healthy blueberry oat breakfast bars

My LAWD summer is BUS-Y.

Not that all summers aren’t, but this one in particular is feeling just insane. My best friend’s and I just got together last weekend in Madison and before we drove back to Minneapolis we were all on the couch, phones in hand, scrolling through our calendars and someone said “what’s everyone last weekend in October looking like?”

Like, c’mon.

I love being back in Minneapolis and I’m trying to say yes to just about everything. But, summers in the Minnesota are nothing if not these three things:

• so stressful, so much fomo
• THE BEST  😉 obviously
• “that weekends no good for me I’m going to a wedding/cabin/bachelorette party/bridal shower/baby shower/concert/the lake/camping”

So here’s a little recipe to help get you through the week.

It’s relatively cheap and easy, so that’s helpful since I’m always mortified looking at my bank account balance May-August (cocktails on the patio, anyone?)

Quick whip a batch of these up on Sunday, or Monday if your weekends are too busy, and enjoy 1-2 bars for breakfast all week long.

blueberry oat breakfast bar

makes 9 square bars

• 2 cups GF oats, seperated
• 1 cup almonds
• 2 scoops of vegan vanilla protein powder, optional
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup pitted and chopped dates
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a food processor combine 1 cup oats, almonds, protein powder and salt.
3. Blend until combined. Add dates and process for another 30 seconds or so.
4. Add fresh blueberries, remaining 1 cup oats, maple syrup, vanilla.
5. Blend until sticky and all ingredients are incorporated.
6. Press down mixture in a parchment covered 8×8 square pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
7. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

cajun boil potato salad + perfect 4th of july bbq recipes

I feel like if I had a typical Minnesotan grandmother (which I didn’t) she’d be rolling over in her grave right now. This is far from the boring potato salad your relatives whip out during your cousin’s husband’s grandpa’s 90th birthday party out on Lake Itasca.

When I visited my brother in Chicago a few months ago we went to lowcountry, where they so wonderfully specialize in seafood boils. I was prett-y obsessed with the whole experience that I decided to try and recreate it for a perfect fourth of July potato salad.

 

Need more recipes ideas for your picnic or BBQ this weekend? Here are a few of my favorites!

Mozzarella and Nectarine Salad – So fresh and definitely encapsulates sweet and savory flavors perfectly!

Strawberry S’mores – Classic with a twist! Anyone who hasn’t tried fruit with their s’mores before will totally light up when you suggest adding sliced strawberries into the mix.

Lime Lime Cucumber Cooler – Ginger beer, vodka, cucumbers, basil .. what’s not to love?

Brine + Brown Sugar Dry Rub for Chicken Drummies on the Grill – For those that have never brined or made their own dry rub for meat on the grill before, this is the perfect introduction.

Rustic Pineapple Salsa – So much better than just grabbing regular chips and salsa to bring to the party. Pro tip: “rustic” just means you don’t have to care about perfectly chopping everything.

Vegan Barley Salad with Edamame – So you don’t have to have one more scoop of gross tuna salad, try this crunchy and healthy salad option.

Almond Peanut Butter Cookies – A little different than just your typical PB cookies, I added a dash of almond extract to add depth of flavor that will round out any BBQ perfectly.

 

And finally, my new recipe below! Enjoy!

cajun boil potato salad

• 2 pounds red potatoes
• 2 earns of corn, husk on
• 1 12 ounce package andouille sausage – this recipe calls for pre-cooked sausage
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano*
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
• green onions, thinly sliced, to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Prepare veggies: clean and halve (or quarter, depending on their size) potatoes, and clean and chop bell peppers into larger, bite size pieces.
3. In a large bowl, toss potatoes, bell peppers, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, oregano and olive oil until evenly coated.
4. Pour coated veggies onto a baking sheet, leaving room for the sausage and corn. Place sausage on one side of the potatoes and corn on the other.
5. Roast for 12 minutes and then remove sausage. Slice and set aside.
6. Continue roasting veggies for 20 minutes. Remove the corn and set aside. Stir potatoes and bell peppers. Place back into the oven and continue roasting for 15-20 minutes.
7. While potatoes continue to cook, remove the husk from the corn and slice off the kernels.
8. When the potatoes are tender enough to be pierced by a fork, remove from oven. Stir with corn and sausage, garnish with parsley and green onions. Serve warm or room temperature.

 

*notes: instead of adding each spice individually, i would definitely not put it past you to go grab a container of “cajun spices”. i would imagine 2 tablespoons or so would do the trick.