Homemade Energy Bars

I love a good bar.  Since I made the big switch to exercising more and eating less I've looked for a good mid morning snack option. I tried several different bars, some I liked, some I didn’t. So we decided to make our own. 

Here is a recipe that you can as a base and experiment from there. The possibilities are endless.

Preheat oven to 325 F or 160 C 

Wet Ingredients:

1-1/2 bananas, or pumpkin, mashed 

3/4 cup light syrup, or honey, or agave nectar, or any combination you like.  

1/4 cup juice– I use orange/banana/pineapple juice; orange juice is fine

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 egg whites

Dry Ingredients:

3-1/2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup protein powder– we used vanilla flavor

1-1/2 cups nonfat dry milk

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 cup assorted nuts– we have used almonds, pecans, soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds. 

1/2 cup dried fruit– we have used a number of combinations of cranberries, dates, and golden raisins, use what you like! 

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips– these are not necessarily a healthful option, but we like them, a lot. 

In separate bowls mix the wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet bowl into the dry bowl and mix thoroughly. Really mix it. You don’t want any protein powder bits not mixed up. 

After it is mixed well, drop portions onto a pre-greased cookie sheet. Depending on the size you make the amount of calories will vary. I use a 1/4 cup and this makes around 20-22. I shape them into a bar shape with a couple of butter knives and bake them for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges turn a nice brown color. 

Take the bars out of the oven and place on a cooling rack. They will be soft, but as they cool they will firm up. We put a batch in tupperware before they cooled all the way and this was a mistake. Wait till they are cool! 

Delicious! tastes even better around 10:30 a.m. when your belly is empty! 

Depending on what you put in them and how you portion them, they have a calorie count of around 200, with almost 9 grams of protein. (using the 1/4 cup)

Enjoy. 

Ryan 

Chocolate Marble Banana Muffins

A friend of mine made these a few weeks ago...then my sister...so Saturday when I had a few bananas that needed to be used up I gave in and finally tried them. Delicious! I found the recipe here.

I only did a couple things differently, which are highlighted in orange.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup buttermilk (I poured 1 Tablespoon white vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup then filled it up with Vitamin D Milk and let is set for 5 minutes. Ta Da! Buttermilk!)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup chocolate chips, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12 count muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas, then whisk in the buttermilk, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla extract.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, and whisk until just blended.
5. Remove one cup of the batter, and add it to a medium bowl. Whisk in the cocoa powder, just until blended.
6. Mix chocolate chips into the regular, white/yellow batter.
7. Divide the regular, white/yellow batter between muffin cups.
8. Scoop 1 tablespoon of chocolate batter on top of the batter in each muffin cup.
9. Using a toothpick, swirl the chocolate batter into the banana batter.
10. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Banana Bread

The kind my Mom used to make. A recipe my whole family uses.
This is my go-to banana bread recipe!


¾ cup of sugar
1 ½ cups of mashed bananas (4 large)
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
½ cup chopped nuts, if you like
(I love banana walnut anything!)


Heat oven to 325°.
Grease a loaf pan, either 9x5x3 or 8 ½ x4 ½ x2 ½ inches.
Mix sugar, bananas, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nuts, if you are adding them. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients until well mixed.
Pour into pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of the bread comes out clean, 60-70 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes, then loosen sides of loaf from pan and remove from pan.
Let cool completely before slicing with a serrated knife.

Printable Recipe:
Banana Bread

Mom's Banana Bread

I can't believe this recipe is not on this blog ! I've searched and searched and can't find it though, so it mustn't be. Rory made this yesterday and after my facebook status update about it, I got a couple requests for the recipe. I was certain it was on the blog but ... not so ! Well, it needs to be ! I love this banana bread, especially when Rory makes it for us !!

2.5 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 TBLS salad oil (we use canola)
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
At least three bananas (we always use the ones with black skins that we keep in the freezer)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional (we never add nuts)

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Prepare pan(s) with baking paper, or by rubbing with oil/dusting with flour. Mash the bananas with a fork on a plate. Throw all the ingredients except the bananas and nuts into a bowl. Mix on medium speed for about a minute, scraping the bowl constantly. (If mixing by hand, beat it vigorously till all the lumps are gone.) Mix in the bananas, then stir in the nuts. Bake for 45-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean.

Cool in the pan for a short time, them remove. Consume immediately if you want big bunks and melted cream cheese or butter (or both !) on it. Cool thoroughly if you want to be able to slice it properly.

Wrapped in foil, banana bread freezer beautifully.

Banana Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

I found this recipe online and had to try it for my husband who loves anything banana. It is a lot like banana bread...just lighter...and sweeter...

cake recipe 

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 egg yolks
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 crushed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg whites, beaten

• Mix sugar and butter and beat on low speed until completely combined.

• Add egg yolks and beat on high speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. 

• In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk thoroughly.

• Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients (milk), beating each time until just mixed in. Start and end with dry. When you’re done, you should have a nice, soft, fluffy batter. 

