No-Bake Chocolate Oat Bars

Now officially working three jobs, my baking time has sadly dwindled into a few remaining evening and weekend hours. (You know, the ones that are also occupied with walking the dog, preparing meals, fitting in exercise, time with friends and family, and catching up on my reality TV marathons). Luckily, summer days are longer and, hey, I’m getting paid to teach elementary school kids—that thing I’m trying to do as a career (until I open my own bake shop).

Like many of my recipes, this was inspired by one that my mom often made in the warm summer months for my sister and I. It doesn’t require an oven—just the melting together of cocoa, sugar, and (in my case) coconut butter on the stove before stirring in a few other basic ingredients. From what I can gather, no-bake cookies are a Midwest thing, usually with peanut butter and butter, and dropped in dollops onto cookie sheets to harden. Besides the obvious axing of the butter, I opted for almond butter over peanut (it’s just what I had on hand) and poured it all into a square baking dish, resulting in even-easier-to-make bars. The first time I made them they lacked a little something, so I added chopped nuts for more texture and kick of flavor. Go ahead, try them!

Rich and Moist Chocolate Swirl Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze

I meant to make two yummy little breakfast bowls—a cozy breakfast for two. A warm, vanilly, spiced bowl of quinoa, sparkled with a dazzle of summer cherries and a pretty little ribbon of pecans sprinkled across the top. In fact, I did make this. I stirred it, warmed it, and served it up, only to come face to face with what actually became my morning…and then the rest of the tear-filled, dramatic (maybe a touch overly so), everything-I-thought-I knew-was-suddenly-unsure day. A day that called for something sinful, decadent, and (forget the sweet) bitter—a chocolatiness that the sheer baking of it made me feel like I was creating a dark (albeit extremely yummy) illustration of how I felt: depressed and very, very angry.

But I suppose I should start at the beginning.

Winter-is-Over Agave Citrus Jam

We’re nearing the end of citrus season, so I recently bought a giant sack of my favorite winter fruit, cuties. The problem is, since the boyfriend recently moved to Michigan for the baseball season, I’m going through food a whole lot slower than usual. I looked at my huge bag of little cuties in the fridge and realized there was just no way I could finish all of them before they shrivel up into moldy balls. So I decided to make jam—and enjoy them all through summer.

Of course, traditional jam recipes are loaded with sugar and chemicals, which basically negates all the benefits of the fresh fruit. I decided to try it with just agave nectar, the fruit, and nothing more. The consistency wasn’t exactly that of store-bought jam, but it made a slightly more viscous (is that a gross word to use when talking about food?) spread that works just as well in terms of adding fruity flavor to toast, oatmeal, or muffins. The flavor is more balanced between the tart of the citrus and the sweet of agave, making it really feel like I’m eating those little cuties atop my toast.

Dairy Free Zucchini Muffins

Continuing my oat flour experimentation, I decided to try a few more batches of muffins. I’m always trying to eat more veggies, and shredding some into ooey, gooey batter is the sweetest way I’ve found to do this yet. Oh, and after tasting these little puppies, I now officially take back what I said about oat flour—these turned out incredibly moist. I’m sorry, oat flour. Can we be friends? 

Berry Breakfast Scone Cookies

Scones have been one those gorgeous breakfast pastries that that I’ve had to learn to live without since becoming lactose intolerant. Well, now I can have my digestive health and my scones, too. Inspired by a raspberry scone recipe in the bible of all vegan and gluten-free cookbooks, Babycakes, I decided to whip up a version of the classic pastry sans cream and butter. Since it’s not quite summer, and I didn’t have any fresh berries on hand, I used some organic frozen blueberries and raspberries. Any mixture of fresh or frozen berries would work.

Also, these aren’t technically scones—I decided not to bother with the whole cutting and shaping process. These no-regrets, dairy-free scones look more like cookies, but they have the light and fulfilling texture and fresh flavor of a satisfying morning pastry.

The one rule that you absolutely must, must, MUST stick by: Do not overmix!

Homemade (Healthier and Yummier) Granola

Since I’m heading off to Oregon this weekend, what more appropriate food to bake and bring along than granola? I never was much of a granola person (too many long, sugar-ridden ingredients in the store-bought stuff), but I was inspired after trying a friend’s homemade version. I lowered the sugar, took out the butter, and can now add granola eating to my list of very hippie-like hobbies.

This is one of my favorite recipes to make because not only can I vary it based on whatever I happen to find lurking in my cupboards, but it’s a cheap and healthy way to shake up breakfast. I make a batch and save it in an airtight plastic container, and eat it mixed with some store-bought cereal and fresh fruit. It would probably make a week’s worth of breakfasts. I say probably because I’m not exactly sure—I can’t manage to keep myself away from it at lunch and around 10 p.m. when the munchies hit, too. It disappears a bit faster around here.