Super Yummy Mini Cauliflower Chicken Pot Pies (Low carb & GF!)

We hit this point every few months where we're just plain tired of eating the same food over and over.  Once it gets more challenging to get the grill out (hello snow) I am forced to do some major research on new meals that are easy, everyone likes, and are (mostly) healthy.  No sense in throwing my nutrition goals out the window just to save a few minutes!!

Pinterest came to my rescue again a few weeks ago as I was meal planning, and I found a recipe for HEALTHY POT PIE!!!  I LOVE pot pie, so this was super exciting.

You can check out the original recipe here: http://www.itscheatdayeveryday.com/low-carb-cauliflower-pot-pies/

Note that I'm posting my own thoughts & tweaks on it, as well as my take on the recipe since I had to scroll forever on their page to get to it.  You can print their version though, if that's easier.

This makes about 5 mini-pot pies using the regular muffin tins.

Cauliflower cups:
- 1 bag crumbled cauliflower (sometimes called cauliflower rice)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 C parmesan
- salt/pepper

Filling:
- 2 chicken breasts, diced & cooked
- 1 1/4 C chicken broth
- 1/4 C unsweetened almond milk (I just used the vanilla flavored unsweetened almond milk, since that's what I have for my shakes)
- 1 C frozen peas & carrots (I used a little extra)
- 1 T onion powder
- 2 T cornstarch mixed with 1/4 C water (mix immediately and stir well, before adding to the sauce)
- Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
- Heat oven to 400F
- Microwave the cauliflower rice on high for 5 minutes.  While cooking, spread a cheesecloth or a thin dish towel on the counter. 
- Spread the cooked cauliflower rice on the towel and let cool for about 10 minutes.  This is critical or you'll burn your hands!
- Once cooled, gather the ends of the towel with the cauliflower rice in the middle.  Start squeezing all the liquid out of the cauliflower rice, twisting the towel while the cauliflower rice is bunched in the middle.  Make sure you get as much liquid out as possible.
- Add the now-dried cauliflower rice to a bowl with the egg, cheese, salt, and pepper.  Mix well using a wooden spoon or your hands.
- Spray large muffin tins with cooking spray and pat the cauliflower crust mixture into the tins.  Make sure it's evenly spread along the bottom and sides, creating a shell to hold the filling.
- Bake for 20 minutes or so until the shells are lightly browned and the center is no longer squishy
- While the shells are baking, heat a skillet and saute the onions until translucent.  Add the chicken broth, almond milk, peas & carrots, onion powder, and salt/pepper.
- Stir and cover to steam the frozen veggies, about 5-8 minutes or until the veggies are soft
- While the filling is cooking, mix the cornstarch with the water to create a "slurry".  Add this to the sauce filling, along with the cooked chicken. 
- Remove the cauliflower shells from the oven, and use a fork or knife to remove them gently from each muffin tin.  Use a large spoon to dish the filling into each shell. 
- Serve and enjoy!

Hearty & Healthy Beef and Veggie Soup

There's nothing better on a COLD Minnesota winter evening than hot soup.  Bonus if it's healthy and can fit into one of my meal plans!  I love tossing random things into a crock pot, and coming home to a hot dinner and house that smells wonderful.

Last week my soup was beef & veggie.  I've been using tons of veggies in my soups this winter to make it a little more interesting and to bump up our nutrient intake.  There is SO much illness going around that extra nutrients can't hurt. 

Ingredients:
- Stew Beef (1 packet of it, all pre-cut from Hy Vee)
- 1 container low sodium beef broth (not stock)
- 1/4 a container of low sodium chicken broth (if you're not cooking it for longer than 6 hours you probably don't need this.  Mine cooked for 10 hours, and I was afraid of the liquid getting too low and burning)
- 1/2 C barley, dry
- 2 C chopped green beans
- 3 stalks of celery, dimed
- 5 carrots, peeled and dimed
- 1/2 a purple onion, diced
- 1/2 C frozen sweet corn (bonus if you have some that you froze yourself from this summer!)
- seasonings of your choice (I used one that was Maple Bacon, another that was Chipotle Garlic, and then just some extra garlic powder (not salt)).

Directions:
- Add all the ingredients to a large crock pot
- Stir to ensure everything is mixed well
- Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours
- Eat and enjoy!!

Note: this heats up well.  We always have enough for 2+ meals, and the "cooked" picture is from our leftovers later in the week. 

