Posts tagged ‘Cinnamon’

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July 26, 2012

Apricot Almond “LARABAR”

I always have healthy snacks on me, whether it is a Ziplock full of veggie sticks or a bar of some sort. Protein/fruit and nut bars are quick, easy and help sustain me until my next meal. The one downside? They can be incredibly pricy for someone on a tight budget, especially if you tend to enjoy/purchase the most expensive ones on the market like I do. That’s why I decided to tackle a homemade version of a LARABAR earlier this summer. I love what this brand stands for, pure, simple and whole foods “as nature intended” with a nine ingredient max, however many of them are a bit too sweet for my taste bud’s liking. So I did what any cheap, recent grad would do. I bought nuts and dried fruits in bulk and experimented. Insert apricots, almonds, dates and a dash of vanilla extract. Oh, and of course cinnamon.

Ingredients
(Adapted from DAMY Health)
Makes roughly 6 bars
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dates
1 cup almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash (or two) of cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt

Roughly chop your dried fruits and place into a food processor. Pulse until the fruit becomes a chunky paste before adding in your nuts. Pulse again until it reaches your desired texture. Either roll the mixture into little balls for an on-the-go pop of power (like my Mocha Coffee Protein Balls) or form into bars on parchment paper. Regardless of shape, refrigerate before digging in so they retain their form. Place in plastic wrap or Ziplock baggie for a purse-approved, healthy snack.

Next time, I will probably also incorporate some chia, hemp hearts and ground flax because, let’s face it, I sprinkle them on everything. I cannot wait to play around with other dried fruits, nuts and spices. Simple, tasty and, most importantly, affordable. What a great pre-workout energy boost or afternoon snack! I dipped one in a vanilla greek yogurt as dessert. Yeah, I said it and believe me, it was good. I highly encourage you to play around, substitute ingredients and create your own winning combination! Side note: check out DAMY Health. Amy Layne’s blog is amazing with bomb-tastic, innovative recipes and health advice. I am so glad I found her site through Pinterest.
Are you a fruit and nut bar addict? What ingredients would you incorporate?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Snack | 1 Comment »

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October 28, 2011

Natural Pumpkin Oatmeal “Cuffins”

I recently stumbled upon Raw Is Sexy, the fabulous blog of a Californian raw chef and plant based wellness coach who transforms everyday favorites into natural, vegan recipes. When I saw her Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies, I couldn’t resist and whipped up a batch right away with a few tweaks.

After a long day, these little buggers were just what the doctor ordered. Is it just me or are cookies the best medicine? I wasn’t alone in my love for this culinary creation. My roommates and friends raved about them…I had too many leftovers lying around and although these are guilt-free I simply HAD to give some away before I ate the entire batch! Taylor coined the name “cuffins,” based on the fact that they taste like healthy muffins in cookie form. The name stuck. 

Ingredients
1/2 cup of water
2 cups flaxseed meal
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 whole avocado
1 cup of pitted medjool dates
1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree
1 1/2 ripe bananas, mashed
Dash of stevia, and vanilla extract
Option additions: chocolate chips, nuts, etc.
*Next time I will experiment with using more pumpkin puree and less bananas because the flavor wasn’t as predominately pumpkin as I had wished

To start, place the avocado, water and medjool dates in the food processor. Blend until smooth.

Next, combine your dry ingredients. 

Mash up your banana and add it to your the avocado mixture with the pumpkin puree. Fold in the dry ingredients.

Time for the fun part! Roll into balls and place onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet. I may have eaten a spoonful or two of the batter in the process…

Set the oven to 350°F and bake for 10-15 minutes before indulging!

Quick, easy and delicious. Go ahead, have two or three. They’re healthy! Pumpkin Oatmeal “Cuffins” are great days later heated up in the toaster oven, too. Add a cold glass of soy milk and you have yourself a great afternoon pick-me-up. I even crumbled one up on top of my Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal the other morning. Doesn’t get much better than that! Healthy cookies with no added sugar, eggs, butter or flour? Yep, that just happened. Enjoy!

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Breakfast, Dessert, Snack | 5 Comments »

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October 16, 2011

Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

I’m a big breakfast person but lately my favorite meal of the day has been routinely consisting of two scrambled eggs and a banana smeared with natural, chunky peanut butter. Although delicious and healthy, I needed a little extra umph the other morning before a tough exam. Enter Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal (inspired by this recipe on Family Fresh Cooking). Believe me, it tastes just as good as it sounds. If not better. Between the whole grains and protein-boost, I had the energy I needed to power through midterm’s week. This recipe is a keeper, perfect for a crisp autumn morning!

Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 scoop vanilla soy protein powder
1 cup soy milk (I used Silk Vanilla)
1 egg
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Dash of baking powder, salt and all spice
Sweetener of your choice (i.e. stevia, agave nectar, honey)
Optional toppings: bran cereal flakes, mashed ripe banana, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, nut butter, etc.

