Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole, raw almonds (unsalted)
• 3 T pure maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 T coconut oil, melted

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Place parchment paper to cover the bottom of a 9X13 inch baking dish. Add almonds and maple syrup. Stir to coat.
3. Roast nuts for about 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Almonds are ready when the maple syrup has become crunchy.
4. Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes (They should still be slightly warm).
5. Place almonds in a high powered blender and blend on low speed for 15 seconds. Increase speed to medium high and blend for another 30 seconds
6. Add salt, cinnamon, and coconut oil.
7. Continue to blend on medium to high speed until the almonds have released their oil and the almond butter is the consistency you desire. You may need a little more or a little less coconut oil.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

This bread has it all. It is 100% whole wheat, which pleases me, and it has a taste and texture that pleases the rest of my family (as well as other friends who are kind enough to test all of my cooking). The ingredients are simple. It makes 3 two pound loaves. It freezes well and makes good sandwiches and toast.

The recipe is designed for a Kitchen Aid or Bosch mixer. I have had the best results using Wheat Montana's hard white whole wheat flour.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs yeast
• 4 C lukewarm water
• 1/3 C honey
• 9 C whole wheat flour (1 cup of flour can be replaced by a combination of any ground grains or seeds).
• 2 T gluten
• 2 T vinegar
• 3 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 and spray 3 loaf pans.
2. Combine the following ingredients in the mixing bowl. Mix for 1 minute, cover and let sit for 10 minutes:
• water
• yeast
• 3 cups of flour
• gluten
• vinegar
3. Add honey, salt, and remaining 6 cups of flour and mix with the dough hook for about 5 minutes.
4. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl and be smooth and only slightly tacky when it has the right amount of flour.
5. On a lightly floured surface, knead out any bubbles, shape and place in 3 greased loaf pans (2lb. loafs). 
6. Let rise about 30-45 minutes, depending on the temperature of the house. The dough should be just higher than the top loaf pan. It will continue to rise in the oven.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove bread from oven.
8. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove loaf and cool completely on a cooling rack.   

Almond Coconut Trail Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole unsalted almonds
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup puffed millet, rice (or other puffed whole grain; or crispy brown rice cereal)
• 1 tablespoon flax seed meal*
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Grease/spray large bowl, 9x13 baking sheet/pan, wooden spoon or rubber spatula, and bottom of drinking glass. Set aside.
2. Coarsely chop almonds (You could leave them whole if you prefer)
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on large baking sheet and bake for 10 min. until lightly toasted and fragrant. 
4. Spread coconut in single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes, stirring half way through, until lightly toasted. Watch it closely to avoid burning.
5. Add toasted almonds & coconut to large bowl. Add puffed rice/millet and flax seed meal. Stir to combine; set aside.
6. In 1-1/2 or 2 quart saucepan, combine honey, rice syrup, salt, and vanilla over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer. 
7. Quickly pour liquid mixture over nut mixture and stir until combined. 
8. Transfer to greased/sprayed 9x13 pan, use hands to spread mixture evenly in pan; using the bottom of the drinking glass, press the mixture to compact it and close all of the gaps. 
9. Let cool 20 minutes (pan should still be slightly warm). Invert pan on cutting board, allowing mixture to fall out in one piece. Cut into 20 bars. If they cool too much, they will become extremely difficult to cut. You can return them to a warm oven for a couple of minutes and try again.

*Once Flax seeds are ground, they go rancid very quickly. Always buy whole flax seeds and store them in the freezer or refrigerator and grind them as you need them. A coffee grinder is the best tool for the job.

Happy Trails Cookies

These cookies are a great source of healthy fats. My kids all love them and didn't ask any questions when I first served them as an after school snack (questions like-"What is in these?""Are they healthy?""Will you try them first?"). Recipe is adapted from Oh She Glows.

Happy Trails Cookies

Dry Ingredients

• 4 cups whole pecans, toasted
• 3/4 cup pepita seeds, toasted
• 4 cups rolled oats, ground into flour in a blender
• 2.5 cups whole rolled oats
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, blended into smaller pieces in the blender

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup brown rice syrup
• 2 T vanilla extract 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 and toast the pecans for 8-10 minutes, and the pepita seeds for about 5 minutes, watching closely so they don't burn. Remove and set aside to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 350 and line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients (minus the pecans and pepita seeds).
3. In a blender, blend the toasted pecan and pepita seeds on pulse until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add to the dry ingredients.
4. Use the same method to blend the chocolate chips into smaller pieces. Add to the dry ingredients.
5. Using the same blender, combine the wet ingredients.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. The dough will be very sticky.
7. Use a 2 T cookie scoop or your (damp) hands and pack the dough firmly into balls. Flatten the balls a bit before you bake.
8. Bake for about 10 minutes. The key to having soft cookies is to avoid overbaking them. They will still be a bit soft in the middle when they are ready to come out. Leave them on the baking sheet for another minute before removing them to a cooling rack. Once cooled, they can be stored in a sealed container. They freeze really well.

 Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Baked Oatmeal

Breakfast for my family is one of the things I struggle with the most. Mornings are my workout time, and it often doesn't seem possible to get in a good workout, shower and get myself ready, pack lunches and fix kids' hair, and prepare and clean up a hot, healthy Breakfast. This recipe is one of my answers to this problem. It is prepared the night before and baked in the morning. Even my non-oatmeal fans love this.

Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vegetable oil (I use half apple sauce and half coconut oil)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 T baking powder
• 4 beaten eggs
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1.5 tsp nutmeg
• 5 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 cups milk (I use almond milk, but any milk will work)

Directions:

1. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish
2. Mix everything except milk until blended
3. Add milk and stir until well blended
4. Pour into prepared baking dish
5. Cover and refrigerate overnight
6. Uncover and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.

It is good on its own or served with fresh fruit (might I suggest sliced strawberries?), greek yogurt, chopped nuts, canned peaches, milk or cream, or anything else you like to eat with oatmeal.

This also freezes really well. Just add a bit of milk when you re-heat it.