A healthy cookie is honestly HARD to find. or at least one that is crunchy and actually cookie like. I have had some serious cookie fails (usually with protein powders) in the kitchen and so each batch always comes out of the oven with a little natural hesitation. But FINALLY here is a cookie that tastes amazing and won’t disappoint on the crunch or taste factor. Continue reading “SALTED CACAO AND HAZELNUT COOKIES”
Forget the diamonds, jewels, fine dining, champagne and red roses… Valentine’s day is all about the CHOCOLATE and lots of it. If there is one thing you should all know about me – the way to my heart is all about the food. Strawberries coated in dark chocolate, decadent slices, choc-raspberry tarts and cheesecakes or any cake for that matter oozing with chocolatey goodness. Sugar free of course!
Continue reading “COCONUT CHOCOLATE LOVE BISCUITS”
Chocolate is just one of those things that makes us happy. FACT! It’s actually scientifically proven too!! OH YOU BETCHA. Chocolate is a very nutritious source of antioxidants which are good for our inner health, skin, brain function and hormones. Personally I don’t need much more reason than that and that’s why I rarely go a day without some form of chocolate. And why should we? Continue reading “CHOCA-HOLIC”
Friday again… I know I keep saying it but seriously WHERE ARE THE DAYS GOING? This feature Friday I have chosen the incredible Laura Henshaw. I am loving her blog, instagram and latest Ebook (with Steph Smith >> LINK HERE) lately and keep finding myself back on her page (creep)! Not only is her food incredibly delicious and nutritious but she has a wonderful well minded and balanced relationship with food and the health and fitness industry. Being a model she is constantly faced with pressures to be thinner and hotter each day but she maintains a balanced lifestyle with regular exercise, healthy wholesome foods and 7-8 hours sleep each night. Laura loves her on the go high protein snacks and has recently started a protein company of her own called Four Protein >> site HERE. Laura says “My favorite snack are these delicious little protein filled chocolaty balls. They are packed with protein, good fats (from the nuts) and taste amazing (tick all the boxes.) The best part is they are completely clean and although taste like chocolate have zero added sugar.” This recipe for Chocolate Covered Cacao Fudge Protein Balls made me drool and I think you should all try it out this weekend. Nothing like a little chocolaty goodness to get you in the mood for the weekend!!
CHOCOLATE COVERED CACAO FUDGE PROTEIN BALLS
Protein Ball
1 cup of almonds*
1 cup of medjool dates
1/2 cup of chocolate protein powder**
2/3 cup of organic desiccated or flaked coconut
2 heaped tbs organic cacao powder
1 tbs coconut oil
Extra coconut or cacao powder to roll balls in
Chocolate coating (Optional)
2 tbs coconut oil
2 tbs cacao powder
1/2 tsp stevia***
METHOD
1. Combine all ingredients (a part from extra coconut and cacao for rolling) for the protein balls in a food processor until combined.
2. Once combined roll into balls – I prefer mine quite small but you can make them whatever size you like.
3. Melt coconut oil and mix in cacao powder and stevia.
4. Roll balls in coconut, cacao or the chocolate mixture (this is only a good idea if they will be refrigerated at all times as the coconut oil will melt and can be quite messy)
5. Put balls rolled in chocolate mixture in the freezer for 15-20 minutes until mixture sets and then transfer to fridge. Balls not covered in the chocolate mixture can go straight into the fridge!
NOTES:
* If you are allergic to nuts you can replace the almonds with sunflower seeds/pepitas/linseed (a mix of all three is best)
** This is optional however I would recommend it adding it to increase the protein content. You could use almond meal or coconut flour instead
