Sweet-Potato Bars!

Hey my Fabulous Readers!

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post and all of your patience with me. This weekend has been non-stop, and I have just now gotten the opportunity to get on here. Graduation was amazing. Prom was INCREDIBLE. I did my best on my AP Physics test. My 17^th birthday was quiet but very sweet. Now that I’ve finished my Physics test, I hope to get back to doing a post every 2-3 days instead of the recent 4-5 days. I’ve started writing about Graduation, Prom, and my Birthday, so I’ll share with you all the details of the amazing weekend. Soon.

But right now, I have a recipe to share with you.

This is the recipe my family was going NUTS over this weekend.

What would it be?

It’s My Sweet-Potato Bars!

I based it off of Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Bars (click here for recipe), but I made it all the more better for you and even more delicious.

Add the sweet-potato, oil, sugar, and tofu in a large bowl.

Using a hand-mixer,

Combine the ingredients until the tofu is thoroughly incorporated (in very small pieces)

And the batter becomes smooth. (You can also use a powerful-blender or food processor to do this step.)

In a separate medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin-spice mixture, and salt.

Add the contents of the medium-sized bowl to the large bowl

And using the hand-mixer once more, combine the sweet-potato mixture with the flour mixture

Until the batter is smooth and without many lumps (don’t overmix).

Spread the batter out into a sprayed 9×13-in glass baking pan and bake for about 30-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars. SERVE!

Sweet Potato Bars!

Makes about 24 bars

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cup mashed cooked sweet potato (or a 15oz-can pure sweet-potato purée)
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• ½ cup oil
  
• 1 ½ cup soft or silken tofu
  
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
  
• 1 tbs baking powder
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or a combination of 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp cloves, and a pinch of nutmeg)
  
• 1 tsp salt
  

Directions

Add the sweet-potato, oil, sugar, and tofu in a large bowl. Using a hand-mixer, combine the ingredients until the tofu is thoroughly incorporated (in very small pieces) and the batter becomes smooth. (You can also use a powerful-blender or food processor to do this step.)

In a separate medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin-spice mixture, and salt. Add the contents of the medium-sized bowl to the large bowl and using the hand-mixer once more, combine the sweet-potato mixture with the flour mixture until the batter is smooth and without many lumps (don’t overmix).

Spread the batter out into a sprayed 9×13-in glass baking pan and bake for about 30-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting. SERVE! Makes about 24 bars.

Print This!

So good! They’ll last about a week if you leave them on the counter, but up to two-three if you store them in the fridge. But believe me, they’ll get eaten before it gets anywhere close to those times.

……………………………………………………..

Can you tell a difference between sweet-potato pie and pumpkin pie? I can never tell….

Did you go to prom? Or, do you remember going to Prom when you were younger? I really had fun this year and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

What is one of your favorite spices? I really love cinnamon (it’s the one I use the most often), but I also love the flavor nutmeg can bring to a recipe.

xoxox,

Blissful Reese’s Pizzert Babies!

Hey My Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post. I’ve been having a lot of fun with my Sunday School class I now teach. Also, I just had one of those SO DELICIOUS Coconut Yogurts I mentioned I bought and it tastes fabulous!

What do you like to have for breakfast?

Well, I kind of like to eat candy bars for breakfast.

What?! I eat candy bars for breakfast?!?!

YEP!

In the form of nut butter, bars, and milkshakes;

But in particular, pizzert babies!

My Blissful Reese’s Candy Bar Pizzert Babies!

Oh yes, you want one.

Make that six.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and stevia in a small bowl.

Stir them all together (making sure the baking powder doesn’t have any clumps) and form a well in the center.

Add the milk and pumpkin purée into the center of the well.

Fold them all together. (If you let the batter sit for a few minutes, it will get light and fluffy, meaning the baking powder is working! This is a good thing. )

Spoon the batter by tablespoonfuls into each cupcake-mold in a lightly sprayed cupcake pan.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 6 minutes, or until firm in the center and bouncy when lightly pressed. (The time may vary depending on the power of your oven, so it may be more around 5 minutes, or even 7 minutes.)

Let them cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, and then take ‘em out and frost with peanut butter…

And decorate with mini banana pieces. I used an apple-corer to cut the mini banana slices! (I cut the banana into slices, and then cut the centers of the slices out with my apple corer, resulting in mini banana slices!)

Grab a fork and devour this blissful treat! <3

Blissful Reese’s Pizzert Babies!

Ingredients

• 3 Tb. whole wheat flour
  
• 1 Tb. cocoa powder
  
• 1 tsp. baking powder
  
• 2 tsp worth sweetener (I used 1 packet stevia)
  
• ¼ cup almond milk (I used unsweetened)
  
• 1 Tb. pumpkin purée
  

Frost with peanut butter and decorate with banana pieces and chocolate chips!

Directions

Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and stevia in a small bowl. Stir them all together (making sure the baking powder doesn’t have any clumps) and form a well in the center.

Then add the milk and pumpkin purée into the center of the well and fold them all together. (If you let the batter sit for a few minutes, it will get light and fluffy, meaning the baking powder is working! This is a good thing. )

Spoon the batter by tablespoonfuls into each cupcake-mold in a lightly sprayed cupcake pan. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 6 minutes, or until firm in the center and bouncy when lightly pressed. (The time may vary depending on the power of your oven, so it may be more around 5 minutes, or even 7 minutes.) Let them cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then take ‘em out and frost with peanut butter and decorate with mini banana pieces. I used an apple-corer to cut the mini banana slices! (I cut the banana into slices, and then cut the centers of the slices out with my apple corer, resulting in mini banana slices!)

