Almond Butter Bars

(from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals)

Andrew’s sister, Abigail, gave me this cookbook for Christmas one year and I discovered these bars while on a quest to find something to make with oatmeal. I’m an almond butter fan, but wasn’t sure Andrew would be as taken with the flavor, so I was surprised to hear he loved them! I’ve been making them in bulk ever since… You don’t even need the sugar; they’re plenty sweet on their own. Also, I decreased the puffed rice cereal from 1 C to 1/2 C.

1 C old-fashioned oats

¼ C slivered almonds

¼ C sunflower seeds

1 tbsp flax seeds

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1/2 C unsweetened puffed whole grain/rice cereal

¼ C currants

¼ C dried apricots

¼ C golden raisins

¼ C almond butter

¼ turbinado sugar (optional)

¼ C honey

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp sea salt

Toast oats, nuts and seeds (not cereal) on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 for 5-7 minutes, stirring once. Let cool.
Mix toasted oats and nuts, cereal and dried fruit in a large bowl.
Combine almond butter, sugar (if using), honey, vanilla and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture starts to bubble.
Immediately pour the warm sauce over the dry ingredients and, using an oiled hand, press into an 8 x 8 square pan.
Allow to chill for about 30 minutes. Cut into 12 bars. Store at room temp for one week, or in the freezer.

125 cal each (without sugar)

Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chip Ice Cream

Blackberry Chip Ice Cream

This is, perhaps, the BEST ice cream on the face of the planet, and I know my ice cream. It is Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chip ice cream, which is a famous chain I was introduced to while living in Ohio. It’s their most popular flavor, and for good reason–it is amazing. It’s deep purple, perfectly sweet-tart and their chocolate ‘chips’ are really giant boulders that melt in your mouth despite the freezing temperature. The only recipe I’ve ever found was a recreation Pioneer Woman made and is published in her second cookbook, but not on her website. I swear, in the time it took me google and NOT find hers’ or one that someone–anyone–else had typed up already, I could have typed it up myself! I’ve made it myself twice, (read about it here) and have even experimented with tempering (or untempering) the chocolate to ensure it melts in your mouth. In fact, I have some homemade in my freezer right now. Greater’s does ship, in case anyone is interested. Now, without further ado (just take enough time to grab your ingredients), here is PW’s recipe:

2 pints blackberries

1 1/4 C sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 C half-and-half

5 egg yolks

1 1/2 C heavy cream

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1. Combine blackberries, 1/4 C sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes, or until blackberries are syrupy.

2. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Force as much as you can through the sieve and discard the rest.

3. Heat half-and-half and remaining sugar in saucepan over med-low heat.

4. Whisk egg yolks until pale yellow and thick in a separate bowl. Temper egg yolks by splashing a small amount of the warm cream and sugar mixture in and whisking constantly.

5. Pour tempered yolks into saucepan with the rest of the sugar and cream mixture and cook for about 5 minutes, still on low heat, until thick.

6. Pour heavy cream into bowl with blackberry mixture, then add custard and stir to combine.

7. Freeze mixture according to your ice cream maker’s directions. After frozen, add chocolate chips* and incorporate. Store in freezer and let harder for four hours.

*It is preferable to buy a block of chocolate and melt it, then spread on parchment and allow to harder in freezer. Once solid, break into small pieces and use that to incorporate into ice cream. I believe this helps lower the melting point of the chocolate, thus allowing it to ‘melt in your mouth’ despite being just out of the freezer.

strangest dinner ever

Andrew and I have an impending trip and I’ve been trying to clean out our fridge, freezer and pantry for the last few weeks. Tonight, we were each on our own for dinner, and Andrew finished off what was left of a rotisserie chicken and some veggies.

I, on the other hand, got a little more creative:

Salad with the last of the lettuce, the last of some jarred beets, red onion, the last of some shredded cheddar cheese, the last of some cukes and onions in vinegar and a little ceasar dressing.

But wait–it gets better.

Bacon on Ezekiel bread with almond butter. In an effort to eat some bacon I cooked for Andrew’s weekday breakfasts, I channeled my inner chef to mimic the bacon and peanut butter burger I had at Cole’s, a bistro on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. Sounds crazy, but it’s good. And so was this. Thinking I might make one as a snack tomorrow…