I’m back! I had no idea wedding planning could become so crazy within the first month of being engaged. We have set a date, picked the colors, found a wedding location, and I’m looking at dresses this weekend. I’m actually pretty proud of myself for accomplishing that much! I’ve never been the type to fantasize about what my wedding would be like someday. It’s fun to just now figure out what I’d love for my ceremony and reception to be like. The next step is a gluten free, casein free, soy free wedding cake. If you know of any amazing cake recipes that I’d be able to eat, PLEASE email them to me at lisa@amateurwithanapron.com!
For now, I have a recipe! I want to share an extremely easy recipe with you that I think you’ll love. This one is a good staple to have around. I eat granola bars for breakfast (when I don’t have time for pancakes!), as a snack, or even as a healthy dessert.
Ingredients:
2 cups gluten free rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
Enough coconut oil to line baking dish (liquefied & cooled)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 by 12-inch baking dish with coconut oil and line it with parchment paper.
Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together 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 flaxseed meal. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
Add honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to the mixture while it is still warm. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries to the coated mixture and stir.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and press the mixture evenly into the pan. I used a huge spatula to help press and literally put my weight into it. I kept thinking about how tightly packed Nature Valley granola bars are when they’re baked. Everything is packed in so tightly!
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.
A little tip that I learned – LET THEM COOL! If you don’t let them cool long enough, they’re harder to cut. Also, when you cut them, be sure to use a serrated knife. It helps so much!
I realized this morning that it had been an entire week since my last blog post. I’m so sorry for being a bit of a slacker! This is going to be a quick post just to let you know that I’M ENGAGED. If you follow me on twitter, you probably saw the news about a week ago but I’m just now getting a chance to really post about it!
I’ll give you the quick version of the engagement story. When I tell every little detail, I realize just how thoughtfully planned out this whole event really was – Josh is definitely an amazing man!
Josh and I had plans to fly to Canada to hang out with some new friends on Thursday and stay until Tuesday. When we checked in at the airport, I knew something was up. We didn’t receive layover information or additional boarding passes. I was only handed one boarding pass and it was to Chicago (my favorite city). Josh insisted that we were just connecting there on our way up to Buffalo, NY.
After we landed in Chicago, I casually followed Josh to baggage claim. Obviously, at this point I knew we weren’t going to Canada that day. We grabbed our bags, hopped on the L, and headed to our friends place to drop everything off before heading downtown. Once we were downtown, I probably repeated the phrases “you’re up to something” and “do you have a plan” about 90 times. I’m really not exaggerating. I’m pretty sure I was slightly annoying at that point. ☺ After a few hours of being EXTREMELY curious, Josh and I walked up to Lincoln Hall where one of my favorite bands was playing. Not only did I get to see Sleeping At Last performing with a string quartet, the man I love so much asked me to be his wife. He proposed to me right before they played “Umbrellas”. This is my favorite Sleeping At Last song. If you haven’t heard of this band before, go check them out at http://www.myspace.com/sleepingatlast!
There are a few better quality videos, but they aren’t embeddable on my blog. I found this one posted on YouTube. I actually hate being in front of crowds more than anything so if I look awkward on stage in this video, that’s why. I’m unbelievably exited! Time to start planning a wedding!
The winner of the Le Creuset giveaway is.. LISA ENSOR!
Lisa, I’ll send you an email shortly! A big thanks to everyone who entered and who follow me on twitter! Check back later today. I’m posting a new recipe
In effort to keep myself from being a procrastinator, I set a goal for launching this blog. I remember sitting on a bar stool at Fido (one of my favorite coffee shops) and setting a deadline for my first post – January 1st. Okay, okay, I was a little late but not by much!
For the anniversary of the first day I was supposed to be writing my first blog post, I want to post a giveaway to say thanks. I am incredibly thankful for everyone that comes and checks out recipes, sends emails, posts comments, and gives feedback!
Ready for the details? Thought so! Giveaway is for a Le Creuset 9″ Square Baking Dish with Bonus 5″ Baking Dish in Cobalt!
Trust me, I was really tempted to keep these for myself, but I definitely think someone will love these as much as I do. The wonderful people at Cookware.com have given me not one, but two baking dishes to give away. Yes, these are a set so they will both go to one winner. That’s such a bonus though! I’m a sucker for matching bakeware.
To enter: Just leave me a comment! To get another chance to win, follow me on twitter and leave another comment including your twitter name. This giveaway is open until 9am (CST) Thursday February 4th. This item can only be shipped to an address in the United States & Canada. Hopefully I can post an international giveaway soon (sorry!!).
Last week my old roommate and wonderful friend Stancy came in town with her friend Lissa. They flew in from Texas on Monday and it was such a treat to have these two at the house for a few days! They are both incredible photographers so be sure to take a look at their work: Stancy Higley Photography & Lissa Anglin Photography. Stancy brought me these adorable salt & pepper shakers. I’m seriously thrilled about them. Yes, that might seem odd that I’m THRILLED about salt & pepper shakers, but I’ve never owned any. There really is something you should know – I don’t really have a ton of kitchen items and baking tools. Little by little, I’m adding things to my drawers and cabinets to help me with this cooking adventure but for now I’m making do with what I have. I think it’s this way for most young people. Fancy kitchen items can be really costly and it’s not always affordable to go out and buy something to make one recipe. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely have a lengthy wish list, but for now I am really happy with my new clear mixing bowls and these fun salt & pepper shakers.
Hi, I’m Lisa. My body isn’t too fond of gluten, cow’s dairy, or soy. 