RECIPE: Chocolate Power Balls

Ever since I bought a jar of sunflower seed butter that both of my kids promptly rejected as a sandwich filling, I've been trying to find a way to use it up that my family would deem palatable. It would be even better if it was something that made a tasty, transportable snack suitable for my son's school lunch and other nut-free environments.

These Whole Food No Bake Cookies looked promising, so I gave them a try. I found they came out too soft and "gloppy" for my liking and did not hold their shape well at all as a cookie.

I thought they might do better in ball form (kind of like a truffle) and decided to tweak the recipe to pack in a few more goodies for extra nutrition and overall yumminess.

I have to say that these are a new favourite snack at our house. They hold up well in my son's lunchbox and make a great afternoon pick-me-up for us busy moms, too. Best of all, they are very easy to make (although that may be a bit of a downfall as it's a bit *too* easy to gobble them up and whip up another batch).

This is also a great recipe for messing around with; you could use any type of nut butter if you don't need a nut-free option, and any type of dried fruit would work well in place of the apricots. You could also sneak in some ground flax seed or just about anything powdered and mild flavoured (you know, those things your kids - or you - really don't want to eat on their own). I like to use a darker, stronger tasting honey like wildflower or buckwheat in these balls, but any honey you have should do just fine!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (or any nut butter of choice)
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup *uncooked* rolled oats or *cooked* quinoa
1/3 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
coconut for coating

Instructions:
In a small saucepan, combine the honey, coconut oil, cocoa powder and sunflower seed butter.

Heat over medium-low heat just until mixture blends together well.

Remove from heat  and add coconut, oats, apricots, cinnamon and ginger.

Chill for about 30 minutes or until mixture firms up enough to roll into balls (I just stick a wooden cutting board under the saucepan and put it in the fridge).

Shape teaspoon-sized amounts of mixture into balls; roll in coconut. Store in refrigerator.

Makes about 2 dozen balls.

Do you have a favourite easy-to-make lunchbox treat? I'd love to know what it is!

For more simple, tasty and family-friendly recipes like this one, check out my book: Cheap Appétit: The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible)

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Make it From Scratch: School-Friendly Granola Bars

As some of you are aware, my younger son, who has previously been homeschooled, decided to go to public school this year. This has brought about a number of changes for our family, not the least of which is that I have to pack a nut-free lunch for him five days a week.

Granola bars are standard fare for school lunches and since you know I'm way too cheap to buy premade ones (plus most of the store bought ones are full of questionable ingredients) I've been on a quest for a good homemade granola bar recipe that: a) only uses staple items from my pantry and b) doesn't contain peanut butter, which happens to be an ingredient in the majority of recipes I think look most promising! Yes, I could sub in some sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter, but I'd rather save it for making sandwiches on days when I don't have any other options handy.

After a little experimenting, I've come up with these bars, which are good and oaty, and have a satisfying texture (a bit chewy with a hint of crunchiness on top). You can easily change out the dried fruits and seeds to create a variety of flavour combos.

Ingredients:

3-6 tbsp of brown sugar (adjust depending on your desired level of sweetness)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups rolled oats (I use old fashioned, but quick oats would probably work fine)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 - 1 tsp ginger (I prefer it with the higher amount, but I'm a ginger addict!)

Instructions:

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey and butter over medium-low heat, until butter melts and mixture is thoroughly blended together. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

In a medium bowl, combine oats, raisins, coconut, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and ginger. Pour honey-butter mixture over top and stir until oat mixture is thoroughly coated.

Press firmly into a greased 9" x 9" pan (I put a bit of butter on my fingers to do this so the mixture doesn't stick to me!) Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before cutting into bars.

Makes 12 granola bars (I cut them into 6 pieces in one direction and in half the other direction to get a proper "long and skinny" granola bar shape).

RECIPE: No-Bake Ancient Grain Snacking Squares

As I'm the mother of 12 and 14 year old boys who eat like it's going out of style, I'm always on the lookout for quick and easy recipes for snacks that are relatively nutritious and calorie-dense enough to fill the vast void of their empty stomachs for more than 15 minutes.

