Homemade Peanut Granola Bars

I love cooking. I know, SURPRISE!! You never could have guessed it, right? But I really, really do. I just love to cook. You see, cooking is the thing that I can do no matter what mood I am in and it finds a way to make my day or the circumstances around me even better. Sometimes I am in the best BEST mood and having friends over for a dinner party is the absolute most fun. Sometimes when I am sick, getting in the kitchen and baking a cake makes me feel a bit less sniffly and miserable. And on this certain occasion, when my hubby has just left me as the sole caretaker of four scruffy mutts for the next three weeks while he is in Portland working, cooking completely turns my frown upside down. Well, maybe not completely upside down, but things are starting to look up!

There is just something so soothing about taking simple, lonely ingredients and creating something wonderful with them. Richard takes words and turns them into stories... and I? Well, I take nuts and raisins and turn them into granola bars!

Ok. These energy bars are really good. Like, really really good. They are protein packed, contain all natural ingredients, don't require any baking, and best of all, they only take about 15 minutes to prepare. They are perfect for on the go snacks or for a quick breakfast!

Homemade Peanut Energy Bars

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seed kernels or other chopped nuts (such as walnuts)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 cups raisins or other dried fruit
2 cups quinoa flakes or rolled oats
2 cups toasted rice cereal
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
1/2 cup honey (or light corn syrup)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

The great thing about this recipe? You can substitute whatever you want for whatever you want! Switch out the honey for maple syrup, the rice cereal for cherrios, leave out the coconut, add some hemp seed, or ground flax seed... you get it. Get creative, you can't mess these up!

Method:
Coat a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray. I used coconut oil spray.

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, honey, and peanut butter. Microwave for two minutes until melted and bubbly. Stir in the vanilla extract and pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and toss to coat.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Press down firmly. Let stand for about an hour before cutting into bars. I store the bars in the freezer because the recipe makes quite a few!

Banana Bread with Fresh Figs

It's very rare for me to meet a carb that I don't thoroughly enjoy. Who am I kidding... I have NEVER met a carb that I don't love! Pasta, breads, baked goods.... bring it. That is why me going on a no carb diet is very very disheartening. But, it is summertime and sometimes these things must be done because bikinis must be worn.

The upside? Lots of healthy carb free recipes coming your way. 

The downside. Well, everything that has to do with me and my own quality of life. 

Sigh. But, since I will not be starting this nonsense until Friday, I figured I would squeeze a couple more mouthwatering, carb filled recipes in!

I loveeeee banana bread. A bread with fruit in it? Love it, love it, love it! I also love figs, though I rarely know what on earth to do with them! This recipe is great because the figs not only compliment the flavor of the bananas, but they also add a great texture to the bread and when paired with the coconut oil, keep it incredibly moist! 

Ingredients:

3 very ripe mashed bananas 

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 ripe figs, quartered and mashed

6 ripe figs, chopped

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all purpose flour

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, mashed figs, melted coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla. Mix well and then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined. 

In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour. 

Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture, mixing until just combined. Then, fold in the chopped figs, mixing very gently so that they do not get broken down. 

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45- 50 minutes. 

Let cool before slicing. 

Fresh Pasta

Fresh, simple, homemade pasta. 
Quick and to the point...

Ingredients:

3 to 4 cups of flour

4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

Mound 3 1/2 cups of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs and the olive oil. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and oil and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.

As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the well shape. The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated.

Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands. Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly reflour the board and continue kneading for 6 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Roll or shape as desired.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Cook pasta about two minutes, drain, and serve with your favorite sauce!

Dark Chocolate Spelt Brownies

We are just over two weeks into 2014 and I must say, I am doing some really impressive things this year. Things like going to bed a little bit earlier, eating a little bit healthier, and drinking a little less... Like almost 1/2 a glass less, per day! Also, in an effort to find my long lost abs, I've started doing Pilates... ok, I'm only two classes in, but how many have you done this year!? And, get this, I have even started washing my face before bed. Maybe it was kind of gross that I didn't already do that, but that's beside the point. My point, my as ever, long winded point, is about making good decisions. But, here's what you have keep in mind: Good decisions are actually bad decisions if they are not as much fun as the bad decisions. Which mean if good decisions can become bad decisions they are actually good decisions because... Oh my God I've gone cross-eyed. This is why I can never watch "Back To The Future."

