Roasted Almonds

We bought some raw almonds from Costco a few months ago, and since they were in SUCH a huge bag, I froze half of them. We got so tired of eating the raw kind, so I decided to roast up some of the frozen ones we had with some spices, and they turned out delicious!

Ingredients:

2 cups raw almonds

1 T avocado oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp onion and garlic powder

Sprinkle of smoked paprika (optional but gives them a nice smokey flavor!)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Mix the almonds with the oil and spices, then spread evenly on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake for 7 minutes, stir the almonds, then bake again for another 7-10 minutes until they get fragrant. Let them cool and then store in an air-tight container to enjoy!

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Fun story: I thought I was ordering a single container of old fashioned rolled oats from Amazon, so when a package of 6 containers showed up, I knew I’d have to start getting creative in the kitchen with some recipes! I’ve also been wanting to experiment with some homemade granola bar recipes for my girls to have quick and nutritious snacks at home, so I whipped these up with Emma and they ended up being so delicious! Here’s the recipe, hope you all enjoy!

Makes 16 bars

1.5 cups rolled oats

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 scoops protein powder (I used primal kitchens peanut butter collagen, so good!)

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Melt the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl for 30-45 seconds. Then mix in the rest of the ingredients until smooth (I added a few tablespoons of water at the end to incorporate it fully).

Line a 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Then pour the mixture into the baking dish and flatten out. Freeze for 2-3 hours, then cut into squares and enjoy! These will keep in the fridge as a quick and satisfying snack!

Pepperoni Pizza Bites (low carb!)

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This recipe turned out SO good my family already polished them off, including the babies! Hope y’all enjoy! ⁣
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Makes 14-15 balls ⁣
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1.5 cups almond flour ⁣
1/2 T baking powder ⁣
2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella) ⁣
2 T cream cheese ⁣
1/4 cup grated Parmesan ⁣
2 eggs ⁣
1/2 T Italian seasoning ⁣
1 tsp garlic powder ⁣
8-10 pepperonis, chopped

optional: melt 2 T butter with 1 crushed garlic clove to brush on top before baking!
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. ⁣
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Start with microwaving the cheeses together in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 90 seconds, then stir, then another 60 seconds. ⁣
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Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly until it becomes a sticky dough. Form dough into balls and place on baking sheet. Brush with garlic butter, then bake for about 14-15 minutes until the bottoms get golden brown. Enjoy on their own or dipped in marinara sauce! So YUM!⁣

Homemade Granola!

Since my daughter Emma got diagnosed with nut allergies almost a year ago, we have been very vigilant about avoiding nuts (except for almonds + peanuts which we have confirmed she is fine with)! 

But while so many foods on the market claim they don’t contain nuts, they are sometimes processed on similar equipment and can have nut fragments or particles from cross-contamination. We definitely don’t want to take any risks when it comes to Emma’s allergies, so I decided to make homemade granola this past week and it turned out delicious! Here is the recipe! 

Homemade Granola (gluten & nut free)

1.5 cups oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup raw pepitas

3 T maple sugar (or coconut sugar)

5 T raw honey

4 T maple syrup

1/8 tsp sea salt  

2 T avocado oil or melted coconut oil

Stir all the ingredients together, then pour onto a lined baking sheet in a thin, even layer. Bake on 350 for 15 minutes.

Let it completely cool (I waited 2 hours) then break up into granola pieces! Enjoy!!

Whole Wheat Veggie Muffins

I’ve been trying to find ways to add vegetables to every meal, because that’s my mantra. Add vegetables to each meal to gain the most nutrient benefit from everything you eat. When you nourish yourself this way, you have a steady and firm foundation or health, which gives you the flexibility for some freedom and indulgence.  

As a pregnant mama of a toddler, I am also trying to find fast, portable snack options that are healthy for Emma & I. Enter: the veggie muffin. I loosely based this recipe off of one from Against All Grain & Dashing Dish, and I must say this version tastes the most like a traditional muffin, but still has amazing health benefits! Full of fiber, healthy fats, and even vitamin A, these muffins are the perfect snack, or even quick breakfast when you are on the go. Hope y’all enjoy! 

Whole Wheat Veggie Muffins (makes 12) 

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup almond flour

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

8-10 packets stevia or 1/3 cup sweetener of choice

1 egg

1 cup milk or water

3 T coconut oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 zucchini, grated

1 carrot, grated

1. Grate the zucchini and carrots and use a paper towel to squeeze out extra liquid.  

2. Add to a bowl, then mix in remaining ingredients.  

3. Pour the batter into muffin liners and bake on 350 degrees for 20-22 mins, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Each muffin has 2g of fiber, almost 6g of protein and 25% of your daily needs of Vitamin A!  

Let me know what y’all think and if you try them!  

Cheddar & Bacon Monkey Bread Muffins

This recipe...was SO good. I wanted to post it up soon because it would make a great side dish to your Thanksgiving feast! Biscuit dough has always been a favorite of mine growing up, and the savory additions to this muffin made it so tasty!

I would just like to preface that this isn’t the most nourishing food, BUT it is part of MY food freedom that I’ve been experiencing, and definitely made for a tasty treat! This blog has healthy, wholesome recipes, and treat recipes, and I’ve come to a place where having foods like this doesn’t bother me or send me over the edge anymore. We have to learn how to nourish ourselves well so that we can enjoy the treats as well and not be so stressed around foo! I am so thankful for the food freedom and nourishment that I’ve been experiencing in this journey, and know that I am here to guide you through it as well, just reach out and we can chat! 