*** You can sweeten with your preferred sweetener- coconut sugar or honey also works.
Enjoy! Xx
Check out Laura’s website/blog >> HERE
A couple of weeks ago it was my turn to make something sweet for girls night! I asked the host what her ultimate dessert would be that I could recreate a sugar-free healthy version of. After an almost instant reply of “ummm sticky date pudding??” I was a little stumped because sticky date puddings are usually made of butter and brown sugar – big No No’s! BUT it didn’t take long before I was completely mind blown from the healthy versions of sticky date desserts all over the internet. I decided to go with the amaaaaazing looking Loving Earth recipe because I practically drooled on my screen as soon as I read it. And let me just tell you it blew everyone’s mind and you couldn’t tell that there wasn’t a single grain of refined sugars in sight!!!! This is the real deal minus the nasties. The cake itself didn’t take too long to make either. I chose to make 1 single large cake but 4-6 mini individual loafs would also have been a treat. Dates are packed with fiber and have so many nutritional benefits for you body. They are one of the very best sweet and versatile foods that can regulate the digestive process and are great natural unrefined sweetener whilst also offering a rich dose of several vitamins and minerals. Some health specialists have suggested eating 2-3 dates a day is necessary for a healthy and balanced diet and digestive system. This dessert is the perfect combination of natural sugars, proteins, carbohydrates and essential fats to give you the energy boost you need without the ugly sugar high and crash. Kids will also love it ! and salted caramel sauce?? need I say more!!!
STICKY DATE PUDDING WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
serves 6 – GF P V SF DF – 50 minutes
CAKE
4 teaspoons Coconut Oil (for greasing)
200g Salted Caramel L.E Chocolate >> SHOP HERE
3 tbsp Coconut Oil
80ml almond mylk
1 cup buckwheat flour or almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup Coconut Sugar
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
½ cup boiling hot water
250ml almond mylk
80–120g coconut cream
SAUCE
1 cup coconut cream
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
100g Salted Caramel Chocolate >> SHOP HERE
2 tbsp Lucuma or Maca Powder (optional)
2 tbsp coconut sugar
½ tsp salt
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease the loaf pan, mini loaf pans or large cake tin with the coconut oil.
Put the chocolate, coconut oil and 80ml almond milk in a double boiler. Gently heat until the chocolate has melted. Stir until smooth, remove from the heat and set aside. (you could do this in the microwave if you wanted to)
In another bowl, put the flour, baking powder, salt and coconut sugar. Stir together.
In a blender or small food processor, blitz together the medjool dates and water until the dates are just broken up. Add 205ml of almond milk and mix until combined. Gently fold in the through the caramel chocolate mixture.
Divide the mixture into the prepared mini loaf tins or large cake tin and place into the oven.
MINI LOAFS: Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the edges and top are just cooked – you still want the middle to be slightly gooey as it will keep cooking once removed from the oven.
LARGE CAKE: Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the edges and top are just cooked – you still want the middle to be slightly gooey as it will keep cooking once removed from the oven.
FOR THE SAUCE
Whilst the puddings are baking simply blend in a blender the dates and coconut cream until smooth. Place into a saucepan over a low heat with the caramel chocolate, Lucuma/maca, coconut sugar and salt. Keep mixing until the chocolate has melted and everything is combined before removing from the heat.
Remove cake from oven and gently poke/stab cake with a knife to create holes. Pour 1/2 of the sauce over the cake and let it seep into the holes. This is where the moist ‘pudding’ factor takes place. You want it to be nice and moist.
Place back in oven for 5-10 minutes. (Note: You do not need to place the mini cakes back in the oven)
When ready to serve, gently run a knife around the edge of the pans to loosen the small puddings or cake. Place on serving plates and serve with hot caramel sauce. Enjoy immediately! A blob of vanilla bean or coconut ice cream would be an absolute match made in heaven here. I also shaved some extra caramel chocolate on top.
Thanks Loving Earth for this incredible recipe!!!
ENJOY !
K
I recently got my hot little hands on a box of the NEW Loving Earth chocolate range and COULD NOT wait to dig into the raspberry cashew flavour! Boy was it incredible. Just what I was expecting and more. I decided to whip is a super cheeky afternoon delight using my new products teamed with my all time favourite bare blends. Try this smoothie – it is mouth watering!! Add ice if you like it extra thick and enjoy it with a spoon! Like me! The berries powder is super high in antioxidants and the healthy essential fats and protein from the cashews and powder help decrease the rate of sugar absorption into your blood stream.
