This recipe has a few thing that I usually do not use and some that I have never used at all...Rice syrup? What is that? I am glad that I stepped out side of my normal recipe box and tried to make these easy and very yummy bars. The only thing I changed in the recipe is using instant espresso instead of ground espresso and I only used one tablespoon.
I Stacy has had a bite and said "I would eat them...are they good for you?" Paige had a small bite as well and she said "I'll have one in the morning." My people are so expressive.
The recipe will be fun to adapt and play with. Heidi from 101cookbooks.com came up with a very adaptable recipe that is now one of my new favorites.
* you could substitute cocoa powder for the espresso and maybe add dried cherries and other dried fruit you like. YUM!
I have wanted to take a good photo of Pearl now for awhile. It seems that there is always something off in the photo or the lighting is not the most flattering for her. Well this morning Pearl was sunning herself looking so...well... Pearl like. The camera was in the right spot to grab quick before she moved which happens all the time. She looks so lovely.
If you have not heard of Heidi Swanson yet today is your lucky day! My friend Leisa has gotten me hooked on her blog 101cookbooks.com that has "healthy, vegetarian recipes - with the occasional sweet treat thrown in." This is not your bland veggie food, no flavorless piles of over cooked veggies here. It is worth the click to check her site out and even try a few recipes as well.
Heidi Swanson's Big Sur Power Bar Recipe If you can't find the crisp brown rice cereal, no worries - just use regular rice cereal for ex: Rice Crispies - just stay clear of "puffed" rice cereal, it will throw the recipe off. Feel free to substitute other types of nuts, seeds, or whatever little goodies you can dream up.
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or regular butter) 1 cup pecans, chopped 1 cup slivered almonds 2/3 cup (unsweetened) shredded coconut 1 1/4 cups rolled oats 1 1/2 cups unsweetened crisp brown rice cereal 1 cup brown rice syrup 1/4 cup natural cane sugar 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt 2 tablespoons ground espresso beans (I used 1 T. instant espresso powder*) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking pan with the coconut oil. If you like thick power bars, opt for an 8 by 8-inch pan; for thinner bars, use a 9 by 13-inch pan.
On a rimmed baking sheet toast the pecans, almonds, and coconut for about 7 minutes, or until the coconut is deeply golden. Toss once or twice along the way. Mix the oats, toasted nuts, coconut, and the cereal, together in a large bowl and set aside.
Combine the rice syrup, sugar, salt, espresso, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly as it comes to a boil and thickens just a bit, about 4 minutes. Pour the syrup over the oat mixture and stir until it is evenly incorporated.
Spread into the prepared pan and cool to room temperature before cutting into whatever size bars you desire.
Makes 16 to 24 bars.
*You could substitute baking cocoa for the espresso and add dried cherries too.
Here is a photo to give you an idea on how much rain we have gotten. This photo was taken in over a year ago when Paige had a race on the St. Johns river. You can see the sea wall where the kids are walking up their boat on the ramp and how much wall there is, as of today the sea wall is over 4 inches under water.
When I woke up Sunday morning I went ahead and fried up most of the potatoes but decided to save some and give potato salad another try. I was on the computer for an hour or so the night before reading recipe after recipe and I still don't know where I go wrong.
I did my best and this time Stacy said "You got the potato part right." Wow! That was actually a compliment. I only got 90% of it wrong. Humm? I thought that since he did not spit it out and rinse out his mouth It might be on its way to the supper table. He said it was a little Dilly and salty. Once again, hmmm. I worked on it a little more and then he said it was average and just as good as any he has had at any picnic. Still not "zippy." He said that he would eat it if I made it but it was a little bland. I really don't know what that means in Stacy's cooking terms. Oh well, it was a good try. I will try again, one day, maybe....
Well the summer is officially over. School started today for Paige. Not too big for a photo and a Hello Kitty lunch bag. Paige wanted me to let you all know that she did not pick out the shirt, she had to wear it because she is a Freshman mentor. Can you believe she is a Junior?
This weekend we went to a boat show. It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be but it did have the amazing Twiggy the water skiing squirrel. Yep, I had my camera!
This little guy was a pro. A progressive insurance pro that is. Who knew that a squirrel could get a sponsor like that.
Paige was delighted that she got to pet Twiggy and got to hear it purr. Did you know that squirrels purred?
*This post is dedicated to our friend KC Tom the squirrel loving gardener.
I am so happy my Mac is back. I am having issues with iPhoto and it is not launching, I will have Stacy look at it when he is done giving the lawn a manicure.
I will have more up-date's and back posts in a few days. It will be a busy week, Paige starts school. It will be nice to have our routine back although I am not looking forward to getting out the door at 6:30am. Oh well.
