Hi everyone! My Aunt Celeste and her business partner, Julie Kardachi, are entering their innovative business into the US Chamber of Commerce “I am Free Enterprise. Dream Big.” video contest and need your help!! Only the 25 most-viewed videos will advance to the next round of judging, so they need as many views as possible. There is only a one-week “Viewing Blitz", ending Friday 4/16, so please go and see their video and share it with your friends!

It’s a pretty awesome video! Gotta love cute, elderly people doing Tai Chi in the middle of New York City

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a3Rzk2tZuI

 

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT GUYS!! I’LL KEEP YOU UPDATED WITH RESULTS!

 

To learn more about their program, check out their website at:  Fall Stop…MOVE STRONG,

 

 

stay * fresh

March 19

 

FOODIE FINDS

Galaxy Granola (check back for a video + recipe coming soon!)

low fat granola cooked in FRUIT instead of fatty oils!

 

Pepperidge Farm 100% Whole Wheat (!!) Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Raisins (80kcal/slice)

(i may or may not have jumped up and down in the supermarket when I found this I’ve been looking for a whole wheat version forever!—a serious childhood classic for me)

  

 

Thomas 100% Whole Wheat Bagel Thins (110 kcal)

 

RECIPE ROUNDUP

Kicked Up Vegetable Stew from Zesty Cook

 

Pear, Walnut and Gorgonzola Personal Pizzas from Eating Well Magazine

Cajun Shrimp Stirfry from Clean Eating Magazine

 

FOOD + FIT TIPS

10 Foods for Healthy Hair from Healthy Eats

How to Meal Plan + Grocery Shop Tips from Iowa Girl Eats

Travel Snacks Worth Packing from Hungry Girl

NUTRITION NEWS BITES:

The Power of Calorie Counts from Los Angeles Times

A To-Do List for Better Health from Houston Chronicle

Senator proposes $4.5 billion for child nutrition from The Washington Post’s All You Can Eat blog

 

BREAK A SWEAT:

Exercise TV (FREE workout videos!)

 

FOR FUN:

Operation Beautiful

Part of my job is to keep up to date with all the latest health and wellness trends on a daily basis (did I mention I love what I do!?)   There is so much information out there that it can be hard to dispel fact from fiction, or even know where to begin looking!  So I’ve decided to start a new Simply Savor feature called Stay Fresh!  Each week, I’ll post a variety of my favorite recipes, headlines, tips, quotes for the mind, body and soul…Enjoy!

 

stay * fresh

 

 

 

 

For the week of March 15

Recipe Roundup:

Buffalo Chicken Wrap from Eating Well Magazine 

 

Healthified Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets from EatBetterAmerica

 

Honey Vanilla Frozen Yogurt over at Foodfit.com

Raspberry-Chocolate Angel Food Cake from SELF Magazine

 

Food & Fitness Tips:

Eat Your Way to Gorgeous from Fitness Magazine

Top Tips for Reading Nutrition Labels from Mitzi Dulan, America’s Nutrition Expert

Top 10 Workout DVDS from Fitness Magazine

Tips for Shaking the Salt Habit from The Denver Post

The No-Hunger Way to Cut 100s of Calories from Fitness Magazine

 

Nutrition News Bites:

Michelle Obama to food makers: "Step it up" from The Washington Post

 

March is National Nutrition Month! from the American Dietetics Association

What does this year’s theme, “Nutrition from the Ground Up,” mean to you?

Survey finds too few Americans get regular exercise from USA Today

Starbucks Testing Out Even Larger Trenta Size (31 oz)?  from Reuters

 

Workout at Home:

Zumba video!

Dave Farmar Power Yoga Podcasts (FREE on iTunes!)

 

For Fun:

Meagan Rohrer Photography (my friend who is an amazing photographer)

1000 Awesome Things

 

Feel free to send me an email at kristen@simplysavor.com with your own and/or favorite articles/recipes/tips for a chance to be featured!

 

In other Simply Savor news:

• For even more up-to-date information on everything food, fitness and fun, follow me on Twitter!
• Have a nutrition, fitness, health-related or personal question you’d like me to answer?  Ask me anything!  (anonymous or not) and I’ll post the answers to all of your questions in my Q&A section! 
• I’ve been working on a few videos and product reviews so stay tuned!

 

Happy Wednesday!  Hope the sun is shining wherever you are

I saw my cousin (Hi Lynn!) this past weekend in New York City and she had just seen Simply Savor for the first time!  Of course we spent the night bonding over a glass of wine– talking about our favorite Cooking Light recipes (she’s an avid fan too!), Food Network stars, and cooking tips. 

