All Aldi // Almond Butter Oat Bars

So, you guys all know my issues with Aldi lately. It's not them, really, it's me. I figured rather than whine about it, I'd start trying to cook more from scratch again -- using all Aldi ingredients. This particular snack is highly adaptable. You can use most any nut butter you like and add in whatever sounds good. It's also kid and toddler approved, hence the llama in my photo.

ALMOND BUTTER OAT BARS

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1-1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Salt, for sprinkling

Method . . .

1. Spritz a 9x13 inch pan lightly with oil. Set aside.
2. Melt the almond butter, honey, and coconut oil together on medium heat. Whisk it until smooth and take off heat once incorporated, being careful not to burn the almond butter.
3. Using a spoon or spatula, stir in the oats, cereal, and cranberries. You can also add chocolate chips (they'll melt), pepitas, or anything else that sounds good to you!
4. Spread into your prepared pan, sprinkle with a little salt, and refrigerate until firm. Cut into 16 bars.
5. Alternatively, you can roll loose "dough" into balls for energy chunks.

More Aldi:

Aldi Foods for Picky Toddlers and Kids
$93 Aldi Weekly Grocery Haul
$400 Monthly Food Budget
18 Vegetarian Grocery Staples at Aldi
All Aldi content this way . . . 

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Almond Butter Energy Balls

I'm not a huge fan of dates. I feel like food bloggers, especially those who do the plant-based or raw thing, use them in many recipes. The texture creeps me out (I'm not a fan of raisins either), if I'm being entirely honest. That said, I found myself sticking them in the cart on my short shopping trip the other day. Why? I wanted to make some energy bites that are low in Weight Watchers points.

I didn't end up doing very well with those trials -- so that recipe is still in development. It's actually getting really close. But I did come up with these guys, which are around 4-5 points each, depending on how you scoop them (flat tablespoon versus heaping).

Immediately after eating them, I get a boost in energy. They're perfect for before or after workouts. That's for sure. I have a 7-miler on the schedule tonight, so I'll definitely be packing a few of these in before I lace up my shoes.

ALMOND BUTTER ENERGY BALLS

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup dates, pits removed
• 1/4 cup smooth almond butter
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Handful or two chocolate chips (optional -- highly recommended)

Method . . .

1. Pulse the dates in your food processor until they come together into a ball. 
2. Then tear that ball up into small pieces (to distribute more evenly in your processor) and combine with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Pulse until you get a sticky dough. It may not pull together, but it should stick together when you press on it.
4. Then scoop tablespoon amounts into your palm and roll into a ball. Repeat until you have 12-16 balls.
5. Keep in an air-tight container in your refrigerator.

I wanted to thank you guys for your amazing feedback and sharing with my whole Real Life // Being Happy post. It's nice to know I'm not alone in how I think and feel. It's nice to know I'm not alone is just being happy with where I am in this world. I am hoping to get some time to respond more personally to your comments today. Nap strike + looming work deadline hasn't been helping in this area!

Related:

Chocolate + Nut Butter Energy Chunks
Chocolate Chunk Energy Cookies
Cocoa + Nut Butter Energy Balls
Cacao Nib Energy Chunks
Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bars
Automatic Healthy Eating // Learn to Love Alternatives 

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Automatic (Healthy) Eating // Tip 4 + Recipe

You know all about my previous and present struggles with sugar (and so-called detoxes). For me, completely cutting it out (a suggestion I've received many times) just isn't an option. I fail. So, I've slowly developed a taste for less sweet treats that are intended more for fueling my body than spiking my glucose levels.

I still eat traditional desserts -- and often -- but if I keep what we have at home in check, I'm in a better place. Take these energy chunks, for example.

// TIP 4: Learn to Love Alternatives

At the start of each week, I like to make up a batch of homemade energy bars or chunks or some other healthed-up snack/dessert option. I make enough for the entire week so I'm not tempted to get out all my baking gear out of desperation on, say, a Wednesday night. That way, if I'm craving something chocolate-ly, and I always have that craving, I have a (healthy) option already on hand.

What I make changes from week to week, but I love playing with this basic Chocolate-Peanut Butter recipe for energy chunks and then modifying it for whatever ingredients I have in my pantry.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BUTTER ENERGY CHUNKS

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup natural almond butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Method . . .

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended, but still chunky.
2. Add more almond butter if batter is too stiff.
3. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Keep in an airtight container in your fridge.

* You can replace walnuts with other nuts, almond butter with other nut butters, maple syurp with agave, honey, or other natural sweetener, and leave out the cocoa powder. Totally customizable! 


