Mug Shot 02.28.16

Coffee with my boys before we left the hotel - Harry didn't want to leave. But he did leave a nice note in the housekeeping gratuity envelope for the staff along with our gratuity, lol. :-) 

Mug Shot 2/27/16

Enjoying a beautiful Saturday afternoon on the patio...a nap, a fire in the fire bowl, and sharing a cup of coffee with my husband.  Actually, he drank most of it because I fell asleep,  And, for once I know where my lens cap is!!!

Food Friday - Vegan Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake

from Kris B.

During my adult life I have gone through periods of eating a vegetarian diet, a vegan diet, and an everything diet.  I have come to the point now of just trying to eat a reasonably healthy diet.  For me, that means eating meat because I have had some issues with severe anemia as a result of having systemic lupus.  That said, some of my very favorite recipes are those that I discovered during my days of more restrictive eating.

I make this recipe from the cookbook Veganomicon The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, whenever I am asked to make a cake for a potluck or anything like that.  Never has anyone realized that it was vegan simply by its taste.  This cake is loaded with chocolate and coffee.  How can it not be delicious??

My oldest daughter, Brooke, proclaimed herself a vegetarian at age three.  I’m not kidding!  And, she knew exactly what she was saying and doing. With the exception of “flat meat” (pepperoni) that should would occasionally eat on pizza at parties during elementary school, she has led a life almost completely free of meat in her diet.  In high school, she became a vegan and also discovered her real passion for cooking. Not only did she have the culinary skills, but she also did the research to make sure that her diet was nutritionally sound.  During this time, she taught me a lot about cooking and introduced me to foods that I had never had and probably never would have tried on my own.  Brooke also did very well at converting standard recipes for baked goods to being vegan friendly.  It is ironic that she gave up her vegan diet when, after graduating from college, she went to culinary school to get her pastry chef certificate and decided that baked goods were just “not right” without real butter!  Lol!

Whether you are an everyday vegan or just like a good, and reasonably healthy, chocolate cake, this one will not disappoint!

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups fresh brewed coffee

2/3 cup Dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose white flour

(I have done both.  This time I used white all-purpose flour.)

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp powdered sugar

(I probably used a little more)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8 or 10 inch bundt pan.

Bring the coffee to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once it is simmering, turn down the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until it has dissolved.  Remove from the heat and set aside to bring to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, canola oil, applesauce and cornstarch until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the extracts.  Once the chocolate has cooled a bit, mix that in as well.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  beat until relatively smooth, about 1 minute minute with a hand mixer or two minutes with a whisk.  

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or butter knife inserted through the center comes out clean.  If your pan is on the smaller side, it could take up to 55 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate to cool completely.  Once cool, sift confectioners’ sugar over the top and enjoy!

I am going solo here this week because Tracey has a busy week of family birthdays - Harry’s, hers, and her niece’s.  They are lucky to have had the opportunity to travel to grandma and grandpa’s last weekend and the grandparents are coming to them this weekend.  The best gift I could think to give her was time to enjoy her family and not have to worry about squeezing a Friday post in.  I do wish I could share this cake with her.  I sure don’t need to eat it myself, even if it is lower fat!!!  So, if you have a few minutes, send Tracey some belated birthday wishes!  Her birthday was the 24th.

Also, if you are interested in random glimpses into our everyday lives, scroll back to see the first few posts in our new series "Mug Shots."  Yep, they are the real life images of two coffee addicts!

Mug Shot 2.25.16

This is what the snow storm gave us between yesterday and today. It's also how I shovel the driveway - with my coffee, inside, while I watch Jeremy do it!! Lol :-D

Mug Shot 2/24/16

This is what my world looks like at 8:30am as I am at school trying to collect my thoughts for my 9am class. It's Hump Day.  The end is in sight!

Food Friday - Awesome Sauce!

from Kris B.

My mom was a chocoholic; she liked any kind of chocolate, by M&Ms and Breyers ice cream covered in chocolate sauce were her favorites.  Though every now and then I remember seeing a bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup in the refrigerator, most of the time she made her own sauce.  As it turns out, it is super easy to make!

I am not an ice cream fan.  I'm not sure why that is; it's just one of those weird personality traits.  I do, however, really like this chocolate sauce.  It is thick and when it starts to cool becomes almost chewy like fudge.  I had to fins a way to enjoy it other than on ice cream.  My preference is to eat it swirled in with a bit of coffee flavored yogurt; not frozen yogurt, just plain ol' yogurt.  If your world is in a sad state and you have no coffee flavored yogurt, vanilla is an acceptable substitute.

