Yikes! How terrible of me…I promised you all a recipe yesterday and I didn’t deliver!
Well, Jay and I set out yesterday afternoon to run the errands that we needed to take care of, but things took a little longer than we anticipated and we never made it back home before our double date night plans!
Yup, double Date Night!
We were first invited over to Joe & Kate’s place for dinner, where we were greeted with some amazing smelling chicken tacos!
And they were healthy chicken tacos to boot!
I enjoyed two mini whole wheat tortillas, filled with (hidden) black beans, taco-seasoned chicken, lettuce, salsa, cheese, and homemade guacamole.
Kate actually made her guacamole using equal parts of diced avocado and cucumber, which helps cut back on the fat. Very delicious, and very similar to my healthified guacamole, too! I had some extra guac along with some blue corn chips and a side of Spanish rice.
Yumm!
After dinner, the four of us made our way out to the Albany Devils hockey game.
This is the game that I actually bought Jay the tickets for for our “Paper” anniversary. I had checked with Joe ahead of time to see if they’d be interested in joining us, and the plan was a GO!
YAY for double Date Nights!!!
Thank goodness we were in a box that had a TV in it so we could watch the Jets game…otherwise we may have had to leave the hockey game early to go watch.
So after the hockey game was over, we went back to Joe and Kate’s to watch the rest of the game. All I can say is…
GOOOOO JETS!!!
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Alright, so how ‘bout that recipe?!?
On Friday, we officially got our stove back up and working and I was determined to bake something. Granted, it still is not easy, since we have no countertops or sinks, but I had to attempt at least one goody!
I attempted to make a healthier version of an oatmeal raisin cookie bar, which turned out pretty good for the most part. They were a little bit drier than normal, which I attribute to reducing the butter. But otherwise, they have really good flavor!
If I were to make these again (which I probably will) I might try to add in a little applesauce, as well as reduce the amount of oats in the bars. If you decide to give them a try, feel free to mess around with the ingredients…if you come up with a winner, let me know!
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Butterscotch Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars
Ingredients:
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3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
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3/4 cup packed brown sugar
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1/2 cup sugar
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1/2 cup Egg Beaters (*2 eggs would also work)
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1 tsp vanilla
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1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 tsp baking soda
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1 tsp cinnamon
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1/2 tsp salt
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3 cups oats
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1 cup raisins
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1/2 cup butterscotch chips
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add Egg Beaters (or eggs) and vanilla; beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Add oats, raisins, and chips and mix until just combined.
Press dough into bottom of a 9×13 pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely and cut into bars. ENJOY!
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I may feel the need to attempt to bake something else today…we’ll see where the day brings me!
Question for the Day:
What are your favorite “healthy substitutions” when baking or cooking?
She Rocks Fitness says
Love the new set up of your blog! That game was so AWESOME last night! I was watching at a bar with friends and totally thought they were done. So happy for the Jets and next weekend should be interesting. Enjoy your weekend!
Kristi says
Butterscotch.. love it. I’m definitely going to mark this as a must try. :) Looks like you had a great date night. I love going to hockey games, but haven’t been in so long.
Jennie says
I’ve been making Mama Pea’s single chin double chocolate brownies for parties and such, and they use applesauce instead of oil. I can’t taste a difference, and they always come out super moist! I think that’s my favorite substitution by far. :)
Amy B @ Second City Randomness says
The homemade guac looks soooo good. I’m usually too lazy to actually make guac, but anything avocado-related makes me happy. :)
Emma (Sweet Tooth Runner) says
That looks yummy! :)
My favourite substitution is applesauce for oil. It doesn’t work well in ALL recipes, but in so many it makes the texture even better! :D
Stefanie says
I love subbing applesauce and Greek yogurt to healthify recipes! Your granola bars sound fab! Bet it feels great to have at least some of your kitchen back! :)
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
I always substitute half the white flour for a more whole-grain one. And I’m the queen of flax eggs!
Amanda @ Fashionably Plate says
When cooking, I try to substitute healthy ingredients but when I’m baking I usually use the regular stuff! I think living a healthy lifestyle and keeping up with physical fitness allows for a little indulgence..or at least that is what I tell myself!
Love your blog!
Courtney says
Love your outlook! :)
Emily says
Oh yum! Those tacos and those oatmeal bars look amazing :) I can’t wait for your kitchen to finally be done so we can have a baking date togetherrrrr!
Kristin says
I love going to watch hockey, so much fun! Those bars look delicious, I’m definitely going to try making them this week. I like using applesauce in place of oil, I can never tell the difference!
Blog is the New Black says
Oooooh, I love the idea of subbing some cukes for part of the ‘cado! Good call!
Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] says
Hey Court –
I like the new recipe ‘card’. Is that a plug-in…?
Courtney says
Yup! It’s called “Print This”