Happy Tuesday to you!  I like Tuesday.  It is like you have Monday under your belt and the week is humming along.  It isn’t that I want to rush the week along or anything, it is just that Tuesday feels less like a jolt to the system like Monday does after the weekend.

I did a little baking on the Sunday – carrot flax seed muffins, banana blueberry muffins and peanut butter quinoa granola bars.  I cut up a bunch of veggies and made a big pot of chili too.  I like to start the week prepared with snacks & lunches that are easy to grab and made with healthy ingredients.  I do like cooking for my family but if I am being honest, this weekend it was a little more of a chore.  The last few weeks I have felt like I’ve been in a perpetual state of dishwashing.  We can’t use our water softener at the moment due to leaking water issues.  I am assured that once we get out of the deep freeze, all will be well again!  Because of the hard water, the dishwashers success rate has dwindled.  Now I am having to re-wash dishes & cutlery with extra baked on food.

Ah well – back to the real reason I write!  The peanut butter quinoa granola bars are fantastic!  You, being a reader of mine, should have the opportunity to taste these bars yourself.  The recipe is quick and easy – you could even swing it on a weeknight!  Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Peanut Butter Quinoa Granola Bars

1 c. uncooked quinoa

1 c. oats

1 2 c. unsweetened coconut

1 c. mixture of dried fruit, nuts or chocolate chips

1 4 tsp. salt

1 2 c. unsweetened, natural peanut butter

1 2 c. unpasteurized honey or maple syrup

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp brown sugar or sucanat

 

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Butter a 9×13 baking dish.  Spread oats & quinoa on a cookie sheet and toast for 8 minutes.  Stir every few minutes.  Remove from oven and place oats & quinoa into a bowl with coconut, nuts & dried fruit.  In a small sauce pan, combine salt, peanut butter, honey or maple syrup, coconut oil & brown sugar.  Bring to a gentle boil & remove from heat.  Pour over ingredients in bowl & mix evenly.  Add chocolate chips last.  Take mixture and spread into baking dish.  Bake for 18 minutes.  Cool completely and cut into bars.

Note:  I didn’t have enough quinoa to make a full cup the second time I made these.  I substituted some of the quinoa for sesame seeds & pumpkin seeds.  They still turned out great!  Enjoy!