Grab a fork and DEVOUR! <3

Print This!

These babes are also vegan, whole-grain, no-sugar-added, can be easily made gluten-free (just use oat or buckwheat flour in place of the whole wheat and up the baking powder by ½ tsp.), and can be easily made high-protein by using chocolate protein powder in place of the cocoa powder.

I love how these aren’t just for dessert, but for breakfast or lunch or as a snack or even dinner if you wish.

And this is ONE serving! Yes, you get to eat them ALL! (And trust me, you will.)

…………………………………………………………………

What would you say to eating a candy bar for breakfast (or for any other meal)? I’d say YES!

Are you going to wear green (eat anything green?) tomorrow for St. Patrick’s Day? I may wear green; I’m thinking of making a goal tomorrow to eat at least one thing that’s green at every meal tomorrow (like collards, kiwi, celery, avocado, green grapes, broccoli, green beans, and spinach, just for example) just as a little challenge to get into the St. Patrick’s spirit.

Did you take naps as a child? I stopped taking naps at the age of three (yes, I drove my parents crazy because of it), but now that I don’t have the time for naps I grab one when I get the chance!

xoxox,

Recipe Inspired: Great Harvest Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread!

Hey My Luscious Pumpkin Chocolate Chips!

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post about how I have to get more blood tests and for all of your tips on what to do before/after. I had blood work done Friday morning and they took five vials worth! FIVE OF THEM! I was expecting maybe two or three at most… At least he used a baby/butterfly needle on me; I didn’t feel any pain (there’s never really any pain), and the guys who do it always tell me I have good veins, but I was just tensing up and stressing myself out just over the situation. The guy who did it had me talk the entire time, which helped it go by faster. Yeah, I still cried, but I was fine; I actually even went to the gym afterwards. Ha-ha, I know, I’m crazy, but I listened to my body and didn’t do anymore than I felt like; some laps around the track, plie jumps between laps, and some core work at the end was all I did. I did feel a little weird running around with the “bandage” on my arm. In fact, I don’t know if it’s from getting my blood pumping or leaving the bandage on for over one and a half or two hours, but I never got much of a bruise at all, (which I’m not in the least displeased by). So now I just get to wait and see what the tests say.

My family loves Great Harvest Bread. We always get the latest samples whenever we go. I usually either get the Honey Whole Wheat, the Pumpkin, or the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip.

But now, I don’t have to go all the way there to have some: I can make some in my own kitchen.

What kind do I make?

My Great Harvest Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread!

Mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl.

Set aside.

Mix pumpkin, oil, tofu, and water together in a bowl. (I used a whisk.)

Make sure to get the tofu really smooth so as not to have big pieces in the bread. (It won’t change the flavor at all, but it will look nicer.)

Add the dry ingredients to the wet

And mix them together until the flour is all incorporated. Don’t overmix.

Add chocolate chips

And fold them in.

Pour/spoon batter into a lightly greased 9×5 loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the center of the bread is firm and bounces back. Let it cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes,

And then transfer it to a wire rack. Cut when fully cooled and serve!

Great Harvest Inspired Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• ½ tsp ground ginger
  
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
  
• ½ tsp salt
  
• 1 cup (8oz) canned pumpkin purée
  
• ½ cup oil (either canola or coconut)
  
• ½ cup silken tofu
  
• 1/3 cup water
  
• ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy-free ones preferred, but regular ones work just as well!)
  

Directions

Mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside.

Mix pumpkin, oil, tofu, and water together in a bowl. (I used a whisk.) Make sure to get the tofu really smooth so as not to have big pieces in the bread. (It won’t change the flavor at all, but it will look nicer.) Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix them together until the flour is all incorporated. Don’t overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour/spoon batter into a lightly greased 9×5 loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the center of the bread is firm and bounces back. Let it cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes, and then transfer it to a wire rack. Cut when fully cooled and serve!

Notes:

1. If you don’t have tofu, you can also use ½ cup more of pumpkin purée or applesauce, 2 tbsp of flax/chia plus 6 tbsp water, or even two eggs if desired.
   
2. To make gluten-free, you can use 1 ¾ cup of Bob’s Red Mills GF all purpose baking mix in place of the flour.
   
3. If you want even sweeter bread, you can use no-sugar-added canned sweet potato purée in place of the pumpkin or even up the sugar a little bit if desired. I found the sweetness of this was perfect for my family.

Print This!

Pumpkin + Chocolate = Heaven On Earth!

………………………………………………………………………………….

Do you like Great Harvest’s Breads? My family adores them! But now I’m glad we can enjoy a Great Harvest Bread and not have to travel all the way to get it! (This version’s lighter on the wallet, too.)

Do you find it easy to give blood/have blood taken? I react the same way when I ice skate as when I get blood taken. It’s all in if I just stay relaxed and breathe normally; if I don’t, then I can feel faintish; if I do, then I’ve come off conqueror.

Have any plans for President’s Day? Tomorrow is actually one of my bff’s birthdays, so I’m going to give her a call!

xoxox,