Honey Roasted Cinnamon Almonds

Hello my healthy hedonists!

I was at Trader Joe's the other day, and bought their roasted almonds that had been coated in sugar and cinnamon. OH MY GOD-- to die for. After eating the entire bag by myself in less than a week, I wondered how I could make a healthier version for a daily snack that won't make me feel bad when I eat it.

I looked up the formula for making honey roasted almonds, and then I started throwing whatever spices that I wanted into the pot. MMMMMHHMM-- so freaking yummy. Especially since I decided to add some coconut oil into the mix which adds nutrition AND a super yummy nutty flavor.

Here it is!

Recipe

**Caution: When I cook, I do not use measurements. So when I write out recipes for you, I try my best to imagine exactly how much that I used. Exact measurements may vary, and you should use your senses to add more of anything if you feel the need to. 

• 2 cups almonds (preferably not already roasted)
• 8 tbs water
• 4 tbs honey
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 1/3 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/3 tsp salt
• A few sprinkles of cayenne pepper (a little goes a LONG way)
• 1 tbs coconut oil

1. Spread almonds on a baking sheet, and roasted at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
2. After they are done, heat up all other ingredients in a pot on medium/high-- mixing often. 
3. When mixture starts to simmer, immediately add almonds.
4. Stir often for about 5 minutes (or until the liquid becomes a simple syrupy consistency). 
5. Once there is little syrup left (try not to burn), pour mixture over parchment paper on your baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle with any more spices that you like (salt, cinnamon, cardamom, all spice, black pepper). 
7. Do not try until the nuts are completely cool.

Can you say yum? YUUUUM! 

Hope you enjoy. ;-) 

Isabella

Watermelon "Daiquiri" Refresher

Hello my healthy hedonists!

I'm in love with my new city!!!

Portland, OR

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Anywho-- Are you ready to get hydrated and refreshed?

Introducing my "Watermelon Daiquiri"!

Ingredients:

• Half of a watermelon
• 1 lime
• Two spoonfuls of strawberry or raspberry perserves 
• 1 cup of ice
• A touch of rum to taste (totally optional!)

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients into a blender (preferably a high speed/high powered blender for a smoother consistency), and blend until smooth!
2. Taste, and put more of any ingredients to your liking.
3. Serve over ice, and maybe add a touch of rum to stay true to the name. ;-)

Lots of love you guys! Stay hydrated, and eat your greens!

Isabella

Chocolate Chocolate CHOCOLATE!

Chocolate Coconut Almond Clusters

• 1 bar of dark chocolate (85% or higher)
• Almonds (you will eyeball the amount)
• 2 Tbs Coconut butter (optional)
• Handful of coconut flakes
• 1-3 Tbs honey (or maple syrup)
• Pinch of salt

1. Put chocolate bar in pot at a low medium heat so that the chocolate melts, but doesn't burn.
2. Stir in honey, coconut butter, and salt-- making sure that everything is blended and melted together.
3. Next, throw in a few handfuls of almonds and coconut flakes, and turn the mixture gently to make sure that the almonds and coconut get covered with chocolate. Make sure that the mixture isn't too viscous (liduidy) and not to dry, so that you get clean clusters when spooning onto plate.
4. Take a large plate, and cover with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spoon clusters onto plate and set in freezer until they harden!
5. Serve with cherries, strawberries, and/or mint for guests at a party (I definitely will be for my grad party)! 

***When making this recipe, I did not include coconut flakes-- but thought that they would be a lovely addition after the fact.

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Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

• 2 bananas 
• 1/2 cup coconut butter (buy at your local natural foods store)
• Pinch of salt
• 4 Tbs cacao powder
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Peanut butter (you will eyeball the amount)

1. Put all ingredients besides peanut butter in a bowl and blend. I find that a hand-immersion blender works the best.
2. Take out a cupcake pan (you should use cupcake liners in the pan-- otherwise you have to cut out the individual peanut butter cups out of the pan). 
3. Fill liners (or bare pan) with a small layer of your chocolate batter. Then layer some peanut butter on top of that. For the last layer, put another small layer of chocolate batter.
4. Another option is to fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way with batter, then swirl in peanut butter (like I did in the picture below).
5. Freeze for 30 minutes.
6. Serve with strawberries, cherries, and/or mint!

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Chocolate Superfood Smoothie

• A few handfuls of kale (or any green that you like)
• 3-4 tbs of cacao powder
• 1-2 bananas (for a creamy consistency)
• 1-2 Tbs chocolate protein powder (optional)
• 1-2 cups milk of your choice (I like almond milk)
• A few ice cubes

1. Blend and top with chia seeds if available. :)

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I hope that you enjoy these recipes! Just to let you know, cacao is PACKED with iron, antioxidants, and super healthy minerals to keep your endocrine system and blood working nicely! 

Eat up! But don't forget the kale. ;)

Much love <3

Isabella

Guilt Free and Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Hello everyone!

Today I made the most divine chocolate recipe in the woooorrrllldddd!!

It's completely vegan, nutritionally dense, and full of vitamins and fiber.

Here is what you'll need:

Watch the video for the recipe!

Tis' the Season for Rhubarb!

I was in "Whole Paycheck" last Sunday grocery shopping, when I stumbled upon rhubarb (which is totally in season right now). Every week I force myself to branch out and buy a fruit or vegetable that I have never either heard or, or used. And this time around it just happened to be rhubarb!

I've grown up eating my grandmother's delicious rhubard pies, and the tart flavor of this rich stalk have always had a special place in my heart. So last night, I decided to make whole wheat strawberry rhubarb muffins, and they were DIVINE.

So here are two recipes that I created with delicious rhubarb!