Because of its thickness, this sauce also works well for dipping.  Some of my favorite dipping devices are animal crackers, pretzels, cinnamon covered tortilla chips, fruit, and this time of year, Girl Scout Trefoil cookies.  Don't judge me!  I am admitting my bad habits here and now.  Lol!  If your cupboard is bare a spoon, spatula, or a finger will do in a pinch!

INGREDIENTS
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat stirring continuously.   Once mixture boils, reduce heat to low and continue to stir until until the chocolate is completely melted and thoroughly integrated.  Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Reheat either on the stove top over low heat or in the microwave for a minute and half at about 50% power.  YOU MAY NEED TO ADJUST MICROWAVE TIMES AND SETTINGS BASED ON YOUR MICROWAVE.  Do not leave the chocolate sauce unattended until you are sure of the behavior of your microwave.


from Tracey G.

Ever since I was a kid, I've loved the hard shell chocolate sauces, and now my child does too, along with me! It always kind of irked me that it comes in such a small bottle for what you were paying, but it's fun, so I made sure we had it around! Then one day I ran across this recipe for homemade "Magic Shell", and I filed it away under "to make someday". I'd finally went out and gotten the ingredients necessary, but still, hadn't made it. A Food Friday post seemed like as good of an excuse as any to finally give it a whirl and am I glad I did! It turned out better than I could've ever expected, and it introduced me to working with coconut oil. It worked just like it should and I was rather impressed at how easy it was to make a large batch of chocolate hard shell topping for my ice cream at home - the secret is in the coconut oil - it hardens as it cools.

I have to say, though, that it got strange and mixed reviews from my guys - big and little, which made me laugh. Harry at first loved it, was great, then it was "blah" to him. Jeremy said it tasted like chocolate chips - um well, yeah, that's because that's what it is! But when Harry saw me give my "photo prop" serving to Daddy, he had a fit - so I think it wasn't as blah to him as he'd previously stated!! LOL! Me personally? I loved it - it tasted perfect to me and I was super giddy I could make as much as I wanted whenever I wanted! After chatting with Jeremy, I did decide it would be fun to try and experiment with different chocolates, maybe mix some milk with the semi-sweet chips or whatever, you could have fun combining and trying different chocolates for whatever tasted you're going for.

The method and recipe is so easy it's almost embarrassing, lol. Here it is:

12 oz package chocolate chips - about 2 cups

4 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all in a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and blended. . Let cool slightly, then spoon over ice cream or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 month.

For gift giving (and using directions even if not gifting!): Divide among jars and instruct the receivers to microwave the chocolate sauce, uncovered and stirring every 30 seconds, until melted.

That's it! It was scary simple for such a fun treat to be able to make at home, whenever you like for a fraction of the cost of the commercial variety!! 

Mug Shot 2/18/16

from Kris B.

It's never too warm outside for a cup of coffee on the patio after a long day, or week, of work.  Tracey said that the weird sun flare/streak going on in this image is a blessing from the coffee angels.  So there you go...

Mug Shots!

As we shared in our very first post here, on the surface it may appear that Tracey and I don't have much in common - she is a nothern girl living in Michigan and, now by default,  I am a southern girl living in Texas, she is a stay at home mom to an almost seven year old little boy and I am a working mom of two adult daughters, and she has a house full of cats and me, a house full of dogs with one brave cat - but, when it comes to the truly important things in life, we are right there on the same page.  We both LOVE coffee.  No matter the time of day or night, we are both either about to make, about to finish, or are in the midst of a delicious cup of coffee.  Our daily messages back and forth often rate the progress of the day by how many cups of coffee have been consumed so far.  So, it should come as no surprise, that we have given each other coffee cups as gifts over the year and a half of our friendship.

I gave Tracey this one this past Christmas.

Tracey gave me this one for my birthday at the end of 2014.  It was featured in my first Picture of the Day of 2015.

Another thing that we have in common is our sense of loyalty - loyalty to our families, to our friends, and to our coffee cups.  Neither of us is a collector of coffee cups and mugs.  We have our favorites and that is what we use, every day.  For me, if I don't have my morning coffee out of "the right mug," the above mug, then my day is off to a rocky start.  Lol!   I am not quite as bad as the toddler who won't go to bed without her favorite stuffed toy, but its close!  I have three mugs that are my favorites and I will rotate through them as needed.

