Real Food: It's all in the presentation.

Jim has been away a lot for work lately, and of course we miss him. 

Because I'm not cooking as much with him gone, and he's not commuting to work, there's some budget money left behind.  Last week I splurged on a couple of new cookbooks and a new mandoline, which I've had in my Amazon wishlist for months.  (As I type I see Jim reading this somewhere, shaking his head.)

It's awesome!

I have a food processor that can do just about anything, but it's really inconvenient to set it all up then clean it up after small tasks. 

I also have an apple peeler/corer/slicer that we use a couple of times a day.  It makes quick work when I'm making something like this, and no kid can deny an apple completely cored and sliced in one long spiral cut.  That's how I eat my apples whole, too.

But this mandoline is fast and easy to clean up when it comes to other fruits and vegetables; and because I can make paper thin slices, the kids think it's fun to eat an entire apple, core and all, in a hundred little slivers.  They also love eating carrots in julienned strips, etc.

The rituals of how we eat our foods mean so much and really make an impression on our memory.  I love making simple foods more special for my kids (and for me.) 

Real Food: Muesli with Sweet Vanilla Greek Yogurt

Muesli, originally from Switzerland, is a mixture of dried fruit, nuts, uncooked oats, and other whole grains.  It's very simple to create your own Muesli mix based on your family's preferences, but we buy this one ready-made.

You can use Muesli in many ways, but we like to make it the traditional Swiss way by mixing it with yogurt.  If mixing water with your yogurt sounds off-putting to you (it did to me the first time!) trust the process.  Add more or less water to adjust the consistency to your own preference.  I prefer mine to be on the thick side, but adding a full 1/2 C in this recipe gives you something a bit more thinned out.

Our kids love Muesli.  Hudson often has some for lunch, and the girls like to take it to school in a thermos.  It's not just for breakfast; it's great any time of day.  The oats and fruit plump up with the yogurt, and you'll get a nice bit of protein too.

Last week we got about 6 inches of snow, and after two hours of shovelling, Hudson came inside, called grandpa to see how much snow they'd gotten at the farm, then dug in to a bowl of muesli.




(My son is adorable.)

Muesli with Sweet Vanilla Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:
1 C Fage Greek Yogurt
1/4 C Muesli (Bob's Red Mill or your own creation)
1/4 to 1/2 C Cold Water
1T Stevia in the Raw or other sweetener
1 t Vanilla extract

Mix and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight (best.)

Real Food: Blackberry and Peach Oat Nut Crumbles

This recipe is simple and fast, and comes together using staple ingredients that we always have on-hand.  (Our freezer is FULL of fruit and nuts!)  I wanted a crumble that was primarily nuts, rather than grain- pecans are a nice splurge but walnuts or almonds will do.  This recipe is also a bit frugal when it comes to the fruit.  You could easily increase the fruit if you'd like.  You can also use whatever fruits you have on-hand.  These make a nice and simple apple dessert, but I'd recommend cooking down the apple slices in a skillet with the sugar and some coconut oil before baking.

I love baking these in individual ramekins because, well, KIDS LOVE TINY INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS.  Who doesn't?

For a hot and bubbly dessert, you can put these together ahead of time and set them in the oven just as you begin dinner.  

Blackberry and Peach Oat Nut Crumbles

Prep Time: 10 min.

Total Time: 40 min.

Serves: 12

For the Fruit Base:

4 C Sliced peaches, fresh or thawed

4 C Blackberries, fresh or thawed

1/4 C Raw Sugar

1/4 t Cinnamon

For the Topping:

1/2 C Coconut oil, melted, plus more for ramekins

1 C Pecans, crushed

1/2 C Rolled oats

1/3 C Brown Sugar

1 t Vanilla extract

1 t Cinnamon

1/8 t Fine Grain Sea Salt

1.  Place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees.  Rub the inside of 12 ramekins* with coconut oil, set aside. In a large bowl, combine ingredients for the fruit base and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping, mixing with a fork until incorporated.  

3.  Divide the fruit among the ramekins and place 2T of the topping mixture on each.  

4.  Carefully place ramekins on the hot baking sheet and bake until the middles bubble and the tops have browned lightly, about 30 minutes.  Rotate pan halfway through baking. 

*You may also use a 9x13 pan.

Real Food: Fruit and Nut Bars

A few weeks ago, I ran across this Dr. Oz recipe for a raisin-based brownie and thought, "Oh, I see.  They're using raisins as a binder and sweetener just like Larabars use dates."  

