Peanut Butter with Flax & Chia Seeds

I finally got to go to a Trader Joe's Grocery Store a few months back.  I have heard other food bloggers go on and on about Trader Joe's over the years and I never knew what the fuss was.  Turns out I think Trader Joe's is a pretty cool store, too.  My first observation was that the Trader Joe's store was much smaller than I expected.  So far, I've tried Trader Joe's brand herbal tea (Berries & Cherries), peanut butter, and almond butter.  The Trader Joe's nearest to me is about 1 1/2 hours away so I don't plan to shop there frequently.

One of the products I got is the Crunchy Peanut Butter (above) with Flax & Chia Seeds.  The only ingredients are peanuts, salt, flax seeds and chia seeds (no added sugar or fat).  This is the kind of peanut butter that separates and requires refrigeration.  It occurred to me I could buy natural peanut butter at my local grocery store and add in flax and chia seeds myself.  I did just that a few weeks ago and it's great.  This works well with natural peanut butter (without added sugar and fat) because these peanut butters are kind of loose and drippy at room temperature so it's relatively easy to stir in the seeds.  Once you stir in the seeds, you need to store the peanut butter in the fridge.

To this 15 ounce jar of Natural Peanut Butter (Kroger brand), I added in three teaspoons of chia seeds and three teaspoons of flax seeds.  It's great on bananas, it's great on apple slices, it's great on toast with honey, it's great on a spoon!   I think I actually like my version of this doctored up peanut butter a little bit better than the Trader Joe's version. Maybe there is a little bit more salt in the Kroger peanut butter.





Above:  Close up!  Yum!!!




This past week, I made up little veggie snack boxes.  I put about a tablespoon of the peanut butter in a plastic shot glass so I could have peanut butter and celery.

Frozen Yogurt Dog Treats with Peanut Butter, Flax, and Honey

Frozen Yogurt Dog Treats

I am trying to make dog treats at home since we are discovering some food sensitivities in our boy dog, Brutus.  The vet said it's likely Brutus is sensitive to chicken. Apparently that is very common.  A long while back, we also thought Brutus might be sensitive to wheat as well.  So a week or so ago, I set out to make some treats that contained no chicken or chicken by products (also no eggs) and no wheat.

I found a recipe that called for yogurt and peanut butter; at the last minute I decided to add in some flax seed meal and honey.  My thought process being... if the dogs don't like them, then I WILL EAT THEM.

Frozen Yogurt Dog Treats

1 cup Greek yogurt (I used 2% Fage brand)

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon ground flax meal

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Stir until ingredients are nearly combined.  Scoop all into a gallon sized plastic bag.  Snip one corner of plastic bag with scissors.  Use the plastic bag like a pastry bag and squeeze the yogurt mixture out onto a parchment lined cookie sheet through the hole in the bag's corner.  You can portion the treats out as small or as large as you would like and depending upon your dog's size.  I made very small dollops which were about the size of Hershey's Kisses (or smaller).  Place cookie sheet in freezer.  Freeze for about 1 hour and then transfer the treats to a glass or plastic container with a tight fitting lid.  Store in the freezer.

VERDICT:  Sandy really likes these treats. She loves all things DAIRY. Cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, cheese, and so on.  Brutus is not a fan of the frozen yogurt treats.  Since I used Greek yogurt, these treats are very tart.  I am not sure if is Brutus is not a fan because they are frozen or because of the tart taste.  

RECIPE SOURCE:

http://playeatlearn.blogspot.com/2013/10/homemade-peanut-butter-yogurt-dog.html?m=1

Oatmeal with Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey

 

Oatmeal with Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey

What a delicious combination!  I would have never thought to put peanut butter in my oatmeal until I saw a friend having her oatmeal this way. I finally tried it; it's delicious!

We traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, recently to visit family and we stayed in a hotel while there.  The room came with free breakfast and you never really know what you are going to find when you get free breakfast at a hotel, right?  Bagels, toast, yogurt, muffins... and sometimes bacon and eggs simmering over some sort of steamy contraption... and you never quite know how long the bacon and eggs have been there.  I was feeling pretty lucky when I found our hotel breakfast featured four kinds of fresh fruit all sliced up, as well as a big bowl full of apples, oranges, and bananas, each morning.  I also found plain packets of instant oats, honey, and peanut butter.  Score!

For my hotel breakfast, I made up the instant oats with some hot water, added in a bit of peanut butter, sliced up some fresh banana to put on top, and then drizzled a little honey over it all for a touch of sweetness.  And it was great!  It's such a nice combination that I've made it at home a few times since we returned from our trip to Iowa.  At home, I have also been sprinkling some chia seeds into my oatmeal.

Healthy Cookies: Bananas, Oats, Almonds, and Raisins

Back from our hike; treats for me and treats for the dogs...

I honestly believe having a baked good every day makes the world a better place. Well, it makes MY WORLD a better place.  

I just love having a cup of tea or a cup of coffee and a baked treat every single day.  But a baked treat each and every day probably is not good for my waistline... so I love the idea of healthy cookies. It seems like a good compromise.

