Sugar Free Peanut Butter Protein Granola: No Oil and All Natural

Hello and welcome to Monday! Kelley and I are taking to day off from work to spend the day together.  It was our 5 year wedding anniversary last Friday, August 17th, but we've been too busy to spend quality time together until now. Hopefully couple's massages will make their way into our day!!

But first, I have to make a not-so-romantic stop at the doctor; then we'll be on our way to a wonderful day! I only half-way meant to rhyme there.....promise.

In essence of time, I'm cutting this post short; I guess I'm really still on a blog break anyway.  I just wanted to take the time to share this recipe quickie I came up with on the fly.  You ever do that? Just start throwing things together in a bowl (dry in one and wet in the other), mix, and then bake/microwave/pan fry/etc to see what you can make?

My body has been feeling run down and bloated a lot, and I'm starting to think I have an intolerance to something.  I don't like self-diagnosing things, but I'm guessing gluten might be a culprit.  That sucks if so; the only cereal we buy and love is pretty gluten not free!

Being one who loves crunch in his cereal, I just turned on the oven and started mixing gluten free oats and other goodies to create a delicious crunchy cereal I can have.  Instead of oil, I just added a touch of peanut butter and pumpkin puree, and stevia is the only sweetener.

Wow! I ate the entire batch in one day.  Now I have to make more already. I'm sorry for ever questioning the purpose of having two ovens in a home as a kid; I totally get it now!

This recipe is not exact and it doesn't need to be; that's the beauty of the whole thing! With a few changes you can make sugar free chocolate protein granola, or even pumpkin spice for the coming season.  The mix can get thick, and it would make a great healthy oatmeal cookie if you formed it into circles.

I'm too impatient for that, plus I like snacking on clusters more than cookies. Give this satisfying granola recipe a try and maybe you'll stop buying the small bag of "gourmet" granola for $10+. Maybe..

Sugar and Oil Free Peanut Butter Protein Granola

by RC Liley

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 35 min




Ingredients

2 cups Organic Rolled Oats
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 scoop vanilla protein powder; I use whey protein sweetened with stevia
1/2 cup peanut flour; or 2 more scoops protein powder plus 1 T natural peanut butter
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 cup oat bran
1/2 cup pumpkin puree; mashed ripe banana is excellent too
2 packets of stevia powder or 20 drops of liquid stevia
1 tsp Vanilla




Instructions

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl using a wire whisk.

In a separate mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree with 2 T milk or water.

Add the wet to the dry and stir until well combined.

On a parchment lined cookie sheet spread the mixture out evenly and bake for 30 – 35 minutes.  Every 10-15 minutes stir the granola for even baking.

Remove from oven one oats are crisping and turning a deep golden color.

Allow to cool and enjoy however you would granola.  These turn more into clusters that make them excellent for snacking at and away from home.


Powered by Recipage

Most granola recipes have a dried fruit and nuts added, but I don't care for all of that jazz.  If I want fruit, I'll add it fresh with the granola; likewise for nuts and seeds. Plus, this does have peanut butter baked into each little crunchy golden nugget.

I went through about 4 cups full of this green smoothie, plain Greek yogurt, and granola mix without even thinking about it. Consider this your warning....it's addicting!

I urge anyone reading to bake this granola as soon as possible and change it up to suit your tastes/needs.  Comment to let me know how it turns out please!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Oh yeah, congrats to Christy from Chocolate Covered Diamonds for winning the Artisana Foods Giveaway!

What's the Next Fad Diet and Why?

We have all seen the ever popular "low-fat" and "low-carb" diets and how products are rolled out to capitalize on them. I remember seeing treats like Snackwells being marketed as low fat and therefore "healthy" even though there was just more sugar. "Low-fat" has mostly faded, but "low-carb" is hanging around and you can find many products still making their claims.

This topic always gets me fired up since I see/hear so many people make bold claims that one ingredient or the other is super bad or another ingredient is the best one to add to your diet.  Wrong!

After searching for a cure for my writer's block (just like Danni at Healthy Kitschy Vegan currently has), I found a great article about Real Food at Fooducate.com. It basically mentions the past and current fad diets and the problems with each one. The author goes on to explain just like there's not one bad food, there's not one good food either. Here's a quote from the post:

"..It is not about the one bad ingredient that is making us unhealthy. On the flipside, it is also not about the one good ingredient, like beta-carotene, that is making us healthier. It’s about the diet as a whole."

