5 Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars!

We've all had them. Those chocolaty, chewy oatmeal cookies made with tons of butter and sugar. While they can sometimes look like little cow pies, Chocolate No-Bakes Cookies are delicious. 

One of my first memories of Chocolate No-Bake Cookies was the summer after my freshman year of college. I was out in Colorado being a camp counselor at an outdoor adventure camp. I was living at 9,000 feet, hiking, making forts out of tree trunks, swimming in freezing water and running after energetic kids from the inner-city. It was an amazing fun job...if you're into that kind of thing. And I was!

My mom, being the thoughtful person that she is, probably knew that I was expending tons of energy everyday living at such a high altitude and constantly being active. So throughout the summer she sent me care packages of delicious home-made goodies. 

The first package she sent me had no-bake cookies in it. Wow oh wow. I had never had them before and I couldn't get enough. Let's just say they didn't last long, especially once my friends found out about them.

While your typical, no-bake cookies are stinkin' delicious, I'm not a huge fan of the amount of processed sugar and butter that can be packed into them. The other day I figured I'd try out my own recipe. I'm on a peanut butter kick so I thought I'd keep that the main flavor. I knew I'd have to sweeten them some, but I didn't want to use white sugar. I also knew that there had to be an ingredient that would hold everything together. 

I only experimented once and was happy with the result! There are only five ingredients and these bars are dairy-free and sweetened with agave instead of white sugar. I also used coconut oil to hold everything together. They're chalk-full of energy and are delicious! Soon I'll be experimenting with no-bake bars that are only sweetened with bananas. I'll keep you posted:)

Peanut Butter No-Bake Oatmeal Bars

(Serves 16)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Directions:

1. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium sized sauce pan combine the peanut butter, agave, coconut oil and almond milk. Slowly increase the heat while mixing constantly until the mixture starts to boil. 
3. Let the sauce boil for one minute while you continue to stir.
4. Remove the sauce pan from the heat and stir in the rolled oats 1 cup at a time until all the oats are fully covered in the peanut sauce.
5. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and use a spatula to even everything out. Use your hand or the spatula to firmly press the mixture into the pan so that when everything cools, the oats will stick together.
6. Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for about 30 to 1 hour until it has cooled. 
7. Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!

Eat Consciously,

Faith

Indonesian Peanut Sauce and a Noodle Recipe!

Let me just start by saying that these pictures don't do this dish justice. This peanut sauce is rich, creamy, easy to make and oh, so versatile. I actually hated cooking as a child, but I do remember that this is one of the first recipes I wanted to learn how to make. Growing up, my Mom always made it using chicken as the main ingredient, but you can use it in so many ways. This peanut sauce thickens the longer you let it heat over a hot stove, which causes it to stick to every nook and cranny of whatever you pour it over. Delicious, peanut-y goodness in every bite.

I had forgotten about this sauce for a long time and randomly remembered it after botching a different peanut sauce recipe. I could tell as I tried out the new recipe that it wouldn't be nearly as good as the Indonesian Peanut Sauce I grew up eating. It never thickened and therefore wouldn't be able to coat the noodles very well. Thankfully, I soon after remembered this Indonesian Peanut Sauce and found  the recipe saved on a document I had on my computer. Score! Brett noticed such a big difference between the first recipe that I botched and this recipe I'm going to share with you now. I really hope you try it out! I bet you have all of the ingredients already in your fridge.

  

Indonesian Peanut Sauce

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

For the Peanut Sauce

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

For the Noodle Dish:

• 4 servings of cooked, whole wheat linguini or any kind of noodle you desire
• Chopped veggies of choice (I like zucchini, bell peppers and broccoli)
• Protein of choice (tofu, tempeh, etc.) cut into bite size pieces

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the peanut sauce in a bowl and whisk until fairly smooth.
2. Pour the sauce into a skillet over medium heat and whisk often to keep the sauce from sticking or clumping. Let the sauce cook for about 5-10 minutes until it has thickened.
3. For the Noodle dish, saute your chopped veggies and protein in a separate skillet while the peanut sauce thickens.
4. Once the sauce is almost done cooking, add in your veggies, protein and pasta to the peanut sauce. Toss all the ingredients together so that the noodles, veggies and protein can get fully coated with the sauce.
5. Add more red pepper flakes if desired and serve warm!

 

Eat Consciously,

Faith

Cleaning out the Fridge: Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich

This post is going to be short and sweet because I'm about to leave for the airport! I'm heading overseas for a few weeks and I couldn't be more excited to travel again...even though it's only been a couple weeks since I've been on a plane. International travel always gets me really excited and I haven't been overseas since September so I'm feeling overdue. (FYI, I'll be able to post a few recipes while I'm gone so check back!)

