Chocolate Peanut Butter Quinoa Balls

I found these on this cute blog here:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Quinoa Balls

a gluten free, vegan, healthy no bake balls made with peanut butter, chocolate chips, and quinoa

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup peanut butter 

* 2 Tblsp pure maple syrup

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

* 1 dash salt

* 1 cup cooked quinoa, slightly warm (not hot)

* 2 Tblsp mini choc chips (she uses Enjoy Life dairy free)

Instructions:

Line a half baking sheet or plate with parchment paper, set aside.

In a bowl, add peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Sit in quinoa and mix until well combine.  Fold in choclate chips.

Take a heaping Tblsp size of dough and roll into a ball. Place on to prepared parchment paper.  Do the same until no dough remains.  Place in the refrigerator or freezer to chill for about 30 min

Store in airtight container in the freezer or fridge

No Bake Chocolate PB Balls

This recipe comes from a cookbook called "The best homemade kids' Snacks on the Planet"
and blog is from "The Seasonal Diet"
can see a picture of them from here

No Bake Chocolate PB Balls

Author: The Seasonal Diet

Serves: 6

Ingredients

PB "Dough":

• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 2-3 Tbsp. coconut sugar (depending on how sweet you like things)
• 2 Tbsp. chocolate chips (we like the mini chocolate chips for this recipe)
• 2 Tbsp. peanut butter (we used a creamy variety that was slightly sweetened)
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate Coating:

• ¼ cup chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine all dough ingredients (except the chocolate chips!). Blend until it starts to stick together, about 30- 60 seconds.
2. Add mixture to a bowl and mix in 2 Tbsp. of chocolate chips. Roll into balls, and set aside.
3. Next, melt chocolate and oil for the coating and dip the balls in chocolate ;)
4. Place on a plate in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
5. Enjoy!

Energy Bars AKA Kind Bars

Energy Bars AKA (like Kind Bars)

This comes from the blog of Eat & Edit and her name is Laura.  She edits recipes for cookbooks and picked out some she tried and liked.
A picture of these can be found here:

Energy Bars

Energy Bars (aka Homemade KIND Bars)
These fruit and nut bars are the perfect cross between a granola bar and rice krispie treat, and remind me a lot of KIND bars (only with fewer ingredients). Light enough for a snack, but still satisfying. Brown rice syrup is available in most grocery stores, usually near the honey. You can swap out pretty much any of the nuts or fruit with what you have on hand, as I did below. Note that when you take them out of the oven, they may seem too soft, but they set up more once they’re full cooled. You can cut them into either squares or bars. // Yield: 8 bars or 16 squares

1 cup (110 g) almonds, coarsely chopped (I used blanched, sliced almonds)
1/2 cup (48 g) sunflower seeds, chopped (I used a mix of hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and crushed peanuts instead, as I didn’t have sunflower seeds)
1/3 cup (6 g) crisped brown rice cereal (I used plain puffed white)
1/4 cup (35 g) raisins
1/4 cup (35 g) dried blueberries (I just used ½ cup chopped dried cherries for the raisins/blueberries)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup (115 g) brown rice syrup

Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Line a square baking pan with parchment paper. (I greased it with a little coconut oil first so the paper would stick.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine almonds, sunflower seeds, brown rice cereal, raisins, blueberries, sea salt, and cinnamon. Pour brown rice syrup over nuts and fruits, using a spatula to evenly distribute the syrup throughout.

Pour mixture into baking pan. Place a second piece of parchment or waxed paper on top of mixture and press down to compact ingredients (I just used wet hands). Remove the top layer of paper.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the bars begin to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Using excess parchment paper as handles, lift the bars out of the pan and place on a cutting board, paper side up. Peel off paper and cut into bars or squares. Store extras in the fridge. I like to wrap them individually in waxed paper so I can pack them in my lunch bag.

Healthy No Bake Cookie dough Balls

This is from a cute blog called Eat & Edit  I found and from Amanda, check out her site, it looks so fun! she edits for cookbooks and said this was one she really liked.

Healthy No Bake Cookie Dough Balls

1/2 cup (112 g) creamy almond butter (I used ¼ cup almond butter + ¼ cup natural peanut butter—definitely recommend)
1/4 cup (85 g) honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup (27 g) unsweetened, dried coconut
1/3 cup (42 g) coconut flour* (see Note below)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing until they form a ball of dough. If your dough is dry, add a little more nut butter or honey. If it’s too wet, add a little more coconut flour. (Mine was just fine.)

Scoop out tablespoon-size portions and roll into balls.

Place on a plate and serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.

