Recipe: Whole Wheat Oatmeal Molasses Dark Chocolate Gooey Bars

OMG these gooey bars are sooooo good. As I write this, with a mouthful of chocolate-y, oatmeal-y goodness, my heart is literally breaking over the fact that they're all gone. So my crazy, demanding, vegan/vegetarian sister came home this weekend, and threatened me (by knife-point) to make her some sugar-y baked goods to get her through the four midterms she has this week. I found this recipe and decided to go with it since it was easy enough to make egg-less, and it looked incredibly delicious and kinda healthy. I made two batches, one egg-less for the crazy pseudo-vegan, and one for the rest of us normal people. 

Since I didn't have any unsweetened applesauce on hand, I decided to use mashed banana with a little bit of baking powder as my egg substitute, and it seemed to work fairly well, lending the gooey bar a faint banana taste, which blended well with the oatmeal and chocolate flavors. I was personally concerned that the molasses flavor was overpowered by the banana, but no one else seemed to think so. 

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Molasses Dark Chocolate Gooey Bars:

Ingredients:

-1 cup old fashioned oatmeal

-1/2 cup whole wheat flour

-1/2 cup all-purpose flower

-1/2 cup canola oil

-3/4 cup sugar

-2 heaping tablespoons dark molasses

-1 egg (or egg substitute)

-1/2 tsp baking soda

-1 tsp vanilla

-3/4 tsp sea salt

-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1.) The first batch I made was the egg-less one, so for my egg substitute, I combined 1/4 cup mashed banana (about 1/2 a banana) with 1 tsp baking powder.

2.) Combine all the wet ingredients and the sugar: egg (or egg substitute), oil, sugar, molasses and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.

3.) Carefully incorporate your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add both the flours, baking soda, and salt first.

4.) Gently fold in the chocolate chips, until well interspersed throughout the batter.

5.) Lastly, add in the oatmeal and mix well.

6.) Spread the batter out on a foiled-lined or parchment-lined 8x8 pan, and press down with spatula to even out batter.

7.) Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and once cooled, cut into squares and enjoy!

Book Review: Broken Wings

I had a 7-year old gift card from Barnes & Noble that I needed to spend, and so as I was browsing their collection of bestsellers, discounted books, and popular reads, "Broken Wings by Carla Stewart caught my eye. I decided to give it a chance and opened it up as I was biking away at the gym. It's a fairly short, feel-good type of novel that explores inter-generational love, broken hearts, tragedy, and friendship.

Mitzi Steiner meets Brooke Woodson the day Brooke's golden-boy fiance loses his temper and puts her in the hospital. Mitzi volunteers at the hospital Brooke has been admitted to, and immediately recognizes the signs of a battered woman, despite Brooke's denial. Here, we get our first glimpse into Mitzi's past, where her Mama was regularly abused by her alcoholic Papa, forcing her Mama to eventually flee, two children in tow, to escape his violent clutches. A fledgling friendship emerges between Brooke and Mitzi, and even though Brooke returns to her fiance, she recognizes Mitzi as an ally in a situation where she has no others. As Brooke faces more and more abuse at the hands of her quick-tempered, controlling fiance, she becomes closer to Mitzi, who provides a beautiful and kind escape from everything wrong in Brooke's life: her abusive fiance who is adored by the town and by Brooke's own family, her mother's insistence that she hold onto her fiance despite the abuse, her lackluster job, etc. As she spends more time with Mitzi, she learns more about Mitzi and her husband Gabe, who is currently in a nursing home as an Alzheimer's patient: Mitzi and Gabe used to be a famous singing duo who were America's sweethearts during their heyday. We learn the beautiful story of how Mitzi and Gabe met, overcame everything lower-class life in Tulsa threw at them, and emerged and remained as one for over sixty years. Their story is heart-breakingly beautiful and leaves you all warm and fuzzy inside. Under Mitzi's nurturing care, Brooke is able to discover who she really is and what it is she wants in life.

Despite the warm, fuzzing feelings you get after reading this book, I wasn't the biggest fan. I was actually a bit disappointed, because I was expecting a more powerful, more riveting tale. Stewart barely grazes the surface of what could have been a truly epic love story: that of Mitzi and Gabe Steiner. We can clearly see the love Mitzi has for Gabe present day, but I feel as though Stewart did an injustice to their past. Similarly, Stewart could have developed Brooke's character more and given her more dimension; instead she appears somewhat flat, emotionless, and difficult to connect with. The portion of the story revolving around Brooke and Lance was my least favorite part, because it felt too forced and didn't flow as smoothly as I would have hoped. Nonetheless, I'd say the book is worth at least a read, especially for the Mitzi and Gabe storyline. However, I think we can safely assume it'll never hit my bookshelf of all-time favorite reads.

Recipe: Death by Chocolate & Creepy Crawler Cupcakes

So for the first of my fall food/dessert posts I chose to make Death by Chocolate and Creepy Crawler cupcakes. In all honestly, these cupcakes are super easy because I cheated all the away around. I bought boxed triple chocolate fudge cupcake mix, dark chocolate frosting, chocolate sprinkles and Twizzlers. Since I already had some left over candy eyes from my Minion cupcakes, I was all set to go. Just as an FYI, both cupcakes involve the same cupcake batter and frosting, the only difference is decorations. The end result turned out to be temptation in cupcake form. 

Death by Chocolate and Creepy Crawler Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

-1 box chocolate cake mix

-1 can of dark chocolate frosting (homemade frosting is even better)

-Chocolate sprinkles

-Snickers

-Red or Black Twizzlers

-Candy eyes

1.) Bake cupcakes according to the instructions on the box.

