Vegan Banana Oat Chewies

Allie and my mom are victims of the Harris Teeter reduced rack. Sadly, I don't have one here - but this summer my mom and I bought our fair share of spotted bananas.

The second I saw Allie's Banana Oat Bites I thought "Look ma! Something else to do with dead bananas!" because pretty much all we could think of this summer was banana bread and/or smoothies.

I took three of my own "past-due" bananas out of the freezer and had the bites made in less than 24 hours after seeing Allie's post.

On a pretty funny side-note, when I printed out the recipe, for some reason it printed microscopic! It's all there, perfectly intact, just micro sized! Johnny and I were cracking up.

I made a couple variations to her recipe, since it is so easy to play around with. You can swap out any dried fruits, nuts, seeds, or spices!

3 ripe bananas (fresh, or thawed frozen)
1 cup chopped, dried fruit (I used raisins)
2 cups oats
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

My add-ins:
sesame seeds
sunflower seeds
chopped peanuts
cinnamon
freshly grated nutmeg (trust Alton Brown, it makes a difference!)

Begin by chopping the dried fruit so it gets sticky and place in a small bowl with a splash of hot water to slightly rehydrate.

Next, mash the bananas in a large bowl with a fork. Add the oil, extract, seeds, nuts, and spices. Last, add in the dried fruit and the oats, mixing until everything is incorporated. Let sit about 15 minutes for the mixture to moisten, which will let the oats soften.

Form the mixture into patties (I got 16 out of my batch) and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

First of all, these smell delicious throughout the entire process. While mixing, while baking, and fresh from the oven.

I love that they have a crunchy, textured exterior, but the inside is still moist and chewy. The darker bits of the seeds and nuts give terrific depth to the flavor. Johnny thought they tasted like a cross between a cookie and a bran muffin. I agree, they are very chewy, that's why I called them "chewies" instead of cookies, so you don't make them with the wrong idea in mind.

In the future I'm going to play around with more dried fruit, nut, and seed combinations. I am also going to try adding maple syrup because I think that would be a great flavor with the oats as well!

The best part is that these are vegan and if using gluten-free oats, can be safe for those with Celiac. They'd be great to bring to a group event, where they'd be safe for virtually everybody!

Friday Firsts - Hummus

Happy Friday everybody! I can't believe we're already so far into September already. The nights are getting chilly, which is a little bittersweet. I hate to see the end of summer, but I love fall! It's my favorite season because I love Halloween and my birthday is of utmost importance!

My first for this week was making my own Hummus! I've eaten gallons of hummus before, but never any I've made myself from scratch.

It was actually really easy and I liked it better than the store version. Johnny said it could use a bit more flavor, so we'll try again next time.

I have two short announcements while I've got your attention!

First - I'm going to be competing in Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog. I know I have a few of you as great competitors. At the top of my sidebar on the right is my profile widget. Over the next few weeks (if I advance) I will be posting challenge posts and also directing you where to vote! I'm really excited and can't wait to see what we all come up with!

Second - My 2 year blogaversary is this Sunday, September 12th. Stop by for a surprise give away. I have no idea what it will be yet, but I know you guys will want to win anyways!

Now it's your turn to tell me about your first! To participate in Friday Firsts create a blog post featuring a "first" of yours. Next, link that blog post below and tell us about it! If you don't have a blog or a specific post to link to please tell us about your first in the comment section! Any and all participation is welcome!



If you would like to display the Friday Firsts button as a badge in your post or on your side bar, you can copy and paste the following code:

<a href="http://www.dinneratchristinas.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://glc.dinneratchristinas.com/i/fridayfirsts.png" alt="Friday Firsts / DinnerAtChristinas.com" style="width: 220px; height: 220px; border: none"/></a>

Hummus

We've really been trying to cut back on our budget so I thought I'd save a few bucks by making hummus from scratch, versus paying top price for a small, ready-made container.

Johnny and I absolutely love hummus, but I've never made it before. I did a quick google search and picked the one with the shortest ingredient list and 5 star reviews. I wasn't looking for anything crazy, just a basic hummus.

15 oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/4 cup liquid from the can
3 Tbsp of lemon juice (more if desired)
2 Tbsp tahini
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
dash black pepper
dash of cumin
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
red pepper flakes or cayenne (optional)

Drain the chickpeas and reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid from the can. Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender or bowl. (Try not to drink the tahini straight from the jar.)

Blend until everything is smooth (I did this with my hand blender). *Pause to admire my 10¢ thrift store spatula*

Place in a serving bowl and make a shallow well in the center of the hummus. Add the olive oil in the well.

This will keep in a covered container in the fridge for about a week. If the hummus begins to dry out during storage add more olive oil.

Serve with pita bread, or our personal favorite - fresh veggies!

Friday Firsts - Kellogg's Fiber Plus

Happy Friday everybody! I hope all of my east coast readers are now past any danger of Earl by the time you read this!

Last week's Friday Firsts featured a really exciting first from Debbi Does Dinner Healthy! She was interviewed by her local news on money-saving meal tips. You should head over and read about her experience and watch the video - it's great! Congrats Debbi and thanks for sharing your first!