The "So good you won't realize they're healthy" Brownie Bites!

The other day I needed a recipe for a cook-off we had at work.  Since I'm trying to eat better, I figured I needed to find a recipe that was healthy so I wouldn't feel guilty having a treat.  I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest, and while I thought it sounded kind of disgusting I was intrigued.  Sweet potatoes are NOT on my list of things that I like (even remotely), but I figured heck let's give it a whirl. 

So here's the deal.  These brownie bites are SO good.  They're moist, richly chocolate, and don't have even a hint of veggies or avocado.  I swear that even my husband was munching on them and raving about how good they were (before I told him what was in them), and we're both super picky eaters.  Best thing?  They're gluten free, dairy free, soy free, low sugar, and super healthy for you!

Ingredients:
- 1/2 C Sweet Potato puree.  (I got a bag of the pre-cut sweet potatoes from Target, steamed them in the bag, then blasted them in my blender.  It gave me enough for 3 batches of brownie bites, so I froze the extra for later)
- 1 small avocado
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 C raw cocoa powder
- 1/3 C Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (vegan & soy free, yet so delicious.  I lived on these while nursing my MSPI kiddos)
- 1/3 C honey (no you can't taste it, I don't like honey and this was fine)
- 3 T coconut flour
- 2 T melted coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350
- Spray a mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray.  My favorite is the olive oil based one.  You can also use muffing liners if you want, but it's not necessary. Make sure EVERY tin is sprayed or you'll struggle to get them out
- Mix all the ingredients, saving about 1/4 C of the chocolate chips to sprinkle on top.  (not required, you can mix them all in if you want).  I'd recommend adding them in the order listed so you don't have to measure dry ingredients after the wet ingredients using the same utensils. 
- Take a tablespoon and spoon batter into the mini-muffin pan.  Fill each tin about 3/4 full
- Bake for 20 minutes, then let cool for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Zany for Zoodles!!

I'm a carb lover, and a pasta lover.  As I've been slowly trying to replace "bad" carbs with "good" carbs, my pasta has become an occasional treat vs. a once-a-week meal staple.  A while back I saw a quote from Cindy Crawford about how these days a bowl of pasta is viewed the same as a giant ice cream sundae now!  That helped change my view on the effects of refined pasta on our bodies. 

So a while back I invested (ok, they're actually pretty inexpensive) in a zoodle maker.  It's really simple to use, but I followed a bad Pinterest recipe on how to prepare the zoodles and it was a raging disaster.  As a result it's been MONTHS since I've made them again.  Like, they were so bad I had to choke them down and gave up after a few bites. 

Well I tried a recipe from Fixate for turkey meatballs and wanted to attempt zoodles again.  This time it worked really well!  You've got to try this as an alternative.  Here are a few options!

Making the Zoodle noodles:
- Get one medium sized zucchini per person
- Cut both ends off the zucchini
- Using a spiralizer (similar to this one), attach the holder onto one end of the zucchini and insert the other end into the spiralizer.
- Twist the zucchini stick in the spiralizer, catching the resulting "noodles" in a bowl.

Boiled Zoodles:
- Fill a small sauce pan about half full of cold water.
- Over medium heat, heat the water to a boil
- Once boiling, add the zoodles to the water
- Watch carefully and stir occasionally.  Boil for about 2-4 minutes or until slightly softened.
- Drain the water in a strainer and move the zoodles to a bowl.
- Add your toppings and enjoy!

Sautéed Zoodles:
- Heat 2 tsp of EVOO in a skillet
- Add 1 clove of pressed garlic
- Add the zoodles and stir frequently for 3-4 minutes
- Add salt and seasoning to taste
- Remove from heat; add your toppings and enjoy!

Homemade Healthy Baked Beans

So as I've mentioned *many* times before my son is a terrible, picky eater.  BUT he loves baked beans.  After reading recently how horrible they are for you (hello sugar!  hello - reason why he loves them!) I became determined to find a healthy version that I could make.  No, it's not as fast and convenient as popping open a can of Busch's baked beans and microwaving them for 2 minutes, but you'll do about anything to make sure your kids have a chance to be healthy and safe! 

So this recipe came from someone online a while ago, and says it's adapted from the Country Heat nutrition plan.  Unfortunately I didn't save the link (face smack) and googling it didn't help me.  So here it is below retyped, but note I did NOT come up with this on my own. 

