honey wholewheat cranberry nut bread

Happy 2014, wonderful humans! Can you believe 2013 has come and gone? My brain just can't wrap itself around that fact. 2013 was quite the year for me. It was our first full year in Africa, I had some really tough times with friends, I learned a LOT about myself and about other people {they suck. not all of them though.}, I discovered my deep passion for health and fitness, learned a lot about health, fitness, food, and photography, grew much closer to my wonky-tonk family, and expanded my blog considerably. I've had many, many lessons that I know will get me places in 2014. I'm so ready for a fresh new start and to leave the past behind me. Come at me, 2014! Also, thank you to all you lovely people who read my blog each and every witty and weird post. I heart you big time and I hope this new year is full of rainbows and butterflies. 

I'm not really one to make resolutions. Probably because I have a little trouble with keeping them, but I think that's all the more reason to make a few this year, however small they may be. 1) step out of my comfort zone more often and do things I normally wouldn't. 2) DO MORE FOR OTHERS. 3) run longer distances. 4) experiment more with baking vegan/GF. 5) finish 10th grade early. and 6) dedicate more time to my blog and all you lovely people. 

What are some of your resolutions? The most common is probably "eating better, ya da ya da ya da." AMIRIGHT? It's supposed that people lose motivation and are already slacking in their resolutions by the second week of January. So instead of going from the holidays and stuffing yourself to drinking 5 juices a day, I'd like to suggest easing into healthy eating. You're so much more likely to stick with it then! As we all know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And sadly, eating cookies or cake isn't the best way to rev up your metabolism first thing in the morning. I have a solution! MAKE THIS QUICK BREAD. It's super quick and easy, has only a few really basic ingredients, is healthy, and highly adaptable! For this one I used chopped nuts and cranberries, but you could chop up different nuts, use different dried fruit, and throw in some seeds for good measure. The world is at your fingertips. 

honey wholewheat cranberry nut bread

2 1/2 c. wholewheat flour

1 c. quick cooking oats

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. honey

1 2/3 c. milk {I used soy}

3/4 c. chopped nuts

3/4 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk flour, oats, and baking soda. Add honey and milk and stir until combined. Gently fold in nuts and cranberries. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.

coconut almond cranberry granola

Whoa.

I've made a lot of granola in my day. And I mean a lot. But any recipes I've made in the past have nothing on this. {"They got nooooothin' on YOUUUUU, baaabay. Nothin' on YOUUUUU babayyy."}

For the span of my 15 years, I've been on the journey of looking for the perfect granola recipe that would yield a chewy, crunchy texture. Of course all the other recipes are awesome!

But this one is awesomer.

Thanks to the generous amount of honey, I got JUST the perfect texture- sticky, chewy, and a little crunchy with the addition of almonds. Top it off with some ice cold milk {I used soy milk} and be prepared to go into a granola-coma. Especially if you eat half the batch in a day which I may or may not have done. 

I blame it on stress.

When I'm stressed, I make food. When I make food, I eat food. When I eat food, I eat a lot of food. When I eat a lot of food, I feel bad about it. It's a vicious cycle, I tell you!

Thank goodness for my wondrous justifying skills. 

I shouldn't feel bad about it though, because granola is supposedly healthy. Although I'm not really sure if that applies when you eat approximately 10.75 servings. 

Huh.

I'm totally thinking I should have made a bigger batch of this stuff. Sure it yields about four and a half cups of granola, but let's be real. I could eat half a batch, 10 days a week.

You have been warned.

coconut almond cranberry granola 

1 1/2 c. oats

2 tbsp. oil {canola or olive is fine}

3/4 c. honey

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 c. desiccated coconut

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 c. dried cranberries

1/2 c. almonds, roughly chopped 

Preheat oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add honey, olive oil, and honey. Stir until combined. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake, mixing around every 3-5 minutes. Once it's been in the oven for 15-20 minutes, remove from oven and add cranberries and almonds. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. 

fruit & nut energy bites

So, ya know that whole "challenge" thing {no d-word} I'm doing? Well, I'm actually kinda sorta loving it. Way more than I thought I would at least.

