Granola Bars
Granola Bars Recipe Granola bars can be a healthy option for a snack. They are a good balance of salty and sweet . I’m intolerant to every single brand of protein bar with the exception FoodSpring . After a workout I like to have something to munch on to get me through until I can get home .These give me a good boost of energy and satisfy my sweet tooth at the same time. A lot of store bought granola bars have artificial ingredients and there’s nothing better than making healthy treats you can enjoy guilt free yourself. Here you go enjoy XO Tera Ingredients for Granola Bars 2 Cups of oats 1 cup of puffed rice (not rice crispies cereal ) 1/2 cup chocolate chips ( I use dark chocolate or fondente) 1/4 cup chia seeds 1/2 cup of honey 1/3 cup of peanut butter or almond butter . I used Peanut 1/4 cup coconut oil How to make granola bars You’re going to bake these at 325F / 165C for 30 minutes after you combine your ingredients and pour then press them into your pan. I used an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper so it’s less mess and easy to lift out .Mix all of your dry ingredients together in one bowl . You can also add in 1/4 cup of nuts . I did two batches one with and without and both were tasty. Mix the honey , peanut butter , and coconut oil until it’s smooth and creamy. You can add in almond or vanilla extract here too if you want for more flavor depth. Combine your wet mixture into the dry, stir it until it’s smooth then pour it into your pan. Make sure you press it down into your pan firmly as thats what’s going to help your bars stay firm and molded. Bake for 30 mins but check them at 20 . Everyones oven is different so 20 may also be enough time . let them rest and cool for a good hour then you can cut them up ! Keep them in an airtight container . XO
New year Same me 2021
Happy New Year ! New Year same me over here in Italy . We’ve gone down to negative temps and pouring rain for the second week in a row. Cold, Wet, and dark is not my favorite season . I told myself you can’t go another day without posting and saying hello to your sweet friends and fans so here I am! The last three or four posts I’ve attempted to publish were drafted. Maybe it’s writers block, or something I call “Groundhog Day Syndrome”. Don’t get me wrong I’m NOT depressed, anxious, or sad. I am GRATEFUL and always preach about having gratitude. Our minds really have the power to steer our emotions or projections so most days I wake up with a positive mental mindset. I have everything I want and need. If I’m having a tough day like yucky weather, someone is late paying me or I read something crappy on the web I don’t take it too personal. I feel like one day is melting into the other. I’m doing the same things over and over. Cook, clean, yoga/workout ,repeat. Every. Single. Day. I have the sanctity of my home, and my family. When I look at things from a global perspective and from the viewpoint of other friends and associates I know I have it good. This year has forced many people to understand that we are all affected by one common thing, Disease. Anyone can get sick whether you’re rich or poor, any ethnicity, skin color none of it matters. The entire world has just stopped. Many people have lost their jobs and traveling has been difficult or just impossible. No shopping, visiting friends or family. No dining out, you can’t even get a workout in at your gym! I don’t want to go into politics for obvious reasons and because this blog is more about how I feel and what I want to share with you about me and my daily life. It’s been hard from that perspective because I just feel so uninspired as of late…. My main goal at the beginning of the year was to finish my studies and obtain my degree in Food science/ Food Chemistry. Especially after the first hard lockdown we did from March until May. I felt like I was headed in the right direction and now more than ever the public needs more education about food sources, food supply, how food is processed, and how food can be used as medicine. I will never denounce modern medicine and how far we’ve come but we should be open to understanding how vital the role of food plays in our overall health. Herbs, plants, oils, flowers, spices and so many other alternatives are out there. We don’t need to over sanitize our hands and spaces to be healthy. We need to dig deep within ourselves and listen to how our body functions to fuel it properly. We are force fed so much so how do we really know which sources are credible? What really works? Is every label worth over reading? Does Grandma really know what’s up or is it just some outdated method she tried because back in her day they didn’t have anything else? Now that we really have access to almost anything online you can spend hours bouncing from website to website until you drop your phone on your face researching every remedy under the sun. I’ve had a hard time with online school myself. I enjoy being in an academic environment and having that taken away is hard. I just learn better hearing lectures, and working with an instructor. I’m also having to read, write and listen to lectures in Italian, which is not only hard because it’s not my first language, but it’s slowed my absorption process by half. Sigh….. I’m not going to say I’ve given up.. I’ve taken a step, maybe two back and like most people I’ve just been in home mode… Constantly cooking, cleaning, and parenting. If you don’t know, now you do. I’m a mother and I can’t do this over so I’m hands on two hundred percent. Priority number one which leaves little me time for anything else. I’m enjoying the time though.There was a time when I told myself you should slow down. You need to just be present. Just relax for awhile, do home stuff and enjoy the break….. There’s been a few years where I was traveling on the road either feature dancing, attending conventions, trade shows, and nightclub appearances. I was gone sometimes 300 days a year. I never went home to LA I would just buy new clothes on the road. I left clothes in my hotel rooms, I’ve left entire suitcases . If another gig was a week or two away I’d find a country in between to travel to, that’s how I ended up getting some countries off my bucket list which was awesome!!! I LOVE to travel. Many artists will tell you the road is lonely but I’ve never felt that way and I really enjoyed traveling alone. It gave me such perspective on life and I can’t even being to tell you how many wonderful people I’ve encountered, experiences I’ve had and journeys I’ve been on. I believe most people are kind and good. This has been my experience. I get so much inspiration from my travels and this too has been hard, for a lot of us. I feel stagnant, and growth is so critical to who we are or can become. I don’t want to live in a bubble or behind a computer screen. I want to sip a Cocktail with my friends and laugh out loud. I want to see my professor again and have study groups. I miss being around like minded people hungry for knowledge, then going to the piazza where I’d sip my chai out of my Hello Kitty Thermos and eat my noodles as my Italian friends told me