Healthy Baked Beans

Ingredients:
4 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (8oz each) tomato sauced, no sugar added  - *note: I used 1 15 oz. can instead
1T Worcestershire sauce
1tsp Dijon mustard
3T pure maple syrup
2 cans (15oz each) cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
sea salt to taste

Directions:

• preheat oven to 325F
• Heat oil in ovenproof medium saucepan (*note: I used a cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat
• Add onion, cook and stir frequently for 4-6 minutes or until onion is translucent
• Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, syrup, and beans.  Season with salt, cook stirring frequently, over medium-low heat for 5 minutes
• Place pan in the oven uncovered; bake for 45-50 minutes or until sauce is thick

Roasted Zucchini

I'm not usually big on roasting my veggies.  I prefer them raw and crunchy.  But I decided to try roasting them one night recently, and wow it turned out well!  Even my husband who kind of grudgingly eats veggies said they were good! 

Directions:
- Slice zucchini into 1/4" wide slices
- Toss in EVOO and a seasoning of your choice
- Heat oven to 400F
- Lay zucchini slices on tin foil
- Bake for about 10 minutes, or until slightly browned

Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Grilled Corn

Being from Iowa, we LOVE corn!  I was so excited to see Hy-Vee carrying it already.  My goal is to get us as dairy-free as possible (or me, really, the kids still need milk) so I decided to try something different.  OMG it was so delicious we all wished I'd bought more corn! 

Ingredients:
- Corn
- extra virgin olive oil
- seasoning of your choice (I used Wildtree's scampi blend)

Directions:
- Husk and wash corn
- Place corn on a plate and lightly drizzle with EVOO. 
- Lightly sprinkle your choice of seasoning on the corn
- Roll the corn around until it's evenly dispersed.
- Grill at about 350-400 for about 10-15 minutes, using a tongs to roll the corn every few minutes so it's evenly cooked.
- Remove from the grill and enjoy!

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wrap/Salad

Now I've done different versions of lettuce wraps.  This one includes green apple, and since I love apples I had to give it a whirl!  I totally forgot to save the big lettuce leaves and chopped all my lettuce (whoops - got on a roll while food prepping!) and ended up eating it on salad.  Even several days later my mom and I ate it heated up and she raved about it! 

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1½ tsp. hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• ½ tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
  

Filling:

• 2 tsp. EVOO
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• ½ tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 2 cups diced peppers and grated carrots
  
• ½ green apple, finely chopped

Directions:

• Cook the ground turkey through
• Once cooked, drain and return to the pan. 
• Add the spices and veggies, along with 1/4C water if needed
• Cook until headed through
• Add prepared sauce and warm
• Serve either over a lettuce salad or in large leaves of lettuce

• 
  

Shakeology Tips

Anytime you try something new, it can take a while to perfect it.  For example, when you first got on a bike did you just take off down the street?  Or did you learn on training wheels first?  I've found that mastering the perfect shake is similar.  It took me a few weeks of testing different ingredients and amounts to find the texture and volume that was perfect for me.  I have to always make a little extra for the kids, so I learned that I need to add some water and extra ice.

Personally, I like my shakes thick and creamy.  It tastes like a DQ shake or Wendy's Frosty that way.  The tip to getting them to taste like that is:

- 1/2 frozen banana (I cut them into slices and freeze each half in a little container)
- 1C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 3/4 shaker cup of ice
- 1 scoop Shakeology
- Blend until smooth in a blender.  You can use a large one or a single-serve blender.

Now you can add other fruit, nut butters, extracts, or veggies to change the flavor.  But in order to get the perfect texture follow the directions above!  Hope this helps those who are just starting on their Shakeology journey!

Cilantro-Lime Avocado Jicama salad

I'm testing out recipes from the Ultimate Refresh just to make sure I can do it this summer, because I'm such a picky eater. One of the recipes on Pinterest called for Jicama, and the dish looked good so I decided to give it a whirl.

Let me tell you, I had no idea what a jicama looked like and finally found it with the potatoes! You guys know me, I hate potatoes so I was a little hesitant. After googling it, turns out a jicama is a Mexican turnip!

This recipe turned out amazing and it's my new favorite lunch item. I'll be posting it on my blog later today so check back. The jicama turns out to be light, with a tangy taste, and crispy. Love it!  See my version (not the official UR version) of the recipe below.  I tweaked it to include protein since I'm not on the UR yet, and to cut the size.  I also left out the maple syrup in the UR recipe because I really dislike syrup. 

