Homemade Laräbar: Peanut Butter Cookie

//this post has been moved to the new blog! //

After reading about Laräbars on various food blogs I went and bought one about a month ago. The cringe worth $2 price tag for the little tiny bar was worth it, and I was especially excited to see ingredients list! (Or lack there of!) I tried the Peanut Butter Cookie flavor, which only has Dates, Peanuts and Salt. I had seen a few Larabar recipes on some of my favorite healthy food blogs, like Chocolate Covered Katie, and set out to make some for myself. I am going on vacation in just over a week, and have been making healthy snacks for the trip.

I kept it super simple and stuck with the original ingredients: Dates and Peanuts! My mom ordered Date Paste from our co-op, which is perfect for this because it’s already ground up. If you don’t have date paste, just use the same weight of regular dates. I did a 1:1 weight ratio of dates to peanuts, and didn’t add any salt, because: a) It didn’t taste like it needed salt, the peanuts were already a little salty, and b) I forgot to!

Homemade Laräbar: Peanut Butter Cookie 

• 11 oz Salted Peanuts
• 11 oz Date Paste

The measurements are irrelevant as long as you have a weight ratio of 1:1. Process the paste and peanuts in your food processor until they are the consistency of coarse sand. Line a shallow pan with tin foil and firmly press the dough into it. Refrigerate until firm, then cut into bars with a sharp knife. Wrap them in foil and store in the fridge or freezer.

Yield: 14 (~1.5) ounce bars with the pan I used, I had enough dough left on the edges to make #15 but that was a taste-test =)

Date Paste.

Peanuts.

Not fine enough yet…

Perfect!

Press dough into a foil-lined pan.

Smooth top and fold foil over, refrigerate until firm.

Wrap them in foil.

Creative labeling. Oh yes.

Ruben in a Bowl

I magically received the weekend off work, and am very excited to have some time to spend doing what I’d rather do, i.e. anything but homework (which I still have plenty of to plow through…). I woke up with no alarm this morning to the sunshine coming through my window, which is a rare sight for us sun-deprived Michiganders. After putzing about and having a light breakfast I headed out of a ride on the snowmobiles with my daddy =) Second ride of the year, and let me tell you it was gooooorgeous out. I waffled about going at first, until dad convinced me that it was above 32 degrees (practically the bahamas for us) and it was going to be beautiful out. Which IT WAS. What a pretty ride, and got my heart racing a couple times going up and down some pretty dang steep and winding hills!

Today is grocery shopping day, which means we have no fresh veggies in the house. Me on a low-carb diet+no veggies=no good. This low carb thing has been sucking my last creative juices out! I came home after snowmobiling pretty hungry, and headed to the cupboards. I found some sauerkraut, which, probably because of my Polish roots, is a favorite of mine. I’ve been craving Ruben sandwiches, but bread’s not an option, so I decided to make a “Ruben in a Bowl”. Original creation =P It was delicious. I didn’t even miss the bread! And the carb count is a pokey 6 carbs. Win!

Ruben in a Bowl

• 1/2c. Sauerkraut
• 1 oz Turkey Deli Meat
• 1 oz Pepper jack Cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
• 1 oz Avocado, sliced
• Mustard
• Salt and Pepper
• Sprouts

Layer sauerkraut in the bottom of a small, oven-proof bowl. Top it with the avocado then turkey, topping it off with cheese. Broil on high until the cheese is bubbly, then top with S&P, mustard and sprouts. There you have it! Enjoy!

{One of my dad’s clients sent us some fresh lemons off their tree in Arizona!}

“BL&D” Coconut Custard Pie

The chickens have been doing their jobs lately, and we have an abundance of eggs at the house! Mom asked me to bake/cook/eat/use them so they don’t spoil, so a custard pie was in order. Being me, I decided to make it a healthy custard pie, of course! (To the disgust of certain friends… =P ) I wasn’t sure how the custard would set using no sugar, but decided to give it a go. The results? Wonderful. It’s not overly sweet or rich, but doesn’t taste like a “healthy dessert” in the least. It’s not low in fat or super low calorie, but it is made with 100% healthy fats, no sugar, and is gluten free.

I adapted a recipe from my grammajane for a coconut custard pie that you whip up in the blender. The original recipe uses Bisquick, which falls to the bottom and bakes into a crust. It’s waaay to easy.

BL&D Coconut Custard Pie
(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Coconut Custard Pie… Because I have eaten it for all three meals. =) ) 

• 1 tsp Stevia
• 1/2c. Xylitol
• 1.5 tsp Vanila
• 4 Eggs
• 1/4c. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1/2c. Oat Flour
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• Scant 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• Scant 2c. 2% Milk

Blend in the blender on high for 2-3 minutes, then pour into a greased 9″ pie pan. On top, sprinkle:

• 1 1/4c. Unsweetened, Shredded Coconut, Toasted

Bake at 350 degree for 40 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.