Almond Banana Chip Muffins

At this very moment...our boys are both napping...Jay just left for work...and I'm enjoying a fresh Americano and one of these!! I was planning on doing some reading...but I was so anxious to share this recipe with you ASAP!

Notice a little trend with me lately? Almonds?! Have always loved them...as well as other nuts and seeds. We have just realized they are such a great alternative to many or all grains...we feel great eating them...and we love the taste!

I was a little skeptical whipping these guys up...I kept changing and adding to the recipe as I went along...and was VERY happy with the results! Honestly I expected quite a dense and heavy muffin...but these are so not like that! I realized quickly that this recipe is one that can be added too quite a bit (ex...nuts, seeds, dried fruit) and played around with...and would still turn out amazing!! These were a HUGE hit in our house today for all 4 of us! You can honestly actually HEAR how moist they are when you bite into them...yum!

Case in point.....

Fresh from the oven...


Five minutes after cooling...


Needless to say, they taste amazing! Easily one of the best muffins I've ever had.

Our official taste-testers in action!


Almond Banana Chip Muffins

1 c almond butter
1 c almond flour
3 medium brown RIPE bananas (the browner the better...makes them naturally sweet!)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp maple syrup...or sweetener of choice (optional)
1/4 c mini chocolate chips (optional)

Mash all ingredients (except chocolate chips) together in one bowl...stir until well combined. Add in chocolate chips.




Pour into muffin tin and bake at 350 for approx 22 minutes. You don't want to under bake these or they will sink in the middle, so lightly touch the center to test that they are fully baked.


Enjoy! Now I have to wait for the rest of my bananas to brown so I can make some more!

Thought I'd share too my Almond Flour of choice! Just went in with a few friends on a bulk order...huge savings by buying direct from the company! Their flour is super fine...bakes up like any other flour would:) Check them out!

Chocolate Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies

No that is not a typo...these are double chocolate cookies packed with tons of protein...and are grain free! Don't they look like something that's really bad for you??!! Good news is that they aren't! Definitely want a glass of nut milk, coconut milk, tea (or an Americano!) to wash these ones down...but they are so good! Great for a quick snack to get you through the afternoon, or a work out! The best part is they taste like you're eating a treat!

Tip...make sure you're almond butter is relatively fresh (soft & runny)...and not a jar that's been sitting on the back shelf of your fridge for 6 mths...these will come out very crumbly if it's not fresh:)

Chocolate Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies

1 c almond butter
1 egg
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/4 c chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)


Preheat your oven to 350ºF.

Throw ALL ingredients into ONE bowl and mix thoroughly! Does it get any easier?! I added 1 tsp of cinnamon to mine as well:)

On a parchment lined baking sheet, roll the dough into small balls and slightly flatten. These cookies won't change shape too much while baking, so shape them to how you desire them to look once cooked!

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies appear baked. These are soft and chewy and store well in the fridge!

ENJOY!

Barley Lentil Soup

Here's a peak at peak at what I just pulled out of the freezer for a quick dinner tonight...a comforting meal for all of those still experiencing SNOW!! (Happy it's not us!!)

Made this soup for the first time a few weeks ago. We had company coming for lunch, so I thought I'd try it out...kinda always a risk to try something new when guests are coming! I think they liked it?! We sure did! I had made a double batch so I froze the leftovers:) Another successful recipe from SLICE

ps...our boys BOTH love this soup...a great healthy and filling dinner to have on hand for them:)

Barley Lentil Soup

1/2 cup whole barley
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup lentils...any colour
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp tamari seasoning (or soya sauce)
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp each: basil, oregano, thyme and sea salt
1/2 tsp dill
several dashes of cayenne or hot sauce

1. Place barley in a bowl...covered with water...for at least 1 hour or overnight. Drain and rinse barely, set aside.

2. In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add stock and bring to a boil.

3. Add soaked barley, reduce heat and simmer covered for about 30 minutes.

4. Add lentils and simmer covered for an additional 20 minutes.

5. Once barely and lentils are tender, add vegetables, herbs and spices and simmer for an additional 10 minutes...or until you're ready to eat! Add more water or stock if needed to thin soup.

