DABs Oatmeal Protein Bars

Ingredients

1 cup skim milk
1 cup oatmeal (not the quick oat variety)

4 Tablespoons Organic powdered peanut butter

1 box (28 grams) Hyvee California Raisins

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

2 teaspoons baking powder (you can omit this to reduce the sodium)

3 scoops Beverly Ultimate Muscle Protein, Vanilla

¼ cup Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl
   
3. Mixture will be sticky
4. Spoon into lightly greased baking pan
5. Bake for 35 minutes
6. Cool, cut and store in sealed container in refrigerator

• Since there are no preservatives, I would try to eat these within 4 days.  I don’t know the upper limit in terms of how long they will stay fresh.

Nutritional Information from MyFitnessPal 

Ingredients	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Fiber	Sodium
Milk - Nonfat (fat free or skim), 1 cup	86	8	12	0	0	127
Quaker Oats - Oatmeal, 1 cup dry	300	10	54	6	8	0
Just Great Stuff - Organic Powdered Peanut Butter, 4 tbsp	90	8	10	3	2	180
Hyvee - California Sun-Dried Raisins-Individual Box, 1 Box	90	1	22	0	2	5
Kirkland Signature - Vanilla Extract, 3 tsp (5ml)	18	0	0	0	0	0
Argo - Baking Powder Aluminum Free, 2 tsp	0	0	0	0	0	1,520
Beverly International Nutrition - Ump - Vanilla - Correct 4/2012, 3 Scoop (31g)	360	60	15	9	3	510
Hershey's - Special Dark Chocolate Chips, 3 tbsp.	210	2	27	14	3	15

Total:	1154	89	140	32	18	2357
Per Serving:	96	7	12	3	2	196

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter

Do you love peanut butter?
Do you love chocolate?
Would you like an inexpensive way to marry your two loves?

I was at a health food store the other day and saw some chocolate peanut butter.  It was almost $8 for the jar!!!  No wonder why we can not afford to eat foods that are good for us.  I had a taste for some peanut butter and some chocolate so I decided to combine the two :-)

One thing my Dad told me years ago was go use the right tool for the job.  For the past, 5 years I have been using an old Oster blender that I was given around the time I graduated from college!  (yes, eons ago).  I was so frustrated and it seemed like it took more work than it was worth.  Last year I finally broke down and purchased a Vitamix.  Oh, heaven!  Right tool every time I need to make something yummy.

This week I made peanut butter (based on a recipe in the Vitamix cookbook).  I had some almonds and some dry - roasted peanuts in the house.  I threw them in the Vitamix, turned the setting to 1 and tamped down the nuts until they were homogenized.  After a few minutes out came a wonderfully smooth, creamy peanut butter.  I put each mix in an airtight container to store.  I only made a little as you can see since I was mixing for one.  

I also put a little of the almond butter in a bowl and mixed in some chocolate Shakeology (probably two tablespoons).  I ate it straight out of the bowl :-0.  Talk about craving killing and healthy.  I have the benefits of homemade peanut butter (and it's cheap!!), a chocolate fix and the nutritional benefits of the best meal replacement supplement in the country.  It's a nice treat for the entire family or to prepare and take to work and share with friends.  I encourage you to give it a try!

References:
Shakeology:  http://myshakeology.com/DaphneAyn
VitaMix: https://www.vitamix.com/
The photos I took with my iPhone.  I'm not much of a photographer, sorry!