Honey Banana Oat Bars

I've been trying to eat healthier lately. This has meant trying to stay away from processed foods as much as possible as well as white sugar, white flour, etc. I've been doing really well so far, although this new lifestyle does conflict a bit with my sweet tooth. See, I love having a little sweet snack with a cup of coffee after dinner. I've been searching the internet looking for "clean" dessert or snack recipes I could try, and fortunately have stumbled upon quite a few. 

This recipe is based on one that I found on Godairyfree.org. If you'd like to see the original recipe, click here. We made some modifications to ours.

Perfect with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup of rolled oats
1/4 cup of brown rice flour 
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup of honey plus 2 tbs for top glaze
2 tbs of grape seed oil
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 egg
2 medium bananas 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking dish.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, 1/4 cup honey, oil, and vanilla. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Briefly set aside.
4. Returning to your medium mixing bowl, stir in the egg, and banana, until everything is well combined. 
5. The batter will be a little thick. Spread it evenly in your greased baking dish, and pop it in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let cool completely before cutting. I cut them in 16 1 inch by inch bites.
7. Spread 2 tbs of honey evenly on top.

Nutritional info per bite:

Servings: 16
Calories: 97
Fat: 2.8g
Carbohydrates: 13.5g
Protein: 2.2g

Let me know if you give this recipe a go and how you like them! One more tip - I warm them up in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds before I eat them :)

Rondi's Recipes: Apple Nachos

Looking for a tasty treat this Holiday Season? Want to spice up your New Year's party with something unique and messy? Look no further!! I present, Apple Nachos :)

Slice apples to your desired size:

Melt marshmallows in microwave or use marshmallow paste:

Other ingredients include Caramel sauce and chocolate chips (we did both semi-sweet and white chocolate): 

Spread on melted marshmallows:

Drizzle on some caramel sauce:

We also added some of these mini-marshmallows:

Enjoy!!

Let me know what you guys think if you decide to try it out! I'd also love to hear some of your unique dessert ideas :)

Rondi's Recipes: Nacho Cheese Chicken Chowder

Mandi and I have been doing really well with cooking fun meals almost nightly, we just haven't been very good at reviewing them and posting for Rondi's Recipes. We had to bring it back though for a special dish we made last night. We had my lil' brother over for dinner, so we knew we'd have to make something that would fill up a "growing boy". We love to explore new recipes and try our hand at stuff that seems unique. We started with a recipe for Nacho Cheese Chicken Chowder and then added some stuff to make it our own. If you'd like to see the original recipe, click here.

Ingredients: Chicken breast, Mexican Style Stewed Tomatoes, Nacho Cheese Condensed Soup, Corn, Cheese -- Not pictured because we added in on the fly: Green Chilies, Pinto beans, Taco Seasoning, Cumin, Chile Powder

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and threw into slow cooker.

Added all ingredients in recipe and then added our own.

Finished product all stirred together and cooked.

Serve it up!

Prep Time: About 10 minutes

Cook Time: About 5 hours in slow cooker on low heat

Total Time: About 5 hours

What we liked:

I loved the hint of cheesiness from the condensed nacho cheese soup.

I really liked the addition of the beans and the green chilies - it added some great flavor and who doesn't like beans?

I liked the big chunks of tomato.

I loved the fact that everything (besides the chicken) called for in this recipe came out of a can. Even the stuff we decided to add came in a can. Talk about easy. This was one of the easiest meals in the world to prepare.

I LOVE chicken tortilla soup and this reminded me a lot of it.

You can pretty much count on me liking anything made in the slow cooker as chicken and nacho cheese soup as it's base.

The broth to this chowder tasted absolutely amazing. I could have sipped on it all night.

What we'd change:

I would cut the chicken into smaller pieces and/or do shredded chicken.

I would use dark meat instead of white meat, but that's just because I always think white meat is dry!

I wouldn't mind adding a some jalapenos or something spicy to give it a bit more kick.

I would find a way to add more liquid next time. This definitely had a chowder type of a feel to it and I wouldn't mind making it more of a soup.

I think this could also be really good thickened up, subbing beef for chicken and making a chip dip.

I'm not sure how I would go about it, but this could have used just a bit more of a kick.

