o, my remedial colon {a poem that has nothing to do with punctuation marks}

It's true: I have no shame. If you read my post about the smoothies and fiber, then you know exactly what I mean.

Ahem ...



My colon is remedial,
I cannot tell a lie.
Some of you might cringe now
Or roll your eyes and sigh.

I’m giving you fair warning
So if you want it, now’s your chance
To stand right up or turn and run
Without a second glance.

Some girls dream of riches
And others dream of fame,
Or handsome men or shopping sprees,
And them I cannot blame.

Today my dreams are smaller
And simple to the core:
A functioning digestive system,
I ask for nothing more.

I never thought I’d say this,
But I now declare it’s true:
All I want is nothing more
Than to have a normal poo.

I’m weary of the bloating
The puffiness and the pain;
I’d like a trip to the bathroom
That does not involve much strain.

I’d really be quite thrilled –
I might do a little dance
If things would move and once again
I could fit inside my pants;

If I could go to the doctor
And without a second thought
Avoid the fine details
Of my time upon the pot.

If I could just be normal,
“Regular” some might say,
Scarce would I be able
To keep my joy at bay.

I’d tell you all about it,
You would be sure to know
There’d be a lightness in my voice,
And to my face, a glow.

But for now it’s mine to try
Every laxative known to man:
Powders, pills, and flaxseeds
With my fiber-full eating plan.

Miralax and slippery elm,
Psyllium and dried plum;
Smooth move tea and senna leaf
All moved through my bum.

I don’t care where it comes from,
What it is that makes it move,
So long as I am able
To get back into a groove.

On the outside I look healthy,
Young and full of joie de vivre,
But on the inside I think I just had
Birthday number ninety-three.

And so I sigh and moan all day,
Praying for the end
To this profound constipation
Which is nothing like a friend.

I’m swelling to my limits,
The bloating is quite a sight.
If these aids don’t work, I just might need
A stick of dynamite.

And so my dear intestine,
I beg you to cooperate
To get in gear and do your job,
To free the padlocked gate.

I’m doing everything I can
To give what you require,
To be gentle in my coaxing,
To move the stubborn mire.

I’d really be so thankful,
I want it more than wealth
If you would let me live and move,
Enjoying better health.

I guess I’m done, the poem is over
There’s nothing more to do,
But hope and pray and watch and wait
For the perfect number two.


:o)

vegan challenge: berry fiberlicious smoothies

Oh yeah. I'm going there.

There's no skirting around the issue. This is a post about how I got (am getting?) um ... unplugged.

More than you want to know, right?

Before I get to the recipe, I just have to provide the background and inspiration for it. I don't know if anyone else will appreciate this history, but since there is a reason behind every recipe here and this is my blog, I'm going to share it anyway.

Let me just say that in the past two years of having a malfunctioning and especially finicky digestive tract, I've learned a lot about the particular region of the body that I'll refer to as the lower digestive system (more than anyone should have to know, really) and have gotten oddly comfortable discussing the things it does and does not do. It is a major indicator of one's overall health, and especially so when digestive issues are involved. So my family doctor asks about it. My gastroenterologist asks about it. The naturopath asks about it too. Heck, even my chiropractor asks about it. So I've gotten used to paying close attention to its behavior and learned quickly to get over my really squeamy squeamishness about it.

If I've ever brought it up with you and you wish I would just shut up (or if you're reading this thinking good Lord, I wish she would stop), please accept my apologies. It's just that when this thing that wasn't working properly (and hadn't been for a long time) started working, I got a little excited. And like I said, I've gotten used to talking about it.

Wow, am I really writing this? It would seem so.

One of the side effects of my thyroid kicking back into gear again was that things started, uh ... not working quite right in that lower digestive region. In fact, there was barely any activity at all, at least not without a great deal of effort. For a little over a month. (not good)

I was just a little irritated, considering that I already have a fairly high-fiber diet. I have gluten-free steel-cut oats (fiber) with ground flaxseed (fiber), raisins, chopped almonds, and soymilk in the morning. I eat two apples with the skin every day, one in the morning and another before lunch (fiber, fiber). Especially now that they're in season, I eat a lot of raw veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peppers, snap peas, etc. (fiber, fiber, FIBER). I eat fresh fruits. I enjoy and regularly consume legumes like black beans, lentils, and kidney beans (hello, HOLY FIBER!!).

