Shanibars

This recipe comes from allrecipes.com. For once, I didn't change a thing (except that I made more, smaller bars)!

Ingredients

1 Cup chopped dates
3/4 Cup peanut butter
1/2 Cup flaked coconut
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pinch salt (optional)

Directions

1. Place the dates, peanut butter, coconut, cocoa powder and salt into a food processor. Cover, and blend until smooth, about 4 minutes. The mixture will be very sticky.
2. Press the mixture into a loaf pan lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove the chilled mixture from the pan and slice into 6 bars. Wrap each bar in foil and refrigerate until serving.

Power Cookies

This recipe comes from allrecipes.com, and as usual I've modified. I'll include the original recipe here with my notes. I reduced the sugar and added an egg. I also sometimes use whole wheat flour for some of the ground rolled oats. These are surprisingly yummy, and I don't feel at all guilty about eating them for breakfast or a snack.

Ingredients

4 Cups rolled oats (I used 2 cups ground oats and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1 cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (15 ounce)
1/2 Cup white sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
1/2 Cup brown sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 Cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 Cup flaked coconut
1/2 Cup raisins
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts

1 egg (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Grind the oats in a blender until resembling coarse flour. (NOTE: I used two cups of rolled oats (measured before grinding) and about one cup whole wheat flour. At sea level, I couldn't stir in any more than that.)
2. In a medium bowl, mash beans to a smooth paste. Stir in the white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until well blended. Combine the ground oats, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon; blend into the bean mixture. Stir in the dates, coconut, raisins and walnuts. Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Best Homemade Raspberry Muffins

The original recipe comes from www.aburstofbeautiful.com. As usual, I've modified it to reduce the sugar significantly, add chocolate chips and substitute whole wheat flour for half of the flour. I'm loving these muffins!

Ingredients

1 Cup milk
1 Tbsp white vinegar
2 1/2 Cups flour (half white, half whole wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Cup sugar
1/3 Cup vegetable oil (or softened butter)
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Cups frozen raspberries
1/3 Cup chocolate chips
6 tsp coarse sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line muffin cups with parchment muffin liners, or lightly coat with unsalted butter or cooking spray.
2. Combine milk and vinegar in a measuring cup. Stir and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Milk will thicken or curdle, effectively making buttermilk.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Using an electric mixer, combine sugar, oil or butter, egg, vanilla and milk/vinegar in a large bowl and mix until combined.
5. Add the dry mix until just combined, do not overmix.
6. Fold in the frozen raspberries and the chocolate chips.
7. Scoop the muffin mixture into each cup, filling it to the top of the liner.
8. Top each muffin with ½ tsp coarse sugar.
9. Bake for 5 minutes at 425F and then reduce temperature to 350 and bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly. (I just baked at 375 for 20 minutes or so, but I'll have to try it this way.)

Ruth's Homemade Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
3 cloves fresh crushed garlic

Cranberry Blueberry Muffins

The original recipe comes from Oceanspray. I've modified it a bit by adding the lemon. And since I like muffins bigger, I only made 9 muffins instead of 12.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar (I used a bit less)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil (I used 1/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon (or so) lemon extract
1 teaspoon dried lemon peel
1/2 cup Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 teaspoons sugar (skipped this, but I'm sure it's good)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line cups with paper muffin cups.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt in medium mixing bowl. Combine egg, milk, oil, lemon extract and lemon peel in small bowl. Add liquid to dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in blueberries and cranberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Sprinkle muffins with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.

Bake in 400°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove muffins from pan; cool on wire rack. Serve warm.

Makes 12 muffins (or 9, if you like them a bit more substantial).