Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

Today at my sons school, it is "Teacher appreciation breakfast" day. And being the over achiever MOM that I am, I had to make something instead of save tons of time and buy something. LOL! At least we have extra goodies for us now. YUM!

This recipe came from my friend Domenica Morello-Cresta AKA project mama. You rule mama!!! I revised it just a touch. These scrumptious muffins are perfect with some tea or coffee for breakfast, for snacking, or even a healthier desert choice. They are chock full of fiber and antioxidants, (I keep telling myself this as I eat them!) and then a lil bit of refined sugar to splurge.  

This recipe is definitely worth a share! Plus too many friends are asking for it.  

ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups oats old fashion
• 1 cup of white flour
•  1 & 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 oz of brown sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk or whole coconut milk
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 ounces chocolate chips 

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to blend. In a separate small bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla and oil.

Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until moistened. Add the chocolate chips and blend thorough.

Fill lined muffin cups full with batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes, or until tops are light golden.

Makes approximately 16 muffins.

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No Bake Power Bites

Do you have a snack that totally saves you? That curbs your sweet tooth and give you the energy to keep going. Totally Satisfies you? Well, this is it for me! No Bake EASY PEASY power bites. My family has requested I make these each week. No more late night snacking on cheese, crackers or cookies. No more grabbing a packaged bar for a snack. 

THIS, just this!

Have I ever steered you wrong? Trust me, you won't be sorry!

Total Time: 15 min
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: None
Makes about 10 servings, 1 each

Ingredients:

• ½ cup finely chopped raw mixed nuts
• ½ cup Chocolate Vegan Shakeology
• ½ cup organic old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup all-natural creamy peanut butter
• 1 Tbs maca powder
• 3 Tbs shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 Tbs raw honey

*I use Vegan Chocolate Shakeology because I have found this is the ONE and ONLY for me. All the good stuff my body needs and NO artificial junk. However, you can give it a try with other protein powders. I stand by this recipes with the ingredients given only as I know the goodness. If you want to give Shakeogoly a try, check it out here.  I highly recommend having it daily. *

Preparation:

1. Place nut in large baggy and smash until they are finely chopped.

2. Combine nuts, Shakeology, maca, coconut and oats in a medium bowl; mix well.

3. Add pb and honey; mix well with a rubber spatula or just get your clean hands dirty!

4. Roll in balls about the size of a ping pong ball.

*If you need more moist to mix into balls, add a little more pb.

Refrigerate covered up to 1 week.

 ENJOY! These are amazeballs!!

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Ingredients:

Oatmeal Banana Peanut Butter Cookies

Who doesn't LOVE cookies? 

Who doesn't love feeling guiltless when eating cookies? I needed to Mokshafy a recipe to keep me on track and to let my son eat cookies without all the sugar. We both have a major sweet tooth. It can put us in a sugary situation.

This recipe did just that. I won't feel bad sneaking one of these into his lunches for school, or eating one in the middle of the day. Healthy Cookies! For real!

INGREDIENTS
3 bananas, ripe
1⁄3cup Coconut oil
2.25 cups quick cooking oats
1⁄2cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tbs Honey
3 Heaping Tbs of peanut butter

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas with a fork until no longer lumpy. If bananas aren't very ripe, a hand mixer may be used. Stir in oil, oats, chocolate chips, peanut butter and vanilla.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet or use a silpat.
For each cookie, spoon about 2 tablespoons of cookie mixture (or I like to use an ice cream scooper) onto the cookie sheet. 

Bake for 16-20 minutes.
**IF batter seems a little dry, add dashes of milk to moisten.

You can omit the chocolate chips to make them even healthier and add cinnamon, raisins or chopped pecans! Omitting the peanut butter all together is also a delish version! I just happen to have a love affair with peanut butter.

Enjoy and stay healthy my friends!

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The Power of Sunflower Seeds

These salty-crunchy babies are my favorite snack right now. 

Sunflower seeds!

The Power of Sunflower!

