"No Bake" Granola Bars

"No Bake" Granola Bars

2 c. rolled oats (not quick cook)

1 c. crispy rice cereal (brown rice if you can find it)

1/2 c. unsweetened coconut

1/4 c. flaxseed meal

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1/4-1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

If you use nuts, you might need to add a little extra syrup

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. brown rice syrup

(If you can't find brown rice syrup, substitute honey or brown sugar)

1/4 c. coconut oil

1 t. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Melt wet ingredients in a pan over medium heat or melt in a glass bowl in microwave for about 30 seconds.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry mix.  Mix well.  If you don't want your chocolate chips to melt, save them until after it is mixed and in the pan, then sprinkle with chocolate chips and push into mixture.  

Once mixture is coated evenly, push into a 8x8 or 9x9 pan that is sprayed or rubbed with coconut oil.  Let set in refrigerator for 2-3 hours so they will harden into bars without crumbling. 

Once set, cut into bars or square.  I like to keep mine in the refrigerator because they last longer and they don't fall apart as easily.  Just cover them or put them in an air tight plastic container. 

Enjoy your healthy snack :)  Your kids will love them too!

(You can see in the picture, the bars on the bottom had the chocolate chips in the dry mix when I poured the hot mix over the top, so the chocolate is more melted.  The bars on the top of the picture are how they look if you add the chocolate chips afterwards just on top of the bars.  Just make sure to push them down hard into the mix or they will pop off after they cool)

100% Whole Wheat Bread

100% Whole Wheat Bread

Makes appx. 4 loaves

(Easiest, yummiest bread ever! There is nothing like homemade bread!)

4 c  warm water (approx 110°)       

2 T yeast 

1 T  salt                                          

1/2 c vital wheat gluten

1/3 c  oil                                            

3/4 c honey

1 ½ T dough enhancer*

   7 c  whole wheat kernels, freshly ground to appx. 10 cups

      (Do not use more than 11 c. flour)

In electric mixing bowl (preferably a Bosch), with dough hook, place water, salt, oil, honey, dough enhancer, yeast and gluten flour.  Turn on mixer and slowly add freshly ground flour, 1 cup at a time, just till dough begins to clean off the sides of the bowl. You might want to add a cup or two of white flour to lighten your loaf a little if you are using red wheat flour or if your family is just getting used to wheat bread.  It helps the transition to whole wheat much easier!  Allow mixer to continue to knead for about 12 minutes.  Remove kneaded dough from mixing bowl.  Divide into 4 pieces of dough and place in 4 bread pans.  Cover with clean, lint free cloths, and let rise till double (about 40-60 min) Remove cloth and bake at 325 for 30 minutes.  When loaves are done, immediately remove from pans, and let cool on wire rack.  Place cooled loaves in plastic bags.  Freeze any loaves that will not be used within a couple of days. 

*Dough enhancer keeps bread from crumbling.

**Gluten, Vital Wheat is the natural protein found in wheat. It contains 75% protein. A small amount added to yeast bread recipes improves the texture and elasticity of the dough. This is often used by commercial bakeries to produce light textured breads. Available in bulk at health food stores or kitchen stores.

To add flavor, variety and nutrition to your breads, follow the one-third rule: just add any grain to your bread recipe as long as you do not exceed more than one-third of your total flour.  For example, if your recipe calls for nine cups of flour, you can use up to three cups of any grain you want, in any form you desire.  The grain can be flour, cracked, cooked or whole grain.  The other six cups of flour must be some form of wheat, red wheat, white wheat or white flour and or spelt.

The formula:  1/3 grain + 2/3 wheat type flour = mulit-grain breads