#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.

#2,804: Parmesan Hash Brown Cups

I had some leftover hash browns in my freezer and wanted to find a quick way to use them up, so I gave these baked cheesy hash brown cups a try and they were a big hit with my crew!  The kids didn't even mind the specks of "grass" they saw on top (ignore them, they get that from their dad...it was just chives!).  These are so simple and as long as you bake them long enough, they pretty much pop out of the muffin tins.  If they won't come out, you either didn't grease the cup well enough or it's just not ready (it's probably not ready!).  I used Parmesan and a little mozzarella, but you could use whatever cheese you have on hand.  The original recipe also says to grate a potato, but the thawed shredded hash browns was so much easier!

These also reheat well from frozen (just microwave for about a minute). 

1½ pounds potatoes (I used a bag of defrosted hash brown potatoes)

1 small yellow onion

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons chives, minced

2 tablespoons garlic herb seasoning (I didn't have this so I used a little bit of brown sugar, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and parsley)

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease or parchment line the wells of a 6-well jumbo muffin pan (I used regular muffin tins).

Cut ends off onion, remove outer later, and grate.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stir well to combine, then add to the prepared wells in the muffin pan.  Bake in preheated oven 30-40 minutes until the tops are golden brown. 

#2,801: Peanut butter and jelly muffins

I'm playing catch up with recipes and making my way through Food Network Magazines month of muffins!  This is the recipe from September and is a perfect back-to-school recipe!  One of my kids likes grape jelly, and one likes strawberry, (and one doesn't like jelly), so I made both kinds.  The muffin is a tiny bit dry, so the jelly definitely helps.  The peanut topping is so good on it though!  We really enjoyed these and the kids would ask me every morning if they could eat them and how many they could have.  I just kept responding "how many do YOU think you should have?"  LOL

2/3 cup whole-wheat flour (I used more all-purpose flour)

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, finely chopped

1 cup strawberry or grape jelly or jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk both flours, the baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk 1/3 cup peanut butter, the milk, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl; stir into the flour mixture until just combined.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Tap the bottom of the pan lightly on the counter to smooth out the batter. Bake until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let the muffins cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out a shallow hole in the middle of each muffin. Melt the remaining 2/3 cup peanut butter in the microwave until loose, stirring halfway through, 45 to 60 seconds. Spread the peanuts on a plate. Dip the top of 1 muffin in the melted peanut butter, letting the excess drip off, then dip it in the chopped peanuts to coat. Transfer to the rack and repeat with the remaining muffins.

Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon jelly or jam into the hole in each muffin. Let set 5 minutes.

#2,795: Orange Zucchini Bread

Allison told me she wanted to guess what was in this recipe...ok I'll play along.  She guessed zucchini right away (the fact that she could see it in the bread was a good start), and then guessed every fall fruit possible as the other ingredient.  When I told her it was orange juice, she KNEW it had to be something citrusy.  HA.  Nice try girly.  You were close.  

This bread is quite moist and who knew that orange and zucchini went so well together.  Since I have now cut myself TWICE (in the same spot I might add) on my food processor blade, I figure I better put a disclaimer/warning/don't learn from my mistakes note out there to y'all.  Please be careful with your food processor blades!  Even when you are mentally telling yourself to be careful so you don't cut yourself again it can (and might) happen!  

This is big batch recipe and makes 4 mini or 2 regular sizes loaves.  So make a batch and share some with your neighbhors.  Or stick them in the freezer for breakfast or snacks for the kids...or yourself. 

3 cups flour

2 cups cups sugar

3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 tbsp zest of one Naval orange

4 oz juice of one Naval orange

3 cups minced fresh zucchini, drained of juice use food processor and drain of moisture

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3 eggs

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Ensure rack is in middle position.

Rinse and cut zucchini (skin on) into quarters and put in a food processor. Turn on for 30 seconds or so until zucchini is minced or finely shredded. 

In a large bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add sugar, oil, orange zest, orange juice and eggs. Add flour mixture one cup at a time mixing on low. Stir in minced fresh zucchini. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and make sure flour is incorporated evenly into batter.

Grease two loaf pans (8"x 4"x 3") with cooking spray. Pour half of the batter into each loaf pan and bake at 350F for 50-60 min. Test by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean, it is done. Let rest for 30 min before cutting. Enjoy warm or cold. Store in the refrigerator for several days. Wrap in wax paper and put in freezer bag to freeze up to 6 months.

#2,794: Gluten Free Pumpkin Doughnuts

First of all, ignore the lumpy icing in this picture.  This was the first batch I made and I've finally learned that you cannot add a solid to a liquid and expect it to fully incorporate (i.e. flour into a hot sauce; powdered sugar in to hot maple syrup and butter; gelatin into fruit puree, etc.  #NOTtalkingfromexperience).  Happy first day of October and all things pumpkin!  See that cute background?!  I told Brian I needed a Halloween background and he told me to use his tie.  HA...it worked.  I now have a WHOLE LOT OF potential backgrounds for my pictures, although his ties might start getting messy that way!  

