Almond Butter Fiber Bites

As Martta preps for her amazing Oscar Party coming up tomorrow, I thought I would share this easy & healthy snack recipe…. Almond butter fiber bites!

Need fiber? I think it’s safe to assume the average person does not eat enough fiber in a day… I can include myself in that stereotype as well. A few weeks ago, Martta made some really delicious snacks similar to the Peanut Butter Balls my Mom made us as kids. I’ve attempted to recreate it the way Martta did, but with a little bit of my Mom’s recipe left intact.

1 cup Almond butter

1/2 cup Dried cranberries

1/2 cup Oatmeal

1/4 cup Bran or Flax seed

1/4 cup Sesame seeds

1/4 cup Honey

1/4 cup Powdered milk

Mix all ingredients together and roll into balls! Pretty simple, right? I prefer to refrigerate mine so they are cold and a little more firm, but they should stay together just fine.

I love this recipe because it is so adaptable. Use peanut butter, instead of almond butter for a cheaper alternative. Substitute raisins for the cranberries, or even dried blueberries! More antioxidants, right? I don’t think the powdered milk is a necessity, but it adds more protein, calcium, and vitamin D.  I found it in the baking section of the store, and it was pretty inexpensive.

My daughter loved these, and they are a great snack for after school… that period of time when the crankies come out!

I hope you try these and enjoy them as much as we do!

-Heather

Chocolate Chip Banana Bran Bread

Say that 5 times fast!

We had some bananas looking pretty sad on the counter, so I decided they had to be used before they met the awful fate of the trash can. I checked my Better Homes & Garden Baking Book, but the banana bread they had just didn’t have the extra punch I wanted. Plus, whenever I can, I add unprocessed bran to baked goods… my kids need the extra fiber, and so do we for that matter! So I changed a few things and made it my own… I know, you’re shocked, right?

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup bran

1 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup vegetable oil

3 bananas, very ripe & mashed

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1.5 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp baking soda

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray to round cake pans with cooking spray.

Measure all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix. Combine all the wet ingredients in another bowl, then add to the dry mix. Stir everything together until combined and try not to over mix.

I only have one loaf pan, so I decided to use my two 9 inch cake rounds. Fill them each with half the batter and bake for 25 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean!

This was so good! In fact, my husband ate one entire round himself… I almost had to hide it so the rest of us could enjoy some later! The addition of the bran is barely noticeable for those who might be worried about picky eaters. My kids have been eating pancakes, waffles, and quick breads with added bran for the last 2 years. I may try this with whole wheat flour next time, but I have a feeling they might notice… baby steps!

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

-Heather