Last Saturday morning we were texting back and forth.  (In case you are wondering, Tracey and I have never met, nor have we actually TALKED on the phone. :-))  The conversation started over the fact that neither of us is a really big Valentine  day gift giver, nor do we have expectations of the opbligatory cards, candy, and flowers.  We both prefer handmade cards, or a nice meal, or just some special time together with our families.   

Me: We are sitting on the patio with a fire in the fire bowl drinking coffee.  It is a chilly 47, but tolerable.

Tracey: I'd love to be outside - last I checked it was -4 actual with a feel of -17 thanks to the windchill.  

Me: Your temps make it seem like summertime here!...Weber did bring our coffee in mugs with hearts on them:-)  They were a Christmas gift from one of my students.

Tracey: Well there you go!  That's pretty Valentiney!!!  Just reminded me I need another cup of coffee myself...have only had one so far - eek!!

Me: You are behind on the coffee this morning!!!  I am on cup 2 and these are big cups!!!

Tracey: Lol!  I know - this is bad!!  Must get more caffeinated!

Tracey: We should do "mug shots" on the blog...just little what's it like here, like the one you just sent.

Me: I love it!!! That would be so much fun.

Tracey: I know we both can be found with mugs in our hands at any given point during the day!  Seems fun and do-able, especially if we use our phones.

And an idea was born!

Beginning this week we will be sharing further glimpses of our real and everyday lives through our coffee mugs.  This is not about the coffee mugs themselves, but where we and they find ourselves in the course of a day.  You will probably see the same mugs repeatedly, but the environments will change.  We'll see how it goes.  What's life if not an unpredictable adventure?!

Food Friday - Full Bellies, Full Hearts

from Kris B.

It is Valentine's Day weekend; for many that means that love is in the air.  By the looks of the supermarkets, it appears that many will be receiving  the obligatory flowers and candy.  For others, however,  it is just another day of being hungry and feeling unloved.

Sometimes the “why” of a story is much more important than the “what.”  The “what” of my recipe this week is Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.  These are undoubtedly one of my favorite cookies because they contain all of my favorite ingredients.  If I can’t decide what kind of cookies I am craving, I will make these because they cover all the bases.  You can’t go wrong with a cookie that has chocolate chips, oatmeal, AND peanut butter!  But, that is not the “why.”

I recently received a note from my youngest daughter that said, in part, “Thank you for showing me what parental love is all about.  Thank you for being willing to take on the hard questions.  Thank you for challenging me and helping me and inspiring me and encouraging me.  Thank you for helping me become me.”  The “me” that she has become is a caring and loving young lady who has made it her mission in life to do anything she can to make the world a better place for those around her.  In her daily life, she goes about this in many big and small ways; those of us that are on the receiving end of her kindness are blessed beyond measure.

This week she set her goals high, taking it upon herself to have a bake sale at work to raise money for the organization NO KID HUNGRY.  This was not your average bake sale with a few dozen slice and bake cookies and a pan of brownies.  Erin went all out, from taking pre-orders for loaves of homemade bread and chocolate dipped strawberries to baking all kinds of individual goodies to be sold today. 

 Last weekend she baked 20 loaves of bread to be delivered to friends and co-workers Monday morning as a kick-off for her fundraising week.  The rest of the baking was done yesterday for the actual bake sale today.  Her boyfriend posted the full tally of her baking efforts on Facebook:

My measly contribution to this massive effort was a few tubs of cookie dough that could be sold as take and bake.  Other than this, she did all of the work by herself with a lot moral support from her boyfriend and some from me.  Hopefully her co-workers will eat up today and she can send a nice check to NO KID HUNGRY.  

Creating a world where all people have full bellies and even fuller hearts is a grand but achievable goal if we all do what we can where we are.  All those small acts do add up to big results!

I am proud of the young lady that Erin is becoming and I am humbled to know that she credits me for even a part of that.  Hang in there all of you with little ones, those days will be over more quickly than you think.  And then comes the time when you look at your kids as they become adults and smile.  But perhaps more importantly, they will also look at you with appreciation and say, “Thank you!”

I am happy to report that Erin's goal for today's bake sale was $300.  She far surpassed this goal by raising  $1500 for No Kid Hungry!  Not only were her co-workers and friends supportive, her company volunteered to match her efforts at 100%!  If you would like to learn more about No Kid Hungry or contribute to this cause, click here.  I am thankful that there are so many people out there willing to help fill the bellies of hungry children.