Now, lets put today's lesson into food terms, which are the best terms.

Bad decision: 
Coming home from Pilates and eating a brownie.

Look, I am all for indulging, but that brownie just negated my entire workout that was hard enough to drag myself to in the first place.

"Good" decision: 
Coming home from Pilates and eating some stupid boring greek yogurt or protein bar thing that leaves my mouth tasting like monohydrogonatedmadeupfoodstuff and still craving that damn brownie.

Best decision:
Coming home from Pilates and indulging in a brownie that actually tastes as good as the real thing, but has just a hint of nutrition. Not a healthy brownie, but a browny with a hint of health, a whisper of well-being. I am not talking about some disgusting, cardboard resembling, makes you want to puke brownie. I am talking about a brownie that actually tastes as good as the real thing, made with real ingredients, with real names and that has some whole grain goodness!

Yes I said whole grains! More specifically: spelt.

Now, you may remember spelt because that's how your "special" friend in elementary said and spelled "spelled." Or, hopefully, you remember it from the best ever peanut butter cookies that you can find the recipe for HERE. Spelt is a relative of wheat, so, while it is low glycemic, it is not gluten free (which unless you're celiac, doesn't matter. Sorry, hip actresses.). Spelt is, however,  packed with nutrients that regular old white flour is stripped of when it is bleached and processed (like manganese and fiber). And, if you've ever eaten Cheerios, you will know that whole grains are good for your heart. Duh!

Thankfully, switching spelt for regular white flour is not like switching it out for whole wheat flour. That would be a BIG mistake. Whole wheat flour tastes a little bit like burnt chalk, while spelt flour has a toasted, nutty flavor... kind of like walnuts!

Ok, sales pitch complete. Go buy some spelt flour (I always buy this one) and get baking! And for the record... I'm not saying to eat a brownie every day after your work-out, because, let's be honest, those LuluLemon pants will not make your ass look good for very long. And while these brownies are high fiber, they do still have butter and sugar in them... I am not some hot ginger wizard. But, I do believe that everything in moderation is a-ok and, eating cardboard is just going to leave you with a raging sweet tooth anyways!

Dark Chocolate Spelt Brownies

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 large, organic eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup spelt flour

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a heatproof bowl, combine chocolate and butter and whisk over a saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in sugars. Whisk in eggs one at a time, until combined. Mix in cocoa, salt, vanilla, and then the spelt flour.

Pour batter into a greased 8x8 baking dish and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Let cool completely before cutting and enjoying... and I mean REALLY enjoying.

Makes about 16 brownies.

Fresh Pasta Sauce & First Kisses

So in case you've been wondering, I had my first kiss in Kindergarden. It was with a boy named Sage (awesome foreshadowing for a young chef; I bet if I was into ladies, her name would have been Rosemary). I was 5 at the time and was attending kindergarten at Sacred Hearts Catholic School in Toronto, Canada. I haven't talked to Sage since, maybe because my family moved to another country, maybe because he was intimidated by my charming ways, maybe because we were five and he went on to marry a lovely woman named Lavender... I guess we will never know.

I'm not sure when Richard had his first kiss.... if I had to guess, he was probably 4 because he always has to beat me and he's always been a bit slutty. Either way, I know for sure it was not with his friend Caitlin, who he went to elementary school with at St. Patrick's Catholic School in Charlotte, North Carolina. How do I know this you ask? Because tonight she and her husband came over for dinner and I asked her. It wasn't awkward at all.

I know. My mind is blown, too... the ONE GILR EVER that Rich hasn't kissed!!!

In case you are wondering, Richard and Caitlin hadn't seen each other since elementary school, so when we found out she and her husband, Tommy, were moving to Los Angeles it was quite an exciting surprise. And you know what happens when this ginger gets excited... DINNER PARTY!

Reunited and it feels so good!

