A yummy treat

We love granola bars! After all, what's not to like? They're tasty, portable and you can make them with whatever flavors you like. Here is my recipe for granola bars. They have less sugar and fat than traditional recipes but still hold together well and taste good too! The video that follows shows how to make the granola bars and then a fun and quick gift wrapping idea if you want to brighten someone's day with a few bars. :)

Granola Bars

3 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c. ground flax seeds
1/2 c. honey
3 tbls. brown sugar
1-1/2 tbls. unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1-1/2 tbls. light flavored olive oil or canola oil
1/2 c. dried fruit (I use cranberries, cherries and blueberries but whatever you like will work)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x13" baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Toast oats, almonds and flax on a sheet pan for 12-15 minutes, stirring halfway through until lightly browned. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine honey, brown sugar, butter and salt. Heat in microwave until combined (my microwave takes about 2 minutes).

Place the oat mixture in a large bowl and add the honey mixture. Mix until incorporated. Add dried fruit and gently mix again. Pour the granola mixture into the parchment-lined baking pan. Using wet fingers, press firmly into the pan until evenly distributed.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until light, golden brown. Allow to cool for 2-3 hours then cut into 16 bars. Wrap each bar in waxed paper and store in a ziploc bag.

We adapt...

Peaches are somewhat foreign to me. I mean, I've eaten peaches (always peeled since I don't like furry-skinned fruits) but never really cooked anything with them. Where I come from, peaches do not grow abundantly and for me, were more of an afterthought while browsing the fruit aisle in the grocery store.

Now, we live in middle Tennessee. In the middle of summer, peaches are everywhere. Georgia and Alabama seem to be the main providers of those furry little fruits and I have witnessed heated debate over where the best ones come from. Last Friday, my local Whole Foods Market had a one day sale on peaches so I decided to stock up. They were clearly labeled as Georgia peaches so I suppose the fans of the Alabama ones may have had to go elsewhere. In any case, they were firm and smelled good so I was inspired to try out a new dish.

Although this dish was for breakfast on Sunday, the process began on Saturday night since it's best if the oats soak overnight. This dish is not too sweet since I try to reduce the amount of added sweeteners that I use in my cooking but the maple syrup adds just enough sweetness and a nice flavor. A half-teaspoon of cinnamon would be nice addition, if you are not feeding a type B. I omit the cinnamon for my hubby but it is still delicious without it. Other than the cinnamon, the ingredients in this dish make it suitable for any type. If you are only feeding types B or AB you can use cow milk in place of the soy milk.

Peach Oatmeal Bake

1-3/4 c. vanilla soy milk (or milk)

1 tbs. pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/4 c. pure maple syrup

1/4  tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

2-1/2 c. old fashioned oats

2 medium peaches, coarsely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups) I peeled mine but peeling is optional

2-1/2 c. old fashioned oats

Mix together soy milk, vanilla, eggs, and maple syrup until well combined. Add salt, baking powder and oats, be sure to mix this well. Gently stir in peaches. Pour the mixture into an 8x8" baking dish. Let set overnight in the refrigerator.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let the dish sit out while the oven preheats. When the oven is ready, bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown and puffy. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional soy milk to moisten.

Lots of love for fresh basil

I got this yummy fresh basil from the awesome Franklin Farmers Market!

So, I went with the old standby - pesto! Since we are on the blood type diet, we do not eat tomatoes. So, pesto is great since we can still make yummy pastas and pizzas without the tomatoes! I substitute walnuts for pine nuts for my type B hubby.

4 c. fresh basil leaves

1/2 c. toasted walnuts
1 clove garlic
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Blend all ingredients in the food processor and you have pesto!

The first night I mixed some pesto with rice pasta and added some peas for a quick dinner. I added some Parmesan cheese to my hubby's pasta since he is allowed to eat most dairy products but mine was yummy even without the cheese.

Of course we always have leftover pesto. So the next night, we had open-faced veggie sandwiches. We are both allowed to eat mozzarella cheese so this one works out well for both of us.

I toasted slices of homemade spelt bread, spread on some pesto-bean spread (recipe to follow at a later date) added some sauteed mushrooms and grilled zucchini, and topped with mozzarella cheese. Place the sandwiches under the broiler for a few minutes and you have dinner.

Food

What can I say? I really love food! I love to shop for it, cook it, and eat it. This blog will allow me to share a Little Peace of My Appetite with all of you.

My hubby and I recently began a lifestyle change to be more healthy and fit. For us, that means eating healthier, organic foods, reducing sugar and fat intake, and exercising more. Since I do all of the grocery shopping and food preparation in our house, the bulk of that task lies on me. We also decided to try out the blood type diet as developed by Peter D'Adamo. I am an A and my hubby is a B so most of the foods I prepare will be for our types. I do also have a dear Aunt who is an O and will also be beginning this new lifestyle as well so I will make mention of the O suitable foods too. This is not to say that the foods I prepare are only for those who follow the blood type diet. At the end of the day, my goal is simply to create healthy and delicious dishes.

Since we have started our new way of eating, we feel good. We never thought we felt bad before. But now we realize that you really are affected by what you eat. We have more energy and just feel noticeably better.

I love to try new ingredients. I frequent farmer's markets and stores where organic, unprocessed foods are more readily available. I really enjoy shopping for food so I generally make 3 or 4 outings a week to either the grocery store or farmer's market.

I hope that you join me for my food adventures and allow me to share a Little Peace of My Appetite with you.