When you eat real food, as the post explains, you include whole grains, fresh fruit and veggies, legumes, and lean protein.  All of these foods contain essential nutrients our bodies need to recover from exercise, energize for the next work out, and just for daily living.

The better the quality (less processed), the better for you.  When you choose convenience foods, chances are nutrients have been altered or removed all together to get the desired taste or look for the mass market. I'd rather have my odd-shaped carrot or lumpy apple over something that looks too perfect and comes in box, bag, or plastic wrap.

For those just starting out on their journey to a healthier lifestyle, here are some great tips that were listed:

Choose products with 100% whole grains as often as possible. Please don’t underestimate your family’s taste buds. Try transitioning them onto the more wholesome flavor by mixing the whole with refined grains at first and slowly wean them off of the simple carbohydrates. There are also a wide array of brands and types of grains on the market today so experiment until you find a taste that you enjoy.

Swap half the white flour called for in your baking recipes with whole-wheat flour. Typically, the sweetener can also be cut in half without the sweetest of a tooth noticing.

Eat tons of fresh vegetables and fruits. Try to include them in all meals and snacks. You can do this by making the vegetable the focal part of your meal and building the rest of the foods around it as a side. For example, a BIG salad, topped with a 3 oz piece of wild salmon and a side of sweet potato.

Think about including beans in your meals and snacks more often. They are a great source of plant protein, fiber, phytochemicals, flavonoids, carotenoids, and lycopene.

Eat fewer convenience and processed foods. They’re full of added fat, sugar, salt, and additives.

Choose nonsugary beverages such as water, green tea (iced or hot), fresh fruit juice, and skim or soy milk.

Of course you can progress as you get more comfortable with the new, healthier way of living. I can't even enjoy another other than whole grains and hardly anything with sugar. I like some sugar, but like to be in control of everything I make.  Crazy, obsessed, weird? Maybe, but have you seen what goes on behind the scenes of food prep?  It's not pretty.

So, if you're following a diet, or maybe have switched with the popular diet of choice, why not try just eating whole foods instead?  Don't omit certain food groups (allergy permitting), and do omit over processed junk that looks like food. Another great quote from the article:

"With the current claim that sugar is a poison, a drug and enemy number one, I can bet what will happen: the food industry will grab hold of the “no sugar fad” and substitute fancy artificial ingredients for natural sugar and guess what? Americans will probably still get fatter."

Agreed! I know I bring this topic up a lot, but it needs to be constantly discussed to get the message across it seems.  I think there is too much of a focus on calories right now and macronutrients are pushed aside.  So now a small single serve bag (wasteful packaging to me) that is only 100 calories makes those oreos "healthy"? Doubtful.

Have you made any changes for the better lately? 

Do you agree or disagree with this stance?

Happy Saturday and thanks for reading! Oh yeah, the Artisana Foods contest has ended, check back on Monday to see the lucky winner!

WIAW# 23 Artisana Nut Butters Review and Giveaway: My New Summer Staple

I just noticed my past two WIAW posts were number 21, oops….so now I’m back on track at 23.

It seems like everyone else in the foodie blog world has tried and loved Artisana Organic Nut Butters, and I am just now experiencing their awesomeness! I have seen the Artisana Coconut Butter in stores, but never committed to purchasing some.

Artisana was kind enough to send some samples my way for review, so I had no excuse not to try all of their amazing butters, spreads, and oil. I have tried other nut butters before, and they’re all good to me, but the coconut butter and oil were both new to me. I love coconut, and now I have fallen in love with coconut butter!

If you love Artisana or have been wanting to try it, keep reading and enter for your chance to win some for yourself.


I love the site of a freshly opened food package!

Straight from the jar, their raw coconut butter transforms all of my worries into happy thoughts and delights each one of my taste buds. Sounds far-fetched (unless you’ve tried it too), but I’m serious! I used the coconut oil in smoothies, baking, and microwave egg dishes all with great success in the taste department. I even added 1 tablespoon to my Microwave Protein Cinnamon Bread recipe using the Macadamia, Pecan, and Cashew butters to see what made the best flavor.

Conclusion? They will ALL be made again, but the cashew butter makes a deliciously dense bread I enjoyed most. Not to be left out, I used the Almond butter to make my favorite Overnight Oatmeal Crisps with great results.  I have to only bring a few to work for snacks each day, otherwise I'd eat them all in one sitting!