I hardly even eat bread, but of course when I can't, it's all I'm thinking about. Again with that whole food consuming my thoughts… It's like a disease!!

Anyways, I'm learning to live with it and instead eat corn cakes, brown rice, and oats as my carbs. It's interesting to see what I can and can't eat. Of course, I'm not being SUPER strict about it. Or at least when it comes to the gluten part, because we think it's either dairy or sugar.

Food interests me a lot, so I went into full-on food nerd mode and read about gluten and what kinds of everyday foods are {and aren't} gluten free.

I looked up oats and apparently there's controversy over such. I read that oats say they contain gluten only because of contamination {like there being gluten in the production facilities} or if it was grown next to a grain containing gluten.

So since I'm not actually ALLERGIC to gluten, I'm gonna keep oats in my diet. After all, it's pretty much the only grain I can find here that I can eat for the next month. Almond flour and all that other weird stuff? Nowhere. In fact, I'm pretty sure if you asked someone if they knew where you could find hemp flour {that's a thing, isn't it?}, they'd look at you like you had five heads.

Trust me, I'm all too familiar with getting weird looks.

You're probably wondering how in the heck I'm somewhat enjoying this.

WELL, three days into it, and I can already tell a difference in my skin. Not only that, but I feel so much better! I thought I ate healthy, but I'm really starting to be able to tell I could have been doing so much better. I'm amping up my intake of protein, fruits, and veggies, and I can definitely tell a difference in the way I feel after I eat. So much less bloated, but perfectly full.

SOOO anyhoooozles- enough about that.

Today's my birthday! And these things are my birthday cake. How sad IS that? Hooray for oats and honey and nuts and fruit! Not my typical sugar feast, but I guess I can deal.

P.S. Since I'm focusing mainly on cutting out dairy and sugar, I used regular oats and rice krispies in this recipe. They both have just a liiiiiiitle bit of gluten in them, but if you're looking for a totally gluten free version, just use 1 1/4 c. gf oats instead.

fruit & nut energy bites

1/2 c. chopped dates

1/4 c. honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. rice krispies, crushed

3/4 c. oats

2 tbsp. raisins

2 tbsp. salted peanuts

3 tbsp. banana chips, roughly chopped

2 tbsp. dried cranberries

3 tbsp. sunflower seeds

In a large bowl, combine the chopped dates, honey, and vanilla extract. Add the crushed cereal and oats. Fold in the dried nuts and fruit and stir until everything is combined. Roll into balls about 1 1/2 tbsp. each and store in an airtight container or plastic bag. 

homemade {3 ingredient} energy bars

 It seems like lately, all the appliances that are important in my life... 

Are breaking. 

Dying.

 Slowly perishing.

A couple weeks ago, I was minding my own business, whipping together one of my favorite smoothies {banana and spinach, mind you.} All of a sudden, 'ol Bess decided she didn't want to work. Her spinny choppy thing was spinny but not choppy. I don't dig it. I then proceeded to make my smoothie in a glass with a spoon. Yah that worked out reeeeeeeal great.

Then, on a super flipping hot day {which is pretty much like every day.} my fan decided he didn't want to work either. His days of blocking out all annoying sounds while I did school and cooling me down during the hot nights {ok, this is getting weird.} were over. Let me tell you... Africa with no fan? Not a situation you want to be in. It seems like no matter HOW many layers you shed, you're still dripping sweat. It's so unattractive and gross. Ugh. And the worst part is you can't ever escape it! Unless you go and take an ice bath... Which actually sounds quite appealing at the moment.

Awhile ago, I saw a recipe for 3 ingredient energy bars. 3 ingredients? Energy bars? Count me in! The recipe calls for blending everything together in a blender. But who has two thumbs and no blender? This girl. If you're looking for an arm workout, making energy bars by hand is a great way to work those muscles. Forget the resistance bands, just grab a cutting board and knife and you're good to go!

