Easy Homemade Granola

Simple to make and with few ingredients, this granola has become a favorite for breakfast in our home.  For a quick, well balanced snack, sprinkle over plain, unsweetened yogurt.

Maple Almond Granola with Coconut

3 1/4 cups whole rolled oats
3/4 cup chopped raw almonds
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup (honey can be used)
1/8 cup brown sugar (optional)
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 350°.  

Grease a large jelly roll pan or line with parchment paper.

Melt coconut oil and maple syrup in a small saucepan.  Combine the oats, almonds and coconut in a bowl.  Pour the melted coconut oil and maple syrup over oats mixture.  Stir to combine.  Add brown sugar and salt and mix gently.

Spread onto pan and bake for 25-30 minutes stirring every 7-9 minutes.

Let cool completely and store in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

Peanut Butter Balls

Try these little bites for a great dessert packed with protein, fiber and healthy fats without too much sugar!

 

Peanut Butter Balls

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (no sugar or oils added)

4 Tbsp. honey (agave for a vegan option)

2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup brown crispy rice cereal (or more oats)

2 Tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut

Dash Vanilla

1/8 cup mini chocolate chips (opt.)

Soften peanut butter until able to stir. Combine all ingredients. Roll into small balls (about 1 inch) Makes 10-12 balls.

*Can't have peanut butter? Try this with raw unsalted almond butter and and a drop of almond extract. Delicious!

Hearty Dumpling Soup

Hearty Dumpling Soup

Soup:

1Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

3/4 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup frozen organic corn

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

5 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

Dumplings:

2 cups whole wheat flour (ground from hard white wheat)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 cup milk (dairy or unsweetened soy or almond)

For the soup:

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add dried seasoning, frozen peas and corn. Saute 2-3 minutes more. Meanwhile, drain beans and add broth and beans to a blender. Blend on high 1 minute.

Add broth mixture to soup. Bring to a simmer.

For the dumplings:

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add oil and milk and mix until just combined. Drop about 1/4 cup scoops into simmering soup. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until dumplings are baked through.

Remove dumplings and mix soup. Serve a bowl of soup with a dumpling on top.

Makes about 4 servings.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

This is a delicious dessert but I feel so good about the ingredients that we eat it for breakfast, too! If you want to make it a little sweeter, make a cream cheese glaze to drizzle over the top.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

adapted from Peas and Thank You

Cake

2 cups whole wheat flour (ground from whole white wheat)

2 cups oat flour (grind whole groats, steel cut oats or rolled oats in a blender or food processor)

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. allspice (opt.)

1 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

2 cups canned pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

4 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted OR organic canola oil

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 cup sucanat OR 1 cup brown sugar

Crumb Topping

6 Tbsp. whole wheat flour

6 Tbsp. sucanat OR brown sugar

2 Tbsp. organic sugar

4 Tbsp. organic salted butter, melted

1/2 cup rolled oats

3 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° Grease a glass 9x13 dish with nonstick spray.

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients and sugar, mix well and add to dry ingredients. Spread into greased dish.

Combine crumb topping ingredients and mix well with fork to form a crumble. Sprinkle over the top.

Bake for 30-32 minutes.
 

Hot Cocoa Mix

I love hot cocoa and the ready to make packets are so convenient but have you looked at what is in them? Not too great for you. I like to make a double batch of this and keep it in the pantry. Makes it a little easier to let the kids have a few marshmallows on top :)

About 4 servings

1/2 cup organic sugar or sucanat(FS)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (FS)

3/4 cup powdered milk (FS)

1/8 tsp. salt

That's it! Mix this together and store. To serve, add 1/4 cup mix to 1 cup hot water. Add a drop of vanilla extract, mint extract or coconut extract for fun flavor!

Whole Grain Banana Mini Muffins

These are a great snack for school lunches or an after school treat. Just put 3 mini muffins in snack size ziplocs and freeze. They are ready to grab and go.

Whole Grain Banana Mini Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (ground from hard white wheat kernals)
1/2 cup oat flour (ground from whole oat groats or pulse rolled oats in a blender until fine)
1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed meal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 2 large
1 egg
1/2 cup milk (dairy, soy or almond)
1/4 cup organic canola oil

Mix all ingredients together. Spray muffin pans and bake for 9-10 minutes at 400°. *For regular size muffins, bake for 18-20 minutes.

Double Chocolate Brownies

3/4 cup whole wheat OR ezekial flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sucanat OR organic sugar
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. ground golden flax mixed with 4 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° and spray an 8x8 pan. Mix all ingredients and spread into pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until brownies pull away from edges.