I am in the mood on this overly hot summer day for potato salad. I hate it admit it but by now I am sure that most of my friends and family know I can not make potato salad. My husband even use to cringe when I would try to make it, or even say I was going to make it. Yep, I have tried every way possible.
I remember watching my mom and aunts make it...dice, chop, plop, shake, squeeze and stir lightly. Yum! Even watched my sister in law make it when she came last December. No measuring, just yum.
Well I boiled some potatoes tonight, Petty's meat market is closed and that is where I buy my potato salad. (that is soooooo hard to admit) so I thought lets give it another try. I called my cooking guru Leisa and was reminded by Dan that she can not make potato salad either. What is with that? So I think my potato salad will get put on hold again and become fried potatoes in the morning.
I really want to make my own so bad. The fresh potato salad that I buy is so expensive I really can not justify getting very often. What will I do?
David was our guide from Almost Heaven Kayak Adventures. He was very helpful getting us acquainted with the kayak, paddles and how to be efficient paddlers. The tour started out with instructions on how best to use the paddles, how to navigate using them and just making us feel comfortable in the water.
A few last minute adjustments and tips and we were launched.
When we just got out a little way into open water a bird landed right next to Paige's Kayak almost hitting her and went under the water, he popped up right next to her then he followed her most of the time we were in open water.
Spaz would swim under the water and pop up from time to time looking at her and swimming on the top or the water along side the kayak.
I think Spaz was smitten.
Hello again Spaz.
Our guide told us that he follows the kayak tours all the time and has even flew into his kayak once hitting his head on the front.
He took a little time checking out everyone on the tour and Spaz added much entertainment.
Then we saw him come up with a fish. Our guide David said they liked to swim with the kayak thinking that it might stir up the fish hiding below making it easier for the birds to catch fish.
I still do not have my Mac, I miss her. I have been getting by with Paige's pc and I am so thankful that she has one. I can not believe I said that. If only it was a Mac.
I don't know what I would without internet access. Can you believe that it was just a short time ago that this was not available to us all. Thanks Al Gore.
If Paige only knew here what was in store for her on the 3 1/2 hour tour she would not be smiling.
There is so much to show I will start with the urchins. Our guide was cool enough to get some out of the water for us to see up close and even hold.
They camouflage themselves by grabbing shels and holding on to them so that birds think they are rocks and will not eat them. They start to drop there armor when you hold them and then you can see them really good. They were very intersting.
This is the group we were with. I was not sure about going with a group or even having a guide but I am glad that we did. Our guide David was great at showing us how to use the equipment and gave us great tips on how to paddle.
The mangroves tunnels were amazing. It was good that Paige did not know how many crustations were in there before we got into the tunnels. They were everywhere! Paige has an irrational fear of crabs and crustations, I though she was going to pass out with fear once she saw that the crabs were crawling on roots and branches that were overhead the water. She survived and had a great time except the crab part. I see some kayaks in our future.
I have photos to show but my Mac is still in the ER. I could try to use Paige's pc to upload the photos but it just seems like it would take too long to learn how to do it on the pc or maybe I am just too stuborn to do it on a pc. Ya, that is it. I really don't want to do it on a pc. Being a Mac lover is complicated for me or maybe really simple, it has to do more with passion than tecnology. Oh well. Just a few more days and I will be back and have a lot of updating to do. The parts are in for my mac and now it is in the waiting room. I love my Mac.
I am excited to try out my new camera accessory. We are going Kayaking this weekend and of course I want to take my camera. I have taken it canoeing before and am starting to think I am pressing my luck with my camera and water. I do not want it to go swimming with the fishes without the proper gear.
I have already put in my camera and snapped a few photos with and with out the bag to see if there was a noticeable difference in the quality of photos. It does not look like there is any difference in the quality of the photo, I have not been able to look at the photos on a computer yet so we will see when I get my Mac back how the photos look.
I took in my computer today to the Apple store to see what was wrong with it. The unknown is the worst part of having a problem with your computer. I was very unhappy when I took in my computer and I have to give Apple credit for great customer service. I will still be without my computer for two weeks or so but it seems that they will be able to fix the problem.
My mac seems to be dead and I do not know when it will be up and running again. It seems like it is a fatal issue. I will be taking it in on Monday and we will see what the people at the GENIUS bar in the Mac Store say. I am not happy right now our computer is not even 3 years old. I would hope this is just a glitch and not a costly or fatal issue.
I am using a PC to give you this update and will not be back until the problem is solved, I dont speak PC.
Happy blogging, I am sure I will have a lot to show you when I get everything sorted out.
