snack 'n go

I've been a dedicated granola bar consumer since I was in high school. They've always been a quick, convenient and portable snack that bordered the "healthy" category. I also loved that I could get away with eating these for breakfast, even though there were chocolate chips sprinkled throughout. 

But when I say "healthy" they're not even close. Most store-bought granola bars are loaded with sugar and other preservatives, so these bars contain honey, unsweetened cocoa powder and natural peanut butter to pack in the flavor. Now before I get attacked for adding mini chocolate chips... yes I know they contain sugar but if you're really being careful just don't add them. It's as easy as that!

I keep the bars in individual snack bags and store them in the fridge. I love that I can grab one, run out the door and know that I'm getting a snack with some protein and nutrients, but really it just tastes like a chocolatey treat. 

quick snack series:

I have a confession to make: about two years ago I was on a mission to lose 60 pounds. Once I lost 50 pounds though, I decided to start a baking and beauty blog. So, needless to say, the last 10 pounds have stayed quite happily as I've baked, fried, roasted and froze my way to not losing any weight. And then in October I broke my toe, so exercising was a non-option and then the holidays came annnnnd.... now I have 15 pounds to lose!

My toe is completely healed and I'm reenergized and committed to eating healthier and working out regularly. But please, don't worry. Even though I'll feature some healthier food options (which I've done before, I might add) the heart and soul of this blog will forever come from butter, sugar and vanilla. Oh, and some beauty tips thrown in.

These healthy snacks have saved me from eating one too many of Ruby's 'Nilla Wafers (and I don't even really like them...what's that all about?!). I have also eaten these snacks for breakfast, because they're full of nutrients that give me the energy to keep me going.

 Cinnamon Ricotta with honey, almonds and fresh fruit:

The addition of drizzled honey brings out the natural sweetness of the Ricotta, making the berries and almonds a perfect compliment. And since cinnamon is a natural appetite suppressor, this dish leaves you feeling full and satisfied.

Cinnamon Ricotta with honey, almonds and fresh fruit

1 Cup skim Ricotta cheese

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbs. almonds

½ Cup berries

2 Tbs. honey

-Place ricotta in a bowl, and top with cinnamon, almonds and berries. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!

Open-faced p.b. and fresh "j":

This is a fresh, lighter version of the typical pb & j. There is so much sugar in jelly, and you don't really need the extra bread. Getting your whole-grains, protein and a serving of fruit will stave off any hunger pains for hours. Since this recipe is basic, it doesn't really require a recipe.

Here's what I do: toast 1 whole-wheat piece of bread then spread about 2 Tbs. of peanut butter (I prefer the chunky kind). Top the peanut butter with your favorite fruit- I love sliced strawberries or raspberries.

Ground Chia Seed Vanilla Pudding: 

I know there are so many varieties of Chia puddings and while this is my favorite version yet, I'm still not obsessed with it. There's a silky, slippery texture that can only be masked with lots of crunchy things, like walnuts and roasted coconut chips. That's also the reason I ground my chia seeds; leaving them whole in the pudding is like eating roe on top of sushi... all that popping in my mouth just kinda freaks me out. It's worth a try though: Chia seeds are so good for you and it'll keep you going and going.

warm mornings

I've said it before, I like to start the day off eating right, even if I'm ending it with a molten lava cake. This is my way of creating balance. This is my way of justifying a cookie. This is my way of getting some much needed nutrients. This is my way of a warm, healthy breakfast on a cold morning. It's pretty tasty having it my way.

Normally I'm not crazy about baked apple pies/desserts/oatmeal, but I thought if I shredded the apple it would just meld into the oatmeal. The additional crunch of the almonds also took away from the baked apple texture that I dislike, making this delicious and more like a treat. It doesn't feel healthy it just tastes amazing, especially with the cinnamon yogurt sauce.

I love baking this on the weekend and then reheating any leftovers throughout the week. I can't tell you how gratifying it is to have a warm, filling breakfast on a winter day... and then repeat it all over again the next day! Who needs cereal?

no double trouble here

I realize my blogging has been sporadic lately and when I re-vamped this blog (almost a year ago!) I was determined to keep the content at a 50/50 ratio between beauty and baking. Lately, I've been feeling a little tapped out in the beauty department. I genuinely don't want to recycle information that you can find from every other magazine or blogger, so I'm only going to post on beauty when I'm really passionate about a product or topic (or if anyone has a particular beauty question that needs answering). 

So I guess I'm saying that the blog will be a little more baking heavy and not so evenly balanced with beauty, as it used to be. With that said...

