Yummy Oatmeal Energy Bars

2 1/2 cups of quick oats
2 boxes (1 oz) craisins
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup of walnuts
1 cup of coconut milk
1/4 cup of flour
2 tbsp of maple syrup

Preheat oven at 350.

In a food processor, grind oats until almost a powder (leave it a little coarse for texture) then add a large mixing bowl. Throw in craisins, nuts, chocolate, syrup, and coconut milk. Stir until all incorporated. Gradually add flour as you stir (the measurement I have is a "guesstimate". I eyeballed it to see how much but use what you need to solidify the coconut milk and to bind the ingredients together).

Once all the ingredients are mixed, put in a small baking pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes. Let cool on a drying rack and enjoy!

Simple 3-ingredient Black Bean Dip

1 can (8oz ) of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 jar of Newman's Own Medium Salsa
1 lime

In a food processor, squeeze in the juice of one lime. Then add black beans and salsa. Blend until a puree. Goes great with multi-grain chips!

See? I told you it was simple!

Mini Spaghetti Pies - Updated

Whole Grain Spaghetti - handful, broken in half

1/2 jar of Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

1/2 cup of fresh, shredded mozzarella

** 1/4 cup of crumbled reduced fat Feta cheese (in the original recipe it uses Parmesan cheese but I didn't have any. My fiance didn't even notice until I told him it was Feta!) **

1 jumbo egg

Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven at 350.

Bring a pot of water (with olive oil and salt) to a boil. Throw in pasta and cook until al dente. 

Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, stir together mozzarella, feta, egg, and spices. Once pasta is cooked, strain and stir into the cheese mix. Add sauce and stir again.

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Using tongs, grab small amounts of spaghetti and place in the muffin tin.* Once spaghetti is added, pour any extra mix/sauce over each mini pie before placing in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes, then let sit for about 10-15 minutes in the pan (that way it has time to cool into the shape and is easier to serve. This serves 6 mini spaghetti pies. 

*TIP: I twist the spaghetti as I place it in each section of the tin so it forms more of a shape.

Flour-less Pancakes

Here's a recipe for Flour-less Pancakes that I found on Pinterest. Attached is a video! I know I know, it's been too long since I've done a video. It's more of a recipe review but here's me in action in the kitchen.

Cooking with Lita B - Flour-less Pancakes

2 eggs
1 banana

In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs and banana with a fork until well blended (or use a food processor if you want a smoother mix). Once mixed, preheat a pan over medium heat and pour a small amount of the mix into the pan. Cook until brown on both sides. Easy enough!

Enjoy!

Mini Spaghetti Pies

The "Crust"
Handful of Whole grain spaghetti
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 tbsp of unsalted butter

The Filling
1/2 lb of ground beef
1/4 cup of Newman's Own Fire Roasted Tomato and Garlic Sauce

The Spices
Salt
Black Pepper
Dried Basil
Dried Oregano

Preheat oven at 350.

In a large size bowl, whisk egg and parmesan together. Set aside.

Break spaghetti in half. Cook spaghetti according to directions on box then strain in a colander. Take butter and throw in the pan you used for the spaghetti. Melt butter and then pour butter into the parm/egg mix (saves a dish). Using tongs, toss the spaghetti in the parm/egg batter. Set aside.

Meanwhile, brown your beef in a medium sized skillet with your spices. Once all the beef is brown, add it into the bowl with all the other ingredients. Pour in tomato sauce and toss with tongs again.

Then divide spaghetti mix into portions that will fit in a muffin tin. The recipe that I followed (sort of) originally made enough for a 12 muffin pan but I halved it for a 6. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Pull out of oven and  let them sit for about 5 minutes. Trust me. You don't want to take them out of the tin right away or they'll apart and you'll have mess! Sprinkle more parmesan on top and you're ready to dig in.

Enjoy!