Homemade Granola Bars

 

I feel like I need to tell you this before I share this delicious recipe: I'm one of those nerds who resists the easy way. I'm kind of what you would call an "Over Achiever". Otherwise known as "One Fry Short of a Happy Meal". 

Whatever you prefer to call it, I just can't seem to figure out how to take the easy way. I'm the one huffing and puffing up the stairs in the airport carrying my huge suitcase and over-sized purse while everyone else sips martini's on the way up using the escalator. The people on the escalator, those folks have sense, me on the other hand, maybe a little less sense. 

These Nutty Oat Protein Bars were born out of one of these "Over Achiever" moments. We were planning a camping trip and I knew we would need snacks for hikes, but I resisted buying the snacks and instead decided to try my hand at "Granola Bar-Making".

I did some research, bought the necessary ingredients and hunkered down in the kitchen. 
The first batch was soft and sort of fell apart. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you prefer softer chocolate chip cookies and the like, you will probably like the softer version of this granola bar.

However, not everyone in my household prefers things that way, so I took some and placed them on a baking stone and heated them in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until they were darkened and crisp. Then I melted some peanut butter chips in the microwave and dipped the tops of them in the melted peanut butter for good measure.

The results were delicious. I was happy with the softer variety, but adding the crisp and the peanut butter coating really spruced things up. You could also add chopped walnuts, dried cranberries or raisins. Dates could be delicious too! Hey, whatever you have that makes you feel inspired, just toss it in and give it a shot!


I encourage you to try it both ways, or start with the soft variety and if you don't like it, just throw them in the oven like I did and try the second, more crisp and sweet variation.

Here's the recipe! Enjoy!

Nutty Oat Protein Bars

2 Cups Oats
1/2 Cup Flax Seed
3/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1 Cup Peanuts; Crushed
1 Cup Walnuts; Chopped
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Creamy All Natural Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar Free Syrup
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Kosher salt

For Crisp Variation:

1/4 Cup Peanut Butter Chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flax seed, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and walnuts. Toss with a spoon to combine. Then place the mixture on a clean baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Check every 5 minutes and stir so you avoid burning the oats or nuts. Then remove from the oven and return the mixture to a large bowl.

3. In a medium sauce pan, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, syrup, vanilla extract, and salt. Heat over medium heat and stir together with a whisk until it is smooth. Remove from heat.
4a. For the soft variation: Pour the syrup mixture over the toasted nuts and oats. Stir with a spatula until the syrup mixture has coated everything. Then place un-greased wax paper in a 9 X 13 baking pan and transfer the oat and nuts to the baking pan. If you don't have wax paper you can also use plastic wrap which I had to do. Press the mixture down with the spatula until it is evenly distributed and packed really tight. This is what will hold the bars together when they cool. 

5a. For the soft variation: Allow the bars to cool for 2-3 hours. Then slice and wrap them in cling wrap or just eat them right then and there!


4b. For the crisp variation: Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Pour the syrup mixture over the toasted nuts and oats. Stir with a spatula until the syrup mixture has coated everything. Then place the mixture in a 9 X 13 baking pan. Press the mixture down with the spatula until it is evenly distributed and packed really tight. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes.


5b. For the crisp variation: Turn the cooled bars onto a large cutting board and slice into 14 even bars using a large sharp knife. A few crumbs will fly, but those can be your little treat. Microwave the peanut butter chips in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second intervals and stir using a fork until they are smooth and shiny. Dip the top of each granola bar into the melted peanut chips. Or spread the melted peanut chips over the top with a large butter knife or cake froster. Set on a flat surface and allow to cool completely (about another 20-30 minutes). The peanut butter chip topping should be firm to the touch. Wrap the bars in plastic wrap and they are ready to go!


Servings: 14


Nutritional Skinny:


216 calories / 13.7 g fat / 18.8 g carbohydrates / 4 g fiber / 7 g protein


Mental Health Tip: These most nutritionally resemble a Cliff Bar or a Power Bar. The higher fat content is due to the fact that we have added so many nuts and seeds. These are the 'good' kinds of fat or the kinds that raise our good cholesterol or what's called the HDL, so don't get too worried. Enjoy these on a hike, after a bike ride, or just as a mid-day slump fighter!

Road Trip Snacks

As I've discussed before.. I have a tendency towards crazy. But unlike other kinds I prefer to call mine the "good kind of crazy" if you know what I mean. 

So here is the latest.. I have decided to drive home for the Thanksgiving holiday to be with my family and bring my boyfriend with me. Doesn't sound crazy yet, right? Well, driving home for me includes a 3,000 mile round-trip adventure from Northwest Montana to Chicago, IL when the weather looks a little less than fabulous. 


And there it is folks... that "good kind of crazy" I'm talking about. 
The good news is...

The sun has come out after days of snow and rain giving me the 'go ahead it's going to be a great trip' omen I was hoping for.

And I know how to pack road snacks for a three day road trip. Aren't we lucky?

I'll get on with it...  here is how I pack for a glorious and successful three day trip.. Take notes if you like or just use a few of the tips that I have included. Either way if you are making a road trip, even if it isn't over mountain passes in the dead of winter where you may slide out or get stranded (don't worry family.. I'll get there come hell or more likely snowy ice packed mountain passes).

Road Trip Snacks - The essentials


I happened to have a dislike for fast food. There is nothing that feels worse than being cooped up in a car for three days other than being cooped up and eating greasy food for those three days. 

