Baked tortilla chips

It was a stunningly gorgeous day here in Northern Cali today. It is the middle of February but judging from the weather, you'd never know. Jayden and I took advantage of the beautiful day and little brother's nap time to get in some much needed one on one time. After giving him several options of things we could do, he of course chose jumping on the trampoline. Forty minutes of serious jumping and we were both tired and ready for a snack. Okay, let's be honest, I was the only tired one, that boy never runs out of steam.

I was getting our snack ready and Jayden wandered into the kitchen and said he wanted to cook something together. I knew we were having tacos for dinner and so I figured we could bake up some tortilla chips. Baking them, as opposed to frying, is obviously much healthier and just as delicious. They bake up crispy with only a trivial amount of oil and then we can reap all the whole grain goodness minus all the fat. Since Jayden was cooking with me, I wanted to make it a little more fun and so we decided to cut our chips into cool shapes. I have a ton of cookie cutters, and being the boy he is, he chose a train, car, and an airplane! I threw in a few other shapes too. He was so excited when he saw his "super cool" chips, he kept asking when dinner was because he couldn't wait to eat them! He said the train was the first one to be gobbled up. Funny how something as simple as cutting tortillas into kid friendly shapes can turn an ordinary snack into something special.

Whole Grain Baked Tortilla Chips

Corn or flour tortillas. ( I used corn and a whole wheat corn blend)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Cookie cutters

Preheat oven to 400. Cut shapes into tortillas and brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and place on baking sheet. Put into oven and bake 6-10 minutes, flipping once to ensure even browning. Since ovens can vary, be sure to check chips often to ensure they come out crispy and not burnt!

* Save tortilla scraps to thicken tortilla soup or bake them off too! They might not look as cool, but they'll taste just as good!

Chewy Cereal Bars

Chewy, sweet, wholesome and satisfying.  These cereal bars are great for kids and adults alike.  They are packed with whole grains, heart healthy omega 3's, lots of fiber, and an array of vitamins and minerals.  They are great for an afternoon snack or as a quick breakfast on the go. Looking for a perfect post-workout munchie or an after school treat for the kids?  Look no further- you've found your recipe.


I love bars.  Granola bars, protein bars, cookie bars, the list goes on.  They're portable and delicious.  Unfortunately many of the bars out there aren't the best choice if you're trying to reach for a healthy snack.  Most are filled with refined sugar and hydrogenated oils.  Even worse are the fruit filled garbage disguised as a quick, healthy breakfast.  These cereal bars however, are great because they are full of nutritious little goodies like dates and walnuts.  The sweetness comes from honey, brown rice syrup and dried fruits.  The protein from walnuts and nut butters.  Whole grains come in the way of puffed cereal, lending it's delightful chewiness to these snacks.  It goes without saying that kids love treats like this.  My son was begging for a bite before he even knew what it was.  They just look good.  And since they taste great and are good for you, you can't go wrong.  I recommend making a double batch, they will disappear before you know it!

 Brown Rice Syrup- is produced from brown rice that has been ground and cooked.  It has the consistency of honey and is about half as sweet as sugar.  It has a flavor profile similar to a less sweet butterscotch.  Since it is made from malted grains, brown rice syrup retains some of the nutrients found in the whole grain as well as complex sugars which take longer to digest, which means it does not cause the huge spike in blood sugar as with refined white sugar.

Its glycemic index is a 25 compared to 64 in white sugar and 96 for pure glucose. You can substitute brown rice syrup in recipes that call for corn syrup.  Lundberg makes a non-GMO, organic, gluten free brown rice syrup called Sweet Dreams, which is what I used in this recipe.


Chewy Cereal Bars

3 c puffed whole grain cereal ( I used Kashi's 7 whole grain puffs)
1/2 c walnuts, chopped
1/4 c chopped pitted dates
1/4 c dried tart cherries
1/4 raisins
1/3 c organic, all natural nut butter ( you can use almond or peanut- I used a combination of both)
1/4 honey
1/4 brown rice syrup (you should find it at most grocery stores on the baking aisle)

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray 9" square metal pan with nonstick spray. 

Mix cereal, walnuts, dates, cherries, and raisins in large bowl.

Combine nut butters, honey, and brown rice syrup in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly until mixture bubbles and thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

Pour over cereal mixture and stir until cereal is well coated.

Press into pan and bake until golden around the edges, about 10 minutes.

Cool completely and cut into bars.

Store at room temperature in airtight container for 3-5 days, if they last that long!

* I love buying my dried fruit at Trader Joe's.  If you have access to one, I recommend going there to buy all your nuts and dried fruits.  Their selection and price can't be beat!