Healthy Habits: Grain-Free Brownies and Blondies

Moist Chocolate Brownies (Made w/ Beans)

Now I know what your thinking, "beans in a dessert?!" I also thought that this notion seemed too good to be true. How is it possible that a chocolate brownie made with beans would taste good? But believe me, they do. If I didn't tell you what they were made of, you would never know. My brother (being one of the pickiest eaters out there) even enjoyed the treat. It tastes like a classic fudgey brownie, and its healthy too. If you are grain-free or just looking to add more nutrients to your diet, these brownies are the most delicious way to do that.

Recipe

Ingredients:

15 ounce can black beans (or 1½ cups cooked beans), thoroughly rinsed and drained.

¼ cup melted coconut oil or other oil/melted fat of choice

⅔ cup sugar or more to suit your taste

2 tablespoons chia meal or flax meal, or one egg

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a food processor bowl, add the beans, oil, sugar, and chia meal. Puree until smooth           and beans are indiscernible.

3. With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

4. Pour/spread into a greased or parchment lined 8 x 8 inch pan. The batter will not be             deep.

5. Bake in a preheated oven 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes         out clean.

6. Cool before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container.

source: http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/black-bean-brownies-grain-free-vegan/#_a5y_p=1440616

Chocolate Chip Blondies

This dessert is a less kooky recipe for an equally delicious treat. For you chocolate chip cookie lovers, these blondies share the same great taste in the form of a brownie. Made with almond flour, these blondies have the perfect consistency while still being grain free. They are super easy too make, but since they are grain-free if they are under-baked then the cake itself falls apart really easily and crumbles a lot. Best eaten warm, and a really good addition to a bowl of ice cream!

Recipe

Ingredients:

2½ cup blanched, extra-fine almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

½ cup grade B maple syrup

½ cup coconut oil (melted)

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup enjoy life chocolate chips or a combination of chips and chunks

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Mix the almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. This will get thick and almost         feel like an eggy consistency.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mix to combine.

5. Add the chocolate chips and spread the batter into a greased pan.

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

source: http://unbageled.com/paleo-chocolate-chip-blondies/

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: Star Spangled Banner (lol)

Healthy Habits: Valentines's Day Treats

Yogurt Dipped Ombre Strawberries

1 lb. strawberries
22 oz. vanilla Greek yogurt (or any plain yogurt)
Red food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS

Divide yogurt into 4 small bowls; one bowl with no coloring, one bowl with 2 drops of coloring, another bowl with 4 drops and the last bowl with 6 drops. Mix colors well and set aside.

Dip the strawberries into bowls of colored yogurt and place them on a baking sheet to set, freezing for one hour. Remove strawberries from the freezer and re-dip each into the colored yogurt. Place them back into the freezer for another hour or two until ready to serve.


- See more at: http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2016/02/yogurt-dipped-ombre-strawberries.html#sthash.oHvteTv8.dpuf

Enjoy!

Chocolate Pomegranate Candies

- fresh pomegranate seeds
- chocolate chips
- cupcake tray lined with cupcake wrappers

If you choose to do so, you should lightly oil the wrappers before placing anything in them. This ensures that the paper will come off easily, but this step may not be necessary. Melt chocolate chips to make a sauce in either the microwave for about 1 minute or on the stove in a double boiler (You can also add about 1 tsp oil per cup of chocolate chips before melting to achieve a smoother sauce). Set aside. Place some pomegranate seeds inside the pre-oiled cupcake wrappers—about 2 tbsp but depends on size. Finally, cover the seeds completely in melted chocolate and be sure to touch the sides of the wrapper to get the jagged edge effect. 

Freeze to set the chocolate covered pomegranate candies. They can be kept in either the fridge or freezer, and can stay out at room temperature for a few hours if your home is not very hot.


Read more at http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2015/02/05/heart-healthy-homemade-chocolate-candies/#2pQYRxzBpM5OKY1D.99

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: Summer Lovin' - Grease

Healthy Habits: Better Eating

Eating healthier is something that is always on my mind. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that get in the way of doing so successfully. One being that I love to eat, and sometimes I confuse delicious food with healthy food. 

I think that I struggle with the same types of problems that many others do, so I've done my research. Every so often I meet with a nutritionist and we have come up with some great ideas to eating healthier. I think they relate to a lot of people, so I want to share with you what I have learnt, lovely reader. 

Exercise and Then Eat Your Protein

I may be the least athletic person, but I try and get on the elliptical bike at home at least 3 times a week. The most important thing about exercising isn't just working out, but it is making sure you eat protein afterwards. I usually exercise in the morning, so I prepare myself a yogurt (greek yogurt always), and eat a bite or two beforehand to wake my system up. Then after I'm done I finish the yogurt, and that keeps my metabolism going for the rest of the day. It's a super healthy way to start your day, and get the most out of your workout. 

