Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bites

I love love love chocolate, peanut butter, & oats combined, I just think it is one of the best combos ever. So I was SO excited when I saw this recipe in All You magazine. I only had a to make a couple changes to make them gluten free. Our whole family loved these and we decided they were practically the same as a breakfast bar, I even ate one before a run the other day to give me a little extra energy;) 

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp butter (I used Earth Balance)
• 2/3 cup peanut butter (make sure it's gluten free, all natural is best)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp gluten free vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup crushed Rice Chex cereal
• 1 cup gluten free oats
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I use Nestle Semi Sweet)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Remove pan from heat and stir in peanut butter, sugar, honey, & vanilla. (I had to keep it on low heat to get this to melt completely)
3. Stir in oats & Rice Chex. Allow mixture to cool. (I didn't wait long enough and the chocolate chips melted, not really a big deal, just depends on if you want the chocolate chips whole or melted I guess). 
4. Stir in chocolate chips . 
5. Form into 1 inch balls and set on cookie sheet in refrigerator to harden. I stored mine in the a sealed container in the refrigerator but the actual recipe does not say you have to. 

Enjoy! 

Sausage and Mushroom Risotto **Revised, I skipped a step!

I love love love Risotto. When the original Spazzo's used to be in Bellevue I adored a mushroom risotto they had and was so sad when they changed their menu. I am always on the look out for a good risotto recipe and have made a few that were just so so. But this one is in the running with Spazzo's. It is AMAZING. Kevin & I both were in heaven with it. Savory, flavorful, delicious. I did use parmesan cheese which I think made it extra good, but I think it would still be very enjoyable without the cheese. 

**I don't tolerate all cheeses that well but I've found that if I buy the block of pure parmesan cheese and grate it myself it doesn't bother me much. I think all the additives in the shredded kind are 1/2 the problem for me. 

I found this recipe in the February issue of All You magazine and I didn't even need to make any changes to make it gluten free, yay!

Ingredients: (serves 4)

• 1 lb italian sausage (make sure it is gluten free)
• olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 8 oz sliced cremini or button mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 4 1/2 cups chicken broth (make sure it's gluten free)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Cook sausage over medium heat until browned, stir to break up into small chunks. Remove from pan and drain fat. Set aside. 
3. Add 2 tsp olive oil and saute onions & mushrooms. Season with salt & pepper. Cook until onion is soft and mushrooms are cooked through, about 8-10 min. 
4. Pour in wine and cook until reduced by 1/2. 
5. Stir in rice and cook for 3 minutes. 
6. Pour in 3 cups chicken broth and stir well. 
7. Pour into baking dish with lid and bake at 325 for 20 minutes.
8. Add the sausage stir in the parmesan cheese (if using) and pour the remaining broth over the top. 
9. Cover and bake until rice is tender, about 30 minutes. 
10. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. 
11. Enjoy!