Quick & Easy Granola Bars

My love of vegan foods is growing.  Especially since I keep finding easy and delicious recipes to try.  My latest experiment...vegan gluten-free granola bars.  They are so easy and no-bake (which I love in this hot Arizona weather).  And like all great recipes, they are easily customizable. I found the original recipe here.  It is a delicious recipe, but the sugar content is WOW!! It contains 12-15 grams of sugar (for 16 bars depending on nut butter used).

So, I played around with it a bit.  I tried to cut down the sugar....by eliminating the brown sugar, using less brown rice syrup, and switching up the nut butter used.  What I learned....the brown sugar can be eliminated (but that only removes 1 gram of sugar per bar) and the brown rice syrup cannot be lessened.  Don't get me wrong, the mixture still tastes fantastic without as much brown rice syrup, but the bars do not stick together correctly.  It falls apart into a clumpy mess.  Here is the recipe I decided on....

Ingredients

2 c quick oats (we have bulk oats)
2 c crispy rice cereal (I use Erewhon, it's organic and gluten-free)
1/2 c of nut butter (I prefer almond, but I've used peanut)
2/3 c brown rice syrup
1/3 - 1/2 c chopped raisins
1/3 - 1/2 c vegan chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)
1 - 2 tsp vanilla extract (the kind with no corn syrup)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 package of sliced or slivered almonds (optional, but yummy)
1/2 tsp salt (optional and not needed if nut butter is salted)

Combine nut butter and rice syrup in microwave safe bowl.  Heat for 1 min and mix.  Heat for another 1 min.  Add vanilla and cinnamon

In a separate bowl, combine the oats, rice cereal, raisins, and almonds.  Add syrup mixture and blend well.  Gently fold in the chocolate chips, being careful the chips don't melt.

Spread mixture into a foil- lined square or rectangular pan (original recipe says 8x8, I used 7x11).  Firmly pack down.  I like to save some almonds and chocolate chips to sprinkle on top.  Freeze for at least 1 hour or until set.

When set, pull foil out of pan and cut into bar shapes.  I aimed for about the size of a Quaker chewy granola bar and was able to get 16 bars.

ENJOY!!  You can store them in a "tupperware" container, plastic wrap, or mini plastic bag (which is what I use).









This recipe still contains a higher amount of sugar per bar than I would like, but I've decided I am ok with that.  Here is my reasoning.....I would rather have a chemical-free, higher-sugar, homemade granola bar than a low-sugar, chemically-altered store bought bar.  I avoid artificial sugars (and other artificial ingredients) as much as possible.  If you are worried about your intake of sugar, just be extra vigilant in your other foods.

Final nutrient count for 16 bars using plain almond butter and slivered almonds.  Keep in mind the majority of fat comes from the almonds and almond butter, so it is a good healthy fat.  Your nutrients will differ depending on nut butter used, as well as the amount of raisins, almonds, and chocolate chips used.

Affirm Yourself: The Power of Your Mind

Affirmation:the assertion that something exists or is true

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Have you ever used positive affirmations?  Affirmations can be used to brighten a bad mood, deepen meditation, create an outcome in your life, and completely change your life.  I know what you are thinking...."how can saying a few words change my life?"  It is all the power of the mind!!!  The mind is a beautifully, powerfully, mysterious thing.  I don't know the psychology (the why's and how's) of why affirmations work, but I know they do.  Need proof?  Here's a story....




When it came to school, I was a good kid.  I got good grades, never got into trouble, and had excellent attendance.  But, like all kids, I sometimes (not often) wanted to play hooky.  I've always had an issue with guilt.  Even when truly sick, I feel guilty about missing school or work.  So, I would have to pysch myself up to fake being sick.  The night before, I would repeat to myself "I have a headache.  I'll tell Mom I don't feel good.  I don't feel good because I have a headache."  My alarm would go off in the morning aaannnddd...I have a headache.  A real, true, full-blown headache.  WTF!!!  I didn't actually want to have a headache, but my words convinced my mind.