I have a toddler who is obsessed with muffins. She wants them everyday, all day. And I cannot go to the grocery store without her demanding a muffin to occupy her time in the shopping cart (the tough life of a toddler).

spread it out

I've been wanting to make this jam for a long time now, and I knew I'd wait until I could pick my own berries so that it would be the freshest, tastiest jam possible. Most freezer jam recipes (or any jam recipe for that matter) is loaded with a ton of sugar. Now I know that I do a lot of baking with sugar here, but I do try to start my day off right when I can....

The wonderful thing about this jam? It's actually really healthy. It just happens to be sugar-free, but it's not replaced with some sweetener, just good ol' honey. It's also vegan friendly (no pectin) and full of nutrient-packed chia seeds. Remember when I used Chia seeds as an egg replacer? Well they're the thickener in this jam too! 

Chunky Monkey Muffins

Chunky Monkey Muffins: healthier banana walnut chocolate chips muffins

Ok I know, another post about muffins but they're are so portable and easy to make (and eat) that I can’t help myself. Also, I was inspired. A co-worker of mine had a store-bought muffin that was banana walnut with a chocolate drizzle on top and I thought, “I can make that!”  So here it is, just healthified slightly.

There's avocado (as the butter/oil sub), some whole-wheat flour, banana's and walnuts (for some crunch and those wonderful omega's) to keep these muffins on the yummy, healthy side. Although the chocolate chips aren't necessary they do taste wonderful in here... but that's also how I feel about any chocolate added to a recipe.

this avocado green color isn't as noticeable once they're baked 

(recipe after the jump)

The Triple Threat: Brands that are natural and offer skincare & cosmetics

I can't tell you how many news "anchors" have thrown around the phrase, "New Year, New You" (gag) when segueing to a topic focused on health. But since January is a time to focus on re-booting your body I thought it might be nice to look at some brands that will help you keep it clean (inside and out). There are plenty of brands on the market that are just skincare or just cosmetics... but to do both (and do it well) while also using natural, good-for-you ingredients... well it's a tall order. Here are four brands that fit the bill:


1. Tarte

You may remember that I already wrote about the Tarte Maracuja oil before and I'm still a big fan. Tarte originally started out as a cosmetics brand that labeled themselves as "healthy couture" but in the past couple of years they've branched out into skincare as well. Not only do they have the oil, they have a great mask, eye cream and self-tanner for the body (most of the products are either infused with an Amazonian Clay or the Maracuja oil). The skincare side isn't that large yet, but I've been impressed with what they have to offer and I wouldn't be surprised if they continue to expand it. You can find Tarte at Sephora and QVC.



2. Dr. Hauschka

Similar to Tarte, Dr. Hauschka was originally just a skincare brand but now they offer beautiful cosmetics. Practically every product is infused with a good-for-you essential oil. Dr. Hauschka's brand is really extensive and while you can find a good selection at Whole Foods, many local spa's and salon's offer treatments and makeup applications with the products- what a treat!



3. Juice Beauty

Yes, Juice Beauty uses juice in their products (not water) making their products super concentrated and effective. They're famous for their Green Apple Peel, but now they've got some great cosmetics too (their tinted lip balms are some of my personal faves). Ulta and Whole Foods both carry Juice Beauty products.


4. Josie Maran

Sephora and QVC both carry this supermodel's super brand. Yes, Josie Maran is a model turned skincare-enthusiast/business woman. She discovered Argan oil while traveling for a shoot and loved all of its healing and emollient properties- and she's managed to permeate her products with the amazing ingredient. Her line is still small but definitely growing (don't you just love the rose gold packaging?).


**Have you tried any of these products? Any other natural brands (that have skincare and cosmetics) out there that you'd recommend?

Healthy Swaps

I've been using some healthier substitutions in my baking and here are some infograph's that make it easy to figure out when and where a sub is possible: 

~This infograph focuses mainly on flour substitutions- great for low-carb and gluten-free needs.

via

~Looking for low-fat options? How about an infograph for oil and butter replacements? I love that this also give descriptions as to what kind of texture and taste you can expect from each ingredient- I use this one the most.

via

~Even though this infographic is specifically Chobani, any brand Greek yogurt should work as long as it's plain and unflavored (regular yogurt may work but is runnier than Greek yogurt, so keep that in mind and maybe add more flour if the mixture is too runny). 

via

** I've had some successes and failures with substituting ingredients- It's just a trial and error. Just last week I subbed so many ingredients in a brownie recipe that it turned into a "cakenie" (yes, another weirdo word I made up) which became a hybrid of a cake/brownie... it's not that the texture was bad, it was the taste.... it was not good. Going forward, when I'm experimenting with subbing ingredients, I'm only going to try and change just one or two of the ingredients in a recipe- who knows, you may not be able to tell a difference and it'll probably be healthier for you. Have you had any luck with subbing an ingredient? If so, I'd love to hear the good, the bad and the ugly.

