Plum, Pecan and White Chocolate Granola Bars

Today is National Oatmeal Day and did you know that oatmeal is full of fiber which helps you stay fuller longer. Oatmeal makes a great breakfast to help fuel your day and also a great snack, like thee Plum, Pecan and White Chocolate Granola Bars I made last week. The kids loved them though I think I'd make them smaller next time. By using the brownie pan they were neat and uniform in size, but a little too large to eat for a snack as they were very filling. Also, by making these yourself, you get to control the amount of sugar than those found in the store bought varieties. Play around with it. It you don't like white chocolate or would prefer a healthier option, use carob or dark chocolate instead or leave it out entirely...it's completely up to you. 

Here are 10 Health Benefits of Oatmeal:
1. Lowers Cholesterol
2. Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure
3. Full of antioxidants
4. It prevents arteries from hardening
5. Can prevent the development of breast cancer
6. Stabilizes blood sugar
7. Prevents the development of diabetes
8. Gives the immune system a boost
9. Can prevent weight gain
10. A great substitute for those following a gluten free diet

Plum, Pecan and White Chocolate Granola Bars
3 c. Quaker Oats
1 c. Dried Plums, chopped
1/4 c. Pecans, chopped
1/3 c. White Chocolate Chips
1/2 c. Honey

Directions for Pampered Chef Non Stick Brownie Pan:
1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. 
2. Pour the oat mixture evenly into a 12 section Pampered Chef Non Stick Brownie Pan
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then allow to cool. (I placed mine in the freezer once the pan was cool enough to speed the process). Makes 12. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 224, Carbs 38g, Fat 6.8g, Protein 3.9g, Fiber 3.8g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Directions for 8x8 inch baking pan:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. 

2. Pour the oat mixture evenly into a 12 section Pampered Chef Non Stick Brownie Pan

2a. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and pour in the oat mixture and spread so that it is evenly distributed in the pan. 

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then allow to cool. (I placed mine in the freezer once the pan was cool enough to speed the process). Cut into 20 individual bars. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 134, Carbs 22.8g, Fat 4.1g, Protein 2.3g, Fiber 2.3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

And for all of my fellow East Coasters, please stay safe during Hurricane Sandy these next few days!  

White Chocolate Apple Walnut Granola Bars and Bon Voyage!

Well now I'm on a homemade making granola kick, but it didn't start out that way. You see, after I made those Chocolate Chunk Cherry Granola Bars, I had to make them again because the family loved them so much. I was going to send some to a friend, but then hubby ate it before I had a chance to do so.  I decided to make them for the third time, only to realize I only had 1 cup of oats left and since I was packing up my kitchen and trying to run things out, I didn't want to buy more just to make these. So I decided to experiment...again...and found Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal packages. This time I used up the oats, added in the apple cinnamon oatmeal, threw in some remaining white chocolate chips and walnuts I had and voila! THESE were even better than the other ones (well at least we all thought so!). They also held up better when trying to cut them so I was able to get 20 bars out of them and trust me, these are a little sweet so one bar at 108 calories each was the perfect nighttime snack with a hot cup of tea. :)

White Chocolate Apple Walnut Granola Bars
6 pkg. Quaker Instant Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
1 c. Quaker Oats
1/4 c. White Chocolate Chips
1/4 c. Honey
1/2 c. Blue Agave 
1/4 c. Walnuts, finely chopped (you can omit if you have a nut allergy)

In a bowl, mix together all ingredients. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and pour in the oat mixture. Spread so that it is evenly distributed in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then allow to cool. (I placed mine in the freezer once the pan was cool enough to speed the process). Cut into 20 individual bars. 

Enjoy! 

Nutritional Information per Serving:

Calories 108 Calories from Fat 19

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2.1g 3%

Saturated Fat 0.5g 3%

Sodium 50mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 21.6g 7%

Dietary Fiber 1.3g 5%

Sugars 14.4g

Protein 1.7g

*Nutritional Information by Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

And now you may be wondering about the Bon Voyage portion of this title. NO, I'm not completely shutting down, but today will be my last new recipe post for a few weeks as I will be heading out for vacation while my kitchen is being renovated. (You didn't think I could stand by and watch all of that happening around me now did you?! =]  And for those of you who didn't know, CEK is FINALLY getting a real life kitchen makeover. No more 1965 kitchen with painted white cabinets (over mahogany frames)! 