RASPBERRY CASHEW CHOC SMOOTHIE
Serves 1 – GF DF R V P SF – 5 minutes
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
small handful unsalted cashews
2 squares NEW raspberry cashew Loving Earth Chocolate >> SHOP HERE
1 cup almond milk
1 tsp Bare Berries powder >> SHOP HERE
1 scoop Dark Cacao WPI powder >> SHOP HERE
ice (optional)
METHOD:
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Top with some extra chocolate shavings and cashews and enjoy
K
Here is why this smoothie is so jam packed with nutritious goodness;
RASPBERRIES/BERRY POWDER; high in antioxidants they are great for all things beauty. Your skin, your hair and that radiant glow are all thanks to antioxidants found in berries. Raspberries are low in fructose (fruit sugars) and can be the perfect ingredient in your next smoothie. They also offer a bounty of health benefits, from helping control weight to possibly helping prevent cancer* (Live Strong.)
GREEK YOGHURT; is a great calcium source which is vital for healthy and strong bones. It also provides the body with added protein and prebiotics for healthy gut bacteria. For people who have intolerances to foods sometimes the problem starts when your gut bacteria is out of whack. So before you cull the dairy and yoghurt why not scull it instead and see if your tummy is happier.
PROTEIN POWDER; double nutritious if you use cacao protein powder too. Protein in smoothies makes them a wholesome healthy light meal or snack on the go. The protein aids in muscle recovery and will keep you fuller for longer
CASHEWS; packed with healthy unsaturated fats cashews can help lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health. They are actually lower in fat than many other nuts which a lot of people do not know. Cashews are also great for reducing diabetes and blood sugar levels, so next time you are having some fruit or sugar – grab some cashews.
CACAO; super high in antioxidants this is the number 1 reason health professionals and foodies eat chocolate. Hint Hint; The darker the better because it contains the most cacao. Cacao is natures energy source and a high antioxidant known for its ability to cross your blood-brain barrier to help protect your nervous system.
My birthday is A MONTH away and so naturally I am already planning my raw wholesome sugar free cake which I plan on eating the whole thing. I came across this Vanilla Choc Berry layer cake and my mouth dropped. It is definitely in the running to be my 25th Birthday Cake! The Merrymaker Sisters >> Website HERE are two lovely local ladies from Canberra (yeah Canberra!!!) and are taking the Paleo life by storm. This layer cake is perfect for the gluten, dairy and sugar intolerant, is super healthy and looks amaze!!! Try it today! Continue reading “RAW VANILLA CHOC BERRY LAYER CAKE”
Now if there is one thing NO girls should deny themselves of no matter what … it is chocolate. Be it a little nibble after dinner, a hot choc pick me up in the arvo or a chocolate thick shake for breakfast (yep chocolate for breakfast) – there is always a time and place for chocolate.
“Eating small amounts of dark chocolate can be good for your health. Chocolate comes from a plant — the bean of the cacao tree — and, like certain teas, wine and many fruits and vegetables, it boasts a high concentration of antioxidant compounds called “flavonoids,” which can help prevent heart disease and protect against cancer” – Live Strong
This Feature Friday on the blog I bring you Sabrina Muscat. A wholesome lifestyle advocate with a deep-rooted interest in health and nutrition. With ongoing study in nutritional science and life coaching, Sabrina has dedicated her life to investigating what it means to live a healthy, natural and organic life. Check out this amazing vegan thick shake recipe of hers. And choc mint… my fave! Continue reading “FEATURE FRIDAY – VEGAN DOUBLE CHOC MINT THICKSHAKE”
Three of the most yummiest things on the planet smashed into one glorious looking dessert. Peanut butter, chocolate AND cheesecake! Need I say more? Just make sure you get the following ingredients and allow yourself over night to make it. This raw vegan dessert is going to impress even the biggest of anti raw food sweet tooth’s. Thanks to Emily from This Rawsome Vegan Life blog for the recipe. #featurefriday Continue reading “FEATURE FRIDAY – VANILLA AND CHOCOLATE CHUNK PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE”
KATIE MORGAN 