As an extremely busy news reporter with odd hours, Lynn still finds time to make healthy eating/cooking a priority which is something I really admire and think many of us can relate to.  She had some great ideas and recipes, so I was very excited when she sent me along this email to share with all of you!

~~~

Hi!!!
LOVED getting a chance to chat on sat.  xo

My all time favorite Sandra Lee tip (BTW I can’t stand her but this is a great idea).  To steam veggies fast, wet a paper towel and ring out the water so it’s just damp.  Then lay it over a bowl with the veggies. Microwave and the water from the paper towel creates steam and locks it in to perfectly steam veggies quick!  With spinach I put a little sea salt and garlic powder, micro for 2mins and it’s perfectly steamed spinach, great, quick and easy side.

+   + =

Tyler Florence had an awesome tip for the perfect way to heat a tortilla, whenever I microwave them they get rubbery and when I bake them they get too hard so he says to lay them on the open flame of your gas stove for 15 seconds each side and it’s the perfect prep and gives it a little toast without becoming too hard.

   +    =

Here are a few recipes I like  

Lots o’ Meat Lasagna

(This is a Paula Dean recipe that I adjusted to make health conscious)

  

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I use Laura’s all natural 97% lean…you could also use 99% fat free ground turkey)
1 pound ground Italian Turkey sausage (I use Jenny-O Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage)
1 onion 

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups part skim-ricotta cheese
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmigianno-Reggiano *fresh basil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
9 oven-ready lasagna noodles (you can use whole wheat lasagna noodles UNCOOKED if you’d like)

1 (8-ounce) shredded reduced fat mozzarella 
fresh mozzarella sliced for top 

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-In a large saucepan, combine ground chuck, sausage onion and garlic.
-Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled; drain.
-In same pot sauté mushrooms in a little evoo and add red wine to deglaze the pan.
-Return meat to pan and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add  tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes. Add in some fresh chopped basil at the end.
-In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan, chopped basil, and eggs.
-Spoon 1/4 of sauce into bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan.
-Place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles.
-Spread 1/3 of ricotta cheese mixture over noodles, top with 1/4 of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce.
-Bake 45 minutes. Top with fresh mozz slices and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

–

Low-Fat Banana Bread (Cooking Light)
 

Ingredients
3.4  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
3.6  ounces  whole-wheat flour (about 3/4 cup)
1/4  cup  flaxseed meal
1  teaspoon  baking powder
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
1  cup  mashed ripe banana
1/2  cup  chopped walnuts
3/4  cup  sugar
1/2  cup  plain low-fat yogurt
1/4  cup  canola oil
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine banana and next 4 ingredients (through oil) in a small bowl. Add banana mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
3. Spoon the batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool on wire rack.
____

Pork Marinade

(A recipe from one of Kathryn’s (my other cousin’s) friends)

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/6 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tbsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp pepper
____

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

(Giada De Laurentis…all time best comfort food on a cold night) 

 

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time:1 hr 30 min
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 pounds stew beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup Marsala wine
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 to 4 cups beef broth 
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions
-In a large soup pot heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
-Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and saute until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes. Toss the beef cubes in salt and pepper and flour.
-Turn up the heat to med-high and add the beef to the pot. Cook until the beef is browned and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala wine. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

-Add the butternut squash and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine. Add enough beef broth to just cover the beef and squash.
-Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Season the stew with additional salt and pepper to taste.

-Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread alongside.

~~~

Thanks so much Lynn! I am definitely going to try ALL of these recipes + tips soon   In exchange I sent her some of my favorite recipes too!

 

I’m always looking for new recipes and/or cooking tips—have any to share??  I’ll compile a list of your responses in my next post! 

Zesty Cook is a great cooking resource.  I love the Zesty Tips he includes with all of his recipes—soo helpful!

I’m really liking the concept of exchanging recipes… do any of you do recipe exchanges with friends or family?

Wow! You all REALLY wanted some of this, huh??

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the Maranatha giveaway (a Simply Savor record!)  And welcome to the new readers and bloggers who stopped by!  It was great “seeing” new faces, and I definitely have a ton more blogs to check out in my Google Reader now

And for the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

The lucky winner of 4 Free Jars of Maranatha Nut Butter goes to…

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

103

Timestamp: 2010-02-26 15:22:01 UTC

 

KATY!!

  2010 FEBRUARY 21  Oooh, I want to win! I have a few recipes for raw macaroons involving nut butters and I’m all out.

 

Congrats, Katy! Shoot me an email with your mailing address so the lovely Maranatha people can send you your prize! …and those raw macaroons sound AMAZING!