Container Count:
1-green
1-red
1-tsp

Ingredients: (for 4 salads)
- 1 medium sized Jicama
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 1 bundle of cilantro
- 1 lime
- olive oil
- Himalayan sea salt
- Avocado

Directions:
- Pull all the meat off the rotisserie chicken and dice into bite-sized pieces.  Mix up the meat in a large bowl so the light and dark meat is evenly dispersed.  I like to do this while it's still warm so it's easier to pull off.
- Using a sharp knife, cut off the ends of the jicama.  The skin will start peeling off.  Use the knife to cut the skin off.
- Cut thin slices of the jicama, then cut into matchstick size pieces.  I would stack several slices of the jicama into a pile then cut the matchstick pieces.
- Cut your lime into 8 wedges.
- Using mason jars for containers: put 1tsp of olive oil in each mason jar.  Squeeze the juice from 1.5 lime wedges in each jar, and top with some Himalayan sea salt.  Swirl the jars to mix the dressing.
- Measure 1 green container of jicama and add this to each jar. 
- Using either a knife or kitchen shears. chop the cilantro and add some to each jar.  Use the amount that you prefer.
- Put the lids on the jars and shake them well until the items are evenly distributed and coated.
- Open the jars and add 1 red container of chicken to each.  A rotisserie chicken generally has 4 red containers worth. 
- Add the lids back on and refrigerate until you're ready to eat!  It's recommended that the jicama marinades for at least an hour.
- When ready to eat, empty the jar into either a bowl or a plate.  Cut half an avocado into diced size pieces and stir into the salad mixture.

Deconstructed Egg Roll

We're always looking for new, fast dinner ideas.  This was crazy fast to whip up, and when we ate it 3 days later for dinner everything was still as fresh as if it was just made!  That's my type of meal.  One of my fellow coaches Janiece shared this recipe with me, and it's going into the rotation for sure.  My family had it over Ramen (yeah, I know), and I just had it plain.  There are plenty of veggies in it that you don't need it over salad or anything like I normally would.  It's savory and a great source of both protein and veggies.  The perfect meal!

My one tip is to start cooking everything in the wok.  I made a huge mess by starting with a regular size frying pan, then having to upgrade to a bigger one, and finishing in the wok.  Save your dish washing time by going straight to the wok, ladies!

UPDATE:
I'm currently doing 80 Day Obsession and need lunch items that are 1 protein, 1 veggie, 1 carb, and 1 tsp.  This adaptation hits all but the carb.
Ingredients:
- 1 package ground turkey sausage
- 1 bag of coleslaw mix
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce

Directions:
- In a wok brown the turkey sausage until cooked through.  Drain, then add extra seasonings if you'd like.  I added garlic powder, powdered ginger, and some salt & pepper
- Add the package of coleslaw mix and the oil & soy sauce.  cook on low for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. 
- This made 2 lunches and 1 dinner for our family.  I served it with homemade corn tortillas, which count as the carb.  Heats up super well!

Check out the recipe here:
http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2015/08/24/sausage-egg-roll-in-a-bowl/print/

Tangy & Quick Stir Fry

Quick meals are a necessity in our life.  My husband and I both work full time, and as many of you know that doesn't leave much time for anything else!  I prefer to spend as little time each night preparing meals so I can focus my energy on my kids.  The other week I had prepared chicken to use in my chicken strip recipe.  [Some of you know this already, but I do all my food prep for the week on Sundays to speed things up during our hectic weeks.]  Needless to say, things came up, we didn't eat them, and I had my husband throw the chicken in a freezer bag and freeze it for later.

Later came upon us last weekend when I needed a quick dinner and hadn't gone shopping yet for the week.  I pulled out the chicken, defrosted it, and decided to make stir fry instead!  We used a frozen veggie stir fry mix from Hy-Vee (it's nice to keep stuff like this on hand for emergencies), so the meal was super fast yet chock full of protein and vitamins.  It was also super yummy!

Ingredients:

·        4 chicken breasts

·        seasoning of your choice (we used Jamaican Jerk from our recent vacation)
·       1 T olive oil

·        1 bag frozen stir fry mix

Directions:

During meal prep: cut the chicken into strips.  Mine were about 1" thick and 3" long (at most).  Put in a glass container and add the olive oil and seasoning.  Mix together until coated.  You can seal this and store in the fridge for a few days if you're prepping meals ahead, freeze it in a freezer bag for later, or move right into the cooking directions below after marinating for at least 15 minutes.

