Too Busy for Breakfast? Cherry Almond Granola Bars

There’s nothing better than a hearty bowl of oatmeal on a winter morning. But, sometimes our schedules just won’t allow it. That’s where these delicious chewy granola bars come in.

These filling bars are packed with hearty goodness, like buttery oats, almonds and dried fruit, and they don’t contain any of the preservatives found in store-bought varieties. And, while they're not cloyingly sweet like some granola bars, honey and a bit of brown sugar provides a nice balanced sweetness alongside unsweetened dried cherries.

We love this recipe since it's highly customizable. 

Love a little chocolate for breakfast?  Make peanut butter and dark chocolate chip granola bars with pecans.

Try peanut or cashew butter instead of almond butter. Sub out the flax seeds for sunflower seeds. Add raisins, dried pineapple, coconut... the sky is the limit. Just keep the proportion of dry to wet ingredients the same and you're all set.

Best of all, they come together quickly, so you can devote your time to other, more important tasks... like making your morning coffee. 

Cherry Almond Granola Bars

There are more great recipes where this one came from! We created this dish as part of our work with the Go Bold with Butter blog, where you'll find an amazing collection of delicious recipes using real butter.

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Wonton Crisps Four Ways

 We love easy party recipes.  So, we've developed a little bit of a love affair with the wonton wrapper.

You see, it's not that we hate making things completely from scratch. But, wonton wrappers, which typically contain only three ingredients -- flour, water, and sometimes eggs -- are a pretty awesome time saver when you're looking to create an impressive appetizer spread and you're a bit short on time.

For instance, these crispy wonton appetizer cups are one of the easiest ways we know to put an elegant appetizer on the table in just minutes.

And, if you love being creative, wonton crisps are going to be your new favorite party project.

All you really have to do is slice a few wonton wrappers on the diagonal, brush them with a bit of butter, sprinkle with seasoning, and bake them for about 10 minutes.

A bit like a chip, but sturdy like a cracker, wonton crisps satisfy the craving for “junk” food snacks, but are healthier than most store-bought items.

We played around with four different flavor combinations this time around:

• Cheesy crisps are a nice standard.  The cheese crisps up nicely, and gives the chips a pleasantly salty bite.
• Cinnamon crisps really appealed to Peef's sweet tooth. And they reminded Lo a lot of the pie crust scraps her mom used to bake up for her when she would make pies.
• The smoky paprika crisps were oddly reminiscent of Doritos -- though probably the health food store version, since they were a lot less salty.
• The sesame crisps were some of the prettiest of the bunch, and they tasted pleasantly nutty.  We also thought they'd go really nicely as part of an appetizer platter with hummus or baba ghanoush.

So, yeah. Wonton crisps make seriously good party food.

But, they also make great after school snacks for kids (or quite frankly, adults).  They're crisp and satisfying, but, unlike other junk food options, they're not particularly calorie laden, and they shouldn't ruin your appetite for dinner.

Looking for clever serving ideas? The cinnamon crisps are delicious served alongside a small bowl of applesauce for dipping, while savory (or plain, buttered) crisps are right at home alongside healthy dips like homemade hummus, salsa, or almond butter.

Wonton Crisps - Four Ways

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Sweet and Spicy Butter Roasted Chickpeas

 Ah, the summer road trip!

What's better than hopping in the car with a friend or two and heading off into the wild abyss? Going somewhere, anywhere, nowhere... with the radio blaring and the wind whipping through your hair.

Weekend road trips have become our savior in the past couple of years. We haven't had a lot of money for a "real" vacation. So, packing up for a day or three and heading out to find our own adventures has been the new normal. Interestingly enough, no matter how often we do it, I always find my brain hearkening back to the days of our youth -- back in college -- when road-tripping was the ultimate act of freedom.

When we're on the road, we often find ourselves falling back on crunchy treats like pretzels and crackers to stave off hunger and ensure that we won’t break down and head straight for the greasy goodness of the fast food drive-through window (which, honestly, doesn't have all that much allure -- but sometimes it's the only thing you can find for miles when you're out in the middle of nowhere).

But, even those seemingly healthy snacks aren’t always the best. They’re full of carbs and provide very little protein – which means they don’t have much staying power.

So, what is a hungry traveler to do?  Roast up some chickpeas, of course. 

If you haven’t yet tried roasted chickpeas, you’re in for a treat. These ultra-crunchy nibbles are healthy, easy, and addictive... maybe a little bit TOO addictive.

This particular combination of five-spice powder and honey gives them a flavor that comes out a bit like a cross between honey-roasted beer nuts and honey nut Cheerios. Best of all, they make awesome road trip food. They taste great, travel well, and provide a serious hit of protein precisely when you need it most.

Sweet and Spicy Butter Roasted Chickpeas

©BURP! Where Food Happens