As with any trip I'm trying to clean out the fridge before I leave. Two nights ago I had some friends over for dinner and I made a sweet potato and black bean chili which made a good dent in my produce. Yesterday I was able to finish off the rest of our perishable items and even tried out a sandwich I've been wanting to try. 

Over Christmas break Brett and I were able to stop at a Trader Joe's (yippee!). One of our purchases was Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread. I love this bread because it's not overly sweet and you can eat it with both sweet or savory spreads. One of my favorite sandwiches is a peanut butter and banana sandwich and I knew I needed to try it out with this cinnamon raisin bread. 

My instincts were correct and it truly is an amazing combination. It doesn't even need a recipe. Just spread some peanut butter on two pieces of toast and lay slices of ripe banana in between. You could even spread some butter on the outside parts of the bread and warm it up in a panini maker. I'm sure it'd also be delicious with a drizzle of sweetner and a sprinkling of granola. 

If you know of any other good sandwich combinations please let me know!

Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

Merry Christmas!!

To be honest, it's kind of weird saying that because today doesn't feel much like Christmas to me. It's my first time not being with a bunch of family members on Christmas day and it's my first time being in Florida during Christmas too. The warmer weather and lack of family throws me off and it feels like just another day. There are some wonderful bonuses of being in Florida during December...trail runs!

Brett and I after a four mile trail run at Little Big Econ

Even though today doesn't feel like Christmas, I don't feel one bit deprived of the holiday festivities. Brett and I just got back last night from Destin, Florida where we celebrated Christmas early with Brett's family. Even though it wasn't as warm and sunny as we had hoped, it was still such a great weekend spending quality time with his parents, sister and brother-in-law and our niece and two nephews.

We exchanged gifts the day after we all got there and had a blast watching the kids excitedly open their new toys. The rest of our time was spent playing with the kids, swimming in the indoor pool, walking along the boardwalk, going on a boat ride, playing games, shopping and eating delicious food. There were some good laughs and conversation all throughout.

It was sad to say goodbye, but we are so thankful for the number of times we've been able to see our families amidst all the traveling we do.

Speaking of traveling, Brett and I leave again tomorrow for a work trip. I'm so glad Brett and I love to travel!



Now onto the oats. One of the gifts I got in my stocking was peanut flour! I've heard a lot about it and always wanted to try it, but never got around to buying it. While I usually like to stay as close to food in it's natural state as possible, this stuff is pretty amazing. I mixed some up with water everyday and used it as a topping for my morning oats.

Today I thought I'd try it in a baked oatmeal. Usually peanut butter flavored oat meals require a decent amount of peanut butter to get a rich, peanut taste. But by using the peanut flour, I was able to make a delicious breakfast rich in flavor without being rich in calories. You can still make this oatmeal with real peanut butter if you don't have peanut flour.

 

Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

(Makes 1 Serving)

 Ingredients:

· 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

· 1/4 cup peanut flour (or two tablespoons peanut butter)

· 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

· 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

· Pinch of salt

· 1 tablespoon flaxseed

· 1/3 cup almond milk

· 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

· 2 teaspoons maple syrup or liquid sweetener of choice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a single serving ramekin with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, mix together the oats, peanut flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and part of the almond milk. Let this sit for a few minutes.

4. Add in the rest of the almond milk, the vanilla and sweetener to the flax egg and whisk until combined. (if you are using peanut butter instead of peanut flour mix the butter into the wet ingredients.)

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

6. Pour into your prepared ramekin.

7. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

I experimented with some new recipes this afternoon (cashew cheese and salt rubbed baked potatoes, which Brett and I ate for dinner), but didn't document any other eats since we were in and out all day enjoying the Florida weather. I did get some Arbonne protein shake mixes in the mail from a college friend of mine though and had the chocolate flavored one with lunch! I haven't used protein powder since I went vegan and this stuff was amazing. I'll post my reviews on it soon as well as the cheese and potato recipes.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Linking up with Jenn at Peasandcrayons.

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

I'm writing this as I rest on the couch after a 10-mile run. I was able to get off work early and took advantage of the beautiful, Florida winter afternoon. It was hotter than I though it would be, but there was a nice breeze and barely a cloud in the sky. Overall it was a good run. I always feel like I'm putzin' (as in 10-minute miles) but my average pace was 8:45. I'll take it for a long run. I've never been a fast runner, but I'm hoping to add in some fartleks to my weekly schedule. We'll see if I experience any improvement!

