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"

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!