Chewy No Bake Granola Bars

These granola bars include nutrition-packed ingredients while at the same time tasting like an indulgent treat that you can feel good about feeding your family. Forget about all the preservatives found in the store-bought version!

I pack my husband's lunch every morning before he heads off to work, and these bars are part of my regular rotation of homemade snacks that I always keep on hand. I alternate between these and the No Bake Energy Bites depending on how much prep time I have since these bars require the stove top while the bites are a stir-and-go recipe. (Both are still super simple, though!)

Chewy No Bake Granola Bars
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups crisped rice cereal (I use Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice)
1 3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats
1/4 cup wheat germ (or ground flaxseed, wheat bran, additional oats, etc.)*
1/2 cup additional mix-ins (i.e. shredded coconut, chopped nuts, raisins or other dried fruit, sesame seed, sunflower kernels, etc.)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup peanut butter (creamy and/or crunchy)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided

*My favorite thing to use for this item in the ingredient list is this Super Seed & Ancient Grain Blend from Trader Joe's. We don't have this store locally, so my mom (who lives in Texas) ships these bags to me a few times throughout the year!

Directions
1. Combine first 4 dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a saucepan, mix the honey, brown sugar, and salt. Over medium-low heat, stir until the mixture comes to a complete boil for 30-60 seconds.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until smooth.
4. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Grease 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Sprinkle half of chocolate chips in pan. Scoop mixture over chocolate chips in pan. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Press down into even layer. (I use the palm of my hand.)
6. Let cool before cutting into bars.

Recipe adapted from Money Saving Mom.

Chocolate Volcano Cookies

I love a recipe with a super-short list of ingredients, especially when they are things I keep on hand at all times anyway! So when I ran across this recipe in a magazine I was flipping through, I was able to give it a try right away (e.g. this afternoon) without a special trip to the grocery store.

These cookies are light, airy, and full of chocolate flavor as the chewy texture melts in your mouth!

Chocolate Volcano Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (I used a combination of the two)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa, and salt. Add egg whites and vanilla. Stir until smooth. (Batter will be thick.) Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Lightly coat two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Using small cookie dough scoop, drop batter on prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. (Cookies will spread as they bake.)
5. Bake 13-15 minutes, until crackly and set. (For best results, cook one pan at a time in center of oven.)
6. Let cool 3 minutes on baking sheet before using metal spatula to transfer cookies to wax paper to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from December 2017 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

You know what I like best about this recipe? It is super versatile! The first time I made it, I used blueberry pie filling as suggested. The bars were delicious! After that, I took the liberty of trying some other fruit fillings. Our favorites have been apricot jam and seedless blackberry jam (pictured below). The possibilities are endless!

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
Yield: 9x9 pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp almond milk
• 21 ounces blueberry pie filling (or 18 ounces jam)*

*Use any flavor of pie filling or jam. If using pie filling, bars will turn out more like a cobbler. If using jam, bars will be more firm.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Using pastry blender (or fork), cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk.
3. Grease 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Press 2/3 flour mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
4. Spread pie filling (or jam) on top of crust.
5. Sprinkle with remaining flour mixture. Pat topping gently into pie filling (or jam) with fingers.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and filling bubbles along edges.
7. Allow bars to cool completely, then cut and serve.

Recipe adapted from Real House Moms.

Herbed Chicken

If you have children (or a picky spouse!), you know how challenging it can be to find a meal that everyone at the table will eat. So I was fairly pessimistic when I first tried this recipe a few years ago figuring at least one of my kids would dislike it (I already had one of them in mind!). Boy was I wrong! Not only did Jared and I love this dish as adults, but all three of my children ate it without a fight (win!). This recipe is a staple in our rotation of dinners and hopefully you can add it to your repertoire, too!

Herbed Chicken
Crock Pot Recipe

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs, fresh or frozen)
10.5 oz can gluten free cream of chicken soup (see note below)
1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions
1. Arrange chicken in slow cooker.
2. Layer remaining ingredients on top of chicken.
3. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
4. Shred chicken with two forks and stir to coat in sauce.
5. Serve over cooked rice with a side of steamed broccoli.

Note
If you've checked out my Green Bean Casserole post, then you may recall that I was pleasantly surprised (okay, shocked) the day that I discovered Walmart's Great Value brand made gluten free cream of mushroom soup. I thought I was forever doomed to have to throw out all of my recipes that called for a can of condensed cream-of-whatever soup! Well color me surprised when I went to a different Walmart in town (I think we have at least 6 locations scattered around Sioux Falls) and I discovered gluten free cream of chicken soup! (I may have bought every can on the shelf... literally.)

Recipe adapted from "Herbed Chicken" found on page 163 of Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook: 600 Slow Cooker Holiday Recipes by Phyllis Pellman Good.

Pear and Banana Loaf

When you have a pear tree on your property (like we do), you need to find a way to take advantage of all that fruit! You can only eat so many pears straight off the tree. :)

Pear and Banana Loaf
Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 cup chopped pears (tossed in lemon juice to prevent browning)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 335°F. (I have a convection oven. If using a standard oven, increase temperature to 350°F.)
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into bowl; set aside.
3. In separate bowl, mix together sugar and bananas. Whisk in eggs, milk, and oil. Add dry ingredients; mix until well combined (but don't beat). Gently fold in pears.
4. Pour into loaf pan greased with Crisco. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cool 5-10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

Recipe adapted from Some More Please!

My Mantra

I'm pretty sure this is the best bumper sticker ever... it sums up my life philosophy!

P.S. I'm not usually a bumper sticker kind of girl, but if I had that one, you bet your bottom dollar I'd put it on my car! (Okay, minivan... that I swore I would never drive... but I got suckered in by the sliding doors and there's no turning back!)