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.

Cranberry Orange Granola

 

I realize I post a lot of granola recipes.  Hopefully, you love it just as much as I do.  I mean, how can you not?  The possibilities are endless when it comes to variety and flavor combinations! 

 

In case you haven't noticed, the blog got a little face lift.  It was long overdue.  I also updated the "about me" section and I have my wonderful AND creative sister, Sarah, to thank for that!  I said thank you with a bag full of granola -- bursting with citrus flavor, lightly sweetened with honey and packed full of good-for-you ingredients like coconut oil, flax seeds and plenty of nuts and seeds.   

 

I had to save some for myself, especially after I saw ohJoy! snacking on homemade granola with honey and riccotta -- a delightful little afternoon treat!   

Chocolate Covered Rice Krispie Treats

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  This is the first time in years that I haven't had grand plans to celebrate.  For four years, I celebrated the infamous Green Beer Day (proof that wikipedia has it all -- it even has a description of Green Beer Day at Miami of Ohio!).  For the next five years, there was always plenty of green beer to be had in Chicago.  This year, I celebrated by making shepard's pie for dinner one night this week and making cut-out rice krispie treats for my co-workers.  Times have changed :)

 

Side note:  You have to make IGE's recipe for Shepard's Pie -- I tweaked it a bit but this dinner was a hit!

 

 

Anyways, this is just your basic rice krispie treat recipe, cut into cute little shapes and jazzed up with sprinkles, of course.  The ONLY problem I have with this recipe is I was left with a ton of leftover rice krispie treat scraps.  Making plans to do something with those this weekend!  Stay tuned.... and I hope you enjoy lots of green beer!

 

"Paleo" Maple Granola

 

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a great weekend.  We had such a fun weekend celebrating Molly's birthday and enjoying the gorgeous weather! 

 

If you've been following Mag-Pie's for a while, you know how much I love granola.  Although I do not follow a Paleo diet at all, this recipe for Paleo "granola" sounded great to me.  I've already made multiple batches and can't get enough.  Its sweet and salty and packed full of nuts and seeds.  A delicious snack whether you are Paleo or not.  Just be careful not to eat the entire batch in a day :) It is seriously addicting!

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!). 

Homemade Sweet & Spicy Beef Jerky

 

Nothing says I love you like homemade beef jerky.  No?  While most people celebrate Valentine's Day with chocolates, I knew my guy would be much happier with a little sweet and spicy jerky.  Don't worry, I also made him chocolate-covered cheesecake bites which I will be sharing next week!

 

Anyways, we both love the sweet and spicy buffalo jerky from Trader Joe's.  If you've never tried it, pick some up.  It has accompanied us on every road trip and is usually devoured within the first hour.  Its seriously the best!  I found a few flavor varieties while researching recipes and methods but I was hoping to mimic the TJ's jerky so obviously went with the sweet and spicy.

 

My first attempt at homemade jerky was over Christmas.  You know, your typical stocking stuffer.  I burned one batch... the second batch was a semi-success... but this time around, it was unreal.  This is coming from someone who could very easily live without red meat.  It truly is a labor of love -- but oh so worth it!

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!

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts

I've been posting sporadically once again!  However, I still love to share all of the delicious things I've been making.  I have a few recipes in my back-log from the holidays.  These sweet and spicy roasted nuts make a great appetizer for a gathering or a snack to keep around the house.  I included them in a little hostess-themed gift box that I made for Sarah for Christmas.  We love the sweet and spicy combo!

 

I've only baked a few times since Christmas.  For New Year's Day I made Soft Batch Cookies using whole wheat flour and white and dark chocolate chips, even with the whole wheat flour (its all I had!) they turned out amazing.  I also made a batch of clean-eating Applesauce Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (adpated from this recipe) -- no added sugar, coconut oil and no flour so you can feel a little better about eating these. 

 

 I've have actually been cooking quite a bit but the picture taking just hasn't been happening.  I'll work on making it happen because I have a few new great dinner ideas to share! 

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!

Oat Snack Mix

I mentioned yesterday that I've been revisiting a lot of my old favorite recipes.  I make this Oat Snack Mix ALL the time.  Since it was originally posted 2+ years ago, in my very first week of blogging, I thought I'd share it again!  Its the perfect snack to bring to any occasion and everyone loves it!  You can mix it up with various cereals and mix-ins.

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!

Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

With the holiday season in full force, I like to keep a list of ideas for entertaining.  These mixed nuts the perfect snack to set out before you serve appetizers or your meal.  They also make a great homemade gift!

Nutty-Seedy Snack Mix

Its no secret that we love snack mixes.  Honey-Nut Snack Mix, Oat Snack Mix and Sweet 'n Savory Snack Mix have all made an appearance here.  This snack mix was inspired by the chocolate candy coated sunflower seeds that I picked up at Trader Joe's.  They are addicting on their own but I wanted to incorporate them into a recipe.  I sort of threw this together using ingredients I had in the cupboard.  The best part, the mixture I used created big crunchy clusters -- so good!

My parents were in town this past weekend visiting from Columbus, so I sent them home with a bag for the drive back.

Spicy Cashews

Christmas is less than 10 days away -- I mean, where did December go?  I don't know about you but I feel like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done!  That is why I bring you this 3-minute snack, appetizer, gift or whatever you want it to be.  These spicy cashews are so simple and I think it is the simplicity that makes them delicious.  Plus, they are a great alternative to all of the sweets most of us have around our house this time of year.  They are perfect to set out at a cocktail party or give as a gift.  Thanks, Ina -- you've never steered me wrong.

P.S.  Next time I'll be adding a little more spice.

All wrapped up and ready to go!

Candied Cinnamon & Sugar Almonds

I love finding ideas for great homemade gifts -- especially during the holidays.  With all of the events that everyone has during the holiday season, candied nuts are a great option to bring to the host of any occasion.  Put them in a cute container or bag, tie them with a ribbon and you are good to go!  These are also great to share with guests that come into your home.  I love almonds and the cinnamon and sugar coating is delicious.

Sweet 'n' Savory Snack Treat

This is the perfect treat to serve at any Fall gathering.  It is just the right combination of sweet and salty.  A cute idea from the author of this recipe is to serve this snack mix in cake ice cream cones so guests can have their own little container to hold while they walk around the party.  I think that is a great idea!

Honey-Nut Snack Mix

I can't tell you how many times I've made this snack mix or the oat snack mix variation in the past few years.  Its nothing fancy but everyone loves it.  Great to bring on road trips or as a snack when you're having a gathering. 

For the cereal, I've used LIFE, Quaker Oats Squares, you name it.  I say anything goes in this recipe.

Restaurant-Style Hummus

I don't know about you but I LOVE hummus.  It is my go-to snack and I eat it with just about everything; pitas, vegetables, on sandwiches, chips, and even with chicken!  And the great thing about hummus is that it is super fast and easy to make.  There are lots of different flavors but I decided to make original hummus.  I'm sure I will be making many other variations in the future though.  One very important step in making hummus is to let it sit for at least 30 minutes after you finish making it.  The flavors need time to come together otherwise it's just not that great.  But once you let it sit, it is wonderful!