Thank you, Jeff, for the photos!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter (at room temperature)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 TBS vanilla extract

2 TBS milk

2 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups chocolate chips

Aside from the fact that these cookies taste awesome, I love this recipe because it doesn’t use every measuring cup that I own!  A cup measure and measuring spoons, that’s it!

In your mixer bowl, cream together the sugars, butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and milk.  Add the eggs and mix until thoroughly combined.  

In a separate bowl, mix together the flours, oats, baking soda, and chocolate chips.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing well.

Chill the dough covered overnight.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Form the dough into 1” balls and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes on the center oven rack.


from Tracey G.

When Kris was telling me of her bake sale contributions, it got me thinking of bake sales past. Mostly from my grade school days, the bake sales, cake walks and craft shows that my mom always contributed something to. I especially loved the cake walks, yep, definitely a personal favorite! I could win a cake! Yay! Not that I ever ate them, as I didn't care much for cake back then, but I probably enjoyed the chance to win one more than anything! It just brings back a lot of fond memories from 3rd grade all the way through 8th. Good stuff!

All the bake sale memories got me thinking on what would work for a bake sale as far as an item to contribute that everyone in general enjoys. Lots of things came to mind, but the one that stuck out to me was the good old Peanut Butter Cookie. They're so easy to make and you can turn them out pretty fast, (plus it's usually stuff I always have on hand - so if I'm ever in that "mom I need cookies for tomorrow!" bind, these are a good go to recipe), and perfect bake sale criteria! Fast and easy and people like them! Through the years, I've found a few recipes (as usual!), and this one is kind of a combination of a few, that got me to a cookie I really liked.

The recipe is supposed to, in theory (from the combinations of recipes), make 3 dozen, but I got at least 5 dozen out of this batch I made. Go figure. And now my taste testers/cookie eaters are sick and not interested in any cookies. I think this batch will find itself in the freezer!!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Preheat oven to 375° F

Yield: 3 dozen

1/2 c butter (1 stick), softened (you could use all vegetable shortening if you like)

1/2 c vegetable shortening

1 1/2 c peanut butter

1 c granulated sugar

1 c brown sugar, packed

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

3 c all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.

2) Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with a fork. Bake 10-15 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. 

Food Friday - From the Heart

from Tracey G.

I love any month that can carry a holiday theme - it's fun to create treats and meals with a theme. I also love recipes that are versatile enough to be used for any and all!

I have to admit, I have way too much fun running with a theme for treats/food etc. It feels like it's a special kind of permission to make treats you don't normally make and it makes me feel like I have a mission. Valentine's Day! I must make Valentine's Day themed cookies! Cupcakes! Anything edible that can be transformed into any holiday theme - sign me up!

This recipe was my first ever experience with spritz cookies, and once I'd made them, I was hooked. They were so easy and so versatile in that you can make any shape with your press, any flavor (vanilla, almond etc) and they were fast thanks to the cookie press. My friend Kim gave me this recipe at least 8 years ago - could be longer than that, but I know it's at least 8. And every time I make it I'm glad she did. They're called Holiday Shaped Cookies, but they aren't just for holidays!

To decorate this particular batch, AFTER baking, I melted some white chocolate chips in the microwave, dipped or brushed it on the cookies (just half for the ones in the photo), then dipped in my sprinkles and colored sugars of choice! Super easy way to jazz them up. The only problem I've discovered with these cookies is that they are way TOO easy eat!!

Holiday Shaped Cookies

1 c vegetable shortening

3/4 c sugar

2 1/4 c all purpose flour, sifted

2 eggs

1 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Food coloring

Cream together shortening and sugar. Mix in the eggs & almond extract. Blend in dry ingredients and tint with food coloring of choice, if using. Form cookies into desired shapes using a cookie press on an ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate, if desired, with sugars, sprinkles etc. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375° F. Place immediately on a cooling rack. 

from Kris B.

During the year between March of 2014 and March of 2015  when we were making the monthly trips between Dallas and Delaware to be with my during his final illness, we had a choice of our flights connecting in Charlotte, N.C. or Philadelphia.  During these stressful times, it was the simple things that I most looked forward to…snacks in the airport.  When our itinerary took us through Charlotte, it was the gelato in Terminal B, and when we went through Philly, I looked forward to the soft pretzels in the food court in Terminal F.  I don’t miss all the travel, but I do miss the treats, especially the pretzels.  I’m sure that there is someplace in Dallas that makes equally good soft pretzels, but I haven’t found them…probably because I haven’t looked earnestly.  Lol!  I decided that it is just easier to make them myself, especially when my craving for them hits late at night when my mood and my attire are barely suitable to carry the trash to the front curb let alone go out in public to find pretzels, even when that means only going down the frozen food aisle at the grocery store!

