Lunch Box treats

      It's only the first full week of school and I'm already scrambling for lunchbox ideas! I like to put some sort of treat in Sydney's lunch, but I don't want to load her up with sugar. I've had some success with these treats and plan to add them into the rotation!



 You know that I'm always on the look out for a good granola bar recipe that does not require lots of nut butters so I can bake for my nephew too. I found a recipe that used dates and banana. I totally revamped it to make something a little more exciting. We had a special Saturday Movie Night and with ice cream sundaes for dessert. We also happened to have a bag of freeze dried strawberries from our adventures at Aldi. I decided to run with the banana flavor and make a "BANANA SPLIT TOPPINGS" GRANOLA BAR. It was a huge hit!!

 1c dates
1c boiling water
1 banana
1 tsp vanilla
1/4c coconut oil melted
2 1/2c oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4c chocolate chips
2 TBSP crunchy all natural peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter)
1/4c butterscotch chips (or any other kind)
1/4c freeze dried strawberries
sprinkles for garnish

Soak the dates in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Drain and place in food processor along with banana. Puree until it becomes a paste. Blend in vanilla and coconut oil. Place in a bowl and stir in oats, PB, and baking soda. Fold in the remaining ingredients. PRESS into a parchment paper line 8x* inch pan and bake at 350* for about 20 minutes or until slightly brown and set. Cool and slice. Store in fridge.

Love Me Some Cookie Dough!

Guys! I have faced soooo much temptation recently! Cookie Dough is almost constantly on my prep list for work!  Our batch is probably about an 8 times batch of your bake at home amount. One night, I had to make 6 batches of dough! I've got cookie dough on the brain!! This recipe popped up on facebook so I immediately zeroed in on it! I first made it for our super fun, but actually pretty healthy Sunday Family Breakfast, but I used the leftovers for Syd's lunch! It's basically hummus in disguise! (I used sunflower seed butter and it works well!)

sugar free cookie dough dip recipe

Brace yourself! Pumpkin is coming!

Who doesn't love finding cookies in their lunch box?? I know the Pumpkin Spice madness is just around the corner! I've started testing out recipes so that I can surprise my friends with healthier treats at fall gatherings! I used chia seeds in these, but I kinda wish that I didn't. Sydney noticed them eventually and then tasted a difference *rolls eyes* Next time, I'll choose something that blends in better!!!

oats and pumpkin breakfast cookies

GIVE. ME. CHOCOLATE.

     A little bit ago I had not one, not two , but THREE people text me within one hour, struggling with temptation and wanted to shove all any any chocolate in their faces! This inspired a search for a healthier treat to feed that inner PMS demon without giving her the power to destroy your self esteem with guilt! TAKE THAT PMS! Bam! Not gonna make me cry, well, yes, you will, but not over dessert!!
     The benefit to following several healthy food blogs is that the answer to your cravings will surely pop up on one of their pages!

Behold these chocolate Beauties

They are chocolate cookies with chocolate chips! Score! The main ingredient is almond butter so you get some protein and healthy fats! I reduced the coconut sugar a little bit. And she is really right about needing runny almond butter! Mine was a little dry at the bottom of the jar so I added an egg white to the recipe which is HERE

 Confession time! My PMS favorite is ice cream! I love halo top ice cream because it's high in protein and fiber and low in calories. It's expensive so it's a rare treat. It went on sale and I got several coupons at checkout. It was bad! Please don't look at my stash in the freezer! I'm thoroughly embarrassed by the number of times I went back to the store to use the coupons! YIKES!! If you want a healthy ice cream treat, but the store is out because I have no self control, here is an idea another homemade blizzard!!

Banana Peanut butter chocolate chip cookie Dough Rough Winter Storm

Start by slicing and freezing some very ripe bananas. Then make some "cookie dough" using this recipe or a healthy recipe of your choice!