These cookies are based on cookies I've seen on the blog called "Skinnytaste" (www.skinnytaste.com).  The basic recipe is 2 ripe bananas and 1 cup of quick or instant oats and you can add in other tasty bits. I've made this recipe before and added chopped walnuts and chocolate chips.  This time, I added in peanut butter, raisins, and chopped raw almonds.  Next time, I plan to add in peanut butter, chopped almonds, and mini-chocolate chips.  But this time, it was all about using up my ripe bananas and using what was already in my cupboards.

These cookies do taste very healthy but I enjoy them!  Another great thing about these cookies is that they freeze well. I portioned them out (two cookies in a snack sized Ziploc plastic bag) and placed all the cookies in the freezer.  Before I went for a hike with the dogs this morning, I pulled out a baggie of cookies and they were perfectly thawed by the time we got home.

Healthy Cookies:  Bananas, Oats, Almonds, and Raisins

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup uncooked quick/instant oats

2 tablespoons peanut butter (I used extra chunky)

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup raw almonds, finely chopped (I used my Pampered Chef food chopper)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray or line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the mashed banana, oats, and peanut butter in a bowl.  Add in the raisins and almonds.  Stir well until combined.

Portion out the dough using a cookie scoop.  Cookies should measure approximately 1 tablespoon in size.  Place the cookies a few inches apart on the cookie sheet.  Flatten the cookies with your fingertips before baking.

Bake 15 minutes.

Makes 16 cookies (8 servings)

Notice how the cookies are flattened out before baking...

These cookies have a moist, soft texture and freeze well.  I love the addition of crunchy nuts for some contrast in texture.

Do you like the looks of the dog treats above?  Here is the RECIPE LINK.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

Earlier this week, I tried to make Pumpkin  Pie Refrigerator Oats. The recipe is here:

http://www.theyummylife.com/recipes/261/Pumpkin+Pie+Refrigerator+Oatmeal

Unfortunately this recipe was a flop. I did not care for the taste or texture. It left me with leftover pumpkin purée. 

Pumpkin Pie Refrigerator Oats 

With the leftover pumpkin, I considered making these dog treats:

http://www.createdby-diane.com/2012/10/pumpkin-peanut-butter-oatmeal-dog-biscuits.html

Then I got distracted by this recipe for Breakfast Cookies... because, c'mon... who doesn't like the idea of cookies for breakfast: 

http://runninsrilankan.com/2016/08/18/coconut-oat-pecan-breakfast-cookies/

I decided to make this recipe for no bake energy bites because it would result in me using the pumpkin and I loved the idea of not having to bake these treats. 

Here is the recipe link:  

http://cleanfoodcrush.com/pumpkin-energy-balls/

• 
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bites
• From www.cleanfoodcrush.com

Ingredients 

• 3 cups dry, uncooked oatmeal 
• 1 cup all-natural Pumpkin Puree
• 1 cup all-natural Peanut butter, or Almond butter (I used peanut butter)
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey ( I used maile syrup)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 4-6 Tbsp ground flax seeds :  if ‘dough’ seems too wet, then I add more ground flax, if it’s too dry, add less…start with a smaller quantity. (I used only 2 tablespoons)
• 1 cup small chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, chopped peanuts, coconut flakes, or any combination of mix-ins that equal 1 cup total (I used walnuts, pecans, almonds, and unsweetened coconut)
• 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a medium bowl until very thoroughly mixed.
2. Roll into balls of about 1″ in diameter (I made about 50 small balls with my cookie scoop). 
3. Place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper & freeze one hour.
4. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Trail Mix Cereal Bars

Trail Mix Cereal Bars with Cranberries,

Almonds, and Chocolate

I was making chocolate chip cookies yesterday and noticed I had extra chocolate chips and corn syrup in my pantry.  I noticed Anna was playing around with the Scotcheroo recipe over on her blog called Cookie Madness, so I think I had Scotcheroos on my brain. 

Scotcheroos sounded really good but I had no Rice Crispies (cereal) on hand.  It got me to thinking of the store-bought Trail Mix Granola Bars I like which include ingredients such as almonds, dried cranberries, and are sometimes topped with a bit of chocolate.  In my mind, I was justifying making a sweet treat (that I did not need) by making them "healthy" by adding in some wholesome ingredients. I went the extra mile and toasted the raw almonds before I chopped them.   At the last minute, I decided to add in some quick oats to make it "more healthy".  I debated between putting the chocolate chips in the bars or melting the chocolate and spreading it on top of the bars.  I opted for the latter as you will see. 

This recipe makes a ton and I am probably the only one in my family who will eat them.  I took half of the recipe and wrapped them in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and we'll see how well they freeze. I put the other bars in little snack size plastic bags and I plan to bring them to work to share on Monday.  This recipe could easily be cut in half for a smaller batch.  One could also use a little less chocolate to make these tasty treats less sweet and rich. I suppose the chocolate topping could be omitted but I like the chocolate/cranberry combination.  Also, next time I make this recipe, I think I might try to make them in a jelly roll pan I have which I think measures 15x10x1inches.

