This is the first ever homemade granola bar recipe on the blog, and it’s not any granola bar recipe – it’s homemade amaranth pecan granola bars. I made these for my upcoming mother-daughter trip to the States tomorrow as granola bars are the perfect healthy snack for traveling. I really cannot wait to spend some quality time with my mom, read lots of books and say hi to my second home again. It’s been too long. There’s gonna be lots of WholeFoods shopping, country music and Southern iced tea and biking along the Florida coast. But before I go, I’ve got this wonderful recipe to share with you. 

Have you ever had amaranth before? I have to say that I am surprised that amaranth is such an underrated pseudo grain. I would have expected it to become as popular and famous as its “sister” quinoa by now. Amaranth is also an ancient pseudo grain from South America that offers almost more health benefits than quinoa. It’s absolutely gluten-free, which is why it is great for celiacs and the gluten-intolerants. Almost 18% of amaranth is made out of plant-based protein, which is more than any other grain or pseudo-grain out there (yes, I am talking about you, Ms. Quinoa).

Other health benefits of amaranth include its high content of unsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3, which is important for a healthy heart as well as healthy and glowing skin. The carbohydrates present in amaranth are mainly fiber, which is why it keeps us full and satisfied for longer. Amaranth is also rich in iron and zinc, which is why it is great for women, especially pregnant women.

Besides amaranth, these granola bars contain lots of other healthy ingredients such as oats, which are rich in fiber, nuts, coconut, hemp protein, bananas and cinnamon. I would probably bore you if I listed all its health benefits, but I can assure you that every single ingredient is good for your health. Now, that does not mean that you can eat the whole batch at once. Granola bars are always rich in energy (aka calories), so eat them as a healthy snack whenever you need fast energy.

You can also mix and match the ingredients. You can use any kind of nut, or substitute nut with seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds. If you don’t have hemp protein, you could use buckwheat flour or any other plant-based protein powder. If you don’t like dates, use raisins, apricots or figs. Just play around with it and find the flavor that you like. Enjoy the granola bars!

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

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Vegetable stock paste is something that I always have in my fridge. I use it all the time, honestly, I didn’t even realize it until a few weeks ago, but I put vegetable stock paste into everything: curries, stews, sauces, and of course soups. If I want to empty the fridge on Sunday nights, I put all leftover vegetables into a large saucepan, add two tablespoons of this vegetable stock paste, and I have myself a nice vegetable soup. I know it may seem a bit sad that I get so excited about something as boring as vegetable stock paste, but trust me, it’s the little things that make a big difference, especially when it comes to nutrition. When you eat something every day, it’s nice to know what it’s made of and where it comes from. Making your own vegetable stock paste is neither hard nor expensive. All you need is a good food processor, some vegetables and good quality sea salt. 400g of vegetables make roughly one mason jar full of vegetable stock paste, which lasts for about 4 months in the fridge. The sea salt acts as a natural preservative, so no other additive is needed to make it last that long. 

Making homemade vegetable stock paste might also work with a good blender, but a food processor will probably achieve the best results, as blenders tend to need liquids in order to work properly.
Investing in a good quality food processor will save you so much money and time, which is why I cannot recommend it more. I am going to write a whole blog post about food processors and blenders soon, because I get asked about this topic a lot. Making your own vegetable stock paste is only one of many things that you can make with a food processor. Trust me, you’ll never  go back to store-bought vegetable stock once you’ve made this version.

INGREDIENTS:

400g of vegetables, for example:
– 2 carrots
– 1 handful of parsley
– 1 leak
– ¼ celery root (not the sticks)
– 80g sea salt (1/4 cup + 1 ½ tbsp)

METHOD

1. Wash the vegetables, and peel the carrots if necessary. Cut them roughly into pieces and place the vegetables and parsley into a food processor.
2. Mix them for about 30 seconds until they are broken down to a moist vegetable paste. You may have to scrape down the sides of the food processor, where the paste may get stuck.
3. Add the sea salt and mix it for another 30 seconds until combined.

