Creativity in the kitchen

Today I have been in the kitchen most of the day. I am trying to be creative this week and see how far I can stretch the things that I have in my pantry, fridge and freezer. I would really like to be able to make it to next payday without having to go to the store. What do you think they did in the old days? I have been asking myself this lately. We are so spoiled now days with a market on every corner. Everything is open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
Today I made breakfast bars out of oatmeal, very ripe pears, raw honey, extra virgin coconut oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I am sorry that I don't always measure ingredients so that I can share the recipe with everyone. I want to get better about this, but it really goes against my creative bend I think. Anyway, I do not use the oven to bake this. I use my dehydrator set on 120 degrees and it takes six to eight hours to cook. I have made a variety of different breakfast bars this way; apple crisp bars made from all the ingredients that you would use to make apple crisp. Chocolate almond coconut bars is one of the families favorites. Really you are only limited by your creativity or lack there of. I am sensitive to wheat products so I make my own nut flour, or oat flour with my food processor. It is really fun, and the boys eat my breakfast bars without complaint.
I have just finished up dehydrating about 40 pounds of peaches. I will use these throughout the fall and winter in a variety of different things, if I can keep certain peoples fingers out of them. They really taste so sweet and nice all by themselves.
I cut up veggies today, and I wish I could say they were all from my garden. Maybe next year. I like to have a big container of fresh veggies for anyone who says they are hungry. They are washed, and cut, and easy to grab. It does take some time to prepare them all but it is really worth the effort.
I boiled about 14 eggs today and made a batch of egg salad for sandwiches. These eggs are such a blessing to us, because they are from my dads chickens and he give them to us for free. I got a really good papa!
I made peanut butter today with my vita- mix machine, and guess what. I measured the ingredients so I can share my recipe.
Four cups dry roasted peanuts (Winco has the best prices on these)
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil in liquid form. ( heat it on the stove in a pan on low heat.)
1/4 cup honey (you can heat this with the coconut oil because you want it to be as syrup like as possible.) Just make sure you stir with a wooden spoon.
1/2 teaspoon to 1 tsp sea salt.
Put all the ingredients in the vita-mix turn on at variable speed, then up to high. You have to use the plunger thing to keep pushing the peanuts down into the blade. It really is very loud while it is grinding but don't be afraid just keep working the peanuts down into the blade until they are all creamy. This mixture does not have to be refrigerated, but should be used within a week or two.
I have made the peanut butter with canola oil too, and it works just as well. If you use canola oil put the peanut butter in the fridge to store or it will be to runny.
I hope you are encouraged to get in your kitchen and be creative. It really is a lot of fun. Our food doesn't have to come from a box.