Chewy Protein Energy Bars

I loved this picture of my daughter throwing up the leaves yesterday. She was an angel. She came and raked up and bagged 10 bags of leaves and carted them away. We have wonderful children who bless our lives in so many ways. I have loved the times my children and grandchildren have enjoyed playing in our leaves. There are a lot more leaves to come. The trees still have a lot of leaves on them. :) The raking and bagging is not over.

It is easy to find a lot of energy bars in the store. They are often very expensive and a lot a times you need a dictionary to decipher what the ingredient its. The safest bet and healthiest is to make your own ahead of time. Then you know exactly what you are eating.  The key is to make up a batch of them ahead of time and then you will have them ready to go when you need them.

These are loaded with protein. They are low in sweetener and taste great. You can make them your own by being creative and adding your favorite dried fruit or you can leave it out. I left it out this time.  I loved the soft chewiness of these bars. They also had just the right amount of sweetness.  Have a great weekend.


Ingredients

1/2 C chia ground *
1 C Old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C whole grain flour (I used spelt)
1/2 C dried fruit of your choosing * optional
1/2 C raw almonds
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C soft dates
1 tsp cinnamon
2 T coconut oil
5 T honey
2 eggs


Directions  Heat oven to 350

1. In a blender or food processor, pulse and blend everything except oil.  honey and eggs. Blend until all broken down.
2. Pour in bowl add oil, honey and eggs. Blend until all combined. I used a wire whisk to get it all to blend together. It will be a thick paste.
3. Grease a 9x9 pan (I love the way stone ware cooks.) Grease pan or line with parchment paper.
4. Place in oven and bake about 15 min or until done.
5. Take out of oven and let cool about 15 min before cutting.
6. Store wrapped up in air tight container individually so they are ready to grab. You can store in the fridge for 3 days or freeze them up to 3 months.

* I ground up chia ahead of time in a small grinder.

Oatmeal Cookie Bites

A fun way to eat oatmeal cookies with out all the calories. You could also cook them if you didn't want to eat them raw.

Ingredients

1 1/2 C old fashioned oatmeal
4 T chia *optional
1/2 C almond milk
5 T honey
3 T coconut oil
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 C old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 C chopped pecans (Or nuts of your choosing)
1/2 C raisins

Directions

1. Mix oatmeal, chia, milk, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl. Stir until all combined. Put in the fridge 30 min to thicken and it also lets the oatmeal soften.
2. I stirred in more oatmeal, (to give it some extra texture) pecans, and raisins.
3. Scoop on to cookie sheet or flat service. Put in fridge to harden.
4. Eat and enjoy. Store leftovers in airtight container.

Nutmeg and Quinoa, Amaranth and Buckwheat Cereal

I have been very interested in getting fresh nutmeg. Fresh always adds a better flavor in spices. I have seen it mentioned in recipes and was curious about it. In my search for looking for it, I finally found it at Sunflower market. It was in a rack with other spices that come in cellophane bags. I was so excited to finally be able to try it.

To use it, all you do is take a little zester, the kind you would use for zesting an orange, and rub the nut over it. It's that easy!

The first thing I tried it in was some hot cereal. It added a wonderful flavor, and it smells so good. If you don't like the flavor of nutmeg you will not like it, but if you do like nutmeg you will love it. :) The benefit to using spices is it adds a great flavor, and you can use less sweetener. I am excited to add it to some other foods.
Some interesting health benefits that could happen, eating nutmeg in moderation.
1. Aides in digestion.
2. Anti-inflammatory
3. Improve blood circulation which can boost brain activity
4. Boost in the function of the heart.
5. Works as a detox and can stones from forming in your kidneys.
6. Promotes the the production of serotonin in your body, which can help you relax and sleeping better.
7. Can eliminate bacteria in your mouth and help you from having bad breath.. It is an ingredient found in toothpaste sometimes.

"Some like it hot some like it cold....." I love this Cereal! I had it yesterday hot, and today I had some leftovers cold. It was yummy both ways. With the spices in it, and the texture it kind of reminded me of a rice pudding. So very good! It has a lot of texture to it, and it is really healthy too.

Ingredients:
3 C water
1/3 C unsweetened almond milk and a little extra to pour on top
1/3 C quinoa
1/3 C buckwheat
1/3 C amaranth
1/3 C coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
2 to 3 T honey
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg or 1/2 tsp dried (featured spice) Zester worked great!
*Optional 1/3 C raisins, craisins, dates, or any dried fruit.

Directions: serves 4

1. Boil the water then stir in all the ingredients except the raisins or dried fruit. Turn down heat to low and let cook till the grains are all softened. Put on the lid. It may take about 10 min. Add more water if needed.

2. Then add the fruit and stir it in. Serve into bowls and pour a little almond milk on top. Enjoy!


* For extra added nutrition you can soak the grains overnight or even 30 min before cooking.