Breakfast To Go!

I went to Whole Foods yesterday to get a few things, and wow, I love that store! However, I have mixed feelings on buying organic foods. Yes, I think it's great to buy foods that are natural and without chemicals, pesticides, ect. What bothers me is the fact that it is necessary, that so much food is made with so many chemicals and what not that you have to go out of your way to buy food the way it it naturally grows. Anyone else think it's a bit crazy to pay extra for food grown the way the earth naturally produces it? Okay, I'll stop ranting.

When I got home, I decided to make some homemade granola bars using this recipe.
In went 2 1/2 cups rolled oats, a cup of whole what flour, 1tsp vanilla, 1tsp baking soda, 2 1/2 Tablespoons flax seed, 1/4 cup of honey, 1/2 a cup apple sauce and 1/3 a cup brown sugar.

At this point you could probably add in whatever you want. I stuck with the recipe by adding unsweetened shredded coconut, pecans and almonds. I then added some dried cranberries (sweetened with apple juice) and a mix of dried papaya, mango and pineapple. I thought the mix needed a little more flavor so I added in some cinnamon too. A little cloves, nutmeg or even a dash of salt to bring out the other flavors might have also been a nice addition.

I pressed the mix into a greased 9x13 and into the oven for 20 minutes (at 325 degrees).

After they cooled, I cut them into bars and sprinkled a little unsweetened coconut on top!

They are really good, a great healthy snack. Also, an easy breakfast when you're on the go!

They were pretty crumbly and some of the bars got a little broken so I took a few of the falling apart bars and crumbled  them up and put them back in the pan to bake a little longer, creating impromptu homemade granola. I think it will be perfect atop some coconut milk yogurt for breakfast tomorrow!

Last night for dinner, I had a salad I really enjoyed. Here is a picture!

A nice mix of romaine, carrots, tomatoes, pecans and cranberries (again sweetened with apple juice). I topped the salad with what has become my favorite homemade salad dressing (I have primarily topped all my salads with homemade dressing for the past 2-3 years.) A simple mix of lemon juice, honey olive oil, pepper, and Beau Monde seasoning. So simple, yet so tasty! I really recommend you try it! The Beau Monde really makes it; if you don't have any on hand, I think it's worth it to pick up a jar!

Product I recommend: Apple Juice Sweetened Cranberries. I know I've already mentioned them a few times in this blog, but they really are great. They taste much better then typical craisins as they have a nice tangy/tartness and aren't overly sweet as many brands are. Much healthier too! Available at Whole Foods Market in the dried fruit section.

Thanks for reading! If you guys could do me a huge favor and help spread the word about this blog I would really appreciate it.

Thanks a ton,

Ann Claire