And still, no change. What the ... ??

I tried some teas that promised the desired effect and there was a little action. But nothing to write home about (even if Mom had been willing to read such news).

I had a follow-up appointment with my naturopath on Monday and told him that while the thyroid was alive and kickin', things in that lower digestive area were a little ... uh, stopped up. When he put stethoscope to that area, he told me that I had a shocking lack of bowel sounds (who knew??) and subsequently recommended I take psyllium seed. It's the primary ingredient in some of those powdery stir-in laxatives like Metamucil. So I went to my local Co-op and got myself some whole-seed psyllium that promised some terrific bulking action. Oh yeah. Now that sounds like a good time.

Now, I'm not one to be put off of odd- or foul-tasting foods if they have legitimately healthy properties. In fact, I'll probably tell you they're positively delicious. The recommendation was to add a heaping tablespoon of the seed to juice, but I thought I'd try adding it to some raspberry tea. I won't lie to you: it was disgusting. With all that soluble fiber, it turned into a gelatinous mixture, like Jell-o that hadn't quite set yet. It was gritty and there was no getting past the musky, earthy taste of the seeds. I could barely control my gag reflex.

So I did my best to find a way to mask it and make the consumption of this not only bearable, but tasty.

And friends, I did it (finally!!, the readers exclaim in unison). Smoothies are a fabulous way to absorb nutrients quickly and a delicious way to enjoy all the summer fruit that's in season right now. I even added some Emergen-C to give it an extra added vitamin boost and a nice citrus-y zing and slight fizz to it.

One of the greatest things about smoothies is that they are very hard to screw up and very easy to make exactly the way you like. And berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.) are super-fabulous in that they're full of fiber in their own right, so I am getting plenty of fiber action in these babies (if I'm doing my math right, about 10-11g for a single serving).

So, without further ado, this is my favorite version of my
Berry Fiber-licious Smoothie:

Ingredients:
Frozen raspberries, approx 1/2 cup
Frozen blackberries, approx 1/2 cup
1 heaping tablespoon psyllium seed
Agave syrup (or your favorite sweetener like Stevia, honey, etc.)
Vanilla hemp milk (rice, soy, or almond milk will also do nicely)
1 packet Emergen-C (I used the tangerine flavor)
Splash sparkling mineral water (optional)

And as for alternatives ... I think it's obvious by now, but this recipe will work just fine without all the add-ins (Emergen-C, psyllium seed, sparkling mineral water) and would also work well with regular milk or orange juice. Whatever floats your boat!

Directions:
Put frozen berries in the bottom of a blender
Add psyllium seed
Drizzle with desired amount of agave syrup
Add Emergen-C powder
Cover with non-dairy milk of choice
Add mineral water (if desired)

Puree until smooth. Pour in a glass and enjoy (entirely without the seedy, gritty flavor ... hallelujah!!).

And uh yeah ... let's just say a couple of these a day and things are on their way humming right along (in fits and starts, just in case you wanted to know). And so now I gulp down my pride and dab away a single tear trailing down my cheek, think ... if I can help just one person ... [sniffles]

{yes, that was a wee bit of sarcasm} :o)

NOTE: Increasing one's fiber intake should be done gradually, and with a lot of water. For some good fiber tips, check out this site.

smoothie photos by kirsten.michelle

vegan challenge: lentil burgers

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been challenging myself to prepare meals that (while still abiding within the already gluten-free and dairy-free parameters of this blog, because if I can't eat it, I'm not gonna cook it) are:

• vegan (no animal products of any kind including: meat, eggs, dairy, casein, honey, etc.)
• do this while limiting my use of tofu or other soy-based food items
• the food is tasty & satisfying, and finger-lickin' good (my apologies to the Colonel)
  

Ilse asked a really good question about the why behind limiting the use of tofu or other soy products. Since it's a darn good question, here's a few [hopefully] darn good answers:

1. It is a challenge, after all. In general, tofu is an easy protein "fallback" in vegetarian cooking (and for good reason: the stuff is incredibly versatile and really good for you!!). I want to broaden my horizons, think outside the box, embrace the challenge aspect of this & see what other options are out there for healthy vegan cooking that also provides the protein our bodies need.

