Hope you all had a fantastic week! I sort of did, I am very much missing my boyfriend/Korea to absolute bits. I've been trying to fight off jet lag, and only yesterday was I able to stay up the whole day until a reasonable bedtime, /cough 9:30 pm, yes I am an adult. Trying to get back 13 hours behind is very difficult, especially when you don't have a purpose to try and fight it, unfortunately, it's not like I'm working or anything. I haven't been trying to sleep regular hours, but I know I have to. Last night I slept from 9:30 pm until about 1:00 am, stayed up for an hour or so talking to Jordan then went back to sleep until about 5:00 am then layed in bed until I was craving breakfast. This has been happening on and off all week. This week I shall change that, and I shall have a fun week, woo!
As for recipes, boy do I have some amazing recipes for you. Let's start off with the recipe that makes the other recipes I'm going to post killer good. It has been about a good year and a bit since I have purchased peanut butter. Once I started making it I didn't see a reason to buy peanut butter from the jar, especially when it was loaded with added sugars. Yes, I know you can buy the all natural peanut butters, but what fun is it when you can't alter it to your own flavours (I'm aware you can take the base, but making the whole thing from scratch is part of the fun!). Ever since making peanut butter I have never made the same one twice. Now, peanut butters are not something I usually post the recipe for as 99% of the time I just throw in whatever flavours I'm feeling at the moment, and never take measurements or photographs for that matter.
I found a peanut butter recipe however that is going to blow your socks off. This may even be a peanut butter recipe that I make over and over and over again, because it is just sinful. It reminds me of caramel, served on top of an apple you would surely have a healthy "caramel apple" sort of thing going on. I wish I would of thought of this recipe myself because it is simply a masterpiece, but being able to find it online, hot dang am I ever happy I did. Now without dragging on for too long about a spread here ya go ;)
/you know when people say that they eat peanut butter with a spoon? This one is definitely one of those peanut butters that... I don't even know if I'd be able to stop once I got my first spoon in there, eek.
Maple Walnut Peanut Butter
Recipe slightly adapted from here
- 1/3 cup homemade peanut butter
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup walnut halves, toasted, chopped finely
Directions
In the bowl of your food processor mix until everything is incorporated and you have smooth peanut butter (unless you like chunky peanut butter, mix by hand)
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Recipe adapted from here
Now, I have a dessert for ya'll (I had to eventually throw that in at one point in my blogging "career", I mean it flows well... sorta, but it just feels so much faster to type). This is my first pumpkin dessert recipe of the season, unless of course you count Pumpkin Pretzels as dessert, but who are you kidding, that is just an appetizer to dessert!
Recipe adapted from here
Now, I have a dessert for ya'll (I had to eventually throw that in at one point in my blogging "career", I mean it flows well... sorta, but it just feels so much faster to type). This is my first pumpkin dessert recipe of the season, unless of course you count Pumpkin Pretzels as dessert, but who are you kidding, that is just an appetizer to dessert!
Until yesterday's breakfast: Pumpkin Pie Overnight Cereal, I had never thought to mix peanut butter and pumpkin together, I'm not sure why, but when I was topping my breakfast the peanut butter just magically happened to plop on top of my bowl, meuahhahaha. I realized just how amazing this mix is, and well it seems other's had come across that marvelous knowledge as well. When I stumbled on a recipe for Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars I knew I had to make them. I had enough pumpkin puree in my can for this recipe and well for breakfast this morning (not that I'm not hoarding a ton of cans in my cupboard or anything, doo doo doooo). But these bars, oh holy moly.
I changed the recipe slightly, by changing the sugars. Instead of using brown sugar I made a date paste from heated dates/water, and then instead of granulated sugar I used coconut sap, plus the addition of homemade peanut butter, ah brilliant. I let them sit out for a while before I indulged in one... but I had just done a work out and unfortunately was craving some sweets so I dug in, and well, it was blissful. These bars are purely genius, the pumpkin is definitely evident as is the peanut butter, it was like a 50/50 tie, it was a perfect melding of two wonderful flavours in one.
These are certainly perfect snacks to keep around the house, especially during this beautiful fall season. It is not too heavy, nor is it too light. It isn't too sweet, however it also isn't undersweet. It is moist and cakey, and just mmmm, you need to try this out for yourself! Also, these are a one bowl recipe which makes it even sweeter! Do yourself, and those around you a favour and go make these!
Ingredients:
In a measuring cup add your hot water and dates - I just used hot water from the tap no need to get fancy. Let your mixture stand for 10-15 minutes.
When done, take out 1/4 cup of water, and transfer the remaining water and dates to a food processor. Process until your mixture becomes a smooth paste.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir by hand. Spread batter (it will be pretty moist) into a lined and spayed 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan.
Bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. The bars may still look underdone, but that’s okay because they will continue to set up as they cool.
Allow to cool very well before slicing. Store extras on the countertop, refrigerator, or in the freezer for long term storage.
- 1/2 cup homemade peanut butter
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups oats
- 1 1/4 cup hot water (or 1 cup of brown sugar)
- 8 dates
- 1/4 cup coconut sap (or 1/2 cup granulated sugar)
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
In a measuring cup add your hot water and dates - I just used hot water from the tap no need to get fancy. Let your mixture stand for 10-15 minutes.
When done, take out 1/4 cup of water, and transfer the remaining water and dates to a food processor. Process until your mixture becomes a smooth paste.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir by hand. Spread batter (it will be pretty moist) into a lined and spayed 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan.
Bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. The bars may still look underdone, but that’s okay because they will continue to set up as they cool.
Allow to cool very well before slicing. Store extras on the countertop, refrigerator, or in the freezer for long term storage.
Pumpkin Spice Oats
Remember yesterday how I said that after enjoying my Pumpkin Pie Overnight Cereal so, so much I was going to have it again the next day only in a hot-oat version? Well if not, that is what I said and I did of course follow through with it.
After having a large can of pumpkin open all week, I finished it off this morning, went by quickly it seems, but I got many delicious creations from it. The only thing that was different in this mornings bowl of oats is that of course it was warm, with ooey-gooey banana morsels strung through out, but I added more pumpkin since I wanted to toss the can. This bowl had 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree rather than a 1/2 cup.
So, which one did I like more? Honestly, regardless of the fact that they both contained the exact same flavours and basically the same measurements (other than the pumpkin), they were both incredible in their own way. To choose between the two would be like choosing between peanut butter and jam, or peanut butter and chocolate (only when it comes to Homemade Peanut Butter Cups though), it's not possible and you shouldn't have to make that decision, nuh uh, no way Jose.
What I liked about the Pumpkin Pie Overnight Cereal was that it was smooth with some crunch here and there, that it was almost like a smoothie only thicker. The one this morning was a whole different dimension because of the cooked bananas versus the blended banana. Okay, okay, I liked both so so much and you should just try them, do eet, doooo eettttt.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup oats
- 1/3 cup soy milk
- Dash of salt
- 1/2 cup pumpkin
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1 banana, ripe and mashed
- 1 tbsp chia seeds + 1/4 tsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp walnuts - chopped
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 heaping tbsp peanut butter
In a small pot add your oats, soy milk, water, pumpkin, spices, chia seeds, vanilla and salt. Once it comes to a boil add in your banana, mash it well and incorporate until everything comes together.
Top with additional chia seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and your peanut butter.
Now tell me, peanut butter and pumpkin?
What do you think?
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