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Whole Wheat Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Recipe:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (or half whole wheat, half white flour for fluffier muffins)
• Two bananas (mashed)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, or 1 tbs vanilla powder
• 1/2 cup non dairy yogurt
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup oil of choice 
• 1 cup minced rhubarb
• A very generous amount of strawberries ;)
• 1 cup of honey (less or more, to your taste)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup applesauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put flour in a large bowl, and set aside.
3. Put bananas in a medium sized bowl, and mash away until mostly pureed.
4. Add all other wet ingredients to the banana bowl (vanilla, egg or yogurt, oil or butter, rhubarb, strawberries, honey, and applesauce).
5. Mix well.
6. Add wet bowl to dry bowl, and mix.
7. If the consistency is too dry, then add some milk of your choice (dairy, nut, or soy milk) to the batter to make more wet.
8. After desired consistency is reached, then add baking powder, and mix (avoid over mixing).
9. Grase a cupcake or bread pan, and add batter.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
11. Cool on a cooling rack.
12. Enjoy!

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Rhubarb Oat Crisp

Recipe:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup whole wheat
• 1/4 cup unbleached wheat flour
• 1 cup honey or brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 6-7 cups of 1/2 inch cut rhubarb
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat six 8-ounce ramekins (or an 8 x 8-inch square baking dish) with grease.
2. Make crumb mixture by adding oats, flours, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to medium bowl and whisking together until well blended. Add oil, and mix into crumb pieces.
3. In a large bowl, add rhubarb, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract and gently mix together with spoon.
4.  Combine the 1/3 cup sugar and the 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a small cup, then sprinkle over the top of the rhubarb mixture and stir.
5.  Distribute the fruit mixture evenly between the ramekins (or pour into prepared square baking dish).
6. Top the fruit mixture evenly with the crumb mixture.
7. Bake until the rhubarb is tender (about 30 minutes for the individual dishes or 40 minutes for the 8 x 8-inch dish).
8.  Let cool slightly and serve warm.

I hope that you love these recipes! :)

Love, Isabella

Whole Wheat Blueberry and Quinoa Muffins

Yes yes, I know..... My muffin recipes just keep getting weirder and more extravagant! Don't judge... I spend way too much time in my kitchen.

I got the idea last night to include quinoa in my muffins when I was looking over at my grain cabinet, and my quinoa jar looked abandoned. I am also an avid athelete, so I was trying to brainstorm more ideas on how to get more plant based protein into my diet!

Quinoa is soooo incredily good for you! It is gluten free (in case you care), packed with protein and fiber. It also has iron, and riboflavin (to help energize your metabolism)!

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Recipe:

Dry ingredients

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbs cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar (only if you aren't using agave or honey!!)
• A generous amount of frozen or fresh blueberries
• A generous amount of shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetend)

Wet ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 1 cup non dairy yogurt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil or olive oil
• 1/2 cup agave or honey (if you aren't using regular sugar!!)

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Cooking Quinoa

1. In a pot, comine one cup uncooked quinoa with two cups water, and bring to a boil.
2. When water is boiling, turn down the heat to lowest setting, and let quinoa sit for aout 15 minutes. Check back often to make sure that it isn't burning.
3. After quinoa is done, scoop out two cups, and set aside for the muffins. You should have about a cup left to use for which you please.

Muffin Time

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all dry ingredients (except for baking powder, and blueberries), and mix well. The flour should stick to the quinoa, to look like little granuels.
3. Comine all wet ingredients in a blender, and blend briefly to make the consistency smooth.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl, and mix well.
5. If the consistency is too wet, add more whole wheat flour. If it is too dry, you can add yogurt, or more agave/honey.
6. Now add the blueberries and baking powder, and stir. Baking powder is added at the end to make sure muffins are fluffy.
7. Grease a muffin pan, and fill the cups with batter. You can top the muffins with anything!
8. Let bake for at least 20 minutes (or longer if needed).
9. Let cool on a cooling rack.
10. Devour.

I hope that you love these muffins! I sure do. :)

Isabella

Baked Garlic Sweet Potato "Fries"

Hey guys!

Here is a quick, healthy, and delicious snack/meal/sidedish that I just invented tonight!

I have loooooved garlic fries all of my life-- I remember going to a drive-in restaurant in California with my mom when I was a little girl, and it had the BEST garlic fries in town.

Any unhealthy dish can be made into a healthy one! This recipe is the perfect example!

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Fun Facts:

• Sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene which helps your eye sight, and helps you grow strong nails and hair!
• The allicin in garlic is also a powerful antibiotic, which fights infection and bacteria. British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks. The garlic takers were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold.
• Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin C, to help ward off colds.
• Other studies suggest that garlic lovers who chow more than six cloves a week have a 30 percent lower rate of colorectal cancer and a 50 percent lower rate of stomach cancer.
• Sweet potatoes contain vitamin D. They also contain iron, so if you are a vegetarian, then they are a good way to help keep that balanced.
•  Garlic helps to open clogged sinuses.

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Instead of frying the sweet potato slices, we will be baking them (no oil necessary)! And instead of eating white potatoes, we will be substituting beta-carotene filled, nutritious sweet potatoes instead!

Recipe:

• One sweet potato (or yam)
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme
• Salt to your liking
• Pepper to your liking
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbs chopped garlic

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice your sweet potatoes thinly, and place on a baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle spices and herbs over the slices, and mix the slices together to spread seasonings evenly.
4. Place the slices in your oven, and let bake for 7 to 10 minutes.
5. Puncture a slice with a knife to see if they are all evenly cooked through.
6. When done, place slices in an appropriately sized bowl, and sprinkle your garlic over the "fries". Maybe even drizzling a modest amount of olive oil to help the garlic stick (and aslo to add flavor).
7. EAT!

 They are incredibly satisfying, and I hope that you thouroughly enjoy them!

Love,

Isabella!