walnut date granola bars

Over the weekend when all it did was rain and drizzle and blow gusts of wind in every direction, I decided to cozy up and do some baking. And it's a good thing I did it when I did, since we lost power less than twelve hours later and we were forced to only open the fridge in extreme situations. Boo.

But man, did these come out tasty. I've always wanted to make my own granola bars, ever since my college roommate's Greek stepmother would send her back to the apartment with container after container of nutty, good-for-you bars that were pretty much perfect for any time of day.

And I realized granola bars will never get boring to make--you can keep varying the recipe a million times over, tweaking it here and there to make a whole new type of bar. If you don't like flax seeds and wheat germ, leave them out. If you'd rather use dried apricots and almonds than dates and raisins and walnuts, go for it. Mix it up. The important part, however, is to make sure you keep your proportions of dry to sticky. Too much wheat germ and they'll be dry and crumbly, too much honey and they'll be gooey and sticky.

We all know what I'll be doing every single rainy day from here on out, now.

Walnut Date Granola Bars
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 2/3 c. quick rolled oats
1/3 c. dark brown sugar
1/4 c. oats, processed till finely ground in food processor or blender
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. flax seeds
2 T. wheat germ
2/3 c. dates, chopped
1/3 c. raisins
1 1/3 c. walnuts, chopped
1 t. vanilla extract
6 T. melted butter
1/4 c. honey
2 T. light corn syrup
1 T. water


Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ pan with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly coat the parchment paper and the exposed pan with a non-stick spray.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter, honey and water. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread into the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan.

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges.

Cool the bars completely on a cooling rack.

Once cool, cut the bars into squares with a serrated knife. My bars were a little crumbly at first, so I chilled the pan further in the fridge for 30 minutes. Wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container.

Voila! Healthy, grab-and-go snacks!

Try it, I dare you. And then you must come back and share!

caramelized tofu and brussel sprouts

Last night I decided to wonder and found myself lost in my thoughts. Does that ever happen to you? Some days just turn into "off days" and I can't seem to collect myself.

In other words, I turn into a mess.

I channelled my introspection into the kitchen, though, and cooked up caramelized tofu with brussel sprouts, in solitude.

I can't say it cured me, but it was damn good.

homemade oreos.

From Smitten Kitchen, of course.

If I look at anymore of these, I think I'll be sick.

But they were damn good, though.

I think I'll just quit life and stay home and cook/bake all day.

super flaxseed boule.

Last night I baked a delicious flaxseed loaf and couldn't wait to share it with you guys. I've made it in the past (and shared a little about it here), and it lived up to its previous success again. It's packed full of flaxseeds and just plain tastes GOOD for you. I first came across this recipe in Vegetarian Times, but adjusted the recipe just a little (the magazine's version also leaves out a step, which confused me at first). I'd highly recommend it!

Super-Flax Whole Wheat Boule

1 cup + 1 T. flaxseeds
2 T. sugar, agave nectar, or honey
0.25 oz. active yeast
3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t. salt

(Or, like me, just use 4 1/2 c. white flour if you don't have whole wheat.)

Place 1/2 cup flaxseeds in a bowl, cover with water, and let soak overnight.

Combine sugar, yeast, and 2 cups warm water in bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.

Grind remaining 1/2 cup + 1 T. flaxseeds in a coffee grinder. Combine in a bowl with flour and salt. Drain soaked seeds and add to flour mixture. Add yeast mixture and stir until a dough forms.

Knead on a floured surface until no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Roll into a ball and place in a greased bowl, letting rise for 1 hour. Punch down, and let rise for 1 hour more.

Roll into a tight ball and place on a large, greased cookie sheet. Brush with water and sprinkle with flaxseeds and cut a tic-tac-toe crisscross in the top, if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow. Let cool, and then slice.

I prefer mine topped with melted cheese and cup of coffee in the morning. Nothing beats it.

Keep a smile on your face!

pumpkin waffles on a saturday.

Yesterday morning, MH and SuperTooth helped me cook up a scrumptious brunch of pumpkin waffles. I saw the recipe on Smitten Kitchen awhile ago, and decided to take my own advice and try something new.






We all took turns stirring and beating and cracking the eggs, and it didn't even come out too bad. I'd highly recommend them, especially for the fall season. I do have to work on my waffle-crisping skills, though--they were a little soft.



Here's the recipe from Smitten Kitchen if you're interested!