Unless of course, you have the modern luxuries of a blender, by all means, use it. They save you a lot of hurt and time. Trust me, I know these things.

Just a little note about these energy bars- They're super adaptable. I have some ideas formulating for tons of varieties. Feel free to use whatever mixins you'd like though! Chocolate chips, apricots, pistachios, it's up to you! Just make sure to have 1 part dates 1 part dried fruit and 1 part nuts.

homemade {3 ingredient} energy bars

1 c. pitted dates

1/2 c. mixed nuts

1/2 c. sunflower seeds

1/2 c. seedless raisins

1/2 c. cranberries

1 1/2 tbsp. organic honey

In a blender, blend all ingredients until a paste has formed. Press the mixture between two pieces of parchment paper in a pan . Refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight. Cut into squares and wrap with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. 

Deep Dish White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

I have good news! Wanna know what? I got a 4 day weekend! Which pretty much just translates to sitting around in my sweats and eating chocolate all day. Gahh I loved it. BUT, like all good things, it soon came to an end. Which means I actually have to get up at a normal time, run, shower, and do school… Which also means I spent 8 hours doing school today, and didn't even finish everything. BOOOOOOOO. 

One of my highlights of the weekend- THESE COOKIES. Easily excited, I know. They're so dang good though! I have this recipe for cranberry white chocolate chip cookies that I've been making for awhile now. Given that I can't find most things in season here, and since cranberries are like OHMYGAWWWSHTHEONLYTHINGS that are kinda a winter-ish flavor, I figured I'd use them in a recipe to share with you guys.

Enter THESE COOKIES. They're soft, chewy, and buttery, with some creaminess from the white chocolate, and some tang thanks to the dried cranberries. This time, I switched them up from the original recipe, and decided to plop 'em in a muffin tin. Because let's face it, anything in a muffin tin is usually pretty cute. AND DELICIOUS.

Deep Dish White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

yields 15 cookies 

3/4 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. dark brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1 egg

1 tbsp. vanilla

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 c. white chocolate chips

1 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a muffin tin. In a large bowl cream the sugars, egg, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Combine with the flour and baking soda. Fold in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before moving to a wire rack. 

Also… Totally noticed I just posted two cranberry recipes in a row. Sorry but not sorry. 

Cranberry Banana Muffins

If you've followed MHP for awhile, you know that I LOOOOOVE muffins. Like, we're talking, with all my heart here. I don't know WHY… I just… love them. They're perfect for a quick breakfast if you're in a rush, microwaved after they've been in the fridge for awhile, or as an afternoon snack! … or lunch. or dinner. or dessert. Really, anytime of the day works. 

One more thing to add to the list of reasons I adore them is that they're pretty easy to make HEALTHY. Of course the muffins that you'll grab at a gas station, bakery, or restaurant probably aren't full of good things. In fact, they're loaded with sugar. But when you decide to go the homemade route, you have the ability to make these into a yummy, nutritious, and filling treat.

Today's muffins are INSANE. I got two texts from friends saying they were the best muffins EVER! Mission accomplished. They're light and fluffy, but dense too, thanks to the greek yogurt in the batter. In the whole recipe there's only three quarters of a cup of white flour and then the rest is whole wheat. With only one third cup of sugar, these muffins get some sweetness from the bananas. I LOVED how the cranberries studded these muffins and got all juicy when baked. DELICIOUS!

I was hoping to have these for breakfasts this week… BUT. They only lasted about 24 hours. Which is a pretty good sign if you ask me :)

Cranberry Banana Muffins

3/4 c. AP flour

1 1/4 c. wheat flour

1/3 c. sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. cinnamon 

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 c. plain greek yogurt {or 1 c. milk}

2 ripe bananas {plus one more for garnish, optional}

1/4 c. melted butter

1 egg

3/4 c. dried cranberries

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl, combine the milk, mashed bananas, butter, and eggs. Add to the well in the flour mixture. Add dried cranberries.Stir dry ingredients until moistened. Spoon mixture into a greased or lined muffin tin, filling each 3/4 full. Bake at 400ºF for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and cool on a wire rack. 

