Granola bars

If you an make Rice Krispie treats, you can make this recipe. We have a few different ways that we like to make granola bars, and this recipe is a modified version of my girl Heidi Swanson's Big Sur Power Bar recipe (which you can find at 101cookbooks.com). 

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar (I used organic Demerara)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/4 cups oats

1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

1/4 cup choc chips

1/4 cup mixed dried fruit (I used golden raisins and cranberries)

1/4 cup nuts

1 tbsp flax seeds

Grease an 11x7 in pan and line with parchment.

Mix all berries, nuts, choc chips, flax seeds, Rice Krispies and oats in a large bowl.

In a saucepan, mix syrup, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stirring constantly, let it boil for 4 min so that it thickens.

Mix the syrup mixture with the dry mixture. Spread into the pan and refrigerate so that it firms up a bit. Makes 24 bars:) 

SO much better homemade:)

Hard-boiled Eggs

I'm slightly obsessed with hard-boiled eggs. They are a great source of protein and are contained in their own shell, making them a great grab-and-go snack. But...I won't eat just any egg. They have to be perfect.

I steam my eggs in our veggie steamer pot. Get the water boiling- I'm talking a roaring boil. THEN put the steamer on (covered) and let them go for about 15 min. While they are boiling, get a large bowl and fill it with cold water and ice. When the eggs are done, you will take te steamer off and put it in the water to stop the eggs from cooking.

I use organic eggs. They are more expensive, but they taste soooo much better. In cooking them like this, you won't get that nasty gray coating around the yolk. That layer actually means they are overdone and it makes them smelly.

One of these egg snacks is 70 calories.

Trail-mix Cookies

I found this recipe on Epicurious.com. It's from the September 2009 issue of Bon Appetit by Marie Helm Sinskey.  The sweet thing about this recipe is that you can make the dough and freeze it or bake it right then AND they are vegetarian. (Really, you can do this with most cookie recipes) I did not use the coconut that the recipe called for as I am allergic to it. Click here for the recipe!

Ok, so first of all, I forgot to take the butter out of the freezer because I was busy trying to feed the kiddies. Let me just say, make sure the butter is ROOM TEMP like the recipe says. It would have saved me a lot of frustration. Definitely a rookie mistake. Also, line your baking sheets with parchment paper. I didn't because I never do as we have non-stick airbake pans. That was regret #2.

The recipe wants coursely chopped trail mix- I threw it in the food processor and pulsed a few times. I also baked it 14 min on my airbake pans, but 13 on the cookie sheet that was a non-airbake. I used a scooper so that the cookies were uniform in size (and I hate getting my hands dirty).

The verdict? This recipe is DEFINITELY a keeper! The cookies are absolutely delish! They are packed with oats and nuts...a great homemade substitute for a granola bar! That was my plan... I thought that The Chef could take them to school with him for a quick snack before class.