~ ~ ~ ~

To celebrate the giveaway, I started my morning with a classic combo—Peanut Butter and Jelly…oats! 

 

Mmmm in the mix:

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup skim milk

Splash of Torani SF vanilla syrup

1 heaping Tbsp of Maranatha peanut butter

1 heaping Tbsp Polaner strawberry jam

And I definitely may have had a few extra spoonfuls of PB straight from the jar   What can I say…it’s my weakness

~ ~ ~

What kind of TGIF breakfast do you eat this morning??

Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend!

Like reading about top nutrition + fitness news,headlines, tips, chef bios, recipes etc?? Then follow me on Twitter where I post the stories I read daily!

I thought that title might get your attention

That’s right, the wonderful people of Maranatha are offering to give away their MaraNatha Nut Butter Trial Pack (coupons for 4 free jars: $20 value) to ONE lucky Simply Savor reader!

 

 

MaraNatha® (pronounced "mare-uh-Nah-thuh") has been crafting organic and natural nut and seed butters in Ashland, Oregon, since 1982. Each variety is finely ground in small batches and contains no unhealthy trans fats, hydrogenated oils or preservatives – just the authentic taste of the purest ingredients.

 

There are a TON of chances to win….all you have to do is:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me anything about nut butter (your favorite way to eat it, your favorite flavor, why you love Maranatha, crunchy vs. smooth, etc.)

2. Tweet about the giveaway—just copy and paste:

I want to win 4 Free Jars of Maranatha Nut Butter on www.simplysavor.com @simplysavor

3. If you have a blog, link  back to the giveaway!

4. Sign up for the Maranatha e-newsletter and sweepstakes

…Bonus: You’ll receive a coupon for $1.00 off any MaraNatha product. By spreading the word to three or more friends, you can receive a $2.00 off coupon (!!)

+ + +

Make sure you leave additional comments for each one telling me you’ve done so!

And for a 5th entry…try making any of the Maranatha Nut Butter recipes provided below and send me a picture/link (kristen@simplysavor.com)

 

Savory Almond Butter Dip

Makes about 1/3 cup – Serves one

· 1 Tbsp. MaraNatha No Stir Almond Butter, Creamy

· 3 Tbsp. Organic or natural low fat mayonnaise

· 2 Tbsp. Organic or natural low fat sour cream

· 1 tsp. Fresh lime juice

· 1/8 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

· 1/2 tsp. Onion powder

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Use as a dip for vegetables such as celery, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and cucumbers.

This dip can also be used as a sauce over steamed vegetables – great with asparagus or broccoli.

"I’m Bananas for Almond Butter" Smoothie

Serves one

· 2 Tbsp. MaraNatha No Stir Almond Butter, Creamy

· 1 Medium banana

· 1/4 cup Organic or natural nonfat soymilk

· 2 Tbsp. Organic or natural nonfat vanilla yogurt

· 1 cup Crushed ice

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

For an indulgent treat add any of the following:

2 Tbsp. Chocolate syrup
1 Tbsp. Chocolate chips

Nutrition information: 320 Calories, 10g Protein, 41g Total Carbohydrates, 7g Fiber, 22g Sugars

Cilantro Chicken Wraps with Creamy Almond Butter Sauce

Makes about 1 cup sauce – Serves 4

· 4 Multigrain tortillas

· 12 oz. Broiled chicken breast strips

· 2 to 3 Slices, red onion

· Packaged shredded carrots

· Cilantro leaves

· Lettuce leaves

Sauce:

· 1 Tbsp. MaraNatha No Stir Almond Butter, Creamy

· 1/2 cup Organic or natural light mayonnaise

· 1/4 cup Organic or natural light sour cream

· 1 tsp. Fresh grated ginger

· 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder

· 2 tsp. Sesame oil

· 1 1/2 tsp. Rice vinegar

· 2 Tbsp. Cilantro, finely chopped

Place all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Place large tortilla on flat surface and cover with green leaf lettuce. Spread 2 – 3 tablespoons sauce over lettuce. Place grilled chicken breast, shredded carrots, red onion slices (to taste), and 8 to 10 cilantro leaves. Fold in sides of tortilla and roll.

++++

YUM!

Winner will be announced next Wednesday, February 23rd! 

LET THE NUT BUTTER GIVEAWAY GAMES BEGIN!

There is something so romantic about cooking a delicious meal together with that special someone…so this holiday, light a few candles, put on some mood music (Michael Buble radio on Pandora is always a good choice), set the table (or cozy up picnic-style with a large blanket near the fireplace) and enjoy some of these Valentine’s Day recipes I’ve gathered, along with an original Simply Savor dessert guaranteed to spice things up!

