Banana Oat Energy Bars (vegan, oil-free, gluten-free)

I’ve attempted to create granola-type bars in the past and haven’t been happy with the results.  I got lucky this time.  These are super easy to make and very quick.  They are packed with Omega-3’s, protein and fiber.

Note: this recipe is only gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oats and oat flour, which are both easy to come by.

Whole Grain Bread! Bread Maker Recipe

Several years ago, I asked hubby for a bread maker.  My big plan was to make lots of fresh-baked loaves of bread and never have to buy another loaf again.  Ah, to be young with such lofty goals.  I baked one loaf, it wasn’t great, and the unit was stored in the garage for several years.  My older, and much wiser self decided to dust that bad boy off and give the whole bread-making thing another shot.  SO glad I did!  My amazingly wonderful friend Donna makes bread all the time and is always telling me how fun and easy it is – and how great it makes the house smell.  She was so right!

I did some research and played around a bit with ingredients and ultimately came up with this whole grain treat.   If you don’t have a bread maker, ask Santa or whomever to bring you one.  You literally dump the ingredients in the metal “bowl”, and walk away.  Definitely the lazy man’s way to make bread (though not as lazy as buying a loaf at the store!).