Stored in an air tight glas container in the fridge, the vegetable paste lasts for at least four months.

I use about 2 teaspoons for 500ml (2 cups) of water.

Enjoy! 

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Fall is hands down my favorite of all four seasons. These days, it is showing us its most beautiful side, making me feel like I’m actually over in New England instead of Germany. Wherever I go, I see bright golden, red, purple, yellow or orange trees, forming a beautiful autumnal landscape. One thing that I love about fall is apple picking, which I already wrote about in an article about a fun apple picking fest that I like to attend every year. Since I went apple picking twice this year, we had so many apples that I didn’t even know what to do with all of them. I actually love to eat the apples just plain as they are, but there are only so many apples you can eat a in a day, and we are still sitting on a huge basket full of Jonagolds.Turning the apples into homemade apple purée is one of my favorite things, because it tastes so fresh and delicious, and because it makes our whole apartment smell like fall. Making your own apple purée is something that my grandma used to do, but I feel like our generation has no clue how to make their own apple purée. All we have to do is run to the store, and there’s a whole shelf of apple sauce waiting for us. Finding apple purée that is completely added sugar free is actually really hard. And trust me, the homemade version is a million times better, because it really tastes like fresh apples and because it contains no added sugars or nasty preservatives. Making your own apple purée is so easy , all you need is apples, some lemon juice and a sweetener of your choice. I use maple syrup, but agave or coconut sugar are also great unrefined sweetener options.

INGREDIENTS

– 1kg of apples
– 1/4 cup (60ml) of water
– 1 tablespoon (15ml) of lemon juice
– 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
– 1 tablespoon of maple syrup (optional)

METHOD

1. Peel the apples and remove their core.
2. Cut them into bite-sized pieces, and place them into a large saucepan. Add the water, two tablespoons of the lemon juice, and the cinnamon.
3. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft.
4. Allow to cook, then mash with a fork or simply pour it into your food processor and mix until you have a fine puree.
5. Sweeten with maple syrup or other sweetener of your choice.Stored in an air tight container, the apple puree lasts for about five days in the fridge.

P.S.: If you have a Thermomix, then it’s even easier. You simply place the apples, the cinnamon, lemon juice and water into the Thermomix and cook 7 – 8 minutes /100°/Level 1, then puree it for 20 – 30 seconds on Level 5.

Enjoy!

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Spring has finally arrived in Germany and that means you see people wandering around with ice cream scones in their hands everywhere. Ice cream reminds me of summer, warm weather, vacation, ice cream dates, and barbeque with friends. Since the temperatures have been gradually increasing these past few weeks, I have been craving ice cream myself, which is why I went back to my favorite snack last summer: frozen bananas. This may sound strange but it was my go-to-snack in the United States when I was writing my bachelor’s thesis, and it kept me sane during that time. It’s the healthiest ice cream you will ever find, and completely free of nasty additives or refined sugars. It also has only one ingredient, which I think is great.
While banana ice cream is amazing, I wanted to add a little extra touch of goodness to it. Fortunately rhubarb is in season right now, and I love rhubarb. I literally cannot get enough of it, which is why you will see me posting lots and lots of rhubarb recipes soon.
For this ice cream you will really only need three ingredients: rhubarb, strawberries, and bananas. You also won’t need an ice cream maker, which is another great feature of this recipe. All you need is a blender, and it doesn’t even have to be a very strong one.
You will also never believe how much goodness you can give your body by eating this ice cream. Bananas are basically nature’s candy, so sweet, creamy and delicious. They are packed with vitamins and minerals, the most prominent being potassium. Potassium is important for a healthy heart as well as blood pressure, which is my excuse to eat this ice cream even for breakfast. Potassium is also an important mineral for active people, because it can cure muscle cramps. Rhubarb is another one of those healthy fruits that we do not eat enough of. It’s a good source of calcium and vitamin K, which is vital for blood clotting. As most fruits, rhubarb is a great source of lycopene, an antioxidant that helps prevent heart disease. Note that only cooked rhubarb contains this antioxidant, you will not get it into your system if you eat it raw, which I wouldn’t recommend anyways because raw rhubarb is pretty sour in taste.
This really is the healthiest ice cream you will ever find. It is simply amazing! I would love to hear your thoughts on it in the comment section below.

