Kind of Healthy, Definitely Yummy Snack Bars

27 Sep

Yes. Another variation on an oatmeal snack bar. Sure there are already hundreds of recipes in existence for oatmeal bars but this one is different.

Promise.

Why?

Because this stuff is in it…

 

Peanut butter, raisins, peanuts & granola – in 1 jar. Say whaaaa? I know. Sure, I could have spread it on some toast or made a fancy pb&j but where’s the fun in that? I say, let’s grab a jar of this crazy stuff, mash up a banana & bust out the chocolate chips! But if toast is more your speed, that’s cool too.

It’s only fair that I mention that these are somewhat healthy. Not as healthy as say… a carrot. But probably better for you than a brownie.

 

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Snack Bars

1 cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 mashed banana

3/4 cups any flavor Planters Nutrition peanut butter (or regular peanut butter)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk (or almond milk)

1/3 cup chocolate chips (semi sweet, milk chocolate, or mix of both)

1 tbsp flax seeds

 

Directions

Using your hand or stand mixer, cream the peanut butter & sugar together for about 2 minutes or until well incorporated.

Add vanilla & banana. Mix to combine.

Add flour, oats, salt, baking soda & mix to combine. Once everything is incorporated, add milk.

Fold in chocolate chips, flax seeds, or any other mix-ins.

Press into an 8×8 pan & bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until set.

Notes

* I added flax seeds because my daughter loves them. But if you’re not a fan, leave ’em out.

 

Daily Bento

26 Sep

I found out last night that all of the sandwiches I had been making my daughter for lunch had been (purposely) accidentally dropped on the floor so that she wouldn’t have to eat them. The beginnings of an evil genius? I think so.

The kindergarten kids eat lunch at 10:45 in the morning which is crazy early. Especially when you consider that most of them eat breakfast at 8. So it’s no wonder that most of their lunches go uneaten. When the school year first started, I would pack leftovers from a previous dinner, I would send her with colored pasta, I would make cute little bite-sized pb&j sandwiches. And for all my efforts, I would get to throw those things away at the end of every day because she wouldn’t touch them. What annoyed me even more was the fact that she would normally eat these things at home. So naturally, when I should be worrying about asteroids & zombie apocalypses like a normal person, I’m consumed with anxiety about my kid not eating enough. That’s nuts.

I’ve decided after much trial, error & disappointment over the last 4 weeks of school that I’m just going to make things easy on myself. My daughter seems to prefer a more “snacky” lunch loaded with fresh produce. In fact, I’ve seen that little weirdo choose a bowl of spring greens with a little sea salt sprinkled on top for snack over everything else in the house on more than one occasion. So that’s what I will be packing her from here on out unless she specifically requests something else. Lots of fresh fruits & veg, some kind of protein, something with a little crunch & no sandwiches.

This one is pretty straightforward. Just some carrot & celery sticks in the top tier. The bottom tier held sliced strawberries & one of our homemade oatmeal bars that we made together last night. I also packed her a sliced banana in a separate container.

Daily Bento

25 Sep

Tuesday’s bento was a super easy one. In the first tier, there is half of a ham sandwich & some naturally colored Goldfish Space Adventures crackers. In the second tier, I cut cucumber slices with leaf-shaped metal cookie cutters & put them in a silicone heart-shaped cup next to sliced grape tomatoes & carrots.

I can’t forget to mention her little friends peeking out from behind her tomatoes & cucumbers. These are food picks that she will actually use to eat her lunch with. No big utensils required.

 

23 Sep

A few things to keep in mind before you hit the stores:

* Buying in bulk doesn’t always save money when compared to combining coupons with sales. Be sure to do the math before you shop.

* Check savings sites for freebies & sign up for them. Not only will you often get full-sized products for free, but they will likely include high-value coupons that have long expiration dates. Hang on to them & wait for a sale.

http://hip2save.com/category/freebies/
freestufftimes.com
freebieshark.com

* Brand loyalty will not save you $. Case in point: Tide works great but is expensive & Tide rarely offers high value coupons. There are plenty of other detergents that work just as well & smell great for less than half the price.

* Meal planning saves you $. Try to plan your menu around the items on sale that week whenever possible.

* Procrastination costs $. If there is a great sale on an item you’ll use, buy it now or pay full price later. I recently paid .58 for 2 sticks of the boys’ deodorant. If I had waited, I would have paid full price – $3.49/stick! Um, no. This rule only applies to items you will absolutely use.

* Know a store’s coupon policy before you walk in the store. Even better, print it out & carry it with you. You never know when you may need to refer to it.

* Always check your receipt before you leave the store. I’ve had to go to Customer Service many times due to cashier & register errors. One of my local stores will reimburse you the entire value of the product if an item rings up incorrectly. It pays to check!

Where Do All Those Coupons Come From?

23 Sep

Have you ever stood behind someone in the check-out line as they handed over a huge stack of coupons to the cashier & wondered where they got all of them? Read on to find out where you may be able to find the coupons that you need too.

Continue reading →

23 Sep

New to couponing? Here are a few things to know before you start clippin’…

Continue reading →

Good Morning, Muffins!

23 Sep

Good Morning, Muffins

 

I’m no vegan, not by a long stretch. But every once in a while, either out of necessity or sheer curiosity, I find myself searching the web for vegan recipes. More often than not, it’s because I’ve run out of eggs or butter or something else that originated from an animal. But rather than dash all hopes of chocolate cake or other yummy treats, I improvise. I’m no quitter.

These muffins are perfect for breakfast. They taste good and they’re good for you. If the whole soy milk thing turns you off, just use the same amount of your favorite milk instead. No biggie. Don’t want applesauce in your muffins? That’s cool too. Just add melted (but cooled) butter instead. They won’t be vegan but who will know?

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar, pack it down
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2-3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup almond milk – or cow’s milk for non vegan (any milk works here)
1/2 cup applesauce or 1/3 cup melted & cooled butter for non-vegan
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray your muffin tin with non-stick spray or bust out your liners.

In a big bowl, combine all your dry ingredients; flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda.

In another bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients; mashed bananas, milk, applesauce (or butter) & vanilla.

Now add your wet mixture into your dry mixture & stir a few times, just until the mixture comes together. Over-mixing does not result in nicely textured muffins.

Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full with batter & bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. Mini-muffins will need 10-12 minutes.

* You can also add ⅓ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and/or chocolate chips for chocolate banana muffins.

* I like to sprinkle the tops with brown sugar, oats, dried cranberries & flax seeds. Give the topping a little press before baking & you’re good to go.

 

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