Apple Chips (Vegan, GF, paleo, clean)

Roo is totally into granola these days… I've been trying to find ways to make it more interesting than just oatmeal versions. We had a bunch of apples I didn't know what to do with, so I though I'd take a stab at drying them out for apple chips to add to granola. Here goes nothing!

Ingredients:

2 apples

1-2 cups of water

3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Slice the apples pretty thin, but not so thin you chop your fingers off… no one likes bloody apples. Put them in a bowl and cover with water and lemon juice. Stir around gently to coat.

Spoon out the apples and lay out on a thick stack of paper towels to drain. (This next picture is totally useless, don't say I didn't warn you.)

This is the time consuming part: Arrange the slices on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. If you feel the need to sing at the top of your lungs along to Beyonce while doing this, then that makes 2 of us! :) 

Once you've gotten that out of your system and all the apples are lined up on the sheet, bake at 170 for about 5 hours. This would be a good time to clean your filthy house, or better yet, catch up on the Real Housewives. After 5 hours, flip the slices over and turn the oven off. Return them to the warm oven and let them sit overnight. The next morning they will be crisp! If you are making them for your toddler, you may now smack yourself for taking that long to make your 3 year old a snack that now all the sudden she doesn't want anymore. Facepalm. Oh well, more for me!

Happy Eating!!

Coconut Quinoa Granola Bars (Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, GF)

So I don't let Roo eat her school's "snacks" since they seem to think marshmallows and chocolate chips are an appropriate snack for toddlers…. But that's a story for another time! Every week or so I make her some snacks that are actually nutritional and not filled with preservatives and chemicals and crap. She's super into granola and granola bars, so naturally, I made her some for snack time this week! I doubled the batch and brought them in to my office to let my guinea pigs, er, co-workers give them a try. They were about 50/50 on if they liked the chocolate dipped version or the plain version best. If you know me at all, you know I preferred the chocolate dipped version!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup oats
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 coconut flakes (unsweetened)
1 cut nuts and dried fruit, optional (I used chopped almonds and raisins)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup raw honey
1 Tbl oil (I use coconut)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle oats, quinoa, and chia seeds on a cookie sheet and toast in hot oven for 8 minutes.

Place into a large bowl and add coconut, nuts, and dried fruit. In a medium saucepan, combine salt, peanut butter, honey, and oil. Bring to a boil over medium heat and take it off as soon as it starts to boil. Pour it over the oats mixture and stir until it is all evenly coated.

Pour into the greased baking dish and flatten it down until the top is flat. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Let cool for up to 2 hours and cut unto bars. If you prefer your granola bars sans chocolate… you seem boring, already. Just saying :P If you want chocolate on them, You'll need to also round up a spoonful of coconut oil and 2 handfuls of chocolate chips (real precise measurements, I know). Melt them together over low heat until smooth. Dip the bars into the chocolate and place chocolate side up on waxed paper. Let cool. Then you are ready to devour!!

Happy Eating!