ENERGY BARS

True Confessions.....I am a single mother and I don't have time....like ever, so I try to make recipes that give me the most bang for the buck.   I like these energy bars because they are a great snack that gets me over the 3 o'clock hump, and they last a while in my house.  You can find the original recipe for the Energy Bars here.  This time I made them more of a fruity chewy bar.

I wanted to try some different fruit combinations so I used dried blueberries, dried apricots, shredded coconut, and some ginger chews that I stubled across at Trader Joe's, this is what they look like here.

Some time saving tips that I learned along the way:

*I use a lot of whole nuts, and chopped about 1/3.  

*Blend the nuts first that you want to chop, then the dates.  

*Remember to use a food processor.  A blender will not work, it will turn the nuts into butter too soon, and it's torture to clean the dates off of the blades  (this I learned the hard way),  and who has time for that?

*Also parchment paper is your best friend.  Use it to line your cookie sheet to have less clean up.

*Also once the bars are cut wrap them individually in saran wrap.  This will save you a lot of time when you are daily preparing your snack, just pop one out of the freezer and your ready to go!

This recipe is very versatile so the same guidelines apply, I just used different ingredients.  

Here's what I used:

FRUITS:

Dried Blueberries

Dried Apricots

Shredded Coconut

Crystalized Ginger (found at Trader Joe's)

NUTS:

Cashews
Sliced Almonds
Macadamia

RAW ENERGY BAR WITH DATES AND APRICOTS

 

 

I really wish these bars would last longer when I make them.  Seriously,  they seem to disappear so quickly and probably so because I love giving these to friends to try.  So far, my first energy bar post has been the most popular.  You can find that recipe HERE. 

 

What I love about this recipe is that you can literally use any of your favorite nuts, dried fruits or even oatmeal and switch the recipe up to keep it interesting.  And this recipe is what we like to call super simple.

 



 

Here's the recipe...

 

RAW ENERGY BARS WITH DATE AND APRICOTS

Ingredients:

 

16 oz pitted dates
1 cup dried apricots

3/4 cup pepitas

3/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup macadamia nuts - optional
3 table spoons chia seeds

 

Note: You can also add 1/2 cup dried shredded coconut, which I think I am going to do next time.

Blend the dates and the apricots in the food processor until blended. It will be very, very sticky. Transfer it into a blow and then mix in all the other ingredients. Wet your hands slightly and knead and fold the ingredients togehter by hand. It will be tough but if you knead and fold it will eventually all be mixed togeher.

Tip, don't put in too many dry ingredients, it will make it more difficult to fold, mold and stick together.

Press the ball of ingredients into a wax paper lined 9" x 13" baking pan. Chill for 1 hour in the freezer and then cut into bars. I like to store these in the refrigerator, it keeps them at a nice firm consistency.

Voila!  I know you will love these and make them as much as I do.

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite energy or granola bar recipe? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

 



OVERNIGHT OATMEAL







 

 

 

I have been seeing a lot of mason jar recipes on Pinterest and on my favorite food blogs lately.  However, I really fell in love with this recipe and concept.  I try to eat mostly raw, but at times I crave something real breakfast-y if you know what I mean.  This is perfect because you don't cook the oatmeal.  I couldn't find raw oats (groats) so this time I just used organic rolled oaks.  This dish came out just perfect.  I had to pack our breakfast this past weekend and what a cute way to pack a meal.

 

 

My husband doesn't like walnuts, so I put raw sliced almonds and raspberries in his.

 

 

 

I tried raw walnuts and raspberries in mine.  Just delicious.  I added in a tablespoon of chia seeds that are packed with protein.  One tablespoon will give you 3 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and 2.9 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.  

 

Oatmeal has great benefits as well.  Some of you may ask if eating uncooked oatmeal is healthy.  Check out the benefits of oatmeal cooked or uncooked HERE.  Whether cooked or uncooked, oats have high nutritional value and approximately 310 to 390 calories per 100 g serving. This serving size delivers 9 to 11 g of fiber and 13 to 17 g of protein. Oats are also a good source of polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat, which are healthy for the heart. Although they don't pack a powerful punch in terms of vitamins, they are high in several minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and manganese. The soluble fiber in oats helps to eliminate cholesterol and lower blood pressure, and the insoluble fiber helps keep your digestive tract healthy and efficient. The beta-glucan in oatmeal can also help regulate blood sugar, and the lignans can protect the body against cancer.

 

 



 

I got these jars from Ikea.  These SLOM jars with lid are only $2.99.  What I also love about this recipe is that there are no set rules.  You can use any kind of milk you like, use your favorite berries, dried fruit or nuts.  Such a great little recipe! 

