Chewy, Sweet, Tart Yummy Granola goodness

With all of the uber-personal stuff that I have been talking about lately, I though I'd take a moment to introduce you to some yummy goodness.

Behold.. the best granola bars EVER. Well, that's my opinion anyway, but just give this recipe a shot and I think I can make a believer out of you!

I LOVE these granola bars. They have quickly become one of my favorite treats or breakfasts. I adapted this recipe from Ina Garten of the Food Network. I lowered the sugar and left out the coconut lest I accidentally kill my highly allergic husband! These are so chewy yummy, and you can really do it with any fruit or nut of your choice. I prefer dried cherries! Just be sure to not set them on a hot burner to cool.. like I did last time and burnt them to a crisp. 

The whole time they were "cooling" I kept remarking to my darling hubs how wonderful the house still smelled. Well, jackass, that's because they were technically still cooking! OOPS! Needless to say, they burnt to all hell and I was only able to save a handful! I set the glass pan on the burner that I had forgotten to turn off.

Anyway.. Recipe below!

Granola Bars!
Ingredients

• 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 small bag sliced almonds, about 3/4 cup.
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup honey - *original recipe calls for 2/3, I lowered.
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 12-inch baking dish with pam and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until 

lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

 

Off the birth control... lady post!

Just like the title says.... I am off of my birth control. After roughly 10 years. Yikes!
My husband and I have no immediate plans to conceive, but I am trying to get my body ready, so to speak. My doctor recommended being off birth control for at least 3 months before trying to conceive. Technically I stopped b/c last month, after my period. And I am now experiencing side effects!
That's why I decided to write this fairly personal post! Just a little hello to all you ladies out there that are quitting your birth control... there are things they don't tell you! Some of this may be common knowledge, but it wasn't for me!

 #1: The nipple soreness. Oh dear god, the pain! Imagine being stuck in the freezer section of the grocery store 24 hours a day. Bras.. they hurt. Hugs... the horror! Accidentally brushing your arm against it while putting on a seat belt.. makes me want to scream. Don't even mention my husbands grab-ass tendencies. I will slap a grown man in public.. no lie. That took about 3 weeks to recede.

#2: Welcome back, cramps. Actually, no, you are not welcome. I hate you. Midol laughs in my face as it is totally worthless.

#3: Hello heavy flow! When I did start, right on time, thankfully, it was heavy. Really heavy. Gross, I know.

#4: Crazy-pants rides again! Mood swings were back. I almost forgot how bad they could get. Crying for 2 hours during "Extreme Make-over Weight Loss Edition" You betcha!! Wanting to scream and stomp my feet and possibly throw it against the wall when my minced garlic wouldn't open... all day long baby!

Now, before you go running for the hills and the nuvaring.. this will pass. It's just the body regulating. I have to get used to my own hormones now. But Jesus. I was ill-prepared. I kept asking my hubs if he was prepared for 9 months of similar behavior followed immediately by a screaming newborn?

Of course, he said Yes. I am pretty sure he only proposed so he could try to knock me up.
I am just the means to the end here folks!!

I jest. He loves me. He just really really wants to knock me up too.

Weight Watchers wasn't the way to go!

Hello blog world.
When I started trying to lose weight , I was using weight watchers. Please understand that I don't think it is a bad program, it just didn't work for me.
I gained 5lbs in one month on that program. It started out ok, I lost a little bit but every other week it came right back, regardless of any changes I may have made.

I think I know what the problem was for me though....

Most fruits and vegetables are "free", meaning you do not have to track the points+ for them. This ended up being a bit of a problem for me. See, I don't really eat meat. So, 90% of my meals are fruits and vegetables with a little carbs thrown in.

I tried to work the program around that and spoke with some Leaders and message boards etc about what I could do to tweak the program.. try more points, try less points, work out more, work out less... Everyone told me to eat less fruit, more meat and dairy. Yuck... but the whole point is to be healthy, and I like my 8 freggie servings a day thankyouverymuch.
So 2 weeks ago I decided to try a free website, sparkpeople.com (simultaneously w/WW) and track my calories as well as macro-nutrients like protein, carbs, fat and fiber. Not just points.

I discovered that by following my points and WW healthy guidelines, I was eating nearly 2000 cals a day!!! NO WONDER!! I was also too high in carbs, low in protein, high in fat and fine on fiber.
I understand that I could have tweaked it for less points etc. but I wanted a clearer picture of what was going into my body.

So, I cancelled WW.

No hard feelings there, WW, I just think my lifestyle wasn't conducive to their program, a little too "one size fits all" I suppose. After my first week on sparkpeople, I lost 1.4 lbs. That was more than I had lost in over 3 months. YAY!

So, I start afresh. Awesome. Slow and steady wins the race! I weigh in tomorrow, wish me luck!