Next time, I will try to make the chicken pieces a bit smaller

Here's our overall rating (with 1 being the worst meal we've ever had and 10 being the best):

Mandi's Rating: 9.0

Ronnie's Rating: 8.5

Again, if you guys have any suggestions on how this is laid out or what you guys would like to see answered/done differently, please let us know :)

When Momma's Happy...

This year, Father's Day around our household was like any other day. While Ronnie is very much a daddy as this point, he was very adamant that we didn't celebrate Mother's and Father's Day to their full potential until Peanut is here in our arms. However, I must say, I spent a good part of the day envisioning next year's Father's Day and how wonderful a daddy Ronnie will be to our little Peanut!

So all that said, yesterday was just an average Sunday; church, lounging, laundry. But I thought I'd share our little something special from the day...and that is pregnancy craving dinner! I started dreaming about dinner around, oh say, 5pm ish - well before dinner time, but about the time I start getting hungry and have to tell myself, "just a few more hours." Knowing that we didn't have much around the house (probably should have gone to the store and done a major shopping trip way earlier in the day, but oh well), I start browsing the internet to see what crazy concoction I could scrounge together. The problem was, I was feeling like dessert. I wanted something sweet. I didn't really want dinner. And then Ronnie said something that was music to my ears, "I want breakfast for dinner." "Bingo," I thought. Breakfast can be something sweet! So I start searching for a creative breakfast-dinner idea, and that is when I first laid eyes on it. A recipe that was fit for a pregnant lady, craving something dessert, but needing to disguise it as a dinner. Peanut butter and banana stuffed french toast. It was the perfect combo. Breakfast - check. Sweet - check. Protein and fruit to nourish peanut - check.

So here you have it. The tastiest breakfast-dinner around...with protein and fruit to justify it as nourishment!

Gather simple ingredients: bread (we used cinnamon raisin), PB, honey, bananas, eggs, powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla, milk (not pictured), jelly (we didn't end up using it and instead used maple syrup)

Spread PB on each piece of bread. Then cut up banana and put it on 1/2 the slices, and drizzle honey on the other half.

Put a banana side with a honey side to make "sandwiches"

Dunk both sides of each "sandwich" in a mixture of the spices, eggs, milk, and vanilla and throw it in a pan to cook over medium heat.

Put powdered sugar and syrup on top and ENJOY!!!

Hope everyone else had a lovely Father's Day...if you're looking to drag on the celebration, I recommend doing it with breakfast-dinner PB and Banana Stuffed Cinnamon Raisin French Toast.

Rondi's Recipes: Blackened Chicken w/Avocado Salsa

I think one of the things that I'm most excited about is the fact that Mandi and I are going to be home for 4 consecutive nights! Why am I so excited? Because it means we can get back into our cooking groove. We love to explore new recipes and try our hand at stuff that seems unique. This was our attempt at Blackened Chicken with Avocado Salsa with a review to follow. If you'd like to see the original recipe, click here.

Ingredients: Chicken, Papaya, Salt, Red Bell Peppers, Cilantro, Avocado, Rice Vinegar, Olive Oil, Salt, Cumin, Blackened Seasoning

Lightly seasoned chicken thrown into hot pan with oil

Sliced and diced avocado

Never purchased a papaya before

Rice Vinegar, Oil, Avocado, Bell Pepper and Papaya

Baked chicken

Serve and enjoy!

Prep Time: About 15 minutes (with two people)

Cook Time: About 15 minutes (not including searing chicken)

Total Time: About 25 minutes

What we liked:

I LOVED the salsa. I was a little worried I wouldn't because I'm on the fence about avocado (I keep trying it because it's pretty good, but it's not a home run for me every time). I also didn't know how I felt about papaya. So I was a little nervous if I'd like something that was avocado and papaya together - with a whole bunch of other stuff that I didn't know how the flavors would be. But it was a slam dunk. The flavors were so yummy together. I ate more salsa than I did chicken.

Which brings me to the chicken. The flavor was great. And usually I'm not a fan of chicken breast (but that's all we get because it's all Ronnie will eat - I prefer dark meat), but the way it was cooked (thanks to chef Ronnie) it was moist and not dry (my biggest beef with white meat) and because it was paired with the salsa it was even less dry.

I loved this as a spring/summer meal. It would be just perfect on a hot summer night sitting outside on the patio. It was light and refreshing.

This meal seemed very light, fresh and clean. The three things I love finding in a meal.