 

OVERNIGHT OATMEAL

 

1/2 cups oats

1 tablespoon chia seeds

3/4 cup almond or coconut milk

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1 table spoon shredded coconut

1 tablespoon raw almonds or walnuts

fresh fruit

 

Mix the first five ingredients in the mason jar.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 5 hours.  Top with the nuts and fruit in the morning and enjoy!

I have also done versions with figs, no dried fruit, with dates.  They have all been really good.  Just choose your favorite combination!

 

Bon appetit!

 

 

 

Oh, and here's my Instagram shot of eating this the other day on the run.  It was the perfect breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 



KITCHEN: BUILD A NATURAL FOODS PANTRY

 Before

 A bit scary I must say...

After

I am loving it...

Well, this is definitely a work in progress, but I love how its coming along.  I think one very helpful change to making your life over to cooking and preparing natural foods is to have your pantry well stocked.  This year I made the decision to really focus on changing the way I cook for myself and my family.  I am focusing on eating as much raw foods as possible, natural and whole food ingredients, building a natural foods pantry, embracing more grains and cooking with an eye on color and super foods.  Early in 2011, I got my hands on Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Everyday cookbook and she has really inspired me in my cooking and thinking when it comes to food.  I love her blog as well ~ 101 Cookbooks.  She talks about building a natural foods pantry and I FINALLY starting working on it after a year of just thinking about it.

I love how my pantry is turning out.  It still needs work and it will take time, but I think the best part about all of is that you can see what you have stocked through these clear containers.  When you need to go to the market,  you can take a quick look and see what you are low on.  Before, everything was a mess and also stuffed into my pantry drawer, so I couldn't see everything quickly.  I always ended up buying something I already had.  This really makes going shopping so much easier.   There was definitely a lot of throwing out of things that were very old and things we so not eat anymore.  It's actually very liberating.

I purchased all of these containers from Ikea and I love them.  They come from two series... The 365 + series are the tall and small plastic containers which are $2.99 and $1.99 each.  The glass jars are from the SLOM series and are $2.99 each for the small and $4.99 each for the large.  Really great prices!  To stay on my weekly budget, I bought these over a months period.  But, the prices are very reasonable, so if you can afford to purchase a bunch a once, I would just do it!

I will be posting next week about our favorite grains.

So, come on everyone...let's build a natural foods pantry!

Will you join me?

Have a wonderful weekend!

RAW: MAYONAISE



 

I LOVE this recipe!  As a kid I grew up eating maynaise on sandwiches but especially in potato salads.  So, when I found this recipe I was thrilled.  It's super easy and really has a lot of flavor.  I adapted it from this Rawmazing recipe...

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 cup cashews, soaked 6+ hours, drained and rinsed
1/2 lemon, juice of
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon agave
2 teaspoons dried mustard (if you want to give it a kick, use Chinese dried mustard, I did)
Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.  If the mixture seems too thick, just add a little more olive oil a table spoon at atime.

Enjoy!


Check these nutritional facts in regards to cashews! 

A ½ oz. of cashews counts as one serving in the meat and beans group of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Guide Pyramid, although most people probably eat more than that in one "serving." Cashews come from trees related to mangoes, pistachios, sumac and poison ivy. Cashews, like other nuts, are calorie-dense but can play a role in a healthy diet.

OTHER NUTRITIONAL FACTS

One ounce of cashews provides 12 percent of the vitamin K that your body needs for blood clotting. One ounce of these nuts also provides 8 percent of your daily thiamin and 6 percent of vitamin B-6. They provide 1 gram of fiber and just 1 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for calcium. This serving size also provides about 10 percent of your daily iron.

 

SODIUM

Raw cashews are low in sodium. One ounce contains only 3 mg of sodium, which is less than 1 percent of the maximum recommended daily allowance. This is significantly less sodium than the amount in roasted, salted cashews, which is typically 181 mg.

 

MINERALS

Raw cashews contain numerous essential minerals. One ounce of cashews supplies 69 percent of the DRI for copper, which is important for the breakdown of iron in the body. Cashews also supply iron, with one ounce providing 24 percent of the DRI for men and 11 percent for women. Other minerals supplied by cashews include magnesium, phosphorus and manganese. One ounce of cashews provides over 20 percent of the DRI for all three of these minerals. Additionally, one ounce of cashews supplies 10 percent of the DRI for selenium, and more than 15 percent for zinc.

 

HEALTHY FATS

Only 2 grams of the 12 grams of fat in one ounce of cashew nuts is the unhealthy, saturated variety. The rest of the fat in cashew nuts is polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Eating these types of fats as 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories is healthy, according to the American Heart Association. In addition, consuming unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats may help lower blood cholesterol.