1c dates (I soaked them in hot water and then drained it to help my food processor)

3/4c all natural peanut butter

1c oats

1 TBSP chia seeds

1/3c chocolate chips

Chop up the dates in a food processor until it forms a paste. Add in the almond butter and oats. You may need to add more peanut butter, depending on how runny or dry it is. Stir in the chia seeds and chips. Form into little nuggets and set aside until you are ready to make ice cream. This makes quite a bit so you could make some larger ones for an afternoon cookie dough break!

To assemble the ice cream: Puree up the frozen bananas in the food processor with a little bit of almond milk (or milk of your choice) Once it's creamy, fold in the dough nuggets and ENJOY! If you want a harder ice cream, you can throw it back in the freezer for a couple of hours too! 

Every cloud has a Cinnamon lining

Wait, what? Yes! Cinnamon! In the last week of the fitness program I'm doing, they took away my carbs... I cried for a little (lot) and then got creative! I've tried cloud bread in the past to make myself a sandwich without using up all my carb containers, but this time I decided to use them as personal cake layers! I took the original recipe and folded in some cinnamon and vanilla. The possibilities are endless!!

 "Carrot Cake"

 

 I added about a 1/2c of finely shredded carrots(pat dry) to the bread mix before I baked it.

The icing is plain greek yogurt and cinnamon. You could add honey or maple syrup to make it sweeter.

I added pineapple, but you could add walnuts.

 "Fruit Shortcakes"

 For this I used plain greek yogurt again, but I stirred in Almond butter.

You can use whatever nut butter and fruit you like. I'm going for peach/almond next.

" Cannoli Cake"

 This filling is ricotta cheese, a teeny bit of orange zest, cinnamon and pure almond extract.

It you are not on a stricter meal plan, you could add honey and mini dark chocolate chips. 

Raw almonds would also give it a little crunch.

Craving a good old PB and J

Not cake, but I was coveting my kids sandwiches so I took all natural peanut butter and slices of strawberries. Even cut it into triangles like an overgrown kid ;)

Vacation Treat Withdrawal

    What happens in the Outer Banks, stays in the Outer Banks, right? Wait, that's Vegas so I guess that I should come clean. I started out with the best intentions that we would stay strong and eat healthy on vacation, but mommy got a little too relaxed by the beach life! I still made date oatmeal bars, muffins, and banana Popsicles. The road trip snacks were also things like cheese sticks, frozen organic yogurt tubes, and unsweetened applesauce pouches. I gotta admit though, I ended up saying yes to a lot more treats/junk food than I planned. We are having a little trouble adjusting.

Actually Good for you Ice Cream

The number one thing that I give into: Ice Cream! It's my faaaaavooorrritee!!! We had quite a bit of ice cream on vacation. Sure, we burned off all the extra calories digging in the sand and swimming in the pool and it was a special time, but we now need a little not so painful sugar detox. Throwing healthy ice cream into the mix sounded smart, right? I searched the Team Beachbody Blog for recipes and then I got REALLY brave. You see, one avocado managed to make it down to the beach and back without getting ripe enough to eat. It was finally ready and I had nothing to go with it. A recipe with avocado popped up. I decided that if I gave it a super cool, awesome name, they would love it. It worked for the most part. One stinkin bit of spinach made it out without being pureed and it ended up in Syd's bowl, psyching her out! Make sure you blend and then blend some more!!!

