Drink

I found myself with a few too many ripe avocadoes yesterday so I headed to my pinterest boards for inspiration on how to use up them up. In the midwest, avocadoes are not cheap, so I was not about to throw these gems out. I wanted something sweet and I thought since Valentine’s is right around the corner, so why not something decadant and chocolatey? I didn’t want something loaded with sugar either, so I was on the hunt for a monk-fruit sweetened brownie recipe.

I found this recipe for the brownies and it did not disappoint! Simple ingredients I already had in my pantry and all I needed was a blender to mix the batter. Measure, dump, blend, bake. That’s my kind of recipe. So simple! (Follow Sweet As Honey for other great recipes!)

How to make these brownies:

I added all ingredients to my Vitamix and pureed for about 30 seconds until a thick batter formed. Scoop out into a pan and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. I skipped the chocolate glaze step of Sweet as Honey’s recipe and added sea salt instead right before baking. They turned out wonderfully.

Storage and Pairings:

Store in the fridge for about a week or the freezer for a few months. Let thaw for about 20 minutes if enjoying from frozen. They are even tastier topped with a scoop of ice cream, “nice” cream, or paired with a good coffee.

Fudgy Avocado Brownies

A healthy twist on a decadent chocolatey treat.

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Prep Time 7 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 9

Equipment

• blender or food processor
• spatula
• measuring cups/spoons
• sharp knife
• cutting board

Ingredients

  

• 2 ripe avocadoes
• ½ cup monkfruit/erythritol blend
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup almond flour
• ½ cup cocao powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• flaked sea salt for garnish optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9in square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients minus the flaked sea salt and blend until a thick batter forms.
• read evenly into the baking pan and sprinkle on the sea salt. Bake for 25-30 mins until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let cool slightly before slicing. Store in an airtight container in the refridgerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer for a few months.

Keyword almond flour, avocado, brownies, chocolate, freezer friendly, gluten free, grain free, keto, low carb, monk-fruit

I’ve been on the hunt the past few months for the perfect peanut butter protein bite recipe. I hadn’t found “the one” after many tries, so I decided I would create my own based off a few recipes that were close to what I was looking for. Every recipe either had a few too many oats, which I was trying to avoid to keep it lower in carbs this time around, or it had gobs of sweetener added. Defeats the purpose of a healthy snack bite in my opinon.

So, here it is. Super simple and quick to whip up. Peanut butter, almond flour, coconut flour, vanilla, collagen powder, chocolate chips, and dash a maple syrup. Mix it all together, roll into balls, pop in the freezer for 10 minutes, and devour these tasty little gems.

I could spend another five paragraphs telling you all about protein bites, swaps you could use, or what I did last summer, but I honestly too tired for that and would much rather you just go make these delicious bites and trust me when I say no. swaps. needed.

That’s it friends. Whip up a batch and let me know what you think!

Soft & Chewy PB Chocolate Chip Protein Bites

A super simple and quick snack recipe perfect for the whole fam.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Course Snacks

Cuisine American, Keto friendly, Paleo

Servings 5 2-bite servings

Equipment

• mixing bowl
• measuring cups/spoons
• 1in cookie scoop

Ingredients

  

• ½ cup natural peanut butter Peanuts and salt only variety
• 2 scoops Vital Proteins unflavored collagen powder or your a scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder
• 2 tbsp almond flour
• 1 tsp coconut flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Knead like bread to fully incorporate if needed.
• Scoop out into bite-size balls and freeze for 5-10 minutes until firm.
• Store in the freezer or refridgerator for later use!

Keyword Collagen powder, low-sugar, no refined sugar, Peanut butter, protein bites, Snacks

Do you need a quick way to pack in the veggies in the morning? Try this smoothie! Green smoothies sometimes get a bad rap because they can taste too “earthy” but let me tell you, this recipe is far from that. It’s thick, creamy, slightly sweet, and loaded with all the greens you need to start your day off right. This a favorite breakfast of mine because it feels so good to nourish my body with veggies especially after holidays, indulgent weekends, or really any other time I feel like I need a little nutritious kick in the pants. Don’t get me wrong, enjoying life with family and friends is SO important and having pizza, beer, and a cookie or two on occasion won’t destroy your health. However when Monday rolls around and you’re feeling a little more sluggish than usual, I encourage you to start your day off with something highly nutritious to get yourself back feeling your best.