Healthy Blueberry muffins

If you're trying to healthify (yes I think I made up that word) your food repertoire then this is a great recipe to try. There's a mixture of whole-wheat and all-purpose flour so it's a nice blend of healthy lightness. I also incorporated the chia egg substitute and was happy with the result.

And since they were healthy I didn't feel an ounce of guilt for eating 3 fresh from the oven. I've been keeping the leftovers in the fridge and zapping one if the microwave for 8 seconds (cooking times are an exact science for microwaves and once you know how hot things get in yours, you'll understand why 8 seconds is perfect for mine).

Cranberries would make a fantastic substitution for blueberries, if that was your preference. These are a moist, delicate muffin with berries bursting in every bite and they're sweet without being mistaken for a dessert.

(recipe to follow)

Egg Substitution

~We talked about the benefits of Chia seeds already, so you can see why they'd be a great alternative for not only vegans, but if you're trying to be healthier (or if you have an allergy). I've only seen them used in baked goods like pancakes, breads and cakes but would love to try other uses for this. If you are going to use Chia seeds as a replacer, here's how:

1. & 2. Grind the seeds either into a fine meal, in either a blender or spice grinder (if you want to do a larger batch in the blender, just freeze any leftovers in an air-tight container since they're perishable).

3. & 4. Add the 1 Tbs. ground chia seeds and 3 Tbs. of water to a small bowl, mix with a whisk and let sit for 5-10 minutes- the mixture should resemble a runny, raw egg (if you use warm water it will speed up the process). This mixture should replace one raw egg in a recipe.

*Want to see this in action? Tomorrow I have a recipe that includes the egg substitution... see you then! 

Almond Joy's got nuts...

Ok, for all the label-lovers here they are: all-natural, preservative-free, heart-healthy, energy boosting, low-fat, blah, blah, blah. Honestly, it's more important that food tastes amazing before I consider the labels (I know I’m not alone in this, hence the reason people eat French fries) but these are really good even if they are good for you.

                            

It may sound decadent having a granola bar named after a candy bar; instead, these are all those same flavors you love (chocolate, almonds, coconut) just put in a healthier vehicle. These make for a perfect snack or even better crumbled into yogurt. Enjoy! (recipe after the jump)

Healthy Pantry Staples

Did you know I can eat healthy sometimes? Since it's January, and everyone's trying to work off the Holiday sweets (sorry if I had something to do with that), I've decided to offer up some low-cal, low-sugar, low-fat, Paleo, Raw, Gluten Free, Organic, heart healthy, preservative free, clean eating (put whatever label you want on the) recipes.

Here are some ingredients that have made me feel like I'm doing something good for my body and what I'll be using for future recipes (p.s. you should be able to get all these at your regular grocery store instead of needing to go to a specialty food store):

Flaxseed (ground)- filled with Omega-3, fiber and lignan's that are great for your heart and help with energy. I add this to muffins, smoothies, granola bars... I probably don't add it to enough stuff but that's a decent start.

Chia Seeds- are packed with protein, blood sugar stabilizers, calcium, fiber and Omega-3... and it's tasteless! It can be put in smoothies, baked goods and can even be used as an egg substitute (more on that later).

Honey- sugar substitute (I put this in my morning tea and drizzle it over a whole-grain bagel spread with all-natural peanut butter).

Agave Nectar- another great sugar substitute and can be interchanged with honey. It's very sweet so if you're using this as a sugar substitute, use a smaller amount. As a side note- it does have a different flavor. The darker colored Agave's have more flavor so if you're a newbie to Agave, try getting a lighter one.

Old-fashioned Oats- they're less processed than ground so more nutrients are preserved. Contains fiber, a lower glycemic index, and makes you feel full longer.

*Now don't get nervous- I'm still crazy about butter and sugar and flour and chocolate.... I'll still include those decadent, delicious recipes, but just for this month I'm making an effort to see what I can do with some healthier substitutions. I guess it's all about moderation, right? Tomorrow I'll kick the month off with a candy-inspired granola bar- see you then!