Healthy Soft Granola Bars

Here’s a pretty straightforward recipe that disappears quickly any time I make it. Most, most delicious. I don’t appear to have a photo of it in my files. I guess that means I need to make it again soon?? Great for a snack or a healthier dessert choice.

1/2 c brown sugar
2/3 c peanut butter
1/2 c honey (or agave for vegans)
1/2 C butter (or Nucoa margarine for vegans), melted
2 tbsp vanilla
3 c oats
1/2 c cocoanut
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c raisins
1/3 c whole wheat flour
1 c chocolate or carob chips

Mix brown sugar, peanut butter, honey, butter, and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients.

Press into sheetcake pan.

Bake at 350 for twenty minutes. Cut into squares while warm; then let cool completely before removing from pan.

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You could try other nut butters and combinations of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. I always initially balk at the idea of combining peanut butter and raisins, but when it’s actually in my mouth, I really enjoy it, and therefore haven’t really tried any other options at this point. Let me know what you try and how it tastes!

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I’ve been requested to do a post on salads, so I’m mulling that over and hope to have something on that topic next week!

Granola Recipe Template

Golden, crunchy goodness.

I just love granola. Especially I love chunky, nutty granola with raisins in it. While I’m still working on finding THE perfect granola recipe that fulfills all my wildest granola fantasies, here’s a basic granola recipe that I’ve found to be foolproof and delicious. You can eat it with any type of milk (almond milk is my favourite). Or, something my husband likes to do is just stir in applesauce and no milk, which is also very tasty.

7 c oats
1 c wheat germ
1 1/2 c cocoanut
1/2-1 c white flour (optional; use if you want it to clump)

1/2 c agave or honey
3/4 c melted butter, margarine, or olive oil (can use half applesauce)

1/2 c nuts, chopped
1 c sunflower seeds (or to taste)

1 c dried fruit, chopped up if it is not already small (like raisins)

Mix well, starting with all the dry ingredients. When they are combined, add the agave/oil. If it is too dry, add a little water as needed.

Now, here’s where most recipes will tell you to put the mixture on cookie sheets, and here’s where I say DON’T put the mixture on cookie sheets. Unless you want burned granola. Here’s what you do: you take two 13×9 pans, split the granola mixture evenly between them, and pack it down.

Bake at 275 for 20 minutes. Take out the pans, stir the contents up, and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. When that time is up, stir in your nuts and sunflower seeds and return to the oven for as long as it takes to finish cooking. You’ll know it’s done when it’s quite dry to the touch, but not petrified.

Once it’s done baking, stir in whatever dried fruit you have chosen to add. Let it sit out to cool completely, stirring occasionally to expedite the process. Put it into a tightly sealing container of some kind to store it.

NOTE: I don’t store it in the freezer/fridge because it goes so fast around here. If you think it might last a month or more at your house, fridge might be a good idea so the nuts don’t go bad before you eat it.

And, here’s a bonus recipe. Using the recipe above, I tweaked a few things and came up with….

PUMPKIN GRANOLA!!!

You use:

The same first 4 ingredients PLUS 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

Reduce oil to 1/3 cup and add 1 cup pureed pumpkin. Instead of agave, use molasses.

Walnuts or pecans for the nuts

Raisins for the fruit (if fruit is desired)

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You want another one?

CINNAMON RAISIN GRANOLA

The same first 4 ingredients PLUS 1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 c molasses or other sweetener

1 c Walnuts for nuts (skip the sunflower seeds)

1/2 c flaxseed

And, of course, raisins.
Have fun playing with granola and let me know if you come up with any tasty combos of your own!

Every Blog Has to Have a First Post: Baked Oatmeal

21 years ago, on a dusky November evening, my family pulled into the driveway of some friends, who opened their home to us our first few days in our new state of Idaho while we found a place to live. This family loves to socialise, and they love food, and many of my favourite memories involve times at their house.

The next morning we were welcomed to consciousness by the warm loveliness of something I’d never encountered before in all my seven and a half years: baked oatmeal. It was love at first taste.

I have, over the years, made modifications to the original recipe so that I have a vegan version. (I’m not hardcore vegan, but prefer it on the whole, so much of what you see on this blog will reflect that.) How many does it serve? Well, my husband and I can clear out the entire pan in one breakfast. We are rather voracious consumers of foody goodness.

Warm, luscious breakfasty goodness.

Without further ado, here’s the recipe:

2 whole eggs, beaten (vegans: substitute 4 T water mixed with 2 T ground flaxseed)
½ cup honey (or agave, or just substitute water if you’d rather not have sweetener)
1 cup milk (soy, rice, cocoanut, whatever)
½ cup melted butter (Nucoa margarine or olive oil)
3 cups rolled oats (other rolled grains can be used, or gluten-free oats!)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups frozen blueberries, unthawed (fresh berries and any kind of berry can be substituted)

Beat the eggs. Stir in honey. Add milk and melted butter or oil.

Add dry ingredients. Stir in blueberries last.

Put into an ungreased 13×9 pan and bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes. It should look nicely browned on top without being burned. Serve warm, with milk of choice.

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Make this version first, and then try the following if they appeal to you: substitute applesauce for half the oil; throw in some cocoanut or finely chopped nuts.