Baking Time!

***SORRY This is so late! I started typing it last week and was smote by a migraine in the middle of it, so I went blind and was not able to finish it....but here it is finally!!***

SO. I baked a lot this weekend/week! There were several recipes I wanted to try, and they all came out really well! As far as the regular food I ate...um...haha I got kinda behind on my posts! I'll just try to tell you the interesting things I ate, to give you good ideas maybe.

Breakfasts:

• smoothie - organic cabbage, frozen mixed berries, 1/2 banana, flax seeds, ice cubes, water
• smoothie - 1/2 cup organic plain yogurt, crushed pineapple, banana, flax seeds, almond milk
• banana pancakes made from leftover waffle batter from the weekend

Lunches:

• sprouted grain wrap with roasted chicken, cucumbers, spinach, Garlic Goddesss dressing, and a kiwi
• leftover taco salad
• Cuban pork, black bean, rice, and plantain wrap (this was WAY too carby)

Dinners:

• chicken, onion, pepper fajita
• mini portabello mushrooms sauteed in Earth balance and garlic salt, with shredded chicken, and a cob salad with homemade yogurt dressing - a bit of plain, fat free organic yogurt and a squirt of key lemon juice
• ground beef in red sauce over random organic greens and sauteed mushrooms, and santa claus squash boiled, with a bit of honey and cinnamon drizzled on top

Ok, NOW for the exciting part.... I already posted about my carrot cake I made (I'm adding pics to that post too now, if you want to check them out.)

BUT I also found a recipe for cranberry bars on Elana's site. Have you ever worked with fresh cranberries before? I mean, I'd always seen those Ocean Spray commercials with the guys standing in the cranberry "pools" or whatever the freak they are...what are those?? How do cranberries actually GROW? Hmm I'm gonna have to look into that...

ANYWAY - I'd seen those commercials, and thought how cool it would be to be walking around in a pool of cranberries. I mean..AWESOME! So when I made these cranberry bars they use fresh cranberries, and let me tell you...the are SO MAGICAL to work with!! I mean, I was washing them, and they're all floating in the big silver bowl, and they're shiny and such a beautiful color, and so winter-y...AGH it just made me so happy!!! And then when I was COOKING them - good night!!! They smell AMAZING, they're so COOL, and they just start popping and sizzling...haha I LOVED it! :-D They're just so happy!

So yes, I made these, and they turned out AMAZING! Just the right amount of tart and sweet...I'm DEFINITELY making these for Thanksgiving! And the best part, as always? - I CAN EAT THEM WITHOUT REGRETS!!!! Man....it's the small things in life ;-)

Gluten Free Cranberry Bars

1 cup raw pecans
5 dates, pitted
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
6 cups fresh cranberries, picked over (discard bad ones)
1 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon orange zest

1. Place pecans and dates in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground

2. Pulse in oil and salt until mixture begins to form a ball

3. Press crust into an 8x8 inch greased baking dish

4. Bake at 350° for 8-12 minutes until lightly browned

5. To make cranberry topping, place 4 cups cranberries, agave and orange zest in a pot on the stove

6. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer 10-15 minutes, until cranberries start to dissolve

7. Add remaining 2 cups cranberries and cook covered for 5 more minutes

8. Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes

9. Pour mixture over pecan crust

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10. Allow bars to set for 60-90 minutes

11. Serve

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