These squares are super easy to prepare and with their blend of protein and carbs are great for a pre- or post- sports snack. Of course, they're good just about any other time, too! They will not stand up well to warm temperatures, so don't stuff one in your pocket or take them hiking on a hot summer day or you'll have a big mess on your hands.

Feel free to mess around with this basic recipe as much as you'd like. Any type of puffed cereal (like wheat or rice) can be substituted for the kamut and millet. In fact, you can use just about any type of cereal, and I've even made a batch with my homemade granola. Any type of nut butter would probably work in place of the peanut butter, and you could do a nearly infinite number of combinations of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. If you want them a bit more on the spicy side, try adding more cinnamon, some ground ginger, or some finely chopped crystallized ginger. If you find a particularly delicious combination, be sure to let me know, okay?

Ingredients:

3/4 cup honey
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups puffed kamut
1 1/2 cups puffed millet
1 cup salted peanuts
1 cup raisins

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, melt honey, peanut butter, chocolate chips and cinnamon together over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and stir in kamut, millet, peanuts and raisins.

Press into a greased 9 x 9" pan and chill until firm. Cut into 16 squares.

For over 125 more quick and easy family-friendly recipes just like this one, check out my book!

I shared this recipe at Friday Favorites, the GCC Recipe Swap and Sweets for a Saturday.

RECIPE: Roasted Chickpeas

You know how you have a recipe you've been meaning to try out for years, and somehow never quite manage it? The one that falls out of your recipe file every time you're rummaging around in there, and you glance at it *again* and think "Oh, yeah, I've really got to try that!" and then stick it back in there and forget about it *again* for the millionth time. This is one of those recipes. And I am SO glad I finally did try it, because it's become one of our favourite snacks around here. In fact, I have to restrain myself from nibbling away most of the batch while I'm waiting for them to cool down enough to put in a storage container afterward.

If you like chickpeas at all, you will LOVE these! And even if chickpeas aren't on your top ten favourite foods list, I think you'll be surprised by how much you might like them (my older son, who doesn't normally care for chickpeas, will happily munch away on these crunchy little morsels). They are super easy to make, and are a great protein-rich snack. While they are addictive to eat on their own, they also make a great salad topper. And (the icing on the cake) you can whip up a batch of these for less than 50 cents if you use cooked-from-dried beans.

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked chickpeas
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
other seasonings as desired (cumin, chili powder, curry, Italian seasoning), optional

Instructions:
In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, olive oil, salt, pepper, and other seasonings (if using). Spread in a single layer on a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375F for 30-45 minutes, until chickpeas are crunchy. Cool and store in an airtight container.

I shared this recipe at Recipe Swap Thursday,  Frugal Food Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, the GCC Recipe Swap, Fat Camp Friday and Friday Favorites.

My Favourite Smoothie

It's time to dig out my blender - smoothie season is here! Now that the warmer weather has finally arrived, I am starting to crave refreshing, cold drinks again. I love smoothies for lots of reasons; not only are they incredibly satisfying, they are filling enough to serve as a snack, they are quick and easy to make, and the variations are as endless as your imagination (and the contents of your fruit crisper).

Here is my personal favourite:


Raspberry Coconut Smoothie
This is equally fabulous using strawberries!

Time: under 5 minutes
Serves: One large or two small servings

3/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 - 1/3 cup coconut milk

Toss all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Add more juice if necessary to get desired consistency.

It's easy to create your own "custom" smoothie by choosing different combinations of fruit and juice. For best results, at least 50% of the fruit used in your smoothie should be frozen to give it that characteristic thickness. Milk or yogurt can be used in place of the coconut milk.

Make homemade Popsicles by pouring the smoothie mixture into Popsicle molds. My kids can't get enough of these! At ages 8 and 10, they are able to do most of the prep work themselves and just need a bit of help pouring the mixture into the molds.

Money Saving Tips:
-Use the juice left over from canned fruit in your smoothies.
-Smoothies are perfect for using up over-ripe fruit!