No Bake Granola Cakes

So I came across these wonderful little ‘granola cakes’ from Healthfulpursuit.com on Pinterest.  The pic below is from her blog.  Here is the original recipe >> http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2011/02/no-bake-granola-cakes/

I had been wanting to try a new snack for my boys, who are 4 and 21 months.  Lately they have been loving these little mini Clif bars that I had bought.  So I thought what the heck, why not try these little cuties!!  So here it is with, of course, my little twists

You combine the peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract & coconut oil in a small sauce pan.  Stir while heating on low to med-low heat until combined and slightly runny.  Be careful to not burn!! ( I almost DID!!) *Sorry totally forgot to get a pic of this step *

I only had whole almonds and walnuts on hand, so I chopped them up in the food processor until crumbly.  I wanted them very small since my youngest would also be enjoying these.

Combine the rest of your dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk it all together.  I also rough chopped the raisins, cranberries and cherries.

Add the peanut butter mixture from the saucepan to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.  The mixture will still be slightly crumbly.  But don’t worry it all comes together!

Now place 1 rounded Tbsp of goodness into a mini muffin pan.  Press firmly and then top with additional coconut and press again.  I think next time I might put the extra coconut at the bottom and then the goodness and press.

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes for them to firm up.

ENJOY!!  I know my boys did!!  They chowed down and asked for seconds!

 No-Bake Granola Mini Cakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup smooth all natural peanut butter

2 Tbsp Honey

2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract (Alcohol free)

3 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1/4 cup raisins, chopped

1/4 cup dried unsweetened cranberries, chopped (I ended up using 1/8 cup cranberries & 1/8 cup dried cherries)

1/4 cup whole almonds, chopped fine

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped fine

1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut + extra sprinkling

1/4 cup hulled hemp seeds

1/3 cup quinoa flakes

3 tbsp ground flax seed

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

A pinch (1/8 tsp) ground nutmeg

Directions:

Combine peanut butter, honey, vanilla and coconut oil in a small saucepan.  Heat on low to med-low heat and stir until combined and ooey-gooey runny.  Keep and eye on it so that it does not burn!

Combine, dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add the peanut butter mixture from the saucepan and combine until everything is moist and crumbly.

Place 1 rounded Tablespoon in the cups of a mini muffin pan.  Press firmly.  Add coconut and press again.

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.  Use a butter knife to pop them out and enjoy.

Store them in the fridge for best results.

 Find Printable version here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yl70CeSAsxLvr52JXn_2RNkkNUs5ELov-GBX-z5LmjY/edit

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal=YuMMiNeSS!!

So I have had a lot of requests for my Baked Blueberry Oatmeal.  So here it is!!  Now first let me tell you, I LOVE ME SOME BAKED OATMEAL!!  This is the only way that I will eat my oatmeal on a regular basis!!  I take one day every week and a half and bake up my oatmeal. WALLA!!!  The breakfast of champions is ready to go day after day!!!!  I have recently been obsessed with this blueberry oatmeal.  I’m not sure where I got the recipe from originally   The site was not written on my print out and I guess I didn’t ‘PIN’ it (what??).  But as I looked at my poor poor recipe sheet, I realized I had pretty much changed the whole thing anyways.   You know me thats how I roll.  And I can’t follow a dang recipe word for word.  I’m ALWAYS changing it up!  here is my modified version   Hope you enjoy!!

First things first!!  Whisk your dry ingredients together in a large bowl

Next, combine your wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.  Mix the almond milk, water, yogurt, applesauce, vanilla and eggs first.  Once well combined, mix in the berries.

Add your wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine until all is moist.  Here I used a mix of blueberries and strawberries!!  Extra YuMMiNeSS!!

Spoon into 8 – 1/2 pint mason jars.  Make sure to leave about 1 in at the top because the oatmeal will rise and you still want to be able to screw the lids on for storage.

After a few trys at this, I decided to put the mason jars in a water bath (I used a cake pan and added about 1/2 inch of water to it).  Before the bottoms were getting a little too done.  The water bath did the trick!  Not more over-did oatmeal bottoms

Bake for 30 mins or until tops are golden brown goodness!!

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

From PushMeForward.wordpress.com

Dry ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oats

½ + 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2  tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup oat flour (or old fashioned oat ground in a food processor or coffee grinder)

4 Tbsp Ground Flax seed (optional)

½ tsp Allspice

1 tsp Cinnamon

2 ½ Tbsp Ideal Sweetener

Wet Ingredients:

1 to 2 Pints of Blueberries (fresh but i bet frozen would work too) (or a mix of berries. I used strawberry & blueberries for the one in the pictures)

¾ cup Almond Milk (i use unsweetened Vanilla)

¾  cup water

½ cup Greek 0% Fat Yogurt

½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce

4 eggs, whites only

2 tsp Vanilla Extract (Alcohol-Free is the best)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray either 10 ½ pint mason jars or a 8 x 8 baking pan with a clean cooking spray.  Mix dry ingredients and then mix wet ingredients in seperate.Addwet ingredients to dry and mix well.  Spoon into jars or pan.  Make sure and leave room at the top, as this will rise.  Bake 25-30 mins or until golden brown on top.

