cityscapes / May 6, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

blueberry nut + seed bars / May 3, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

maybe because i'm slightly obsessed with granola bars, and other kinds of bars, but i've noticed such an increase of them over the past decade. as i kid i remember seeing kudos bars, quaker oatmeal bars, nature's valley bars, etc. as i got older there i saw protein bars, energy bars, fiber bars, bars for specific people, like toddlers and people over the age of 55. there are weight loss bars, and bars that replace meals. one thing they all have in common are a laundry list of ingredients and additives. a few years ago i was reading a raw food cookbook where the author mentioned that the shorter the list of ingredients the better. since then i have become more aware at the grocery store or prepared food stores and counters, of how many things are being added into what i am eating. it doesn't exactly govern everything i put in my mouth, but it is definitely a good thing to keep in mind.

which is what brings me to these bars. i guess i would say they're a take on a kind bar. these actually have a shorter list of ingredients and are just as good! these blueberry nut + seed bars are a basic recipe, one that can definitely accomodate any fruit or ingredient of your liking. play around, add what you like, and enjoy.

blueberry nut + seed bars

| makes about 12 bars

1/2 cup raw almonds

1/4 cup raw pecans

1/4 cup raw walnuts

1/2 sunflower seeds

1/3 cup dried blueberries

1/4 cup raw agave nectar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

a pinch of cardamom

few pinches of fine grain sea salt

| directions

pre heat oven to 325°

line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment or tin foil. lightly coat the parchment with coconut oil ( you can also use olive oil)

combine the nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped (don't over chop, you dont want too many tiny pieces)

in large bowl, mix the chopped nuts dd the agave nectar and mix until the nuts are coated. add the blueberries, spices, and salt. mix until combined

pour mixture out into he lined pan. using the back of a spatula, press the mixture down into the corners and sides of pan. make sure that it's even

place in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes rotating halfway through

let the bars cool. they will not completely harden until they are thoroughly cooled. enjoy

almond butter mocha chip cookies / April 30, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i have been using almond butter more and more in every day things, and i've come to like it more than peanut butter (well, sometimes i like it more). usually i buy a small jar, as almond butter is super expensive. but this time around i decided i was going to make my own. i was really inspired by this blog post and this one, and thought i would give it a try. no one warned me of the insanely loud (wake-the-dead) noise my food processor would make in the first few seconds of grinding. it was so loud that i moved the processor across to the other side of the apartment and put it on top of an ottoman to hopefully drown out some of the noise. at first the almonds become this big unruly lump, then they begin to come together. after about 10-12, you will notice that the engine of your food processor will get quite warm, at this point you're seeing the almonds turn into butter. it's a really cool process to watch. i'm not sure i would do this weekly (for fear of the food processor exploding), but it was definitely worth it!

these cookies were really inspired by a recipe that used bananas both as a binder and a sweetener. however, almond butter, unless sweetened, is not so sweet. therefore, i played around a couple different times, with a few different flavors. the result is a really good cookie! it's almost brownie-like, but not as rich. the cookies are made with almond flour and oat flour, but you can substitute those for whatever flours you like. just be careful of the dry to wet ratio if you're planning on using sugar, you may want to add more almond butter or even almond milk if your batter is too dry or thick.

almond butter + mocha chip cookies

makes about 20 cookies

1 cup almond butter

1/2 cup raw agave nectar

1/4 cup coconut oil, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons finely ground decaffeinated espresso

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt + a pinch more (if you're using store bought almond butter, take note of how much added sodium there is. you don't want to be doubling the amount of salt)

5 - 6 ounces 70% cacao dark chocolate, roughly chopped