Healthy Happy and Free

What is a blondie? It's the nonchocolate counterpart to a brownie, duh! Blondies have more fun. Topped with NuNaturals Cocoa Syrup (0 cal) I know that blondies still don't seem to be as popular as brownies, but these babies are pretty tasty! Don't worry, I added mini chocolate chips because chocolate is necessary. Now what makes these "healthy"? No refined sugar (aside from chocolate chips) No refined flours No oil  Extra protein and fiber  How? Chickpeas. Bean there, done that, back again! My father taste tested it and after I revealed that they were made with no flour, rather, they were made with chickpeas, he said he couldn't tell! Success! They're pretty simple, but word to the wise: My blender is not a high powered food processor so the batter became pretty warm as I blended to a good consistency so when I folded in the chocolate chips, it turned the batter a bit brown as some of them melted. They were still delicious but if you...

If you know me, you know I love popcorn. I've tried many brands, even  skinless popcorn ! I can't really say I've hated any! However, I do have my favorites. One brand that caught my eye taking the social media world by storm is LiveLovePop!  What's really awesome about this brand is that they're a mission based brand so each flavor gives back to a different charity. You can learn more about their mission on their website:  livelovepop.com . They also use simple, wholesome ingredients for healthy snacking you can feel good about!  Not to be forgotten is the medley (yes, cornucopia, if you will) of flavors! The current flavors are honey bbq, lime fresco, sea salt, truffle salt, and salt and vinegar. So far I have tried honey bbq, sea salt and truffle salt but lime fresco may be my next victim! Mix up of Honey BBQ and Sea Salt The truffle salt flavor has a nice subtle truffle flavor lightly salted. At first bite, I will say I wasn't blown away but it...

Want a s'more? S'more what? "You're killing me, Smalls!" -The Sandlot If you haven't watched the Sandlot, I recommend you go do that right now and then come back, read this recipe, and make some (healthier) s'mores bites! They are seriously so easy, I'm not sure it even counts as a recipe! These little bites have all your basic components of a s'more: graham, chocolate, and mallow - without packing a calorie punch! Here's how: Ingredients: 1 egg white 1 tsp imitation butter flavor 1-2 packets stevia or sweetener of choice 5 tbsp graham cracker crumbs 3 tbsp brownie batter Gbutter spread (the gbutter spread is a very unique spread so may not be substituted - learn more about it:  gbutter review ) 18 mini marshmallows (I used My Dandies vegan mini marshmallows but you may use any brand) Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a mini muffin pan (you will only use six compartments)...

French toast is one of my favorite breakfasts! Does it have to be an unhealthy calorie bomb? No! Does it have to be delicious? Yes! I actually came up with this idea because I ran out of milk but I wanted French Toast! I used cold brew coffee as liquid in the batter and it came out delicious! Instead of using syrup or sugary toppings, I used a mocha peanut spread and Nunaturals Cocoa Syrup (stevia sweetened) for a guilt free, indulgent, and caffeinated breakfast! Ingredients: 2 slices whole grain bread  1 egg or 2 egg whites about 1/4 cup coffee (I used cold brew but you could use any coffee) sweetener to taste  1-2 tbsp mocha EpicSpreads peanut butter NuNaturals Cocoa Syrup  Directions: Heat a pan to medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Whisk the egg, coffee and sweetener.  Dip the slices of bread in the batter until it is completely soaked up.  Cook the bread in the pan. Flip when golden brown.  Top with mocha peanut b...

In my opinion, cake batter is exponentionally better than it's cooked counterpart. Is it because it was the forbidden fruit as a child or is it just better? Who can tell? Regardless, I have created a no bake "cookie" with that sweet, sweet taste of cake batter. Close Up! I put cookie in quotations because this is no bake and has more of a fudge-like texture! I used a new to me flour, green banana flour! It doesn't have a banana flavor because it's made from green bananas, so they're underripe and less banana tasting. Why banana flour? It's gluten free, organic, and it contains resistant starch. Resistant starch is not digested by the small intestine and feeds healthy gut bacteria. Gut health is, like, all the rage right now. (Kombucha craze, anyone?) For maximum benefit, it should be consumed raw like in a smoothie, juice OR no bake cookie! For more information on banana flour and the brand I used check it out at  Nunaturals.com . They're an awes...