From a purely caloric standpoint, you might not be saving much here. But if your main goal is to feel great, have more stable blood sugar, and consume simple foods (good goal, btw!), making alternative treats is in your favor. You can get the healthy fats, etc. you need, all while feeling satisfied + avoiding the brain fog associated with eating too much pure sugar.

Here are some more ideas:

• Cookie Dough Balls*
• Double-Chocolate Granola-ish Bars
• Nutella Balls
• Cocoa-Hazelnut Energy Chunks
• Maple-Walnut Energy Chunks
• Marathon Chunks
• Chocolate-PB Energy Chunk
• Cacao Energy Chunk
• Runner's World Energy Bars
• Choc-PPB Energy BARS

Alternatives go beyond making entirely different items for those sweet treats you know and love. Something as simple as a swap of applesauce for oil,  natural, low-glycemic sweetners for sugar, or wheat flour for white is all you need to transform a cookie from conventional to healthful. Here's a handy chart to help with ratio calculations.

And don't underestimate the power of adding things INTO a recipe versus taking them away. You can toss in flax meal, nuts, dried fruit, oats, or a number of other good ingredients to make a treat more wholesome.

At very least, you can make small batches in a pinch:

• Half Dozen Chocolate Chippers
• Half Dozen Brownie Cookies
• Half Dozen Peanut Butter Cookies
• Half Dozen GF Chocolate Chippers
• Half Dozen Chocolate + Peanut Butter Cookies

For more healthy dessert and snack ideas, you can browse our recipe archives (vegan selections are noted with *). I try to make good swaps whenever possible. If you'd rather browse via photo, check out our Pinterest board for previous posts.

How do you make treats healthier? What's your favorite recipe?

(If you're catching up, check out tip #1: stock up on frozen veggies + tip #2: buy greens and actually USE them + tip #3: create simple, go-to meals.)

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A Very Good Place to Start

When you read you begin with A-B-C. When you sing you begin with do-re-mi. And when you're making some changes -- physical and mental -- you begin with . . . breakfast. I think we all know that whether we're in crisis or not, starting the day with a healthy meal is a step in the right direction.

Let's get to it:

EASY BAKED OATMEAL

What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/2 cup rolled oats (Bob's Red Mill = gluten-free)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-1/2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 3/4 cup plain coconut yogurt*
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2+ cup water (or almond milk, etc.)

* You can use whatever yogurt you have on hand. If you use Greek, you may want to experiment with adding more water so the resulting "dough" is scoopable/pourable.


Additions + Toppings:

• Blueberries
• Bananas
• Blackberries
• Sunflower seeds, brown sugar, walnuts, salt, extra almond butter

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a baking dish with coconut oil (or canola, etc.) and set aside. I used a dish with two segmented parts to make two different kinds of baked oatmeal, but this isn't necessary.
2. Mix the oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and chia seeds together in a large bowl.
3. Then add in the yogurt, vanilla, almond butter, maple syrup, and water. As I mentioned above, the "dough" should be somewhat scoopable/pourable so it will cover all the fruit.
4. In your baking dish, lay a layer of fruit, a handful or so, like sliced bananas and blueberries. Then top with the oat mixture. 
5. Then add another handful of fruit and top with whatever you have on hand. I just tossed on what I mention in the ingredients. Just a pinch of salt and brown sugar did it for me, too.
6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

What I enjoy most about this recipe is how adaptable it will be with whatever we have in the fridge. We picked up some local blueberries at the store the other day, which is why they're the highlight. However, I'm excited to try a fall variation teeming with fresh apples and nutmeg. Though we ate the majority of the dish (Ada included) fresh the first morning, it kept for breakfast today as well.

Yeah. It feels good to be back from vacation and cooking our meals from scratch. It's almost like I needed a hard break from my own kitchen to appreciate whole food again. It feels good in general to be back in our own space with lots of motivation and positive thoughts on my side. I'm ready for change and growth.

More soon. I hope you're all having a great morning! I very much appreciate your words of encouragement, comments, and emails.

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Chocolate-Peanut Butter Energy Bars

I've been making a point to have these in the fridge at all times. Especially with gluten-free month, it's been a necessity to have something easy to grab and go. Oh, Ada calls them "cookies" . . . and they're simple enough for me to feel fine about giving them to her.

(Healthy) cookie!

Using a muffin tin is optional, but highly recommended to make them feel more like a bar. I gobble up energy balls like crazy. Before I know it, they're all gone. These flattened rounds seem to last a bit longer. Or satisfy better.

Something!


CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER ENERGY BARS
* you can easily substitute in whatever "nut" butter you choose

What you'll need . . . 