To start, preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a small (8×8) baking pan with cooking spray. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients (including the spices and sweetener of your choice).

In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (whisk the egg before adding) before slowly folding in the oat blend.

Pop in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the oats are fully cooked. I sprinkled bran flakes on top for some more healthy carbs. Beware, the lovely aroma wafting from your oven is almost as amazing as my autumn must-have candle scent, Yankee Candle’s Frosted Pumpkin. Mmmm…

Spoon into a bowl and add in toppings of your choice. I garnished my oatmeal with an extra spoonful of pumpkin puree and some pumpkin seeds, as well as a mashed, ripe banana. Holy cow this was so delish. I can’t wait to make it again!
What’s your favorite pumpkin dish? 

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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September 20, 2011

Fall-Inspired Shrimp with Whole Grain Hodgepodge

I am on a shrimp kick. I have been buying the frozen (cooked and deveined) crustaceans to add a low-cal protein boost to a variety of dishes and can’t get enough of ‘em! Preparing shrimpies is a breeze (just defrost in a skillet on the stove) and the bite-sized seafood makes each meal all the more satisfying. On Friday, two of my girlfriends and I decided to boycott the home football game to get some work done — and when I say “work” I’m referring to catching up on our favorite blogs and “pinning.” Oops?

Anywho, in lieu of my departure for Manhattan adventuring the following day (post on that to come!), I decided to cook up my remaining produce and created a delightful hodgepodge of a meal in the process. With a hint of cinnamon and the nutty heartiness of wheat berries, this refrigerator purge resulted in one H-E-double hockey sticks of a recipe. Pat on the back to mwah.

Ingredients
1 cup wheat berries
1/2 cup quinoa
1 lb of frozen shrimp (I used 41/50 pre-cooked, deveined)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 bell peppers
2 medium beets
2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste

To start, prepare the grains. Give yourself about an hour for the wheat berries to cook! Next, roast your veggies for about 30 minutes at 375°F after lightly drizzling with olive oil. While those get going, sauté the onion and garlic until lightly browned. Time it out so that you are adding in the shrimpies right around when the quinoa, wheat berries and vegetables are almost done!

Once your veggies are tender, roughly chop them up and add them to the sauté alongside the cooked grains. Season with salt, pepper and a dash or two of cinnamon for a festive flavor.

I introduced nutritional yeast to my friends for a cheesy topping. I know this sounds like a somewhat bizarre combination but I SWEAR it was divine. The “leftovers” were consumed that same evening…
What ingredients scream fall to you? 

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Dinner | 2 Comments »

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May 24, 2011

Favorite Things, Round 2

After a seven hour shift on my feet, followed by a decent workout, I am pooped and turning in early. Don’t ya just love being in bed by 10 PM on a Monday evening? I know I do. Macbook + online shopping + Adele’s 21 CD (which has been blasting on repeat the last two weeks) = ideal. Woop, woop…am I one wild and crazy 21-year-old or what? Anyway, I have some new, favorite food obsessions I would like to share with you, all in which are pictured below. Not the most fun or intriguing of posts, but a necessary one to hopefully perk up some of your taste buds!

Bartlett pear slices with almond butter…a favorite snack of mine, which I picked up on thanks to a friend of mine (Amy). Take your morning toast up a notch by adding on this delightful combination (with a drizzle of honey or agave nectar). Can I hear an AMEN?

AVOCADOS ARE FINALLY REALLY IN SEASON! In other words, I’ve been avocado-happy, topping everything and anything with this glorious fruit…or is it a vegetable? Regardless, I love ‘em, especially on my scrambled eggs in the morning. The past few I picked up from my local Stop & Shop have been flawless and divine.

You can’t go wrong with a humongous salad. Top it with avocado, tofu cubes, an assortment of fresh, colorful veggies, sesame seeds and a large dollop of hummus? Even better. Clean meal for a clean eatin’ gal. I’ll take it any day.

Here’s one of my favorite evening snacks when I’m plopped in front of the television, feeling the need to graze and craving something both salty and sweet: savory popcorn, popped on the stove. Making it yourself on the stovetop is a healthier alternative to sodium-filled, overly buttery microwavable bags, plus a lot tastier and versatile (you can mix in your favorite spices for a whole new take on this classic snack). Did I mention low-cal? Um, yes please? I’ve been making mine in extra virgin olive oil and seasoning with cinnamon with a quick drizzle of agave nectar for a sweet, dessert-like snack. Surprisingly very filling, might I add!

Although I would have loved to have had the opportunity to live in NYC this summer, being home has suited me well. Having home-cooked meals prepared for me has added to the overall appeal, I’m not going to lie. Cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for yourself day in and day out as an off-campus student can be taxing after a while! My father made the baked salmon pictured above for dinner last night with a side of corn on the cob and fiddleheads (below). Just a little bit of olive oil, sliced green peppers, parsley, onion and lemon made for pure perfection. I likey.

