Homemade Plastic-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Larabars

Before starting the 20 minute beach clean ups, I regularly posted about the little things I do to help minimize my (negative) impact on the environment.  I'm still always doing my best and working to make my life more environmentally friendly while not on the beach... so I think it's time I start getting back to sharing more of what I'm doing off the beach!

For the past several years, I have been in the process of reducing the amount of plastic we use.  It's something I started because I wanted to reduce the amount of trash we sent to the landfill, but as I progressed through the beach clean ups it became apparent that I wanted to limit my use of plastic because it's polluting our environment on so many levels.  Because of plastic packaging, there are many things we haven't eaten in years and many things that we've never even had... like LARABARS.  In an attempt to give my kids some variety in their snacks, I became intrigued with LARABARS... well... ok, not LARABARS... more so the energy balls that I was seeing a lot of raw foodies make.  I looked at many different recipes and quickly learned that I could totally make them... AND do it plastic-free!!

Of course, since I was looking for something for my kids... it took me a bit to find the perfect fit for them.  It shouldn't have come as a surprise to me that the recipe they ended up loving contained chocolate!  The ingredients are simple: Nuts, chocolate chips, dates and peanut butter.  That's it.  Four ingredients that I get bulk to create a mouthwatering (kind of) healthy snack.  Tasting a bit like a candy bar these are snacks that my kids are always excited about and I'm happy to make them for them! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls 

(aka Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip LARABAR)

1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup organic chocolate chips
1 cup dates (pitted)
1 heaping TBSP peanut butter

(Optional: 1 tsp cocoa powder)

In a food processor, pulse almonds and chocolate chips until finely chopped.  Add the dates and pulse until the machine stops hopping (the dates will be a small uniform size).  Add the peanut butter and process until combined.  Once the mixture looks done, put a bit in your hand and squeeze to see how it holds together.  It should feel moist and hold together nicely.  If the mixture feels dry and isn't holding shape... add a bit more peanut butter and/or a date or two.

Roll into balls OR to make bars press into a parchment lined pan.  Refrigerate until firm.

Store refrigerated in a covered container and snack at will :)

Homemade Potato Chips

For all of 2011, I told myself... I'm going to make potato chips.  I can do it.  I mean, how hard can it really be??  But I time after time, I talked myself into not making them.  It wasn't until November when we had dinner with Beth, Michael and Manuel that I finally decided that I was really going to do it.  What happened during dinner??  I was inspired.  Manuel was telling me about how his sister was craving jalepeño potato chips.  Hey... I crave those too!!  Instead of buying her a bag chips, he went to the store and bought everything to MAKE the chips for her!  Color me impressed... I vowed from that moment, that before the year was over that I was going to MAKE potato chips.  Aaaannnnndddd..... I procrastinated until December 29!!

YES.... they were so incredibly yummy that we ate the whole batch in one sitting.  My kids were crazy impressed to see that chips can be MADE!  If anything, I feel like that was the best reward of making potato chips.  I really love when my kids see where food comes from and how it's made.

And how potato chips are made is one of the easiest things I've ever done!  (Yes, I say that a lot, but it's true!!)  This is all it takes:

Homemade Potato Chips

2 lbs russet potatoes

Peanut or canola oil (I used both.)

Sea salt

Slice the potatoes very thin with a vegetable slicer or mandolin. Soak the potato slices in cold water. Drain, then soak again.  (This step will help eliminate some of the starch which means crispy chips!)

Place 2-3 inches of oil in large pot (one with high sides is best) to 375 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Drain the potatoes and pat them dry.  (Remember water makes oil "pop"... so dry them well!)  Place a handful of potatoes into the hot oil and fry until they are golden brown.  This takes a few minutes, so be sure to gently toss them around to ensure they cook evenly.  Remove the chips with a slotted spoon and drain. Season with sea salt or whatever other seasonings you like :)  Repeat frying with remaining potatoes.

Ok... now as awesome as the homemade potato chips were, I do have a couple of issues that I feel are important to share.  One thing that I wasn't crazy about was having a hot pot of oil on my stovetop.  In fact, that was my main reason that I kept procrastinating on making the chips.  Of course, it wasn't as bad as I had made up that it would be... BUT.... having kids that like to be actively involved in whatever I'm making in the kitchen made me a bit nervous.  In order to have them be involved in the chip making, I kept them at a distance from the oil and had them pat the potatoes dry to prepare them to be fried!  The other thing is that when I was done frying the potatoes, I was left with a pan of used oil.  I was so perplexed as to what I should do with it that I let it sit on my stovetop for a day!  Not completely sure what to do with used oil, I dumped it on my compost pile.  (Yes, I know... it was probably the wrong move.)  Any ideas?? What would you do??


That being said, I think that everyone should make homemade potato chips.  The end result is so much more rewarding than tearing a bag open.  And even though I'm not crazy about all the oil,  I would totally make potato chips again.  It's definitely something special...  potato chips are a rare treat in our house (I bought 7 bags in 2011!).  I'm hoping that making potato chips will trump buying them.  BUT...  I'd like to try making them differently.  I think my first stop will be here.

Plastic-Free Strawberry & Apple Fruit Leather

Yesterday, as I danced around my kitchen... I once again realized one of the many rewards of striving to reduce our families plastic footprint.  The reward, of course, is the victory of figuring out how to make something that has been so commercialized that we think that we need special equipment to make it OR the only way to get it is to buy it.

But, what I learned yesterday as I turned apples and strawberries into fruit leather is that I don't need fancy equipment and my kids don't have to go without BECAUSE it's one of the easiest (and best tasting) things I've ever made.  Seriously, no joke.

Excited with my creation... I carried the fruit leather to my daughter's dance last night.  Of course, I shared.  The reaction was, "You should sell these."  But... why sell something when you can share a recipe and people can make their own??  Everyone deserves to dance around their kitchen in sweet victory!!!

Strawberry & Apple Fruit Leather

adapted from "The River Cottage Preserves Handbook"

2-3 cooking apples, peeled and diced  (I used Fuji, if you would like other suggestions... just ask me!)

1 lb 2oz strawberries (I used fresh picked local strawberries)

juice of one lemon

7 TBSP honey

Line 2 sheet/cookie pans with parchment paper or Silpat.

Add apples, strawberries and lemon juice to skillet (or pot).  Cook on med-low until fruit is soft, about 15-20 min.  When fruit is soft, run it through a food mill or sieve.  Add the honey.

Divide mixture evenly on the two sheet pans.  Spread out to an even thinness.  Bake at 180˚F for 7 hours or until dry. 

Cut to how you like... eat in strips... roll them up... however you eat them... trust me... you'll be dancing ;) 

Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.  (<---HA!  We ate ours in a day!!!)

Notes:  

*Any berry would work to replace the strawberries.  Make this with seasonal berries :)

*180˚F is the lowest temperature setting for my oven.  If you have a lower setting, you could dehydrate these at 140˚F for 12-18 hours

*Always one to experiment whether or not lining the pans is actually needed... I lightly oiled a pan and tried it out.  Sure it works fine... but it takes (a lot) more effort to get the fruit leather off of the pan.  Save yourself the time and line the pans!! ;)  

*I was asked if a food processor could be used in place of a food mill.  My thought is "why not?"... as long as the mixture is thoroughly puréed, it should work fine.  If you try it with a food processor... let me know :)