Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

I’ve been drinking this smoothie every other day for about a week now. I can’t get over how good it is! It’s smooth, creamy, and PERFECTLY sweet. It feels like I’m eating dessert, but there’s so much goodness in it. I’ve switched it up by using different types of milk and nut butters. It tastes great with cashew or almond butter as well. You can also add frozen cauliflower or frozen avocado for even more creaminess! I hope you enjoy modifying this smoothie to fit your taste :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

Serves: 1

Time: 3 min.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 frozen banana

• 2 dates

• 2 Tbs. peanut butter

• 1 Tbs. cocoa powder

• 3/4 c. almond milk (or other milk)

• 2 c. ice

• 2 scoops collagen peptides (optional)

Instructions:

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. Add granola, chia seeds, hemp seeds, or shredded coconut to the top. Yum!

Gluten-free Zucchini Blueberry Muffins

These are the perfect muffins to bake in August! Sweet, plump blueberries are in season, and it seems like almost everyone has zucchini coming out of their ears. Why does everyone seem to grow so much zucchini year after year? Maybe it's so they have an excuse to make loads of delicious zucchini bread :) That's how I do it at least! So, maybe if your neighbor gives you some massive zucchinis from their garden, you can use this recipe to bless them back with some muffins. Or you could eat them all yourself and no one would know. Whatever floats your boat! 

 GF Zucchini Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 c. almond milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 c. maple syrup
• 2 c. gluten free flour
• 1 c. oat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1-2 c. fresh blueberries, chocolate chips, or both

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grate the zucchini using a food processor or cheese grater. 
2. Combine the zucchini, nut milk, eggs, vanilla, coconut oil, and maple syrup in a bowl.
3. Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in another bowl.
4. add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir together until well combined. Add the blueberries and/or chocolate chips.
5. Oil two loaf pans or muffin tins, and divide the batter evenly.
6. Bake the loaf for 50 minutes, stick a knife in the middle and see if it comes out clean. For the muffins, bake for 25-30 minutes, checking to see if done. Enjoy with butter, jam, almond butter and honey, or by themselves :)

Cocoa Coconut Balls

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup organic peanut/almond/cashew butter

• 1/2 cup oats

• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

• 8 organic medjool dates

• 2 Tbs. coconut oil

• 2 Tbs. cacao nibs

• 1 Tbs. hemp seeds

• 1 Tbs. Chia seeds

• 1 Tbs. cocoa powder

Melt the coconut oil. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, roll into bite-size balls, and store in the fridge or freezer :)

GF Apple Carrot Pecan Muffins

I'm currently working at a coffee shop. It's not necessarily what I expected I would be doing post-graduation. There have been many days where I've questioned the purpose of my life while wiping coffee-stained hands onto my blue jeans, picking up yet another pitcher of milk, and watching the bubbles rise and then disappear into the white whirlpool. Michael wants his daily medium latte, and I get to be the one that pours foamy milk into caramel-colored espresso, forms a decent rosetta, and hands it over with a smile.

I know that I won't be here forever. I'm finishing school and a new wedding photography season is coming up. Even though it's short-lived, I don't want to look back on this time as a waste. How can I make these countless interactions and mindless tasks mean more? I'm so much more than what I do, and I want that to be apparent in the way that I live. 

Career, vocation, purpose... It's a lifelong journey. I will admit that I used to think it was an educational one. You get your degree, figure out who you want to be, and the rest just sort of... well... happens? Fortunately, I'm learning that's most definitely not the way it is. If it was, we wouldn't be nearly as strong or our stories nearly as interesting. 

I'm trying to take what I have and where I am, and let it teach me something. Something that is not merely wasted time. Something that will be valuable to who I am now and where I am going. How will we get anywhere if we don't learn from the seemingly insignificant spaces in between the big moments?

I guess the reason I started talking about all of this is because of apple carrot pecan muffins. The chef at the coffeeshop makes them, and this recipe was inspired slightly by her brilliance. I don't know what she puts in hers besides apples, carrots, and pecans, but I wanted to make my own healthy version.

I used gluten free flours, and they are only sweetened with a banana and a small amount of maple syrup. These muffins are guilt-free and full of good things for you. The absolute best part is that they actually. taste. amazing. They're not dry, bland healthy muffins. They are moist, sweet, and flavorful healthy muffins. You have got to try them.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. oats, blended or food processed into flour
• 3/4 c. coconut flour (you can sub any regular or gluten free flour for the coconut flour and almond meal)
• 1/4 c. almond meal
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans
• 1 apple
• 2-3 large carrots
• 1 egg
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1/2 c. oil (I used 1/2 coconut and 1/2 avocado oil)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. almond milk (or any other milk/milk alternative)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a food processor, pulse the apple and then carrots until finely chopped. Place in a large bowl. Add the mashed banana, egg, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, and almond milk. Stir until well combined
3. In a separate bowl (or the same bowl), add the flours, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and pecans. Stir until well combined.
4. Scoop into a greased muffin tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
5. Enjoy plain, with butter, or with a smear of almond butter :)

COconut cashew energy balls

Do you ever find yourself craving something sweet during the day? I think the answer for most people is YES. Unfortunately, a lot of us, including me, have a definite sweet tooth. The only problem is that our bodies really don't need sugar (especially processed sugar), and would be much better off without it. I am a firm believer in eating sweet things in moderation, but it's so easy to want sugar more than we should probably be eating it. As a way to curb some of my sugar cravings, I came up with these coconut cashew energy balls. They have a way of feeling sweet and satisfying, without really containing much sugar at all. Also, they are full of healthy fats to keep you satisfied for a long time. I added a little bit of maple syrup for flavor and slight sweetness, but they could do just as well without it. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes, or shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 2 Tbs. coconut oil
• 1 Tbs. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor, and blend until well combined.
2. Roll into bite size balls and place in the fridge.

Super Nutty Granola

Recipe:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 2 cups oats
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 Tbs. coconut oil
• 3 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Chop the various nuts into smaller pieces, if desired. Add to a large bowl with the 2 cups of oats.
3. Melt the coconut oil in a small glass dish, and add the coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice to the mixture. Stir until well combined.
4. Spread the granola out on a large baking sheet. Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
5. After 10 minutes, take the granola out of the oven and stir. Place in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

*The amount and variety of nuts/seeds you use is totally up to you. The point is to just fill the granola with more healthy fats than normal :)