Hulk Ice Cream Recipe

Almost as exciting as Duck Donuts

For those of you poor, unfortunate souls who have never had Duck donuts, let me explain. They taste like Heaven with extra toppings! They are made super fresh and come with all sorts of delicious glazes and tasty bits. THEY ARE STILL WARM WHEN WE GET THEM HOME!  It is a family tradition (and the only time that I ever eat donuts anymore!) Breakfast is just not the same after experiencing a Duck Donut! Momma had to get really creative to make a fun Sunday morning breakfast! I found and saved this pancake recipe because it had a sneaky way to add protein. It used cottage cheese, which I always have on hand as a good protein source for myself! I'm pretty sure that the mutant banana faces and peanut butter hair where the real selling points, but both kids thoroughly enjoyed our Silly and Special Sunday Breakfast! (and because you mix it in a blender, it's way faster than waiting in line for a donut!)

cottage cheese banana oatmeal protein pancakes

So about the too sugary granola bars from a couple of blogs ago

I admit it! I let them eat the store bought granola bars at the beach and in the car. They have been bugging me for them and they were conveniently 100% sealed for your sand protection! Now I had to find something new to get them excited again. Oatmeal raisin and chocolate chips were old news! I also knew that I would get bonus points if it looked like cookie dough! I turned to one of the regular blogs I stalk and found these. I did it with dates but they didn't glue everything together as well, so I ended up adding a little maple syrup and more peanut butter! I used freeze dried strawberries because a lot of  the dried fruit I found has added sugar.

no bake pb&j energy bites 

Cool Treats and Sweet Friends

    Our first "Park Hop" was a success. (I made a hot breakfast for everyone and met them at the park next to our neighborhood.  Then we hopped to a different park with packed lunches) I wanted to try it again but switch it up a little... Hallelujah! The HOT weather is here to stay! [I don't want to here it! All you summer haters!] Perfect time for frozen treats, right? Dessert BEFORE lunch is pretty awesome. Makes you a hero to the kids but..... my friends probably wouldn't love it if I got their children super sugared up before noon! Healthy Popsicles were the perfect compromise! Fun and Tasty! Gotta a little extra fruit in their diet and some extra protein for some! I made 3 different kinds:

So story of my life... Kids are crazy for watermelon. I stock up on watermelon. "Mom, I'm kinda tired of watermelon.I don't want it anymore!" Good thing that I stumbled upon this one! This recipe was SUPER EASY and quick! Here is the link:

watermelon popsicles

I love coconut! If I close my eyes really tight while eating it, I can pretend I'm somewhere tropical, surrounded by seashells instead of Legos. This was a two step recipe, where you had to let the first layer freeze for a couple of hours, but again super easy. Looks so pretty too. Since coconut is one of those absolutely LOVE or absolutely HATE kinds of flavors, I made the least amount of these. Surprisingly enough, my picky eater really liked them! The coconut was not too strong.  Recipe Link:

  vanilla berry coconut popsicles

This one was a variation of a recipe that popped up on Facebook. And yes, that is a poop emoji! I figured that I'll be able to be even more health adventurous with the popsicles in the future if they look like smiling piles of poop. Don't judge me! It's called knowing your audience!

Peanut Butter Banana Pie Pops

2 large bananas

1/2c plain Greek yogurt

1/4c all natural peanut butter

3 T mini chocolate chips

3 T mini dehydrated marshmallows (like the kind in hot cocoa mix)

2 T of graham cracker crumbs (or cookie of choice)

Blend together bananas, peanut butter, and yogurt. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour a little banana mix into molds and then sprinkle a little chocolate mix on top. Repeat until mold is full and freeze for several hours or overnight.

Life with a boy..... poop fascination for days

But I'm still hungry!!!!!!

   So I've gotten a bit behind on my posts. The end of the School year is not for the weak!UGHHH!! Sooooo many events and field trips and things that require packing EXTRA things or certain types of clothing *growls* for special days. Then ALL the things come home and your house looks like a classroom exploded! I've been using my free time to sneak the not so special papers out to the trash can like a ninja!
    It's been a week since the last day of school so now we switched gears and we are in FULL STARVATION MODE. Lots of swimming = extra dinner and then a bedtime snack and then another because "but mom, I'm still hungry!" Lord, have mercy on my soul! They are driving me nuts! I've been searching for a few dessert-ish healthy treats because apparently [insert long dramatic sigh] that's what you are suppose to eat after you eat dinner (cue eye roll!)



This recipe popped up on Facebook as an ad for Quakeroats.com. They are Peanut Butter and Banana energy bites.

2 1/2c oats
2 T honey
1/4c peanut butter
1c mashed banana
1 tsp cinnamon

Just mix it all together, scoop, and keep refrigerated.

These were a little bit on the soft side so I called it a healthy cookie dough scoops. It's almost as good as taking a giant spoonful of the real stuff (I know the real stuff is bad for you but 33 yrs and no food poisoning yet! I think it might be some genetic super power!) Depending on the size of your family, you might want to make half of a batch at a time because the banana can be a little old looking and your pickier eaters will refuse to touch them.

This "cookie recipe" came from an IG account @nutritionologie. Sometimes... a lot of times.... I just like to stare at food on the Internet like a hungry weirdo!

2 bananas
1/2c soaked and pitted dates
1/4c coconut oil
1tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1tsp baking powder
1/4tsp sea salt
2c oats (recipe called for GF but I used regular)
3T dark chocolate chips
dried cranberries or nuts (optional)

Put bananas, dates, coconut oil, and vanilla in a food processor. Once smooth, add cinnamon, baking powder, and sea salt. Then add 1 1/2c oats until processed. Stir in the remaining oats and chocolate (plus add ins if desired). Spoon mounds onto parchment paper and bakes at 350* for about 18 minutes (I flattened mine down) The kids loved these and thought they were getting an extra special treat for a Church snack!

Cookies with Quinoa!?!
      I was gonna post a photo, but their healthiness and my terrible photo skills left them looking rather *coughs* poopish! My last batch of quinoa was a little too big. It was on sale and I got excited. I found this recipe on the Beachbody Blog: peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
   I was nervous because you can definitely see the quinoa. I sold them as breakfast cookie first. They seem to think that the circle thingies were cool. The texture is a little different but how can you go wrong with chocolate chips and peanut butter!?! Hopefully, the protein will keep them going a little longer between snacks!!

Chocolate and Peanut butter Strike again!
    I know! I know! I have a problem! I can't resist anything with peanut butter! I'll work on it...later! If you follow me on IG then you know that we went to the zoo recently and the kids earned badges for learning about healthy living. It was a little toasty that day so I made some Popsicles before we left. This recipe popped up on facebook and caught my eye. I figured I would probably give them a treat at the Zoo so this would be the treat that's not really a treat to cool us off later. We each gave them two thumbs up and the kids felt super proud eating something healthy while sporting their badges. I should force them to wear them at every meal lol!
peanut butter fudgy pops recipe

Make yourself a dang kay-sa-dill-a! (quesadilla)

 

     Please forgive me! My weird is showing! The title is a quote from that "it's so terrible it's awesome" movie, Napoleon Dynomite. Man, I need to watch that again! okay, focus! If you work in the restaurant industry, there is a pretty good chance that your Mother's Day is gonna suck a little bit. Everyone takes mom out to eat so you're gonna be working extra hours. Sometimes I want to complain that they should be cooking for mom themselves, but those extra hours mean I can buy more workout clothes or avocados when the AREN'T on sale! 

      My weekend was crazy busy and then I spent a couple of days catching up on that to do list. On Wednesday, I found myself with a kid free morning and no urgent  projects looming over my shoulders. So what did I do? I made myself a dang dessert quesadilla for breakfast! Wait, what? I ate dessert for breakfast! Shame on me, trying to be a Beachbody coach and eating dessert for breakfast. Well, guess what! I got the recipe from The Team Beachbody website so it was completely fix approved. I just counted those containers and savored that slightly crispy, slightly gooey, and perfectly chocolatey goodness! Made myself an iced coffee with a splash of almond milk and I was in heaven! I highly recommend that you make it for yourself and maybe your family if you're feeling extra generous!  chocolate-peanut-butter-and-banana-sweet-quesadilla