green tea + blueberry granola bars

 

for the longest time i have been wanting to make my own granola bars! i don't know why it has taken me THIS long. i have made my own granola countless times (like this honey berry granola or this almond, coconut & white chocolate), so why not make them into a bar? you can save a fortune by making your own because those pre-packaged ones come with only half a dozen to a box & they are filled with ingredients that probably shouldn't be in a granola bar. now this is technically my second time making them because i tested out a batch of simple granola bars first with no fun flavours or ingredients. for the blog, i knew i wanted to make not your average granola bar recipe & because you know how much i love mixing matcha with white chocolate it seemed like the perfect opportunity to put those flavour combinations together once again! here i used the only matcha i will ever use, which is aiya's cooking grade matcha powder. it is specially blended for food & beverages to help provide a vibrant colour, nutrition & a lasting aroma when combined with other ingredients. this recipe is wholesome & healthy for all those getting back to clean eating this month. okay, i know i put white chocolate but you can subtitute that for a healthier dark chocolate or leave it out all together! i just figured all the good cancels out the touch of bad:)

p.s. these bars taste amazing crumbled over some vanilla yogurt!

ingredients

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (can substitute canola oil, melted coconut oil or melted unsalted butter)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon aiya's matcha powder (i use the cooking grade matcha powder blend)
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 pinch of cinnamon
  • 3/4 cups almonds (roughly chopped or slivered)
  • 1/2 cup organic white chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (can substitue 1/2 cup dried blueberries)

directions

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • in a large mixing bowl toss oats with honey, oil, vanilla, matcha powder, salt & cinnamon until well coated.
  • stir in almonds, white chocolate & fresh blueberries.
  • line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper & press oat mixture firmly into dish.
  • bake for 30-40 minutes, until the oats have turned a slight golden brown.
  • let cool completely before slicing into bars.

earl grey shortbread

 

okay let's first get things straight, this is NOT a valentine's post. i promise (but i will do something valentine-ish in february #sorrynotsorry). i know it is only the beginning of january, but i had the urge to bake some shortbread cookies (holiday withdrawal) & i just love heart shaped cookies. it seemed even more fitting because these are such a dreamy shortbread cookie recipe with the addition of the earl grey. i used this double bergamont tea to give them a maximum earl grey flavour! these are truly the perfect cookie to serve with your tea.

changing gears

now that we have cookies let's go over some new year plans, shall we?! i didn't want to bombard everyone with a cheesy 2016 inspirational recap post or both my personal & business goals for 2017 BUT i would love to give you a heads up on what i have planned for hey modest marce this year. up until now it has mainly been food focused, but since purchasing our first (& hopefully forever) home in the early fall i want to transition things a little. i want to show more lifestyle posts including all the different interior designs i have been working very hard on! linens, brass, paints, wallpaper (so much wallpaper) & so on. cheers to 2017 & all the fun things i have planned! i hope you are as excited as i am.

p.s. i have my first design sponge feature coming up this month showcasing both the great room & the powder room. i am very, very, very excited about it.

xo

ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup raw sugar (i use sugar in the raw)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground earl grey (i use this loose leaf tea)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons strong brewed earl grey tea, room temperature

directions

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat butter & raw sugar until just combined. add in vanilla extract.
  • sift in ground earl grey, flour & sea salt. beat until dough comes together.
  • if dough is crumbly, add in the brewed earl grey tea one tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency.
  • roll out on floured surface & shape into a disk. wrap in plastic & refrigerate for one hour.
  • once dough has chilled, roll out on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick. use desired cookie cutters to create cookie shape.
  • bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the edges JUST begin to brown. let cool to room temperature.

p.s. cutest pink & grey ceramics by anna wallace ceramics including the dish, pinch spoon & cake plate! 

roasted beet hummus

 

hi friends! i hope you all had the best new years yet. are we all ready for 2017? SEVENTEEN! i will forever think 2000 was just a few years ago. i took a much needed break from blogging + social media over the holidays to spend it with my friends & family, but now i am BACK with the prettiest hummus i ever did see. i think beet hummus is the best way to get back into the swing of things because it's healthy & well, it's PINK.

now that justin & i are officially living in modest house (most of the work is done.. for now) we have a lot of entertaining to do. i have been working on all different finger foods to serve when people come over to see the house! i served this hummus with a variety of different flavoured harvest snaps. harvest snaps are a snap pea crisp that i topped last year's (errr last month's) black pepper mac & cheese with! they are so good as is, but throw hummus into the mix & you have one hell of a snack! here i served it with lightly salted original, tomato basil & black bean habanero (SPICY).

ingredients

directions

  • preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • line a baking pan or dish with parchment paper & toss beets, onion, parsley & garlic in olive oil, salt & pepper.
  • roast for an hour, turning over beets halfway through.
  • let cool while you prepare the hummus.
  • in a food processor add the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, water, lemon, salt & pepper. puree until smooth.
  • peel the roasted beets & add the roasted beets, onion, garlic & fresh parsely. puree again until smooth.
  • transfer to serving dish & serve with black bean habanero, lightly salted harvest snaps & lentil bean tomato basil harvest snaps!
  • stores for a week in a glass weck jar.

this post was created in partnership with harvest snaps! thank you for supporting the brands that keep me doing what i love. xo