Nutrient-Packed Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

These cookies aren't very photogenic, but they are delicious enough to make up for their less-than-attractive appearance. We went on an early-morning "hike" (in Texas that means a walk around a park on a wooded trail), and took these with us. They are perfect for hikes, camping, or just a quick breakfast to keep in the freezer.

Recipe adapted from MOMables

1/2 c. mashed banana (about 1 large)

1/2 c. peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/2 c. honey

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. quick oats

1/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/4 c. ground flax seed

1/4 c. powdered milk

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. banking soda

1/2 c. raisins or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together banana, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. Add oats, flour, ground flax seed, powdered milk, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir until just combined. Stir in raisins/chocolate chips. Spoon onto a greased cookie sheet and cook for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 12 cookies.

Homemade No-Bake Granola Bars

These granola bars are delicious! I love the texture of them, and they don't crumble apart like others I've tried. It's so easy to whip up a batch or two and divide them into little ziploc bags to keep in the pantry for easy snacks.

Recipe adapted from Money Saving Mom

2 1/2 c. crisp rice cereal (I use organic chocolate rice crispies, but regular will work too)

1 3/4 c. quick oats

1/4 c. wheat germ, wheat bran, or ground flaxseed

1/2 c. additional mix-in ingredients optional (chopped nuts, raisins, coconut, other dried fruit, etc.)

1/2 c. honey

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 c. peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Combine first 4 dry ingredients in a bowl. In a saucepan, mix the honey, brown sugar, and salt. Over medium-low heat, stir until the mixture comes to a complete boil for 30-60 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well. Press into a 9x13 pan and let cool for 5-10 minutes before pressing mini chocolate chips into the top. Let cool before cutting into bars.

They also freeze well!

Knox Blox (Fruit Juice Jigglers)

I used to think Jell-O jigglers were such a fun treat! I was thrilled when I found this more nutritious option. We cut some with cookie cutters and cut the rest into squares. You can use any fruit juice, as far as I know (even not 100% juice), so I'm looking forward to experimenting with more! We used plain ol' orange juice this time and they turned out great.

Recipe from Knox Gelatine

4 envelopes (1 box) Unflavored Knox Gelatine

1 cup cold fruit juice

3 cups fruit juice, heated to boiling

2 Tbsp. sugar or honey, optional

Sprinkle gelatin over cold juice in large bowl; let stand 1 minute. Add hot juice and stir until gelatin completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in sugar or honey if desired. Pour into 9x13 pan (I also think it would be fun to try them in candy molds!). Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Store in refrigerator.

Homemade Wheat Thins

I readily admit, we went through these crackers in seemingly less time than it took to make them, but they sure were tasty! Worth the effort every now and again, I would say.

Original recipe from Kitchen Stewardship

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar or honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. vanilla
kosher salt for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and paprika in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter thoroughly into the dry mixture until it looks like large crumbs, no bigger than a pea. Combine water and vanilla in a measuring cup, plus honey if using, and add to the flour mixture. Mix well until combined and dough forms, but only as long as necessary for the most tender crackers.

Roll dough out on a lightly greased cookie sheet or parchment paper, using only 1/4 of the dough at a time, and dusting with flour as needed. Roll dough out as thin as you can without tearing. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife and cut dough into desired shapes.

If you have used parchment paper, just slide it onto the cookie sheet. Sprinkle crackers with kosher salt. Bake crackers until crisp and browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Watch crackers closely and remove when golden brown.

It would be fun to experiment with different flavor combinations, such as adding ranch seasoning, using extra honey, sprinkling with cinnamon/sugar, etc.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Dipped Banana Pops

I know, I know, it's the middle of the winter and I'm posting a popsicle recipe. But to be honest, I took this picture this past summer and am just now getting around to posting it. And really, these are a delicious, nutritious snack (especially for toddlers) year round!



Bananas
Peanut Butter
Chocolate
Vegetable Oil (optional)
Popsicle Sticks

Quarter bananas--cut in half length-wise and then width-wise (great for toddler-sized mouths!). Carefully insert a popsicle stick into the banana quarter (as they tend to split). I actually use the thin style popsicle sticks to reduce problems. Lay on a cookie sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put some peanut butter and chocolate in a tall cup. You can use whatever ratio suits you, but I generally use about a 1:4 or 1:5 ratio of chocolate to peanut butter to keep them more nutritious. Melt in the microwave until smooth and glossy. If you like, you may add in a few teaspoons of vegetable oil to thin the mixture, thereby reducing the amount that will stick to the outside of the banana. When bananas are firm, remove from cookie sheet, dip in peanut butter mixture, and replace on cookie sheet. Freeze until solid. I like to do a huge batch at a time and keep them in gallon ziploc bags for a quick, easy snack. We all love them!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Hummus

When I came across this recipe I was excited because the pediatrician said to emphasize protein with Talmage and this is made primarily of chickpeas and peanut butter! We used it as a dip for animal crackers, but I also tried it on apples and bananas and it was good that way as well. Talmage liked it best by itself, I think! He gobbled it up!

