Meet my favorite granola bar recipe. These granola bars are delicious and easy to make with basic pantry ingredients. You don’t even have to bake them!

These granola bars can pass as a quick breakfast, and they make a perfect snack. I love to pack these bars for road trips and flights, and I love hearing from moms who make these granola bars regularly for their kids. They’re a big hit with all ages.

As you’ll see, the recipe is versatile, so you can easily incorporate your favorite flavors, like nuts, chocolate and dried fruit. You’ll find my go-to flavorings in the recipe below if you want to follow my lead.

These granola bars have spared me from some hangry moments lately. They’re satisfying, just sweet enough, and stick with me for a few hours. Granola bars to the rescue!

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If you haven’t made this Brussels sprout slaw yet, you’ve been missing out! There’s a good chance you’ve missed this recipe, since it’s been hiding in the archives under some not-so-appetizing photos. I hope these are more enticing.

This slaw is irresistibly crisp and tangy, with a simple honey-mustard dressing. Shredded Brussels sprouts—the finer you shred them, the better—make a crisp-tender base. Freshly toasted almonds offer some savory crunch, Parmesan adds some salty richness, and sweet dried cherries (or cranberries) send it over the top.

This slaw stores well in the fridge for a few days, so it’s great to keep on hand for sandwiches, soups and quick meals.

It’s easy to make, too—especially if you have a food processor with a shredding attachment. Otherwise, you can thinly slice the Brussels sprouts by hand. Let’s get to it!

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Another kale salad? Yep. I can’t stop eating this one. It’s full of tender massaged kale, chewy cooked whole grains, tangy crumbled goat cheese, toasted almonds and dried cherries. The vinaigrette is intentionally zippy, and it brings it all together.

This salad is a dead ringer for one of my favorite Kansas City salads, the winter farro salad at French Market. It’s a cozy place with grab-and-go salads, amazing pastries and crêpes. The woman behind the counter typically has a lovely French accent. We often stop there on our way out of town for healthy road snacks.

I’ve become quite enamored with their farro salad. Since it’s labeled “winter,” I thought I’d better come up with a homemade version before it’s too late. Here it is!

This salad would be a wonderful hearty vegetarian option on your Easter table. It also packs great for work lunches and spring picnics. Beware, it’s hard to stop eating it once you start.

Watch How to Make Farro & Kale Salad with Goat Cheese

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Do you love granola? Me, too! Today, I’m sharing my “basic” granola recipe, which is also the best granola recipe. Granted, I’m partial, but it really is the best and I use that term sparingly. Over two hundred five-star reviews agree!

In fact, I love this recipe so much that I shared it in my cookbook, Love Real Food. This granola makes a wonderful snack or breakfast (add your milk of choice and maybe some fresh fruit). It also stores beautifully, so it makes a great homemade gift.

Once you try homemade granola, you won’t go back to store-bought granola. It’s so much better!

This granola recipe is also a far more healthy granola option, since it’s made with whole grains, unrefined oil and naturally sweetened. You just can’t beat freshly baked granola packed with delicious and good-for-you ingredients.

Plus, homemade granola is super easy to make. You’ll only need one bowl and some basic pantry ingredients. Ready to make some?

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I’ve been wishing for crisp fall days and getting 80-degree weather instead. So, my boots are waiting patiently in my closet, and I’m enjoying this hearty fall salad instead of soup. All in due time!

This large salad is made with baby arugula, shredded Brussels sprouts, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted pecans. I tossed all of that with my healthier honey-mustard dressing, which I like to call sunshine salad dressing. The end result is tangy and irresistible, crisp and refreshing, and quite filling.

I know that we haven’t crossed the Halloween threshold yet, but—this salad would be a great contender for your holiday table. Make it for dinner tonight, pack it for weekday lunches, and serve it up on the holidays! I’ve included preparation tips below, including some ways to make this salad in a hurry.

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Any muesli fans out there? Muesli is typically made with raw oats, nuts and dried fruit, and maybe some spices for good measure.

I’ll be the first to admit that a lot of store-bought mueslis aren’t awesome—the raw oats taste like horse food (yep, I said it), and the healthy oils in nuts and oats can go rancid if the muesli sits on the shelf too long.

I’m aiming to turn all the haters into muesli lovers with this recipe. Starting with raw nuts and oats from a store with a healthy turnover rate is key.

Then I suggest you commit muesli blasphemy—mix in a tiny drizzle of maple syrup and coconut oil, and toast the ingredients in the oven to maximize the flavor and minimize the horse food effect. This is a healthy homemade cereal that you’ll actually want to eat!

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Can we talk about lunch today? Basic, necessary, weekday lunches? I work from home these days, but I learned a thing or two about packed lunches when I was commuting to an office job a few years ago. Even now, I like to keep my lunches really simple, for productivity’s sake.

To state the obvious, lunch is important. Skipping lunch altogether is not a viable option. Coworkers will start giving you funny looks when your head is on the desk and your stomach is growling for help. (I speak from experience.) Also, why skip a perfectly good excuse to eat?

You also can’t completely overdo it at lunch… well, you can, and I totally understand the desire to indulge after a miserable morning. Assuming that your human body functions similarly to my human body, however, choosing fast food with fries or mac and cheese will suck the energy right out of you.

Here’s how it goes: the grease, carbs and all that tasty, tasty salt will probably leave you feeling jazzed for about an hour. Then your eyelids will start to feel verrrrrry heavy. You’ll start fantasizing about crawling under your desk for a little nap. “Will anyone notice?” you’ll wonder. “Just for a few minutes…”

The post Mason Jar Chickpea, Farro and Greens Salad (& lunch packing tips!) appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

I’ve been sharing recipes for three years now, and I only have two granola recipes to show for it. I resisted making my own granola for a long time because I’m powerless in the face of ready-made snacks like chips and granola. They call my name from the cabinet and insist I eat a handful whenever I see the bag. That is why there are only two granola recipes on this blog so far.

I’ve found that if I make my own granola, though, I want it to last for a while. I also keep the bag in the freezer, which seems to dampen the granola’s power over me. Granola makes plain yogurt much more interesting, especially when topped off with fresh fruit.

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Kale salads make me happy. They’re a staple in my diet, like boots are in my wardrobe, and I’ll never tire of them. This recipe was the fourth kale salad to appear on my blog, and it’s still a favorite over ten years later. I’m sharing it again today with updated photos.

This beautiful salad is full of crunch from crisp apple, radishes and pecans, studded with sweet dried cranberries and tangy crumbled goat cheese, and tossed in a zippy honey-mustard dressing. It’s a fantastic combination that has garnered well over 100 five-star reviews!

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