The task of making homemade soft pretzels may seem a little daunting because of the shaping and boiling necessary, but they are so worth it!  Well, they are worth it if you are a carb craver like me. :-)  

The recipe that I use is adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

1 TBS brown sugar

2 TBS butter

2 TBS instant or rapid rise yeast

2 cups lukewarm water

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 TBS + 1/2 tsp kosher salt

The dough is easiest to make in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.  In the mixer bowl, stir together the brown sugar, butter, yeast, water and half of the flour.  Once well incorporated, add the salt and the remaining flour.  Knead for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is “smooth and supple.”

Place the dough, covered, in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.  (I leave mine in the mixer bowl covered with plastic wrap.) 

When you are ready to bake the pretzels, line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Divide the dough into 12 pieces.  This makes good sized pretzels.  If you’d prefer smaller ones, divide the dough into 16 pieces.  

Shape the pretzels.

To make them heart shaped, roll a rope about 20” in length.  Join the two ends by pinching together to form the bottom point of the heart.  Grab the center opposite this point and twist twice clockwise.  Adjust the shape the sides of the heart if necessary.

Once shaped, place the pretzels on the baking sheets and cover with plastic wrap or a towel.  Allow them to rest about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare a baking soda bath by bringing a quart of water to a boil then add 1/4 baking soda stirring until it dissolves.  (It will foam when first added.)  Reduce heat.  One at a time, add each pretzel to the soda bath cooking for one minute on each side.  Use a slotted spoon to return the pretzel to the baking sheet once boiled.

For a glossy finish to your pretzels, brush with whisked egg whites.  Sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove to cooling rack and serve immediately.  Fresh pretzels are best.  After more the six hours, these do not seem so exciting anymore. Lol!

• I do not use the egg wash on my pretzels.  I either just make them without, sprinkling the salt directly onto the plain dough, as I did for this batch; or, once cooked, I brush them with melted butter and dredge the pretzels in cinnamon sugar, n as I wish I’d done here. :-)  Cinnamon sugar pretzels are definitely a favorite of mine!

We hope these treats make your hearts, and the hearts of the people that you love and cook for, happy!

Food Friday - Hittin' the Bars

from Kris B.

By the tardiness of this post, you’d think that Tracey and I have been hitting the bars literally and are just now recovering from our weekend.  Lol!  I am happy to report that that is not the case.  I was out of town for a retreat this weekend.  I had most of my work for this post done before I left and figured I’d load the photo onto my iPad, take my written draft, polish it up “after hours,” and post it while I was gone.  Little did I know that I was going to be part of a mandatory wireless weekend.  That was a good thing in most ways, but…here it is Monday.

If it had been one of my kids who had such a “plan,” I probably would have insisted that they get the project  done before they left, reminding them that procrastination is not becoming, nor is it a good discipline.  I can honestly say that I don’t think that procrastination was the real issue here.  I simply have not yet adjusted to being back in school and fitting all that I need and want to do in to the short twenty fours of every day; this  just isn’t working well for me at the moment.  I have no doubt that things will settle down into a manageable routine here shortly.  That just had not happened yet last week.

By anyone’s standards, my teaching schedule is strenuous.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays I teach four hour and twenty-five minute classes (all different courses) back to back beginning at 7:30.  It is not the physical energy required that is the issue; it is the mental energy this demands that, well, kicks my rear.  Every class deserves my very best, but I have to admit that by the time I am five hours into teaching, my brain is tired!  I decided that I needed to find a recipe for a healthy, easy to make, and easy to eat snack that I could throw in my backpack and eat in the two or three minutes that I have between classes.  I had no such recipe of my own so I began looking at recipes by others.  There are MANY out there; I settled on the one’s found here on budget101.com.  As I scoured online sources, these sounded simple; and with twenty-four variations, there is enough variety to have a different flavor every week of school, and then some. 

Each recipe begins with the same base - 1 cup of nuts, any kind that you happen to have on hand or can find on sale, and one cup of dates.  Various other dried fruits, spices, or flavorings are then added to create the different varieties.  Visit the above website to see the complete list of recipes.