If using jars, let them cool.  Then put lids and rings on top.  These can be stored in the fridge or freezer.  I keep 3 to 4 in the fridge and then pull more out of the freezer as needed.  I like them cold straight out of the fridge.  ENJOY!!

Find a Printable version here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LvUV2dSgbaPSz2-p5MjzWOyIZEYs7Aqxaswjf56KqVA/edit

P.S. This version is more ‘mushy’ that my other baked oatmeal and I think its the bomb diggity!!!

Green Chili Chicken Soup

Do you ever have those days when you just want something warm in your belly??  I know I do!!  I made this the other day when it was dreary, cold and wet outside.  I wanted something filling and nutritious.  Easy Peasy!!!  So I present to you Green Chili Chicken Soup!!

All is takes is a few simple ingredients, that if you are like me, you always have on hand!!

Starting with CHICKEN!! Grill up 3-4 oz of chicken. You can also use  left over grilled chicken or frozen precooked chicken.

I grilled mine up on my trusty Foreman grill using thawed chicken tenders.  (I always have these on hand!  Perfect for in a pinch!  They thaw quickly and are awesome for those long days that you forgot to lay something out for dinner!  Yeah right like that ever happens to me )

Next slice up the cooked chicken fajita style!!

Combine 14 oz (or 1 can of chicken broth), 1 (4 oz) can of chopped green chilies and 2 tsp cumin in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and add 1/3 cup of Minute Brown Rice or 1/2 cup of cooked short grain brown rice.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add chicken back to the saucepan for the last 2 minutes.

In the meantime…….

Chop up 1 medium onion and 1/2 a bunch of cilantro and toss together!  This stuff is awesome!!  I always have some made up and on hand in the fridge.  Its good in soups, on tacos, scrambled eggs, the options are endless!!

After the soup has simmered for 5 minutes, pour into a large bowl and top with the onion/cilantro relish!  And don’t forget the most important part!!!  A squeeze of a fresh lime to top it off.  I use a WHOLE 1/2 of a lime on mine!!  I love all that limey goodness!!

And WHALLA!!!!  Semi-instant soup!! Super healthy!!!  Super Easy!!!

It’s like a little Fiesta in a bowl!!

Enjoy!!!

~*Peace, Love & Health*~

P.S.  This is a low fat, low sodium recipe.  You easily add some salt or garlic salt for extra flavor and top it with some crumbled queso fresco.  Just make it your own!!

PINTEREST!!!! Yes PLEASE!!!

Have you found Pinterest yet??  OMWord!!!!!  You are missing out!  So many great ideas!!  Whoever thought of it was a Freaking Genius!!

Now how does this correlate to PushMeForward you say???

Well of course it does!!! 

 It’s all about trying something new!  Bettering yourself!!

Finding inspirations or I like to call Pinterestrations!!!

Not only I have tried new foods, but also new clothing styles!  Fitness tips!!  Crafts!!  Inspiring quotes!!

So here are a few of my pins from this week!!  Enjoy!

Bacon, Potato, Corn Chowder! from YuMMiNeSS

Source: weightwatchers.com via Sunni on Pinterest

Make-Up How-To for Big Eyes!

Source: makeupgeek.com via Sunni on Pinterest

Source: amazon.com via Sunni on Pinterest

Fuel!

Source: allwomenstalk.com via Sunni on Pinterest

Balance!!!!!!

Source: healthyisalwaysbetter.tumblr.com via Sunni on Pinterest

I could go on & on & on!!!!  I’ll try to share a few of my favs from the week on Fridays!  Hope yall enjoy!!  Feel free to follow any or all of my boards!!

~Peace~Love~Health~

~Sunni

Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

In my opinion, there is no better way to start your day than with a stick to your bones serving of oatmeal!  Did you know oats are LOADED with healthy dietary fiber, including soluble and insoluble fiber!!  These require a lot of work for your digestive system to break them down thus leaving you feeling fuller longer!!  HALLA!!  They also help regulate blood sugars, which in return, don’t give you those sugar highs & lows.  I don’t think I can say enough about oatmeal!  Which brings me to one of my favorite variations

~ The Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal~

I’m sure I started with someone elses recipe but I can’t remember where it came from!  Plus I have added my own twist!  So I appologize before hand for not giving props!  If I figure it out I will do so FOR SURE!!!!

  It’s SO easy.  So here goes!!

The Cast

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.

Ok to begin, I grind my own flax seed and oat flour.  Yes, Yes, I know that you buy these already ground but I take some satisfaction in doing it myself.  Also did you know flax seed holds its nutritional value longer in its natural form than if it is ground??  Therefore, I prefer to grind my own right before I am going to use it.

I use my handy dandy Mr. Coffee coffee grinder to grind my flax seed and oatmeal. I add the measured amount of ingredients to the grinder cup and grind away.

Here is the flax seed and oatmeal before and after grinding.

                 

Next combine the dry ingredients to a large bowl and use a whisk to mix them up.

