Recipe: Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

I love strawberries, and they are probably my favorite fruit. I also love oatmeal, and strawberries and oatmeal together are always really good. These bars have a very strong oats flavor, and depending on what kind of brown sugar you use, it will also have the some strong sugar flavors. If you also add the glaze, it will make them even sweeter.

I did modify this recipe, and as you can see from the picture below, you can see the small yellow bottle next to the stick of butter. Here we are again, with the oils. I substituted 2 drops of lemon essential oil with 1 tbsp. of lemon juice. I did not put in the salt, and I also substituted the ginger with cinnamon (mostly because I don't have any ginger). You can use ginger, or you can maybe try both!

All in all, these bars are pretty healthy. 1/16 of the recipe is only 100 calories! Of course, that is without the sugar glaze, but I'm sure they would be delicious with or without the glaze. 

For the recipe, you need:

1 cup oats
3/4 cup flour (any kind of flour will work, including gluten free)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon or ginger
6 tbsp. butter (or coconut oil)
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 drops lemon oil or 1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 cups strawberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Spray a 8x8 or 9x9 pan 

Mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Melt the butter and pour that into the dry ingredients. Mix until everything is evenly distributed. 

Set aside 1/2 cup of the crust until later

Lay out the crust in the bottom of the pan evenly. 

Take 1 cup of the strawberries, and spread it out over the crust. 

Before adding the rest of the strawberries, sprinkle the cornstarch, lemon oil/juice, and 1 tbsp. of the sugar. Add the rest of the strawberries on top of that. Then, add the rest of the sugar. 

Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of the crust that you saved earlier on top.

Put it in the oven for 35-40 minutes.  

For the glaze, you need:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. milk (or more for looser glaze)

Put the vanilla in the bowl with the sugar and mix it. Add the milk slowly, and whisk it all together. If glaze is too thick, add more milk until it is at desired consistency. 

Take the bars out of the oven and let them cool. Once cooled, drizzle glaze over top and split into 16 small squares. Best served warm. 

Thanks for reading! This is a really good recipe so I recommenced that you try it! Please complete the poll and follow us on the blog and on Pinterest!  https://www.pinterest.com/sopieemu1207/

For the full recipe, go to:

(1) http://www.wellplated.stfi.re/strawberry-oatmeal-bars/?sf=pywdajz#aa

Recipe: Spinach Artichoke Dip

After we did the artichoke post, I got a lot of people in my family interested about artichokes, because we had never really had them before. I had always known that there was such a thing as spinach artichoke dip, but I had never really tried it. We had gotten the store bought kind, and it was pretty good. I then got interested in how it was made so I looked up some recipes on Pinterest. My dad was watching what I was looking up, and he was like, "If I go to the store right now and get the stuff for it, will you make it?" I was like sure, yeah, as long as I get to take pictures. :)

This recipe is low carb, low sugar, and has not that much fat. It is also nut free, gluten free, and vegetarian. You can see the full nutritional information provided by source 1. I did modify some of the things in this recipe, because it doesn't make that much, and you can always have more spinach! 

For the recipe, you need:

1 cup spinach
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 can artichoke hearts or 14 ounces jarred artichoke hearts (in water, seasoned if desired)
4 cloves minced garlic or 2 tsp. garlic
1/4 tsp. black pepper (for flavor)
2 1/3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (one for mix, one for topping)

Cut the spinach into small pieces. 

Put the spinach over medium heat to wilt it. Stir occasionally. 

Once the spinach is wilted, set it aside to cool. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Melt the cream cheese so it can be stirred easily

Add to the bowl:

-melted cream cheese      
-mayonnaise                      
-strained artichoke hearts
-black pepper                    
-Parmesan cheese            
-one 1/3 cup of mozzarella
-garlic                                

Mix these ingredients.
                       

Add the spinach

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and put into the pan to bake it.
Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese over the top, and put in the oven. 

Bake for 30 minutes. 

Best served warm with your favorite crackers. :)

Thanks for reading! Please try this recipe, and share it with your friends and family! It would work great as an appetizer or a party snack. Please also complete the poll and check out our Pinterest page! https://www.pinterest.com/sopieemu1207/

For the full recipe, go to:

(1) https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/8-ingredient-spinach-artichoke-dip-low-carb-gluten-free/

Recipe: Lemon Garlic Brussel Sprouts

I have always been a bit skeptical of trying new vegetables, even though I had never had Brussels sprouts before I made this recipe. I was at the store with my dad and we saw some Brussels sprouts, and he thought we should try it. I was kind of uncertain, but I agreed and we took them home, cooked them up, and we thoroughly enjoyed them. If you don't like just plain ol' veggies and want some flavor, you can use this recipe on just about anything! Also, we will be frequently using essential oils in our recipes, but if you do not have them, there are other alternatives too. The lemon is not in the original recipe, but lemon and garlic together is always good!

The ingredients needed for making Lemon Garlic Brussels Sprouts:

 1 bag Brussels Sprouts
3 cloves garlic (or more if you want and extra kick)
2 drops lemon oil or 1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. butter

Put the Brussels sprouts in a strainer

Rinse the Brussels Sprouts in cold water

Cut the ends off all the Brussels sprouts

Cut the Brussels sprouts in half

Put the butter and olive oil in the pan

Melt the butter

Add the garlic, and saute it until it is golden brown

Add the lemon oil or lemon juice, then add the Brussels sprouts. Let cook for 15 minutes, while covered. Best served warm. :)

Thanks for reading! Please try this recipe if you are looking for a healthy veggie side dish! Keep commenting and reading! Also, check out our Pinterest page and follow us there too! https://www.pinterest.com/sopieemu1207/

For the full recipe, go to:

(1) http://www.food.com/recipe/brussels-sprouts-in-garlic-butter-21761

Recipe: Energy Balls

This is one of my favorite recipes to have as a snack. They are full of fiber, and depending what kind of butter you use, can be full of protein too.  I don't know the exact calorie count, but I have to guess it is between 50 and 75 calories per 1 inch energy ball. 

1. Gather your ingredients and a large mixing bowl. 

     -1 cup dry oatmeal

     -1/2 cup chocolate chips

     -1/2 cup peanut butter

     -1/2 cup ground flaxseed

     -1/3 cup honey

     -1 tsp. vanilla

Simple and Easy! You might have noticed from the picture that there is not peanut butter there, but something different. I am allergic to peanuts, so I cannot put the peanut butter in it, so we had to find some alternatives. What is in the picture is sunbutter, which is made from sunflower seeds. People have told me that it tastes better than peanut butter and it is a lot healthier for you too! It has more vitamins, potassium, and a lot less sugar than your usual Jif or Skippy. Sunbutter is a great alternative for people who are allergic to peanuts, and they make sure that it is made in a completely peanut-free facility. It is also great if you want to try something different!

Anyways, back to the recipe

2. Put all your dry ingredients(oatmeal, flax seed, chocolate chips) in a bowl. 

 3. Add your wet ingredients (honey, vanilla, peanut butter)

4. Mix it thoroughly, making sure that there are no big clumps of any one ingredient. 

5. Form into about 1 inch balls. Yield: about 10-20, depending on how big you want them to be. 

Thanks for reading this! Please try this recipe if you are a chocolate lover, but also want to get in some good fiber and protein. For more chocolaty balls, add more chocolate instead of honey. Please complete the poll! Make sure you check out all the fact files! We have a lot of more healthiness coming!

For the full recipe, go to:

(1) https://www.pinterest.com/sopieemu1207/