My first for this week was trying two new cereals from the Foodbuzz Taste Maker program. Kellogg's Fiber Plus Antioxidants in Berry Yogurt Crunch and Cinnamon Oat Crunch.


Both Johnny and I tried the Cinnamon Oat Crunch, which reminded me of a healthier tasting Honey-Nut Cheerio. I ate these plain by the handful, or over yogurt. Johnny ate it with milk and noted that it got soggy faster than usual, which then gave it a bit of a "cardboardy" flavor.

I was the only one able to try the Berry Yogurt Crunch because it contained whey, but I loved it! In fact, the box is just about gone! The flakes are really big and have little flecks of red (berry?) on them. There are granola crunchies and also little nuggets of yogurt covered granola. It's a really crunchy, hearty cereal. I ate it with milk and also a few nights as a snack over yogurt.

Now it's your turn to tell me about your first! To participate in Friday Firsts create a blog post featuring a "first" of yours. Next, link that blog post below and tell us about it! If you don't have a blog or a specific post to link to please tell us about your first in the comment section! Any and all participation is welcome!



If you would like to display the Friday Firsts button as a badge in your post or on your side bar, you can copy and paste the following code:

<a href="http://www.dinneratchristinas.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://glc.dinneratchristinas.com/i/fridayfirsts.png" alt="Friday Firsts / DinnerAtChristinas.com" style="width: 220px; height: 220px; border: none"/></a>

The boxes of cereal were generously provided compliments of Kellogg's and the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. The review is my honest opinion of the product.

Friday Firsts - Butcher Block Cutting Board

Happy Friday everybody!! Sooo sorry for the missing post last week. Johnny and I were meant to leave my parents' on Monday and then that didn't happen. It kept getting pushed back a day or two, until we just ended up staying the whole week and leaving Friday morning. It was probably somewhere around nightfall on Friday evening when we were making our way through the horrendous Pennsylvania Turnpike that I realized I'd forgotten to set it up the night before!

But we're home now and I've reluctantly returned to normal life. In fact, I'm even getting around to finally showing you my amazing CSN treat I alluded to way back in June. Whoops!

This week I was able to season and use my amazing butcher block cutting board for the first time! I absolutely love it and could not be more pleased with it!

It's a massive 18" x 18" working space and 3" tall. Made of hardwood and reversible, this baby weighs twenty three pounds!

Now it's your turn to tell me about your first! To participate in Friday Firsts create a blog post featuring a "first" of yours. Next, link that blog post below and tell us about it! If you don't have a blog or a specific post to link to please tell us about your first in the comment section! Any and all participation is welcome!



If you would like to display the Friday Firsts button as a badge in your post or on your side bar, you can copy and paste the following code:

<a href="http://www.dinneratchristinas.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://glc.dinneratchristinas.com/i/fridayfirsts.png" alt="Friday Firsts / DinnerAtChristinas.com" style="width: 220px; height: 220px; border: none"/></a>

Johnny's Fiesta Party & Chili Rellenos Bake

Let's back track a bit since I'm home and struggling to get caught up on life.

Johnny's 33rd birthday was August 7th. We had a(n almost) surprise Fiesta birthday party for him. He found out a few hours before, but it was still a blast!

I didn't get too many pictures of the food since I was busy socializing, chowing down, and swimming.

The menu included tacos, serrano pepper spiked corn bread, chili spiked squash pies, beans, a cold rice salad, and a new adaptation of the baked chili rellenos.

We loved the new chili rellenos baked version so much that I've already made it again at home.

The recipe is nearly identical to the one I already featured, except instead of stuffing the peppers with the cheese, you cut the roasted peppers into chunks and grate the cheese.

Mix the batter in a medium bowl until smooth, and then add the cheese and peppers. Spray a baking dish and pour in, baking for about 30 minutes.

When I made it for the party, I made it in a huge pie tin so we cut it into slices almost like a pizza. At home I made it in a small casserole dish, so we cut squares. The leftovers are really easy to heat up the next day and taste even better!

Cheater's Key Lime Pie

This is another recipe I had bookmarked for over a year from Noble Pig - "Cheater's" Key Lime Pie. From the moment I saw it I realized it'd be perfect! Johnny loves key lime pie and this is by far the easiest version I've ever seen.

I'm a little late in posting this because we had it for Johnny's (almost) surprise Fiesta birthday party on August 6th!

I took the "cheating" another step further and used a ready-made crust, but feel free to make your own graham cracker crust from scratch if you are so inclined!

14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
6 oz. can of frozen Limeade concentrate (not thawed)
1 cup heavy cream
zest of one lime

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and fluffy. Soft peaks will begin to form. This took me about 5 minutes. Pour into a pie crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.

This was so easy and really tasted terrific. All of the guests at the birthday party could not believe it was a "cheater's" version. It really isn't missing anything an authentic key lime pie has. This would also be a great recipe to cook with kids because there is no cooking involved, just measuring and dumping - two things they love!