Boredom Eating

I suffer from boredom eating. If I'm sitting at home doing nothing I normally end up going into the kitchen and grabbing whatever I can find from the pantry. Or in school, if I'm sitting in class having trouble paying attention then I'll just grab any food from my bag and nosh away (but this does actually help me concentrate sometimes). This is a terrible habit which I hope I am not lonely in doing. The best way to fix this problem is to either go out and do something, whether that's going for a quick walk around the block or anything else to keep your mind occupied on something other than your stomach. Or you might actually be hungry, and in this case you can eat something. Just make sure that your snacking on something like fruits or vegetables and not chips and candy. 

Maintain Regularity

Something that really surprised me as being a way to eat healthier is actually to eat more frequently. Of course this doesn't mean snacking on unnecessary treats all day long. What this means is that when you eat more meals during the day it keeps your metabolism running and working hard. For example, never skip out on breakfast because it really is the most important meal of the day for your body to start running. Then, at least two hours after breakfast eat something else (preferably protein). You should never go more than three hours without giving your body something to digest, that way your metabolism doesn't get lazy or work slower.

Treat-Yo'Self

If you feel like you have been doing a really great job at eating healthy all week, then you have earned a "treat-yo'self" day. After a week of healthy eating and NO CHEATING go ahead and eat whatever you want once a week. That really means whatever you want. This tricks your system, and makes sure it doesn't stay at a steady pace or level out. Instead it ramps your metabolism up for a day. That way, the rest of your healthy week is a breeze for your body. 

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: Perfect - P!nk

Healthy Habits: All Mixed Up, Yogurt Parfait

My last 'Healthy Habits' was about my daily cold brew oatmeal school lunch (on the days where I don't buy soup at school). But, I got a bit bored of taking that same thing every day, so I decided to change it up a bit. To be honest it is basically the same meal, but with yogurt instead of oatmeal. 

I have this thing where I need to plan out my school meals ahead of time, or else I spend hours staring at the fridge trying to find something I want to eat. If I have a routine then everything goes a lot faster and I'm always happy with my meal.

So this winter, I have been packing myself an unassembled yogurt parfait, but for the sake of this post I will show a step by step of what I put in it and how I assemble it. 

Step One: Yogurt

I use the healthiest of yogurts, greek yogurt. It has a ton of protein and other healthy stuff. But to be honest, I don't love greek yogurt plain. So I mix in a bunch of fruit and other miscellaneous foods to balance out the taste. 

Step Two: Raspberries

The first fruit I add to sweeten up the yogurt are some raspberries. I like raspberries in small amounts, so that is why I crush and mix them up inside the yogurt. This way the yogurt is not to yogurt-y and the raspberries are not to tart.

Step Three: Strawberries

One of my favorite fruits, the strawberry. I add a ton of these babies!

And the leftover tops don't go to waste, because...

...Lola loves strawberries too!

Step Four: Pomegranate Seeds

So this is usually the part where I add as many pomegranate seeds as I desire (another one of my faves), but sadly they are going out of season and we didn't have any in the house. Instead I added some coarsely ground flaxseeds and coconut flakes.

I then mix it all up and....Voila!!

It may not be the most beautiful yogurt parfait, but it sure is healthy and it tastes delicious!

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: High Hopes - Kodaline

Healthy Habits: Cold Brew Oatmeal

I am always trying to find easy ways to have a healthier lifestyle. I will admit that I am not always the most conscious eater, and I don't love playing sports so I don't exercise often enough. That is why I have decided to tell you all about some fun, easy, and stress-free ways to keep up a healthier lifestyle.

A big part of being healthy is eating right. When I'm packing my lunch for school I can pay closer attention and have better control over what I eat throughout the day. Lately, I have been taking the same thing every day, and that is a cold brew oatmeal. What it is, is an oatmeal that doesn't need to be cooked -- it just sits in milk overnight and then by lunch time it is ready to eat, so this is perfect for school lunches. Then, along with the oatmeal you can add any fruit, nuts or just about anything that you like to eat with your oatmeal. 

So here is how I make my cold brew oatmeal.

Step #1

Put half a cup of oats in a jar

(it can be any amount you choose really, but don't fill the jar up to high or you won't have room for anything else)

Step #2

Put half a cup of the milk of your choice in the jar - I use almond milk 

(or just add the same amount you did for the oats)

Step #3

Add 1 teaspoon of chia seeds

Chia is like one of the healthiest things ever! click here for more details

Step #4

Add 1 teaspoon of flax seed (also super healthy)

What it looks like so far...

Step #5

Add some shredded coconut

Step #6

Add slivered almonds

Step #7

Add dried blueberries

Step #8

Add dried cranberries

Step #9

Add fresh strawberries 

Step #10

Let the oatmeal sit overnight... and then ENJOY!

Remember, what I add into my oatmeal is just my preference and is a suggestion, feel free to either follow the exact instructions or play around with the type of food you like. Anything goes.

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: Shake it off - Taylor Swift.