Light Blueberry Delight

About a month ago, I started working on a healthy brownie makeover. With all the juicy fresh blueberries all around me, I kept getting distracted from all the "chocolate only" brownie ideas I had to more of a fruity brownie. As I continued to experiment, I came up with something much better than a healthy brownie. I came up with a Light Blueberry Delight.

These delightful treats have a smooth texture with a POP of blueberry and a hint of chocolate in every piece. They are not too sweet but just right. These beauties contain 3 different healthy fruits, egg whites, a bit of olive oil, and cocoa powder which gives us some antioxidants.

I'm so proud of this yummy dessert that
 I even took a picture with it! Hehe!

I have made these at least 8 times. I wanted to make sure they were perfect and am very pleased with them! I had the pleasure of making these with my niece one of those times. She was such a great helper and had so much fun. It makes it much more enjoyable when all ages can join in on the baking fun! Another fabulous thing about this recipe is that it only takes 13 minutes to cook and minimal time to prep. Fast, delicious, and healthy. What's not to love??

Banana pureeing champ 

Gotta love my freshly washed hair and my cute niece giving you all a kiss :)

Light Blueberry Delight
(Can be gluten free, dairy free, nut free, refined sugar free, soy free, Vegetarian)
Makes 16 squares

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup gluten free all-purpose flour (can also use all-purpose wheat based flour)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbs cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 2 packets of Stevia or sweetener of choice (4 grams; 4 tsp) 
• 1/4 cup egg whites or 2 egg whites from whole eggs
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium banana, pureed
• 1/3 cup fresh juicy blueberries

Directions

1. To make this recipe as easy as possible, puree your banana first. This dessert tastes best when the banana is smooth and not chunky.
2. Turn oven on at 350F degrees.
3. Place the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and sweetener in a large bowl. Mix together.
4. Place egg whites, applesauce, olive oil, and pureed banana in a medium bowl and mix well together.
5. Put wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. 
6. Throw in the blueberries and stir well but gently to get the blueberries equally spread into the batter. 
7. Grease or spray oil into an 8 x 8 baking pan. 
8. Empty batter into the baking pan and spread evenly covering the bottom of the pan. Make sure there are blueberries throughout the mixture so that each cut piece will have the juicy pop of berries when eaten.
9. Cook in oven for 13 minutes (Check at 10 minutes and again at 12. Depending on your stove you may not need the full 13 minutes or a little more, but every time I made these they needed exactly 13 minutes. When done these should be solid but not hard. You don't want these crunchy!)
10. Take out of oven to cool, cut when cool into 16 squares, and enjoy!
11. Can store in a container on the counter for 2 days in hot weather and 3 days in cool weather. Can also keep in fridge for 5-7 days. I have not tried to freeze these yet. They are always eaten before I get a chance! :)

Nutrition Facts:

(per bar)

Cals-63, Fat-3.8g, Carbs-7.5g, Fiber-1g, Sugar-1.5g, Pro-1.5g

Mini Sweet Potato Oat Muffins

Ever since I found out just how bad sugar is for us, I have made it my goal to remove refined sugar and even limit simple sugars as much as possible from my family's diet. It wasn't easy at first, but with a lot of practice and even several goof-ups I have learned a lot of ways to adapt foods into much healthier options. The good news is I still challenge myself to create a broader list of healthy recipes that we can enjoy, and then I can share with you!

When I first started changing the way I prepared food, in a sweet dish, I would substitute Splenda for the sugar. As I got more knowledgeable in the art of cooking and learned more about Splenda, I would only use Splenda for half the sugar and increase the amount of fruits or sweet vegetables already in the recipe to make it healthier but still taste great. Now that I've been cooking this way for years and looking to make our meals and snacks even healthier, I am aiming to stop using Splenda except on very rare occasions, only use small amounts of Stevia when necessary, and replace the sweet flavor with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, etc. THIS is not an easy task my friend. It sometimes takes me 3-5 attempts to perfect a recipe. I mean.. I'm not complaining because although these attempts are not PERFECT..they still taste good, and my son and I happily consume them (a little too much sometimes haha).

You can make these with extra cinnamon sprinkled on top.

We really love muffins in this house. My almost 3 year old even likes to help me make them! It's super fun for the whole family. They're also a great homemade snack with no preservatives, and I know what is in them! They're a great size for a quick on the run bite or for tiny hands to hold.

