Energy Sustaining Bars

I found this recipe a couple of years ago from the Sara Snow website.

She introduces the recipe by saying, "This recipe was inspired from a diet recipe for breakfast bars.  I took that recipe and turned it upside down, added fiber, protein, antioxidants and lots of healthy goodness.  These are incredibly easy to make and keep on hand for grab-and-go mornings."

With my new obsession with soaking grains I made a change but you can easily skip the soaking process and combine everything.

(I never said they look pretty.)

Energy Sustaining Bars

2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
½ cup whole flax seed
½ - 1 cup HOT water ¼ cup organic dark cocoa power (or slightly less)
½ cup natural peanut butter
½ cup honey
½ t spirulina

Soak the oats and flax seeds in warm water with 1 T. of lemon juice for 12-24 hours.  You may need to add a little more water to get a good soak.

After the soaking process combine the other ingredients.  Form into individual sized cookie shapes or even shape it into a bar.  It helps if you just put a scoop onto the plastic wrap and fold over to shape- this leaves your hands clean. Wrap in plastic and store in refrigerator or freezer. A little information about spirulina: You can find it in your health food store in the bulk section for the herbs and spices. If you are local, Dixie Nutrition has it. It is a bright green powdered substance. Spirulina has amazing health benefits- it is a complete protein, containing all essential amino acids. You can find out more here.

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

The claims of an amazing pot of pinto beans are true.  They were everything I hoped for them to be.  These beans along with my sprouted rice were apart of my birthday dinner last Saturday.  I had a day of food made at home and ended the day with an amazing flavorful dinner that I was secretly bursting at the seams with pride for.

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

4 cups of pinto beans soaked for 24 hours
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of sea salt (I only added one teaspoon at the beginning and added the rest later)
4 garlic cloves smashed and peeled1
1 sliced jalapeno (I didn't have this but think it would be a great addition)
water and chicken stock to cover


Rinse beans that have been soaking for 24 hours.  Dump them in your slow cooker along with all the ingredients.  Cover with half water half stock.

Cook on high for 6-8 hours until beans are tender.

My little sprout

For some reason I was so proud of my little short grain brown rice that I sprout.  I have had some failed attempts on sprouting beans, fermenting a sourdough starter, and such that I was nervous about this supposedly easy process.  The reward was big for me and I was ecstatic to make a pot of brown rice with my freshly sprouted rice to go along with a taco salad.

It was a fun process- one I will let the kids join in on next time (I didn't want to disappoint anyone the first go around).  I couldn't tell a difference in the taste- the texture seemed fluffier and softer- but the nutritional benefit outweighed anything else and the fact that I was just tickled pink to achieve these results.

I followed the instructions from sprout people and can't wait to try something else.

Here is the link for sprouting, short grain brown rice.

Long Simmered Spaghetti Sauce

I have been on a search for a good spaghetti sauce- good tasting and good for you.  I have found a winner, for now.  It couldn't have been easier and my house smelled delicious all day.

I made some adjustments to the original recipe according to what I had on hand and to satisfy taste buds. Follow the link to see the original recipe.

Long Simmered Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 an onion grated
2 garlic cloves
*For the chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce all I had was diced tomatoes so I took some of the diced tomatoes and blended very well till I got 8 oz. to substitute for the sauce.  We have some texture issues so I also put 28 oz. of the diced tomatoes in the blender and pulsed till I reached a good consistency.
1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1 cup of chicken broth
2 tsp. of Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  You may need to adjust the salt according to the salt content of your tomato products.

This was very satisfying and I had plenty of leftovers. We will be using it on a homemade pizza tonight- recipe for the soaked whole wheat crust to come.

I do not object to adding the original meat.  I just like to have control over my meat intake and having meatballs is more appealing to me then meat in the sauce.  However, I think that being in a slow cooker all day with some meat would be a great addition to this sauce.

This week:

I have recipes from this past week coming up and some great things going on in the kitchen this week:

Soaked Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Homemade Energy Bars- this time I really am going to make them
Soaked Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
Homemade Salad Dressings
Slow Cooker Sprouted Lentil soup

Other things I hope to make soon:
Coconut Flour Pancakes- waiting on some things for this.
Tomato Tortillas- waiting for local tomatoes made the spinach ones again today to get by until then.
Sourdough bread- first starter didn't work trying out another batch, crossing my fingers.

In the kitchen this week...

I am here- just busy learning, experimenting, and cooking.  I don't have posts, recipes, and pictures ready since I am still in the process with a lot of these recipes but here is a little taste of what's to come:

Soaking and sprouting short grain brown rice

Creating my own Sourdough Starter to make Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Making Long Simmering Spaghetti Sauce

Soaking and cooking pinto beans- supposedly the best recipe

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Making yummy (not healthy) cupcakes for my birthday- no I am not making them although I would.

A lot of fried and scrambled eggs

Soaked Oatmeal Porridge

Oatmeal Pancakes

Hamburgers with lettuce as buns with our new order of grass fed beef
Making Tomato Tortillas
Finding local free range eggs

and that's all I can remember for now.

Phew...

The week is over.  This one got the best of me.  We really didn't have too much going on but between what we did- golf camp, haircuts, scheduling errands between naps, and such- I am just plain tuckered out.  I did manage to squeeze in a treat- not so healthy treat.

This is one reason why I try not to watch foodnetwork but I happened to stumble upon it last week right when this dessert was being made and the girls and I decided it was a must.  It uses a brownie mix which I was okay with because I am out of white flour and I didn't want to buy more just for this.  There are always ways to make things healthier and this is no exception but if you allow yourself to make it this way first and have a taste please do- it's oh so yummy!!

Frozen Brownie Sundaes from Giada at Home

My changes:
I used mini chocolate chips in the brownie batter and semi-sweet for the ganache/top chocolate layer.  I wish I would have done a thinner chocolate layer on top- maybe I will have to make it again to try that out. :)

If you have never tried caramel ice cream you are in for a treat.  I thought gross so I bought both kinds (we made two batches to share as a thank you with some friends) but I liked the caramel batch better.

The strawberry topping wasn't a big hit.  Take your own spin on it and enjoy!