The salsa, if broken down into individual ingredients, I probably wouldn't be fond of, but when they were thrown all together it really worked.

For all that it had going on, it was really easy to prepare and put together.

I loved that I was able to go back for seconds and still not feel stuffed.

What we'd change:

I'm actually having a tough time coming up with what I'd change, but:

I'd have a different side. We had it with canned green beans, but I think a corn on the cob or something else summery could be yummy.

I'd consider adding something to the salsa with a bit of a spicy kick. As I said, the salsa was amazing, but I think it could also be good with a little spice to it.

I wish I had more, but this was just too yummy!!

I would probably add another component to the salsa to try and make it even better.

Our avocado wasn't quite as ripe as it could have been and it would have been nice to try with proper avocado.

I would season the chicken just a pinch more than I did.

I had green beans for a side, but would like one that complimented the meal more.

Here's our overall rating (with 1 being the worst meal we've ever had and 10 being the best):

Mandi's Rating:

9.5 - Best meal we've made at home in a long time!! I can't wait to have leftovers for lunch today!!!

Ronnie's Rating: 8.0

Again, if you guys have any suggestions on how this is laid out or what you guys would like to see answered/done differently, please let us know :)

Top 5 Snacks for a Grazer

This blog is totally random. Well random for you all reading this, but not that random for me - since I've become even more of a grazer and I seem to think about food ALL the time.

I've never been a 3 meal a day kind of gal. I'm more a big breakfast, small lunch, HUGE snack, small-ish dinner - with a few tiny little snacks mixed in (like a handful of grapes or chocolate chips). So I figured I'd share some of my favorite snacks, maybe it'll help some of my fellow grazers switch up their grazin' grub. There are some my bigger snacks...sometimes even made as my lunch.

1. Apples, PB, mini-marshmallows - This is a favorite and probably why it came to mind first. I slice an apple, measure out 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, and grab a serving of mini-marshmallows. Then you dip the apple in PB, stick a marshmallow on it, take a bite, and repeat. A little fruit, a little protein, and a little sweet (for those of us who need some sweetness multiple times a day).

2. Veggies and hummus - This certainly isn't original, but it's a favorite. I love taking a couple tablespoons of hummus (garlic and roasted red pepper are my fav) and dipping any sort of veggie in it. Most of the time I go with baby carrots, cucumber peppers or celery. If I'm really into hummus but not so into the veggies on a particular day, I'll dip pretzels into the hummus.

3. English muffin, PB, banana - This is another good way to satisfy my sweet tooth. I toast 1/2 a cinnamon raisin english muffin, spread 1 tablespoon of PB on it, and then cut up 1/2 a banana on top. I'm now realizing that a lot of my snacks include peanut butter.

4. Yogurt and frozen blueberries - This makes for a yummy summer snack, as it's a nice substitute for ice cream. I take yogurt (Dannon Light & Fit) and mix in a 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries (still frozen). As you mix and let it sit for a few seconds, the yogurt coats, and slight hardens, around the blueberries. Occasionally I'll add some cereal, like Life or Kashi Go Lean Crunch.

5. Edamame - aka soy beans - We buy individual serving bags of frozen edamame and I devour them. All you have to do is throw the bag in the microwave and in a few minutes it's ready to eat. I love covering them in salt or dipping them in soy sauce - sometimes both.

Some of these snacks are a little more common than others. Some are easier to make than others. But one this is for sure, if you've never tried them, I highly recommend them. Have a favorite I haven't mentioned? Hook me up with your suggestions!

Rondi's Recipes: Irish Corned Beef Stew

In honor of St. Patty's day a little while back, Mandi and I decided to make some Irish Stew. We didn't follow the recipe to a tee, but we were close enough not to call it our own creation :) If you want to see the original recipe, please click here.

Corned Beef

Potatoes, Carrots and Parsnip...oh my!

Guinness beer...pretty sure we have 5 bottles left.

Chopped Onions

Looks better than I remember

Enjoy...with enzymes on the side of course!

Prep Time: About 20 minutes (with two people)

Cook Time: About 3 hours

Total Time: About 3 hours and 30 minutes

What we liked:

I really like soups/stews that are chunky. This stew definitely fit the bill.

I'm a fan of any hot soup/stew during a cold night.

I thought it was really easy to make.

