A few of my Favourite things...

Well Merry Christmas everyone!  Boy it seems to have been a while since we connected on here...and speaking of BOYS...let me introduce you to our newest precious little man...Mr Nate Joseph Wiebe.  Born November 22, 2012...he's amazing...we are so in love and enjoying every moment with him...he fits in perfectly!

So although I don't have any 'new' recipes ready to share with you today (I seriously have photos of about 9 different things on my phone...waiting to be blogged...oops!)...I thought I'd link up some of our family's favourite Christmas recipes.  Some from this blog...some from the web...and a few new ones I tried this year and we loved!  Hope you enjoy!

Always a hit...Starbucks style Gingerbread Loaf...my personal favourite:)

Most requested cookie in our house...Chewy Ginger Sticks

My go-to homemade gift for teachers and friends....Salted Fig & Almond Bark...similar to this
I use raw almonds...ENJOY LIFE chocolate chips...so good!!!

Our main course for the SUMMIT Christmas dinner...Filet Mignon with Creamy Red Wine Sauce...new recipe for me...very simple...great wow factor!

Amazing fun and new dessert idea...DIY Chocolate Truffles...also enjoyed at our SUMMIT Christmas dinner...would be amazing for any size group...will definitely do this again!  Thanks Jamie Oliver!

And one more...a great rolled out Gingerbread Cookie recipe...tried this one last year and loved it...the black pepper adds an amazing element.  Store in a sealed container and they stay soft and chewy...that's a win for me!  Obviously...I sub in some healthy choices...spelt flour and coconut sugar...amazing!

Many many blessings on your families and homes this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas from our family!

See you in the New Year...

You're on the same page as me if this was one of your favourite meals as a kid!  I had totally forgotten about this soup until I stumbled upon this recipe on good-ole Pinterest:)  It was a HUGE hit with our boys...and I have to admit I still loved eating it too!  Healthier for your kids on many many levels than the $0.59 can of it that you can pick up at the grocery store...SO simple to make...and VERY affordable!  I remember buying Amy's Organic's version of this soup when Noah was younger...on sale I would pay $2.99 for one can...and he would eat the whole can at one sitting...not the most affordable meal for a 2 year old!  I used all organic ingredients for this recipe and the massive pot that it made probably cost me about $10-$12.  I divided the soup up into little boy portions (which in our house means a large bowl full!) before freezing it and got 15 servings...you do the math...that's less than $1 per serving...not bad!

Enjoy this soup on it's own...with a grilled cheese!...or an entire sleeve of saltines like I'm sure my brother still does! Ha!

*side-note....remember this long posting I did a while back on savings a Costco?!  I mentioned Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Broth.  Huge thanks to the "M" family for letting me know that they have changed their ingredients and now use Autolyzed Yeast Extract...aka. MSG:(  Major disappointment there!  Good news...Costco now also carries the same brand Vegetable Broth...totally 'clean' broth...you will recognize every ingredient in it!  Just shows once again how important it is to read labels...and unfortunately to KEEP reading labels...companies are always making changes!

Now back to the soup...

Alphabet Vegetable Soup
original recipe found here

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 russet potato, diced (I didn't use)
1 sweet potato, diced (I didn't use)
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, not drained (use crushed if your kids are picky about tomatoes)
4 cups water
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups alphabet pasta
2 cups frozen green peas
2 cups frozen sweet corn

In your favourite large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, potatoes, garlic and cook about 5 minutes, stirring a few times during that time.  Add the broth, diced tomatoes, water, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the soup, and cook another 20 minutes.  Stir in the pasta and cook 5 more minutes.  Stir in the peas and corn and cook about five more minutes, until the peas and corn are heated thoroughly.  Add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Enjoy!  Your kids will have a blast eating this soup!

So on our trip out to Covert Farms two weeks ago we didn't just stop at strawberries...we picked peaches too!  See our little boys working away??!! They LOVED it!  Taking home the fruit that day was just a bonus for us...being there together as a family was an event in itself.  So much fun!

We came home with 30lbs of peaches that we nicely laid out...waiting for them to ripen!  While most were just eaten fresh...and some peeled & sliced for the freezer...I decided last Saturday night to bake a dessert to go with out Farmer's Market supper.  Tons of fresh veggies on the grill with steak...that practically begged for a Rustic Peach Galette (really just a fancy word for pie or tart in my books!).  Thanks to Pinterest I already had something in mind...and we were all VERY pleased with the results!  I switched a few of the ingredients up...but for the most part the original recipe can be found here!  There's something about the rustic look to this dessert that just feels like summer to me...I love it!