Then I thought, "WHY AM I BUYING LARABARS?!??  I could totally make them myself!"

Larabars, if you don't know, are insane-delicious fruit and nut bars made with very basic ingredients.  There are usually between 2 to 5 ingredients in each bar, and they are grain-free. Kids, adults- everyone loves them.  They're a nice shot of good fat, fiber, protein, and natural sugar.

  I've been known to shove them into the hands of my friends and force them to try one on the spot.  Dates are always the base, adding moisture, texture, and sweetness, taking on the flavors of the nuts, fruits, and spices they are paired with.

My favorites are the Peanut Butter Cookie, Banana Bread, Apple Pie, Pecan Pie, Cherry Pie, Ginger Snap, Peanut Butter and Jelly, and Chocolate Chip Brownie.  (I realized as I was typing this that I have...a lot of favorites.)

Larabars are typically around 200 calories each.  One does not simply eat three of these in a row.  But, they are a smart and sweet treat, and very nice to keep in your bag for emergencies. My favorite way to eat them is in the afternoon with some french press.

These are so simple to make, and I feel like such an idiot for not realizing I could do it sooner.  In creating these, I hoped to capture the flavors, but in a smaller portion; something we could have as a treat without so many calories packed in.  These are great for lunchboxes, too.

Once I decided to make my own, I did a Google search and of course there are tons of Larabar recipes out there.  These, however, are my own recipes inspired by my favorite flavors.  I didn't even read anyone else's.  I have an independent spirit like that.

Be sure to purchase unsweetened, pitted dates.  You should be able to find these with the raisins and other dried fruits at your grocery store.  When you measure the dates, don't pack them in; just pour them in to the top of the measuring cup.  Also, be sure to purchase unsalted nuts, unless otherwise noted.  Toasting the nuts beforehand is optional.  I used raw nuts in all of my batches (except for the peanut batch.)  Experiment, experiment, experiment!  It's hard to go wrong with these.

Basic Technique for Homemade Fruit and Nut Bars:

1.  Combine all ingredients in the bowl of your food processor.

2.  Process until the entire mixture binds, about 2-3 minutes.  For quite some time, the mixture will be chopped up, but not bound.  It will resemble the look of wet sand.  Keep processing until the moment when the entire mixture starts to get lumpy, then binds together into one giant ball, similar to cookie dough in a mixing bowl.  Trust the process.  You'll feel like it will never happen, but, it will!

3. Line an 8x8 pan with non-stick foil or parchment, using enough to hang over the edge for easy removal later.  Place the fruit and nut mixture into the pan and press evenly to the edges, smoothing the top.  If the mixture is sticky, use a rubber spatula sprayed with cooking spray.

4.  Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.  Lift on the foil or parchment to remove from pan and invert onto a cutting board.  Using a sharp knife sprayed with cooking spray, cut the square first in half, then quarters, then rotate pan and cut the opposite way into thirds (making 12 even bars.)

5.  Store between sheets of wax paper or parchment.  These will freeze wonderfully, minding that they are tightly wrapped.

Peanut Butter Cookie

2 C  dates

1/2 C  Dry Roasted Peanuts, Salted with Sea Salt

87 Calories Each

Cherry Pie

1/2 C  Dates

1 1/2 C  Dried Unsweetened Cherries

1/4 C  Almonds

100 Calories Each

Pecan Pie

2 C  Dates
1/2 C  Pecans
1/8 C  Almonds

100 Calories Each

Banana Bread

2 C Dates
1/4 C Ripe Banana
1/2 C Almonds
1/2 C  Walnuts

123 Calories Each

Apple Pie

1 C Dates
1/2 C  Dried Apples
1/2 C  Almonds
1/2 C  Walnuts
1/4 C  Golden Raisins
1/2 t  Cinnamon

111 Calories Each

Ginger Snap

2 C  Dates
1/2 C  Almonds
1/4 C  Walnuts
1/4 C  Pecans
1 inch piece ginger, peeled and quartered
1/2 t  Cinnamon
 1/8 t  Cloves

124 Calories Each

Chocolate Brownie

2 C Dates
1 C  Walnuts
1t  Cocoa Powder
6 pieces Green & Blacks Chocolate, any flavor
Dash Sea Salt

124 Calories Each

P.S.:  Have you ever noticed that the Peanut Butter and Jelly Larabars taste like a Twin Bing?  If you sandwich half a cherry bar between two halves of a Peanut Butter Cookie bar... same thing.  (It's regional; you might not understand.)