This was Demo Day (minus the appliances that were sold)

So we're leaving our dear friend and trusted General Contractor here to oversee everything while we're gone.  My family and I will be traveling to Europe to experience some wonderful sights, eat incredible food and take in all of the history we can. We are all very excited and blessed that life has allowed us to take this opportunity at this point in our lives and I can't wait to share it all with you!  I will be checking in periodically through Instagram, Facebook and Twitter so be on the lookout for updates. 

Our stops will include:

• Barcelona, Spain
• Livorno, Italy (Florence/Pisa)
• Rome, Italy
• Naples, Italy (Sorrento)
• Messina, Italy (Sicily)
• Nafplion, Greece
• Corfu, Greece
• Katakolon, Greece
• Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Venice, Italy
• Paris, France

DON'T WORRY,  I'm not going to leave you empty handed!!! I have arranged for some of my fabulous foodie friends to help me out while I'm gone so there will be a new recipe post on the blog almost every day...See, I'm always thinking! They have some special treats in store for you that you won't want to miss...TRUST ME!!! :)

Saturday, June 30-Everyday Mom’s Meals

Sunday, July 1-Gabrielle Farias' blogging debut (Yes, that's my baby girl!)

Monday, July 2-Sumptuous Spoonfuls

Tuesday, July 3-Ally’s Kitchen

Wednesday, July 4-Mia’s Domain

Thursday, July 5-Bakeaholic Mama

Friday, July 6-Seafood Frenzy Friday with recipes from Mor.sl, Jersey Girl Cooks, The Saucy Gourmet, Cupcakes & Kale Chips, Cooking with Chopin-Living with Elmo, Mother Thyme, Spicie Foodie, Comfy Cuisine, A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis, Beer Meets Food

Saturday, July 7-Knead to Cook

Monday, July 9-Rich and Sweet

Tuesday, July 10-Lauren Kelly Nutrition

Wednesday, July 11-Amee’s Savory Dish

Thursday, July 12-The Foodie Physician

Friday, July 13-Seafood Frenzy Friday with recipes from A Healthy Jalepeno, Silvia’s Cucina, The Galley Gourmet, Project Foodie, 3 Tomatoes, Big Bears Wife, Girl Cooks World, Cooking with Michele, Coconut & Lime, and Cara’s Cravings

Monday, July 16-Basilmomma

Tuesday, July 17-Running with Deviled Eggs

Wednesday, July 18-Lisa’s Dinnertime Dish

Thursday, July 19-The PaperCup Kitchen

Friday, July 20-Seafood Frenzy Friday with recipes from Avocado Pesto, Simply Fresh Cooking, SmokedNGrilled, Teaspoon of Spice, Bev Cooks, Olga’s Flavor Factory, eCurry, Best of This Life, Food 4 Tots, and Gen Y Foodie

Saturday, July 21-Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Thank you in advance to all of my Guest Bloggers for helping me out while I'm away. I'll miss chatting with all of you each day and I'm sure all of my CEK friends will love your blogs as much as I do.  Wishing you all a FABULOUS Summer! 

Shared on Amee's Savory Dish Fit and Fabulous Friday's 6/29/12

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars

On Facebook last week, I had posted a picture of those Feta and Sage Mini Chicken Meatloaves and had people guess what it was. One guess was for some sort of homemade granola bars, which got me thinking. So the next day, I decided to try my hand at making homemade granola bars, since I buy the boxed kind for my kids a couple of times a month anyway. They were REALLY good and the kids LOVED them! 

*Tip: Place the pan in the freezer once it has cooled enough. It makes them cool quicker and also made it easier to cut. I also found that they stayed together better if you store them in the refrigerator. 

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars
3 c. Old Fashioned Oats
2 tbsp. Butter (I used salted)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 c. Dried Cherries, chopped
1/2 c. Nestle's Chocolate Chunks (you can substitute carob or regular chocolate chips or dark chocolate)
1/2 c. Blue Agave Syrup
1/4 c. Honey

Add the butter, vanilla, agave syrup and honey to small saucepan and heat over low heat until butter has melted. In the meantime, combine the oats, cherries and chocolate in a bowl. Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture and mix well. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and add the oats, spreading evenly in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Allow to cool then cut into squares. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. 

Nutritional Information for 12 Bars: Calories 226,  Fat 5.4g, Fiber 5g, Protein 2.7g

Enjoy!