The Smoothie Formula I follow everyday

After reading Kelly Leveque’s book, Body Love, I have fallen in love with her health and wellness wisdom. Her nutrition tips are easy to implement and super customizable. She recommends every meal contain the Fab Four: protein, fat, fiber, and greens to ensure your body is getting what it needs to function optimally and support an elongated blood sugar curve. This will limit blood sugar spikes throughout the day which can leave you with certain cravings, feeling tired, and reaching for the cookies and chips which can ultimately lead to weight gain and other heath issues. Using her “Fab Four” method in my morning smoothies gives me the perfect start to the day every day.

Choosing a Clean Protein

I like to use almond or coconut milk most often as my liquid base in smoothies but water or coconut water also work well. Next, I add a good clean, high quality protein powder. My favorites are Standard Process SP Complete, (contact your nearest holistic health provider for more information on this one), Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (Costco has a great deal on these!), or any of the Primal Kitchen varieties. (Use JOYFULLY FED at their website checkout for a discount!) You can also find it online at Thrive Market or at your nearest health food store. Many protein powders are chemically processed making them more detramental to your health than you might realize. Check out the Clean Label Project to learn more about finding the best options out there.

Adding Fat & Fiber

For healthy fats, I LOVE avocado in smoothies, hemp seeds, nut butters, and extra-virgin olive oil. MCT oil and hemp seeds are a good option if that works for you too. For the fiber boost, avocado, chia seeds, flax seeds, or additional vegetables do the job.

Greens & Fruits

For greens, I love to use spinach because it purees so well, but kale, collard, romaine, whatever you have or prefer will work. In this recipe, I add cucumbers and celery for extra flavor, fiber, and hydration. Other add-ins you could try if you aren’t a cucumber fan or celery lover is frozen cauliflower or zucchini. Both are flavorless in a smoothie, but have this magic effect of thickening smoothies making them feel so decadant. I add a small amount of fresh or frozen fruit to my smoothies to sweeten it up without spiking my blood sugar. If my smoothie recipe calls for fruit, I try to stick 1/3 of banana, half a green apple or 1/4 cup berries to keep the sugars lower without compromising flavor, but please use however much your body needs and loves.

That’s that! Add all ingredients to a high powered blender and enjoy!

Green Smoothie (3 Variations!)

Loaded with healthy fats, fiber, and all the greens. This smoothie is filling, lightly sweetened, and so so good for you!

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Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Total Time 3 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Equipment

• blender
• measuring cups/spoons
• cutting board
• Knife

Ingredients

  

Base ingredients

• 1½ cups almond milk
• 2 handfuls spinach or kale
• ¼ avocado
• 1 serving vanilla protein powder of choice
• 1/2 cup cucumber, sliced or 1 mini cuke
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• superfood powder optional

Super Green

• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• ⅓-½ banana

Green Machine

• ½ Green apple
• handful cilantro stems and leaves!

Green Ginger Mint

• 1 tbsp fresh chopped ginger
• handful mint leaves
• juice from half a lemon or lime optional

Instructions

 

• Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Keyword almond milk, avocado, banana, celery, chia seeds, cucumber, ginger, green apple, hemp seeds, lemon, lime, mint, spinach, vanilla protein powder

I am always on the hunt for new ways to be more self-sufficient and eco-friendly in my life. Whether is DIY recipes for cleaning products or making my own versions of store-bought ingredients for recipes so I can avoid all the plastic packaging as much possible. Nut milk is something I consume everyday so I decided it was time to stop buying it by the case at costco and make my own. It’s hard to find plant-based milks without a bunch of gums to maintain the smooth texture over an extended period of time. Although gums aren’t the worst thing for you, being that I use almond milk everyday in my morning smoothies, I wanted something pure and clean I felt confident putting in my body. As I was reading Body Love Everyday by Kelly Leveque, I came across this recipe. Yes, it requires a little more time than simply unscrewing a cap and pouring, but it tastes so much better without the gums and mysterious additives that can sometimes lurk in our foods today. With a few simple ingredients and tools you’ll have your own plant-based milk supply!

How to Make Almond Milk

The first step of this recipe is to soak the almonds in water overnight. This is a crucial step in order to get smooth, creamy almond milk. If you are short on time, you can do a quick soak in boiling water for 15-20 minutes. I’ve done it both ways with great results. After the almonds have soaked, simply drain and add to a high speed blender with clean water and blend until their are no visible specks of almonds.

