Granola Bars

Back when I was still nursing Lane, I was always in search of healthy snacks, because I was starving all the time. This is my take on a random granola bar recipe. Feel free to mix up the "add-ons"...different nuts (I used cashews the last time I made them), chocolate chips, all raisins or cranberries, etc. These are really, really good...not too sweet, crunchy, and just all together yummy. Make sure you have the full amount of honey...I was a bit short the last time I made them and they turned out a bit dry (as seen in the above photo).

yield: 20 bars

2 cups oats
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup wheat bran or wheat germ, or 2 Tbsp of each
1/4 cup flaxseed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil; coat with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, mix together oats, flours, and next 8 ingredients (through cinnamon). In a separate small bowl, mix together oil, honey, egg, and vanilla, stirring well with a whisk. Pour oil mixture into oat mixture and mix well. Press into prepared pan.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350° or until bars are golden brown. Cool completely; turn out onto a cutting board and cut into bars.

Zucchini Pineapple Bread

yield: 2 loaves

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2)
2/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 tsp vanilla
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

1. Preheat oven to 325° .
2. Combine flour through cinnamon in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk
3. Beat eggs with a mixer until foamy. Add sugar through vanilla, beating until well blended.
4. Add zucchini mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in pineapple. Spoon batter into two 9x5 loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.

Carrot Bread

yield: 1 loaf

3/4 cup sliced carrots
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 egg
1 egg white

1. Preheat oven to 350° .
2. Cook carrot in boiling water 15 minutes or until soft; drain. Process in a food processor until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl combine flour through cloves; stir with a whisk to combine. In a small bowl combine carrot puree and sugar through egg white; stir with a whisk to combine. Add carrot mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
4. Pour batter into an 8-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.

White Chocolate-Cashew Coffee Biscotti

yield: 40 cookies

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 egg white
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup chopped cashews
Cooking spray
1 Tbsp sugar
3 oz white chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350° .
2. Beat 1/2 cup sugar through egg white in mixer until well blended.
3. Combine flour through nutmeg in bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine. Add to sugar mixture gradually, beating until well blended. Stir in cashews.
4. Turn dough out on lightly floured surface. Knead a few times, until dough is sticking together and not too sticky. Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a 12-inch-long roll. Place rolls on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat to 3/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle rolls with 1 Tbsp sugar. Bake at 350° for 22 minutes.


5. Remove rolls from oven. Reduce temperature to 325°. Cool rolls on wire rack for 10 minutes.


6. Cut each roll diagonally into 20 pieces. It works best if you cut each roll in half, and then each half in half. Then cut each section into 5 pieces. Stand pieces upright on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 325°.


7. Remove from oven and cool completely. Place chocolate in a heavy-duty ziploc bag. Microwave on high for 10 seconds at a time, removing chocolate from microwave to squish and make sure the bag is not melting. When chocolate is melted, cut a tiny hole in the corner of the bag. Drizzle chocolate over biscotti. Let chocolate harden. Enjoy with coffee or hot chocolate!

Banana Bread

yield: 1 loaf

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup white flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350° .
2. Combine flours, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk.
3. Beat sugar and butter together in large bowl until blended. Add eggs. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat until just moist. Pour into loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean.

Pumpkin Walnut Raisin Bread

yield: 1 loaf

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground mace
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350° .
2. Combine flour through mace in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of mixture.
3. Combine sugars and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add pumpkin, oil, and vanilla: stir well. Add raisins and nuts; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into a bread pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.