From Amanda: -(They’re so good though! Like a mix between a buckeye (minus the chocolate) and peanut butter cookie dough—but with all-natural ingredients. If you’re unsure on the coconut, I’d encourage you to try them anyway, as I didn’t find that flavor noticeable at all. Next time I’m adding a few mini chocolate chips too. // Yield: 8 to 10 balls)

go here for a picture:
So back to the snacks. They come from a new book called The Best Homemade Kids’ Snacks on the Planet (yes I realize the title is wicked long—it is part of a series). The author, Laura Fuentes, and I are now working on our third book project together,

Barbara's Famous Choc Chip Cookies

My Friend Barbara Loosli shared her favorite choc chip cookie recipe and since she is a good cook and the pictures of the cookies look so good, I am going to print them here

she calls them (after her mom)
Perschon Original Choc Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups flour (plus 1/4 cup more if too sticky)
1 pkg choc chips (she uses guittard milk choc chips)

Cream together shortening, butter, sugar.
Add eggs and vanilla

Stir in dry ingredients until well mixed
Stir in choc chips last
Use cookie scoop to place onto ungreased cookie sheet
Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 min (she says 12)

Cinnamon Roll Spice Oatmeal from the Vegan 8

 Okay my friends, I eat oatmeal a lot for breakfast and have never thought to make it like this next recipe.  I recently discovered the web site www.thevegan8.com and love every thing I have made so far. Check out her website
You gotta try this oatmeal:

Cinnamon Roll Spice Oatmeal
Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (not instant)
* 2 1/4 cups water (I use 3 cups since I dont soak mine)
* 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
* 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp ground ginger (add 1/2 tsp for a more spicy flavor)
* 1/8 tsp allspice
* 3 Tblsp pure maple syrup
* 1/2 tsp vanilla
* 2-4 Tblsp pecan halves

Optional Icing:  (I have not made this yet)
* 1 Tblsp melted liquid coconut butter
* 1 Tblsp warm "lite" canned coconut milk
* 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 Tblsp pure maple syrup  

Instructions:
(she recommends soaking your oats the night before, I tried this but I did not like it, go to her web site to read more on that)

Add to a medium pot the water, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and maple syrup.  Stir well and turn the heat to high.  Once boiling, turn to simmer and cover.  Cook for about 5 to 8 minutes or to desired consistency (mine are done sooner cuz of the oats I use-like in 2 to 3 minutes and no mine are not instant) I stir mine constantly so they dont burn on the bottom.
Stir in the vanilla.
Add pecans and drizzle some optional "icing" on top. Taste and add more sweetener or spice if you desire ( I usually add more maple syrup as I have a sweet tooth)

This stuff is so yummy and a fun new way to eat oatmeal!

Best Vegan Ranch Dressing from the Vegan 8

Alright my friends, I have been following my niece (Stephanie Moore) on instagram at glowgethealthy and she has helped me become more healthy.  She uses recipes from www.thevegan8.com and loved them, so I went to that site and began making her recipes, and I have fallen in love with them!  So I want to keep them all here in my recipe file, my first favorite is this homemade Ranch Dressing, I really love it and take it to work in little snack size cups and dip my spinach and carrots in it, also I use it as a spread in making wraps for lacey's lunch.  I make this fresh once a week, if you have a large family, double it.

Best Vegan Ranch Dressing by Brandi Doming
* 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews
* 1/2 cup non dairy unsweetened plain yogurt (she uses SoDelicious coconut, I can't always find this in the store so I have used Fage unsweetened plain yogurt and it doesn't hurt my stomach like other dairy yogurts do)
* 1/4 cup canned "lite" coconut milk, shaken or stirred first (You can buy these cans of coconut milk in the Asian aisle at your grocery store, usually about $1.80 a can)
*1 1/2 Tblsp white distilled vinegar
* 1 tsp onion powder
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1/4 tsp dry mustard
* 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
* 1/2 tsp dried dill  (you will put this in last)

(she mentions that you can change up the flavor by adding 2 Tblsp of fine diced chopped olives, or chopped green chiles, or chopped pickled jalapenos - be creative and have fun, I have not done this yet though)

Instructions:
If you do not have a high powered blender like a Blend Tec or Vitamix then you will need to soak your cashews overnight in a bowl of water, otherwise your dressing will be gritty.  Drain the cashews, rinse, and proceed:

Add all of the ingredients except the dill to a blender and process for a couple of minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides until completely smooth.  The dressing will be on the runny side but will thicken up a lot in the fridge.  Pour the dressing into a container and stir in the dried dill.  
Store in the fridge for a couple of hours to chill and thicken before using (I use mine right away it so yummy)

It will thicken up a lot , like a dip, so give it a good stir before you use it and you can thin it out with a tad of water and an extra splash of vinegar if needed.  This stays good for one week in your refrigerator.

This stuff is so yummy!  And so so easy to make!