Cleanup was easy. One cutting board. One pot. One knife.

This meal was very hearty! I tend to love chunky soups more than your average bear.

It was a little chilly out and I don't think it can get much better as far as a "comfort" stew goes.

Meat and potatoes. I could probably eat that everyday of the week. Winning.

The prep was very easy and once it started to cook, really didn't have to do much.

We also added cabbage to the stew, another thing that I could eat everyday (stewed).

I love corned beef.

What we'd change:

I thought it could be more flavorful. I don't know what I'd change, but I'd add something next time.

Speaking of flavor, it might be better if we seasoned the meat or even let it soak in a marinade.

The pieces of cabbage were a little big for my liking. Next time they need to be smaller.

I want to try this out in the slow cooker.

I had to add quite a bit of salt to this meal to maximize the flavor.

The meat chunks were actually a little too big.

I'd probably want to add another vegetable or two.

I'd also like to try a similar recipe in the slow cooker.

Here's our overall rating (with 1 being the worst meal we've ever had and 10 being the best):

Mandi's Rating: 7

Ronnie's Rating: 6.0

Again, if you guys have any suggestions on how this is laid out or what you guys would like to see answered/done differently, please let us know :)

Rondi's Recipes: Spicy Orange Chicken

We thought we'd get off on the right foot first night out of the Hole and do a little home cooked meal. Today is supposed to be Thankful Thursday, but let me just say this, I was VERY thankful that we made this and I was able to eat at my own dinner table. If you want to see the original recipe, please click here.

Also, super duper happy 81st birthday to the best grandma in the whole wide world!!!!!! Love ya G'ma :)

Spicy Orange Chicken

• Ingredients: oranges, cooking oil, baby spinach, soy sauce, honey, fresh ginger, cornstarch, crushed red pepper flakes, skinless boneless chicken breasts, salt, ground black pepper, garlic

Fresh squeezed orange juice

Baby Spinach

Cooked Baby Spinach

Marinade

Sliced chicken breast

Chicken breast cooking in garlic and marinade

Cooked chicken breast served over orange slices and spinach

Serve and...

...ENJOY!!!

Prep Time: About 20 minutes (with two people)

Cook Time: About 25 minutes

Total Time: About 45 minutes (The recipe says total time should be around 30 minutes so apparently we need to work on our methods of operation)

What we liked:

I like how light it felt. It just simply felt "healthy". No heavy sauces and it doesn't leave you feeling overly full. It's a perfect summer meal.

I liked the cooked spinach. I'm usually not a huge spinach fan, but it was great.

I loved the warm oranges! (But then again, the last few weeks I've LOVED oranges!!)

I liked the overall flavor

This is kind of a cheap one, but I liked that it had chicken. I love chicken breast in just about any meal, any place and any time, so the fact that this recipe featured it, was an immediate winner.

I loved how fresh, clean and light this meal looked and tasted. The crispness of the orange mixed with the light sauce and fluffy spinach just made this one of my favorite "texture" meals.

Speaking of light, I loved that this meal didn't sit heavy in my stomach.

I LOVE fresh cooked spinach and the fact that this had chicken and oranges sitting on top of a big bed of it made my day.

What we'd change:

I would marinate the chicken overnight in the sauce, minus the corn starch (but with orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, honey, crushed red pepper)

I would cook the spinach less and with garlic.

I would cook the chicken with more garlic - there can never be enough garlic.

I'll always choose dark meat over white, but Ronnie will only eat white. So if I had it totally my way, I would change the chicken to dark meat :)

Although I loved the clean taste of this meal, it was almost "too clean" meaning it lacked a little bit of flavor. Next time I'd like to add more of the marinade and find a way to make it thicker ie more sauce like.

I would think about marinating the chicken in said sauce hours before hand.

I would try it with oranges less cooked just to try a different texture in the dish.

I would try to add a little bit more heat to the meal (which would happen if we increased the red pepper flakes or maybe we could marinate in some Korean Pepper Paste?)

Here's our overall rating (with 1 being the worst meal we've ever had and 10 being the best):

Mandi's Rating:

9 - I'd say it was a 8 this time around, but if we made the changes, it would easily be a 9.

Ronnie's Rating: 8.5

Again, if you guys have any suggestions on how this is laid out or what you guys would like to see answered/done differently, please let us know :)