Anyways, onto zee recipe!  

These were super easy to whip up, and turned out so savory and delicious! I made a big batch since my hubby took them to work with him, but you could definitely cut the recipe down if need be!  

Cheddar & Bacon Monkey Bread Muffins

(makes 30-ish muffins) 

3 cans refrigerated biscuit dough

3 cups shredded cheddar-jack cheese mix

8-10 slices turkey bacon

1.5 tsp garlic powder

0.5 tsp onion powder

0.5 tsp sage

1.5 tsp thyme

0.25 tsp salt, or to taste  

1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then line a muffin tin with liners or parchment paper.  

First, chop the turkey bacon and fry them in a pan until they are crispy. Set aside to cool.

Then, open up the biscuits and cut into little cubes.  

Place them in a large mixing bowl, then mix in the cheese, bacon, melted butter, and spices. Toss until the biscuits are evenly coated with all the yummy add-ins!  

Place about 5-6 cubes of the biscuits in each muffin tin. Then bake for 15-18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.  

These were so gooey and delicious fresh out of the oven, but tasted great with breakfast this morning too!!  

Hope y’all enjoy and Happy early Thanksgiving!  

Apple Crumb Cake

I don’t know about you, but apple desserts have always been my favorite. Apple pie, apple crisp, apple muffins, I love them all. Pumpkin pie has nothing on apple pie in my opinion!  

With fall finally here and thanksgiving around the corner, I wanted to bake up a fall treat that would satisfy all of my apple dessert cravings! This apple crumb cake did NOT disappoint! And it was super easy to whip up! I baked it in a smaller Pyrex (because we are packing and that’s all I had) but I think if you doubled the recipe, it could fit into an 8x8 dish! 

Here’s the recipe!  

Filling:

2 cups chopped apples

3 T coconut sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Topping:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1/4 water

1/4 cup grass fed butter, melted

Preheat the oven for 325 degrees.

Mix the filling and topping in two separate bowls.

Spray a glass dish with non-stick spray. Then pour the apple filling into the bottom of the dish and press down. Then press down the topping mixture evenly over the apples.

Bake for 25-30 mins or until it is golden on top and the apples are nice and soft. I even stuck a fork in there to make sure it was done since the top is more like a cake consistency. 

We let it cool for about 5 minutes before we dug in, with some vanilla ice cream of course! This dish was so simple and delicious; hope y’all enjoy it too! 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles (the BEST!)

I think I did it. I think I made the BEST pumpkin snickerdoodles this morning, and I just had to share the recipe with you all! These taste like fall + Christmas + all the warm fuzzy things. They were pretty easy to whip up this morning and came out so chewy and delicious. Here is the recipe!

Makes about 16-18 cookies

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 whole egg
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup coconut (or brown) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup pumpkin purée

Dry ingredients:
1.25 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup almond flour
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

Topping
1/4 cup white sugar
1 T cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cream together the wet ingredients until smooth, then add in the dry ingredients. The dough will look a bit wet, but that’s ok!

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and store in freezer for at least 1 hr.

While you are waiting, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the topping.

Once the dough has set, take it out and roll into little balls, then roll in the topping mixture. Set on baking sheet with some room in between since these cookies spread!

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms start browning. Then remove to cool!

These cookies were SO good, my hubby and I enjoyed them straight out of the oven as part of our breakfast...no guilt! I hope you all get to enjoy these cookies, let me know what you think!

Whole Wheat Banana Oat Muffins

Happy Friday, everyone! Have I got a recipe for you! I experimented this week and ​baked some delicious muffins at 5am because I was up and the brown bananas were just staring at me. I whipped these up in 10 minutes, did my workout while they baked, and viola, fresh baked muffins for breakfast!! We all have been enjoying them all week, especially smeared with some peanut butter! Hope y’all enjoy the recipe! 

Makes 12-15 muffins  

1.5 cups whole wheat flour 

1/4 cup rolled oats   

1/2 cup almond flour  

1 tsp baking soda  

1 tsp cinnamon  

1/4 tsp salt  

1/2 cup stevia of sugar equivalent  

1/3 cup coconut oil  

2 eggs  

3 brown bananas, mashed 

3/4 cup almond milk  

1 tsp vanilla extract  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin tin. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another, then mix together by adding the dry to the wet until incorporated!  

Pour the batter into the muffin tins, only till about 2/3 full. Bake for 22-25 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean!

I love having these as quick preworkout fuel, or with my breakfast as a side to some scrambled eggs/protein! 

And since it’s the weekend, I highly recommend you make these muffins and enjoy them as well!! Happy Friday folks! 

Blueberry Muffins

Muffins are such an easy and delicious item to meal prep for your week! Breakfast is always a rush in our home as my husband and I are getting ready to head to work and take Emma to day care. These muffins have been our saving grace this week so I thought I’d share the recipe! 

Blueberry muffins (makes 10-12) 

1 cup oat flour

1 cup almond flour

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup washed blueberries (fresh, not frozen) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with liners (I have been using parchment paper liners and love them!) 

Mix all the ingredients except for the blueberries in a stand mixer or by hand. Then fold in the blueberries.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the mixture into each muffin liner. Then bake for 20-25 mins until a toothpick comes out clean! 

Emma and I enjoyed these fresh out of the oven. Every time I gave her a piece, she’d give me the sweetest smile! I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!