Healthy Oatmeal Cookies and Granola Bars

Disclaimer: I was provided with these products (mostly) free of charge through my involvement with Fit Approach. All opinions are my own. I did pay for shipping, which ended up being more expensive than the products themselves, so if you’re in Canada, be warned. I decided to bite the bullet and pay anyway because my Healthy Oatmeal and Lean PB looked so awesome!

MyOatmeal

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Fit Approach (aka – Sweat Pink) to see if I’d be interested in mixing up my own blend of Healthy Oatmeal and creating a few recipes with my blend.

Well of course I was interested! I also really wanted to try out some of the Lean PB since powdered PB is something I’ve been wanting to try for a long time, but for whatever the reason, I hadn’t. (Probably because it isn’t all that easy to find in Canada!).

For the PB I picked from their popular list and went with the Chocolate Hazelnut flavour – basically a healthier version of Nutella – yes please! (total cost $13.99)

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I also added a bag of the mystery oatmeal for $5.99 instead of $9.99. I wanted to see what kind of creation would be sent to me.

Finally I created my own Morning Fuel using 5 grain rolled oat, dulce de leche flavouring, cranberries and almonds. (total cost $18.64).

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When browsing the site, I also noticed you can sign up for an Oatmeal of the Month membership. The prices are super reasonable (with shipping to Canada approximately $25, this may not be the best idea for us north of the border, but if you’re in the US and love oatmeal, it sounds like a great idea!!).

Now that you know what I ordered, on to the good stuff – recipes!

Since I’m pretty much obsessed with granola bars, I knew I’d be making my tried and true granola bar recipe, but I also wanted to mix it up a bit and make a batch (or two) of cookies using the blends.

Morning Fuel Granola Bars

  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • vanilla extract (I never measure)
  • cinnamon (I never measure)
  • 2 cups Morning Fuel oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper (the bars will stick, so you’ll want to do this – plus it makes it way easier to lift out the bars once they’re done). Microwave the coconut oil (if solid) and honey to make them pourable and easier for measuring. Add the first three ingredients to the bowl followed by the dry ingredients. (Tip: I add the coconut oil first since some oil will remain in the measuring cup making it easier to pour out the honey and nut butters). Mix together, press into the pan. Cook for 20 minutes until edges start to brown. Enjoy!!

Mystery Blend Cookies

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups Mystery Blend oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mash bananas with peanut butter. Stir in cinnamon and oatmeal. (Tip: I add the coconut oil first since some oil will remain in the measuring cup making it easier to pour out the honey and nut butters). Drop onto cookie sheet in the size of delicious cookies you would like to eat. Bake for 20 minutes until browned.

Chocolate Hazelnut PB Waffles

Now that I have a waffle maker, I’m pretty much obsessed with making waffles on weekends. When I read the Lean PB could be substituted for flour in baking, I was all over it!

  • 1 1/2 cups waffle mix (I buy Coyote)
  • 1/2 cup Lean PB, Chocolate Hazelnut flavour
  • 2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1 egg

Preheat waffle maker according to manufacturer instructions. Add try ingredients to a bowl, then add when ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon or whisk. Add 1 cup batter to waffle iron and cook per manufacturer instructions.

I always have left overs, so I like to toast them up the follow day (or days) to keep the love alive!

Now, for the nitty gritty…..would I order Healthy Oatmeal again?

Well….this is tricky. I loved all of the products I picked, but with shipping being so expensive, it’s just not worth it for me. Sadly, shipping options to Canada aren’t always the greatest and I definitely feel like I miss out on some cool products because of it. So due to the high cost of shipping, I wouldn’t purchase again, but I really enjoyed the items I received.

Tell me: If you were going to create your own oatmeal mix, what would you include?

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Treat Yourself Tuesday: 1/21

Oh, Tuesday.

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Please tell me I’m not the only one who finds Tuesday harder than Monday.

I can normally handle Monday because I’m prepped for the week and just had a relaxing weekend, but Tuesday? Blech. It’s closer to Monday than the weekend and I always tend to struggle on Tuesday. (This may also be related to drinking wine and watching The Bachelor on Monday evening……)

Thus, since I know I need a pick me up on Tuesday’s, I’ve decided Tuesday is now cookie Tuesday. And not healthy cookie Tuesday, either, but real calorie laden cookie Tuesday.

Om nom nom.

I actually deicded it last week and treated myself to a Starbucks ginger molasses cookie (my favourite!). (I have money on a Starbucks card, so it’s like it’s free, right?!)

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I also picked up the new Starbucks via latte’s since they’re 1/4 price as actually buying a drink at Starbucks. I don’t treat myself to calorie drinks often, but having them in my office is nicer than having to go to Starbucks and wait in line.

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So far I’ve only tried the mocha, and it’s pretty good for what it is.

Finally, I treated myself to a new perfume……Last Tuesday I was having a rough day, I went to what I thought was a doctor’s appointment, only to find out it was on Wednesday. Whoops! So on my way back to my office I popped into Sephora and gave myself a spritz of Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf. Oh my gosh. This has to be one of the best smelling perfumes ever. It’s flirty, and sensual, and womanly.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s probably also the most expensive perfume I’ve ever bought, but I love it.

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And, dang, do I smell good! 🙂

Tell me: What day of the week do you find the most difficult? How did you treat yourself this week?

Don’t forget to stop by Becky’s and see the other treats in her link up!