I was on a hunt for a gluten free pumpkin doughnut (and an excuse to buy a doughnut pan!), so I figured I'd give these doughnuts a try.  The first batch was devoured very quickly, even by Brian who I had to promise his did NOT have pumpkin in his.  I've made these a few times since and we fight over the last one every time.  These are really easy to make and I love the maple frosting/glaze.  Definitely give these a try!

For the Pumpkin Doughnuts:

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup pumpkin purée

3 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1½ cups brown rice flour

1 cup almond flour

For the Maple Glaze:

4 tablespoons butter

½ cup maple syrup

1⅓ cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Cream together the butter and sugar for 1 minute on medium to high speed. Add in the pumpkin purée and mix for another 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl.

Add in the eggs, one by one, and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds.

In a separate bowl, mix together the baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and flours. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix together for 1 minute.

Spray your doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fill a piping bag with your doughnut batter and pipe the batter into your doughnut pan. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

While the doughnuts are cooling, make the glaze: In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the maple syrup. Once the butter has melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the confectioners’ sugar.

Dip each doughnut face down into the glaze. Let dry on parchment paper, then serve.

#2,790: Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread

Since taking a leave from work, my kids often come home to some sort of baked good for an after school snack now (added perk of mom being home).  Usually they badger me to find out what weird or healthy ingredient I added to it but then once I can get them to try it, they are usually pretty happy.  This recipe was one of those recipes.  They could tell by the color there was something in this and it wasn't a form of banana bread, but the cinnamon-sugar topping persuaded them to at least try it.  They devoured this mini loaf.  I think I've make this two or three times again since!  Hey it's pumpkin season, it's the perfect time to make this recipe!  Plus it freezes well so I can pretty much always have some on hand for breakfast OR for after school snacks. 

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/3 cup vegetable oil, canola oil, or liquid-state coconut oil 

1/4 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk

2 tablespoons mild or medium molasses (I omitted)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided 3 ways

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided 3 ways

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray 3 5x3x2-inch mini loaf pans very well with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pans; set aside.

To a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and whisk together; set aside.

To a separate large bowl add the sugars, pumpkin, oil (I used coconut) milk, molasses, vanilla, and whisk until combined.

Pour the wet pumpkin mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined; don’t over mix.

Evenly distribute batter between the 3 prepared pans, filling each about 2/3-full.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping – Evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over each of the 3 pans.

Evenly sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon over each of the 3 pans and place pans on a baking sheet (easier than dealing with 3 separate small pans in a hot oven).  Bake for about 40 to 43 minutes, or until tops are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Start checking at 30 minutes because all mini pans, ovens, and climates vary. Allow bread to cool in pans for about 15 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool completely. 

Bread will keep airtight at room temp for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

#2,786: No-Bake Granola Bars

OMG I am warning you, do NOT make these granola bars!  If you do, I'm telling you, you just might regret it because these are addicting!  I can whip up a batch of these pretty quickly, the hardest part is letting the mixture cool a little bit before you add the baking M and M's otherwise, they are going to melt.  It doesn't change the flavor at all, but it will change the appearance for sure.  I made these in an 8x8 pan and then cut it into 10 pieces.  The second time I made these (yep, there was a second time already!), I cut each of the 10 pieces in half and popped those babies in the freezer.  That slowed us down a little bit!  My kids love these as an after school snack, and as a dessert in their lunches.  Everyone in our house give these 2 thumbs up!

The original recipe called for Crispy M and M's, but I wasn't about to waste take my time chopping those up, so I just used baking mini ones instead.  

1 cup crispy rice cereal

½ cup old-fashioned oats

½ cup vanilla protein powder (I didn't have any so I ground up oats and used 1/2 c of those instead!)

¼ cup coarsely chopped M&M’s Crispy, plus additional for topping (I used baking mini ones...see note above)

3 tablespoons chia seeds

½ cup peanut butter softened

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Place all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Place remaining ingredients in a small bowl and heat in microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until softened. Stir, stir, stir until the ingredients are completely combined and smooth.

Pour peanut butter mixture over dry ingredients and stir until all of the dry ingredients are coated.

