Shreddin' and Spiralizin'

Hey guys! I have some great tips in this post and a killer (I mean KILLLLER!) granola bar recipe! I also have to finish getting ready and get to work, so let's jump right on in...

I like to add fruit to my oats, but I was out of my tried and true fave (nanners!), so I reached for an apple and dug out my grater to shred the heck out of my Jazz-y apple. Into a bowl went the juice and all...along with one oatmeal packet, a tablespoon of flax and a splash of milk.

Creamy with a delightful apple crunch! :)

GRANOLA BARS! Ellie sure knows what's going on. These are killer. They are one tough cookie to spread into the pan, but it's worth the mini-workout! :)

The recipe can be seen here. The changes (not many) that I made are:

• Use whatever spices you want and feel free to add some extracts.
• I used 2T flax and 6T of water (let these two ingredients sit and meld together for a few minutes) in place of the two eggs. It's so cool how this mixture resembles an egg!
• In place of figs, I use a variety of dried fruits.
• Of course, use any nuts that you want!
  

If you are interested in making these bars, read below for helpful tips!

I use this tool to spread the granola mass and let me tell you that it is a fantastic investment. My roommate had it in her drawer and while it's supposed to be used to clean your oven, I've found a better use. To master the art of spreading this delightfulness, I would put the whole granola mixture onto one side of the non-stick sprayed pan and spray the handy dandy tool (if you don't have this tool, then buy one or improvise). Smash the granola, going from one end and spreading to the other. This takes some strength and some time, but it makes for dense and even granola bars. Just keep pressing and pushing until your mixture is spread across the whole pan. If you dump it straight in the middle and try to go at it like you would a pan of brownies or something, you will get lots of cracks and whatnot! No fun. Also, I mix the recipe in a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer and cut it into 12 rectangles because 16 is too small! Have fun! These bars are ROCKIN!

I got a spiralizer and LURVE it!

Phone pic! Not too shabby...The flavor was phenom. Chili and zuc. Simply delish!

The making of a Grrreat wrap! No...Frosted Flakes were not involved! ;)

I fell in love with spaghetti squash all over again!

I ate my kiwi with a spoon! Great trick!

What have you been up to?

p.s. Check out this giveaway for all of the sweet little ones in your life.