2. Allergy awareness. I know at least a few people now who have soy allergies. Thankfully, I am not one of them, but I wanted to challenge myself to make healthy, delicious, vegan meals that my soy-sensitive friends could enjoy too.

3. Global thinking. I learned from a friend of mine who has Brasilian heritage that a lot of the deforestation in Brasil may be because of the soy crop that is planted there. I think much of this may be to produce alternative fuel, but I still want to be mindful of how I might be contributing to that. There seems to be some debate about whether or not the soy crop is actually having a detrimental effect on the rainforests, but still ... it can't hurt to explore alternative protein options!!

Anyway ...

so, why this recipe?
Something I've missed sorely since learning I cannot tolerate gluten is veggie burgers.

I know!! You'd think those would be safe, right? But all those veggie burgers you see in the grocery store contain wheat flour and/or whole grains (including wheat) to act as a binder and to improve the texture. I have made a tofu-based version a few times that only took four or five attempts to perfect and satisfy my rigorous standards, but after some tweaking, I think I'm enjoying this recipe even more!!

totally-good-for-you ingredients:
2/3 c. green lentils (or your favorite lentil variety)
2 c. vegetable broth (I prefer No Chicken Broth by Imagine Foods), or water
2-3 tbsp. of your favorite salt-free herb blend
1/2 finely chopped yellow onion
2 tbsp. wheat-free tamari (or soy sauce, or worcestershire if you can handle gluten)
2/3 c. sunflower seeds (raw and shelled)
rice flour
olive oil

instructions:
bring broth to a boil, add herbs
after lowering to medium heat, add lentils
cook until almost all the liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes)

place in blender or food processor
add chopped onion, tamari sauce
puree until mixture reaches desired smoothness
** you may need to add a bit of additional liquid to ease the pureeing process**

NOTE: don't worry about the lentils being pureed until perfectly smooth. So long as it's a bit "doughy", you're good to go!!

empty lentil mixture into a large bowl
pour in whole sunflower seeds, stir well into lentils
add and fold in rice flour a few tablespoons at a time until lentil mixture sticks together well and forms a nice ball, not sticking too much to your hands (I think I used 2/3 - 3/4 cup).
with your hands, separate into balls and press into desired size of patties

in a large skillet, add a good pour of olive oil and heat skillet to medium heat
add lentil patties to skillet and cook on both sides until lightly browned and slightly crispy on the outside.

make 4-6 patties, depending on size.

Enjoy on a bun or by itself, with avocado slices (I ate mine before i took this photo!!) or your favorite condiment and a side of healthy veggies.





Making it your own? Tell me how you improved upon it!!


more more more ...

• See another delicious recipe with lentils here.
• Check out the health benefits of lentils here.

vegan challenge: orange tofu stirfry

Can I just say yum?!

Far be it from me to toot my own horn, but I must say this dish had me making noises usually reserved for good, long massages and hot baths on a cold day. This dish totally brings the yum!!

NOTE: As the header of this post suggests, I am undertaking a self-imposed challenge to cook within the following parameters:

• the food is vegan (no animal products of any kind including: meat, eggs, dairy, casein, honey, etc.)
• do this while limiting my use of tofu or other soy-based food items
• the food is tasty & satisfying, and finger-lickin' good (my apologies to the Colonel)
• also stay within the gluten-free parameters of this blog (duh!!)

So without further ado ...