With it being peak tomato season and our garden producing quite an abundance of San Marzano tomatoes, a pasta night was absolutely necessary... and when we throw around the term PASTA NIGHT  in this house, we are not effing around. I'm wearing the engagement ring of Rich's dead Italian grandma so I have a pretty high bar to live up to, lest I find my self resting eternally next to her. So when we say "pasta" we're talking homemade pasta and homemade marinara.... with all the ingredients from our garden!

Fresh Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 pounds of ripe San Marzano tomatoes, blanched and peeled (Roma will work great, too)
1/2 an onion, grated
1 stalk celery, minced
1 carrot, grated
3 cloves of garlic, minced
A splash of red wine
Lots of fresh basil
Lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
& lots of  FRESH PASTA (recipe here)

Method:
Begin by blanching the tomatoes. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Score the bottom of each tomato with a small "X" and then drop them into the boiling water for about 30 seconds and then put them into an ice bath to stop the cooking and let them cool. You will then be able to peel the skin off of them very easily. Do this with all of the tomatoes and then set them aside.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the grated onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until starting to caramelize. Add the minced garlic and cook just a minute until fragrant. Add a splash of red wine. I do this because I think it tastes delicious.... and lord knows I am rarely in the kitchen without a glass of it already in hand. Once the wine is reduced, add the tomatoes and bring everything to a simmer. Turn the heat to LOW and let cook for at least an hour.

The longer you cook tomato sauce, the more caramelized and delicious it gets! Your tomatoes should pretty much break down from cooking, but if they are a little chunkier than you like, you can use an immersion blender to get your sauce smooth right before serving it. Season with salt and pepper, top with tons of fresh basil and parmesan cheese and serve!

One bowl, four hours of love, several hundred noodles of perfection

 Madness:

The dinner was amazing and tipsy. We even kept warm by a fire in our very own fire pit. Needless to say, we are so thrilled to have Caitlin and Tommy living in Los Angeles there will be many more amazing dinners to come! Cheers!!

Tommy: "Where's Caitlin!?"

Three Dog Night

Fresh Mint Chip Frozen Yogurt

I always joke that I eat ice cream for breakfast, but I never actually have.... until today. I dunno. I woke up to a hot apartment and it just really seemed like acceptable behavior. Plus, Rich's back is still hurting and he's being a total baby about it, so I figured if he can act like a child, I can eat breakfast like one. So after I made Rich some eggs....... and I had a bowl of ice cream like a fat kid pretty girl. 

Here's the thing.... you know how sometimes, oh, I dunno..... they put an egg on a bacon cheeseburger so your husband is like "this is an acceptable breakfast sandwich.... theres AN EGG on it!" That is how I felt about this ice cream.... IT HAS GREEK YOGURT IN IT! This means three things:

1. Anything with REAL yogurt in it is automatically healthy*

2. Anything that is healthy is a great breakfast food. 

3. Frozen yogurt is an acceptable breakfast food. 

I know, I know- best use of PROOFS ever. Remember high school geometry? Who says that shit doesn't come in handy one day. (Hannah, stay in school. Being pretty isn't a career. Wait... Marco says it is.) So, in order to make this proof true, I'm blogging a recipe about it. Because even if you don't believe in math and science, everyone knows that if you blog something, it has to be true. (Seriously, stay in school, Hannah.)

*While this statement may be fact to me... it is not actually fact and should not be taken seriously. 

fresh mint chip frozen yogurt photographed in porcelain ice cream cones

 from anthroplogie. are they serious with these? best invention ever. best purchase ever.

Ingredients:

I cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 agave nectar 

3/4 teaspoon organic peppermint extract

2 cups greek yogurt (I used 2%, not whole milk and it turned out great)

2 ounces mini chocolate chips

Method:

Combine the chopped mint leaves and the cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once the cream is simmering, add the agave nectar and remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. 

Once cooled, pour the cream through a sieve to remove the mint leaves and then combine with the greek yogurt and peppermint extract. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes, or until chilled, and then churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. When the yogurt is just about finished churned, add the chocolate chips. 

Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Makes 4-6 servings.

Inspiration from Sprouted Kitchen by Sara Forte.

DIY: Wedding Band

While your wedding vows may be until death, odds are your husbands wedding ring is not. So, if you need to remind the wandering eyes of other actresses and waitresses that your man is taken, sometimes you have to make a wedding ring on the go. Luckily if you're wearing a pair of jean shorts, there's a quick fix. Just follow my recipe for this DIY Wedding Band.