RUSTIC PEACH GALETTE
feeds 6 people

INGREDIENTS

PASTRY:
1 1/4 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small chunks
1/8 cup ice water, more if needed

FILLING:
4 peaches, peeled and sliced
2 or 3 Tbsp coconut sugar or sweetener of choice
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp spelt flour
2 tbs almond milk, or milk of choice
extra sugar for sprinkling, optional

DIRECTIONS

PASTRY: 
In a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)

With machine running, add ice water through feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

FILLING:
Preheat oven to 375º.

Roll out dough to a 14″ circle.  Doing this on parchment paper helps a ton. Place dough back in refrigerator.

Mix all FILLING ingredients together until combined.

Remove dough from refrigerator and place peach mixture in the middle of the circle, leaving a two-inch wide rim. Fold edges in over peaches, allowing the dough to overlap as required.

Brush the edges of the dough with milk, and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the peach juices are bubbling.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on a baking rack. Serve warm....with vanilla icecream, of course!?

 

Strawberry Chia Freezer Jam

Today I'd like to welcome guest blogger Noah Wiebe (age 4), our son!  This past weekend after great friends' recommendation we took a little drive up to Oliver to pay a visit to Covert Farms.  An amazing organic u-pick farm!  We had a blast.   They grow practically everything there...it's amazing and completely worth the drive.  We filled our truck with many amazing things.  One thing we were most excited about was the fact that they still have strawberries!  We completely missed that season in Kelowna this year.  We're pretty sure that next summer we will be making multiple trips to Oliver to visit the farm:)

Our boys LOVED all the picking they got to do!  Strawberries definitely were the hit though...Levi would scream everytime he moved the leaves out of the way and spotted a large strawberry...I laughed so hard!  Noah was a very focused picker and little did I know that he had plans to not only pick the berries himself...but to come home and make the jam from start to finish by himself!  This recipe was a bit of an experiment, but we were very pleased with the results!  Super simple and very quick.  Involves no cooking of the berries so it's safe and easy for kids to help out with...and also helps keep that fresh berry taste that we all love.  If you've never worked with Chia seeds before, you'll see that they act as a thickener.  The seeds loose their crunch once they are put in liquid for about an hour or so, and they thicken everything around them...very handy!  As a bonus, they have huge nutritional value too!  You can buy white or black chia seeds.  I used white for the jam, it's what I had in our pantry, but either would work.  The bonus of the white seeds is that they end up looking like strawberry seeds and blend right in.

The reason why this works best as a freezer jam is that it eliminates the canning part...makes it easier for kids to help...AND...it lets you control the amount of sweetener that you add.  Canned jam has to have a certain amount of sugar in order for the jam to seal properly and not spoil...you don't have that issue with freezer jam.  Any sweetener will work for this!  We sprinkled a bit of coconut sugar in ours...like only 2 or 3 spoon fulls...and then tasted it once it set.  We found it wasn't quite enough so I added 1 teaspoon of honey to each jar and stirred it in before moving the jars to the freezer.

Tip: Using small jars is best since this jam will only keep for about 1 week once it's taken out of the freezer!

This recipe would work great for any berry...or any combination of berries!  We're off to pick up some more chia seeds so we can continue our jam making!

And now...I officially welcome my first guest blogger, Noah Wiebe!

STRAWBERRY CHIA FREEZER JAM
inspired by source
makes one small batch...multiply as much as you desire!

1 cup fresh berries
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp water

sweetener of choice, to taste

We first drove to Oliver to pick lots of berries and stuff.

You put on your 'maker' (aka...apron!) so that you don't get red on your shirt.  Then you measure out the right about of strawberries.  Wash them and pull all the green tops off.

Next was my favourite part.  You get out your masher and squish all the berries.  I let my brother try too.  Add your seeds and water...stir lots.

Then get your green thing out of the pantry.  Put it on the jar and scoop the jam in.

Leave a little space at the top.

Put your lids on.

All done!

 (Put your jars in the fridge for about 2 hours.  This lets the chia finish up the thickening process. Then move the jars to your freezer!)

Eat for lunch with a fresh bun!  ( I think they liked it!)