• 1 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes (I only had reduced fat on hand, but I'm sure regular works)
• 1-1/2 cup rolled oats, uncooked
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• coconut oil (optional -- for greasing muffin tins)

Method . . . 

1. Place all ingredients in your food processor -- save 1/2 cup of the oats.
2. Pulse 5 to 7 times, then add the rest of the oats and continue pulsing until well incorporated, but still somewhat coarse.
3. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls into a regular muffin tin. Then flatten with your fingers -- but I also found that a round spice container covered in plastic wrap was the BEST tool to flatten uniformly and easily.
4. Store in the fridge until hardened, about an hour. Then store in an airtight container for a week or two, maybe longer -- but they won't last that long.

These are vegan, gluten-free (if you use GF oats), and -- as I mentioned above -- can also be peanut-free. I made them with homemade almond butter and they turned our fabulously. I am also sure you could use dates in place of raisins. And maybe honey for the maple syrup.

There's opportunity for variations, that much I know.

And I plan to play around and give you some ideas soon. These bars are perfect for pre- and post-run fueling. I think I may try to craft the perfect combo for my marathon training. I hate gels and other store-bought energy aids.

Happy Tuesday -- you have time to make these NOW!

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Dessert Fries

I glossed over some of the good eats I enjoyed this weekend -- and there were a ton. But one of my favorites resulted from a creative change in ingredients because I forgot I didn't have something on hand. OK. What am I talking about??? I love the Nut Butter Parsnip Fries Angela (over at Oh She Glows) posted a while ago. I've made all different variations, including parsnip fries WITHOUT nut butter on them. When I craved the sweet and salty combo Saturday night but found I was missing plain almond butter, I got a bit nutty (pun most certainly intended).

So, these may not be the healthiest fries in the world. They're also not the most unhealthy. And despite what you may think (maybe something like: "Ew! Parsnips and chocolate?! Disgusting!), the chocolate isn't over powering. In fact, it adds this spectacular flavor note. It's more like a mole sauce versus a slice of chocolate cake. I added black and cayenne pepper for punch, too.

If you love the whole salty, sweet, chocolate-peanut butter combo, you'll love these kicked-up-a-notch parsnip fries. And they're not for dessert, really. I was just kidding in my post title. Enjoy as a snack or with lunch or dinner!


What you'll need . . .

• 3 medium parsnips, peeled
• 1 tablespoon dark chocolate almond butter (you can also mix in 1/2 tablespoon of cocoa powder into some almond butter, or just use plain for plain nut butter fries)
• 2 tablespoons natural honey peanut butter (again, you can use plain PB)
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil (or canola)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lay out a cookie pan with a sheet of parchment paper (to avoid mess).
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the nut butters, peppers, and oil. Set aside.
3. Slice your parsnips into fry-like pieces (thin, but not too thin). Place in a medium bowl and pour the nut butter mixture onto them. Mix with a spoon (or your hands).
4. When they're well coated, transfer the parsnip strips to the cookie sheet and spread out to allow for even baking.
5. Set the timer for 15 minutes. Then, when that 15 minutes has passed, take the to-be fries out and flip. Set the timer for another 20 minutes.
6. Flip them again and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes -- they'll be slightly crisp. Slightly burn-y (but in a good way).
7. Then enjoy!

Looking for more creative ways to use parsnips in your cooking and baking? Check out this post for parsnip dumplings. And check out Angela's original post for nut butter parsnip fries. As she writes, they will truly "change your life!"

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Kitchen Fails Times 1,000,000

I've had several pretty epic kitchen fails lately. First there was the great gluten-free pancake disaster. Then the awful tangerine-limeade incident. We can't forget the coconut butter debacle. And now the maple-almond butter gone wrong. The concept seems easy enough to grasp -- at least mentally: Turn nuts into butter. Just roast, process, and flavor.

However, between the almond and coconut butter issues, I'm starting to think my food processor might be to blame. (I mean, it can't be ME, right?!) We'll get to that later. I wanted to share this recipe with you anyway. Though what results isn't exactly like Ashley's cinnamon-maple-almond butter, it's still good enough to eat. Good enough to add into oatmeal. To spread atop toast. To enjoy simply from your spoon. It's got all the protein and flavor, it's just not the right texture.