• Mash bananas and add to batter.

• Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

• Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter, trying not to deflate them too much.

• Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured round pans.

• Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

• Remove cakes from the pans and let cool. 

frosting recipe

1 cup milk
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt (if you use unsalted butter)

• Stir milk and flour together and mix over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until it thickens. It changes suddenly, so don’t walk away from it.

• Set the milk aside to cool. Very important to make sure this cools completely otherwise you will have a gravy for your frosting.

•  Combine sugar, butter (room temperature) and vanilla in a mixer.

• Beat on medium speed for around 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved, for the most part.

• Add the cooled milk mixture to the butter mixture and stir until smooth. Once you do this any remaining graininess from the sugar will pretty much dissolve. 

• Frost cake. It is a pretty soft and light frosting so if you want it to set up at all you will have to put it in the fridge for a bit.

Fruit Salad a la Alia

The other night Alia (6) made this fruit salad for dessert. I helped her take the skin off the kiwifruit and I segmented the orange. She did EVERYTHING else on her own ! I was so impressed. I bought the neatest little gadget last time we went strawberry picking that helped her with slicing the strawberries ! I'll do a post on that little beauty soon ... but beware, you are all going to want one !

This fruit salad contains one punnet of strawberries, one orange, two kiwifruits and one banana. There are also red and green apples on the side so we could add whichever one we have a preference for ! Isn't she thoughtful ?? :)

Maple Walnut and Oats on Fruity Yoghurt

I read on delish.com that you should eat Blueberries and Walnuts together. Apparently eating them together boosts memory, reduces oxidative stress and inflamation.

In an effort to eat these two things together, I came up with this little recipe.

I put a small scoop of oats in a bowl, add a handful of walnuts and some pure maple syrup.

Set aside.

Add a scoop or two of greek yoghurt to a small bowl, add some frozen blueberries and banana slices.

Set aside.

I leave both of these things for a little bit because I like the blueberries to thaw a bit ... and for the walnut to 'candy' a bit. When ready to eat, add oats & walnuts to yoghurt & fruit.

Mix & eat.

And for dessert ...

... mango 'ice cream' !!

Super easy.

Use a small tupperware of frozen mango ...
the one that you conveniently froze the night before.
Remove the tupperware and put the mango into your blender.
Add one banana.
And a couple spoonfuls of greek yogurt.

Blend.

This was so thick and creamy.

And sweet.

Rory's comment was "I think this one may actually be better than store bought ice cream" !

Nut Butters

So ... one thing I've been experimenting with is making my own nut butters.
My first attempt was with almonds. I made a yummy almond butter that we spread on crackers.

Then, last night ... after I came home with a new high power blender, I tried another. I had intended to make peanut butter but have discovered that it is better to use LOTS of nuts so added a bag of cashews as well and made peanut/cashew butter and it was quite nice. I toasted some bread, spread on the peanut/cashew butter and topped with sliced bananas.

Making the butters was pretty simple.
Just pour your nuts into a blender or food processor.
Turn it on.
It takes quite a while, and you will need to turn it on and off.
Scrape down the sides, give the blender a rest.
Eventually, the nuts will break down so much that the oils in them are released.
Blend/process to your desired consistency.
That's it.
Just don't kill your blender by working it too hard.
Let it rest.
My blender book says don't go longer than 30 seconds in one hit with nut butters.



Kid tested and approved !!

Banana Muffins

1 cup softened but not melted butter
1.5 cups of sugar
7 ripe bananas ... you know, the black ones that have been in the freezer for months !
4 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven ... 200C ( 375F)

Mix butter and sugar ... til light and fluffy. Add bananas, egg. Mix some more. Sift the flour, salt and baking soda. Add. Mix. Dump the mixture into your muffin tins. Bake 20 minutes.

Easy and delicious !!

Foods of The World - Potluck

This is a savory dish, wonderfully complemented by sweet amarillos, the recipe for which also follows. It may seem a little strange--rice and potatoes?!--so let me just say, a Puerto Rican diet is not for the faint of heart, or for those watching their carbs! But trust me, once you get a whiff of this while it's cooking, you won't care how many calories or carbs are in it. If you feel the need to assuage any guilt, though, serve it with a salad.

Pollo Guisado con Papas
Stewed Chicken with Potatoes

6 chicken pieces (I use boneless, skinless thighs, but it's your preference)
2 or 3 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large sweet onion, cubed
6 - 12 cloves garlic, minced (depends how much you like garlic!); can substitute minced garlic you buy in a jar
12 green olives (you can always pick them out if you don't like them, but cook with them for flavor)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 Cup white cooking wine
1 Cup olive oil (if you're concerned about the amount, you can reduce it, but I wouldn't go less than 1/2 a Cup)
1/4 Cup white vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt

Combine everything in a large pot, stirring to coat the chicken and vegetables with the sauce mixture. Push the chicken down, covering it with the vegetables, to keep it tender and ensure it cooks through.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium high. Keep at a steady boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir, ensuring the chicken is covered again. Cook 30 more minutes. Check potatoes for tenderness; if necessary, cook an additional 15 minutes. If you don't serve it immediately, reduce heat to low and cover.

