Whew! It’s cookin’ this week! Typically I find that our appetites take a bit of a dip during these hot spells, but there must be something in the water because the princesses and hubs are keepin’ me on my toes in the kitchen!
Maybe it’s all the time we’ve been spending here….
And perhaps all the walking we’ve been doing here this summer…
Zuma, Zuma Acrobats
Getting a taste of Africa
Or I just need to come to grips that my baby girls are growing!
The hubs, on the other hand, he’s just hungry all the time! And I’m pretty sure he’s done growing….taller, that is!
In any case, when they’re hungry, they’re hungry and I find comfort in knowing that by spending a little extra time in the kitchen my family will have more nutritious options to snack on. This week I revamped one of our favorite snacks, Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars, for a little variety.
Yields 12 bars
Ingredients:
1 cup gluten free rolled oats
1 cup Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice cereal
1/4 cup all-purpose gluten free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1/4 cup almond meal
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/4 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raw, sliced almonds
1/3 cup organic raisins
1/3 cup organic cranberries
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 “flax” eggs ( 2 Tbsp flax meal + 6 Tbsp warm water. Let sit for about 5minutes.)
1/2 cup sweet potato puree (I made my own: 2 sweet potatoes washed, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubs. Place into a medium saucepan, cover cubed potatoes with water and boil for about 25 minutes. Let cool, then mash with a fork or puree in a blender. Makes about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp raw coconut crystals
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl or large measuring cup, mix the sweet potato puree, flax eggs, applesauce, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and coconut crystals.
Add wet to dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Mixture will be lumpy and slightly sticky. Press mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for 25 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Remove from oven and set on a wire cooling rack to cool. Once cool, cut into bars and enjoy!
So soft and chewy and full of yummy goodness!
I also found this recipe on the Attune Foods website that looked like a perfect snack for packing on our pool and beach trips. I gave it my own twist and the fam gives it a thumbs up…so much so that I’ve been making a double batch every time!
Other homemade on-the-go snacks I like to keep on hand:
Sun Butter Banana Protein Bars
Here’s to a healthy snacking summer!!
Blessings,
J’lene
These look great! Always on the hunt for nutritious snack ideas. Pinning it!
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