I love Larabars because they are made of all natural ingredients, no gluten, no dairy, no sugar.  But, trust me, the homemade ones are SO much better than the store bought ones.  They really don’t even compare.  The homemade ones taste so much better!  I usually make a big batch, and keep them in my fridge in little baggies for a quick on the go snack. See the last time I shared a larabar recipe here.

There is no limit to the combinations you can do!  Basically the base starts with a dried fruit or dates.  But, be careful when selecting your dried fruit.  Most of them have added sugar!  I takes a while to find ones without sugar, just be sure to look at the ingredients.  I was finally able to find dried natural cherries without added sugar at Trader Joe’s.  Raisins usually don’t have any added sugar.  Fresh dates, prunes, apricots, are also some you can find easily too.  I still have yet to find dried cranberries without added sugar.

So, I start with a dried fruit, then add some kind of a nut.  You can come up with a million different combinations.

Here are a few of my favorites lately!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Larabars

8-9 large pitted fresh Medjool dates

1/2 dried cherries (no sugar added)

pinch of sea salt

1 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts

1 tbs natural peanut butter (no additives, just made from peanuts)

Place all of the ingredients in a large food processor, and pulse until finely chopped.  Takes about 30 seconds to minute.  Next place foil or parchment paper in a 9×9 baking dish.  Press the pulsed ingredients into the pan, and let it set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  Remove and cut into bars.  Store in fridge.

Chocolate Almond Coconut Larabars

1 tbs good quality cocoa powder (I like Trader Joe’s or dutch processed cocoa powder)

10 large pitted fresh Medjool dates

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 1/2 cup raw unsalted almonds

pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon natural almond butter (ingredients should only say almonds)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Place all of the ingredients in a large food processor, and pulse until finely chopped.  Takes about 30 seconds to minute.  Next place foil or parchment paper in a 9×9 baking dish.  Press the pulsed ingredients into the pan, and let it set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  Remove and cut into bars.  Store in fridge.

Oatmeal Walnut Raisin Larabars

1 cup natural raisins

1/2 cup raw rolled oats

pinch of sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup unsalted walnuts

Place all of the ingredients in a large food processor, and pulse until finely chopped.  Takes about 30 seconds to minute.  Next place foil or parchment paper in a 9×9 baking dish.  Press the pulsed ingredients into the pan, and let it set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  Remove and cut into bars.  Store in fridge.

I also like to make power balls, or energy balls.  Basically you do the same thing, then roll them into balls instead of putting them in a baking sheet and cutting bars.  They are easy to grab on the go as well, and I like to eat one before a morning workout if I don’t want to eat a heavy breakfast first.

Almond Oat Energy Balls

2 1/2 cup dates, I prefer Medjool dates (pitted)
1 1/4 raw almonds
2 tbs almond butter 
1/4 cup raw old fashion oats
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Place all of the ingredients in a large food processor, and pulse until finely chopped.  Takes about 30 seconds to minute.  Next, roll them into 2 inch balls, and place them in a airtight container in the fridge. Keep them stored in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Salmon is a weekly staple at our house.  My kids love it, we love it, so it’s a win win!   I often get asked how I cook my salmon, and this is pretty much the way I cook it every time because usually I’m in such a hurry to get dinner on the table, and this is the easiest method, and fail proof every time!

How to Cook Salmon

This is the easiest way to me to cook salmon!

I buy the wild sockeye salmon.  I get out a baking dish a a large piece of foil.  Place the Salmon on the foil and drizzle with a little olive oil.  I sprinkle sea salt, dill, garlic powder, and fresh lemon pepper (the Trader Joe’s kind is my favorite, you grind it up right onto the fish, be careful of some lemon peppers, they have all sorts of additives and preservatives in the ingredients)  Then, I top it with a fresh lemon slices.  I then wrap the salmon up in the foil and put it in the oven on the BROIL setting.

Depending on the thickness of the salmon, I broil it wrapped in foil for about 20-25 minutes.  Then I open up the foil to expose the salmon, and broil another 5-10 minutes until it browns a little on the top and finished cooking.

It’s as easy as that!  It usually turns out perfectly moist, and tasty!

So, how do you like to cook your Salmon?

{photos by me}

I wanted to pop in and share a favorite soup recipe!  I usually make this with red lentils, but all I had was green, and I think I almost like it better with green lentils!  They seem more chewy to me, and I like chewy!

This recipe has a lot of amazing spices and I love the blend of flavors with lots of vegetables!  You can easily make this vegetarian or vegan depending on what kind of broth or cream you use.

Enjoy!

Lentil and Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup carrots, peeled and diced

8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes, keep juice

3 oz tomato paste (1/2 can)

2 cups cream (or coconut cream/milk for vegan) – I like the heavy coconut cream from Trader Joe’s

1 3/4 cups green lentils (I like the trader joe’s green lentils that come in a bag)

2-3 tablespoons agave nectar

1 tsp sea salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

3 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

In a large pot, saute onions, celery, and carrots with all of the dry spices until tender, about 10-15 minutes. 

Add the remaining ingredients except for the cream, still well, and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Once it starts to bubble turn down to medium and simmer for about 45 minutes mixing every so often, and simmer until the vegetables and lentils are cooked.  Remove from heat, stir in cream, then taste for seasonings.

Enjoy!

{Photo by me}