I have been wanting to share this recipe for the past year but always missed the opportunity to get pictures.  A good friend brought it for Thanksgiving in Chicago last year and my family absolutely loved it.  Since then, my mom has made it a number of times -- twice in the past week!

This salad is great for a Fall dinner party -- the flavors and presentation are just perfect.  It would even make a great simple weeknight dinner served with grilled chicken.

Light(er) Pumpkin Muffins

Its probably very clear to most of you that I love baking with pumpkin!  Fall is, by far, my favorite season for baking and cooking.  I just can't get enough of all of the pumpkin, apples, cinnamon and spices!

So far this season, I've made my pumpkin cream cheese muffins, pumpkin blondies, mini caramel apple tarts, healthy pumpkin banana muffins, apple toffee blondies and Bakerella's pumpkin chip cookies.  However, the my very first pumpkin baking of the season was done making this light muffins.  They are light and fluffy and full of pumpkin flavor. 

If you have any favorite Fall recipes to share, please send them my way!

Banana Bread Granola

If you've been a follower since the beginning, you've probably noticed an abundance of recipes for bananas and granola.  I finally decided to bring the two together in the form of Banana Bread Granola.  

I wasn't sure what to expect when I threw this together.  After making it the first time, I decided I wouldn't change a thing about it!  It tastes exactly like a slice of banana bread, combined with the crunchy, nutty texture of granola.  Serve up with some Greek yogurt or eat straight from the bag.

Some of our other favorite banana bread recipes:
Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
Light Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Crumb Topping
Bananas Foster Banana Bread
Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Banana Bread Cobbler

Almond Butter Granola

Check out those clusters!!  Whenever I open a bag of store bought granola, I pick out all of the clusters because they are definitely the best part.  I'm always disappointed when I can't create those clusters with my homemade granola recipe... until now.

I kind of just threw this combination together and the results were perfect.  The taste is nutty and not-too-sweet and the texture is super crunchy.  I even got to use my homemade Honey and Sea Salt Almond Butter.

Simple Veggie Burgers

This was my first attempt at making homemade veggie burgers.  Which is surprising because I eat a LOT of (pre-packaged) veggie burgers (if you haven't tried the Trader Joe's Veggie Masala Burgers just run over there right this instant and get 'em -- my absolute favorite).

My mom has raved about the knock-off recipe for the Northstar Veggie Burger (I'm pretty sure even meat-lovers love this burger) but I didn't have beets so that wasn't an option.  I went ahead and searched for the knock-off recipe for another veggie burger that I thought was great -- found at The Counter.  It is simple and can be jazzed up with whatever toppings you like!

A few handy tips:

- Prep, prep, prep!  This goes for all recipes but I always like to have my dicing, chopping, stirring, mashing done in advance.  Prevents many recipe mishaps.

- Food Processor.  First, if you don't have one, get one.  It works magic when it comes to grating veggies.  I like to cut my veggies into (approx.) 2-inch pieces, toss them in the processor and pulse, pulse, pulse until I have the perfect "grate".

Pistachio & Almond Crusted Chicken

I knew I had to share this recipe with you after taking my first bite -- that was back in February (**note:  I have made this multiple times in the past few months).  Now that I am finally getting around to sharing the recipe with you, I suggest adding it to your dinner rotation ASAP.

Chicken can get so boring but the flavors in this dish are excellent.  Even better -- the prep time is minimal and the crisp outer coating keeps the chicken nice and juicy!  

Black Bean Brownies

Please, just give these a shot.  They are rich, fudgy and decadent -- promise!

I'm normally not one to go for the "healthier" version of a dessert.  I'd rather just have the real deal or nothing at all.  I'm not sure what I was thinking when I decided to make these?  Perhaps when I read that a pastry chef makes them for her own family, I was convinced.  Maybe there was a can of black beans staring at me from the pantry begging to be used?  Not really sure.  However, I can guarantee you that no one will ever know there are black beans in these brownies.

Herb-Roasted Butternut Squash "Fries"

I have a slight obsession with squash.  There was the spaghetti squash... and now its the butternut squash.  Pumpkin is a whole other story.

Once you make these, you will see why I love this vegetable so much.  I eat some sort of roasted vegetable almost every night with my dinner -- broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, green beans, etc. etc.  After roasting butternut squash numerous times, I discovered I could make it taste almost exactly like sweet potato fries.  Delicious and nutritious!

Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter

I keep a very lengthy list of recipes that I just never seem to get around to making.  Homemade nut butter has been on my list for, ohhh, about a year and a half.  Guess what?  In the past week, I have made TWO batches of almond butter.  

Unfortunately, the first batch didn't last long.  There was a little kitchen mishap -- I dropped my glass jar full of CHOCOLATE COCONUT ALMOND BUTTER on my tile floor.  Shattered everywhere.  I almost cried because it was the most delicious almond butter I have ever tasted.  I will be making it again very soon, but until then, I'll be enjoying this batch of maple cinnamon almond butter.  

Sometimes I eat it with a banana, or perhaps an apple, but mostly straight from the jar.

Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

Winter is in full force here in Chicago.  I don't know about you, but I don't think there is anything better than a big, warm bowl of soup this time of year.  This is, hands-down, the easiest soup I have ever made.  No simmering on the stove for lengthy periods of time.  It comes together in less than 30 minutes.  This isn't your classic tomato soup -- it's complimented by white beans and whole wheat noodles.  It tastes hearty but won't weigh you down. When I make this again, I will definitely add more veggies and more spice!

Also, a helpful little hint:  I know cooking for one isn't the easiest.  When I make soup, I portion it off into single serving containers.  Then, I can freeze a few servings and take them out of the freezer for quick lunch and dinner options.   

Not-Tuna Salad

I love finding new lunch ideas.  Ideally, I like to make some sort of soup or salad that I can make Sunday and will last me through the week.  This hasn't happened lately but its a new year and I'm really going to make a better effort.

In line with the new year/fresh start mentality, I did a 3-day juice cleanse last week.  Pre and post cleansing days are strictly fruits and veggies so really its more like a week long ordeal -- sounds BRUTAL, right?  In all honesty, it left me feeling great, kind of like I hit the reset button.  Would I do it again?  Probably not.  I'm glad I tried it but I really, REALLY missed meal time and the simple act of chewing.  Feel free to email me with questions!

Anyways, back to this salad.  As part of my "mental prep", I explored many vegan and raw food blogs in search of satisfying dinner ideas.  I actually discovered a lot of great recipes and meal ideas, including this "Not-Tuna Salad."  Simple, fresh flavors.  Treat it like tuna salad and you've got lunch.

Cranberry Pear Compote

My mom originally made this cranberry "sauce" for Thanksgiving in Chicago.  I reaped the benefits of hosting and got to keep the leftovers.  I really consider this more of a fruit compote.  I love using it to top my Greek yogurt or just eat it plain.

In case you have an abundance of pears leftover from holiday fruit baskets, you should really make this.  Healthy and delicious to start the New Year right!

P.S.  You can head on over to Gina's site to check out the nutrition facts.