 

Breakfast in Bed:

Chocolate and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast 

Romantic Dinner for Two:

Filet Mignon with Shallot-Red Wine Sauce and Garlic Frites

OR

Vegan Valentine’s Day Menu

• Artichoke and Tomato Bisque
• Pine Nut and Basil Crusted Gardein Scallopini Over Braised Escarole Blood Orange Beurre Bianchot
• Italian Banana Peppers Stuffed with Fresh Herb Risotto and Soy Mozzarella with Fresh Basil Lime Sauce

OR

You Won’t Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta (to cut calories without cutting flavor: replace heavy cream with fat free half-and-half, and choose whole wheat pasta)

Pasta is the perfect meal to steal a romantic moment and recreate (in my opinion) the best scene from Lady and the Tramp

+ + +

And who could forget dessert???

Cayenne You Be My Valentine? Dark Chocolate Brownies

Based off of my very own Vegan Dark Chocolate Brownies with Sea Salt recipe

 

 Moist, dark chocolate brownies, infused with red hot cayenne pepper, creates the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. Filled with ingredients recognized for their aphrodisiac properties, this dessert will make your special someone fall in love all over again this Valentine’s Day.

(And did I mention they’re whole-wheat and vegan!)

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup soymilk

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup Ghirardelli bittersweet 60% dark chocolate chips

1/3-1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper(depending on how much of a *kick* you want)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and cayenne pepper) together in bowl

 
                      In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients (maple syrup, soymilk, oil, and vanilla) and stir
Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredient bowl with wooden spoon or spatula.                    Add in chocolate chips (be careful not to overly mix the batter)
Pour brownie batter into glass pan (8 inch) sprayed with cooking spray.
*Crucial step: Have fun licking the spoon and bowl clean while your brownies bake for ~30-35 minutes

 
When ready, remove from oven and allow to cool. Slice and enjoy!                                                                                                     Mmmm love at first bite

I also experimented with a different version of these brownies starring this guy right here:                 Nasoya Tofu Silken Creations: Dark Chocolate.                                                               

• Can’t share my recipe just yet because I’m entering it into this contest, but I’ll let you guys know as soon as I can!

++++

How are you spending this holiday? What would be YOUR perfect romantic meal?

 

Happy Valentine’s Day  everyone!

+++

Some LOVE-ly reads:

Aphrodisiac Foods

Food History of Valentine’s Day

++++

Get ready for an exciting giveaway on Simply Savor coming soon!! Click here for a hint

Fast food just doesn’t do it for me like it used to.  Big Mac and greasy fries?  No thanks, I’d rather have my Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Burgers with crispy baked sweet potato fries (look for the recipe tomorrow!)

I have to admit though, I am and always will be a Dunkin’ Donuts girl.  Their coffee brightens my day, and I’m a big fan of their healthy DDSmart menu options (‘specially the Eggwhite Flatbread sandwiches).  It’s the little things in life, people

But then I saw this…(Warning: This is not part of the DDSmart menu!)

Fluffy eggs, melted cheese and cherrywood smoked bacon stacked between two maple syrupy waffles!? Yes please!

I was intrigued, but not impressed by the 23 grams of fat (8 of them saturated!), 1000 mg of sodium, added sugars and barely-there fiber content.

So I decided to create my own – which ultimately made my stomach (..and wallet!) very happy.

Maple-Infused Eggwhite Waffle Sandwich

Ingredients

• 2 Kashi 7 Grain GoLean Waffles
• 2 egg whites
• 1 Laughing Cow “Light” Cheese wedge
• 2 slices low sodium Canadian or lean turkey bacon (optional)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (sugar free or regular)

Directions

Step 1: Toast up 2 waffles

Step 2:  Microwave 2 egg whites in microwave-safe bowl for 1 min 30 sec (or until fluffy)

Step 3: Smear one side of waffle with cheese wedge, place egg whites on top and drizzle lightly with maple syrup (Note: At this point, I realized I didn’t have any bacon, but feel free to add it to your sandwich!)

Step 4: Slice and enjoy!

Hellloooo deliciousness!

Only 320 calories, 6 grams of fat (a whole lot better than DD’s 23g!), 6 grams of fiber (vs. DD’s 1 g), 500 mg less sodium (than DD) and 25 grams of filling protein.

America runs on Dunkin Simply Savor? Catchy no?

Question for you:

How do you curb your fast food cravings?

Have you made any healthy recipes inspired by your favorite fast food menu items?