(I skipped this step and used a foil square cake pan.  I sprayed with a little non-stick spray and these popped right out) Line a square baking pan with wax paper or parchment paper and use the back of a large spoon or spatula to press the mixture into the pan. Really press the mixture down firmly so that the bars hold together properly. Decorate/top with additional M and M's if desired.  Refrigerate until firm (at least a couple of hours, or overnight). Cut into bars or squares.  Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

#2,782: Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal Bars

The picture of this does not do this recipe justice.  I first gave my kids a piece after dinner to see if they liked it...they all asked for a second piece.  They also ate it for breakfast the next day and then asked me to make it again.  Uh, sure! It is SO simple to throw together and if you don't have oat flour, just throw some old fashioned oat in your food processor and pulse it a little.  It's also a great way to use up those over-ripe bananas too! The original recipe says to pour more peanut butter over the top, but I didn't do that...and my kids didn't seem to care! 

1 ½ cups quick cooking oats

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 overripe bananas mashed

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup pure maple syrup (I used honey)

1 large egg lightly beaten
¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I used skim milk)

Mini Chocolate chips (about 1/3 cup)

Topping:
¼ cup creamy peanut butter melted ( I omitted)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9” square baking pan and set aside.

In a small bowl mix together the quick cooking oats, baking powder, sea salt and ground cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix mashed banana and peanut butter together until combined.  Add in the vanilla extract, maple syrup (I used honey) and egg. Mix until combined.  Add the almond milk and mini chocolate chips, and stir until batter is mixed.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8x8 cake/baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Or until the top slightly springs back when touched and the edges are just barely brown!

I skipped this step: Melt the extra peanut butter and drizzle on top.

Cut into squares and store in refrigerator.  Reheat in microwave or enjoy cold!

#2,674: Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Blender Muffins

Anything that requires me to throw (almost) everything into a blender to make it is my kind of recipe!  I love easy and I love shortcuts!  This recipe was super simple and my kids loved these muffins.  EXCEPT I can't get them to come out of the paper liners so you'll have to grease your muffin tins and not use paper liners instead!  Lesson learned!  I should have known...there's not enough fat in these to get them to not stick to the liners.  You could totally customize these to whatever ingredients you love and have on hand.  Peanut butter and any sort of nut would be great in these too! 

2 cups oats (quick cooking or old fashioned)

2 large very ripe bananas

2 large eggs

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 to 3 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Up to 1/2 cup mix-ins: chocolate chips (mini or regular), chopped dark chocolate, nuts, dried cranberries, or blueberries (fresh or frozen and rinsed)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup standard muffin tin.

Place the all ingredients but the mix-ins in a blender: oats, bananas, eggs, Greek yogurt, honey, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend on high, stopping to scrape down and stir the ingredients once or twice as needed, until the batter is smooth and the oats have broken down almost completely, about 3 minutes. 

By hand, stir in the mix-ins. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each no more than three-quarters of the way to the top. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips or nuts if desired. 

Bake for 15 minutes, until the tops of the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes. 

Note: These will deflate when cooled, but still taste delicious.

#2,668: Chocolate Peanut Butter (Overnight) Chia Breakfast Pudding

Once before I tried making chia pudding and it didn't go very well, so I haven't really tried again since.  Well now was the time to try again, and I am SO glad I did.  I decided to make this "pudding" for breakfast and you know it's good when even your picky 6 year old likes it and asks that you make it for him for breakfast the next day!  YES!  I added a swirl of peanut butter and a few mini chocolate chips to the top right before I ate it...oh my goodness, so good!  

This recipe serves FOUR, so adjust accordingly if you want to make less! 

1/2 c chia seeds

1 1/2 c almond milk

1/4 cup chocolate protein powder (I personally used Young Living Pure Protein Complete)

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp agave (I omitted)

2 tbsp all natural peanut butter
Mini chocolate chips (optional)

Place the chia seeds, cocoa powder and protein into a mason jar and give it a swirl just to combine the ingredients. Add in the almond milk and agave. Put the lid on tight and shake until completely mixed. (You might need to get a spoon and really mix the bottom...mine stuck in places and didn't mix all the way).

Place the jar into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Remove from the fridge and separate chia pudding into 4 serving bowls and layer with peanut butter (and mini chocolate chips if using). 

#2,667: Cassava Flour Pumpkin muffins

Ok, so these might not be the cutest muffins I've ever made, but they are healthy, gluten free, and have a veggie in it (yeah for sneaking in veggies for my kids!).  Obviously if you choose to use applesauce instead of the pumpkin puree it won't have this cool orange hue to it.  I was also super excited that I could use up over-ripe bananas that wasn't a banana bread recipe too!  These are good!  My kids liked them too, so I have a bunch in the freezer for when school starts next week. (Sob).  I made some of these in muffin paper liners and a few in silicone muffins liners.  The ones in the silicone muffin liners cooked better and were so much easier to get out.  The paper ones wanted to stick to the muffins a bit and was a little bit annoying to get out.  So I'd suggest either not using liners at all (and grease your muffin tin well) or use silicone!   

