Energy Bars

Today, I'm bringing out the big guns - my personal trainers and constant companions. When I say constant companions, I mean that quite literally. It doesn't seem to matter where I am, they're always there following me from one room to the other. After some discussion, they've shared that their favourite room is the kitchen and their favourite treats are whatever happens to fall on the floor at any time of day or night. They are the constant reminders that I need to get out and exercise even if I don't really want to. And remind me they do. How can you resist these faces? Even worse, it's just not possible to go near a door without finding one or both of them ready at the slightest movement of the leash.



He's the male and really thinks he's the alpha in our pack. We let him come through doors first just to keep his ego in tact. We really know who the alpha is in the family and she's exactly half his size. Although he's been nicknamed "fat boy", we prefer to consider him as being big boned and full of character.



Now she's the serious one. Weighing in at just 11 lbs. she has a great dane complex and will tackle anything or anybody who threatens her pack. Those eyes come and tell me it's time to go get some exercise. And, if the eyes get ignored, the ante will always get bumped up to the barking phase.

Remember this guy - the symbol of something healthy coming - the man with the hat that infiltrates my cupboards.




Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup skim milk powder
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup dried apricots or dates, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup liquid honey
1/4 cup molasses
2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Process:
1. Combine dry ingredients with fruit and seeds.
2. Beat eggs with oil, honey and molasses.
3. Add the dry ingredients and blend well. (It's a thick and relatively dry mixture that requires a bit of elbow grease to mix)
4. Spread into a 9 inch square pan, lightly buttered (don't press down on batter)
5. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. If using pyrex pan, decrease temperature to 325 F.
6. This recipe may be doubled successfully. Freezes well.

I doubled the recipe and found it made 1 - 9x12 and 1 - 9x9






This is a sweet treat packed with good for you ingredients.

Upside Down Apple Cake

I've never been one to reach into the fruit drawer and grab an apple. If it's peeled and cored, I'll give it a good home. But, an apple on it's own - not my favourite. This, however, didn't stop my mom from putting an apple in my lunch every day during elementary school. We affectionately named him (and his descendents) "Mr. Apple". By the end of the week, Mr. Apple would be bruised to high heaven from being lugged to and from school every day.

Although I still don't like apples, I buy them regularly and look for new recipes in which to use them. Still to this day, I rarely if ever grab a whole apple for a snack.

Luckily, I found a great recipe that worked well with this month's Taste & Create. This event randomly pairs two food bloggers so that they can try a recipe from each other's "repetoire". I was paired with Finger Licking Food and decided to make her Apple Cake Tatin

Upside Down Apple Cake

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1/3 cup of water
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the dish
1 1/4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into 12 pieces (I used 2 apples)
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Confectioners' sugar (I didn't use any)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Generously butter a 9-inch glass pie dish and arrange the apples in the dish, cut side down.



Combine 1 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat. Swirl the pan, but don't stir, until it turns a warm amber color (I wasn't sure how long this would be...but once it got to be thick enough and a bit browny, I turned off the stove).



Pour evenly over the apple slices.



Meanwhile, cream the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the sour cream, zest, and vanilla and mix until combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and, with the mixer on low speed, add it to the butter mixture. I also added raisins. Mix only until combined. Pour the cake batter evenly over the apple slices



Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a cake tester or a tooth pick comes out clean.



Cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a flat plate. If an apple slice sticks, ease it out and replace it in the design on top of the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioner's sugar and a scoop of vanilla ice cream (I just ate it on it's own).

I am very pleased with how the cake turned out. It tastes great and looks really good. I was worried about the cake sticking to the cake pan and falling apart when I flipped it, but it didn't.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

I must admit, I was a little bit star struck, when I saw that Ruth from Once Upon a Feast had a column written about her by Noreen Gilletz in the Canadian Jewish News. Noreen Gilletz's cookbooks are a staple in any Jewish-Canadian household. Growing up, I always wondered: why doesn't every cookbook have a convenient fold down the middle of the book allowing you to keep the book upright?

When I wrote a comment on Ruth's post and Noreen replied, I quickly sent an e-mail to my mom. So, now I'm a celebrity by association. Ok...maybe not. But, it did inspire me to make a favorite Noreen Gilletz recipe.

This recipe comes from Second Helpings Please:



Sweet & Sour Chicken

4lb chicken, cut in 8ths (I just use 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
seasoned flour (see below)
1/4 cup oil (we don't use this much)
1 onion, diced
15 oz tin pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice)
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp lemon juice

Seasoned Flour



1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder, if desired

Instructions

Roll chicken in seasoned flour.



Fry slowly on both sides in hot oil until brown, about 20 minutes.



Combine onion, pineapple juice, ketchup and lemon juice in a saucepan and simmer about 5 minutes.



Place chicken in a casserole. Pour sauce over chicken.



and top with pineapple chunks.



Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Serve with rice.



I should fess up though...we alter the pineapple, ketchup and lemon juice to have double the sauce and pineapples.

Also - kudos to R for making this meal and taking pictures for the blog! I'm just not sure what to think of all of the passive-aggressive crotch shots: