Raising the Bar

 

The other week I had a hankering for a good granola bar but all the one's in the shops taste really artificial so I decided to make my own recipe.  Feel free to use any combination of dried fruit.  I added blueberries and cranberries because that's what I happened to have in my cupboard.  Enjoy!

Healthier Granola Bars

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 sunflower seeds, raw
• 6 1/2 ounces dried fruit
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray.  Mix dry ingredients in bowl.  Add wet ingredients and combine until mixed.  Spread into pan and bake about 20-25 minutes or until mixture is set and golden brown.  Let cool.  Cut into bars or break into chunks.

Breakfast of Champions

 

Given the new year, I've been trying to stock up on healthier options for breakfast.  I've gotten bored of the usual muesli cereal that I buy and I think I tend to eat too much of it.  Same goes for bagels and I've cut that down to a once-a-week indulgence.  So I recently came across a few gluten-free options that are tasty, filling and can be found in the cereal aisle of most grocery stores.  The images above are of cooked buckwheat that I like to dress up with some kind of chopped nuts, ground flax seeds, fresh fruit and a dash of maple syrup or honey.  Bob's Red Mill also sells a plethora of hot cereals and another one I've tried is the gluten-free "Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal."

Anyway, if you're looking for other options on a cold winter day, give the buckwheat or other hot cereal variation a try.  Nice change of pace from oatmeal too.