You’ve heard it many times, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” But how many of us rush out the door in the morning just trying to make sure we have the essentials for the day, nevermind stopping for a healthy homemade breakfast? Enter the breakfast bar. Okay, so I know it’s nothing new to you, I’m sure, but I’m not talking about the kind or bar with millions of unheard of ingredients that you get from a shiny wrapper out of a box. I’m proposing you spend just a little time on the weekend to whip up a batch of these delicious bars in your own kitchen so you will have an effortless breakfast ready to go each morning on your way out the door.

The original recipe, tweaked only slightly, and outlined below, is from Body & Soul Magazine and incorporates lots of wholesome ingredients like spelt, flaxseeds nuts and uses honey as a natural sweetener instead of sugar. Feel free to experiment with your own mix-ins, I’ve made them a couple times now and they are great with some chia seeds thrown in too.

Spelt Breakfast Bar
adapted from Body & Soul Magazine

1 tbsp coconut oil, plus more for pan
1 1/4 cup spelt flakes (I used Arrowhead Mills spelt flakes cereal)
1/2 dried cherries
1/4 cup sprouted or ground flaxseeds
1/4 cup pecans, coarsly chopped
2 tbsp. pistachios, coarsly chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Prehaeat oven to 325. brush an 8×8 baking dish with oil. Line with parchment paper leaving a 2 inch overhang, brush with oil.

Combine spelt, cherries, flaxseeds, pecans, pistachios, and salt; set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine honey, peanut butter, oil, vanilla. Cook over medium until melted, then add to dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Transfer mixture to prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake until golden and edges pull away from sides of pan, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Using paper overhang, lift bars out of pan. On a cutting board cut into 8 pieces using a serrated knife. Store in an airtight container, sperating pieces with waxed parchment paper, for one week.

Note: I have skipped the parchment paper step and everything came out fine too.

As we mentioned earlier this summer, Green-Lemonade.com’s hosting has just gotten a little greener. The site is now being hosted by AISO.Net. AISO is “the first and only 100% completely solar powered hosting company that does not use energy credits.” The solar panels (which you can see on their site via a Live PV Cam) power not only the AISO offices but the data center and servers as well.

So, if you own your own site (or already do and are looking to switch) consider soaking up some sun with AISO.Net.

Note: The above photo was taken at Springs Preserve in Las Vegas.

You don’t have to travel to Italy to enjoy local Eggs Florentine. As Farmers Markets open across the Midwest, and other parts of the country, eating locally has just got easier. The following dish (made from a simple recipe that I found in Domino Magazine) is a great one to serve for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

I started with a crusty whole wheat locally-baked bread. (The bakery uses ingredients in nearby states — not many of the ingredients found in bread are available in Indiana.) Next, I spread on some Fromage Blanc from Traders Point Creamery (although recipe calls for Ricotta and Parmesan cheese). Atop that, I laid some lightly sauteed spinach from my parents garden and a fried egg (fresh from Phelps Family Farms stand at the Carmel Farmers Market).

The result was a hearty, rich and healthy dish. Bellissimo!

Mochi makes a wholesome snack or dessert which is gluten, wheat, and dairy-free and, most importantly, easy to prepare. My husband and I love to bake up a few squares of the cinnamon raisin flavor, stuff them with a local shredded cheddar cheese (by cutting a little slit in the sides after baking), and top them off with a little drizzle of honey. Here are a few other recipe ideas to get you started.

Print out a coupon and find it in the refrigerated areas of natural food stores and co-ops. Make sure to check out the other delicious flavors too.

As summer creeps in and we enjoy the warm (sometimes even hot!) weather this time of year, I have found the perfect alternative to those sticky, sugary, brightly colored popsicles of the past - Wise Acre Frost Bites and Frost Tea frozen treats.