Thank you Noah!  We look forward to featuring many more of your recipes in the future!

xo, mom!

Almond Flour Zucchini Loaf

You will have a hard time convincing your friends that this zucchini loaf isn't DRIPPING in butter...I'm serious.  There is no butter in these...or oil...none...yet that's all you taste...it's amazing.  Jay was a HUGE fan of this loaf...as were the boys.  Super moist from the almond flour, and just amazing.  No better way to use up all the zucchini that's growing these days!

Photo look a little blurry?  I had a husband and two boys drooling over that last chunk while I quickly took a photo!  Most good things don't last long enough in this kitchen to get a good photo!!

Enjoy!

Almond Flour Zucchini Loaf
original recipe found here

1 1/2 cups almond flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup...or sweetener of choice
1 ripe banana
1 cup shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Place the wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, then beat on medium for 1-2 minutes until frothy and fully combined. Add the zucchini and beat again just enough to incorporate.

Slowly add the dry ingredients with the mixer running, until all combined.

Spoon the batter into 2 mini loaf pans, or one large loaf pan.  A muffin tin would also work!

Bake for 30-35 (longer for a large pan...shorter for muffins) minutes until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Summer Salad Rolls

These guys have definitely been the favourite lunch in our house this summer!  Surprisingly quick and easy to make...VERY low cost...and you can change the ingredients easily for each person's serving based on their taste buds or diet!  If you let your little boys make their own I promise they will gobble them up too!  Great for entertaining, or for enjoying alone in your backyard:)

I've tried many many different dipping sauces...here's links to the last 3 that I've tried.  My favourite green salad dressing is also AMAZING with these rolls!

The rice paper rounds can be found in the Asian section of your grocery  store.  They are usually around $2 a pack and you get about 20....that's a steal!  Follow the directions on the package for soaking.  If you haven't tried them before...you literally soak them in hot water for about 5 seconds and then let them sit for about 30 seconds...then stuff them and roll them...that's it!

You can totally make these ahead of time...or pack them for the beach...just lay a damp paper towel over them to prevent them from turning back into crunchy rice papers:)


SUMMER SALAD ROLLS

INGREDIENTS

Rice paper rounds (about 3-4 per person)
*Brown Rice noodles...prepared according to directions, drained very well (noodles...NOT pasta)

any or all of the following, sliced thinly...options are endless!
spinach
lettuce
avacodo
sprouts
red peppers
mango
carrots
red cabbage
cucumber
basil
cilantro
green onions
tuna
salmon
shrimp
quinoa

*totally optional...including them makes for more of a 'meal'...but they taste great without too!


SAUCE
Mustard Soy-Sauce
Easy Thai Peanut Sauce
Favourite Green Dressing

Alright....it's high time I got OFF Pinterest...and actually updated my blog with one of the many fabulous recipes that I try from there!!

Sorry I've been a little MIA this past month:)  Had a wonderful long trip to Ontario to visit family...ate lots of yummy food...did a little detour to Atlanta to hang out with some amazing people and eat local organic peaches...I still think about them daily.  Now we're home and back into the swing of things...picking from our garden daily and shopping at the Farmer's Market as much as we can!  I love summer in the Okanagan!!

Last Friday morning I made a HUGE batch of quinoa...just plain.  I love the versatility of this super grain.  These cookies were the result of the first few servings of the quinoa.  Then I used some more to make a salad for great friends who just had a sweet baby girl.  THEN there was still enough left to make one of these!  There are not many foods that you can be that creative with!  My bag of quinoa is now currently gone....so to Costco we must go!

These cookies are an amazing and healthy treat to whip up...and are super quick if you're already cooking quinoa for something else anyhow!  Our boys loved them...they are super high in protein...so they held them over until a late dinner that night.  We brought them to a friend's house to share while we hung out together in their backyard on a Friday afternoon...I recommend you do the same:)

Nut Butter Chocolate Quinoa Cookies
original recipe found here

sidenote:  You can choose to make these with warm quinoa (I did) and the result will be an actual chocolate-looking-cookie...or you can used cooled quinoa and the result will be a chocolate-chip-looking-cookie.  
 
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup nut butter (I used almond...I think peanut would taste better!)
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut (optional...I used it!)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine quinoa, peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and oats in a large mixing bowl.   Mix with spoon or mixer...I found a spoon to work no problem.

