Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Banana Baked Oatmeal

"Crazy" has been the word of the week in our house. Not that our lives are typically slow-moving, relaxing or boring. But, recent days have been particularly busy and a bit chaotic. Zayne ended wrestling season this week with a team party and a youth wrestling tournament at which the high school boys worked at all day today. He, also, had a first date. {Dying.} Allanah had her final Snowball Dance this weekend. Our van was stolen from my husband's workplace {and thankfully, recovered a few days later}. All three kids are in the same play production, which means practices galore these days. And, I must mention that the kiddos and I have all been battling some type of flu for the past few weeks at varying times.

Having grab-and-go meals and snacks are a must for me these days. Since we are a huge oatmeal-loving family, baked oatmeal is a great option for us. It reheats pretty well and provides major fuel to power us through our day.

The combo of chocolate, peanut butter and banana here is pretty awesome. All three are incorporated into the oatmeal itself, then it gets topped with fresh bananas, chocolate chips and a peanut butter/honey dollop at time of service. I do have a couple of kids who prefer this without the toppings, however. They like a slice of this as-is to throw on a napkin on their way out the door.

Think of this as a cross between a bowl of traditional oatmeal AND oatmeal cookies ... just maybe not quite as sweet as normal cookies. Plan to adjust how you serve and top this based upon your family's preferences. My youngest asked to drizzle her slice with caramel sauce. {Quite the treat.} It is pretty moist when it is first baked. But, we actually prefer it cooled, the pieces individually wrapped up, stored in the fridge and reheated in the oven the next day. It becomes a little drier and more bar-like.

Serves 6 - 8.

Refreshing Fennel Citrus Salad with Orange Maple Dressing

As we dance between winter and spring, life can feel dreary and lackluster. The excitement of Christmas, the new year and Valentine's Day is behind us. The promise of warmth, new life and green-hued landscape taunts us as we wait in the ending days of February. Glimpses of sunshine and occasional above-average temps remind us that winter's bitter cold is almost in our rear-view mirrors. Spring is just within reach. We stagger between the desire for stews and casseroles while pining for fresh, vibrant salads and the unleashing of our grills from our sheds. This particular salad is a beautiful ideal bridge between the seasons. All in one a nod to winter produce and yet, a welcome "hello" to the beginning of traditional salad season.

And, it truly could not be easier to assemble. I've presented it within this post as a side salad, but one could easily add a beautifully-cooked filet of salmon on top for a more-complete meal. The salad itself consists of just four fresh ingredients. And, the dressing is comprised of stuff most of us keep on hand. Between the two components, you'll need maybe ten minutes to get this on the table from start to finish.

Yields 2 - 3 servings.

No-Bake Cranberry Crunch Energy Bites

With three kids still living at home, we stay pretty busy. Two teenagers and a nine-year old make for an often hectic schedule. I don't think there are very many extra-curricular activities that my kids don't do {or, at least, haven't tried}. Currently, we are knee-deep in varsity wrestling for Zayne {our fourteen-year old}. Wrestling can be demanding and grueling on kids {as well as the families}. Weeknights are filled with practices and conditioning. Weekends consist of all-day tournaments that we often travel quite a distance to attend. To maintain his energy and fuel him through his day, our son needs lots of protein. And, typically, he needs food that he can take on the go.

When it comes to breakfast and snacks, these are his "go-to" many days. Actually, all of us munch on these and I always pack some when we're headed to sports activities. You'll seldom not find a batch of these in my freezer. They are full of pretty wholesome ingredients and they do a good job of keeping us full until mealtime.

RECIPE NOTES:  I prefer a combination of peanut butter AND almond butter for this recipe. However, I have made these just using peanut butter and they turn out well. {I really wouldn't recommend utilizing just almond butter.} Also, I use a combination of cacao nibs {found at health food stores or online} AND mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can simply use chocolate chips, if desired. This recipe is pretty versatile as long as you follow the basics with regards to the peanut butter, oats, honey and rice cereal. Basically, taste as you go along and look for a texture that can be easily shaped into balls, but isn't too sticky. I find that the exact measurements for this recipe can change depending on what brand/style of peanut butter or almond butter that I use.

Yields 2 - 2 1/2  dozen "bites" {balls}. 

Simple Strawberry Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

Winter weather is still lingering around for many of us, but I am a year-round salad eater. My salad love knows no boundaries. Even when the temps outside are a little on the low side, I still enjoy salads all throughout the week for lunch. This particular salad is a pretty simplistic one ... utilizing just a handful of fresh ingredients. And, the dressing is pretty basic, too, in terms of ingredients and prep. But, it sure does pack a punch and deliver on many levels. It's a tad bit tangy, a little sweet and has just the right amount of creaminess {while still feeling light}.

This would be a great salad to serve alongside Valentine's Day dinner if you're planning to cook for {or with} your sweetheart. The strawberries bring a pop of red to the party, so it would tie in nicely with the evening's color theme. {And, strawberries - in my opinion - are always sexy.}

Yields 2 servings.