Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Bites

Just a quick recipe to share with you as we make our way into the weekend.  

These energy bites are simple, nutritious and wholesome.  

Only takes about 20 minutes to whip up a batch

so that they can be enjoyed during a sporting event, as a snack or on the go!  

Image this scenario...

There is one hour between games/events,

do you want your athlete eating pizza, nachos, a hot dog or

one or two peanut butter oatmeal balls?

They are a great go-to because of the blend of protein and energy!

You can grab one between meals or on your way out the door.

My kids love them, actually, so do Jerry and I.

And, I love the fact that they are made from a handful of kitchen staples.  

Simply add
1 cup quick oats, 
1/2 cup peanut butter,
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
(rich in fiber, antioxidants and omega-3 fats)
what better place to sneak it in…
nobody even knows it is in there!
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
into a mixing bowl.

And stir it up well.

The dough will be thick…
tricky part is to get it wet enough to hold together
but not too wet to be sticky.  

Using a medium-sized scoop to achieve uniform size,
each ball is rolled between hands until smooth.

When the dough is in my hands,
I give it a gentle squeeze to ensure that the texture is right…
Enough moisture to hold together
(so if it crumbles, throw it back…make sure it is thoroughly combined
add more honey or peanut butter if the dough is too dry).

Then roll it out until smooth and roundish.

This batch only made 15 bites or so…
now I always make a double batch. 

Pop them into the fridge to cool and for storage.

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Makes 15-18 bites

Ingredients

1 cup quick oats, 

1/2 cup peanut butter,

1/4 cup flaxseed meal 

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and then form into individual bites. 

Pumpkin Nutella Oatmeal Muffins

Hope you are enjoying the highlights of fall…

I know we are!

Football, Colorful trees, Bonfires, Apples and, of course, Pumpkins. 

Funny thing though, in my house, when my kids request something…

they never quite get exactly what they are asking for, 

but are generally pleased with what they get instead.  

In this case, Ryker asked for banana muffins and 

while taking on some of the male traits in my house, 

I selectively heard "muffins".

So, I was more than happy to fulfill his request.  

I'm pretty sure that if these were straight up pumpkin muffins, 

he would have been somewhat disappointed.  

However, the Nutella in the middle, makes these out of this world.  

The creamy, nutty, chocolate-y middle 

was a perfect contrast for the oatmeal and pumpkin muffin. 

But, don't take my word for it…try it for yourself. 

I just started with a basic pumpkin bread recipe and made my own tweaks along the way.  

About 1 cup of pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup of canola oil, 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, 1/4 cup water and 2 eggs were measured into my trusty mixing bowl. 

After mixing, it looked like I went into the baby-food making business.  

Not so much. 

I happen to be a huge fan of oatmeal in my baked goods, 

so instead of adding flour next, 

I added 1 cup of quick oats, 

I could balance out the flour later once I knew the consistency. 

Then, I only went with 1/2 cup of sugar. 

Especially when adding embellishments like chocolate or Nutella, 

the baked goods themselves can thrive on less sugar. 

Then, for the minor ingredients, the traditional pumpkin spices were added,

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

along with 2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. 

After mixing that all up, I decided that about 1 cup of flour would yield the desired consistency. 

Yep, looks about right!

Before I get too far ahead of myself, the oven needs to be pre-heated to 350 F. 

Then, a sprayed muffin tin can be filled 3/4 full with the muffin batter. 

Now, about 1 tbsp of Nutella was plopped into each muffin tin. 

Then, just using a knife, the Nutella was gently swirled into the batter. 

Upon completion, there was just a hint of the Nutella visible from the top. 

They were popped into the oven for 20-25 minutes. 

This is what mine looked like after 22 minutes. 

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1 cup of pumpkin puree

1/2 cup of canola oil

1/2 cup of light brown sugar

1/4 cup water

2 eggs

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup flour
Cooking spray

3/4 cup Nutella - divided into Tbsp

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Blend together the first 5 wet ingredients. 
Then add the next 8 dry ingredients. 
Pour muffin batter into sprayed muffin tins, filling about 3/4 full. 
Add about 1 tbsp of Nutella to each tin and gently swirl with a knife to incorporate. 
Bake for 20-25 minutes and allow to cool. 

I love having baked goods around. 

My kids were able to enjoy them for breakfast and after school snacks

AND

I was able to share a few with friends!  

Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Happy Rainy Hump Day!

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain!" 

I'm so thankful for my eternally optimistic husband who finds as much enjoyment in these cliches as I do (ok, probably not quite as much), but with these cool, rainy days, it's a good time to reflect on that that really means.  

