Homemade Granola Bars or Granola

I am excited to share this recipe with you since I absolutely love granola bars and granola! I have yet to find a really good store bought granola bar that I love....I am just not very happy with them and the long list of questionable ingredients in some of the varieties can be somewhat scary! I would much rather eat something without all the additives and "junk"! I love granola as an afternoon snack or with my breakfast on top of yogurt and fruit! Also, a granola bar is a great snack to have around the house when you are running out the door or are in the mood for a sweet treat! These bars have only a few simple ingredients and are very tasty! Enjoy! 

Recipe: 

2 Cups Rolled Oats 

2 Cups Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal (I used the honey almond flax flavor) 

1/3 Cup Almond Butter (could use peanut butter too) 

1/3 Cup honey (I used half clover and half raw cinnamon honey I bought at the farmers market-AMAZING) 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 handful semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Directions: 

Place Rolled oats and cereal in a bowl. In small saucepan, melt almond butter, honey and vanilla together until hot and well combined. Pour over cereal mixture and add in chocolate chips! Place in foil-lined square baking dish and press down mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and then remove from pan and cut into bars. 

A few of my bars were slightly crumbly, so I decided to make granola out of them, and crumbled them into a storage container! A perfect topping to fruit or yogurt! 

adapted slightly from: http://www.espressoandcream.com/2011/05/make-your-own-chewy-granola-bars.html

A Workout and a Recipe

Well, I have two things to share with you today. A work out and a delicious oatmeal recipe! I am not going to lie, working out right away in the morning is hard work! I have realized that if I don't work out right away in the morning, before I start my day, then I just don't do it more often than not. Working out, for me, is one of those things that takes me so much motivation to start it, but once I have started working out, I usually love it and love the feeling after I am done! The work out I did this morning is a great one that will make you sweat, I sure was! Also, I am always trying to discover new, different work outs that keep things exciting and interesting...I cannot do the same thing 2 days in a row, I get bored way too easily with that! I really enjoy circuits because they provide something new and different and it's actually fun to work my way through a circuit! Todays workout was a combination of Cardio on the treadmill and a quick circuit! Hope you enjoy it!
WORKOUT:
15 minute jog on treadmill
15 lunges (do 15 on each leg)
20 squats
30 second wall sit
30 crunches on the floor with legs up in 90 degrees
30 bicycle crunches
10 reverse crunches
Repeat this circuit 3 times (not the cardio on treadmill part) and FEEL THE BURN!

Blueberry Pie Oatmeal
1/2 Cup rolled oats
A little less than 3/4 Cup milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1/4 Cup water
1 tsp heavy whipping cream
(Microwave these ingredients for 2 minutes)
Then Add:
1 tsp vanilla
A few sprinkles of cinnamon
1/2 Cup Blueberries
1 TBS egg whites
(Microwave for 1 minute more)
I added a dollop of Plan non-fat Greek yogurt mixed with a little maple syrup on top of mine and it was pretty delicious!

I thought I would add the benefits of this breakfast for you- pretty interesting!

Blueberries * have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of all fruits and veggies. Their anthocyanidins counteract free radicals, which damage cells and tissues. One study demonstrated that blueberries improve memory and learning capacity in aging animals. They also protect against all forms of cancer, especially colon and ovarian cancer.

Oats * are complex carbohydrates, meaning they will not spike your blood sugar and are slow to digest.

This recipe is from http://wholewheatorbust.wordpress.com/2010/06/04/blueberry-yum-yum/ 

Ode to Oatmeal

Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day. I look forward to waking up and eating breakfast always! I love any type of breakfast like pancakes, waffles, omelets, muffins, and cereal! Recently, I have discovered how much I LOVE oatmeal. Lately, I have been experimenting with all different types of oatmeal options, mix-ins and toppings! Oatmeal really is a great breakfast, good for you and it keeps me full for hours because of all fiber and good ingredients in it!

 The first type of oatmeal I am going to talk about is Steel Cut Oats- I absolutely love the taste of this oatmeal, and it is better for you I have heard! The only down side to this oatmeal is it takes longer to simmer in the morning (about 20 minutes). If you are someone who is usually rushing in the morning, this may not be the breakfast for you, but I like to make it on a Sunday morning before church because we have time to let it simmer!

Steel Cut Oats:
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Milk (I add milk because it makes it creamier...I usually use Pacific Foods Organic Unsweetened Low Fat Vanilla Almond Milk)
1/2 Cup Steel Cut Oats

To make the oats: Bring water and milk to a boil, pour in oats and stir and then turn down the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes or until thick enough consistency to eat. In the last few minutes of cooking, I like to add in salt, maple syrup, cinnamon and shredded Apples for a nice flavor. It's really delicious!

Next, Rolled Oats are a wonderful breakfast as well. I make mine two different ways. The first way is on the stove! This results in a more creamy oat mixture which is normally what I like, but again it involves cooking and dishes and a dirty pan, and some people just aren't into that in the morning! Sometimes I add half a banana into the oats while they are cooking for an added sweetness!

Recipe (Makes one generous serving of oatmeal)
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats (not quick-oats)
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Milk
To make oats, Bring water and milk to a boil, then stir in rolled oats and cook for about 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Toppings:
Almond Butter
Peanut Butter (Homemade is THE BEST...I'll get to that later too)
Chia Seeds(We will talk about those later)
Walnuts
Raisins
Sliced Banana
Buckwheat groats
Almonds
Blueberries
Cinnamon

 Finally, There is something I like to call "Breakfast Cookie" or Microwaved oatmeal mix! This is really nice when you want a healthy breakfast, but you are running short on time! Basically what I do is take 1/2 Cup Rolled oats, 1 mashed banana, 1 TBS whole wheat flour, raisins, cinnamon, a few splashes of milk and mix them all together in a bowl and then microwave for about 2 minutes until it is the consistency that I desire. If you like a creamier oatmeal, add more milk. You can really get creative when it comes to oatmeal and add any mix-ins or toppings you want!

I hope you enjoy this oatmeal topic, it is really a delicious healthy breakfast that keeps me full for hours and gives me energy! I love knowing that I am starting my day off right! Don't hesitate to comment with any questions!