Health Benefits in this Rhubarb Strawberry Banana Icrecream:
– calcium (important for bone, teeth, muscle and nerve health)
– manganese (for nerve health)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)
– vitamin K (important for blood clotting and healthy bones)

Ingredients:
– 3 frozen bananas
– 2 cups (200g) rhubarb
– 6 strawberries (or more if desired)
– 1 vanilla pod/bean (optional)
– 2 tbsp agave

Before you make this ice cream, you need to cut the bananas into pieces and freeze them for at least 5-6 hours.

Once the bananas are frozen, wash and cut the rhubarb into small pieces. Add them to a small saucepan together with the vanilla pod and agave, and cook it for about 10-15 minutes until it is completely broken down. Remove the saucepan from the stove, pour the rhubarb into a separate bowl, remove the vanilla pod (important!) and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes.
Now add the cooled rhubarb to the blender together with the strawberries (stems removed) and the frozen bananas. Blend until you have a smooth ice cream. Add more agave or strawberries if desired.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

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If you’ve been following my blog or my Instagram account then you’ve probably noticed that I have a thing for delicious breakfasts like porridge or granola, and also for blueberries. I just love blueberries! They’re amongst my favorite berries because they are just so naturally sweet and delicious. Especially in the summer when you get them locally I go through at least one big batch a day. As all other berries, blueberries are great for your health as they are packed with antioxidants , which protect your whole body from free radicals. That’s why I like to think that berries make you pretty and help you glow from the inside out.
Since blueberries are about the sweetest berries you will find, they are perfect for this recipe as they make this granola naturally sweet. They also make your granola purple, which I love.
For a little extra goodness I added some millet to this recipe. This might sound very strange especially since I used it raw, but it just adds that extra crunch to the granola, which I love. In my opinion there’s nothing better than sweet and crunchy granola.
Millet is not only crunchy, it also has great health benefits. The gluten-free grain has a high iron content (about 1/2 cup (100g) provide more iron than the same amount of red meat), and it is packed with good minerals such as magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc. Millet is also extremely skin-friendly, and won’t cause break-outs or pimples as other grains do. Thus millet is really a beautifying grain – one more reason to add it to your morning breakfast bowl. I hope you enjoy this homemade granola just as much as I do.

Health benefits in this blueberry millet granola:
– copper (important for the development of the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerves; important for the transformation of melanin which is involved in the pigmentation of hair, eyes and skin)
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– lauric acid (prevents heart diseases and lowers blood pressure)
– mono-unsaturated fats (decreases risks for breast cancer, important for heart health)
– magnesium (important for a healthy nerve system, muscle health, energy production)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– vitamin B (lowers blood pressure, important for healthy nerves, and energy production)
– zinc (important for growth, skin, and a healthy immune system)

  
Ingredients:
– 2 cups (160g) (gluten-free) oats
– ½ cup (80g) millet
– 1 cup (120g) sunflower seeds
– ½ cup (60g) pumpkin seeds
– ½ cup (75g) raw unpeeled almonds (with skin)
– ½ cup (60g) flax seeds
– 2 tbs virgin coconut oil
– 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
– 3 tbs maple syrup or agave

Preheat the oven to 180°. Start by putting the almonds into a food processor and crush for 2-3 pulses until they are broken into pieces. They should not be completely crushed, you still want to be able to identify them as nut pieces. Place the crushed almonds into a large bowl. Add all the dry ingredients except blueberries, and stir well until the ingredients are combined.

Next, melt the coconut oil in a small sauce pan. Add the agave, and stir well until everything is dissolved. Add this sticky mixture to a blender together with the fresh or frozen blueberries and mix well so you have a nice smoothie-like texture.