Kelley had a tasty surprise in the daily protein smoothie I made her when I added coconut oil to the mix. If you have been using coconut oil and butter for a while, do you remember being overwhelmed with pleasure with your first taste?

So, obviously, I have sampled Artisana’s coconut products and have become a major foodie fan. Although these weren't my Summer Staples in the past, they will become my year round staples. For this reason, I feel this review ties in perfectly with August’s Summer Staples theme.

About the other samples Artisana sent, I really enjoyed each of the squeeze packs for easy, satisfying snacks at work. Just open the pack, squeeze on spoon (or in mouth), be happy and healthy! Although some have a mix of two nuts for better consistency, the main ingredient really stands out and you can distinguish its flavor. So, if you are a fan of walnuts, you’ll be a fan of their Walnut Butter.

My favorite thing to do is mix the coconut butter with vanilla protein powder and pumpkin puree for the best spread, icing, or dip I’ve ever had. Really, just mix a tablespoon of coconut butter with a scoop of protein powder and a 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree and you’re ready for a party! In your mouth, at least; I wouldn’t want to share this food treasure with anyone else!

A big thanks to Artisana for providing delicious samples for review. I will happily go to the store for more; soooo good. To any foodies who haven’t tried Artisana’s nut butters, I highly suggest you do soon; trust me. Look below to win some for yourself!

Lets try and move on to have a look at my eats now. As always, thanks to Jenn and Peas and Crayons for putting this super fun and fantastic event together every week!

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!


Breakfast
Overnight Oatmeal Crisps with Artisana Almond Butter (pictured above); baby carrots with Artisana Walnut Butter; two bags of unsweetened black tea

Lunch
Slow-cooker salsa chicken with veggies and brown/wild rice blend; dehydrated okra; 2 bags of unsweetened green tea plus 2 bags rooibos tea on ice;

Dinner
Spring mix salad with brussels, mushrooms, homemade salsa (for dressing), mustard, and lots of herbs and spices; whey protein smoothie with ginger and nutmeg (maybe some bourbon too) and microwave protein bread cooked with Artisana nut butters; Chobani Pumpkin Protein Yogurt with Artisana coconut butter and plain CHO on top.

Think I used Artisana products enough? I don't; this stuff is good!  I went a little overboard with the coconut in Kelley's smoothie, so beware if making something for others! But it was no problem, I added some unsweetened cocoa powder and peanut flour for a quick fix that she liked. Phew! #husbandsave

I don't know why I did that hashtag thing, I don't do it a lot, but I keep seeing it and now it's catching on.  Oh well, makes me laugh.........a little......on the inside.

In the fitness department, I am still following the Supreme 90 day videos exactly as laid out.  In addition, the Olympics have inspired me to practice the Olympic lifts like snatch, clean, and jerk, so I've been slowly adding weight to the barbell and doing this twice a week. And, b/c I can't escape, I will go for a random run in the heat just for a good sweat, mow the lawn with a reel mower while wearing a 20lb vest (today), and do swim sprints.  It very varied and fun!

Before I part with you, would you like to know how you can win your own Artisana to savor and secretly hide from share with friends and family? You can enter up to 6 times by doing each of the following action items and leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Tell me your favorite Artisana product and how you do or would use it.
2. Follow Artisana Foods on Twitter
3. Like Artisana Foods on Facebook
4. Follow Just Add Cayenne on Twitter and Tweet the following – "I entered to win creamy Artisan nut butters from @ArisanaFoods with @I_Love_Cayenne! Enter for your chance too!  "
5. “LIKE” Just Add Cayenne on Facebook. If you already “Like” Just Add Cayenne, leave a comment letting me know.
6.  Help support Just Add Cayenne and subscribe to my blog. Just post a comment if you are already subscribed.

The winner will have their choice of any 8oz. jar of Artisana spreads/nut butters and an assortment of their wonderfully convenient squeeze packs. Please make sure to leave some way for me to contact you if you are the winner.

The contest will end Friday, August 17, 2012 and I will choose a winner at random and announce on Monday, August 20, 2012. Winner must be from the U.S. in the lower 48 states. 

This contest has ended. Congrats to Christy at Chocolate Covered Diamonds for winning!

Hope you all have a wonderful day and good luck!

Q:  Do you have any new foodie finds that will become a staple in your diet? It's all about coconut butter for me!

Q2: Have the Olympics inspired you to take on something new? If so, what?