Original recipe from Chocolate-Covered Katie

1 can chickpeas, drained
pinch salt
pinch baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. nut butter (I used peanut butter)
1 Tbsp. milk (plus more as desired)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. chocolate chips
2-3 Tbsp. quick oats

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth. Then mix in chocolate chips. Serve with graham crackers, animal crackers, fruit, or whatever else you desire.

Notes:
-I don't own a food processor. I just use a mini-chopper and it does an okay job. It's not perfectly smooth, but the oats disguise the graininess of the beans. You can add more oats as desired.

-I tried this the first time with 2/3 cup brown sugar (as suggested by the recipe) and then the second time cut it back to 1/2 cup. There wasn't a huge difference, and Talmage loved it either way.

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

A friend of mine brought fruit salsa and cinnamon chips to our house when we had them over for dinner over a year ago. When I asked her how to make it, she mentioned the things that were in it, but no amounts, so I just kind of tried my own thing. I discovered that this recipe has a lot of flexibility to it. For this batch I believe I used:

1 mango

2 kiwi

1 apple

2-3 Tbsp. apple jelly

You simply combine them in the mini-chopper/food processor, or you can chop finely/crush the fruit by hand. For a prettier version, I have used strawberries in place of the mango. The apple and apple jelly provide a good foundation to give the salsa some solid matter to hold the whole thing together so you don't end up dipping chips into fruit juice that slides right off. Other than those 2 ingredients, though, the recipe is pretty adaptable. Just use a couple of different kinds of somewhat soft, juicy fruits you think would go well together. For the chips, you simply cut tortillas into strips, spray with Pam, sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar, and bake at 350 until tortilla chips are crisp (usually 10-20 minutes).

Do not use homemade tortillas. They are TOO thick, and if they are cooked until they are crisp, they will be very difficult to chew.

If you do, you may decide they just are not getting crispy after 30 minutes in the oven.

Then you may think it would be a good idea to broil them.

If that happens, you will be startled to see that the sugar has been carmelized and burned after just a couple of minutes.

You will take the pan out of the oven and set it on the table to take a picture of your ruined chips.

For the split second your back is turned, your toddler will reach up to get a chip and burn himself on the pan which has just been in the broiler.

After you get that taken care of, you will spill the chips all over the floor.

While you are cleaning those up, dinner will burn too.

Of course, all of that trauma is just hypothetical...not that I know from experience or anything. :) Here is what I imagine such burned, carmelized chips would look like:

Okay, so it wasn't hypothetical. Suffice it to say, next time we make these chips, I will be getting tortillas from the store. I would rather avoid all of the trauma listed above. And my teeth will thank me, too, as these chips were more like rocks.

Sweet Potato Fries with Ranch BBQ Sauce

I have such fond memories of Guru's because that is where Sam and I went on our second date. He recommended the cilantro-lime quesadilla, and I was highly impressed with him and the food. So when Mom wanted to take me out to lunch one time, I suggested Guru's, and while we were there she made the enlightened decision to order some sweet potato fries. That was the beginning of the end of our days in Provo, sadly, but Mom and I managed to get those fries at least a couple more times.

Although these fries aren't anywhere near as good as the fries at Guru's, they are a good alternative. The dipping sauce tastes somewhat similar to theirs, but once again, theirs is much better. Really, if you haven't gone to this eclectic little cafe, please fix that as soon as possible. :)

1 lb peeled sweet potatoes cut into 1/4" match-sticks (you want one pound after they are peeled and cut with the ends and short pieces discarded, so buy 1 1/4 pounds or so. Fries should be fairly equal in length.)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
 1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. basil
1/2 t. oregano
additional seasonings as desired

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle olive oil over the top of potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle seasonings on potatoes and toss again. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes and carefully flip with a spatula. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until browning on the ends. Enjoy!

For the sauce I just combine equal parts honey bbq sauce and sour cream mixed with this seasoning (1 small carton to 1 Tbsp. of seasoning).

Even Talmage loves these (probably because they are dipped in sour cream), so they must be good!