2.) For the "Creepy Crawler" cupcakes, frost the cupcakes after they have cooled completely. Sprinkle the top with chocolate sprinkles until completely covered. Put a dab of chocolate frosting on the back of each candy eye and stick it into place. Last, but not least, use a toothpick or wooden skewer to poke six holes (3/side) on your cupcake and gently insert the Twizzlers.

3.) For the "Death by Chocolate" cupcakes, grab a bunch of fun-size Snicker bars and cut each bar into 4-5 pieces. Give each cupcake a nice, thick layer of frosting, and then randomly arrange the snickers pieces on the top.







4.) Fill a ziplock baggie with 2 heaping tbsps of dark chocolate frosting, carefully cut off the tip, and pipe random designs over the Snickers. Easy as pie, and they look absolutely sinful.

                         

Enjoy!

Book Review: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand may be one of the best and most inspiring books I've read so far this year. I finally finished it last night (it was quite a read, some 490 pages) and I still have a bit of a high from reading such an amazing book. Laura Hillenbrand chronicles the unbelievable story of Louie Zamperini, a hell-raising track and field star turned Olympic athlete turned World War II bombardier. The book focuses on his life during the war, particularly from the period his plane was shot down and he survived 40 some days as a castaway floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to his time as a prisoner of war in a Japanese POW encampment. His ability to survive the harshest possible conditions and emerge from them alive, resilient, and unbroken is truly remarkable. I think I can safely say I've never enjoyed a biography as much as I have enjoyed "Unbroken", and I have a new-found faith for the courage and bravery of our soldiers.

In her meticulously researched biography, Laura Hillenbrand starts at the very beginning, going into great detail about Louie Zamperini's childhood, his inability to speak English when he first moved to California, his struggles with bullies, his love for pranks, and specifically, his incredible track and field abilities. Louie's brother struggles to straighten him out, and in an effort to distract his mischievous bordering on teenage delinquent side, he trains him to become a runner, and Louie swiftly rises in the ranks, making it all the way to the Berlin Olympics as the youngest American qualifier and even catching the attention of Hitler. When World War II comes around, Louie enlists in the United States Armed Air Forces and is deployed to the Pacific as a bombardier. One unfortunate morning, the notoriously defective plane Louie and his team were aboard crashes into the ocean, leaving Louie, his friend Phil, and Mac as the sole survivors. They float around in the ocean on rafts, circled by sharks, and eating raw fish and albatross for 40 something days, surviving through luck and sheer willpower. Mac passes away on the 33 day of being stranded, but Louie and Phil survive, only to be placed in the midst of their worst nightmare: Japanese Prisoner of War camps. Here, Hillenbrand's extensive research and attention to detail shines through, as she chronicles the absolute horrors of Japanese POW camps: the debasing of human dignity, the starvation, the slave labor, the mass executions, etc. She transports us to a radically different world of atrocities, horror, and sadism, where the limits of human cruelty are tested, and we read helplessly as innocent men are victimized for any and every reason. Louie's ability to survive the horrific trials and tribulations thrust upon him and come out of it unbroken, alive and with the ability to forgive his tormentors is truly unbelievable and something that should be remembered forever.

“The paradox of vengefulness is that it makes men dependent upon those who have harmed them, believing that their release from pain will come only when their tormentors suffer.” 

There isn't a book I have read this year that I would recommend more than "Unbroken". Laura Hillenbrand did a truly amazing job chronicling the inspiring life story of Louie Zamperini and allows us to travel alongside him in the most unbelievable journey of a life time. I don't have a single negative comment to make about this book and if I could, I would make every singly high school student studying U.S. History read it. "Unbroken" depicts war in a light most of us have never seen before, and makes us hope we never have to overcome the things Louie did. It truly is a story of survival, resilience, and redemption.

WanderLust Wednesday: Greece

Greece is probably my number one spot to visit in the near future (a trip has been in the works for quite some time now). I've been obsessed with Greece and classical literature for as long as I can remember: I read through the entire Greek gods and goddesses collection in the library by the age of 12, watched every movie that ever came out about Troy, Herakles, the Olympic Gods, etc., and even minored in classical literature and history in college. The Iliad and Odyssey are two of my favorite classics and I've probably read each at least a dozen times. Ancient Greece and ancient Greeks have always fascinated me in every possible way: their architecture, their art, their religion, their culture, their sports, their history, and everything in between. I can't wait to visit the place where it all started.

Besides the obvious literary and historical allure, Greece is also quite possibly one of the most beautiful places in the world. With sparkling aquamarine water and sandy white beaches, its natural allure is just as enticing as its culture and historical one.







Aside from the simply stunning beauty of the beaches, there is a multitude of activities for tourists to take part in, particularly in the sight-seeing arena.

Delphi

Delphi

The Acropolis, Athens

Caryatids on the Erechtheion, Acropolis

Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus

The architectural sites of Greece are teeming full of ancient history and culture, and cannot be properly described in a few words or sentences. Each archaeological site, monument, and temple has so much rich history and meaning behind it, that it would be a travesty to try and capture all that beautiful significance in a few short sentences. Its something we should all learn about and experience for ourselves.

Aside from all the architectural sites to see, Greece also has a plethora of lakes, caves, and museums to visit, as well as the infamous Mount Olympus, abode of the gods.








And lets not forget all the amazing food the Grecians have to offer: from gyros to olives to souvlaki  to mouthwatering baklava, they have it all.









Greece is without a doubt at the top of my list of travel destinations. It offers the most amazing combination of natural beauty, architectural splendor, rich history and culture, and mouthwatering food. I can't wait =]