Energy bites are a favorite snack in my household. I've even turned my immediate family on the east coast onto energy bites, because I'm always whipping them up when I visit as a healthy snack to have around. And as a big fan of keeping things interesting in the kitchen and in life in general, I'm always coming up with new energy bite combinations. Today I've got a new one to share: chocolate cake batter chia energy bites! Made with oats, plant-based protein powder and chia seeds, these vegan, gluten free bites pack a nutritious punch. They get their cake batter flavor thanks to the combo of cashew butter, cinnamon, vanilla and cocoa, and are sweetened with dates and maple syrup. They're the perfect little bite to hold you over until a meal or give you some quick ... [Read More]
chia seeds
Blueberry Chia Oatmeal Bars [vegan, gf]
Last year when I shared a recipe for cinnamon baked apple & peanut butter oatmeal, I proclaimed that it'd probably be the only hot oatmeal recipe that I ever post since I'm not a huge oatmeal bowl fan. However, what I've realized is that I love to use oats all the time in recipes. I love what a great source of fiber oats are, which definitely keeps my belly fuller for longer. When people come to me and ask how they can add more fiber into their diets, guess what one of the foods is that I always tell them to eat more of? OATS! They're a staple in my kitchen, and there have been countless recipes incorporating use of them on the blog - including PB & J oatmeal crumble bars, oatmeal walnut hemp energy bites and dark chocolate peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies, to name a few. And ... [Read More]
Creamy Raspberry Chia Smoothie
While every man, woman, and child is talking about making soup and eating pumpkin everything (both of which I love, might I add), it is feeling steamy here in California. The past several days it has been 90 degrees with a strong, shining sun above - which is hot for San Diego County and the weather-spoiled residents of this area! I definitely will be happy to see 65-75 degree days come back, especially since my house has no air conditioning and it has felt toasty at home. Until that time comes, my smoothie habit is in overdrive, and I'm going to just keep sharing the new recipes I've come up with for refreshing liquid meals. Sound good to you? ... [Read More]
Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie [Vegan]
My hubby and I have a very serious, ongoing debate in our household. You see, we're both grown ups that like eating PB & J sandwiches -- though I make mine a banana, PB & J sandwich because it seems more adult to add a fruit into the mix -- but he only likes grape jelly. I, on the other hand, think grape jelly is gross and prefer strawberry or raspberry jelly. PB & J sandwiches happen to be our go-to thing to pack if we're on the road, going to the beach or anything like that, so it has come up many times and usually starts something like this: Me: "Babe, we're out of grape jelly. Should I just put strawberry on your sandwiches?" Him: "Nah, I don't like strawberry jelly." Me: "Stop the madness...How do you not like strawberry jelly??" When my hubby's ... [Read More]
Peach Chia Smoothie
Last Saturday morning, I found myself staring at a ripe peach trying to think of what to do with it. While I did have time to whip up a fancy weekend breakfast, a waffle or pancake creation didn't seem appealing to me at the moment. I realized that what I was in the mood for was a smoothie. I peered into my fridge and cabinet and pulled out some ingredients that I thought would work well together... ...and this is what wound up being my breakfast: Including chia seeds added a bit of a crunch to my peach smoothie, which I was a fan of. Chia seeds upped the nutritional value of the smoothie, as they are a nice source of omega-3 fatty acid, fiber and antioxidants. Next time I'm going to try adding protein powder to this combo, but this recipe makes a nice refreshing smoothie as is. Peach ... [Read More]
Pomegranate Superfood Smoothie
Recently I blogged about eating my first pomegranate. Right now the fruit is in season and I've been seeing them everywhere, so I nabbed a few more to play around with in different ways - this time, in a smoothie: Between the pomegranate, chia seeds, and yogurt, this smoothie really packs a nutritional punch. The health benefits of chia seeds include fiber (11 g per ounce!), omega fatty acids (it's one of the top concentrated sources of it) , calcium (anywhere from 3-6x more calcium than milk per serving!) and antioxidants. This ancient superfood is also one of nature’s highest plant-based sources of complete protein. As I mentioned last week, pomegranates are full of antioxidants and rich in nutrients, especially Vitamin C, B5 and Potassium. Eating pomegranates regularly can ... [Read More]