Trail Mix Cereal Bars

1 cup whole raw almonds 

6 cups Cheerios (or similar oat ring cereal) 

1 cup quick cooking oats 

1 cup Craisins (dried sweetened cranberries) 

1 cup granulated sugar 

1 cup corn syrup 

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky) 

2 cups Tollhouse semi-sweet morsels (chocolate chips) 

Lightly spray a 9x13x2 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray (such as PAM).

In a skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds, stirring frequently, until the almonds are fragrant and slightly browned. Should take about 4 or 5 minutes. Set aside to cool and then coarsely chop.

In a large bowl, combine the Cheerios, oats, almonds, and cranberries. Set aside.

In a large pot, combine the sugar and corn syrup; heat over medium to medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the peanut butter until it's melted and well combined. Add in the Cheerios/oats/almonds/cranberries. Quickly stir all ingredients together until coated and then transfer it all to the prepared 9x13x2 pan. Mash the ingredients into an even layer. Mashing the ingredients will help the bars stick together well... so mash away.

Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power (100%) for about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, stopping every 30 to 45 seconds to stir. When chocolate is all melted and smooth, spread the chocolate over the cereal mixture in the pan and smooth in an even layer. Allow to cool and cut into bars. Store in plastic bags with zip closure or in plastic storage container with tight fitting lid. 

 

Amazing Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies



Amazingly Good Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Oh, how I wish I could take credit for these wonderfully delicious and creative cookies.  I've only made these cookies one other time. Most recently, I made the dough Saturday night and did not have time to bake the cookies until Sunday night. It's now Monday night and I've lost track of how many cookies I've eaten..... NOW I remember why I don't make these cookies frequently... they are dangerously addictive. Good thing I've been going to the gym a bit more lately!  Actually, I gobbled a few of these cookies along with a banana before I went to the gym today and I cranked away on that elliptical machine for an hour.  I think I burned about 600 calories on that blasted machine.  So there's proof for you, these cookies are so wholesome they will give you enough energy for an awesome workout at the gym.  Why, I might even go so far as to say that these cookies are so wholesome... they might be okay to have for breakfast.  (Disclaimer: I am a mom, so I can say things like that!)  Okay, so now that I've gotten you curious, the link for this recipe is found on a blog which I love called "101cookbooks".  Click HERE for the recipe link.

There are only a few ingredients in this recipe and they include whole wheat pastry flour (I used just whole wheat flour because I ran out of ww pastry flour), peanut butter (I used the organic peanut butter from the health food store which is just ground up roasted peanuts and no other additives), real maple syrup, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and extra virgin olive oil.  No, that's not a typo! The recipe calls for extra virgin olive oil.  I could go on and on about this recipe. I LOVE these cookies.  I hope you give them a try and let me know what you think.

Another note about adventures in cooking... I got my boys to eat fish (cod) tonight!  I was inspired by a box of Progresso Brand Lemon Pepper Panko Bread Crumbs that I found on the grocery store shelf.  Made an awesome crust on fish.  I love it when I discover a new product at the store and it's a hit with my family! 

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter

I mentioned Peanut Butter & Co. brand peanut butter before... click HERE to see more.  I have been eyeing another jar on the grocery store shelf; I finally broke down and bought this jar awhile back.  So far, I've decided it's good on apple slices and on a banana... and on a spoon... hee, hee! 

Just like the Cinnamon & Raisin version I tried a few months back, this version is also gluten free and vegan.  You can really taste the cocoa in this spread. I kind of imagined this might taste like 50 percent peanut butter and 50 percent cocoa, but I was surprised to find the chocolate flavor is more prominent than the peanut flavor.  I am almost tempted to added some regular peanut butter to it.  The other day, when I snapped this photo, we had gone for two nice long walks during the day and I needed a snack to carry me through until dinner time (I had worked up quite an appetite apparently).  This snack did the trick.  We are having amazing fall weather in Southern Colorado and there are lots of nice walking trails along the Arkansas River which is not too far from our home. 

How are you enjoying the autumn weather in your neck of the woods?

A happy accident

Awhile back, I stumbled across a new kind of peanut butter. I have been eyeing it on the grocery-store shelf, but refrained from buying it for a few months.  I have a thing for peanut butter.  I like peanut butter on all kinds of things... apples, bananas, celery, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon raisin bread, french toast, bread... a spoon... you get the idea.  This particular jar of peanut butter caught my eye because it has cinnamon and raisins in it.  How cool is that?!  I noticed this brand (Peanut Butter & Co.) has other flavors including one with white chocolate and one with dark chocolate.  The cinnamon and raisin version is gluten free and vegan; I did not check the labels on all of the jars.  I finally splurged and bought a jar with the cinnamon and raisins and I am really enjoying this treat on my homemade wheat bread.  If you are interested in finding this peanut butter, the website is http://www.ilovepeanutbutter.com/.  You can locate stores near you where you can buy their peanut butter, but when I checked out their website, I found they have lots of other flavors and you can order their products on-line.  Yum!