Yummy Yummy

Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips

courtesy of Alicia Silversonte, The Kind Life

Ingredients:
1 box brown rice cereal
1 3/4 cups brown rice syrup
Fine sea salt
3/4 cup peanut butter or almond butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)
1/2 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate chips or carob chips

Directions:
Pour the rice cereal into a large bowl. Heat the syrup with a pinch of salt in a saucepan over low heat. When the rice syrup liquefies, add the peanut butter and stir until well combined. Pour over the rice cereal and mix well with wooden spoon.

Once thoroughly mixed and cooled, stir in the chocolate chips. Make sure the mixture is cool or you will end up with melted chocolate instead of chips!

Put the mixture in a baking dish. Wet your wooden spoon lightly and press the nixture evenly into pan. Let cool for an hour before cutting into squares. 

---

Barley and Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

8 cups vegetable broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. dried oregano 

4 large carrots, sliced ~3 cups

1 large onion, chopped ~1 cup

1/2 cup uncooked dried lentils

1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley

Directions:

Stir broth, garlic, oregano, carrots, onion, lentils and barely in slow cooker

Cover and cook on low for 8 - 9 hours or on high for 4 - 5hours.

---

Veggie Chili

Ingredients:
2 large onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 packages veggie crumbles, browned
2 14 oz cans red, black, or white beans, drained and rinsed (I prefer red for this recipe)
1 14 oz can diced tomato
2 jalapenos, seeded and miced
1 T. cumin
1 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup vegetable broth

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hrs or on high for 4 -5 hrs.

* If you don't have a slow cooker, you can also easily make this in a big ol pot on the stove. Just make sure to stir it!
* I've also made this without veggie crumbles. I used a few extra cans of beans instead. 

---

Cowboy Casserole

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

6 medium potatoes, sliced

1 can red beans,drained and rinsed

1 14 oz can tomatoes, mixed with 2 T. flour or 1 can tomato soup (I used 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes for the chunky texture)

2 packages veggie crumbles, browned

salt, pepper and garlic to taste

Directions:

Put chopped onion in the bottom of the crockpot; layer with veggie crumbles, sliced potatoes, and beans. Spread tomatoes or the soup over all. Sprinkle with seasonings. Cover and cook on low 7 - 9 hrs.