Banana nut oat muffins (made in the blender)

So excited for how these came out! I honestly just threw ingredients in the blender (without measuring much) and they tasted great! These are my first muffins made in the blender, and I loved using the blender instead of hand mixing because the batter came out so smooth and evenly mixed! They are packed with protein from the oats, walnuts and chia seeds. Chia seeds are a great source of omega 3's among many other great health benefits. Since I was low on ingredients, I made a very small batch of only 4 cute lil muffins. I prefer to eat my food as fresh as possible, so I almost prefer this! These are easy and fast to make. These muffins are loaded with fiber, so they will keep you full. They make a great breakfast or snack to take with you on the go! 

I have been reading a lot about egg replacements, since eggs don't make me feel great. Chia seeds and banana are actually two great substitutes, so these have normal muffin consistency without the egg which is awesome. 

You can add more sugar if you'd like depending on preference, but bananas already have a high sugar content.

Recipe:

-1 cup of oat flour

-1 large ripe banana 

-1/4 cup of earth balance (or coconut oil) 

-1/8 cup of brown sugar 

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 2 teaspoons chia seeds

-pinch of baking soda

-pinch of cinnamon 

-1/2 cup of chopped walnuts 

(Makes 4 muffins) 

I first blended oats in my vitamix (nutribullet / food processor works just as well!) until they were finely ground. I then added the banana, which I cut up into pieces to blend easier. I microwaved the earth balance to make it easier to add in, and kept adding the ingredients while the blender kept going! After everything was blended, I poured the mixture into a bowl and added the chopped walnuts (I wanted them whole instead of blended in, but if you prefer mixing them in go for it). Bake at 350 for 25 mins or until golden brown on the top. Enjoy! 

peanut butter rice crispy treats

I have recently tried Justin's amazing honey peanut butter, and I was inspired when I saw on their recipes they had an almond butter rice crispy treats. I personally prefer peanut butter, and I experimented and came up with my own recipe. I love how Justin's incorporates coconut oil into the recipe, because it is so good for you! Its a great alternative to butter or margarine when baking. Adding peanut butter to rice crispy treats also adds protein. It's hard to find marshmallows that are all natural, even some of whole food's brands have corn syrup. The original recipe calls for more nut butter and coconut oil, however I feel as though the taste is too overpowering and takes away from the light flavor of the treat. If you LOVE peanut butter, add double the amount! These treats are dairy and gluten free, so great for people with allergies!

Recipe:

-1/4 cup of Justin's honey peanut butter

-1 tablespoon of organic extra virgin coconut oil 

-5 cups of mini marshmallows (preferably natural ones!)

-5 cups of crispy rice cereal (preferably non-gmo!)

-dark chocolate chips 

Microwave the peanut butter, marshmallows, and coconut oil together for about 2 minutes, until it is all melted together and stir until smooth. Add the rice crispy cereal cup by cup into the marshmallow mixture and stir until mixed throughout. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Microwave desired amount of chocolate to drizzle on top.

Cool the treats, cut them into desired size pieces, and enjoy! Store them in an airtight container at room temp :)  

 

Exercising Outdoors

I just got back from a west coast road trip where I visited different parts of Arizona and California.  Hiking is a great form of exercise, especially when you are climbing up mountains and sweating. I love hiking as a form of exercise because it feels so refreshing to be in nature, and reaching the top of the mountain is such a exhilarating feeling. I was so sore after all my hikes recently, but I was sore in different parts of my body that I don't usually work out at the gym. Being connected to nature is very important for being a healthy individual! 

Below are some pictures of my recent trip and hikes:

Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb PIe

June is a time in New England when strawberries are at their best and rhubarb too. I was inspired with the summer weather to make a pie. I topped off the pie with all natural TruWhip, which tastes like Cool Whip without hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and it is GMO-free! I bought the TruWhip at whole foods as well as the gluten free pie crusts. I added only 3/4 cup of sugar to enjoy the natural sugar of the strawberries and chose TruWhip because it is low fat and has no cream or heavy dairy!

Recipe:

-one 16oz package of organic strawberries 

-2 cups of chopped rhubarb

-half of a lemon juiced

-3/4-1 1/2 cup of organic sugar (depending on sweet preference)

-3 tablespoons of cornstarch

-sprinkle of cinnamon 

-2 gluten free pie crusts 

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour into one of the pie crusts. With the other pie crust, cut strips to set across the top of the pie. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and then 25 minutes at 350 degrees, or until golden and the fruit has softened. 

Enjoy!! :)

Balsamic & Garlic roasted baby carrots

I had a bag of baby carrots in my fridge and I wanted to do something different. I love roasted vegetables and I just bought a delicious balsamic vinegar so I decided to experiment. Carrots are high in vitamin A and boosts the immune system.

Recipe:

-1 bag of baby carrots 

-2 tablespoon of olive oil

-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar 

-2 cloves of garlic chopped

-fresh dill

-salt and pepper to taste 

Mix carrots with everything and bake at 400 degrees for 20ish minutes or until soft. Enjoy!

Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette

I can never find a salad dressing I love, and lots of them have so many added ingredients and are not good for you (lots of fat, hydrogenated/ unhealthy oils, chemicals, and added ingredients) I was expirimenting in the kitchen when I came up with a delicious vinaigrette. The recipe is so simple, but so flavorful!

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar 

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard 

Salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth! This recipe serves one big salad!  

Vegetable Lo Mein

Chinese food is something that lots of people love and crave, but most has so many added ingredients and msg. The recipe I made was very easy and great if you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen prepping food but want that Chinese food flavor. I bought a bottle of Wegmans  Organic Sesame garlic sauce that has a lot of ingredients lo mein sauce has to save time(and without bad ingredients!) Wegmans has a lot of healthy prepared food or veggies ready to go if you don't have a lot of time in the kitchen or want a quick meal!

Recipe:

• 1 package of Thai kitchen stir fry rice noodles 
• 1 package of prepared stir fry veggies (mine had carrots, snap peas, shiitake mushrooms,red pepper, and scallions) 
• 1 clove of garlic chopped 
• 1/2 tbs of chopped fresh ginger 
• 3 tablespoons of gluten free soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of wegmans sesame garlic sauce (add more as desired) 
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

In a large pan, add olive oil, ginger, garlic, and veggies. Sauté until the veggies soften a bit but are still vibrant in color. When you over cook vegetables they loose their nutrients! Follow instructions on Thai kitchen stir fry noodles, and mix the noodles in with the veggies and add sauce and soy sauce. Enjoy!!!

Ps- if you have more time, feel free to buy your own veggies and prep them! Buying already washed veggies just saves time!