Stir in coconut and chocolate chips.

Roll small balls of dough between hands and flatten on cookie sheet.

Place cookies on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are nicely browned.

ENJOY!...nice cold almond milk is a GREAT partner to these:)

Quinoa Chocolate Cake

It's about time I made this cake!!  I've had it three times already...always made by someone else...and conveniently found in one of my favourite cookbooks that I've promoted on here many times...Quinoa 365!

The first thing I love about this cake is that it doesn't take quinoa flour, or any other inconvenient ingredients...you actually use quinoa that's already cooked...leftover from another meal...just waiting to be used for cake:)  I made it for a BBQ we had on the weekend...and also made a quinoa salad to add to the table...which is actually a great idea cause you just make an extra big batch of quinoa, take enough out for the cake...and turn the rest into salad!

The second thing I love is how simple it is!  I actually did the entire thing in my food processor!  A high speed blender will work great too...just dump all the ingredients in and go.  Make sure you really really puree it...you want the texture of the quinoa gone.

The cookbook suggests making the cake into two separate pans so you can layer the middle with jam or something.  This works, but will result in two very thin layers.  I made mine all in one pan.  If you were wanting the two layers I would recommend making a double batch, baking them in separate pans that way.  I decided last minute to swirl melted peanut butter into mine right before baking...HIGHLY recommend this!  I wish I would have taken the time to also make a fresh strawberry sauce to drizzle over top...oh well, next time!

(I have since made it many times with pure peanut butter frosted on the top...always a hit!)

This cake is amazing...moist...rich...not too sweet...and incredibly healthy!  Make it this weekend for some special friends:)

Like so often...I completely forgot to take a picture of the cake...so here's what the very last sliver looked like that I stashed into our freezer...you can kinda tell that it's frozen in the photo...oops!  I think it just might be dessert for me tonight!

Disclaimer...serve this cake in much larger slices than the photo shows!

QUINOA CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/3 cup milk...I used almond
4 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup melted butter or melted coconut oil
1 1/2 cups maple syrup or coconut sugar (syrup will make it more moist which is great...and make it easier to blend...the batter will be very very thick if you're using a dry sugar)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8 inch round or square pan.

Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in a blender or food processor.  Add the quinoa and butter and continue to blend until smooth.

Whisk the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl.  Add the contents of the blender and mix well.  Pour into the pan...don't be alarmed by how thick it is.  I tried using only 1 cup of coconut sugar...and found it a little bitter...so I'd recommend the full 1 1/2 cups of sugar, unless you're making a sweet sauce to drizzle over top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes...checking often.  Cake is cooked when inserted toothpick comes out clean.   This won't taste good under or over baked:)

Avacado Egg Salad

So if you're like me and spend far too much time browsing Pinterest...then you've seen the many many Avocado Egg Salad Recipes.  Well...today I could just not get them out of my mind so I decided to give it a whirl!  I quickly realized that they all vary quite a bit...and for most of them I wasn't a fan of certain ingredients they used...so I made my own based on what we had on hand.  The result...AMAZING!  All of them had some form of mayonnaise...which is not something I normally buy and didn't want to buy just to make egg salad...so I left it out and I honestly don't think you can even notice!  The avocado gives that creamy texture you'd normally get from mayonnaise.

So here's my take on this delicious and filling lunch!  I made mine into a wrap...but certainly some fresh bread would make a great sandwich too!  Enjoy!

Avocado Egg Salad
makes 2 large wraps, or 3-4 sandwiches

1 avocado, pitted and mashed
4 eggs, hard boiled
2 dill pickles, chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
salt and pepper
1 squeeze of lemon juice
fresh dill or chives

Directions

Peel your hard boiled eggs, then separate the yolks from the white.  Mash the yolks in with the avocado.  Season with salt & pepper and lemon juice.  Add in pickles, celery and chopped egg whites.

Prep wrap...I put a very thin spread of cream cheese on mine, with a squirt of dijon mustard.  Then added a layer of spinach to the whole wrap, followed by some purple cabbage (for crunch and colour!)...really any veggies would taste amazing!  Then add the avocado egg salad and wrap it up!  You will LOVE it!

Alright enjoy...I'm wishing I had made more than one servings worth!!  Jay's out of town...so I may just be having another one of these for my dinner tonight!