Now pour the sweet blueberry mix over the dry ingredients and mix well until everything is slightly sticky.

Pour the granola on a baking sheet which you have aligned with parchment paper, and bake for about 30-40 minutes. After 10 minutes or so, take the pan out and stir well so the outer edges do not get burned. Repeat this every 5-10 minutes for the rest of the time.

After 40 minutes, take out the tray and leave it to cool for about 20 minutes.
By this time the granola should be nicely crunchy but not burned and your kitchen should smell devine.

Serve with milk, non-dairy milk, yoghurt or non-dairy yogurt, top with fruits. Stored in an air-tight container it should taste amazing for 3-4 weeks.

Enjoy!

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Ever since I had my first sip of almond milk I have been in love. I discovered nut milk during my time in Texas, when I still thought that I was lactose intolerant. A friendly person at Whole Foods recommended almond milk instead of the very sweet lactose free milk, and fortunately I gave it a try. I admit that switching completely from cows milk to almond milk took me some time. First, I mixed it with cows milk and then I gradually increased the amount of almond milk in my cereal bowl. It takes some time getting used to the taste, but once you learn about all the health benefits of almond milk, you will want to try it with everything. At least that’s how I feel about it.
Almond milk is full of healthy vitamins and minerals, and thus really deserves the title super-milk in my opinion. The amount of vitamin E in one cup of almond milk already covers 50% of the recommended daily intake of the beautity vitamin. It is a natural health booster, which makes your skin, nails and hair glow – at least that’s what I tell myself. Rumor has it though, that almond milk also has a higher calcium content than cows milk, but I have to tell you that this is unfortunately not true. If you are switching to almond milk, then you need to receive your daily dose of calcium from somewhere else such as from green vegetables like broccoli, rucola or algea (sushi!).
The Glycemic Index (the index which shows the effect of a certain food on our blood sugar levels) of unsweetened almond milk is also very low, which means that almond milk does not significantly raise our blood sugar levels, thus it does not increase our risk of getting diabetes type 2. It also means that the little amount of carbohydrates present in almond milk is turned into energy and not into fat. If you’re watching your weight, then almond milk is great for you because it contains almost three times less calories than cows or soy milk. The latter also often contains many nasty additives and preservatives, which is why almond milk is definitely a better milk substitute than soy milk.
Unfortunately almond milk can be quite expensive which is why homemade almond milk is not only a healthier but also a cheaper alternative to store-bought nut milk. With only one cup of almonds you can get almost a liter of almond milk, which is defintely cheaper than buying it from the store.

Health benefits in this homemade almond milk:
– biotin (important for blood sugar balance and skin health, necessary to build healthy fats that keep the skin moist and soft)
– magnesium (important for a healthy nerve system, muscle health, energy production)
– manganese (for nerve health)
– vitamin B (lowers blood pressure, important for healthy nerves, and energy production)
– vitamin E (antioxidant against free radicals, prevents skin ageing
  
  

Ingredients:
– 1 cup (150g) of blanched almonds
– 3 cups (750ml) of water
– 1 tsp agave (optional)
– ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
– a jelly bag or a thin towel like this one*

The day before you want to make your almond milk, you need to soak your almonds for at least 8 hours in order for this recipe to work. Be sure to cover every nut with water and let it soak preferably over night.
The next day, drain your almonds and put them into a blender. Add the 3 cups of water and blend everything for at least 1 minute until you have a nicely smooth milk.
Now place your jelly bag over a large bowl and pour the almond milk through the bag. Finally drain the rest of the water with your hands. Almond milk can taste a bit strange in the beginning, so you might want to add some sweetener such as agave and maybe even some cinnamon to make it more tasty.

Store the milk in an airtight bottle in the fridge and it should last for about a week or so.

If you do not know where to get a jelly bag from, this one* works perfectly.

Enjoy!

*Affiliate-Link – if you buy this product through this link I will get a little bonus which will help me cover the costs of keeping my blog alive.

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