Made from freshly brewed organic teas and naturally sweetened with only honey or organic Maine maple syrup, they are also low in calories but big on flavor.   I love the “Cool Your Jets Herbal” and “Maine Maple Lemon” flavors, but all of them are a must try!

I get my Frost Tea fix at the local co-op but it looks like they are available at Whole Foods (east coast storse) and online too.  

It’s Bike to Work Week! Warmer weather and rising gas prices are two good reasons put down your keys, and pick up your helmet. If your route to work is not an option, consider taking your bike someplace this weekend that you might otherwise drive to — such as the Farmers Market!

We’re moving — in more ways that one! Not only will our site be moving to a new (greener) server this weekend and next week, but Liz is also going to be be moving from upstate New York to the Columbus, Ohio area in the upcoming weeks as well.

We are crossing our fingers that the move to the new server goes quickly and smoothly, but if not, we thank you for your patience as the site transfers over!

Last week, we mentioned an all natural shampoo for dogs that happens to be available at Petco. Unfortunately, eco-friendly options for your pooch aren’t always that easy to find at a local supplier. However, you always have some place to turn to online — thanks to Paw Luxury!

From tasty treats to travel accessories, Paw Luxury offers environmentally-friendly options for your furry friends. In addition to offering products that are all natural, organic, biodegradable, fair trade and made in the USA, Paw Luxury also holds their business to the same standard as many of the brands they sell. Some of their earth friendly business practices include: business cards made from 100% recycled content, using cradle to cradle USPS shipping boxes, using recyclable packing materials, and going paperless by corresponding via email.

In addition to their online store, Paw Luxury also has a blog dedicated to (and written from the perspective of) Lola, the boxer who inspired her owners to launch Paw Luxury. From recipes to an “Ask Lola” column, this dog sure knows her kibble and biscuits!

UPDATE: Lola (and her owners) have offered readers of Green-Lemonade.com a savings of $5.00 on a purchase of $25.00 or more! Use the coupon code: GREENLEM5 from now until June 6, 2008.

Bathtime for Skyler is no day at the spa. It involves the bathtub, some shampoo, and one very wet & furry dog (see photo above). But when it comes to my pets, I try to be conscious of what they eat and even what they breathe. However, in all honesty, the main reason I concern myself so much with our dog’s shampoo is less about her and more about our cat, who has allergies and sensitive skin. That being said, I was happy to see that they did carry one brand of all natural pet shampoo at our local Petco. (Stay tuned for an article next week about another place to get your eco-friendly pet products.)

EarthBath products all-natural, bio-degradable and cruelty-free. For Skyler, we opted for the Oatmeal & Aloe Shampoo. It not only got the job done (of a cleaner dog) but the smell was pleasant without being over-powering. The bath (along with a good brushing) left Skyler so soft that she even got a compliments on her coat from another dog owner who visited us for the weekend!

After my post about Asparagus a few weeks ago, we received an email from Aly, in Florida who said she “grew up on asparagus and eggs as a breakfast, lunch or dinner option” and included the recipe below for a tasty asparagus and eggs dish. I loved the egg and asparagus combo and have made it several times already. It’s especially good with a little shredded local cheddar cheese over the top and a toasted slice of my favorite olive loaf bread from our farmer’s market.

Asparagus & Eggs
serves 2

1. Saute some cut up asparagus in a small amount of olive oil and a couple of cloves of garlic, sprinkle some dried oregano, salt and pepper over it as it cooks.
2. While the asparagus cooks, whisk 4 or 5 eggs in a bowl, adding a little milk.
3. Pour the eggs over the asparagus and let it cook for a few minutes until the eggs are done. (You can see from the picture above that I ended up scrambling mine as the eggs set.)
4. Top with fresh tomatoes and enjoy with some crusty Italian bread

Thanks for the recipe Aly!

Do you have a favorite tip or recipe you would like to share? Go ahead and send it our way, we’ll give it a whirl in our “test kitchen” and if we like it, we just may post about it!