Energy Snacks – Mary's Kitchen

LET’S MAKE SOME HIGH PROTEIN POWER SNACKS – KEEP YOU GOING THROUGH YOUR SUMMER ACTIVITIES and WHEN YOUR ON THE RUN

Summer seems to be finally here in Scotland which brings with it outdoor summer activities. Whether you like walking for miles, playing golf, cycling with friends, swimming, surfing, running or any other outdoor activity, it’s good to have on hand some high protein energy snacks to keep you going.

I play a lot of golf and when I get onto the 10th hole I often feel the need for an energy boost. Here are 4 easy to make power snacks that you can carry with you on whatever your favourite outdoor sport is. Three of these recipes require no cooking and can be made in less than 15 minutes.

They are so simple to make and only require few ingredients. Let’s start with my Raw Ingredient Energy Bars – Easy as 1,2,3 and taste sensational.

RAW INGREDIENT ENERGY BARS – EASY AS 1, 2, 3

2 cups (16 ozs) pitted dates, 1/2 cup (4 ozs) pecans, 1/2 cup walnuts.

This is the simple part – put all ingredients into a food processor and blend well. Press mixture into an 8×8″ baking tin. I like to sprinkle some chia seeds or milled flax seed on top – if you do, press gently on top. Place in fridge overnight. Cut into 2″ x 1″ bars. Great source of energy if your on the run.

4 INGREDIENT POWER COOKIES

3 or 4 Mashed Bananas, 2 cups (16 ozs) whole rolled oats, 1/2 cup shredded organic unsweetened coconut, 1 cup 70% chocolate drops or cacao nibs.

Mash bananas and mix in remaining ingredients.

If you want to be creative – you can add 1/4 cup honey or peanut butter and 1/4 cup walnut, almond or pecan pieces, some chopped red chilli, cinnamon, maple syrup instead of honey. Be creative.

You have a basic recipe in which you can add some other ingredients to create a different flavour. Enjoy.

Bake at 350F 15/20 Minutes

PEANUT BUTTER BITES – POWER SNACK (Bet you can’t just eat one!!!)

2 cups whole rolled oats, 1/2 cup peanut butter (palm oil free please or any other nut butter you prefer – almonds, cashew, pecans), 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup, 1/4 cup water. You will find a recipe on my YouTube site (Mary PremierCru) for making your own almond butter. Please subscribe to my Blog and YouTube if you enjoy my tutorials.

Put oats into a large mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients – mix well. Elk bro a dozen or so balls. Then roll in Cacoa, Shredded Coconut, Chopped Walnuts or Milled Flax/Linseed – use your imagination – everyone loves these.

No cooking required – sure in a plastic container in fridge or freezer. Delish!

CHICKPEA POWER BALLS

1 tin (400g) chickpeas drained and rinsed, 1/4 cup ground almonds, 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup, 3/4 cup organic peanut butter (or cashew, almond or pecan), 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup whole rolled oats, 1/2 cup cacao nibs (or dried chopped fruit – i.e. cranberries, dates, apricots)

Add chickpeas to food processor and blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients (except cacao nibs/dried fruit), Blend well – remove blade and add cacao nibs or dried fruit. Roll into about 2-1/2 dozen balls.

I like to roll mine in cacao or shredded organic coconut. Store in an airtight plastic container in fridge.

(If you have nut allergies, replace peanut butter with tahini paste (made with sesame seeds) – You can find a recipe on how to make your own tahini paste on my you tube site – Mary PremierCru.

If you are enjoying my Blogs and following me on my Facebook Page – “Mary’s Kitchen” , please subscribe after reading this blog by entering your email address in the subscription area at the end or side of this blog. You will then receive notification when I have posted again. You can also follow my instructional videos on You Tube – Mary PremierCru (again, please subscribe if you enjoy them).

Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder

LET’S MAKE DOG BISCUITS – HEALTHY EATING FOR OUR BEST FRIENDS

Have you ever taken the time to read the ingredients in some dog treats and food? Shock horror will follow. The ingredients that you should try and avoid
are:

Meat and grain meals and by products

BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) – chemical compound – effective alternative is Vitamin E

BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) – another chemical compound

Ethoxyquin – a PESTICIDE that controls scald on pears after harvest. Used in dog foods as a preservative to prevent the rancidification of fats. Yikes!

Food dyes (dogs do not see colour the way we do – so why do manufacturers put food colourants in their food) – avoid all food colorants (blue 2, red 40, yellow 5 and 6, 4-MIE

Corn and wheat gluten

PG (propylene Glycol) – antifreeze – again Yikes!

Rendered fat

Some of these ingredients you can’t even pronounce and they are not necessary in dog food. Make sure you read the composition before you buy. There are a lot of really good dog foods out there, so if you want a healthy dog with good strong bones and teeth and a shiny coat, pay attention to what you feed your pet.

I have three Hungarian Vizslas who are hugely energetic so I like to have homemade clean healthy eating treats on hand for them.

Here is a great recipe that takes minutes to put together and your dogs will love you for putting in the effort.

SARDINE OAT BISCUITS

300 grams or 1- 1/3 cup of oatmeal

60 grams or 1/3 cup of wholemeal flour

2 tins of sardines in sunflower oil

Put the sardines with the oil into a bowl and mash up. Add the oats and wholemeal flour and mix through the sardines. Gradually add small amounts of water until the mixture forms a ball. Cover your work surface in a small amount of wholemeal flour and roll out your mixture to 1/2 inch thick (1-1/4cms).

I use a small heart or dog bone cookie cutter and this makes about 5 dozen.

Bake in a pre-heated oven 190C/375F for 20-25 mins. Store in a container – not necessarily airtight.

Stay tuned for more clean healthy eating recipes for your furbbies.

If you are enjoying my Blogs, please follow and put a ‘like’ on my Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/Marypremiercru – “Mary’s Kitchen”. Please subscribe after reading my blog by entering your email address in the subscription area at the end or side of this blog. You will then receive notification when I have posted again. You can also follow my instructional videos on You Tube – Mary PremierCru (again, please subscribe if you enjoy them).

Thank you for stopping by.

Category: Energy Snacks

4 HIGH PROTEIN POWER SNACKS TO KEEP YOU GOING

LET’S MAKE DOG BISCUITS