PS...incase any of you missed out on our exciting announcement over the weekend...here you go!!  We are thrilled!

18 hour Pizza!

We are all lovers of pizza in this house!..or 'peeta' according to Levi.  Levi insists that his always has olives on it...cracks me up!...Noah likes it simple with sauce, spinach and cheese...Jay likes anything BUT mushrooms:)
I have to say though that as often as we eat pizza (always homemade...never delivery)...I've never found a crust recipe that tastes amazing and is worth repeating.  Traveling to Italy and eating pizza literally everyday there may have upped our standards a tad:)  Valarosos Italian Market in Kelowna has phenomenal fresh crusts that you can pick up and make your own...but that's not always  convenient...and sometimes you just want to make it yourself...or atleast I do!
One blogger I follow is always talking about pizza...and recently she caved and decided to stray from her standard simple crust recipe and try this 18 hour crust.  She could not stop talking about it!!  I figured to had to give it a whirl!!  18 hours sounds tedious...but it's actually really simple.  You mix the 3 ingredients the night before...cover it...and don't touch it again til an hour before you're ready for dinner!!  Could it get easier?  No kneeding....no rushing to get home 3 hours before dinner time to start your dough process....I'm hooked.

This recipe makes 3 pizzas...we ate all 3:)  Did I mention Levi loves his peeta??!!

Disclaimer...photos were taken with an oven mitt on one hand and a spelt flour-covered iphone in the other hand...know what I mean?...all sauce and toppings were put on by a 2 year old and 4 year old, hence the little piles of black olives:)

First one is a standard for us...sauce (just crushed tomatoes..that's how they roll in Italy), spinach, some olives, chicken breast and buffalo mozzarella.

Second one is sauce with some of the pesto we brought back from Cinque Terre, Italy...slowly rationing it out:).  With more of the same toppings from above.  (side note...a few months ago I found the identical pesto that we bought in Cinque Terre...at Homesense!!!???...pesto was invented in Cinque Terre...it's amazing.   Needless to say I bought them out that day!)

Third one is a summer time fav of mine.  BBQ Chicken!  Mix some of your favourite bbq sauce with tomato sauce...spread on pizza.  Then add chicken, caramelized onions (I didn't take the time for this...you should though!), red peppers, spinach and buffalo mozzarella...roasted garlic is also amazing! 

18 Hour Pizza

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups of flour (I used Spelt)
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Directions

Night before...put all ingredients in a large bowl.  Slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups of water.  I found I needed to add about 1/2 cup more water...likely because I used Spelt.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise. This should be done at room temperature and will take around 18 hours. It’s ready when the dough’s size has about doubled and it’s surface is covered with small bubbles.

Next day...about an hour before dinner.  Flour work surface and move dough to begin gently shaping it into a rectangle shape. Divide it into three equally sized portions and work on each portion individually.  One portion at a time, create four folds by gathering the four corners together. Turn dough upside down and gently shape into a ball; dust with flour, set aside and work on remaining portions.

Cover again with plastic wrap and let rise for about another hour (use this time to get all your toppings ready!) It can be made up to this point 2-3 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

Preheat your oven to 550 degrees.

Once ready, take each ball and roll them out using generous amounts of flour.  Add toppings.  Bake on well floured or corn meal covered baking sheet or pizza stone.  This site has some great tips on different baking methods.  I tried their pizza stone method...it's truly the only way to go!  The crust bottom was crisp and light while the toppings were bubbly and perfectly broiled...mmm.

HUGE thanks to Katie at Yes, I Want Cake!  You're welcome to come over for pizza anytime!

Sweet Spinach Muffins!

No the lighting isn't 'off' in this photo...those muffins really are green! A great superfood snack for your little ones...and kinda festive considering St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner!

Are these muffins a delectable treat to save for your afternoon coffee? Likely not. However...our boys devoured them...as did their little buddy who tends to boy-cot his veggies these days...so in my books they are a win! I bookmarked this recipe months ago and now wished I hadn't waited so long to try them! Here they are with a few swaps in ingredients.

Give them a try yourself and let me know what you think! Great for carb-loving kids!

SWEET SPINACH MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup fresh spinach, packed
1/3 cup maple syrup, or sweetener of choice
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 Tsp salt

*optional - 1/4 cup chia seeds


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor and puree.

Place the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and combine.

Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined.