Did you know that just a 1/4 cup of seeds gives you half of your daily vitamin E, which of course keeps your heart healthy, your skin and hair looking great, and fights infection throughout the entire body by neutralizing free radicals.

They also are known to reduce the symptoms of asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as the risk of complications due to diabetes. WELL ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! GIMME SOME OF THOSE!

And to top them off, because they are full of phytosterols, they also reduce high cholesterol levels, build up the immune system and decrease risk of certain cancers. TRIPLE SCORE!

I love having them straight up, but adding a teaspoon or so into my salads brings the salad to a new level.

YUM! Eat up friends!

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Deviled Eggs

Deviled Eggs! They are the perfect snack! 

For me, these babies are the perfect pre and post workout food. Hard-boiled eggs in general make a quick snack if you are in a hurry. Power cook half a dozen Sunday night and you are set for the week. Or, they are great protein in your salads for lunch instead of meats. 

Eggs are the "good fats" your body needs to keep your heart healthy.  So as long as you don't fill these with g grotty mayo you are golden! Thankfully I am not a fan of mayo so this recipe works for my taste buds and my belly. 

Ingredients:

• 2 hard boiled eggs peeled and slices in half
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• dash of Pink Himalayan salt
• dash of garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• dash of cracked pepper
• sprinkles of paprika

Directions:

Remove yolks from egg whites. Place in small bowl with dijon, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mash until smooth. Place a scoop back into each egg white half. Sprinkle with Paprika per your liking.

These are quick and easy. I always have the ingredients on hand, and they add a little kick rather than having plain hard boiled eggs. Time to get my workout in!

ENJOY!

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Roasted Garbanzo Beans

Healthy snacking at its finest! I was a little wary about this snack when my friend started talking about it. But after seeing how much she loved them, I had to give it a try on my own. I found a yummy starter recipe on Eatingwell.com and revised it to my liking.

L O V E    A T   1 S T   B I T E

These are crunchy pieces full of flavor. 

I happen to add a lot of salt to make them even more cravable. MMMMM

All of a sudden I am seeing these sold at grocery stores everywhere. So with all the hype why not make your own? Healthier, cleaner, cheaper and you can make them the flavor YOU prefer. All in 30 minutes. 

Makes: 4 servings, 1/4 cup each

INGREDIENTS

• 1 15-ounce can Organic Garbanzo Beans, rinsed
• 1 tbs Ghee, melted Or extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp Pink Himalayan salt

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat to 450°F.
• Rinse garbanzo beans clean and blot dry. 

• In a small bowl, add Garbanzo beans, melted Ghee, cumin, allspice and salt. Toss gently coating beans. 
• Place beans on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven on an upper rack. Not top rack. 
  
• Stir gently every 10 minutes. This will insure all beans are browned and crunchy. 
• Bake about 25 to 30 minutes. 
• Cool baking sheet for 5 minutes and ENJOY!
• Cover and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
  

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Amazing Garlic Hummus

Honestly, why would you buy this when making it yourself takes about 5 minutes and tastes 100% better than ANY store bought brand? Really! 

Like I always say.... Make YOUR OWN!

Use this recipe as a guide and add or omit to YOUR taste. I LOVE THIS basic recipe! My 5 yr old LOVES this! YOU WILL LOVE THIS!

Ingredients:

• 1-15 oz can organic Garbanzo beans
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan salt 
• Dash of paprika
• 2 tbs or more lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 1/2 tbs olive oil 
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

Place all ingredients into your food processor and blend until you have the consistency you desire. I like it around 4-5 minutes.

You can make this extra creamy by adding a tiny more tahini, lemon and or oil. I make it less garlicky by omitting garlic all together or using half the amount I gave in recipe above. It's ALL up to you! Roast a red bell pepper, add it! Roast the garlic instead of raw garlic! OMG SO GOOD roasted!! Add different spices like lemon pepper and some fresh chunky Feta Cheese with sun dried tomatoes on top. I'll have to post that recipe next! It's whatever you like. This is the simplest recipe. This is the base. Try this first then make it your own! 

