Homemade Fruit Leather Roll Ups

 I've had several recipes for these floating around for quite some time, and I meant to make them for Mandie for school lunches last year, but had too many other things to make and managed to forget.  I unearthed my recipes last week, before we went to WI, and made up a batch for Mandie.  They turned out very well, with the same texture as the store bought organic variety I had gotten for the boys.  Now that I know how easy these are to make I will make sure she has some on hand for after school snacks and lunchbox treats!     I'm sure these could just as easily be made in a dehydrator, but since I do not own one or have the space for one, the low oven method worked out just fine!

My finished fruit rolls, ready to put in the container.

HOMEMADE FRUIT LEATHER ROLL UPS

2 lbs of fresh fruit, cleaned

1 cup unsweetened applesauce/pureed apple

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp. maple syrup, agave nectar, or honey

Preheat oven to 170*F.  Put ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  Line 2 large jelly roll pans with parchment paper.  Spread fruit mixture evenly on pans, making sure to get as thin and even a layer as possible.  Place trays in oven until dry – anywhere from 6 – 24ish hours depending on humidity, checking every couple of hours or so.   When done they will be a bit sticky, and have the same texture as the store bought kind.  Cut into strips and store into an airtight container on the counter. 

This is how it should look after it has dried.

I personally found it was easy to use my kitchen shears to cut the dried fruit into strips.

I stored mine in a plastic container so that they would travel easily and safely.

Linked to: Allergy Free Wednesdays

Super Power Muffins

I made these muffins as a combination of a few recipes, which of course I further modified to suit our family.  I sent a weeks worth to school with Mandie for her snack, and she LOVED them.  I made a huge batch to take to the air show with us last weekend.  After the energy bites were gone, these were the next thing we all ate.  I wouldn't have even needed to make sandwiches.  They are really yummy and really really healthy.


SUPER POWER MUFFINS

1/3 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1/3 cup amaranth flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup quinoa flakes (I use Ancient Harvest brand)
1/2cup ground millet
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp. non-iodized sea salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Hain Featherweight Baking Powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 eggs (or equivalent egg replacer)
2 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup applesauce 
1/2 cup ground flax meal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I make my own)
2 cups grated zucchini or finely chopped fresh spinach
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tsp. guar gum
OPTIONAL:
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray.  Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine.  In a smaller bowl, combine bananas, applesauce, eggs, carrot, and vanilla.  Fold wet ingredients into dry mix and stir until combined.    Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.   Cool completely on a wire rack.  
   These freeze very well.  I am going to try them as mini-muffins for Mandie's class treat in a few weeks I think.

Whole Intentions Weekend Linkup

I linked this post to the above blog.