Scoop batter into a greased mini muffin tin, bake for 10-12 minutes.

Let cool completely & enjoy!

Chocolate Chewy Granola Bars

Okay...so our house has become a fan of The Marathon Mom's granola bars! I will not confess how many variations I have made...nor how long each batch lasts in our house!! My most recent variation, as of about 15 minutes ago, is officially my favourite! Not quite as sweet tasting as the original Chewy Granola Bars I posted. Used her Chocolate Granola Bar recipe as my starting point...switched only a few things...and then doubled it all enough to make a large cake pan, instead of a small one. Here it is!

Did I mention how QUICK these are to make? I literally decided to make them as I told the boys it was time to get ready for a nap. By the time they tidied up and made it upstairs they were already cooling (hiding!) in the fridge...love that!

Enjoying mine with a hot tea right now...while I write our Compassion Sponsor kids...written yours lately? Their website makes it so handy...can attach photos, cards, or some fun games too! Very grateful! Jay has been able to visit everyone one of our Compassion kids...isn't that amazing! What a gift as a mom myself to be able to buy clothing and supplies for them and have Jay bring them there himself...so cool. Here he is last Spring in Africa with three of them...I love this photo. We desire to enlarge this and hang in our sons' bedroom...they are part of the family! We believe that one day our boys will meet their 'other' brothers face to face. What's even more exciting is that these three boys have become friends with each other because they are brought together each time Jay visits...like one big family! Oh how I wish I could wrap some of these Granola bars up and send them to these guys too!



(Is it tacky that I bought them coordinating shirts??!! A true 'mom' just can't resist the opportunity!!)

Chocolate Chewy Granola Bars

INGREDIENTS

1 cup natural peanut or almond butter (I used half and half. Almond is better for you, but I LOVE the taste of peanut butter!)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 cups oats
1/4 cup Chia..or any seed
1/2 cup any seed or nut...I used sunflower?!
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Melt the peanut butter, honey, oil and chocolate chips in a pot over medium to low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Pour in all remaining ingredients. Stir til combined.

Pour into parchment-lined 8 X 11 pan and stick in the fridge (or freezer if you're impatient/hungry like me!)

Cut into whatever desired shape or size you like! Yes...my portion was as big as it looks in the photo! I had a salad for lunch, okay?!

I should add these work best if they are stored in the fridge. The coconut oil and nut butters soften at room temperature since they are unbaked:)

Chewy Granola Bars

Is it just me, or are mommy blogs and pinterest loaded in no-bake granola bars these days??!! I've bookmarked so many varieties that I've lost count! Finally this morning I decided to give one recipe a whirl. I say 'recipe' loosely cause I needed to use just what I had on hand, so I made a few switcharoos! In the end...I can now understand why everyone is talking about them...they are so yummy! I'm anxious to try more flavours now! My blog of choice to use a recipe from was my new favourite blog... The Marathon Mom ...she inspires me on many levels. She is a self-proclaimed 'granola bar junkie'...so I figured she knew what she was talking about:) Here's her recipe, with the switches I made based on what was in my pantry this morning...I'm guessing you can be pretty flexible with these guys...gotta love that in a recipe! Thanks Brandy at Marathon Mom...check her out!

Our boys LOVED these...and had fun helping make them...I'm guessing Jay loved them too since half the pan was gone when we got home from town this morning!!! A good & filling go-to snack for all ages! Beats any packaged granola bar, anyday:)


Chewy Granola Bars

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (I used almond butter)
1/3 cup local honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups oats
1 1/2 TBSP wheat germ (I used flax meal)
1/2 cup ground flax seed (I used Chia)
1/4 cup peanuts (I used sliced almonds)
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Melt peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil together in a small sauce pan over low/medium heat, stirring constantly. It only takes a minute or two to melt.

2. In mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients except for chocolate chips, and stir well.

3. Pour liquid mixture over dry mixture and stir til well combined.

4. Press mixture into parchment lined 8×8 pan.

5. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top and press down firmly with hands.

6. Place in fridge or freezer to set.

7. Flip the foil out onto cutting board and cut into desired bar sizes. I like to cut a dozen rectangle shaped bars.

Store in fridge for best results.

I'm a self-proclaimed peanut butter and chocolate junkie...so I can't wait to try her version of these!!

Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day...from our family to yours! Made these last night to enjoy at lunch today...totally a favourite of mine...so there was a slight selfish motivation there!! Gotta love having a sharp edged heart cookie cutter on days like today!

Baked this cake again on the weekend as well to share with some great friends...simple, healthy and festive!! Whipped up another batch last night to use in my heart-shaped muffin tin...you'll get to indulge in those if you're attending my husband's Dr's Report tonight:)

Had intentions of trying about 300 new ideas from Pinterest for Valentine's Day...but was apparently too lazy!! I'll file them away for next year:) In the meantime our boys are still impressed with cutting their toast into hearts with a cookie cutter at breakfast time! I have a feeling that might change as they grow up:)

Hope you're feelin' the love today too!!

Morning Carrot Muffins

I dream of starting most of my days with a nice warm homemade muffin and a coffee. Is this attainable for me? Absolutely! Is it the best thing for my body everyday? Not in my books. However...it does make for a wonderful afternoon snack while our boys are napping:)

I love muffins...our boys really love muffins, or 'mops' as Levi calls them. I have a few standby recipes that always give great results...but for the most part I love to try something new every time. This week I've been craving a nice moist and healthy carrot muffin...I have no idea why...just am. I was watching the Food Network while running at the gym on Monday...that's almost an oxymoron!...and Giada was making a version of these. I would have totally made her muffins if I would have been able to write down the recipe...or find them online...but neither option worked! She did such a great job, they looked amazing. So here's my version of them. I know she used shredded zucchini instead of the banana...but I went with what I had on hand:) They turned out amazing...very pleased. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did! In fact...these are so healthy you could definitely start your day with them!

Morning Carrot Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups flour(I used 3/4 cup brown rice flour & 1/2 cup almond flour)
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup oats
1/2 cup raisins (optional...but add sweetness)
3 Tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 egg
1/3 cup almond milk
4 medium shredded carrots
1 medium ripe mashed banana

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Stir in oats, syrup and raisins. Add oil, egg, milk, carrots, and banana and stir until blended.

Fill muffin tin with batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.


Boys are napping...I'm making tea and heading to our sunny dining room to finish up my Beth Moore study for the week...talk soon!

Chili!!

CHECK IT OUT!!!

Look who's chili was used at Quality Greens this week for their feature recipe??!!! A great recipe to have on hand for these chilly snowy days...no pun intended!...or for Superbowl Sunday perhaps? I'm cooking a variation of this to share with friends after Code Orange Revival tomorrow afternoon!! Can hardly wait!! My favourite thing to do lately is add chopped fresh pineapple at the same time you add the Corona...soooo yummy!! For you meat lovers you can also add some grass-fed beef or ground turkey to the beginning stages of this recipe...always turns out great and is a crowd pleaser!!

Cinnamon Chia & Almond Crunch Cereal

I started 2012 thinking I should post some healthy recipes that will make people feel great and give them a nutritious jump-start to their year...something that will help them stick to their "resolutions". After about two minutes of brainstorming I realized...THAT IS MY WHOLE BLOG!! What a great feeling to know that all my readers could make any of these recipes and know they are fueling their bodies in a good way!!

It's fun to look over my blog stats and see what some of the biggest hits have been! Wiebe Style Cereal definitely was a top fan favourite! In celebration of that...I thought I'd try out another option! Mixed this altogether while making dinner one night last week...it smelt AMAZING while toasting in the oven...and it got thumbs up all around the breakfast table the next morning! Quite similar to my other cereal...yet different. A little more of a granola texture to it...but so good! Like always, feel free to be quite flexible with substituting in your favourite grains, seeds or nuts...make it your own:)

We might even like this one a little better than Wiebe Style Cereal...just sayin':)


CINNAMON CHIA & ALMOND CRUNCH CEREAL

INGREDIENTS
4 cups oats
1 cup raw sliced, chopped or slivered almonds
1 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup coconut sugar...or sugar of choice
pinch of salt
1 TBSP cinnamon

1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup, or honey
1/3 cup nut butter (I used almond)
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together.

In a small pot on low heat, melt all the wet ingredients together. Pour over dry mixture. Stir until all combined...might take a minute or two.

Spread out on parchment lined baking sheet...might take two depending on size. Lightly toast for about 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.

Store in air tight container for about 2 weeks...if it lasts that long:)

Enjoy over yogurt or with your favourite milk...that's Unsweetened Almond Milk in this house:)