The ingredients in this dish are pretty much all repeats of others that have been used previously, so I won't repeat myself. Suffice it to say this is something that your body will thank you for and that will have your tastebuds begging for another bite.

tasty ingredients:
firm tofu (1 package)
wheat-free tamari
grated orange peel

red curry paste
large green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped
carrots, cut into medallions
fresh cilantro
olive oil

easy as gluten-free pie instructions:
after opening package of tofu, drain and cut into cubes, place in a bowl
cover well with tamari sauce
grate orange peel into bowl from about 1/2 large navel orange
cover and place in fridge, allowing to marinate for a minimum of 2-4 hours (or ideally, overnight)

** and I will just say ... tofu is an amazing sponge when it comes to flavor, so the longer you let it marinate, the more bang you're going to get for your buck.**

heat oven to approximately 400 degrees
place cubed tofu on cookie sheet and place in oven, stirring periodically until most of the liquid is cooked away (about 15 minutes)
**this step is entirely optional, but makes the tofu cook faster when preparing the stirfry**

in a large skillet, heat olive oil to medium-high heat
chop veggies: carrots, pepper, and onion and place into hot skillet
add tamari
stir frequently, cooking until onions are translucent
if veggies are done before tofu (see next step), set heat to low to keep warm
add fresh cilantro to veggie mixture and stir in just prior to serving

in a separate skillet, add olive oil and put burner on high heat
add tofu and about 1 tsp (or more, to taste) of red curry paste
cook tofu until golden and crispy on the outside

to enjoy:
place veggies in a bowl and top with tofu.
grab your fork & dig in!!

cucumber lime salad

happy first day of summer!!

Summer is my favorite because I can snatch up all sorts of fresh and fragrant produce at the Co-op and at the local Farmer's Market. Seriously ... it's a shame there's not some kind of widget I could install so you could smell my kitchen right now. I just came home with bags full of delicious fresh produce. Mmmm ...

I'll admit, I think today's recipe could use some perfecting. Some fresh basil maybe? Or would cilantro be better? How about some freshly-grated ginger?? I'll try it out and let you know, how does that sound?

As you have probably guessed, we've got some crisp and cool cucumbers in this recipe, as well as plenty of other fresh produce. And just what makes them so cool?

Cucumber: The reason you'll see these covering the eyelids of the tragically chic and well-to-do spa-going types is that they contain Vitamin C and caffeic acid which help reduce puffiness and swelling. The skin of the cucumber is chock full of fiber and minerals like potassium, magnesium, and silica too (which is an essential component of healthy connective tissue). The potassium/magnesium/fiber combo present in cucumbers has also been shown to help reduce blood pressure.

tasty fresh ingredients:
2 large cucumbers, peeled & chopped
1/2 c. finely chopped red onion
1/3 c. pine nuts
1 can white kidney (cannellini) beans
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
1 dry pint cherry tomatoes, sliced

simple lime vinaigrette:
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. fresh squeeze lime juice (about 2 limes), or bottled lime juice
pinch sea salt
fresh ground pepper
whisk together well in a small bowl.

oh-so-easy directions:
if desired, peel cucumbers and chop into desired size & add to large bowl
drain beans & add to bowl
add all other ingredients: onion, shallot, tomato, pine nuts
dress with vinaigrette

cover & chill for about 2 hours, or ideally overnight.

salad photo by kirsten.michelle

check it out!!

All sorts of baked-in ooey-gooey goodness going on over at Confectionery Conceptions ...



WARNING: Buckets may be required.

yo ho!! yo ho!! a pirate's life for me ...

Late last week, Kaari and I were both in agreement that we needed a lazy day.

Our timbers were thoroughly shivered, you might say.

And what better way to spend a lazy day at home than to invite Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom to the party?

Our mission:

1. Stay home.
2. Wear pajamas all day.

3. Make it through all three Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

4. Eat pirate-appropriate food while doing it (that also happens to be gluten-free and dairy-free).

Arrr, mateys!!

Every good pirate starts her

day with Starrrrrrrrbucks. Arrr ...

... and really bad eggs (aka, "breakfast")

For our breakfast, Kaari made gluten-free pancakes with chocolate chips. Sticking with our pirate theme, we christened them Black Pearl Pancakes.

Arrrr ...

Black Pearl Pancakes

1 cup rice flour
1 cup soy milk

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Mix it together with yer pirate hook or a whisk will do just fine, whatever floats your boat or pirate ship.

Pour the batter onto the hot skillet and add a few chocolate morsels (aka Black Pearls) and "avast"... you have yourselves some tasty Black Pearl Pancakes for you and yer mateys.

Arrrr ... do I sound like a swashbuckling, Buccaneer baker to you?

