Gaga over Granola

I love soft, chewy granola bars, but I don't always love that strange ingredients in the store bought kind. I am not a fan of the crunchy granola bars and the chewy ones are way too sweet for me, so I set about trying to make my own. Of course, I went to my "go to" website to see what a granola recipe usually had and then set to work on creating my own version since they looked easy enough to make. There have been quite a few batches in the recent past, but I think I finally have the recipe perfected. Fortunately, I have a captive audience that has been willing to try my different versions of the granola bar (which haven't always come out perfectly). A few were too crumbly and fell apart when you touched them, one was a bit too sweet, and a few managed to come out quite well. I did try adding in wheat germ, but this turned out to be one of the batches that fell apart. The flavor was there though and it would have been wonderful as a cereal or frozen yogurt topping. However, now matter what the consistency, the flavors always seemed to impress the taste testers so I just needed to work on getting the ingredients to stay together.

Ingredients:
2 cups of oats
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup light or dark agave
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup dried cranberries, cherries, raisins, etc*
1/2 cup chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, etc*

Directions: 
Toast oats on baking sheet for 4-5 minutes at 400 degrees F. If you can smell the oats baking, then you need to take them out immediately. Line a glass 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, combine the flour, spices, and salt in a bowl and add toasted oats once they have cooled. Mix in the coconut oil, syrup, agave, and vanilla. Stir in whatever dried fruits and nuts you are using. Pour into the pan and bake for 24 minutes.

Allow the pan to cool on a wire baking rack until the pan is cool to the touch. Then place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes and then cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

*You can you any kind of dried fruit or nuts that you want. However, I did find that the nuts need to be pretty finely chopped in order for the bars to stick together. You can also choose to omit the fruit or add in chocolate chips, coconut, or whatever you want in your granola bars. Don't be afraid to make them your own.

These granola bars are easy to make and definitely much better than the store bought versions. I promise you that once you try these, you won't go back. No matter what your mood, these granola bars are great anytime of day. These have become a must have at the office and are requested on pretty much a weekly basis, so I know that the recipe must be pretty delicious. Make sure you save yourself a piece because they will disappear before your eye.

Curry Hummus

I love hummus, but for some reason I thought it was difficult to make...and up until recently I didn't have a food processor. While flipping through the Cooking Light cookbook I have, I saw a recipe for curry hummus. There were 5 ingredients: olive oil, salt, garbanzo beans, lemon, and curry powder. I figured that it was worth a try and plus I really wanted to use my food processor. Hummus is super easy to make because all you do is add the ingredients and process together. The trickiest part is getting the right consistency, which takes a little longer than I thought. Unfortunately, I took it out too soon, so there were still a few pieces of the garbanzo beans. Though I didn't make perfect hummus the first time, it was easy enough that I will definitely be making it again. This hummus is a great twist on the classic and a light, healthy summer snack.

Homemade Granola Bars

Ever since I tried homemade granola bars, I realized that I could never eat a processed granola bar again. I guess you can call me a granola bar snob now, but they are so easy to make and you can make whatever kind you want. I used a basic recipe from Cooking Light and then added some additional mix-ins. Basically, there are three steps: toasting the dry ingredients, making the "glue" and baking. This recipe started by toasting oats, slivered almonds, and coconut flakes. Put those into a bowl and make the "glue". I don't know what the official name of it is, but it what holds everything together. Heat up canola oil, honey, and peanut butter. Once it is all melted pour it over the toasted dry ingredients and mix. I threw some raisins in before I added the "glue", but you can put anything else you want in. Once you gently mix everything together, it gets poured into an 11 x 17 glass baking dish and then baked for one hour. I don't think I bake them quite long enough to finish adhering together since they were kind of crumbly once you cut them. However, the clusters were super delicious. Though I can't say I am a certified granola bar pro, I do know that I will be making my own from now on and hopefully they will get a little better every time. I promise they will be worth it!

PB2

What do you get when you mix powered peanuts with water...peanut butter! PB2 has taken natural snacking to a whole new level. This new concept allows you to mix the peanut butter you need and has less saturated fat and calories than regular peanut butter. It is known that peanuts are not the best nut for you, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are bad for you. With that being said, I rarely eat peanut butter, as I have now become an avid fan of almond butter. My curiosity got the better of me and so I figured I needed to give it a try. This is a make what you need peanut butter, so all you do is mix 2 tablespoons peanut butter with 1 tablespoon of water and voila! you have peanut butter. The amazing thing is that it actually tastes like peanut butter. It's a little odd at first, but surprisingly yummy. For me it makes the perfect portion to put on an apple or celery as a snack and not overeat. Because let's be honest, who doesn't love to play with their food? So be sure to try it out one of the many flavors of PB2.

No More Humdrum Hummus

Hummus is a versatile food that I can't seem to get enough of. Plus these days, there seem to be many different versions which makes it even more tempting. I am not sure where HEB came up with all these different ones, but I am totally digging the white bean hummus. It is topped with roasted red peppers and pesto, adding more depth of flavor. The white bean base creates a slight different taste to the hummus, but I must say that this could potentially be better than the regular one. I know, I know...how can you beat regular hummus? It's somewhat hard to explain because the difference is pretty subtle. All I can say is give it a try and see what you think. If you are looking to mix it up even more, than substitute a spoonful of hummus for your salad dressing on your salad. All you have to do it mix and eat. The best part is that it won't make your lettuce soggy. So instead of reaching for the chips, grab some hummus and cucumbers for a healthier snack.

Happy Macadamia Nut Day!

The day after a holiday is always a hard adjustment, so why not celebrate macadamia nut day?! These nuts are from Australia and have recently been linked to lowering LDL and total cholesterol. Sadly, they are a bit high in fat, so they aren't exactly the healthiest nut, but the do make a pretty good. snack. They make an even better cookie. Yes, I am talking about the infamous white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Even though I am not a white chocolate fan, every once in a while this kind of cookie just sounds good. So break out the nuts and the cookie recipe and celebrate the day!