       

In another bowl,  combine the wet ingredients and the apples.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry.  And mix it all up.  Doesn’t it look delish!

        

Now here comes the best part!!!  You can use Mason Jars to bake!!  HALLA!!!!

Everything is already portioned out.  Perfect for a family breakfast or, if you are like me, I have everything portioned out for the week.

I used 1/2 pint Mason Jars here to make 8 servings.  Spray the insides of the jars with a clean cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Fill the jars almost to the top.  Be sure to leave room for the oatmeal to slightly rise.

Then garnish the top with a few apple slices and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Place in a pan with a little bit of water.  Bake in the oven uncovered for 35-45 mins or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Add a lid!!  You can even go one step further and use a vacuum sealer with jar attachment to seal jars.

I keep a few jars in the fridge and put the rest in the freezer.  I then restock the fridge as needed.

They can be reheated in the microwave or if you are like me, eat them cold straight out of the fridge!!

Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

By: Sunni Gliddon of PushMeForward.wordpress.com

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 3 Cups Rolled Oats (Old Fashion Oats)
• 3 tsp Cinnamon
• 6 tsp Ideal Sweetener
• ½ Cup Ground Flax seed
• ½ Cup Oat Flour

Wet Ingredients

• 4 Apples (3 diced and 1 sliced for garnish)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (Try to find one that is alcohol free)
• 3 Cups of liquid (I use 1 cup of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk & 2 cups of water)
• ½ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce

Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 8 ½ pint Mason Jars (or one 8 x 8 baking dish) with a clean cooking spray (one free of propellants).  Mix Dry Ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix Wet Ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add Wet Ingredients to the Dry Ingredients and stir to combine.  Fill Mason Jars to the screw line, leaving room for the oatmeal to slightly rise (or spread in 8 x 8 dish).  Garnish with leftover sliced apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Place jars in a baking pan with about ½ inch of water (If using an 8 x 8 dish, just place dish in oven.) Bake for 35 – 45 mins or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Makes 8 servings.  * Tip:  If storing, place lid on top of jars and they can be sealed using a jar attachment of a vacuum sealer.  Jars can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.  Can be eaten warm or cold straight out of the fridge. ENJOY!!

Find A Printable Version Here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ewz4NaVyLaE2JRvKEWtjLwT2e1Jrlkh8g5OZ0OzDQI8/edit

Happy Healthy Clean Eating!!

Blessings,

 ~Sunni

Push Me Forward – The Beginning

So here we are at The Beginning!!  Welcome!!  Push Me Forward stands for a lot of things!!  When I began the journey of weight loss a year ago, I NEVER fathomed I would end up here!!  But so glad my journey brought me to this AMAZING place!!  I’ll go into detail about all that in another post another day

So it’s all about the PUSH!  Pushing past barriers!  Pushing past NEGATIVITY and JUMPING into the POSITIVE!  Pushing to COMMIT~which brings me to today’s topic!

COMMITMENT!  I thought I had this NAILED!  Yeah right, think again!!  Here’s where this revelation started:

The other day someone posted on FB about how it only takes 30 days to create a habit and challenged others to change something for 30 days.  So I started thinking ‘What could I change??’  After some very deep soul-searching, I realized I am NOTORIOUS for beginning something, committing but soon after drop the ball completely!  Holy Cow!  I was a QUITTER!  What!!!  I SO pride myself on sticking to a challenge!  In many ways I have COMMITTED!  To date I have lost 40 lbs – couldn’t have done that without commitment.  BUT within that, I have not always stuck to the ‘plan’ whatever that plan might be.  With my nutrition I continuously I fall off the wagon, get back on, fall off, climb back on!!  I wanted to start journaling my day-to-day life to see how nutrition & exercise effected my mood & body because I know they go hand in hand – yeah right!  I think I journaled like 2 days!  I QUIT!  I started the 50 for 50 Burpee Challenge – yeah I think I got 10 days in total!!  QUIT again!!  I could go on and on!  This Blog is one!  I created it like a month ago and never posted ONCE!  So there you go – FULL CIRCLE again to today.

So here is what I am commiting to for the next 30 days rest of my life!  I am committing to COMPLETION!  To follow through with the commitments I have made.  Sounds easy right?!?!!  Yeah RIGHT!!!  Obviously I’m not very good at this but NOW is the time to change this – to change ME!!  So here is what I am committing to for the next 30 days:

• Journal daily!
• Eat clean – DAILY!
• Complete Bible Study!
• Make daily posts on my FB page to MOTIVATE & the Merry Cheer Challenge daily posts!
• To not let MYSELF & LIFE get in the way of the above commitments!!

Oh YES!! I am going to RoCK TH!S!!  I got this!!!!  So here is my challenge to you!!  Make ange a change and commit to something, whatever is important to you, for the next 30 days!!  Why not end 2011 with a *BANG* and jump feet first into the New Year with an awesome new habit!!  Why wait till Jan 1st 2012 to make a resolution?  So what’s it going to be??  Wish me LUCk and I wish you LUCK!!  RoCK IT OUT!!  Make it happen!!  ONLY YOU CAN CHANGE YOU!!

~Sunni