Soaking Almonds

If you like Almonds you will LOVE soaking raw almonds!! 

SO Simple! Just toss your almonds in a jar, 

cover with water, put a lid on it and let them soak overnight!

In the morning they will be puffy and oh so easy to chew! 

These are also great to blend up into dips or sauces and will add a nice creamy taste and texture. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think and what creative ways you find to use your soaked almonds :)

Oatmeal and Honey, Peanut Butter Bars Quick, Easy, Healthy Snack

I always like to have quick and easy snacks on hand for the kids. I used to make them "peanut butter balls" which was a combination of peanut butter, oatmeal and powdered sugar...not the worst thing in the world, but it sure was easy. SO I traded out powdered sugar with honey and added some extra "Mixture" to it and the kids really never knew the difference!

So here is what Ive come up with so far...and Im sure it will change at some point :)

Combine:

1 1/2 Cups Oatmeal

1 Cup Peanut Butter (preferably homemade peanut butter or homemade almond butter)

1/2 Cup Honey

1/2 Cup "Mixture" (if it is too sticky once Ive mixed it all together then I add more mixture to it...add as much of this as you want!)

Lay it out onto some Parchment Paper (note: you can reuse this same piece of parchment paper as long as it stays in tact, so once you eat all the Peanut Butter bars, dont throw it away...just make another batch!)

Then roll it up and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours...or as long as it takes for it to set up.

Unroll it and cut it in 1" pieces...or as large or small as you want.

"Mixture" Flax Meal, Wheat Germ, Wheat Bran

I love to try and find ways to sneak in extra nutrition into our diet. I have a "mixture" on hand all the time that I pretty much put into anything (bread, pizza, cookies, cereal, snacks, etc)!

The mixtures is equal parts of:

Flax Seed Meal

Wheat Germ

Wheat Bran

I just put all 3 of these things in a large bowl or bag and mix them together, then have them in a big jar beside my flour on the counter so they are handy to add when Im cooking. Use about 1 tblspoon in your oatmeal in the morning (my kids have never noticed its there!) and then add a cup or two when you bake a couple loafs of bread...I usually add about 1/2 cup to my pizza dough recipe.

Ive thrown in extra stuff before into the "mixture" such as sunflower seeds, whole flax, and oatmeal...but the flax meal, wheat germ and wheat bran are the constants that I try to keep all together for some extra fiber and nutrients.