HOMEMADE MAPLE-ALMOND BUTTER -- SORT OF

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil or parchment and pour your almonds onto it. Spread out for even cooking.
2. Allow to roast for 10 minutes -- you should start to smell them . . . and they'll change color, darken.
3. Allow to cool for approx. 10 minutes. Then in your food processor (I would assume a smaller one works better), process until almonds form a fine meal-y texture.
4. Add in the maple syrup, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoons of the coconut oil. Continue processing for up to 10 minutes. The mixture should be well incorporated and close to almond butter texture by then. Again, mine never fully reached that point. Add more oil if you feel it's necessary.
5. Store in a glass jar or other kind of container.

So, it looks pretty dry, right? It isn't dry. It's just crumbly. I don't quite understand why it didn't totally work. It does taste just as good as the "real thing," however the texture is certainly something I need to work on. I even found Ashley's recipe for her famous cinnamon-maple-almond butter and followed it exactly. And I thought her method of roasting the almonds with the maple syrup on them would be the magical key to success. For me? No dice.

Like I said above, I'm starting to think my food processor is to blame. She's small, but powerful. The blades might not be sharp enough? Have any of you had this problem? I first started to suspect something was up with the little pink thing when Ashley said that all you need to make coconut butter is coconut flakes. Then you just process them (for a while) until the butter forms. I processed for twenty -- count 'em -- twenty minutes . . . nada.

Basically, I'd love some suggestions on good-quality food processors. Because I'm almost 100% certain we need to buy a new one. What works the best for you? What's the most economical? What size do you like best? Anything related to food processors is welcome. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com. Also don't forget you have until Friday, June 18th at 9PM to enter our CSN $60 Gift Certificate Giveaway. I know what I'd do with that $$$ -- buy a new food processor!!!

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Adventures with Nut Butter

I'm seriously starting to wonder if Ashley (from the ever-so wonderful Edible Perspective) and I were separated at birth. I drool over her tasty creations every single day. And I was even lucky enough to win her recent giveaway, which featured her own homemade goodies as the prize. So, imagine me sitting around one lazy Saturday afternoon. Nothing special going on, really. And then Stephen enters the room from outside toting a huge box and asks: "Uhhh, what did you order now?"

"Nothing," I say, somewhat believing it wasn't some kind of secret goodie purchase. Somewhat frantically trying to figure out when I last whipped out my credit card.

"It's from someone named Ashley . . . " he says.

OMG! Immediately I realized that my prize had arrived. I grabbed a knife to rip through the tape and was immediately astounded at the wealth of good eats inside. Homemade, vegan everything! Chocolate-coconut peanut butter. Maple-almond cinnamon butter. Graham crackers. CHOCOLATE-covered graham crackers. Granola. Granola bars of all flavors.

I mean, these items serve as a mere sample of my loot:


Yup -- I even threw some of the granola into a sweet potato-cinnamon breakfast mash this morning. It was delicious! If you haven't checked out Edible Perspective yet, you're missing out. Ashley is hilarious. She's endlessly creative in the kitchen. And she eats amazing foods all the time.

Now, nothing tops this girl's nut butter creations. I downed the entire spice jar full of the almond-cinnamon mix yesterday morning. And I'm trying desperately not to polish off the coconut-chocolate-peanut butter. I wish that could last forever! But these treats got me thinking about trying to make some of my own. Just to try it out. My first attempt was last night . . . with the only nuts I had around the kitchen: walnuts.

Result? It's a fine-tasting spread -- though nothing quite as impressive as Ashley's . . . however, it's a definite start in the right direction. Ashley's idea to store nut butters in old spice containers is a great one, too :)


What you'll need . . . (for a small, test-it-out batch)

• 1 cup raw walnuts
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 4 to 6 tablespoons coconut flakes
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spread out walnuts on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for about 10 minutes . . . until roasted. (You'll smell them.)
3. Then let cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. They turn into a butter almost immediately.
4. Add in all the remaining ingredients and continue processing until smooth (I left ours a little chunky with the coconut flakes still in tact).

And speaking of giveaways . . . don't forget to enter our giveaway! A $50 shopping spree at iHerb.com is up for grabs. Enter yourself now!


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The Not-So Green Smoothie

I love, love, love green smoothies (check out this and this), but I'll also be the first to admit that guzzling a huge glass of what looks, at best, like swamp water isn't exactly easy some mornings. Solution? Hide all the good stuff under the guise of chocolate. It's easy (with a little color-mixing knowledge) . . . and tastier than you'd ever imagine.

This smoothie looks more like a milkshake than a healthy dose of greens (and fruit) to me. And even though the chocolate chips are only in the shot for impact (no, I didn't throw any actual processed chocolate into the mix), the cocoa powder provides a flavorful punch of the stuff.


THE NOT-SO GREEN SMOOTHIE (base recipe inspired by Ashley -- I had never thought to put nut butter in a green smoothie before she suggested it!)

