Recipe: Apricot Coconut Almond Bars

I saw this recipe in my my favorite magazine, Whole Living, and knew I had to try it. I've been trying to make 1-2 new recipes every week to add to my arsenal of kiddo/adult friendly fare (see last week's quiche here), and I loved the idea of making my own bars. I also love the idea of having something somewhat healthy yet still sweet to grab rather than a processed granola bar or cereal bar for Henry.

If you end up making these, let me know what you think. I just enjoyed a square with a cup of tea and it was delicious!




You'll need:

1 1/2 cups dried apricots
1/2 cup raw almonds (I used ones that were pre-sliced)
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Coarse salt
1/2 oz dark chocolate, melted (this is optional- if I did it again I would omit the chocolate)
parchment paper
9-by-5-inch loaf pan

Directions:

1. Pulse apricots, almonds, coconut, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until finely ground.







2. Line your loaf pan with parchment, leaving an inch overhand on all sides. Transfer mix to pan and press firmly to form a rectangle.




3. Drizzle with chocolate and sprinkle with some coconut. Use parchment overhang to remove from pan.




4. Transfer to the refrigerator and leave until firm, about 15 minutes or so. Slice into 6 bars, and then into 12 square pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.





Per serving (1 square): 88 cals; 4g fat (1g sat fat); 0 mg chol, 12g carbs; 28 mg sodium; 2g protein; 2g fiber.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Pie Baked Oatmeal!

I posted a photo of my breakfast the other day on Instagram and got a lot of questions about the recipe. It's actually quite simple, and I do it two ways depending on time and ingredients. On this particular morning I made it the "long" way...but most mornings I'll do it the cheater way, which isn't really making anything at all, unless you count throwing already-made oatmeal into a bowl! ha.  I also found this recipe for it that looks good as well. It just has a couple different ingredients like honey and soy milk.

But here's my super tasty recipe (I'll also show you the cheater way down below):

1 cup oatmeal (I prefer steel cut)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of salt
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (you can add more if you prefer your oatmeal to be less thick)
1 cup blueberries

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spray an oven-safe dish with some cooking oil, pour your oatmeal mix into it and bake for about 30 minutes or until it thickens up.

And for that super quick-store bought way-

2 packets Kashi GOLEAN Hot Hearty Honey Cinnamon Oatmeal
a huge handful of blueberries
water to achieve your desired thickness

Throw all of that into a bowl. Microwave for 2.5 minutes. Let it sit for 1. And voilà! A delicious and quick breakfast you can even bring to work with you!

Happy breakfast-ing!