Granola Bars - recipie

I am on the go - Go Go Go!

One of my favorite breakfasts in the world is oatmeal, but I don't always have time to sit down and enjoy it.

I did some searching and found several great recipes for granola bars, combined 3 - 4 different recipes and came up with this one :) Now I have something that I can grab on the go, and still feel full all morning.

2 1/2 c Rolled Oats
1/3 c sweetened coconut flakes
1/3 c dried cranberries
6 dates, chopped
1/8 c pumpkin seeds
1/8 c sunflower seeds
1/3 c pecans, chopped
1 T flax seed
1 T hemp seeds
Salt and pepper
1/3 c olive oil
1/3 c honey


Combine all dry ingredients first.

Add oil and honey - mix well

Place in greased 9x9 pan

Press down hard. I used a broad bottomed bowl and mashed it in there good!!

Bake 325 degrees 30 min

Cool, cut into 12 squares.

Approx 230 calories each


I used honey, because I was out of molasses.  Use molasses or maple syrup to make it vegan, which will change the calories as well. May try it again with agave, but I am not a fan of it. I also used salt and pepper, because I am more into the savory/salty than the sweet.

Store in fridge in air tight container.

Tell me what you think!!!

March - Make It Month! Butternut Squash Soup

March is National Craft Month, why can't cooking be your craft?!? That is what I am doing today on this rainy Saturday

One of the Dr's at work was going on about a soup she had made, and told me about it because it was a vegan recipe.  It sounded delish, and I couldn't wait to try it. Her soup was apple, butternut squash, sweet potato and veggie broth. I took it up a notch. 

I started with what she used, and I added garlic, green onions (not that big sweet onion) celery, ginger, garlic, curry powder, cinnamon and pepper. I opted out adding salt due to the sodium content of the veggie broth. 

Chop 2 green onion

Squash and mince 2 cloves of garlci

Chop 2 stalks of celery

Peel, core and chunk up an apple (this is a gala)

Peel and chunk a sweet potato

Peel, core and chunk a butternut squash

1 Tablespoon tiki masala curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mince 1 Tablespoon garlic

Throw it all in your crock pot with 3 cups of veggie stock and set it to high

Let it go for about 4 - 5 hours. Now if you have an immersible blender, it would work great for this, and make it wonderfully smooth. I used a potato masher, and got an amazing texture for this soup.

It just all fell apart from cooking in the crock pot all day. I really just stirred it a few times for this amazing, hearty, stew like soup.

Sprinkled with hemp seeds and a fat slice of bread for dunking. 

Man what a great bowl of soup!!!!!

And as always, Be peaceful, Be kind. 

Remember to explore, create, dream, imagine and discover!

All of my jewelry creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit. All of my other creations come directly from my heart in hopes they touch yours as well. Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry, and other gift ideas made with love!

Quinoa Patties!!

I have been vegan for quite some time now. It all started with developing an intolerance to dairy, and it just seemed like the natural progression. I am not a staunch vegan, I will eat an occasional egg, or fish, so instead of labeling myself, I am just a picky eater :)

This being said, I do not buy all the processed "nutritional" vegan meat substitutes. They have too many ingredients, and I am suspect of them. I am a very limited ingredient type of person. I don't need to buy pre made food. It is easy to make with things I already have in my pantry. ** I had left over quinoa and didn't want to waste it, was pretty tired of eating it, and wanted to find a way to re use it that I could freeze for later.

Stumbled on these, and modified the recipe like I always do!

***** for this to be vegan, you can substitute eggs with mashed sweet potatoes, but I haven't done that yet, and can't tell you how much to use. Please experiment and let me know!!! This recipe also called for Parmesan cheese - I used the nutritional yeast instead. It also called for 1 cup of bread crumbs, and touching back on the limited ingredient thing, I didn't want to use that much. I had some panko in the pantry from another recipe, so I just backed off the amount and added other things to help with the binding.***

Quinoa patties! (these are NOT vegan) 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
4 eggs (beaten - poor eggs)

small chopped onion

3 cloves garlic

parsley flakes, salt, pepper, cumin to taste - bout 1 tsp each, mabbe a little more parsley

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup bread crumbs

MIx all dry ingredients until mixed well - add eggs and mix until wet - you can add a bit of water, I did. Use some olive oil in a skillet and get it hot. Drop 1/3 cup of the mixture into skillet, mash down a bit, and brown on both sides.

OMG so good!!!

They come out bout the same size as a hamburger pattie and would fit on a bun perfect. Makes 9 patties.

I am going to freeze them and see how they re heat.

How have your experiments turned out? How do you substitute? Share and let us all know!

And as always, Be peaceful, Be kind

All of my creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit.

Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry made with love!