I made the “Girl Scout Samoa” Cookie and the Cappuccino.  Both were excellent, and the “recipe” is so easy.  Throw all of the ingredients into a food processor.  Process until integrated.  Press into a parchment lined loaf pan.  Freeze for an hour (or longer.)  Slice into 6 bars.  Wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer.  Easy, easy, easy!

Because when I get tired, I tend to eat things that give me a quick pick-me-up but that aren’t necessarily healthy, I ran these two recipes through the Weight Watchers Point Calculator.  The “Girl Scout Samoa” bars are 7 points, and the Cappuccino are 3.  I guess we know which one will give me more bang for my buck.  Lol!  In place of a meal, the seven point bar is OK, but for me, as a snack, that is a few too many points to give up on something that takes less than a minute to consume.  I will finish eating the batch I have, and then move on to the Cappuccino bars which are just as good and are guilt free!  

The one thing that I will do differently the next time that I make the Cappuccino bars is grinding the coffee beans in the coffee grinder first, before adding them to the rest of the mixture and count on the food process to grind them finely enough..  It may be that the blades on my food processor are a bit on the dull side, but the coffee beans were “chunkier” than I would have liked.  I didn’t want to over-process the whole thing or I’d end up with nut butter garnished with dates and ground coffee.  I definitely did not want that!

If you are looking for an easy “hold you over” kind of snack, these are it!  Try one.  Try them all.  Let me know which one is your favorite!



from Tracey G.

Granola bars don't last very long around here - they are a big favorite of myself and my husband - and certain ones (involving no nuts, lol) are my son's. I've been wanting to try to make my own for awhile, but for whatever reason, I just never got around to trying it or even looking for a recipe for that matter. When Kris mentioned making some kind of "power" snack recipes this week I was happy to take on the challenge to find a recipe as I didn't have one. I knew Jeremy would appreciate packing some in his lunch for the day, and it would help me to choose my snacking food a little more wisely! So, the hunt began, and then there's the careful choosing, because it would really stink if I tried a recipe and it was awful and I didn't have time to find something worthy of sharing! So, I scoured a few favorite recipe sites, and there were so many recipes!! I'd think I found one, then I'd notice some weird ingredient that I know I'd never find in my area since I am pretty limited in what I can find for "special" ingredients in my small town. Then I ran across this one - and to be honest, I was a bit skeptical I'd find the ground flax seed, so I went shopping for the ingredients the day I found the recipe in case I needed to go back to the drawing board and look for something else, but, I was pleasantly surprised to find it at my local Walmart! Yay! It came from one of my favorite recipes sites, Allrecipes.com. The link to it will be with the recipe below. 

This particular recipe came together really fast, I was pretty surprised at the ease of making them. I did follow a few of the tips I'd read in the reviews of it - one was to combine the honey and the peanut butter in a microwavable bowl and warm it enough for easy mixing, another was to stir the ground flaxseed into the peanut butter-honey mixture before you combine it with the other ingredients. And the last tip I found useful was to refrigerate it at least overnight so the flavors blend well. It was easy to cut and serve - I took a spatula and loosened the edges in the pan, then flipped the pan over and they mixture came right out onto the cutting board for super easy cutting. There really is no need to grease the pan at all, thanks to the peanut butter!  The other great thing about this recipe, is, you could vary up the ingredients really easily, which is always a good thing!

In the making of the recipe, I did change a couple things - instead of a 9x11" baking dish, I used a 9x13" and instead of regular chocolate chips I used mini-chocolate chips and those worked really well. And after mixing with the spatula for awhile, I then switched to using my hands like for a meatloaf, it was a bit sticky of course, but it was a good way to make sure the ingredients were combined well.

For pressing into the pan, I did use a spatula AND my hands to press the mixture in the pan. The recipe calls for cutting it into 12 bars - that seemed a bit large to me, so I cut mine into 20, and that was perfect. I then ended up cutting those in half, for storage purposes and it still was a good size!

No-Bake Granola Bars

original recipe: No Bake Granola Bars

2 c rolled oats

1 1/4 c natural crunchy peanut butter

1 c ground flaxseed

3/4 c honey

3/4 c dried cranberries

1/2 c chocolate chips

1/4 c sliced almonds

1) Stir oats, peanut butter, flaxseed, honey, cranberries, chocolate chips and almonds together in a bowl; press into a 9x13" baking dish, using the back of a spatula to press into a flat layer.

2) Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3) Cut into 12 bars and wrap each individually in plastic wrap for storage.