I am very excited to announce my newest partnership with SpringPad!  With a simple click of the   button at the bottom of my posts, you can now save and organize all of your favorite Simply Savor recipes!

 

Personally, I have so many recipes I’m dying to try but they tend to get lost in my 100-page long, embarrassingly disorganized Word document! 

Springpad is making my life a little bit easier now.  They include features that allow me to organize my favorite recipes and wine selections (!), bookmark recipes and/or restaurants I want to try, even create meal plans, grocery lists, budgeting and partyplanning! 

I’m a big fan if you couldn’t tell

++++

Here’s a screenshot example and step-by-step to show you how it works:

Step 1: See a Simply Savor recipe you like… let’s take my Bread n’ Bake Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan for example

Step 2: Click the button on the post

Step 3: Login/Register to your Springpad account (it’s free!) 

Step 4: Start organizing!

 

 

Simple, right?  I’m big on organization and Springpad also offers the following non-foodie features that I plan to take full advantage of:

• Organization

  Put your to-do lists in springpad and get rid of paper notes. Keep notes on anything. Set alarms to text or email reminders to you.

• Home

  Keep track of weekly chores and events. Track receipts and budgets, home remodeling projects, and your pet’s medical history.

• Travel

  Put your packing lists, hotel/rental car confirmation numbers, and Google Maps in one place. Keep track of places you want to visit.

• Business

  Keep track of projects, meeting notes, and budgets. Customize your own notebook the way you want it.

• Shopping

  Save products or gift ideas from any website and find them again later. Match gifts with your contacts. Store tracking numbers.

• + + +

• Hope you all enjoy this newest feature on Simply Savor!  Keep an eye out for that button!

•  

• My Recipes on Springpad so far:

• Unfried Veggie Brown Rice

• Goat Cheese & Sundried Tomato Stuffed Burger

• Melted Cheddar and Shrimp Crostini

• Hot Choco-Oats

• Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

• Bread n’ Bake Brussels Sprouts

• Eyes Closed Eggs

• Pumpkin-Almond Butter Bars

Soo I’ve kinda been dreaming about how good my tasting-plate was from the other day (does this qualify as a “You Know You’re a Health Foodie” moment?…I think so ),  I can’t help it, I just had to do something with that pumpkin/almond butter combo again!

My solution? Well the first thing that came to mind was granola bars.  Can you believe I’ve never actually attempted to make my own before!

Pumpkin-Almond Butter Bars (Yields 3 bars)

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Pumpkin Butter (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
• 2 Tbsp Almond Butter (I used Justin’s)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• Mix-ins of choice: I used 2 tsp. of dried fruit this time (golden raisins, cranberries+ apricot)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients into bowl
2. Transfer mixture onto piece of plastic wrap
3. Seal ends of plastic wrap and roll wrapped dough into square shape with desired thickness
4. Cut with knife into desired shape

I experimented with two versions of this bar: 1) Raw/Uncooked and 2) Cooked

RAW/UNCOOKED:

After completing directions #1-4 above, place wrapped bars in fridge for a few hours to set

OR

COOKED: Preheat oven to 350F and follow directions #1-4.  After shaping bars, remove wrapper, place bar in oven dish and bake for 30-35 minutes (careful not to overcook.)  Allow to cool before eating.

Can you tell which bar is which?

In the left corner: Raw/Uncooked VS. The challenger in the right: Cooked

So which version did I prefer?

The answer is….BOTH! The raw/uncooked version had a more cookie dough texture (but c’mon now, who doesn’t love eating that stuff??)

Overall, they both tasted pretty face-rockin’ delicious to me …you’ll have to be your own taste-test judge to see which one you like best!

+++++

These bars are SO easy and SO versatile.  You can always switch up the mix-ins with different ingredients like:

• Coconut
• Dried fruit
• Walnuts
• Dark chocolate
• Spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, brown sugar)
• Maple syrup
• Flaxseed

Plus their impressive nutritional value meets my standards for the perfect granola bar. Yessss.

Nutrition Facts (per 1 bar without mix-ins)

Calories 162.1

Total Fat 7.6 g

(Saturated Fat: 1.1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.3 g, Monounsaturated Fat *the good stuff*=4.9 g)

Total Carbohydrate 33.0 g (Dietary Fiber 4.7 g  //  Sugars 4.0 g )

Protein 4.2 g

++++

Definitely going to be making these as a quick grab n’ go snack once school and internship starts up again!

Question for you:

What would you add to your Pumpkin-Almond Butter Bars?

If you try these out, please let me know what you think! I’d love to hear whether you preferred the raw or cooked version!

+ + + +