More Granola bars! Chocolate orange-mmmm!

These were inspired by a granola bar my Mom used to buy. They are a little different than my previous recipe-Enjoy!

Choco-coco orange granola bars:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats, blended until flour-like
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup organic crisp rice cereal
1/8 tsp salt
1.2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp orange zest
1/4 cup coconut + extra for sprinkling
1/3 + 1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 large orange, segmented and sliced into small pieces
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Place orange pieces on a cookie sheet evenly. Place in oven for approx 15 minutes to dry.

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add all wet ingredients, and orange pieces. Mix until well combined.

Line a 9 inch bar pan with parchment paper. Press mixture into pan with a damp spatula. Sprinkle coconut on top and press down.

Cut bars into 12 pieces. Bake in oven for 18-20 minutes.

Let cool, cut again.

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Dip the bottom of each bar into the chocolate, and remove any excess with spatula. Allow to harden.

Store in a cool place in an airtight container for up to a week.

HAPPY BAKING!

Dirty, dirty, dirty

Organic or not organic? Is it worth the money? Should I switch? Is it a gimmick? A simple answer to this question was in a recent issue of Martha Stewart, as well as in my Maximized Living Nutrition book (more on Maximized Living later).

There is a set of 2 lists developed based on pesticide loads. Basically, the idea is that if you are wanting to switch to organic, it is best to immediately switch out the produce with the highest amount of pesticides used, and/or the ones you eat the most often. These lists can help differentiate.

The Dirty Dozen (highest pesticide residue):

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Grapes (Imported)
10. Lettuce
11. Carrots
12. Pears

The Clean Fifteen (buy conventional and save some $):

1. Onion
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet Peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato
15. Sweet Potato

Another big tip to help remember-it is not the rule, but many times if the fruit has a thick skin you don't eat, you are usually able to go non-organic.

If you want to support organic/fair-trade exclusively for economic reasons-have at it!

Happy Grocery Shopping!

Granola bars!

So I tried this new recipe for homemade granola bars. They have no refined sugar (Alberta honey instead!) and no nasty preservatives. This can be amended very easily for the fruits and nuts you prefer as well.

Granola bars:

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup almonds
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 plus 1/4 cup honey (the 1/3 can be replaced with maple syrup for a different flavour)
1/4 cup milk with 1 tsp vanilla added
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Process 2 cups of rolled oats in blender or food processor until they become flour-like. Mix with all other dry ingredients (except coconut and chocolate) in a bowl.

Mix wet ingredients together. Add to dry and mix untilwell combined.

Grease a 9inch pan. Line with parchment paper. Add mixture to the dish, pressing down with a moistened spatula.
Sprinkle coconut on top.

Pre-cut the pan into 12 bars. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.
When cool cut again,

Melt dark chocolate and drizzle over completed granola bars.

Store in an air tight container for up to a week.


(I got the original recipe from Coach Nicole on SparkPeople,and amended it to my liking)

ENJOY and HAPPY BAKING!

Signs of spring

Two signs of spring today:

1. My neighbour's cat is pooping on my bare flower beds again. This must mean the soil is dry enough for me to start prepping my beds! I am planning on topping all flower beds with bark mulch this year to dissuade the phantom pooper. If anyone has anti-cat turd tips, let me know! I love my neighbours that own the kitty, so I want to find kitty-friendly solutions.

2. Gary (my back neighbour) has nicely turned soil in his vegetable garden (at least it looks that way). He has an amazing yard, both flowers and veggies, so following his lead can't hurt!

Is spring here???

I pulled up in front of my house this morning, and my lawn is starting to look GREEN! I am completely done with winter this year and cannot wait for things to warm up. But all these signs of spring got me thinking...what are the things I need to get started RIGHT NOW so I can have the flower/veggie garden I hope for this spring/summer? Beds to dig, borders to build, seeds to start...it will be a busy month! Good thing I have some free labour from the hubby to help me out!
My big reason for wanting my own veggies this year is control. I know what I grow in my own garden won't have chemical pesticides and fertilizers in it. Not only that, but fresh grown produce just tastes better! The strawberries my neighbour grows are AMAZING when you compare them to the tasteless California giants!!!
I also built a salad table last year to grow shallow root veggies, like lettuce, kale, spinach etc to free up some of the other space in my tiny yard for other things! I got the design for this off of the Martha Stewart website. (love her!)
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/salad-table
Happy Gardening!