No-Bake Granola Bars {Gluten Free}

After watching the Bear and the Bird chow down on a prepackaged granola bar in Target and THEN looking at the ingredients I thought there has got to be a better way! The ingredients were unacceptable for a healthy snack.  

I am all about splurging on a fun/unhealthy snack on occasion but I can't stand when a snack masquerades as "healthy." Looking at labels is a must for me since I can't tolerate gluten and we generally do most of our shopping at stores that don't intentionally trick you into buying something "all-natural," "healthy" and so on.

When the kiddos and I arrived home we lively chatted about what ingredients we would need to create a delicious and slightly naughty granola bar.  A granola bar whose healthy ingredients trump the naughty ingredients. See what we came up with recipe below:

No-Bake Granola Bar {Gluten Free}

3 cups oats
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1/2 cup coconut oil (warmed to a liquid)
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
2 tablespoon sweetener (I used honey) 

Mix all ingredients well in a large mixing bowl. Spoon into a muffin tin cups and flatten down with the bottom of the spoon until the cups are half filled.  Refrigerate for an hour and they are ready to eat!  Keep them refrigerated until you are ready to eat!

The fiber in the oats and the benefits of the coconut definitely outweigh the minimal chocolate and sweetener. Half of a bar is a perfect late night snack and also a post-nap treat!

Taste-Testing Homemade Gluten Free Pancake Mix!

I was so thrilled to be asked to try out a dear friend's homemade, home-milled, gluten-free pancake mix!

I had great intentions to record the the making and trying of the first batch.  Unfortunately, I ate, shared it and never picked up a camera.

To my joy she gave me a second batch the next time I saw her!  I can give you the ingredients but not the recipe as it could be a best seller in progress!

Ingredients: Organic milled oats, organic short grain brown rice, buttermilk, sweetener, baking soda, baking powder, salt.

I added: Egg, milk, coconut oil

The result was delicious!! Generally, gluten free pancakes are thinner and these were no different but I love a thin pancake!

They have a wonderful wholesome, fresh taste.  They soak up butter and are totally family approved.

Please leave me a comment if you are interested in trying some out!

Coconut Oil Salves

Looking for a sweet, natural night cap for relaxing sleep or just a calm hint of scent on your pulse points to get you through your day? Read on, my friends.

So,  I saw this recipe on FB and it had me at relaxation salve!  It was homemade, all-natural and looked easy enough to recreate!

 Coconut Lavender Relaxation Salve

And decided to give it a whirl...a couple times.

The first one I made I stayed close to the recipe with the exclusion of beeswax mostly because I couldn't find it.

It turned out dreamy and creamy and once you put it on you want to just curl up and pretend fall is here.

Then, The Bear gave me the idea to try and infuse my own with homegrown lavender and we also added his favorite smelling plant lemon geranium.

While his looks a bit more rustic and we only made a small amount (we did try and strain it!) the scent is to die for!  Recipe below.

Lavender Lemon Geranium Coconut Salve

2 tablespoons coconut oil
Handful of your favorite fragrant plants (make sure they are not poisonous to apply topically to skin!)

Melt coconut oil in a saucepan until clear on low. Finely chop up plants and add to pan.  Let all of the flavors and smells warmly meld together for about 30 minutes. Turn off heat.  Let cool slighty.  Pour contents of pan through a strainer to get bits of plant out.  Pour into a container with a lid!  Let solidify.

Note:  These are my first attempts and I would probably infuse more lavender or smelly plants next time!