I’m a huge fan of energy bars.  I eat them quite a bit each week when I’m running around and need a quick snack.  I’m pretty particular about what I like — they must contain  peanut butter or some kind of nut and they can’t be too sweet.  I found this easy recipe for homemade bars from Averie over at Love Veggies and Yoga.  Hers are no-bake and vegan…but don’t let that stop you.  :-) In fact, after making these, you might not ever buy a bar again.

I love that you can add whatever you want to the mix to make these bars your own. For my next batch I’ll experiment with different flavors and textures, but for my first try I kept it pretty simple.  They only took  me 15 minutes to throw together,  below are the directions and some pictures.

Gather up all your ingredients and throw them in a bowl.

I did not do this, but I recommend you start with a layer of mashed banana, then add your ingredients. I skipped the banana and mine were a little crumbly.  So first, mash a banana into the bottom of the bowl, then layer in your ingredients.

I used:  

• 1.5 cup McCain’s quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped unsweetened cherries and a handful of raisin mix (any dried fruit will work)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (or agave, honey)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter)
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

After everything is mixed up, it will look something like this.  If it’s too dry (mine was a bit) you can add a little coconut oil or more maple syrup.

Transfer and press the mixture into a tupperware-type container.  Freeze for a few hours!

After a few hours, slice the semi-frozen mixture into whatever size you want.

 I wrapped them up individually and will store in the freezer.

 These bars are vegan, dairy free, gluten free (if you use GF oats), and have no artificial sweeteners.

You can beef up the protein level by adding protein powder to the mix or increase fiber by tossing in some oat bran.  You can also add chopped nuts or change the taste completely by experimenting with different nut butters.   The possibilities are endless!

Do you make your own energy or protein bars?  What’s your favorite add-in?

What do you get when you combine dark chocolate, dried cherries, and crushed pretzels?

Well, you get something awesome!

This month’s recipe redux is inspired by….chocolate.  Dark chocolate.  These luscious clusters are deliciously rich and dark chocolatey with a crunchy, salty bite from pretzel bits and a tart tang from chunks of chopped cherries.  They are super good…and kinda healthy (well, they aren’t unhealthy).  Another bonus…no baking required!  That was my first priority when deciding what to make this month.  If you’re looking for delicious baked chocolate goodness, just scroll down. I’m sure my fellow reduxers baked their brains out for their chocolate posts.  

Did I mention you only need 3 ingredients?  Just good quality 70% or higher dark chocolate + salted pretzels + your favorite dried fruit.

Melt the chocolate (I used a double boiler, but you could also microwave), then mix in the pretzels and cherries.

Plop them onto a cookie sheet using a spoon…try to give them a little height.  Then let them cool in the fridge for 20 minutes.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy dark chocolate?

Dark Chocolate Pretzel Cherry Clusters

Ingredients

• 6-8 oz Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
• 6 oz thick pretzels (I used rods)
• 1/2 cup chopped sour cherries (or any dried fruit)

Place wax paper onto a baking sheet.  Crush pretzels with a rolling pin in a ziploc baggie; chop dried fruit.  Chop chocolate and melt over the stove using a double boiler or the microwave.  Remove from heat and stir in the pretzels and dried fruit until well coated.  Using a spoon, drop chocolate covered pretzels onto wax paper.  Let cool and set in fridge for about 20 minutes.  Store in air-tight container.

It’s Friday Food Finds!   Time for some  fun food/kitchen finds that will make your life a bit easier (and tastier)!

This kitchen gadget might be the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while.  I’m always getting on my husband for microwaving food either right in the baggie it comes in or in a cheap plastic container.  Unlike me, he has no fear of chemicals leaching into his food.  That’s why these bags from Lekue are pretty awesome.  You can store, freeze, reheat, and cook in these cool silicone, resealable bags.  Basically, you can pull your food straight from the freezer and toss into the microwave.  Super simple and solves the “how do I freeze this?” problem.  Shop around for the best price.  I found mine at Amazon, but fair warning, they are not cheap.  :)

Since Trader Joe’s stopped selling my beloved Tongol Tuna, I’ve had to find a replacement.  This Wild Planet pole-caught skipjack light tuna is sustainably caught and hand packed raw into BPA free cans without added oil, water, or fillers.  It’s super rich in omega 3 fatty acids and because it’s light tuna, the mercury levels are low.

Every time I use my Baggu bags the grocery clerk asks me about them or makes a comment.  They really are the best reusable shopping bag.  They hold so much (up to 25 pounds!) and fold down into little squares that fit in my purse.  They’re made of durable non-rip nylon (that you can put in washing machine).  I can’t say enough about my baggu bags. They now have 50+ colors and designs…order a few of these and you will be hooked.

I’ve tried every stevia product on the planet and have yet to find one I like.  Until I was introduced by a friend (thanks Lisa!) to Nu Naturals liquid stevia.  This stuff is awesome.  It’s concentrated so you only need a few drops.  I’m not a baker and don’t really add sugar to my foods, so I only use it for liquids (tea/coffee and smoothies).  If you were going to use it on cereal or for baking, I would suggest the Nu Naturals Stevia powder.  You can find both on my Amazon store or at Whole Foods and Wegmans!