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So, I know that isn't exactly an example of a positive affirmation, but you get the idea.  The mind is powerful!!!  Now just think, if the mind can create a headache with just a few repititions of this "affirmation", imagine what your mind can create if your create a daily (or twice daily) habit of stating your positive affirmations.  WOW!!!  I like to read my affirmations in the morning, to start my day off right, and before bed, to relax and let them sink in while sleeping.

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How do you create an affirmation??  It's simple.  You create a statement in present tense regarding whatever you want to manifest or create in your life.  It can be ANYTHING!!  You can have 1 affirmation or 100.  Get creative!  Work sucks?  "I have an amazing job that utilizes my talents and fulfills me."  Anxiety prone? "I handle stress with clarity and ease."  Money issues? "I manage my money well; I can afford all that I need."  See.....easy!!!




Affirmations have become so popular (because they work!) that many fitness instructors and coaches have added them to their workouts.  Nichole Kellerman Wurth of Wildly Alive Weight Loss uses affirmations in her workouts.  Check out a workout here and try out the affirmations.  Or join me in the FREE upcoming challenge  (starts 6-1-15) and learn more about her workout affirmations.  Erin Stutland of Shrink Session Workout uses them in her Soul Strolls and workouts.  You can download a free mini Soul Stroll full of amazing affirmations here.  You can also join me in her FREE upcoming challenge (also starts 6-1-15) at the same link.

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Are you ready to change your life????  Start affirming!!!

DIY Copycat Quest Bars

While on my fitness journey, I have become obsessed with Quest bars.  I mean OBSESSED!! Most protein, meal replacement bars are good, but taste a bit off.  Quest bars taste like heaven in your mouth.  Especially the White Chocolate Raspberry!  I drool just thinking about it.  These bars are filling, help with my sweet tooth, and are filled with healthy, nutritious goodness. 

Sadly, they are made with whey, which doesn't fit into the vegan lifestyle I am trying to build.  Luckily, I happened across The Big Man's World website.  With a little bit of adjusting, I came up with a recipe for gluten-free, mostly-vegan, deliciously homemade protein bar.

Ingredients
3 c. gluten-free oat flour
2 scoops of protein powder (vegan or whey if not vegan)
2 T granulated sweetener (I used Stevia)
1/2 t salt
1/2 c of nut butter (I used almond)
1/2 c brown rice syrup
2 t vanilla extract
4-6 T unsweetened almond milk
White chocolate chips or chunks (only part not vegan, I used 1/2 c)
Dried raspberries (I dehydrated my own, use as many or as little as you want)

Add dry ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix well.
 

In separate microwave-safe bowl, melt nut butter and syrup.  I put mine in the microwave for 1 min, mixing halfway through.  Add 2 t vanilla, blend.

Combine liquid and dry mixture.  Mix well. 

Slowly add 1 T of almond milk at a time until dough is formed.

Right amount of almond milk

Too much almond milk, add more flour to correct

Make sure the mixture has cooled, so chocolate doesn't melt.  Then fold in white chocolate and raspberries.

Separate into equal parts (I got 14 out of mine).  Place onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  You can either smush them into cookies or bars as I did.

cookies

bars

the vegan dough wouldn't incorporate the white chocolate, like it knew it ruined the veganess, lol

Refrigerate for at least 30 min.  I take my to work for lunch, so I like to keep mine in the freezer (I wrap them in strips of the parchment paper and place in plastic baggie).  At lunch time, they are thawed by still chilled.

I had some trouble finding a few of the ingredients (actually, I didn't feel like running all over town to several stores to find them).  The dried raspberries and vegan white chocolate where a problem.  I have a recipe to make vegan white chocolate, but I couldn't find one of the ingredients for that so, I made due with what I could.  I dehydrated a clamshell of organic raspberries and used regular white chocolate chips, until I can find or make vegan ones.  Also, I made half the recipe vegan (not counting the white chocolate) and half whey for the BF.  We both agreed they were yummy!  The cost for 14 bars was about $20-$25.

Nutrient facts
Vegan: 

Whey:

ENJOY!!!