This post is being entered in Get Your Chef On :: Cranberries

hosted by White Lights on Wednesday and Four Marrs and One Venus

Lemon Cranberry Scones with Lemon Vanilla Glaze

These scones… are amazing. They're one of those things that you'll sit on the counter, forget to put away, and munch on all day long. Oh no, you will most definitely NOT go sit down with a cup of tea, eating one of these, and read a book like a proper person would. Instead, you my friend, will go stand at the counter, looking out the kitchen window at the sunset, and eat the puddles of glaze {aka Love Puddles} and stuff all the crumbs in your mouth as humanly possible. 

Errrr… at least that's what I did. 

 Nowadays, in good 'ol Africa, it's getting hot. And it's annoying. Not that I was planning on it being in the 50's all day. But ya knowwww…  When I made these, we had to put on every single fan on in the house. Because a) it was hot. and b) our oven was smoking before anything was even in there. WHAT. Mixing up the dough, even works up a sweat.

So. stinking. much. work.

Really though, it's worth it. These scones are perfectly moist and fluffy. Sweet, yet tart. And the GLAZE! My word to your mother. I sat at the counter eating it out of the bowl with a spoon… It's that good.

They're perfect for breakfast, snacks, tea, or brunch.

… If you must be so sophisticated.

Lemon Cranberry Scones with Lemon Vanilla Glaze
Scones:
1 3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
5 tbsp. cold butter, cut into chunks
2/3 c. buttermilk {you can just add about a capful of vinegar to regular milk}
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 c. dried cranberries

Glaze:
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. milk
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold in the butter with a fork until the mixture has become crumbly.

3. Add in the buttermilk, lemon juice, zest, and cranberries. Mix until smooth.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a round disc. Cut into eights and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

5. While the scones are cooling, prepare the glaze by mixing everything together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the scones.

Bon appetite! And have a happy weekend!

{no-bake} homemade fruit & nut energy bars

Awhile ago, a recipe fro homemade Cliff Bars popped in my inbox from Brown Eyed Baker and I thought to myself "Genius. Just genius." I've been looking for some new, healthier recipes for breakfasts, snacks, and pre-run fuel. 

These energy bars fit the bill. They're loaded with grains, nuts, and fruit. They'll fill ya right up, boost your energy, and cure your case of the Sweet Tooth. There's so many different variations you could come up with, my mind is spinning. 

{no-bake} homemade fruit & nut energy bars

3 tbsp. dried cranberries

3 tbsp. chopped dried apricots

3 tbsp. chopped dried kiwi

3 tbsp. chopped pitted dates

2 tbsp. pumpkin seeds

1 c. puffy rice cereal {I used the African equivalent of Rice Krispies or Cheerios}

1 1/2 c. oats

1/2 c. honey

1 mashed banana

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cereal, oats, nuts, and dried frit. Add in the honey and mashed banana. Press the mixture into a 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper. Press another piece of parchment paper on top and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Once the bars have firmed up in the refrigerator, remove from the pan, cut into squares, and wrap individually with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator. 

Homemade Granola

People. Let's just face it. Every so often you've just gotta make something healthy. Or semi-healthy. Or just plain sugary like cake batter bark for example. Although the sugary recipes that I make far outnumber the amount of healthy things. Whoops. I'm hoping to change that…

Anyways.

Granola is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast after a morning workout. A yummy, healthy, and filling treat, with some bananas on top? Oh yum.

It's been on my list of things to make {along with like a gazillion other things.} for a long time! So when I saw this recipe from Yammie I decided to give it a shot, adjusting it just a little.

