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!

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. 

Snack Break: Roasted Garlic Sea Salt Chick Peas

Snacking is always my downfall.  Luckily I found a yummy recipe for roasted chick peas!  They're full of protein and are a healthy carb. 

Pre-heat your oven to 250F.  Then all you have to do is take a can of chick peas (also known as garbanzo beans), drain, rinse in a colander, and dry on a towel for a while.  Then toss them in 2 tsp of EVOO.  Lay them on a cookie sheet covered in a layer of tin foil, and spread the chick peas on the foil.  You can season however you'd like.  My favorite is to sprinkle garlic sea salt lightly over them.  Bake for 10 minute increments, stirring in between.  After 30 min I will start testing one here and there, until they're no longer super soft.  They will dry a little harder as they cool, but you want them to be more solid when baking.  It can take around an hour. 

Enjoy your snack as much as I do!