Serve over white rice with amarillos on the side.

Amarillos
Fried Plantains

These sweet, fried plantains (platanos) are called amarillos in Puerto Rico, and maduros in Cuba. Amarillo means yellow in Spanish, and maduro means mature or ripe, so they're both apt names for the ripe, yellow plantains used to make them!

Ripe plantains (also known as green bananas), 1 plantain per 2 people should be enough
Olive oil (or vegetable oil, if you prefer)

Allow plantains to ripen at room temperature until yellow with black spotting, to the point where they almost look spoiled. Depending on how green they are when you buy them, this could take a week or more, so plan accordingly. You can speed the ripening process by storing the plantains in a brown paper bag with a small apple. Just be sure to keep a close watch on them to prevent spoiling! This is what they should look like.

Using a very sharp knife, cut off the ends of the plantain and split the skin down the length of it. The fruit inside should be pinkish-yellow. Carefully peel. A plantain's skin is thinner than a banana's, and it adheres a bit more to the fruit when it's ripe, so it's not as easily peeled as a banana. Cut off any bruised spots.

Pour oil into a shallow frying pan, about 3/4 inch deep. Heat oil over medium heat. While the oil is heating up, slice plantains into wedges, about 1/4 inch thick.

Place plantain wedges in oil but do not overlap them.

Fry, turning once, until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve and eat together. The two flavors mixing and melting in your mouth...heaven!

You can reheat leftover pollo guisado in the microwave or on the stove top, but I recommend reheating amarillos on a lightly greased or foil-covered baking sheet in the oven or toaster oven at about 300 degrees for just a few minutes.

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I do. ¡Buen provecho!

Bonnie's Breakfast Smoothie

I started making this smoothie using the Magical Breakfast Blaster recipe that I saw on Oprah, way back when I had the time to watch TV !
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I have modified it quite a bit though so here is my recipe ... you can modify it to suit your tastes and nutritional requirements !

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Ingredients:

1 banana

a handful of frozen blueberries

soy milk ( maybe 1 cup ?)

a handful of ice

cinnamon ( to taste, I probably use a tsp or a little bit more)

vanilla ( again, to taste, I probably use 1/2 tsp ?)

pyllium husk ( I use a dinner spoon full)

flaxseed (linseed) meal (1 tbls)

a handful of fresh baby spinach leaves

sometimes I add about 1/4 cup of fruit juice for a different flavor but not usually

Throw it all in the blender together. It will look something like this !

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Blend. Pour into a glass and drink.
I love this ! For many reasons. Let me tell you them!

1. I can take it with me. Often, I make it, put it in a take away coffee mug with a lid and a straw and drink it on the way to dropping Jono at school. This keeps me from skipping breakfast ... something of which I have been a lifetime ( after my mom stopped making my breakfast ! ) offender.

2. It is nutritious ! Two serves of fruit. Blueberries are full of antioxidants ! Psyllium for fiber. Flaxseed for my Omega 3 and 6. Cinnamon is an anti-inflammatory. Spinach ...well, it's one of the foods you should eat heaps of and I get it every day at least once when I'm making these smoothies. Soy Milk for protein. And Banana ... I don't know what's good in a banana but I do know that I LOVE THE FLAVOR !!!! Potassium ... they have potassium, right ?

3. The kids love it. I often double the recipe so they can have a glass too !

4. It can be modified to suit tastes or nutritional requirements. Rory doesn't like the psyllium or flax in his. Says they are too earthy. The flax will thicken it so make sure if you are putting flaxseed meal in it that you drink it straight away. Don't let it sit for 30 minutes like Rory did !

Give it a try ... I'd love to know what you think. Of course, many of you are just coming into winter but here in Australia we've just passed the first day of SUMMER !! Smoothie season !!

Blueberry Banana Bliss

Ok ... want to satisfy your sweet tooth in an ice cream sort of way, but without all the fat and sugar ?? Here's a neat dessert I learned about a while ago but had forgotten until tonight when we were having a discussion with Jono ( our walking encyclopedia ! ) about healthy vs. not healthy food !

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If you are like me, you'll already have an over ripe banana or two in your freezer. If not, you can freeze one. So, take the bananas out of the freezer about 20 mintues before you want to make your dessert. Peel and put in food processor with 2 tsp vanilla essence, and a pinch of cinnamon. Process 'til creamy. Don't process too long or it becomes quite "airy". Dish into bowl, top with frozen blueberries and pure maple syrup (optional). I've seen a recipe that topped it with walnuts too ...

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I used 4 bananas for the 4 of us tonight and it was WAY TOO MUCH ! I think 2 would have been sufficient !

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