Granola-Mania!

I believe that one of the single most sought after snacks in our home is the amazing Granola Bar.  Adalia even has her own 2-year old name for them: the grrrowla bar.  Well, as many of us know, purchasing boxes upon boxes of name-brand granola bars certainly adds up, especially if one must buy organic for the sake of avoiding allergens. The word "organic" itself adds an extra dollar to the price of everything :)  So, I am attempting to lower my grocery budget (second only to our mortgage payment), and this seemed like an item that I could concoct at home... for less than the boxed price of $4.00 per 6 bars.  I searched and tried different recipes, and tasted some local flavor before I settled on this batch below.  I have to thank Echo Coffee in Scottsdale for inspiring me with flavors from their house-made gluten free granola bars (which are still better than mine by far!).  

Granola Bars- Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip
Gluten, Dairy, Soy & Egg free

4 Cups Oats
2 TB ground Flax Seed
1/4 Cup Sunflower Seed Kernels
1/4 Cup Enjoy Life Brand mini Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Agave or Brown Rice Syrup
1/2 Cup Kroger Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Walnuts or Almonds or Pecans

Begin by grinding the oats into mostly coarse flour.  Pour into a medium mixing bowl and add flax, sunflower seeds, and chocolate chips.  Process the nuts (your choice) into tiny pieces and add to the mixture.  Using a tough spatula, blend the dry ingredients. 

Next, measure out the honey, and while pouring it slowly with one hand, use the spatula to mix it evenly into the batter.  Repeat with the agave or brown rice syrup, and again with the peanut butter.  Then spend a good 2 minutes smashing the mixture together to assure that the "liquids" are evenly distributed.  This will take some muscle and patience.

Using parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet, pack the mixture into the depth and width of the cookie sheet using the spatula... once again using some muscle and patience.  Once it is well-packed, place the baking sheet into the freezer for 10 minutes to set the bars.  Honey and agave tend to be very liquidy at room temperature. 

Once the bars have set, remove the cookie sheet from the freezer, and transfer the parchment paper to a cutting board or mat.  Using a large, sharp knife, cut the bars into rows of 3, and columns of about 6, depending on the size that you prefer.  I used Press-n-Seal to individually wrap each bar for storage and lunch box ease.  Store them in the refrigerator to keep them in one piece, makes about 18 bars.

The verdict?  The kids love them, of course, but so does my husband... a much tougher critic to please.  Cost-wise, 18 bars are less expensive than buying one box of 6 from the grocery store, so yay for saving money!

I hope that you will experiment with this an make it fit your own taste... I am planning to trade the peanut butter & chocolate chips for cranberries and cinnamon next!

White Bean Chili

Yum!  Beans are amazing, even if they are musical fruit.  This is my girl version of chili... I am not a huge fan of the heartburn and intestinal ache associated with traditional chili.  This incorporates the best of chili and the best of warm soup in one dish.  The Northwoods seasoning by Penzy's has a good dose of Hungarian Paprika among other spices and mimics the flavor of chili in a familiar way.

2 Chicken breasts
1/2 lb cooked bacon, crispy OR 1 small ham hock
2 cups chicken broth, I like Pacific Foods
3 cups water
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1 cup spinach leaves, chopped
1 cup diced carrots
2 cans great northern white beans, drained
2 TB minced garlic
2 TB olive oil
4 medium red potatoes, or equivalent, cubed
1 TB Penzy's Northwoods seasoning
1 tsp Penzy's Mural of Flavor seasoning

1. Sautee garlic in 2 TB olive oil in the soup pot.
2. Add broth, water, seasonings and meats.  Bring to a boil.
3. Add beans, carrots and potatoes. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add spinach and onion, simmer 30 minutes.
5. Remove ham hock, if used.  Shred chicken and serve.
1 tsp ground pepper