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]
vegan snacks
Cherry Pistachio Energy Balls [vegan, gf]
Hi friends! Today we're talking about nuts and balls! ;-) Everyone has their go-to favorite foods that they're constantly eating, and for me, one of those categories is nuts + nut butters. I usually eat a serving of one on the daily. Healthy fats like nuts keep my belly happy & satisfied. Almond butter and peanut butter are my all-time favorites, and I was pretty into cashews & cashew butter for awhile there. Somehow I tend to forget that I like pistachios too. Recently I was about to whip up a batch of energy balls, and instead of using my go-to nuts of choice, I decided to switch it up and break open a bag of pistachios. ... [Read More]
Currently Loving: My Top 5 Travel Snacks
Happy Friday! What are your plans for the official first weekend of summer? In thinking about my summer season, the next month or so is going to hopefully include lots of local SoCal fun, and then the month after that will involves lots of travel and time away from home. When I'm on-the-go traveling, especially if there are long car rides and/or long flights involved, one of the things I make sure to do is bring healthy snacks. I just don't think you can ever go wrong with bringing healthy food with you. It usually comes in handy at the times I prep for it - like at lunchtime on a plane - but I also find that it's great to have snacks on hand for random times when hunger strikes. For instance, if I'm going out to dinner later than I normally eat, a snack packed in my bag comes in ... [Read More]
Cherry Coconut Chocolate Chunk Hemp Granola [gf, vegan]
Happy Hump Day! How's your week going? I've gotten back into the swing of things in SoCal since getting back from vacation. While Mexico was a dream, it's not too shabby coming home when you love where you live, so I can't complain! My work week is a bit more exciting than usual because an East coast friend of mine is in town and will be staying with me for a few days. I love when friends from out of town visit! But I digress, onto food... Question of the day: Coconut - do you love it, hate it, or feel indifferent to it? I used to not like coconut at all, and then all of a sudden last year, I developed a thing for shredded coconut. While I still don't love most coconut flavored things, coconut shreds are now routinely sprinkled on top of my smoothie bowls - hence why I've shared two ... [Read More]
Apricot Almond Energy Bites [vegan, gf]
Hello, hello! I hope that you had a lovely weekend. Mine was pretty relaxing except for some power outage shenanigans. My hubby was away for the Marine Corps, and on Friday night my pup and I went for a long sunset walk along the beach. We came home to the power being out and I was unable to get into my house. Let's just say I had to get creative and borrow a neighbor's garbage can to hop onto and climb over my fence to get to a spot where I could let myself in. It was eventful! I was pretty proud of myself for being resourceful. :) Besides that little bit of craziness, it was a low-key weekend. My cousin visited from Long Beach and stayed with me. We took Harley for a little hike at a nearby park, and went out for Mediterranean food, wine and live music on Saturday night. It was ... [Read More]
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brown Rice Crispy Squares [vegan, gf]
Hi friends! Long time no talk. I'm home from my vacation - what an awesome time it was! - so I'm back to normal life at home in SoCal for a few weeks before my next trip (Vegas for work). I'll be recapping my wine country vacay soon on the blog, but today? Let's talk chocolate peanut butter treats! Since we were going to be in the car traveling a lot on vacation, I made sure to pack lots of snacks. I always pack some sort of snacks on trips, but between the long drive from the San Diego area up to San Francisco, then heading up to Sonoma, then driving around wine country vino tasting for a bunch of days, then lastly making the trip back home, I knew that snacks would be a necessity. And today's recipe made the cut to travel with us in my bag of goodies! I also just made another batch of ... [Read More]