So I pack lunch meat,

Whole wheat bread (I ran out of time and had to buy the bread, I know shame on me), mustard,

And sliced cheese to make sandwiches along the way. Please use sliced cheese. You don't want to use a knife while driving--it's just not a good idea kids. I also put all the meat and cheese in zip lock bags. I hate when the water from the cooler ruins my cheese!

I also pack cheese sticks (I happen to think I could conquer the world with cheese sticks alone).

 I also love celery for long road trips, so I pre-cut and bag them into ready to munch pieces!

Then, of course, I have some pretzels, apples, granola bars (special K and Adkins are my favorite for protein and balanced nutrition), and nuts (which I could also almost live on).

Next is the cooler. I include water, diet soda (Diet Sprite is my favorite), juice, and then last but not least... (drum roll here please....)

Wine.. Hey! What if we do get stranded! At least we'll have something to do!

That's it! Now all I have to do is pack up my clothes, hair dryer, self tanning lotion, and my laptop. I'm set to go. Hey - a girl has to be prepared for anything! 

All systems are ago! Wish us luck and enjoy your travels and be this safe this Thanksgiving holiday!


Mental Health Tip: I like to manifest a safe, easy, and fun travel by visualizing just that in my head. I play it all through and visualize laughter, clear roads, and blue skies. It usually works for me so I hope you follow my lead and visualize the trip and holiday of your dreams.. And watch as your dreams come true!

Recipe for Love

It is almost Valentine's Day and one of those days where the calendar tells us to love. As if we need a calendar to tell us when to love another or when it is most appropriate. For me Valentine's day is every day. I know that sounds a little over the top, but I'm pretty over the top as it is. Valentine's Day gives me a excuse to finally be normal. My over the top antics all of a sudden don't seem over the top, but appropriate one day a year.

My mom and I dug through our piles of recipes and found recipes for delicious Sugar Cookies and Heart Healthy granola. We adapted them, as we do for every recipe, to the way that we really wanted them to be and are giving cookies and granola to our loved ones for Valentine's Day.

Mom and I sat outside to soak up the sunshine while these little Sugar Cookies baked. The frosting set up just like I hoped, but it ran and I ended up with flour all over myself. It was a messy process, but I ended up with pretty cute sugar cookies. 

I was so busy cooking that it was noon before I realized I hadn't eaten anything. My mom was skyping with dad and eating yogurt and our granola and I grabbed a protein bar and ate that so I didn't pass out. 

Dad was telling us about his fabulous gourmet meal he had eaten for lunch while mom and I, the so called 'chefs' ate cereal and granola bars. 

So, we don't always eat gourmet and sometimes baking actually impedes the good eating. 

That is my truth today. Sometimes even baking can get in the way and eating cookies and granola bars for lunch happens. 

Oh well. These cookies were worth it and I hope you all try them on for size yourself!

Here's hoping you a fabulous Valentine's Day no matter what you do or who you share it with. It is another day for love and how could that suck? I am pretty corney so what I did was modify the sugar cookie recipe and make it into a recipe for love. I know, pretty sappy, but maybe you will think its cute. 

Who knows. It was worth a shot. I couldn't find any heart shaped cookie cutters so I literally had to use the chocolate box lid to make the cookies into hearts! Pretty funny really.

Recipe for Love (or sugar cookies) :)

1/4 pound trust (butter)

3/4 cup honesty (sugar)

1 commitment (egg)

1/2 tsp. humor (vanilla)

1 tbsp. patience (milk or cream)

1 1/4 cup enthusiasm (flour)

1/2 tsp. encouragement (salt)

1/4 tsp. support (baking powder)

1. Preheat yourself to 350 degrees to prepare for the love-fest coming your way! Cream the trust and gradually add honesty. Beat the two until you are light and fluffy! Add the commitment, humor, and patience and continue mixing until smooth. Mix the enthusiasm, encouragement, and support together and combine with the trust, honesty, commitment, humor, and patience. Blend well. Roll it out into sheets and cut anyway you like.

2. Bake for a lifetime! Once done, sprinkle with good times! There you have it a recipe for long lasting love.

Frisky Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

2 egg whites

1. Whip all ingredients together. We don't have a blender and I used a food processor and it worked like a charm. This sets up great in about 15 minutes and you are going to want to make sure the cookies are cooled before you frost them. You can add food coloring if you like. I frosted the cookies and dipped them in pink sprinkles for fun and wrote using colored frosting too. Use your imagination and have fun!

Heart Healthy Granola

1/4 cup smart balance butter

1 cup All Natural Adams peanut butter (can be crunchy or creamy)

1/4 cup honey (we used my honey's - Lambeth Honey)

1/2 cup sugar free syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

3 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup flax seed

1 cup dried apples (you can also use cherries or cranberries)

1. Heat oven to 250 degrees.

2. Combine the butter, peanut butter, syrup, and honey in a microwave safe bowl and on HIGH for 1 minute to soften all ingredients. Add vanilla extract and salt. Stir until smooth, then add oats, walnuts, dried apples. Mix all ingredients until oats and nuts are completely covered.

3. Spread the mixture evenly on an ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Heat in the oven for 60-90 minutes checking after an hour for crispness.

4. This is delicious for breakfast served over low fat yogurt or as a power booster in the afternoon slump! Anyway you serve it those you made this for will know they are loved and cared for!

Mental Health Tip: If you don't know what to get your sweetie for Valentine's Day, a little sugar goes a long way. And I don't just mean food. Sweetness, affection, and tenderness go a long way for me for Valentine's Day and is really all I require. That is why Valentine's Day can be everyday. Be sweet to those you love and they will be sweet back. Share the sugar!

Happy Valentine's Day!

~ "Too Lovely" Hot Messes in the kitchen