Recently I've been adapting most of my muffins with bananas, and to be honest I am getting tired of bananas. I decided it was time to experiment with another fruit or vegetable. I chose sweet potatoes. Even though the summer is not the harvesting season for sweet potatoes, I am just so glad they are available year round, and I can cook with them when I get the urge. I confess I am not so obsessed with health food that I try to do everything absolutely perfect. I see greatness in moderation and doing what we can the best we can. As far as I'm concerned, the super fabulous health benefits of sweet potatoes far outweigh eating them out of season. Did you know that cooked sweet potatoes are packed with Vitamins A, B6, C, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin; potassium; alpha- and beta-carotene antioxidants; and fiber? Whoa! Super food indeed! I also really love the addition of oat bran in these muffins. Oat bran is a great source of fiber and protein just like oatmeal! Let me know how your muffins turn out and what you think of them! Thanks for stopping by!

You can also leave the extra cinnamon off the top and still enjoy
the rich spices immersed in these babies.

If you really  like these muffins and are interested in trying out more fruit sweetemed muffins, check out these super quick and easy banana muffins here!


Mini Sweet Potato Oat Muffins
(Can be gluten free, dairy free, nut free, egg free, soy free, refined sugar free, Vegan, Vegetarian)
Makes 24 mini muffins or 12 regular size muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour (can also use all-purpose wheat flour)*
• 1/2 cup oat bran*
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (If you don't have this at home, increase the cinnamon to 1 1/2 tsp and leave this out.)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pureed/mashed sweet potatoes (Puree if there are still chunks left after baking.)**
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, and spices and set aside. 
2. In another bowl mix the vanilla, sweet potatoes, oil, and applesauce. 
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well. 
4. This is when I usually turn my oven on to 325F degrees and spray my mini muffin pans with spray olive oil. Turning the oven on before this seems to just waste electricity and unnecessarily heat my house as my muffins cook perfectly well doing it this way.
5. Place muffin mixture in the sprayed pan cups (feel free to use paper baking cups if desired).
6. Bake for 10 minutes for mini muffins or 20-25 minutes for medium size muffins. 
7. The muffins will feel soft when you take them out of the oven but will harden perfectly once they have cooled. 
8. If you desire, now sprinkle a little more cinnamon on top of the muffins for added flavor and decoration.
9. Since these don't contain any preservatives and are all-natural and fresh, please consume within 2 days in hot weather or 3 days in cooler weather. They will also last 5-7 days stored in a closed container in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in a freezer bag in the freezer. You can eat them cold or heat them up in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to enjoy.

Notes:
*If you do not have any oat bran or do not like it, you can use 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour instead of the 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of bran. This will make the muffins a lot more cakey. If you do use the 1.5 cups of flour, increase spices to 2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or 3 tsp cinnamon.
**How to prepare sweet potatoes: 1) Place washed whole sweet potatoes on a greased baking dish, cover dish with tin foil, and cook for about 90 minutes at 350F degrees. The potatoes should be very soft to the touch. If not cook another 30 minutes. 2) After the potatoes have cooled quite a bit, removed skins and eat it or throw it away (I like to eat it since it's so nutritious). If you cook the sweet potatoes long enough they should be incredibly soft and already in a mashed state, but if there are some chunks left put the orange flesh into a food processor or blender and puree. If not using right away, store in a sealed container in the fridge for a couple days. This is a great way to prepare your sweet potatoes ahead of time and store to use for a recipes later on in the week!

Nutrition Facts: 
(for 2 mini muffins made with oat bran)
Cals-102, Fat-3.3g, Carbs-18g, Fiber-3g, Sugar-3g, Pro-2.5g

(for 2 mini muffins made w/o oat bran and only flour)
Cals-99, Fat-2.9g, Carbs-18g, Fiber-2.5g, Sugar-3.5g, Pro-2g

A Perfect Bite of Egg Whites

I am a huge fan of egg whites. On the other hand, my body only tolerates egg yolks when the whole egg is made into scrambled eggy goodness. For some reason, egg yolks upset my stomach so I try to avoid them when I can. Carton egg whites have been great for me since I don't have to worry about throwing out the part of the egg I don't use OR trying to figure out how to use 12 egg yolks (I've only done that once... that cake was probably the epitome of unhealthiness haha).

One of my favorite ways to eat eggs is boiled. The sad part is that once again I'm throwing away perfectly good, beautifully yellow egg yolks because I know that I will regret eating them later. This is why one day I decided to find a way to bake egg whites that have a similar consistency to boiled egg whites without having to waste the yolks or make a mess (or stab myself) with the shells. Hence, A Perfect Bite of Egg Whites was made!

These are so incredibly easy to make! At the end you also only have ONE dirty pan to clean. Isn't that FANTASTIC?? These perfect little bites are great to throw into a salad, eat with your breakfast for added protein, eat a few as a post workout snack, or to enjoy as an "I like egg whites" snack.