I had never tried fiddleheads before last night but can officially call myself a fan. My dad simply sautéed them in a little bit of olive oil, garlic and shallots. Yum, yum, yum! Welp, there ya have it. My recent favorite foodie trends I can’t get enough of the past few weeks.
What have you been loving lately?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Dinner, Food for Thought, Random, Reviews, Snack | 1 Comment »

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May 15, 2011

Mocha Coffee Protein Balls

Good morning! Today’s post is a winner, let me tell you. Tasty, energizing, quick and easy! One of my favorite health/foodie blogs (The Fitnessista) makes protein balls for post-workouts out of nut butter and protein powder, among other fun mix-ins. What a wonderfully innovative idea, right? I decided to throw in a little twist of my own, taking Gina’s recipe up a notch with a jolt of coffee grounds. Mmmm! I had a ton of the ingredients already for my recipe flop the other day so I was good to go! FYI: The rainy weather made for bad photo lighting, so bare with me. Trust me, though, these little buggers are divine.

Ingredients
(Adapted from Chocolate Chip Protein Ballz)
2 tablespoons chocolate soy protein powder
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons coffee grounds
Handful of peanuts (or other nuts/dried fruit mix-ins you enjoy)
Agave nectar and cinnamon to taste 

In a small food processor, add protein powder, nut butter and coconut. Pulse until ingredients are blended together.

Next, add in the coffee grounds, coconut oil, a dash of cinnamon and a squirt (ew, hate that word) of agave nectar (substitute: maple syrup or honey). Pulse again. The dough should start clumping together. Finally, throw in any mix-ins you like…I threw in a handful of peanuts to make it extra nutty. Dried fruit would have been lovely, but we’re all out. Pulse one more time and form the mixture into small balls!

There ya go, folks! Jump start your morning or recover from a tough workout with one of these babies. Can’t wait to munch on these once I start commuting early in the AM. Perfect for on-the-go! Keep a lookout for more protein ball recipes to come.
What is your favorite post-workout snack? Any ingredient suggestions for future protein ball recipes?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Breakfast, Snack | 4 Comments »

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May 13, 2011

Epic Failure Turnaround

The other day I was psyched to make my own spin-off of Family Fresh Cooking’s Telluride Trail Bars. Granola bars have been on my “to-make” list for some time now and when my mom put me on grocery shopping duty, I couldn’t resist picking up the ingredients. My excitement took a turn for the worse, though, quickly spiraling into disappointment and utter frustration when they didn’t turn out as planned. Flaky, dry mess. Wahhhh! I blame it on Stop & Shop’s not-ripe-enough bananas…and the fact that I forgot to add the agave nectar prior to cooking. Oops. Although they didn’t stick together into crunchy bars, what I thought was a flop recipe turned into a great granola.

Ingredients
2 cups toasted Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1/2 cup chopped and toasted peanuts
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 bananas
1/2 cup chopped whole wheat pretzels
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Cinnamon, flaxseeds and shredded coconut to top
Agave nectar (or maple syrup/natural sweetener to taste) 

To start, preheat the oven to 350˚F. On a baking sheet, place chopped peanuts and rolled oats in a thin layer. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. 


Like I did in my Nutty Nanner Overnight Oats, slice up the bananas and cook in a small sauce pan until lightly browned. Mash it all up and add in the PB so it softens. While those are getting ooey gooey on the stove, chop up your pretzels. 

Time for the fun part, adding it all together and mixing it up. NOTE: This is where you should add the sweetener of your choice.

Line a 9×13″ pan with wax paper and add the granola mixture. Press/shape evenly. Sprinkle cinnamon, flaxseeds and shredded coconut on top. Drizzle some more agave nectar on top before poppin’ it in the oven. 

So…like I said, these did not turn out as I had hoped in bar form BUT the recipe still tasted great. I broke it up into small clusters and took my Go Lean Kashi cereal and Silk Light Vanilla soy milk breakfast up a nutty notch by topping it with my recipe faux pas. Moral of the story? As the saying goes, “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”

Gotta love Kashi, although this concoction of mine also goes wonderfully with oatmeal or overnight oats! SOOooo what will I change next time I attempt to make granola bars (which I will be doing soon because I’m headstrong and a perfectionist)? My recipe alterations include the following: 1) Use 4 very ripe, speckled brown bananas, the kind, ya know, good for banana bread! 2) Cut out the pretzels because it just added to the dryness. 3) You may have noticed that I added coconut oil, which I had hoped would help in the moisture department. Fail. I will play around with this ingredient and get back to you on my verdict! 4) Add dried fruit. Welp, ya win some and ya lose some…lucky for me this “loss” ended up having quite the turnaround in the granola department. Yay!

