Chocolate Chia Peanut Butter Balls

Chocolate Chia Peanut Butter bites

Want a quick snack, full of protein and fiber?  Need something quick to grab in the middle of the night when you're feeding your baby?  Have a craving for something sweet?  Want a post-workout snack?

Chia seeds are a great addition here.  I usually add them to anything I'm baking.  So many benefits - high in Omega 3, fiber, protein, calcium, iron and antioxidants to name a few.

And these little bites are awesome!!

Ingredients
•⅓ cup almonds
•¾ cup pitted dates (about 13 dates). 
•⅔ cup old-fashioned oats
•2 tbsp cacoa powder
•2 tbsp chia seeds
•3 tbsp peanut butter
•dash of salt

Instructions

• Pulse almonds in blender or food processor until they reach a fine crumb. Pour crumbs into a medium mixing bowl.
• Blend dates until they reach a paste-like consistency. Add to bowl. Add teaspoon of water as necessary.
• Mix together and form into balls. If mixture sticks to your hands, rub a little butter or non stick spray on them.

Forms about 13 bites. 

Keep in fridge for a quick snack or pop into the freezer for later!

Your kids will love them too!

Healthy Habit Changes - Just one at a time.

Sometimes we beat ourselves up because we had a bad day/weekend/week. And we say: 'Starting tomorrow, I'm cutting all sugar, wheat, alcohol and I'm going to exercise 6 days this week.'

Ok maybe not all of that - but you get the point,

There's so much information out there right now about what you should be eating; what's bad for you, what omegas you're not getting, and so on and so on. It seems to change A LOT and it can be frustrating to keep up.

If you're stressed about what you 'should be' eating, don't be.

Make one change. Choose an apple instead of chocolate covered granola bar. Go for a walk instead of turning on the tv. Make a meal instead of hitting the Mcdonalds drive thru. Get your kids to eat a new vegetable. Become aware of the labels on your food.

We don't have to all go gluten free, dairy free, PALEO, KETO or whatever the current trend may be. Do what works for you, and don't try to do it all today.

What if...instead of going ALL IN, you just changed one thing.

Just one.

And instead of taking something unhealthy away, you ADD something positive.

Here are some examples:

This week, I'm going to drink a glass of lemon water when I wake up.

Or this week, I'm going to drink tea at night.

Or this week, I'm going to try to get an hour extra sleep.

Or this week, I'm going to add more vegetables at lunch.

Or this week, I'm going to add more protein in the morning.

Or this week, I'm going to take the stairs to the office.

Or this week, I'm going to meditate for 5 minutes every day.

Or this week, I will take a smaller portion of dinner.

Or this week, I will walk every day for 15 minutes.

Walking is a great way to move your body, clear your head, and/or connect with your kids.

You will be more likely to stick with that ONE change for the whole week, rather than doing a whole bunch of changes for 7 days. It's too hard to try to do it all once. You're more likely to just give up cause it's too damn hard.

Forget about what your friends, neighbours and relatives are doing.

Do what works for you. And do it slowly. One thing at a time.

And for more ideas on small habit changes, check out the wonderful community over at Healthy Habits Happy Moms .

Easy Healthy Egg Muffin Bakes!

Easy Healthy Egg Muffin Bakes!

Sometimes MY breakfast is the last thing on my mind in the morning. I'm busy with kids lunches, breakfasts, and getting out the door, and that means that sometimes my breakfast is forgotten. This is a great way to get some protein and veg in for those rushed mornings! And it's SUPER EASY!

Easy, quick, healthy and protein. A few of my essentials for breakfast.

Did I mention they were easy?

Ingredients:

-11 eggs

-2 tablespoons milk

-1/4 cup bell pepper diced

-1/4 cup zucchini, diced

-1/4 cup mushrooms, diced

-1-2 tablespoon chopped onion

-1 cup grated cheese

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-pepper to taste

 Add any ingredients you want!  Throw in some veg, cheese, meat. You choose what you like!

- Preheat oven to 375F and grease a 12 cup muffin pan. (or use a non stick spray or muffin liners. And go heavy on the spray, oil or butter. These guys like to stick!)  

- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together.

- Pour into muffin cups and garnish with a little extra cheese (if desired).

- Bake for 20 minutes.

- Let cool before taking out of the muffin pan.  

You can use anything for the mixture - ham, spinach, tomatoes, bacon, feta. You could even add some cooked quinoa for some extra protein. Use what you have in your fridge and change it up!

After they have cooled, place in a bag and keep in the freezer for a quick meal or snack!

These are so easy and quick and you've just set yourself up for some easy breakfasts or healthy snacks.

The BEST Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

It's fall and there's a lot of zucchini around! I always seem to end up with some from my friends gardens. (Thanks friends!)  

I love zucchini. Grilled. Panfried with a little parm. And even fresh with a little bit of dip.  But I also love to bake with it.  And this is one of my all time fav muffin recipes!

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 - 2 tablespoon hemp hearts (optional)

1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup grated zucchini

1/2 cup chocolate chips

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease muffin pan (or line with paper.)  I like to use silicone muffin cups.  Easy to pop out and good for mother nature too.

2. Combine flours, sugar, cacao, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, hemp hearts and chia seeds.

3. In separate and larger bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and mix together.  Add in the chocolate chips.

4. Pour into muffin liners and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

I typically add hemp hearts and chia seeds to all my baking. Adds a little extra protein, fibre and a little bit of a crunchy texture.

Makes about 12-18 muffins. Throw them in a ziplock bag for the freezer so they are easy to pop out for school lunches! This recipe doubles well and my kids love them!

(Thank you to www.eat-drink-love.com for the original of this recipe. I adapted it slightly.)