And if the sound of only ONE dirty pan makes you really happy, you can even make two recipes at once to reduce the amount of cooking time (extra unwanted heat in the summer) and one less pan to wash at the end of the day. As you can see in the picture above, I made this recipe and Healthy Melt in your Mouth Chocolatey Muffins in the SAME PAN. Genius right?? They take the same amount of time and the same temp to bake, so you can "kill two birds with one stone" (not that I'd ever kill a REAL bird ;)).


A Perfect Bite of Egg Whites
(Gluten free, dairy free, nut free, sugar free, no carb, Vegetarian)
Amount of servings depends on how many you make. 1 serving is 1 egg white bite.

Ingredients

• 100% Liquid Egg Whites or Egg Beaters (or you could use egg whites separated from whole raw eggs)
• Herbs of your preference (salt, pepper, italian seasoning, cayenne, ect.)
• Spray oil

Directions

1. Turn oven on at 325F degrees.
2. Spray each muffin cup with the spray cooking oil.
3. Pour 1/8 cup of liquid egg whites into each muffin cup.
4. Sprinkle the tops of each egg with herbs of your choice. Be careful not to sprinkle TOO much or the taste with be overbearing. 
5. Put pan into the oven and cook eggs for 10 minutes. 
6. Remove and let cool when done. 
7. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (It's so awesome how long these can stay stored in the fridge without going bad as well! Super perfect snack!)

Notes:

If you desire more flavor, feel free to pour your egg whites into a bowl, throw in some shredded dairy or dairy-free cheese and mix together. Then use a 1/8 cup measuring cup to pour the mixture into the pan cups. Sprinkle herbs on top and cook. 

Nutrition Facts: (per mini egg white bite without cheese)

Cals-17, Fat-0g, Carbs-0g, Fiber-0g, Sugar-0g, Pro-3.3g

Thai Peanut Chicken Stir-fry

This VERY simple and flavorful dish is one of my family's favorites! The way this recipe came to be a staple in our meal rotation is kind of funny. Do you remember when Walmart used to have recipe cards around the produce section that you could take home? I haven't seen those in a long time, but I used to enjoy checking them all out and picking up the ones that looked like a possibility for us (this was definitely pre-babies when I had lots of time to meander haha). One day I found a recipe for Thai Peanut Chicken Pizza. We love peanut butter in my family (like I haven't said that a million times already), so I was really excited to try this out! Once I got home I thought about it and realized I really shouldn't make pizza. Every time I eat pizza I get a huge blood sugar crash. I wanted stir-fry! Thus, the Thai Peanut Chicken Stir-fry was born! I added more vegetables and swapped rice (noodles or salad greens also work!) for the crust. Of course I also had to completely change up the way it was cooked. It was such a great idea, and I'm glad I ventured out and tried something new!

You probably already have all of these ingredients on hand. Nothing in this recipe is unusual or special. It's a whole food, healthy, quick, and delicious meal. Even though my 2.5 year old is not a huge meat fan, I can easily pour the peanut butter sauce on top of his rice or noodles and know he's getting his necessary carbs, protein, and fat. No need to cook anything special or separate. Everyone in your family will love this dish! If the men or growing teenagers in your family eat everything in sight, encourage them to add a salad on the side of this meal with tons of juicy colorful vegetables and some extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette on top. That sound fill them up. ;)

Thai Peanut Chicken Stir-fry
(Can be gluten free, dairy free, egg free, refined sugar free, low carb if made into a salad)
Serves 3 people

Ingredients

Meat:

• 3 boneless chicken breast, cubed (3 ozs each)
• 1 tsp olive oil*
• 3 tbs soy sauce
• 2 cups chopped bell peppers
• 1 cup chopped onions

Sauce:

• 2 tbs stevia, sugar, or choice of sweetener
• 2 tbs creamy natural peanut butter
• 3 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs garlic
• 2 tbs corn starch

Optional additions:

• Brown rice (do not use more than 1/2 cup cooked)**
• Noodles (whole wheat, somen, udon, rice) (do not use more than 1/2 cup cooked)**
• Salad greens (use as much as you want!)

Directions

1. In saucepan combine all the sauce ingredients. Cook on medium-high until thickened.
2. Remove sauce from stove and cover with lid to keep warm. 
3. Put the olive oil and chicken in another pan. Cook on medium-high until chicken is no longer pink. Stir occasionally until done. 
4. At the same time you begin the chicken, start the process to cook the rice or noodles. Let this cook while you wait on the chicken and vegetables to finish cooking. 
5. Add peppers, onions, and soy sauce into the pan with the chicken and cook until vegetable are tender. Stir occasionally until done. 
6. Combine the chicken, vegetables, and peanut sauce and stir together. 
7. Serve on top of salad greens, rice, or noodles. 

