This was another Pinterest find.  I was not a huge fan of them the first time we made them.  They tasted more or less like a peanut butter honey sandwich.  I had a bad aversion to bread when I was prego with my last and since then, have had a hard time eating a PBH sandwich.  My husband and kids loved them though and my hubby said they would be great snacks after a long run for him.  So, we tried again.  And now I can't keep my hands off of them.  BUT, they are HEALTHY!! NO SUGAR! Hooray for a healthy snack and one that I made so I know what the ingredients are!  I used to make granola bars, which I loved, but they took a little bit of work with the toasting, cooking the sauce, etc.  And, they had brown sugar and butter in them, which if you only use a little, is not a huge deal.  But, these are so much EASIER and healthier!  The possibilities are endless with the substitutions of nuts, dried fruit and honey or agave nectar as your sweetener.  Have fun and play around with the amounts to fit your needs.  Here you go! 


Adapted from: Smashed Peas and Carrots

No-Bake Energy Bites 

(makes 18-20 bites) We make a DOUBLE BATCH, put it in a 9x13 glass pan (ungreased), push it down to make sure it is all stuck together, cover with saran wrap and put in the fridge for an hour or so.  Then I cut them into small bars and freeze them all in a ziploc bag.  They don't last very long :)

-To make these into our granola bars, I only do 1/2 C. coconut and add 1/2 C. craisins.  Also add about 1/4C.each sunflower seeds, raw cashews, & pumpkin seeds.  Then we add about another 1/4C. more of peanut butter and a couple drizzles of Agave Nectar (similar to honey, but not as thick; has a little bit of a maple flavor too).  That is a ROUGH estimate.  Just play with the amounts of what you and your family like.  This last batch, we also added 1/4C. softened Organic coconut oil (which is a great natural energy booster!).

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter) (Make sure it is a NATURAL peanut butter; as in, no other ingredients except for peanuts and maybe a little salt.  There's no need for added sugar or anything else.  Adams brand is a really great one to use.)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Found on: Recipe Girl

Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado and Goat Cheese

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

SALAD:
8 cups chopped spinach (1 bag)
1 cup halved cherry or pear tomatoes
1/2 cup corn (frozen, canned, or cut off the cob) I omitted corn and added frozen peas
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large avocado, sliced
1/3 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese I used feta cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
DRESSING:  I completely forgot to do this part!  Guess that is why my husband kept saying it needed more flavor!  It was plenty moist, but just needed this added zest.  I will try this dressing next time! (My hubby says it was a blonde moment!)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place spinach in a large salad bowl. add remaining salad ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss (a little at a time... as much dressing as you desire).

Source: RecipeGirl.com

 Trying to eat healthy is easier to do for dinner and lunch than it is for breakfast.  Cutting carbs can be so annoying and such a task when all you can think of for breakfast is boxed cereal, or my family's favorite, waffles and pancakes.  Eggs can only be cooked so many ways and eaten so many times in a week.  At least for me that is.  Now granted, these do have carbs, but to me, they are healthier than pancakes or waffles drizzled in syrup and butter and better for you than boxed cereal that has who knows what in it and where it came from.  So, these were a good breakfast for us this week and every single one of us liked them! 

Found on: Gingerbread Bagels




Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (I used 1/8C brown sugar and 1/8C agave nectar; more gooey than the regular recipe probably is, but still turned out fine)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large mashed banana
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Mix together the quick cooking oats, light brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt and ground cinnamon.
Add in the vanilla extract, milk and egg. Mix the ingredients together.
Then add in the mashed banana and peanut butter. Combine all of the ingredients.
Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8 by 8 inch metal baking pan. Bake at 350 F degrees for 20 minutes.
Cut into squares and enjoy!

Just to clarify If you found my recipe on Pinterest with the suggestion about using applesauce in place of the brown sugar…Do not use applesauce in place of the brown sugar.
Applesauce is not used as a sugar substitute in baking, it’s a fat substitute.
It’s also a liquid and will mess up the texture of the squares because of the added liquid.
So please use brown sugar, it’s only 1/4 cup for an entire pan. Not that much.

And because I keep getting this question: do not use honey. Honey is a liquid…brown sugar isn’t. The added liquid will mess up the texture of the squares. Honey also causes whatever you’re baking to brown more quickly and you would have to change the temperature and baking time. It also has acid and would need to be neutralized with baking soda.

This was my Mother's Day dinner that my hubby made for me this year.  It was a decent meal and I didn't have to cook it!  Even better!  We did realize that the honey was a little too much though and might try 3/4 cup next time.  We didn't add all of the pepper it called for and will do more next time as well.  Our sauce didn't quite thicken as well as we would have liked, so add more cornstarch.  Good paired with brown rice and steamed green beans with coconut oil.