Have you made your own granola or granola bars? Any tips or tricks you’d like to share?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Breakfast, Food for Thought, Snack | 1 Comment »

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April 27, 2011

Savory Cinnamon Fries

I used to hate roasted or cooked carrots…they get all smooshy and soggy, ruining their natural, crunchy appeal. Bleh. After I stumbled upon this recipe last week on The Healthy Apple, though, I decided to put my preconceived notions aside and try them again with an open mind. Boy, am I glad I did so because I have had a change of heart and may have found one of my favorite side dishes. Sweet and savory, but healthy! See you never, soggy veggies!

Ingredients
(slightly altered from the original The Healthy Apple’s Apple n’ Parsnip Crunchy Fries)
2 granny smith apples
4 large parsnips
6 large carrots
1/2 onion
Olive oil
Agave Nectar and cinnamon to taste 

Begin by washing/peeling the parsnips and carrots. 

Slice veggies and apples into thin, fry-like shapes (the more slender, the better for crunch purposes).

Place parsnips, carrots, apples and onion onto a baking sheet. Lightly coat with cooking spray/olive oil and generously sprinkle with cinnamon. Place in the oven at 400°F for 30 minutes or until the fries are golden brown with a crunchy texture.

Drizzle with Agave Nectar to serve. Mmmm…cinammony goodness. WARNING: your kitchen will smell absolutely divine while/post roasting. What food item are hesitant to re-try? 

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren 

Posted in Dinner, Side Dish | 4 Comments »

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April 25, 2011

Nutty Nanner Overnight Oats

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend. It was nice to head home for a few days to relax a bit before coming back to school to deal with the gloom of looming final exams. After all the rainy weather, my dad and I took advantage of the few rays of sun yesterday with an early morning jog along the water. It was a breath of fresh air (both literally and figuratively). Shortly after, my parents, Mike and I went to a wonderful brunch at Whitfield’s on the Guilford green. They had an Easter buffet set up, which was delicious with fresh fruit and yogurt, salad, salmon…the works. Yum!

When I got home, I found a piece of mail I have been waiting for…my Starbucks Gold Card! Yay! I’m so excited for free refills and beverage customization, not to mention the bad ass, personalized card.

Please note the manicured nails above…I finally tried out the OPI Axxium Soak-Off Gel Mani and think I’m in love. First of all, my nails have never looked so good (I’m obsessed with the glossy light pink…very classy and sophisticated) and secondly, they last for 2 weeks with no damage to your natural nail! Woah. It is a little more expensive but since my biggest pet peeve is chipped nails, I think it will be worth it. I have a lot going on in the next two weeks so figured it was the perfect time to put this treatment to the test. I’ll let you know if it actually lasts as long as it is supposed to. FYI, according to the reviews I’ve read, the French Soak-Off lasts longer.

Now onto my breakfast this morning. I have another fabulous overnight oats recipe to share, this time inspired by the Healthy Tipping Point’s Sweet and Salty Vegan Overnight Oats. Similar base as the last one with a nuttier/nanner twist!

Ingredients
1/3 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I used flax milk)
2 tablespoon chia seeds
Dash of cinnamon
1 banana
Natural crunchy peanut butter, to top

In a small bowl, combine the rolled oats, chia seeds and milk. Sprinkle with cinnamon and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, slice up one banana and place the chunks on a griddle or hot pan until lightly browned. Mash up half of them and mix into the bowl. Top the overnight oats/banana with a generous dollop of natural peanut butter (I warmed mine up in the microwave before so it was super ooey gooey). 

I’m a huge peanut butter and banana fan so this recipe took that up a notch and a half. The contrast between the cold overnight oats with the warm PB and grilled banana was out of this world. Now THAT is how you start your Monday off right! What Monday morning routine gets your week going? Have you ever tried OPI’s Soak-Off Gel Mani?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren 

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February 25, 2011

Foodie Fact Friday

Rainy Fridays are the worst! Ugh, I wish I was going away for Spring Break…this weather is getting monotonous. Here are 5 stories and fun facts I found interesting this week. Stay dry today, my fellow New Englanders!

How McDonald’s Screwed Up Oatmeal (Huffington Post)
Gross. I hate McDonalds and would never let them ruin my love for oatmeal.

5 Grocery Shopping Myths Busted (Eatingwell.com)
Interesting stuff! Especially loved #3 and #5.

Chocolate’s Startling Health Benefits (Huffington Post)
Win, win for chocolate lovers!

New Uses for Everyday Ingredients (Cookinglight.com)
I will definitely be trying out the unexpected peanut butter and cinnamon applications.

Effort to Grow Broccoli on East Coast Gets $5 Million Investment (Huffington Post)
YAY! I’m sick of spending an arm and a leg for one of my fav veggies.


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