Notes:

*If chicken starts to stick to the pan, add a little bit of chicken broth or cooking spray to the pan and stir. Continue to add and stir it in until the chicken is done. This will keep the calories and fat total to a healthy amount. 

**To keep this meal balanced and healthy do not use more than 1/2 cup of cooked carbs. Any more than that and your carbohydrates will be way too high and will cause a sugar spike and crash. 

Nutrition Facts: (per serving without rice or noodles)

Cals-294, Fat-11g, Carbs-25g, Fiber-3g, Sugar-8g, Pro-24.5g

(per serving with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice)

Cals-403, Fat-12g, Carbs-48g, Fiber-4.5g, Sugar-8g, Pro-27g

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

The past couple of weeks have been pretty crazy at our house. With a teething baby and little sleep, this momma is tired. We've been lucky if I even MADE dinner let alone come up with some new recipes to share with you. Thankfully over the weekend, with the hubster home, I had a little more energy and a desire to whip up this delicious smoothie I found several months back. The great thing is that I got this particular recipe from a dairy free website. It's been one of the best websites I have found since having to cut out the cow's milk. I highly recommend you to check it out at www.godairyfree.org. You can find the recipe I'll share with you today here. I did make a few changes to lessen the sugar and add a little more flavor from the spices. I think you'll like it! My crew sure did.

Don't you just love his cute little farmer's tan??

This is a Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie. Yes.. I did just put "pie" and "smoothie" in the same sentence. Who could say no to a delicious smoothie that tastes like pie??

I was curious what the technical difference was between a smoothie and shake since the name of the original is called a "healthy shake", and I personally would consider this to be a smoothie. Shakes taste good, but are NOT good for you while smoothies are generally packed full of great vitamins and nutrients. So I did what any curious person would do, and I googled it.

This is what I found: Smoothies typically are high in carbs but have a relatively low fat content -- unless high-fat ingredients like peanut butter are added. Smoothies are sometimes thought of as healthy alternatives to shakes, since they're often made from real fruit and a low-fat or protein-rich base, but those made from fruit-based ice creams or sherbets, juices and syrups can rack up over a thousand calories and feel more like a splurge than a diet drink. Milkshakes, on the other hand, normally contain a large amount of saturated fat and higher calories than smoothies. Even though they're loaded with sugar, however, they have a good amount of calcium and protein. (http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/difference-between-shake-smoothie-28382.html)

 A milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is made from milk, ice cream or iced milk, and flavorings or sweeteners such as fruit syrup or chocolate sauce. Outside the United States, the drink is sometimes called a thickshake or a thick milkshake or in New England, a frappe, to differentiate it from other less-viscous forms of flavored milk. A smoothie is a blended and sometimes sweetened beverage made from fresh fruit (fruit smoothie) and in special cases can contain chocolate or peanut butter. In addition to fruit, many smoothies include crushed ice, frozen fruit, honey or contain syrup and ice ingredients. They have a milkshake-like consistency that is thicker than slush drinks. They can also contain milk, yogurt or ice cream.(http://www.honeybellscookery.com/2012/05/milkshake-vs-smoothie-whats-difference.html) 

Anyways...this is the reason I named this tasty "dessert/snack/sweet treat just because" the Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie because to me this fruit filled, low sugar, low fat, and healthy drink is a perfectly cold summer alternative to those calorie laden, sugar filled, make you sick to your stomach shakes. Enjoy and please let me know what you think about this recipe!

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie
(Can be gluten free, dairy free, egg free, refined sugar free, Vegan, Vegetarian)
Serves 2 (makes 1 cup each)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cooked, pureed or mashed sweet potato*
• 1 medium semi-ripe banana, broken into chunks (will work if frozen or fresh)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened milk and 1/2 cup water (I use almond milk, but any will do)
• 1/2 tbs ground flaxseed
• 1 tbs vanilla flavoring or extract
• Sprinkle of nutmeg, for garnish
• Whipped coconut cream or whipped cream, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Blend the first 5 ingredients until smooth. You shouldn't need more liquid, but if too thick add a little more milk and blend again.
2. Poor into 1 cup of smoothie into two separate cups. 
3. Sprinkle some nutmeg on the top (and cream if using). 
4. Drink and Enjoy!

Notes:

*To prepare sweet potato bake in the oven at 350F degree for 90 minutes wrapped or covered with tin foil until very soft. Let potato cool so not to burn yourself. Scoop the inside out and eat or discard the skin. My blender is not great so I puree my sweet potato. You can also mash it. I usually do this step the day before and place the prepared sweet potato in the fridge until I'm ready to use it. Can also use it right away. 

Nutrition Facts:

(1 cup smoothie)

Cals-150, Fat-2g, Carbs-34g, Fiber-5g, Sugar-11g, Pro-2.5g