Learning to love breakfast without cereal….

Just in case you were all curious, the “lists” seem to be working out fabulous for us!  I think the two greatest accomplishments have been with breakfast and snack time.  Having most everything prepared ahead of time has saved me and the hubs time in the kitchen first thing in the morning…you know, the “mad rush” to get everything eaten, cleaned up, beds made, dressed, and teeth/hair brushed before the “school bell” rings!  Okay, in our house the “school bell” is usually mom yelling “girls it’s time to get started on your work…let’s go, let’s go!!”  I’ve even given the hubs a lesson in cooking oatmeal…now that’s progress people!!

The princesses just love the “snack” list!  I overheard them talking about what they wanted the other day and my little Cailyn says, “there’s just too many good things to choose from, I don’t know what I want!”  Now that makes this mama feel good!  

Please don’t freak out that I am serving my princesses chocolate chips first thing in the morning.  First, this is not an “everyday” breakfast and two, the amount of chocolate they get in each serving is minimal compared to the nutritional value of the rest of the ingredients in this breakfast bar!  In my opinion, I would actually rather serve them up one of these on occasion than give them a bowl of cereal that has little nutritional value and probably a lot more sugar.  Okay, now that I’ve given my disclaimer…Double Banana Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars
Yields 12-14 bars
Ingredients:
1 cup gluten free rolled oats
1 1/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup brown rice flour blend (**see note below)
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp xanthum gum
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 very ripe banana
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup organic brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup banana chips, chopped
1/3 cup raw, sliced almonds
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
**Note: Brown Rice Flour Blend
Mix together 2 cups Brown Rice Flour, 2/3 cup Potato Starch, and 1/3 cup Tapioca Flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 35o degrees.  Spray a 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray (* you can use an 8-inch pan, they will just be thicker bars!).
In a small bowl, combine the boiling water and oats.  Set aside.
In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork and then add the applesauce and brown sugar.  Mix well until there are no sugar lumps left.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, xanthum gum, cinnamon, and salt.  Mix into wet ingredients and add soaked oats and banana chips.  Make sure the mixture has cooled a bit (I stuck mine in the fridge for about 10 minutes), before adding the chocolate chips or they will melt!
Pour batter into prepared pan and pat down evenly.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until edges are just starting to brown.  Let cool before cutting into squares.

 These breakfast bars are so moist and filling (thanks to the soaked oats), plus they pack an incredible banana flavor!

In other news, our break from school is quickly coming to an end and I’ve been using this last week to frantically pull together some lessons plans for the next couple of months.  I think we’re all really excited to get back into the “school groove” and our normal routines.  However, I will admit that I’ve gotten quite spoiled having the hubs work from home this last couple of weeks!  Last night we tried to take advantage of some of the little time we have left together and went out on a much needed date.  Just a quiet dinner and running some errands together made for a perfect night!

Time to unwind… At Claim Jumper

with a perfect Mango Margarita!!

Then the appetizer…

Lemon-pepper zucchini

And the entrees…

The hubs’ Black Tie Pasta

And my Vegetarian Baker

Talk about busting at the seems!  That was the biggest potato I have ever seen!  It was amazing…filled to the brim with grilled vegetables and fresh salsa on the side.  I only made it through maybe a quarter of the thing!!

After I work off all the carbs from that potato, I think I can officially start school on Monday!  Yahoo! 

Nourishing Thought for Today:

I just started reading, Lies Women Believe And the Truth That Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and I just thought I’d share a snippet of something that spoke to me this morning.

I was reading how the world’s deceptive way of thinking comes to us through so many avenues (i.e. t.v., music, movies, friends, catalogs, etc..) and how a steady “diet” of these worldly influences will begin to shape our view of what is valuable, what is beautiful, and what is important in life. 

Once we simply listen to a lie, we take one step closer to being in bondage to it!  Many of us women have areas of our lives that we are in bondage to because we have chosen to listen to, believe in, and act on a lie.  The author gives 3 ways to help us break free of that bondage:

1. Identify the area(s) of bondage or sinful behavior. (You can ask God to show you specific areas in your life where you need to be set free!)

2. Identify the lie(s) at the root of that bondage or behavior. (We need the Lord to help us see what we have been believing that is not true!)

3. Replace that lie(s) with the Truth. (The truth of God’s Word is more powerful than Satan’s lies!)

This week I pray that you would have victory over Satan’s lies!  Make it a priority to listen to, meditate on, believe, and act on the Truth!!

Blessings,

J’lene