Treasure Chest Snacks

Because we were nibbling throughout the day, we really didn't have much of a lunch. But we did have some seeded treats appropriate to our Caribbean theme. Using the same recipe that is posted here, I used chopped dried papaya, chopped dried pineapple, coconut shreds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds.

We also had also plundered some slightly-less-than-healthy booty because hey ... pirates wouldn't be pirates if they followed the rules all the time.

Pieces of Eight Seeded Treats

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and coat well with brown rice syrup.

Add a splash of tropical-flavored juice.

Bake for 20 minutes at 300 degrees.

Once cooled, cut into desired size and turn over.

Bake for another 10 minutes and 300 degrees and allow to cool.

World's End (because if you're headed to Davey Jones's locker, you might as well have a good time on your way down)

Drink up, me harties, you're home!!

What pirate party would be complete without rum?? These fizzy orange drinks may be a bit too foofy for Jack & his crew (it's probably written somewhere in the pirate code that rum should not be mixed), but they do contain the required pirate ingredient, so in my mind ... they pass!

{Girlie} Pirate Drinks

1/2 c. rum

1/4 c. coconut-pineapple juice

3/4 c. carbonated mango-orange juice

Splash of lime juice

Shake well with ice.

Serve in chilled glasses and pour it down your gullet, you scallawags!!

pirate day photos by kirsten.michelle

I Heart Cupcakes

You may have noticed that cupcakes are kind of my thing, niche, passion, hobby, whatever you want to call it...I heart cupcakes, completely.

I've never been much of a cake person, but cupcakes have always fascinated me. The individual flare and creativity is endless...at least in my eyes there is. You can mix frosting, decorations, flavors, and cute cupcake liners too. Ahh...so excited already. So this weekend I tried another recipe...and I went vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free. Vegan Chocolate Cupcake with Raspberry Buttercream frosting.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes (taken from Crazy About Cupcakes )

Ingredients:

6 tbsp applesauce

2 1/4 cups water

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp white vinegar

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose-flour (instead I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour)

2/3 cup cocoa powder

2 cups unbleached cane sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put liners into cupcake pan (s).

2. In large mixing bowl, mix together the applesauce, water, vanilla, and vinegar.

3. In another bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.

4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the liquid mixture. Beat well.

5. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full (I would recommend filling completely full because the batter is a thinner batter). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Raspberry Buttercream Frosting (you can find this on the back of any bag of powdered sugar and then I just added the raspberries as I mixed the other ingredients)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy margarine

1/4 soy milk

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup raspberries

Directions:

1. Mix soy margarine and soy milk together. Blend well.

2. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the blended mixture.

3. Add the vanilla and raspberries gradually.* Blend well.

4. I added the berries whole, instead of mashing them, either way should be fine.

*I found that after adding the raspberries the buttercream frosting became thinner because of their water content. So I would try lessening the vanilla or soy milk ingredients to see if that makes a difference in the thickness of the buttercream.

To add a little playfulness and creativity, I found these raspberry looking candies in the bulk food section at the grocery store.

I hope you came to "heart" cupcakes as much as me.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Goodness

I made these cupcakes a while ago, but I just keep forgetting to write about it. But suddenly today I remember. So I mish-moshed a cupcake recipe with a buttercream frosting recipe from different cooking sites to create pure deliciousness. This is also gluten-free, dairy free recipe.

Peanut Butter Cupcake Recipe
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/chocolate-frosted-peanut-butter-cupcakes-recipe.htm

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter (soy margarine)
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour (rice flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup milk (soy milk)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Put cupcake liner papers into cupcake pan (s).
2. Beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in sugars until well mixed. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
4. Spoon in batter into cupcake papers 2/3 full. Bake 23-25 minutes.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1730,150186-234192,00.html

Ingredients:
6 tbsp soy margarine
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup soy milk
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
1. Cream soy margarine
2. Add cocoa and powdered sugar alternating with soy milk
3. Beat to spreading consistency
4. Blend in vanilla

Peanut butter and chocolate...can you really go wrong?

hiking food

Today, the playful cook is going to take you a bit off the beaten path. Sis & I are going to take advantage of the glorious (in the 80s!!) weekend weather and go for a hike today. So the question is: what kind of food does the playful cook and her babe-a-licious baker sister take when they go for a hike?