 

DIETARY IMPACT

Eating nuts, including cashews, can improve your overall nutritional profile. A study in the “Journal of Nutrition” published in 2008 found that people who consume nuts as a regular part of their diet have higher intakes of the nutrients folate, beta-carotene, vitamin K, phosphorus, copper, selenium, potassium and zinc.

 



RAW: HOME MADE ENERGY BARS

  

I love these bars! These home made energy bars are so good, I make them just about every other week, if not every week.  The fabulous thing about this is that you can make many varieties by just switching out a few ingredients.  This recipe is super easy, so here it goes...

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz pitted dates (These were from Trader Joe's and I just used the whole package.)
1-1/2 cup dried cherries (If you buy them at Trader Joe's use the whole package.)

1/2 cup dried coconut

1/2 cup pepitas

1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup pistachios
3 table spoons chia seeds

Note:  I got all the ingredients at Trader Joes, all except for the coconut.  (I think we all need to write them to ask them to stock the coconut for us!)

Blend the dates and the cherries in the food processor until blended.  It will be very, very sticky.  Transfer it into a blow and then mix in all the other ingredients.  Wet your hands slightly and knead and fold the ingredients togehter by hand.  It will be tough but if you knead and fold it will eventually all be mixed togeher. 

Tip, don't put in too many dry ingredients, it will make it more difficult to fold and mold.

Press the ball of ingredients into a wax paper lined 9" x 13" baking pan.  Chill for 1 hour in the freezer and then cut into bars.  I like to store these in the refrigerator, it keeps them at a nice firm consistency.

Voila! 

I know you will love these and make them as much as I do.

Process pitted dates and cherries.

I love the information I found about dates at LIVESTRONG.COM... I think dates are my new favorite go to sweet treat.  Also, check out these nutritional points about dates if you need a little convincing.

Also, a side note about Chia Seeds, one tablespoon will give you 3 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and 2.9 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.  What a powerful little seed!



Knead all ingredients together.

Press into 9" x 13" pan



Close Up...



So yummy!

RAW SWEET AND SPICY CASHEWS

Sweet and Spicy Cashews

Ok, friends, I made a little mistake on my Instagram post about the dehydrated cashews.  I called them Chilli Lime, but they are in fact Sweet & Spicy.  So sorry about that folks!  In any case, they are still very tasty!

You will also need a dehydrator to make these if you want to keep them raw.  I got mine HERE and it works great.  I love using this to to dehydrate mushrooms and tomatoes, and I've made Beet Chips too!

These cashews do take a little time, so plan about two days ahead if you want to make these.

RAW SWEET AND SPICY CASHEWS

1-1/2 cups raw cashews ~ soak for 4 hours or more

1/4 cup raw honey

2 teaspoons ground chili pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

 Drain and dry the cashews and toss them in a medium bowl with the honey, chili pepper, and salt until well coated.  Spread them in one layer on a texflex-lined dehydrator (so they don't fall through the grid on the open tray) and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 1-2 days, until crunchy.  I dehydrated mine for 48 hours.

What a tasty treat.  You can eat these alone as a snack or use them in a salad.  I added them to a spicy peanut salad that I made last night.  I'll be sharing that recipe, I think tomorrow.

Enjoy!

GREETINGS: MY FOOD REVOLUTION

Ta-dah!

I am excited to write my first post for A Simply Raw Life!  I am really excited to be able to jounal my thoughts, recipes and happenings that revolve around food, which is a HUGE part of my life.  One of the recipes that got me started on this food revolution is a Raw Peach Cobbler recipe from Just Glowing with Health.  I went crazy with it and have adapted it into my everyday meals.  The "crust" of the Raw Peach Cobbler recipe has become something I eat almost every day with my favorite fruit.  I even use it on desserts!  I've made a couple versions of this which I will detail below.  This Crumble is so delicious, I hope you love it just as much as I do.

RAW ALMOND, COCONUT & DATE CRUMBLE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup raw dried coconut

6-12 dates

Add all the ingredients into a food processor and mix together.

Spoon onto your favorite fruit and add a drizzle of raw honey or raw agave to add some gooey sweetness.

Here's a slightly different version for those who want something a little sweeter and not so "raw".

ALMOND, COCONUT & DATE CRUMBLE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup bakers coconut

6-12 dates

Add all the ingredients into a food processor and mix together.

The baker's coconut is sweetened, however, you still can add a drizzle of agave or honey to make it just that much more sweeter.

Dates have become one of my new best friends.  It's a super food that is a force to be reckoned with even though it is small in size.

Check out the nutritioinal information on dates HERE.



Here are a couple more photos of the crumble on various dishes I have eaten...

with pears and blueberries



with peaches, blueberries and ice cream