Add a little olive oil to a wok or skillet.  When hot, add the chicken and cook through.  While cooking, steam the veggies in the microwave.  Once everything is cooked well, mix them together in the wok or skillet.  You can eat as-is or over rice or noodles.  

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

We had a Mexican themed dinner with friends the other night, and I'm trying to  not only stick to my containers better, but add more veggies in my life.  Now, I'm not terrible with my veggies by any means, but someone who just completed the Total Reset mentioned your diet should be 70% vegetable based.  What the what???  That blew my mind.  But it also made me think more deeply about what I eat.  For example, way too much sugar. 

I threw the question out on my Facebook page, and several kind people provided ideas for healthy side dishes.  This one was super simple (yes please!) and delicious. 

Ingredients:
- 1 bag cauliflower rice (Trader Joe's)
- Fresh cilantro
- 1/2 lime

Directions:
Put the cauliflower in a large skillet, no oil needed.  Heat on medium until warmed through.  It took about 15 minutes and it will start turning translucent when it's cooked.  Stir constantly to prevent burning.

When warmed up, add chopped cilantro and squeeze the juice from half a lime over the cauliflower rice.  Stir well to mix.

Enjoy with taco meat (turkey or chicken, of course!)

Fresh Chicken Tenders

My kids l.o.v.e chicken tenders, and these are quick and easy to make.  It's really easy to switch up the flavors in your marinade or in the coating, and it's pretty healthy while delivering lots of protein!  Prep ahead for a quick dinner during the week. 

Fresh Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

·        4 chicken breasts

·        1T olive oil

·        1/2C panko crumbs

·        seasoning of your choice (we use maple bacon)

·        1T fresh shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
During meal prep: cut the chicken into strips.  Mine were about 1" thick and 3" long (at most).  Put in a glass container and add the olive oil and seasoning.  Mix together until coated.  You can seal this and store in the fridge for a few days if you're prepping meals ahead, or move right into the coating and baking directions below.

·        Heat oven to 350F

·        Put the panko into another bowl and add the parmesan cheese.  

·        Next dip the chicken pieces into the panko and seasoning bowl

·        Place the coated pieces into a glass cooking dish

·        Bake for 15 minutes or so, until lightly golden

·        If you’re really short on time you can also pan fry them in 2tsp of EVOO.  It takes about 5 minutes per side

·        Before serving, cut into each piece to ensure there is no pink.  Cook longer until the pink is gone

Fixate Mac & Cheese

We love mac & cheese in this family.  The kids ask for it at least 3 times a week, and even though I've switched to the organic Kraft brand I was looking for something better.  I've had the Fixate cookbook for about a year now, but had not noticed one of the best recipes in there!  One of my peer coaches posted that her family was having the mac & cheese and it looked fantastic.  It was surprisingly easy to pull together, and delicious!  Another sign of a good meal - the leftovers heat up well the next day for lunch!

My son was at first devastated that he wasn't getting his beloved Kraft, but he slowly warmed up and really got into helping make the meal.  And he actually ate it!!!  Anytime we can get him to eat anything, we're pretty excited. 

Containers: 1 green, 1/2 red, 1 yellow, 1/2 blue

Rather than copying the recipe in my blog (hello copyright issues), here is a link to the Beachbody blog where they reposted her recipe from Fixate. 
https://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/recipes/macaroni-and-cheese-with-broccoli-recipe

Want to buy the cookbook?  Use this link!
https://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/FixateCookbook?referringRepId=1238647

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

My kids are THE PICKIEST EATERS ON THE PLANET.  Or at least one of them is.  I have NO idea where they get this (insert severe sarcasm).  Ok, well, Mark and I are both pretty picky, so it's really no shock that at least one of the kids won't touch food. 

My challenge each day is to not only try new recipes, find healthy options for my family, and teach everyone how to eat whole, natural foods, but it's to get.food.into.my.child.  As I've been getting ready for our Family Fitness challenge, we've been testing recipes as a family and for once the kids actually said "yes" when I asked if they wanted to be my kitchen helpers.  It's SO much more fun to make dinner as a team, rather than feeling like the galley slave while everyone else plays. 

We've been making cauliflower crust pizza for a while, with varying results on whether the kids actually eat it.  This time though, they fully participated in every step of the process and my son devoured almost half of the pizza!  What a huge win. 