*I used all dried spices and seasonings...just cause that's what I had on hand...and it tasted great! I'm sure fresh would be amazing...but the dried worked too!

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

The new favourite cookie in our house...for this week anyhow! A great friend introduced me to Almond Flour last weekend...and I finally got a chance to try it out last night. AMAZING! So easy to work with, and such good flavour...if you like almonds, that is! I will let you know right off the bat though, almond flour is slightly higher in price than regular flours...but I found some on sale and am definitely happy that I picked it up!



In the end, this batch of cookies which makes about 30 small cookies, cost me about $6 to make...not bad??!! Still cheaper than buying them at the store...and just way way way better for you! These little guys are packed full of amazing things for you...almonds, coconut oil (SUPER health benefits to consuming this...I have honestly eaten it by the spoonful at times...great for your skin...you won't find ANY of those benefits in a tub of margarine or 'spread'...and no, it WON'T make you gain weight!!!! Our bodies NEED proper fats DAILY!), maple syrup (natures natural sugar!)...and then of course a couple of chocolate chips (a staple in any diet!). These are a cookie that you can feel GREAT about your kids eating!

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups of almond flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted (butter would work too)
1/4 cup of maple syrup (or other sweetener)
1 egg
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and blend with a spoon.
3. Add the wet ingredients and blend it well with a spoon.
4. Drop onto cookie sheet using small spoon...or large if you prefer! Flatten them slightly.
5. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until they are starting to brown around the edges.

These cookies don't hold well if they are under-baked...and will be crunchy if over-baked.

I froze about half of them last night, just incase they went hard overnight...and to my surprise they were even more moist in the morning! Jay popped a few out of the freezer at lunch and they were a very tasty frozen cookie too! (side note...semi-frozen brownies are a favourite in this house!!)

The coconut oil in these and the texture of the almond flour pair to make these cookies resemble macaroons in flavour! Yum! Maybe next time I'll try adding some cocoa powder to them??!! On that note, if you're not a coconut fan, you might want to opt for the butter instead:)

Spring Fever Salad!

Spring Fever has officially arrived at our house!! I came home yesterday afternoon and Jay had shorts on! It's not exactly THAT warm out yet, but he was just hoping I think:) We were having salmon for supper...and just weren't in the mood to have rice or warm veggies along side of it...and then i remembered THIS salad! Discovered it right before the Christmas holidays...made it for a few dinner parties, which was always hit...and then proceeded to make it literally, at every dinner while home for nearly two weeks over Christmas! Everyone kept requesting it! Even my dad who claimed that 'his plate had no room for green' at the first dinner, ended up asking for seconds! (He was too late though...the platter was scraped clean!) In fact, I don't think there was ever any left over...that's a huge thing! I love this salad for many reasons, here's a few...it looks beautiful on a platter for entertaining...it can qualify as a meal in itself...it's super simple to make...and everyone loves it! You could definitely swap the pomegranates for other berries come summer time. I prefer to make it with either red or black quinoa, but only because I think it looks prettier! Almonds could also be swapped for another nut of choice...or eliminated altogether! I use feta most of the time when making it, but soft goats cheese is also a great match..or no cheese at all to make this a vegan dish!

If you attended Cafe Docs back in January...you would have sampled this as an example of a Carbohydrate-Type meal. For all of you who requested the recipe for the dressing...here it is!

Enjoy!

Spring Fever Salad

The amounts listed will give you enough to make a large platter full!

