Want a quick, easy, make-ahead breakfast? Hop over to Chocolate Covered Katie for her recipe for these fantastic, healthy oatmeal cupcakes. I made them last night and they were such a treat to wake up to this morning. Katie added chocolate chips, but I didn’t use them and they still turned out just fine. You can really get creative with different add-ins. Next time I think I’ll throw in cranberries and coconut (do those go together?)
Enjoy!
I’ve found one key to avoiding junk food is having a healthy snack I can reach for when I would really prefer to reach for something else. I came across these “cookies” the other day and they are SO healthy and super easy to make. I must admit, they taste a bit like cooked baby food, because of all the banana in them, but I quickly got over that as my mouth thanked me for giving it something resembling the substance of a cookie. You can get the recipe here.
Just five simple ingredients The original recipe called for craisins, which I think would make it better and less -hmm- baby foodish. But, we were out of them, so I opted for raisins instead.
Bananas EVERYWHERE.
The original recipe does not specify the amount of cinnamon to add, so, looking back, I think I would have added a little more to give it a punch. (Does cinnamon punch?)
I ended up making the batter, then sticking it in the fridge for a couple of hours to run a few errands. This might be a good thing to do, even if you don’t have errands to run, as it makes the dough a little easier to deal with.
I’ll be truthful here: these babies don’t look incredibly appetizing to me, but they are good, just not super sweet. But, I think the longer I’m away from sugar, these types of natural snacks will taste better and better. If you want to make these, but want a little extra sweet, throw in a tiny bit of stevia or other natural sweetener.
P.S. I went to the cookout I mentioned in my previous post and was able to stay away from gluten! A hamburger patty without the bun is a lot easier to eat , anyway 😉
One thing I love about my family is that, as often as possible, we have dinner together. Of course, now days this isn’t always possible, as each of us seem to be very busy with life. This was the norm for me growing up and restaurants were a big deal. When I started college, I realized how much I loved those home cooked meals eaten together. Talking about the day, being together and sharing food is the best.
Now that we’re trying to eat extra healthy, I don’t want to lose those special times together. This is a time for the food to be a comforting, enjoyable end to the day. So, I’ve been searching around on trusty Pinterest trying to find recipes that will be healthy, but also tasty and enjoyable. Last night I made a recipe from Gluten-free goddess. It was a hit! You can find the recipe here.
The recipe is Quinoa with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Leeks and Slivered Almonds. I’ve always been a fan of brussel sprouts (weird, I know), so this recipe didn’t scare me away.
I may or may not have watched a youtube video on how to clean and prepare leeks for cooking. (Learn something new everyday!)
The almonds give this dish a special crunch. I didn’t have slivered almonds, so I coarsely chopped them and they were just fine.
After throwing everything into a dish (supposed to use a roasting pan…but I didn’t know where ours was, so a glass casserole dish did the job), drizzle with olive oil and toss.
After baking, sprinkle a little parsley on top and wha-la!
Now, for a quick side dish that tastes JUST LIKE MASHED POTATOES:
Steam some cauliflower florets, blend in a food processor (or blender) and add almond milk (to the consistency you like), garlic and salt. No one would ever know it wasn’t potatoes.
My mom came home from work and made one of her famous salads (she’s known for her salads).
For dessert:
Practically candy! 😉
Day one was a success! Tonight I’ll be going to a cookout, so we shall see how much self discipline I can muster to stay on track!
A Happy and Healthy 20-Something 