Ingredients:
- 1 bag of cauliflower crumbles (I use Green Giant brand, from Target).  *note: you can make your own by chopping up a head of cauliflower and using a food processor.  I don't have one though, and the blender was a nightmare so this is way faster for me.
- 1/4C shredded parmesan
- 1/4C shredded mozzarella
- oregano
- pepper
- basil
- Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
- 1 egg

Directions:
- Put a pizza stone in your oven.  Pre-heat oven to 450F. 
- Empty bag of cauliflower crumbles into a steamable container.  My favorite is from Pampered Chef. 
- Add some water, and microwave for 4 minutes
- One the cauliflower is soft, remove from the microwave, strain, and spread it on a clean tea towel. 
- Let it cool for a few minutes so the next step isn't too hot.
- Once slightly cooled, wrap the cauliflower into a bundle in the tea towel.  Wrap the ends together, and squeeze all the water out of the cauliflower.  You'll be shocked at how much comes out.  Keep wringing the bundle until the water is out.
- Empty the cauliflower out of the towel into a large bowl.
- Add the two cheeses along with the seasoning.  I used probably 1/4tsp each, but you can use whatever amount you like.
- Add the egg
- Using a large spoon or your hands, mix it all together until it's turned into a dough-like consistency.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper on a cutting board or cookie sheet.  Transfer the cauliflower dough onto the paper.
- Form the dough into a large, round shape.  It shouldn't be too think or too thick.  Slide the paper off the cutting board or cookie sheet onto the hot pizza stone.
- Bake for 8-11 minutes, until slightly browned.
- Remove the dough and paper from the oven onto the cookie sheet or cutting board again.
- Add whatever sauce and toppings you want.  We use mozzarella and parmesan cheese plus reduced-fat pepperoni on our side. 
- Slide the paper and pizza back onto the stone to cook for another 5-7 minutes.  When the top is browned it will be done.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 1 minute to cool.  Cut and enjoy!

Skinny Chocolate

My friend Lindsey had twin girls recently, making her a mama of 4 precious girls!  She's diving into the 21 Day Fix to get her body back.  Lindsey provided this yummy recipe for those of us who have chocolate cravings but want a healthy alternative.  Thanks Lindsey!

*photo credit and recipe: Lindsey Lumbard

Ingredients:
1- ice cube tray
1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 cup coconut oil...
Add natural peanut butter to your liking if you wish
& add 6-9 tsp of stevia (depends on how sweet you want it)

Directions
Stir and pour in ice cube tray
Place in freezer few hours and then you can take them out store in a container in freezer
* must be kept frozen or they will melt

Apple Nachos

If I had to pick one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be a close tie between apples, chocolate, and peanut butter.  This treat is the perfect combination of the three!  It's a healthy way to have a treat while not ruining your diet with a Reese's. 

Ingredients:
1 apple
1T Natural Peanut butter (Skippy's is my favorite)
small handful of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions:
- Slice apple vertically into thin slices
- Heat the peanut butter in a small bowl for 30 seconds while cutting your apple
- Once the apple is sliced, lay the pieces on a plate like you would taco chips.  Start with the largest pieces on the bottom.
- Drizzle the melted peanut butter all over the apple slices. 
- Before the peanut butter hardens, sprinkle some chocolate chips on the top of the peanut butter
- Enjoy!

Zucchini Chips

I was looking for a new snack for girls night, and discovered this one from Autumn's Fixate cookbook.  It turned out fantastic!  I cut down the recipe, and found the cooking time on my oven was MUCH less than in her cookbook.

Ingredients:
- 1 zucchini
- olive oil
- sea salt or seasoning of your choice

Directions
- Using a mandolin, take half the zucchini and cut it into thin slices.  Repeat with the other half
- Lay slices of zucchini in a single layer on a paper towel.  Lay another paper towel on top of this, then add another layer of zucchini.  Repeat until all zucchini is drying. 
- While zucchini is drying (only takes a few minutes), prepare baking sheets by laying parchment paper on top.  I used two baking sheets.
- Lay the zucchini slices in a single layer on the parchment paper until all zucchini is on a baking sheet.
- Brush olive oil lightly on the zucchini slices, then sprinkle with sea salt or seasoning.
- Bake for about an hour.  After 40 minutes check regularly to prevent from burning.  (note: Fixate directs a 2 hour baking time.  Mine were very brown at the hour point).

Enjoy!  They are positively addicting and great to munch on at 10am when I need a snack.  It's all veggie though!  I usually only need a few to be satisfied.