Incidentally, this post is being written on my back porch with a steaming cup of the Pike's Place blend coffee. I'm overlooking a yard that, covered in snow 6 weeks ago, has now exploded in green. Birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and there's a gentle breeze stirring those lush green leaves to motion. It's supposed to be in the low 80s again today. Mary Poppins is going to show up at any moment, I just know it!!

This isn't a meal so much as it is a homemade energy/breakfast/whenever bar, something good for when you need to pack a lot of energy punch into a small amount of food. Nuts and seeds are good calorie-dense foods that help sustain for the long term. And dried fruits provide a quick burst of energy to burn and get you going.

As with any recipe posted here, I fully encourage you to make it your own. You can use any combination of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits that you like. It's all about playing and loving the results!

Here are the ingredients I used:
Dried cranberries
Dried apples
Slivered almonds
Raw (unroasted) cashews
Sunflower seeds
Flaxseeds
Brown rice syrup

And there's so much good stuff packed in these ingredients!!
{i'll summarize, click on the links to read more}

Cranberries: Vitamin C, fiber, reduces the risk of urinary tract & kidney infections, has antibiotic properties.

Apples: Fiber, Vitamin C, flavonoids. The insoluble fiber in apples latches on to the "bad" LDL cholesterol in your digestive tract and escorts that bad stuff out of your system. Pectin does the same for toxins like lead and mercury.

Almonds: Manganese, Vitamin E, magnesium, potassium (Vitamin K), riboflavin (Vitamin B2). Monounsaturated fats help reduce risk of heart disease, lowers LDL cholesterol. Magnesium protects blood vessels, potassium is essential for healthy nerve function.

Sunflower Seeds: Off-the-charts with Vitamin E and thiamin (Vitamin B1). Loaded with magnesium, manganese, Vitamin B5, folate, and tons of other good stuff.

Flaxseeds: Check out those Omega 3s!! 2 tablespoons contain nearly 150% of the daily recommended value. Also chock full of manganese, fiber, magnesium, and folate. Rich in ALA (alpha linolenic acid), which is a precursor to the EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) found in fish oil. The magnificnent human body can convert ALA to EPA. Also provides anti-inflammatory benefits, protects them bones, and helps defend the body against heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Brown rice syrup is is an all-natural sweetner the consistency of honey. Brown rice is boiled down until those complex carbs are simplified. What's great is that this sweetener is absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly than sugar, meaning that you don't get that sugar spike like you do with traditional sweeteners.

Other ingredients you might want to try:
Dried fruits: apricots, dates, raisins, blueberries, cherries, papaya, mango
Seeds: pumpkin seeds (pepitas), sesame seeds
Nuts: peanuts, pecans, walnuts
Other wild ideas: Sweeten a bit with orange juice or lemonade concentrate, add a little shredded coconut

Directions:
True to form, I really didn't measure anything here. It's hard to mess up something like this, so trust yourself and just eyeball the proportions.

All you really need to do before mixing all the ingredients in a bowl is to chop the dried fruits as small as you can (which is a difficulty, because they are super-sticky). A food processor comes in handy for jobs like this one!

In a bowl, combine:
Nuts, seeds, dried fruits

Pour brown rice syrup over the fruit/seed/nut party-in-a-bowl and stir until the whole mixture is coated with syrup and sticks together. I'm guessing that I used about 1 c. of the syrup, maybe a little more. You want the entire mixture to be well-coated and pretty sticky, but not dripping with the syrup.

Pour mixture onto a greased cookie sheet and press out flat (I used the back of a spoon, but a rubber spatula would also work). Bake in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes.

It will still be fairly crumbly when first out of the oven, but feel free to press and spread out the mixture some more until it's nice and flat. Allow to cool for a for a few hours (ideally, overnight). Once cooled, it'll be nice and hard and sticking together like good hiking bars should be.

Cut into whatever size you like. Grab and go!!

Now if you'll excuse me, sis and I have to go trail test these babies. Because that, my readers, is exactly how much we care about you: that we would spend this cloudless and sunny and warm weekend out on one of our favorite Pacific Northwest trails stretching our legs and taking in the views.

See ya!!