#2,718: Banana Oat Bars

These banana oat bars (picture above isn't cut yet) are so, so, so easy, and my kids and I ate the entire pan one day for breakfast (we cut the above picture (8x8 pan) into 12 squares).  These bars are so moist and had the perfect amount of peanut butter and banana...it wasn't overpowering at all.  I made these the night before and just left them to cool on the stove until breakfast.  The kids were super excited when they came down to see it on the table.  We will definitely be making/eating these again next week!   

3 small ripe bananas

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup peanut butter

2-4 Tbsp maple syrup

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Mash bananas in a bowl.  Add oats, peanut butter, maple syrup and egg and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Let cool, cut and serve.

#2,817: Loaded Tater Tot Bites

We enjoyed these so much I think I've probably made them four times.  We've eaten them as a side dish at dinner, as an after school snack, and for breakfast.  They freeze well too so you can make a whole bunch ahead of time and just reheat in the microwave! 

32 oz Tater Tots frozen

1 1/2 c. Cheddar Cheese shredded

This is a mini tart shaper

1 lb Bacon cooked and diced
about 1/2 package of fresh chives, finely chopped

Note: You can use any ingredients you like on your loaded baked potato. These are just suggestions!

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Grease a mini muffin pan and place five tater tots in each cup. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Remove the muffin pan from the oven and use a mini tart shaper (or a small glass or even a spoon) to press the tater tots down into each cup. This will create a tater tot cup.

Fill the tater tots with the cheese,bacon, and chives (or your desired loaded potato ingredients).

Place the tater tots back in the oven and cook for another 15 - 20 minutes until the tater tots become golden brown.  If they don't want to come out of the muffin cup pretty easily (you might need to use a butter knife to loosen the edges), then it's probably not done yet. 

Remove from the oven and let the tots cool for at least 5 minutes.

Let cool completely if you want to freeze them to eat later.  To reheat, place frozen tater tot cups on a microwave safe plate and reheat for 30-60 seconds. 

#2,816: Paleo Chocolate Banana Muffins

Banana + chocolate + muffins = a wonderful kid-friendly breakfast!!  Plus it's gluten free so that's an extra bonus!  These muffins were so moist, my kids totally devoured them.  I probably should put it on our menu again this week because I know they'd be excited.  They even loved them as an afternoon/after school snack too.  These were super easy to make and baked up easily.  Personally you can't go wrong with these flavors/ingredients though! 

4 eggs large

2 tsp. vanilla extract

⅓ c. pure maple syrup

1 c. banana mashed

½ c. coconut oil melted

⅓ c. coconut flour

⅓ c. almond flour

⅓ c. cocoa powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

3 Tbsp. cacao nibs or mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 12-count cupcake tray with liners and spray each one with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine eggs, extract, maple syrup, banana, and coconut oil. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer until just combined.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl combine coconut flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. 

Slowly add dry ingredients into the larger bowl of wet ingredients. Mix by hand until just combined after each addition.

Stir in caco nibs or chocolate chips by hand until just combined.

Fill each cupcake liner with equal amounts of muffin batter.  Bake in preheated oven for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes before eating.

#2.815: Homemade Organic Gummy Bear Fruit Snacks

 

The first time I made these, they were easy, but the worst part was straining the seeds out of the fresh strawberry puree.  My kids liked them, but I felt like it was too much work for the amount I got out of it.  Then I figured I'd take a shortcut step and find organic fruit purees to use in place of the fresh strawberries.  Plus, the original recipe I tried was orange-strawberry, and although I liked the taste of them when done, I didn't love the smell they were giving off when cooking.  So I went to Target in search of organic baby food pouches I could use in place for the puree (PLUS I was hoping to sneak in a veggie too!).  I found several different kids so I've made this recipe multiple times.  These are definitely a personal preference kind of recipe....we all like different ones the best!  I got the super cute gummy bear mold for about $6 at Walmart.  Personally, you probably should get 2 because you can make a batch quicker (you get 45 gummy bears per mold).  But each mold only has to be in the freezer for 15 minutes before they set so I just used one mold and kept dumping and refilling it.  You can freeze these to eat later, but you have to let them thaw in the fridge before eating.  (PS...keep these refrigerated). 

Here is the link to the original recipe for the strawberry-orange flavored ones. 
Below is the recipe for using the organic fruit pouches.  

1/2 cup fruit puree (from baby food/toddler pouches)

1/2 cup juice (apple, orange, cranberry, etc.)

2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp gelatin

Combine puree and choice of juice in a saucepan. Heat on low until the liquid is almost simmering. Remove from heat. Let cool for a few minutes and then add honey to the mixture. 
In a small bowl add gelatin.  Add the slightly cooled puree stirring constantly until the gelatin is dissolved.

Use a dropper to fill the silicon Gummy Bear molds OR pour the gelatin liquid into the molds using a spatula to smooth it out and push all the puree into the mold. Place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes or until the gummies are firm.

#2,814: Classic Beef Chili

One thing my mom is known for is her chili recipe.  It's loaded with beans and is just the right amount of spicy.  This is NOT my mom's recipe, so I'm sure my sister is totally going to hate this.  However, being one who likes to try new recipes, I figured I'd give this one a try.  I have to admit, I really do like this chili.  I love that it has two different kinds of beans.  I especially love it served over elbow noodles, with some melted cheddar cheese, and some oyster crackers like my mom always served hers.  As with most chili's this is definitely better the longer it sits and you let the flavors meld.  You kind of get a little bit of the beer flavor in this, but it's super mild.  If you don't want to add beer, just use more chicken broth.  

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion
8 garlic cloves, minced
3 pounds ground chuck
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (15-oz.) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (12-oz.) bottle beer

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground chuck, and cook, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain beef mixture well, and return to Dutch oven.

Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes.

Increase heat to high. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, and beer, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.