I wonder what he's supposed to remember!?

Need:
Frayed Jean Shorts... or string.

Method:
Pull a piece of string from the frayed part of your jean shorts. Not wearing shorts? That's ok. A piece of string will do. Grab your husband's hand, not too tight even though you might want to strangle him, and tie the string around his "wedding finger" as I call it.

Live happily ever after in married bliss.

Fig and Honey Ice Cream

I am getting a late start today. The Mr. and I hosted trivia last night (I know, we're super cool) and the two-ish (read: "five")  glasses of wine that I had to cure my stage fright really took their toll. Ugh. I do not deal with hangovers well. Not at all. 

I made a grilled cheese for breakfast because I am a 12 year old (that drinks "two-ish" glasses of wine on a Wednesday night) and have been getting to know the comfy side of our couch really well. I don't know what has happened to me in my ripe old age of 27, but when I was in college, for that semester, I knew nothing of this mopy, alcohol induced depression. I was a young, spring chicken that could throw back a few margaritas at night and run 3 miles in the morning. Who am I kidding. I hate tequila and rarely get my heart rate above whatever my resting heart rate is. But you get the idea... Hangovers suck. Almost as much as running. 

So, here I am at 2:30 getting my life together. There is bolognese sauce cooking on the stove and I am joyfully eating this fig ice cream that I just made. Holy F is it good. It tastes a little bit like fall.... which I am ok with... but I felt it necessary to give you a heads up that it may induce pumpkin pie cravings and the odd need to put on a sweater. Speaking of which, I should probably get dressed. Time to make something of this day.

Ingredients:

1 pound ripe black mission figs, stemmed and quartered
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1½ tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 stick cinnamon
½ cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1½ cups heavy cream
½ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:

Bring figs, honey, brown sugar, juice, ½ tsp. salt, cinnamon, and ⅓ cup water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until figs break down and mixture is thickened like jam, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Meanwhile, using a hand mixer, beat sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Add remaining salt, cream, milk, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. After churning, alternate layers of ice cream and fig sauce in a storage container, and then freeze for at least 6 hours to set.

Inspiration from Saveur Magazine

Kale Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

That's me at age 3.
Adorable. I know. Thanks, Mom and Dad. 

Here is a list of the foods that I would not eat:
Brussels Sprouts
Beets (I actually still wouldn't even try beets until a few months ago)
Spinach
Cabbage
Peas
Bok Choy
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Kale (Did anyone eat Kale before 2012?)

....need I say more? What a picky little bitch I was. (Sorry Mom and Dad)

It really blows my mind that these crazy vegetables that my mother tried to poison me with as a child are now  staples in my diet. Let's take kale, for example. I would have rather eaten my own foot while sticking a fork in my eye than even have had a whiff of kale (or any other leafy green for that matter) anywhere near me. Now? Ok... well I still don't really like my greens, but I do hide them in just about everything. Especially kale. I add kale to just about every salad and every veggie dish I eat. Sometimes I'll even add kale to my kale (there are many kales). Which is why I literally dream about this kale caesar salad from my new favorite blog Two Blue Lemons (thank you, Rebecca!). This Caesar dressing takes 5 minutes to make and is so delicious it will blow your mind. And because kale is so hearty you can leave the dressing on this salad and it just keeps getting better!

kale caesar salad

Ingredients:

2 bunches kale
4 slices of bread... I used a loaf of olive bread from the Farmer's Market and it turned out super yummy! 
2 lemons
5 garlic cloves
1 farm fresh egg yolk
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for croutons
FRESH Parmesan cheese (fresh is the key word)
salt and pepper

Method:

Rinse kale. Remove the leafy parts of the kale from the tough stems and tear into bite sized pieces. 

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes. Toss in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for about 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Set aside. 

 In a blender, add the juice of 2 lemons, zest of 1 lemon, garlic cloves, egg yolk, pinch of salt and pepper. With the motor on, stream in the cup of olive oil until combined. The consistency just be that of heavy cream.

Toss the kale with the dressing and the croutons and enjoy!