What you'll need . . .

• 2 handfulls baby spinach
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 to 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 cup frozen strawberries

Method . . .

1. Throw everything in a blender and mix.
2. You may wish to add some honey or agave to sweeten. But I'm a huge fan of sweet stuff and don't find this extra step necessary.
3. Enjoy!

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Review: MaraNatha Dark Chocolate Almond Spread

In my A Homemade Life review on Friday, I listed a few new foods I was planning to try over the weekend. I thought I'd start by reviewing the MaraNatha Dark Chocolate Almond Spread that has swiftly made its way to the near-top of my favorite treats list.

How does it taste? Well, the words on the jar describe the texture quite accurately: Velvety. It's sweet, but not too sweet, and just a touch salty (which I must admit is my favorite combination). I would say the texture is really the best part. It just reminds me of brownie batter -- without having to mix all those ingredients together. To me, there are few things better than brownie batter.

Ingredients: Dry Roasted Almonds, Evaporated Cane Juice, Palm Oil, Cocoa Powder (alkalized), Non-Fat Dry Milk, Canola Oil, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Salt. Contains: Almonds, Milk, Soy. May Contain Peanuts and Other Tree Nuts.

Good, bad, and ugly:

• I love that it's all natural and -- per two tablespoons serving -- this spread has 4 grams of protein (versus 2 in Nutella), only 9 grams of sugar (versus 20 in Nutella), and matches Nutella on its sodium content (15 grams for both).
• I think we're already established that I absolutely LOVE the taste and texture. It goes well on fruit, in oatmeal, and straight out of the jar on a spoon (or finger -- again, I have no shame).
• I'm not too thrilled with the list price. Though I purchased my jar (OK, jars -- as in two) on sale for $4.99 at Wegmans. The stuff usually runs between $6.99 and $7.99. So, I dare not develop a strong habit.
• I'm also not happy it isn't vegan. I'm not vegan, but I'm sure many of you who are don't quite understand why there needs to be milk in the ingredient list. I don't get it either.

To check out the full range of MaraNatha Nut Butters, just visit their website.

Has anyone out there developed a cheap, quick, easy, and delicious (and VEGAN?) recipe for a chocolate nut butter? I'd love to make some of my own . . . but whenever I've tried, I've had mixed results. And usually end up spending the same amount (or more) than I would if I just bought a jar. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com.

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Chickpea Burgers

We wanted to make something different for dinner the other night. Falafel was on the top of the list. But thinking about eating all that fried food made me sick to my stomach. It's interesting, really. I've been eating more veggies (not so many fruits, though) and simple meals . . . and when I look at any processed foods, when I consider eating store-bought anything, I cringe just a little. I haven't had this problem until recently.

However, I guess it can't really be considered a problem because it's healthier than the alternative. Back to the "burgers" now. They are definitely falafel-inspired. Chickpeas abound with a nice crop of seasonings. We chose to bake them after dipping them in some of that irresistible roasted walnut oil. Smothering the patty with brie is entirely optional, so it would also serve as an excellent vegan dinner option. What you may not expect is our other condiment choice, which is a balsamic almond butter I whipped up on a whim.



CHICKPEA BURGERS

What you'll need . . . (for six sexy burgers)

• 2 cans of chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1 small green chili pepper, de-seeded and chopped
• 1 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 1 cup rolled oats

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Put EVERYTHING in a medium bowl and mix together.
3. Then transfer to a food processor and pulse until incorporated, but still chunky. There's no right or wrong texture, really.
4. Shape into palm-sized patties. Dip in a shallow bowl of oil (we used roasted walnut oil for extra flavor). Space evenly on your cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the patties brown.

If you'd like to make them fancy, serve with this divine balsamic-almond butter topper and some slices of fresh avocado. If you love brie, add some of that, too. What does this topping taste like, I bet you're asking. Well, much better than it sounds. Just make sure you don't use sweetened butter, or else the whole savory aspect of it will be lost. It's definitely a refined taste, but it's something I plan to make again -- it was THAT good.


Here's all you need to do . . .

1. Combine equal parts balsamic vinegar and natural, unsweetened almond butter. Stir until well incorporated. We used about two tablespoons of each per six burgers.
2. While the burger are still on the cookie sheet (and out of the oven) switch your oven to the broil setting.
3. Spoon over each burger with the balsamic-almond butter and spread until you have a nice, thin layer. Then place some slices of brie (if you wish) and broil until bubbly. You'll notice that the butter hardens, but it still tastes AMAZING.
4. Then top everything off with some fresh avocado. Of course, don't forget to enjoy!

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