Found on: Chef in Training


CROCK POT HONEY SESAME CHICKEN
recipe form: Baby Center

(we doubled the original recipe, and even then we still wanted more! This is the doubled recipe)
2.5 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons diced onion
4 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoon canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce.
Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.
Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

I have a TON of recipes I have tried lately but I have been lazy and only putting comments on my recipe board from Pinterest. So, I am going to try to go back and put them on here. Unfortunately though, I do not have pictures for most, so you can check out my Pinterest board if you want others' pictures of the food. So here we go....

Found on: Food of Love
* Do NOT use the temp. in the recipe.  It is WAY TOO HIGH!  Mine burnt on top and I had to salvage what I could.  Try cooking them at 325 or 350.*

1 cup milk
        2/3 cup sugar
        1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
        1 stick unsalted butter, softened
        2 large eggs
        2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
        1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
        4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
        One 12-ounce package frozen raspberries, not thawed
        1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
        1 teaspoon cornstarch
Icing-
        3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
        3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
        1 1/2 tbsp heavy cream
         1 tbsp fresh lemon juice       1 tsp good vanilla extract

    In a small saucepan, warm the milk over moderately low heat until it's 95°. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and stir in the sugar and yeast. Let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the softened butter, eggs, grated lemon zest and sea salt. Add the flour and beat at medium speed until a soft dough forms, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is soft and supple, about 10 minutes longer. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands 2 or 3 times. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly buttered bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours. Butter a 9x13 glass baking dish & set aside.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it into a 10-by-24-inch rectangle. In a medium bowl, toss the frozen raspberries with the sugar and cornstarch. Spread the raspberry filling evenly over the dough. Tightly roll up the dough (cinnamon roll style) to form a log & cut into 12 pieces  and arrange them in the baking pan, cut sides up. Scrape any berries and juice from the work surface into the baking pan between the rolls. Cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm place until they are puffy and have filled the baking pan, about 2 hours.   Preheat the oven to 425°. Bake the rolls for about 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 & bake another 10-15 minutes or until they are golden and the berries are bubbling. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 30 minutes.   In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the butter  heavy cream & lemon juice & vanilla extract until the glaze is thick and spreadable. Top warm rolls with icing. Are you drooling yet?? YuMM!!

I LOVE Jamba Juice's Peanut Butter Mood drink.  It is sooo good.   If you like peanut butter and bananas and chocolate, this is for you!  I found this recipe that is a knock off, so tried it and it is pretty darn close to the original.  I made a few changes though... my changes are in PINK.

Found on: Cut Out and Keep
For 1 serving

1. Add half a cup of milk to your Blender/smoothie Maker. (First I added a couple Tbs. of flax seed and ground that up).
   
   
2. Put 3 Level Tbs. of peanut butter into the milk, (i prefer smooth, otherwise you are left with the lumps at the bottom of the smoothie - but i guess its all about what you like) (If you want this to be healthy, use only natural PB.  By natural, I mean, no junk added, no high fructose corn syrup, etc.  I used Adams.)
   
   
3. Add HALF a chopped and peeled ripe banana...(not a black banana...but ripe with flavor)
   
   
4. Sprinkle 2 level Tbs. of drinking chocolate mix into the blender, and put the lid on tightly. (I wanted to reduce the junk in here so I just used unsweetened cocoa powder.  It does not have as much of a chocolate taste, but it works for this.)
   
   
5. Blend. (DUH) until you have no lumps left.
   
   
6. Put into a cup and enjoy!! Yummy :] hope you like it! xxxxxxx
   

A friend brought these yummy bars over the other night and they were a fun, new treat.  I had never had anything like these before, which is always a plus.  Here's the recipe.  Thanks again Liz!

From Liz T.

Crust:

3/4 cup margarine/butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cups coconut
3 cups graham crackers finely crushed  (usually about 2 packages)
3/4 cup walnuts (optional, I never add them)


Melt butter in sauce pan, add sugar, cocoa, vanilla and eggs. Cook stiring until mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and stir in coconut, graham crackers and nuts.
reserve about 1/3 cup for topping.  Press firmly into 9X13 pan (I butter the pan first)
Refrigerate at least one hour.


Filling

1/2 cup margarine/butter -creamed
4 tbsp milk
4 tbsp instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter, add pudding sugar and milk, blend til fluffy. If too thick add more milk. Spread over crust and top with reserved topping. Refrigerate at least 30 mins or until firm.


My alterations:
I used butter instead of maragarine. I crushed 3 packages of graham crackers and added a little extra coconut. For the filling I just used the whole package of pudding, which was only a tsp or 2 more than 4tbsp's and the full 4 cups of pwd sugar. I also ended up adding at least another tbsp of milk, maybe even two, I didn't measure. 
After it was all put together I tossed it in the freezer for 20 mins to do a quick set.

A lot of other recipes I've seen don't use a crumb topping, they melt chocolate and spread that across the top.