2 cups cooked quinoa (cook according to package directions)
1/2 cup lightly toasted sliced almonds
1/2 large container of spinach
3/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup finely sliced red onion (I almost never add this)
1 pomegranate, seeded

Dressing
4 Tbsp red wine vinegar...balsamic works well too
4 Tbsp olive oil
5 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
pepper to taste

Starting with the spinach, and then quinoa (cooled), layer all the ingredients on your platter. Whisk all the ingredient to the dressing together, drizzle over top of salad! Serve immediately:)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Nothing too new to post here this morning (why?...we need to leave in 15 min for a play group and both boys are still wearing NO clothes...yikes!)...so here's a repeat, kinda 're-done' that I thought you might enjoy! We had great friends for dinner last night...and I thought I would be festive by baking a heart shaped cake...using this lovely pan that my mother-in-law gifted to me a few years back. I used my Chocolate Zucchini Muffin recipe that I share with you back in the summer...still using that frozen shredded zucchini out of our garden! Love that! It came out of the oven...smelled amazing...but looked like it needed something...so I simply melted a little peanut butter and created this cute heart on top...best combination out there:) Enjoy this day!!

Off to find some festive 'red' clothes for the boys to wear...fast!!

Brown Rice Crispy Squares..my favourite!

This recipe will change your life! If you're like me, traditional Rice Krispie squares have always been a favourite treat...especially if you add a little chocolate to them! Made famous for being 'low fat', I think they get consumed more often then they should! Like most candy and desserts...it's catching to advertise them as 'low fat'...but...that doesn't mean 'low sugar'! In fact...most things labeled as 'low fat' are incredibly high in sugar! I went off Rice Krispies years ago because I knew that all they contained was white sugar and more white sugar (marshmallows)....not to mention the margarine and 'white' rice crisps used, which your body turns into....sugar! I was a VERY happy lady the day I discovered this recipe! It was made VERY often for the first while...and then I kinda forgot about it until this past weekend when Jay mentioned them! I'm confessing to have gone to the store especially to buy the ingredients for them on Monday morning! Everyone will love these...especially kids! I can guarantee that you will eat more than one...but you won't eat the whole pan due to the amount of protein from the brown rice and almond butter...you will feel satisfied and full VERY quickly!

Why is this recipe so great? The cereal is made basically of brown rice (some brands do put a bit of cane sugar in theirs...not gonna kill you though!). The brown rice syrup is made basically of...you guessed it...brown rice (and a little water)! The almond butter....made purely of almonds...and is a great protein! That's it...simple and amazing! I often make a pan of these to take along on a road trip...a little sticky to eat, but always a satisfying snack. If we make them for just at home, I do try to store them in the fridge. Keeps them crispy...and I think they just taste better cold!

Enjoy! You will be surprised at how sweet they are!

*little disclaimer...the ingredients for the original Rice Krispie Squares probably cost about $3 for an entire pan! These...unfortunately due to the price of the Brown Rice Syrup run about $10 a pan. So...an occasional treat they are!

Brown Rice Crispy Squares

1 box Brown Rice Crisps cereal (make sure you buy the 'crisps', not 'puffs')

1 3/4 cups Brown Rice syrup (looks similar to a jar of light honey)

3/4 cup Almond Butter (Peanut Butter tastes great too...just make sure it's all natural and not sweetened at all...this recipe is plenty sweet on it's own!

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I try to buy grain-sweetened, non-dairy....if you do, it makes this a vegan treat!)

Pour the rice cereal into a large bowl. Heat the syrup in a small pot over low heat. As soon as the rice syrup liquefies, immediately add the peanut butter and stir until mixed. Letting the syrup cook too long will result in hard squares, rather than chewy! Pour over the rice cereal. Mix well!

Let cool for 2 or 3 minutes and then stir in the chocolate chips. Doing this sooner will cause them to melt from the heat of the syrup.

Pour the mixture into a lined 9x13 baking pan. Wet your hands slightly and pat down until firm on all areas.

Let cool for a while in the fridge...while you enjoy the sticky leftovers out of the bowl!

**second disclaimer...I ate 3 (small!) of these while typing out this post! I might go grab another.