Tomorrow Brett and I leave for Destin, Florida to celebrate Christmas with his family. We are both so excited to be on Christmas break and to spend some quality time with everyone. It's the first time I will be away from my family over Christmas, so that's new, but I'm looking forward to our road trip to Destin and a (hopefully) sunny, Florida Christmas. 

Since we aren't going up North for Christmas I've had to put in extra work to get in the Christmas spirit. We got a "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree, some new stockings and I let our wrapped presents take over the top of one of our book cases. It's my little Christmas corner that I often find myself gravitating to whenever I'm home. I always have our Frosty Yankee Candle lit when I'm home too and the flickering light makes me feel like I'm by a fireplace all bundled up....when in reality I'm sitting in my shorts on the couch. Even Brett, who says he's not very "Christmasy" was kind enough to watch Home Alone with me last night. Such a classic.

Along with all the Christmas decorations, wintertime always makes me want to bake even more than I already do. I wanted to bring some baked goods for the family to enjoy while in Destin so I knew I couldn't try out any new, super healthy recipes. While I may love bland, crunchy, super-duper-healthy things,  not everyone else does. So I decided to play it safe and "veganize" a cookie recipe that I've made before. This recipe is actual from my friend Jill who recently moved to Colorado. It was fun to reminisce on good times with her while making these! And it was a lot easier to substitute the dairy products than I thought. I just used earth balance instead of butter and a flax egg instead of a real egg. As always, Brett the taste-tester approved. Hopefully the family will too!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

(Makes 24 Cookies)

 Ingredients:

· 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

· 1/2 cup flour

· 1 teaspoon cinnamon

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

· 1/2 cup earth balance

· 1/2 cup natural peanut butter

· 1/2 cup natural cane sugar

· 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water (flax egg)

· 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

· 3/4 cup semi-sweet Ghirardelli chocolate chips

*To make the flax egg, whisk the ground flaxseed and water together and let sit for 5 minutes

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, from oats to baking soda.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter and both sugars together with a hand mixer or standing mixer.

4. Beat in the flax egg and vanilla.

5. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients on low speed until everything is incorporated.

6. Stir in the chocolate chips.

7. Drop 2 tablespoon sized balls of dough onto the baking sheets.

8. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

  

Merry Christmas!

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes

I was in Virginia this past week and, while it was cold, I was able to enjoy Fall! Crisp air, colorful leaves, and winter coats. Brett and I stayed with my brother and sister-in-law and we're busy all week with work-related stuff. On Saturday we had the day off. Brett went on a long hike while I stayed home to get in my 11-mile run. 

It was only 30 degrees when I woke up, so I ate breakfast and waited a couple of hours for the sun to come up before hitting the road. It was beautiful out and I felt great at first, but after only 4 miles or so I started getting pretty tired. For the remainder of the run my energy never seemed to pick up either. Other than a few short sections, my body seemed to be running on fumes and about half way through my joints started to hurt too. I felt like I was running an 11-minute mile. 

While it sounds like a horrible run, I still enjoyed it and felt accomplished at the end. Apparently I didn't run an 11-minute mile either but averaged about a 9-minute mile. I'm hoping to do more stretching and cross training this week to give my body a break.

I scarfed down this bowl of oats, cinnamon, banana and peanut butter as soon as I got back. Yum.

Now onto another delicious breakfast. Brett and I got back to Florida late last night and this morning I realized we didn't have much for breakfast. I found a recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes on-line, made some changes and "veganized" them and they turned out great! Brett left for work full and happy.

 Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes

(Makes 2 servings)

 Ingredients:

· 1/2 whole wheat flour

· 1/4 cup oat flour

· 1/4 old-fashioned rolled oats

· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

· 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

· 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

· 1 flax egg*

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 3/4 cup almond milk

· 1 teaspoon lemon juice

· 2 tablespoons earth balance, melted

· 3 tablespoons semi-sweet ghirardelli chocolate chips

*To make a flax egg, whisk 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons water and let sit for about five minutes

Directions:

1. Start by making your flax egg and set it aside.

2. Next make the “buttermilk” by putting 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in a cup measure and then adding 3/4 cup almond milk. Let the mixture sit for about five minutes.

3. In a bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients from the whole wheat flour to the nutmeg.

4. In a smaller bowl, mix together the flax egg, vanilla, “buttermilk” and melted butter.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until well combined.

6. Fold in the chocolate chips.

7. Do your pancake-making thing and cook these pancakes on a greased skillet heated to medium heat.

8. This batter should make four hearty pancakes serving two!

Notes: Adapted from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts.

Eat Consciously,

     Faith