I just love how adaptable granola is! You can use a variety of nuts, dried fruit, and spices. I'm already thinking of different combinations for next time. I made mine with walnuts, a little but of sunflower seeds, cashews, and dried cranberries.

But it's a free country. So do as you wish.

I  hate to say it, but I hardly measured my ingredients. Times like this are when you can get away with such horrible crimes… But if you're a Measuring Natzi, go ahead and measure, if it helps you sleep at night.

You can eat the granola for breakfast {or lunch. or dinner. or dessert.}  with some yogurt, fruit, on top of cereal, oatmeal, or… Just eat it the good 'ol fashioned way- with milk.

Homemade Granola

2 1/2 cups rolled oats 

1 cup nuts, roughly chopped {I used walnuts, cashews, and sunflower seeds}

1 cup dried fruit {I used cranberries}

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

  

Mix it all together. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 1 hour at 250º, stirring every 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake Loaf

There are certain things in life that are just meant for each other…

Coffee and cookies.

Messy-buns and yoga pants.

Chocolate and peanut butter.

Pigs and southern accents. 

Paris and rain. 

Me and Justin Bieber.

And cranberries and orange.

The freshness of the orange zest and the sweet pop of cranberries. Yum.

And of course, what's a coffee cake without some crumble topping? A very very boring

coffee cake, I tell you. 

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake Loaf

1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) butter, melted

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp of sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup of milk

1 scant cup of flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup of cranberries

zest from one whole orange

dash of orange juice

Crumble Topping 

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 tbsp. flour

1/2 c. oats

dash of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  

To prepare the crumble, mix all ingredients together until the texture of wet sand; set aside.

In a bowl whisk together the butter, sugar, egg, orange juice, and milk.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add that, plus the oats, to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.  Fold in the cranberries and orange zest.  Spray an 8X4 pan with nonstick spray and pour the batter inside, making the top as even as you can.  Evenly top with the crumble topping.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out evenly.  Let cool completely before removing from pan and slicing. 

White Chocolate Cranberry Muffins

I made these on Wednesday... {as in LAST Wednesday...}

But didn't get around to uploading the photos and posting until now...
Mostly because of my super busyness and also because I had that
ISSUE where I couldn't find my pictures again!!!
I have TONS of blogging to catch up on that I will HOPEFULLY be able to get
around to posting soon...
:P
Anyways...

I just LOVE the combination of white chocolate and cranberries! 

Sweet and tart! Enjoy(:

White Chocolate Cranberry Muffins
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
3 tbsp. butter, melted
2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. sour cream
1 c. frozen or fresh cranberries {or 1/2 c. dried}
1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray 16 muffin cups with baking spray containing flour; set aside.
In small bowl, combine walnuts, 1/3 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. flour, and 3 tbsp. of butter and mix until crumbly. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, 1/4 c. brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and mix with wire whisk. In medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, and sour cream and beat with a whisk until smooth and blended. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until combined.
Add cranberries and white chocolate chips. Stir until blended.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups; sprinkle each with some of the brown sugar mixture.
Bake for 20-25 until muffins are brown and firm when touched with finger.
Let cool in muffin tins for 3-4 minutes, then carefully remove to wire racks to cool.
Serve warm. Makes 16 muffins.

Yummly, crumbly muffins-

White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Cookies

Hey readers!

Today was such a perfect day to bake these delicious cookies! They're some of my favorites and so I am told, my specialty! Enjoy this recipe from allrecipes.com. 


White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter, softened                                                            
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon brandy {I used vanilla}
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. white chocolate chips
1 c. dried cranberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease cookie sheets

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and brandy {vanilla}. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven. For best results. take them out while they are still doughy. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

Click HERE for a printable version of the recipe

Also, a reminder- entries for the FoodFoto contest are due by August 4th {Thursday} and so far, I have not received any.

Click HERE for details on the contest.

Thanks and enjoy!(: 
-Sophie