Recipe: Apple Betty Bites

I feel as summer gives way to fall, there is a monthly order to my food. September is for apples and candy corn! It's a natural progression! Next month, I will consume more pumpkin and pumpkin spice than any one human should be allowed.

I know, you're rolling your eyes. But, I bet you have an order for preferred special delights. 

Momma, known as "Granny" to our son, recently moved to Tennessee to share our home, which makes for cooking magic! Yesterday, we celebrated the arrival of autumn in name only, because it's still 93-freaking degrees, and mixed up some snack bites using her favorite apple, the Granny Smith. 

APPLE BETTY BITES
(or Apple Pie Bites or Granny's Granny Smith Bites)

1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats (...not quick-cooking)
3/4 cup Nut Butter (We used creamy peanut butter.)
3/4 to 1 cup Granny Smith Apple, grated
1/2 cup Nuts, finely chopped (We chose walnuts, because the other option was almonds)
1/2 cup Flax Seed (We used the whole seed instead of ground, because ground tends to suck the moisture right of nut butters.)
1/3-ish cup Louisiana Honey (Momma brought some with her.)
2 tablespoons Chia Seeds (...because I love the little "pop" when you bite into them.)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (I imagine freshly scraped vanilla seeds would taste amazing!)
1/2 - 3/4-ish teaspoon Cinnamon, to taste

• Shred or grate the apple using a box grater. One apple didn't warrant me pulling out the food processor. Know what I mean?
• Using a spatula or a mixer, stir all ingredients together until completely combined.
• Your choice, cover and chill for, at least, 30 minutes -OR- skip to next step...
• Using a 1" scoop is much faster and less messy than rolling each 1" ball between your hands. As you scoop, release onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet and transfer to either the fridge or freezer.
• Once chilled or frozen, store in airtight container, separating each layer of bites with parchment.
• Yes, parchment paper was invented by God.
• Great to pop into your mouth when you need a little something or a little energy!

Tips:

• Use your choice of nut butter, keeping in mind some butters are drier than others requiring more honey.
• Speaking of honey... to make these little bites plant-based, use Agave! We did not have enough Agave for this recipe; thus, the honey from Louisiana.
• You could totally dust the top of the bites with cinnamon prior to chilling or freezing!

Go play with your food! Then, let me know how your bites turned out or how you changed up the recipe!

---"Sam"

Tuesday Recipe: Protein Power Balls

Want a go-to, no-bake, pick-me-up, tie-me-over snack? Great! 

If you're into nut butters like peanut, sunflower, almond, cashew, you are so gonna love the simplicity of this recipe. 

If you're a runner, walker or fitness person looking for another way to get some protein in your system without breaking the caloric or fat bank, you are gonna love the power of this recipe.

If you're a whole food grazer who likes the ingredient-control of a homemade treat, you are gonna love the nutrition of this recipe.

Are ya sold, yet?

One of my church friends, Amanda G, found this recipe on a Canadian foodie blog and brought out the power balls during intermission of our Bunco Nite. I had arrived at her house immediately after my sweaty, heart-pumping fitness class when I needed some umph to keep me energized for our fun night. I was super excited to try 'em!

Once you've got the basic recipe down, let your creative juices go crazy with substitutions!

Protein Power Balls

1 cup Rolled Oats (not the quick-cooking variety)
1/2 cup Peanut Butter (or your fave nut butter)
1/3 cup Honey (or to make it vegan, sub-in a agave syrup or the like)
1/2 cup Ground Flax Seed (I take whole flax seeds and grind them in my coffee grinder)
1/4 to 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips (craisins, raisins, chopped nuts, coconut, etc.)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
(optional: 1 pinch of salt)

• Combine all ingredients, together, in large bowl and mix well.
• Chill in fridge for 10-15 mins OR, if you're in a hurry, skip this step.**
• Pinch enough batter to roll into a ball between your palms OR use a 1"-2" scoop (pictured) and place power balls on a large baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.
• Let chill until ready to serve OR until set enough to transfer into a lidded container to store in fridge until whenever you wanna pop a power ball into your mouth!

Play with your food!

Oatmeal Pancake

When I first started on my journey to a healthy lifestyle, nutrition had to be re-thought. I can cook fat foods like any good Southern girl, but had to learn to prepare fit foods. One of my lifelines in the early days was Lynda Layng who IS the Healthy Hoboken Girl and this is her Oatmeal Pancake recipe!

Oatmeal Pancake

1 Banana (halved)

1 Egg (or eliminate egg, see below)

1/2 cup (or more!) Old Fashioned Oats 

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Cinnamon

• While griddle or skillet is heating, smoosh 1/2 of the banana in a bowl and stir-in the fork-whisked egg; then, whisk together.
• Add oats, baking powder and cinnamon and combine. Let set for 5+ minutes. It gets a little frothy to let you know the baking powder is doing its job to help make the pancake fluffy!
• "Grease" your griddle. I use coconut oil as a good fat!
• Pour your pancake mixture into hot griddle/skillet and smooth into pancake shape.
• Let cook for 4-ish minutes and test the underside to see if it can handle being flipped over with the spatula.
• When pancake is ready, flip and brown.
• Serve with the other 1/2 of the banana sliced on top! 

TIPS:

**Sure, any old cinnamon will do, but I have recently discovered Saigon Cinnamon! Holy Cow! There's a difference! Plus, I did not list it, but I always use 1/2 teaspoon of Nutmeg, too.

**The egg adds moisture, loft and serves as a binder. BUT, if you want to eliminate the egg, a friend suggested using 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, 1 teaspoon of oil whisked together with double the amount (in this case, 1 teaspoon) of baking powder. OR, just try (double the amount) 1 teaspoon of baking powder whisked with the banana.

**I like my oatmeal pancake drizzled with Agave Syrup or Honey instead of Maple Syrup. Also, the fruit toppings are endless, I just wanted blueberries to accompany my banana, on this sunny day which made for a great pic and breakfast on my front porch!

Thanks, Lynda, for helping me! I just wanted to Pay It Forward and bless you with my words! I'm still mostly plant-based and very active!

Let me know how it turns out for ya! Now, #GoPlaywithYourFood!

2-on-Tuesday: Pummmmpkin Pecan Oatmeal

This is soooo not what I had planned to post, but was such an easy and seasonal breakfast celebration for National Oatmeal Day! Are we goofy Americans or what?

By the way, I'm a sucker for food porn -- lovely photographs of wonderful food! We feast with our eyes, right!? I imagine the wonderful pix I could really post if I had a real camera. Until then, I'll just keep snapping a picture with my old-version iPhone and use various photography apps available.

Pummmpkin Pecan Oatmeal
(as if you needed a recipe)

For an individual serving:

1/2 to 2/3 cup Old Fashioned Oats (because some days I'm hungrier than other days)
Almond Milk (enough to cook the oats in + enough to add afterwards)
2 tablespoons 100% Pure Pumpkin (not the pie filling)
Ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice
Agave Nectar (or maple or honey)
Pecans Halves

• When preparing oatmeal for just me, I opt for the microwave. The oats and almond milk go into a microwaveable bowl and cook for just a quick bit--enough time for the milk to heat and oats begin to bubble.
• Remove and stir in pumpkin and additional almond milk.
• Sprinkle spices. Drizzle sweetener. Add pecans.
• Thank the Lord for a beautiful autumn day with healthy nutritional choices!

HAPPY NATIONAL OATMEAL DAY!