Next, strain the water and almond mixture through a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or a clean dish towel (the flour sack kind). Be sure to squeeze as much liquid out as possible. I like do a cup of the mixture at a time to be sure I can squeeze it well. Between each squeeze, discard the leftover almond pulp into a seperate bowl. It should be a moist sand-like texture. Once you’ve strained the whole batch, pour into a glass jar or other glass container with a tight fitting lid. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Now with that bowl of almond pulp, you can either throw it in the trash, or make some great recipes with it. I don’t know about you, but nuts aren’t cheap. I couldn’t get myself to throw away perfectly good ground almonds, so I made some tasty snacks out of it. Try making Cocao Bliss Bites or these Grain-Free Crackers with your leftover almond pulp. I love when I can avoid food waste!

Can I Use A Different Nut?

Absolutely! This recipe is so versatile and easy to adapt to your preferance. You can use cashews or walnuts with the same result. You can even use hemp seeds! If you prefer more sweetness, you can add a softened, pitted date or two, and/or a teaspoon of vanilla when blending. I found it to be great without sweetener. You could even add cocao powder for a chocolate varation.

Storage

Because this is a pure nut milk, it will not have the same shelf-life as storebought milks. It is best kept in the fridge and consumed within 3 days. One batch make about 4 cups. Add to smoothies, hot or cold drinks, pour over cereal, or in place of dairy milk in any recipe.

Homemade Almond Milk

A delicious, clean way to create your own plant-based milks

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Prep Time 10 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Equipment

• large bowl
• food processor or high-speed blender
• cheesecloth, nut milk bag, or clean dishcloth
• glass jar

Ingredients

  

Overnight or Quick Soak

• 1 cup raw, natural lmonds
• 4 cups filtered water

Nut Milk (The Next Morning)

• the soaked almonds, drained
• 4 cups clean filtered water
• 1-2 dates optional
• 1-2 tsp vanilla optional

Instructions

 

• Soak the almonds in 4 cups of filtered water in a large bowl. Cover and leave on the counter overnight.
• In the morning, drain the almonds and dump into the food processor. Add 4 cups clean water and blend on high until there are no visible specks of almonds.
• 1 or 2 cups at at time, strain through a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or a clean dishcloth into a clean quart jar. Squeeze as much liquid out as possible.
• Discard the leftover almond pulp into a clean bowl. Repeat the straining step until all the milk has been strained. Store in the fridge with an airtight lid for up to 3 days.
• Enjoy in smoothies, cereals, drinks, you name it. Don't forget to check out ways to use up the leftover almond pulp!

Keyword 2 ingredients, almond milk, almonds, keto, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, water, whole30

I love smoothies for breakfast, a travel snack, or even a night time treat. I’ve been experimenting with all kinds of flavors, but everyone needs a quick basic for those on-the-go mornings. This one is from Kelly Leveque, my health and wellness soul sister.

According to Kelly, every meal should consist of the “Fab Four.” Protein, fat, fiber, greens. These four nutrients provide the body with nourishing and blood sugar balancing ingredients the body needs to stay full until the next meal.

For fat, I used avocado (also a fiber source!) For fiber, I used chia seeds. For greens-spinach, and my favorite vanilla protein powder for protein. Grass-fed whey works better for my body, but plant-based protein works well too. If you don’t like vanilla, try chocolate. It’ll produce a slightly different flavor, but still great! I’d recommend a nut butter in place of the avocado for the chocolate version.

This smoothie is creamy, naturally sweet, and so filling. No need for a mid–morning snack when you start your day with this nutrient dense option! Give it a try today and let me know how much you love it.

Stay tuned for more smoothie recipes!

Fab Four Green Smoothie

Delicous and filling. A perfect start to your morning!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Servings 1

Ingredients

  

• 1-2 handfuls spinach
• 1/4 avocado 1-2 tbsp almond butter work well too.
• 1-2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1½-2 cups almond milk
• 1 serving vanilla protein powder aim for 20-30 grams of protein
• hemp seeds for garnish

Instructions

 

• Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
• Garnish with extra chia seeds, coconut flakes, or hemp hearts if desired.

Keyword almond milk, avocado, chia seeds, protein powder, spinach