Enjoy!

Danielle

Congrats to Jessica F. who was the big winner of a case of the new Chobani flavors….passion fruit, blood orange, and apple cinnamon.

Chobani will be contacting you shortly!  Woo hoo!  Enjoy!

Gotta love giveaways.  :)

My 4 year old daughter is in love with Chobani yogurt.  I’ve been giving it to her since she was a baby and to this day it truly is her “comfort food.”  When she was a baby my husband and I often fed her the “trifecta”  — a Chobani, avocado slices, and fruit.  It always hit the spot.  It was also great when she wasn’t really eating meat, I felt good knowing she was getting natural ingredients and 2 oz of protein with each 6 oz cup.

I also force recommend my clients try Chobani.  It really is the perfect snack.  I’m always finding new ways to eat it….currently it’s the base for my breakfast parfait, smoothies, veggie dips, and even salad dressing.

My favorite flavors are Lemon and Black Cherry.  But I’m super excited about the three new flavors that just came out.  So much that I’m giving them away!!! 

Ready to try a the new flavors for yourself?   Then enter my giveaway.  One lucky reader will receive a case (12 pack) of the new flavors: 4 (0%) Blood Orange, 4 (0%) Apple Cinnamon & 4 (2%) Passion Fruit cups. 

To enter, please:

1. “Like” Food Confidence on Facebook here (if you don’t already).

2. Leave a comment after this post telling me your favorite Chobani or Greek yogurt flavor and your favorite way to enjoy it.

The giveaway will end Monday, February 13 at noon EST. I will choose the winner through Random.org and Chobani will send you the yogurt straight to your house. 

Good luck!!

PS…giveaway only open to US residents, the new flavors have yet to hit Canada!

That’s right, I said it.  90 seconds to breakfast.  How? It’s actually super simple.

Eggs + microwave = breakfast.  

I’ve explained the steps below to several clients this week so I’m thinking a blog post is in order, don’t you?  It’s funny, whenever I’m describing it, I always get the same response…I see the ewwww look come across their face like I’m asking them to eat their own toenails!  I quickly have to say “Oh, I know it sounds gross, but it’s just eggs…really!” Why doesn’t anyone  ever believe me?

So, this post is in part resource and in part just to prove I’m not crazy.  :)

Here’s how to get ‘er done:

Step 1:  Take eggs, milk, and add-ins out of fridge (plus a bowl or coffee mug). My fav add-in is salsa!

Step 2: Spray the bowl/mug with Pam, then add beaten eggs + some milk (I used 1 egg + 2 whites); microwave for ~90 seconds

Step 3:  After 90 seconds, stir the eggs.  At this point, you could add some shredded cheese, then cook another 30 seconds.

Step 4: Mix and eat!

That’s it, folks!  Scrambled eggs in 90 seconds with no clean up!   Of course you could make so many variations of my salsa scramble.  Below are some ideas:

• Shredded cheese
• Chopped spinach (microwave this in the bowl first for ~30 seconds, then add egg)
• Chopped cooked turkey, veggie or pork sausage
• Crumbled cooked bacon
• Chopped ham and shredded cheddar cheese
• Leftover veggies from dinner
• Chopped tomatoes and chives
• Black beans and salsa (my fav!)

What’s your favorite scrambled egg-add in?  

For more awesome breakfast options, check out my these great ideas from Recipe Reduxers:

Happy Meatless Monday!  Enchiladas have become a regular thing at my house for a quick, weeknight meal.  They’re so easy to throw together with whatever you have on hand, and you really can’t screw them up!  Although my version is meatless, you could totally add cooked salmon, shrimp, grilled chicken or ground beef to it…I’ve tried it all!

Because my husband is not a fan, I rarely use corn tortillas.  I’ve tried many brands of flour tortillas and find that La Tortilla Factory high fiber wraps work best…and they’re less than 100 calories each.   Tip: look for the lowest calorie wrap with lots of fiber.

When using jarred tomatillo sauce I like to doctor it up in the blender with some fresh cilantro and a can of green chilis.   Below is my finished product!

The perfect weeknight meal served with a side salad

Here’s the recipe:

Sweet Potato, Leek & Black Bean Enchiladas

• 1 large sweet potato
• 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp marjoram
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 flour tortillas (or corn)
• 1 – 2 cups grated Dubliner Irish cheddar cheese (or any cheddar cheese)
• 1 jar Tomatilla salsa

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.   Bake or microwave the sweet potato until tender, peel and slice into cubes.  In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the garlic and leeks in olive oil until leeks are tender.  Add the black beans, cumin, marjoram, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.  Spread a thin layer of tomatilla salsa into the bottom of your baking dish.  Lay tortillas on a plate and layer one end with the sweet potato cubes, leek and black bean mixture, and a sprinkle of cheese.  Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in row into glass baking dish.  Cover tortillas with more tomatillo sauce, a light sprinkle of cheese, and any leftover beans.  Bake ~20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and enchiladas start to brown.