So, in an effort to dance in the rain, during this cold, wet stretch of not so springy weather, I decided to whip up some comfort food last night, rather than go straight to bed and wait for the storm to pass.  

Peanut butter cookies have always been my favorite, but once oatmeal is added, they are amazing!  As in, the best cookies I have ever had.

They have the perfect texture with a light crispy, crunchy edge and soft and chewy middle.

Thankfully these have oatmeal in them, that practically qualifies them as health food!

Starting with 2 1/2 cup of quick oats, add 1 1/4 cups flour, 1tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, combine these ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Since the oats are so bulky, I do actually get these ingredients stirred up in a separate bowl.

In the mixing bowl, start with 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter and add 1 cup of peanut butter.  I always go with creamy, as that is what my kids prefer.  I'm sure chunky would be delicious too!

And, I never measure peanut butter…just want to go on record saying that.  I eyeball about 1 cup and go with it.  I know there is a fancy plunger-type measuring canister, that I don't have, but I would not waste the time getting an exact measure as half of the peanut butter would be lost in transition anyway.

Once those first two ingredients are creamed together, add 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla extract.

Finally, I fold on the flour and oatmeal mixture, just with a wooden spoon.

I have actually experienced breaking off a mixer head while trying to mix something that is too thick...so, I've finally learned to error on the side of caution, at least as far as mixing is concerned.

The perfect size for this cookie, which yields 3 dozen, is the medium sized scoop from Pampered Chef.

Drop the dough balls onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 11-13 minutes at 350.  Again, I always go with the lesser amount of time to ensure the chewier texture for these cookies!

The finishing touch on these fabulously tasty morsels, are some chocolates on top.  (Here being executed by the extremely serious Ryker - wish I could share with you his adorable dimple when he smiles!).

Last night we went with mini kisses, which I think are fabulous!  It makes it that much easier to get a little chocolate in at least 3 bites.

RECIPE

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup of quick oats
1 1/4 cups flour
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1 cup of peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Mix up first 5 dry ingredients and set aside. 

Cream together next 6 ingredients. 

Add to the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, fold together by hand. 

Bake cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 F for 11-13 minutes.  

Amazing, Healthy & Easy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Like you, I, too, love to enjoy delicious treats and whenever I can take something delicious and make it healthier, I'm on cloud nine. Having a nutritious snack, that my kids fight for, ready for them after school, helps to keep everything in check when they get home and before they dart off to the next activity.

This recipe is my own healthier version of an awesome recipe for Double Chocolate Chip Banana muffins (which I will include below for those of us who are more inclined to indulge), I thought if I skipped the cocoa powder, replaced some of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour and oatmeal, as well as decrease the amount of sugar, these could still be killer without as the guilt of feeding my kids more junk food.  I was RIGHT!!!  They are moist and delicious!

We had some bananas that joined us at the basketball tournament over the weekend and were not longer suitable for my family's taste buds; a rare but happy day for me when bananas get this ripe in my house.


After setting the oven to 350 F to preheat, I combined all of the dry ingredients (1 cup flour, 1/4 cup quick oats, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt) in a large bowl.  When baking quick breads like this, there is plenty of room for play…if you don't have whole wheat flour, try a half cup of quick oats or throw in another healthy grain…you won't even know it is in there!  


In a smaller bowl, mash up the ripe bananas, I usually use 3, add 1/3 cup of your baking oil of choice, today I had canola on hand and 1 egg, once the wet ingredients are combined, pour into the dry ingredients, mixing until just moistened, then add the chocolate chips…recipes calls for 1 cup, I'm usually a little light on that.

After spraying the muffin cups, fill them about 3/4 full. It is important to try to keep the level of batter similar so that they bake the same.

Pop them into the oven for 20-25 minutes and enjoy, upon cooling.  They never last more than 24 hours around my house, they are great for breakfast, after school or on the go.  

Ingredients	Healthier	Indulgent
All purpose flour	1 cup	1 1/2 cup
Quick Oats	1/4 cup	-
Whole Wheat Flour	1/4 cup	-
Sugar	3/4 cup	1 cup
Baking cocoa	-	1/4 cup
Baking soda	1 tsp	1 tsp
Baking Powder	1/4 tsp	1/4 tsp
salt	1/2 tsp	1/2 tsp
Bananas - ripe	3 each	3 each
Vegetable oil	1/3 cup	1/3 cup
egg	1 each	1 each
chocolate chips	3/4 cup	1 cup

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

**Just a little aside, most muffins won't brown this much, I accidentally added 1 tsp of baking powder, instead of a 1/4 tsp…they tasted fine, just a little more browning (Maillard reaction) took place.