Fresh is best! 

Once you have made the batch AND had your fresh share, place 2 TBS in individual containers and place in the fridge as servings to go! You are ready to go for snacks the entire week! All in 5 minutes!

Let me know how you like it!

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Perfect Granola

I have been craving granola for 2 weeks! I LOVE oats and a yogurt parfait is one of my favorite foods. But all the store bought granola has things I don't like. Too much cinnamon, too many nuts, or just TOO MUCH! Not to mention preservatives and junk. So, I ventured into the kitchen and came up with this! THE PERFECT GRANOLA! What makes it perfect is it has everything I LIKE. It's simple and only has the flavors I enjoy. So when you use this recipe, add or remove ingredients to make it your own per your own tastes. It's the only way!

Make it YOUR PERFECT GRANOLA!

 You could add any other ingredients if you wanted to: Roasted quinoa, flax seed, sunflower seeds, almonds, cinnamon , etc. The choice is yours! What do you like? 

My perfect recipe consists of this:

PREP TIME:

5 mins

COOK TIME:

30 mins

TOTAL TIME:

35 mins

 Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup organic extra virgin coconut oil
• ⅓ cup organic local honey
• ½ teaspoon organic vanilla
• 3 cups gluten free oats or regular baking oats
• ¾ cup unsweetened shredded Coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts. I like walnuts or cashews
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup dried berries
• Dash of Himalayan pink salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine oil, honey and vanilla and whisk together until well combined. Add oats, coconut, cashews, walnuts, raisins and cranberries. Stir to coat evenly. Add pinch of salt if desired.
2. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour mixture and spread out evenly. 
3. Bake at 300 degrees for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Stir every 10 minutes bake evenly.

4. Let cool and harden for about 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container. Large plastic bag works just as well. 

Sometimes I like to bake the oats without the fruit and nuts. Adding the coconut, cashews, walnuts, raisins and cranberries after baking the oats so it wont be as chewy. I like it both ways. Depends on my mood.

I can't stop eating it!

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Guilt Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

What's the best flavor in the world? 

Chocolate and Peanut Butter right? I know! 

How amazing would it be to have a 100% guilt free treat!? Or even better, a chocolaty pre-workout snack! That's right I said it! A healthy Peanut Butter cup you can feel GOOD about eating. My ONLY problem with these is my son likes them a ton. He gets one for "desert" often so I have to make them all the time to have enough on hand for everyone. But since they take 10 minutes TOTAL to make....... WHO CARES!!!

Makes 4 large  cups:

 1 packet of Chocolate Shakeology
 2 Tbsp of Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
 4 tsp Organic Peanut Butter
 4 mini cup cake liners

                                                                                                                                                 
Directions:

• Melt 2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil. In a small bowl mix Chocolate Shakeology packet  and oil until smooth.

• In cupcake liners, Pour about 1 tsp of chocolate sauce.
• Add 1 tsp of Peanut Butter on top of chocolate.

• Pour remainder of chocolate over Peanut Butter covering each tsp.
• Place in freezer for 5-10 minutes & enjoy! 

You can put them in plastic bags once they set to have on hand for the following week. 

YUMMY!
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Apple Cookies

Apples and Peanut butter are already one of my favorite things in the UNIVERSE! Adding coconut, chocolate chips, walnuts and raisins make it a dream come true! 

Best recipe EVER! 

Another amazing version is adding Almond Butter and dried fruit! HELLO! You really can't go wrong. A sweet healthy treat to feel guiltless about!

My son thanked me a million times when I made these today and he had the biggest smile on his face. 

Ingredients: 

Your choice! Whatever you like! My version consists of:

• Apple cut in round slices
• Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
• Unsweetened coconut flakes
• Chocolate Chips
• Raisins or any dried berries
• Walnut pieces

These are a regular in my house. Enjoy and you're welcome!

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