Enjoy! 

I’ve been eating this carrot soup for the last week for lunch.  It’s so cold here in DC, I have been craving hot food!

Carrot soup is fun because it feels kinda creamy and decadent, but it’s totally healthy and super easy.  It’s also warm and cozy.  What more can you ask for?

The ironic thing about this soup is…I don’t really like carrots. They are my least favorite veg and I usually only eat them with hummus. Especially the baby carrots in the bag…which are often tasteless. So don’t make this soup with them!

I’m on a five-ingredient kick these days and this recipe fits the bill there, too.  Perfect for a quick week day lunch with a salad or sandwich…it really doesn’t get much easier than this.

What’s your go-to lunch on a chilly day?

Easy Carrot Soup

• 1 lb carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 box vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp uncooked rice
• 1 tsp thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth, thyme, salt, carrots, onion and rice to a boil, simmer until soft, about 2o minutes.   Using a blender, puree in batches until smooth (or use an immersion blender). Garnish with pepper, sour cream or plain yogurt.

Can three words really make a difference? 

I think they can.  Last December around this time, instead of making a New Year’s resolution, I created three words.  The idea is Chris Brogan’s.  The three words were to summarize my focus and efforts in the coming year, and encompass my personal and professional goals.  I wrote my words on a post-it and stuck them to my computer monitor.  By doing so, I faced them almost everyday.

And now it’s time to reflect.  How did I do?

My three words in  2011 were:  Unite ♦ Invest ♦ Refine

Remember, the words aren’t goals or resolutions, but more like guiding principles in your decision-making and intentions for the year.  With “unite,”  I wanted to connect all my loves — food, family, nutrition, and healthy living, as well as my clients. With “invest,” I wanted to invest in myself and in my business. My “refine” goal was about refining my systems and nutrition messages as well as my daily practices around exercise.

As I look back, I think I did pretty well.  I still have some work to do but the process really helped me to focus throughout the year on specific goals.  The words are a great reminder to link your intention to your actions.

So for 2012, my three words are:  Expand ♦ Collaborate ♦ Create

I plan to pursue practices that “expand” my mind.  I also want to “expand” my focus to help people in different ways. I plan to “collaborate” with other health and wellness professionals who will be able to help my clients in ways that I can’t.  This has been a mission of mine for years and this year I am excited to take it on.  And finally, I plan to “create” new products and services to help more people and to “create” daily practices in my life that keep me focused, inspired, and centered.

So, that’s it.  My plan for 2012 in a nutshell.  Wish me luck.  :)

And what about you?  Would three words work for you in 2012?   If so, please share with the world your three words…we would love to read them.

And hey, thanks for playing.  :)

This month’s recipe redux is devoted to holiday party food — using beans or legumes! How fun is that? Since I always write about lentils and beans, I thought I’d give peas a star role for once.  Most of us grew up in eating peas and to some they may even be comfort food (ha, wishful thinking on my part, I think).

Peas actually get a bad rap. They’re often overlooked as a starchy carb and not worth the effort (kinda like iceberg lettuce – another silly myth).  Peas are not even vegetables, they’re legumes — which means they bear fruit in the form of pods, enclosing the fleshy seeds we know as…beans.

Green peas are actually an excellent source of nutrients.  Name one other food that contains flavanols (catechin and epicatechin), phenolic acids (caffeic and ferulic acid), carotenoids (alpha- and beta-carotene) and the polyphenol coumestrol.  Not impressed?  Well, they’re also a very good source of Vitamins K and C; manganese, fiber, folate, iron, phosphorus, niacin, and riboflavin, Vitamin B6, potassium, copper, magnesium, and zinc.

For real. Peas rock.

If you’re trying to impress your friends, I think you may just succeed with this very festive holiday dip.  For one, it’s red and green.  For two, it’s totally healthy.  For three, it’s really tasty. Oh, and for four, it’s super easy to make.

Start with a bag of frozen peas and one jar of sun-dried tomatoes.

 Throw the peas,  garlic, and some salt and pepper into the food processor.   Process this first.

Then add the sun dried tomatoes with some olive oil.  Process just until combined.  Any longer and the mixture will turn brown.

Your mixture will look something like this.  Don’t you love the red and green holiday colors?

Serve it with Belgian endive spears or pita chips!  Delish!

Below is the recipe.  Adapted only a little  from Giada.  And don’t forget to check out my fellow reduxer’s bean and legume dishes below!

Sun-dried Tomato and Peas on Endive Spears

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen peas, thawed
• 8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, drained (about 3/4 cup)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped (if you don’t love garlic, go with 1)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 heads endive, ends trimmed and leaves separated

Directions

Combine the peas, garlic  in a food processor. Pulse the machine until the peas are finely chopped.  Add the olive oil and tomatoes and pulse until the olive oil is incorporated and the mixture is minced but not yet pureed. Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve as a dip with the endive spears alongside.

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy holiday season!  :-)