blueberry spelt oat bars

Well I’m back and should probably explain my absence in the last 4 months (and perhaps a month or so prior) is directly attributable to my having a new baby boy (one, I hope, which won’t be so hard to please in the food department).

The new little guy is pretty easy-going and surprisingly lets me do a bit of cooking and baking every now and again (I barely entered the kitchen for the first 6 months with my first son). I’ve made some simple stuff with my 4-year-old (popsicles, apple-cheese quesadillas, chocolate chip cookies, etc), and I’ve been stockpiling some very promising recipes I intend to get to as well. And this recipe for blueberry spelt bars by my new favourite Canadian food site is one I plan to get to very, very soon.

P.S. Now that the little guy is nearing 5 months and settling into a routine, I plan to update this blog much more regularly. Thanks for hanging in there! 

blueberryspeltbar

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup spelt flour
1/3 cup packed natural brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup sunflower oil
5 tbsp orange juice, divided
1/2 cup blueberry fruit preserve

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 8×8 in. baking pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, sunflower seeds and blueberries. Add oil and 3 tablespoons of the orange juice. Mix well. Save a 1/2 cup of the mixture and press the rest of the oats into the prepared baking pan. In a bowl, mix the blueberry preserves with the last two tablespoons of orange juice. Spread preserve mixture over the oats then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of oats. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Source: Sweet Potato Chronicles

10 months ago 

dilly ranch dressing

This dressing was fresh and incredibly tasty — a world of difference from the bottled stuff — and devoured by guests young and old at my son’s birthday party. I tripled the recipe to ensure we had enough on hand for the party and beyond.

ranch dressing

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk (or plain low-fat yogurt)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder if your kids like a milder taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon each fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • Sprinkling of paprika

Instructions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
  2. Chill dressing for at least an hour and a half before serving.

If you want to have your toddler help, hand him the ingredients in a well-sealed plastic container and tell him to shake, shake, shake them!

Servings: Makes 1/2 cup

Source: Kaboose

(Recipe originally published in Wondertime magazine)

1 year ago 

blueberry spelt oat bars

Well I’m back and should probably explain my absence in the last 4 months (and perhaps a month or so prior) is directly attributable to my having a new baby boy (one, I hope, which won’t be so hard to please in the food department).

The new little guy is pretty easy-going and surprisingly lets me do a bit of cooking and baking every now and again (I barely entered the kitchen for the first 6 months with my first son). I’ve made some simple stuff with my 4-year-old (popsicles, apple-cheese quesadillas, chocolate chip cookies, etc), and I’ve been stockpiling some very promising recipes I intend to get to as well. And this recipe for blueberry spelt bars by my new favourite Canadian food site is one I plan to get to very, very soon.

P.S. Now that the little guy is nearing 5 months and settling into a routine, I plan to update this blog much more regularly. Thanks for hanging in there! 

blueberryspeltbar

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup spelt flour
1/3 cup packed natural brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup sunflower oil
5 tbsp orange juice, divided
1/2 cup blueberry fruit preserve

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 8×8 in. baking pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, sunflower seeds and blueberries. Add oil and 3 tablespoons of the orange juice. Mix well. Save a 1/2 cup of the mixture and press the rest of the oats into the prepared baking pan. In a bowl, mix the blueberry preserves with the last two tablespoons of orange juice. Spread preserve mixture over the oats then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of oats. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Source: Sweet Potato Chronicles

dilly ranch dressing

This dressing was fresh and incredibly tasty — a world of difference from the bottled stuff — and devoured by guests young and old at my son’s birthday party. I tripled the recipe to ensure we had enough on hand for the party and beyond.

ranch dressing

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk (or plain low-fat yogurt)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder if your kids like a milder taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon each fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • Sprinkling of paprika

Instructions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
  2. Chill dressing for at least an hour and a half before serving.

If you want to have your toddler help, hand him the ingredients in a well-sealed plastic container and tell him to shake, shake, shake them!

Servings: Makes 1/2 cup

Source: Kaboose

(Recipe originally published in Wondertime magazine)
blueberry spelt oat bars
dilly ranch dressing

About:

pleasing picky eaters since 2007.
kid-tested and approved recipes.
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