1 1/2 cups cassava flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin puree

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespooons coconut oil, melted

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the cassava flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Use a spatula to stir together.

Next, place the eggs, bananas, applesauce or pumpkin puree, almond milk, coconut oil, and vanilla into the base of a food processor (I threw mine in the blender instead). Pulse on high until ingredients are combined, about 15-20 seconds total.

Pour the liquid mixture from the food processor into the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and stir well.

Pour the batter into the muffin tin bake for 40 minutes (that seemed like a lot!  I did 30 minutes) or until the muffins are golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature, and refrigerator or freeze leftovers.

#2,663: Flourless (GF) Pumpkin Cookies

Ignore the weird orange color these cookies give off.  Yes they really do look like that, but I'll be a tiny bit honest...that makes me happy because that means the kids are actually going to get a veggie in them when they eat these!  :)  My kids love helping make no-bake oatmeal balls and ask to make them often.  I love that this is even easier because there's less ingredients and they don't make as much of a mess on their hands trying to form them.  

We really like these!  And if you freeze them to eat later, make sure you let them thaw first or pop them into the microwave for a few seconds, otherwise you won't even be able to bite into them! 

2 cups gluten free quick oats (or whatever oats you have on hand!)

1 cup pumpkin puree 

1/4 cup granulated sweetener of choice (I used swerve sugar substitute)

Cinnamon (optional; I just sprinkled a little bit in)

Chocolate chips or nuts (optional, I threw in some mini chocolate chips)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a baking tray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, pumpkin, cinnamon (if using), and granulated sweetener of choice and mix well. Add the chocolate chips or nuts if desired. 

I changed this step so my suggestion is next!  Using your hands, form into small balls and place on the baking tray and press each ball into a cookie shape. 

Forget that....that's too messy.  I used a cookie scoop and just portioned out mounds of dough.  Then I flattened with my hand at the end and just made sure each one was relatively compacted.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Remove and allow to cool completely.  You can store in a container up to a week (yeah right!), or just throw them in the freezer after they cool completely.  

#2,661: Berry-Granola Smoothie

Man the blue background is really giving off a weird color for this picture!  Oops.  I probably should have noticed that sooner!  If you read my previous post, you'll know we have a whole lot of homemade yogurt in our fridge that we now need to use up.  Since the consistency is a little bit thin, I figured it would be a great addition to smoothies...which it is!  My oldest has made a lot of smoothies lately!

I had also bought some granola because the kids like to put it in their yogurt, and this recipe called for granola in it too.  That scared me a little.  But my kids loved this smoothie recipe and even my non-smoothie loving middle child has asked me to make this again!  

I found this recipe in a little pull-out book in a recent issue of Food Network Magazine "50 Berry Treats."

1 c frozen mixed berries
1/2 c vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 c granola
1/2 c almond milk
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp honey

In a blender combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  

#2,658: Gluten Free Baked Mozzarella Sticks

You could totally make this non-gluten free, but I have been trying to avoid gluten for a few weeks now to see what effects it's having on my body.  So I made this with gf breadcrumbs, gf panko, and eggs.  I tried dipping it in almond meal first instead of flour like the original recipe suggested, but it wouldn't stick to the cheese so I just gave up (and saved that almond flour from being wasted!).  

I made these and made Brian try them...he was sure I did something weird to them...but he ate one anyway and liked it!  These are really good.  Like, really good.  Especially dipped in sauce.  But I have never met a mozzarella stick I didn't like.  Ha!  Obviously these are best served right away so the cheese is melty and it doesn't sieze back up as it cools.  I don't know if I'll make these all the time (too much in and out of the freezer for my liking), but for an occasional snack/treat, I'm all for it!  

12 sticks mozzarella string cheese

1 large egg

1/4 cup flour (I omitted)

1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (I used gluten free breadcrumbs)

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (I used gluten free panko)

2 teaspoons parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

Remove string cheese from the wrappers and cut cheese in half to give you 24 pieces. Freeze cheese until hard and frozen, about 30 minutes.

In three separate shallow dishes, place egg, flour and breadcrumbs, each in their own dish. Whisk egg. To breadcrumbs dish, add panko, parmesan and parsley.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. 

Dip frozen cheese sticks in flour, shaking off excess, then into the egg, then coat with the crumbs. Repeat for each cheese stick, placing them on the lined baking sheet. Freeze on sheet at least 15 minutes, or until ready to bake (this is a must or they will melt before the crumbs get golden).

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange oven rack in the bottom third of your oven. (I just baked mine on the top rack and then turned the broiler on at the end). 

Bake 4 to 5 minutes, turn sticks over, and bake an additional 4-5 minutes, watching sticks closely so they don't melt.