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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Fudgesicles {dairy-free, paleo-friendly}
I am an official ambassador for Dole Fresh Fruit and Fresh Vegetables. Dole provided me with compensation for my time. As always, all opinions expressed in this post are mine.
These Chocolate Covered Strawberry Fudgesicles are a fun and tasty way to encourage the kiddos to get more fruits and veggies. I would like to just go ahead and get this right out of the way – I added a veggie to your dessert and I am not sorry. I am going to just need for you to trust me on this one, until you make them yourself. I have never steered you wrong, have I?
Let’s also discuss the idea of “sneaking” veggies in on kids. Listen, while I am an auntie to many, no, I don’t have my own kids, so I won’t pretend to understand the daily struggle of getting them to eat what you want them to. But I have borne witness to many of these altercations as a sidelined viewer. I do know that vegetables, especially, can be a contentious topic with the littles, that doesn’t always have an amicable resolution. But, while I don’t have my own children, I do work as a nutritional therapist with many adults. I see many, many iterations of various challenging habits and food aversions, lifelong unhealthy patterns, that often stem from childhood and not being led by example, not being taught, empowered and encouraged when it comes to making lasting, healthful choices. Read the rest of this entry »
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Grain-free Mini Pumpkin Cashew Cheesecakes {Vegan}
For so many of us when there are foods you avoid, either out of necessity or by choice, there are always very specific foods and recipes that you have to just give up longing for. The torture just becomes to much. As someone that generally avoids dairy, in more than very small amounts, I can assure you that the longing feeling I have in my heart for that stretchy pull of good cheese in a homemade mac and cheese or a slice of pizza loaded with the ooey gooey good stuff – those are quite hard to replicate. I am absolutely not a fan of the “faux cheese” alternatives, for so many reasons, mostly because I highly suspect there is very little actual food in there, so I generally just abstain. It’s fine. You just get over it. No really, you do.
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Grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Coconut Milk Ice Cream {dairy-free}
I broke the seal on this summer’s ice cream maker usage with this incredible Peach Raspberry Sorbet, earlier this month and now I can’t stop. When I get a craving for something, you best watch yourself. Get out of my way and let me do my thing. My current adoration of my ice cream maker plus a craving for a childhood favorite meant it was time to create!
I had the realization that I have sadly been without cookie dough ice cream for longer than should be allowed. The store-bought ones, even when gluten-free or dairy-free, are still loaded with so much junk, tons of refined sugar, creepy lab experiment thickeners and I just can’t.
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Chocolate Avocado Shake {Paleo, Dairy-free, Nut-free, Keto-friendly}
By now we’ve all seen and likely enjoyed that that tasty chocolate mousse or pudding, that is actually just avocado, cocoa and a little sweetener. (You can find my recipe for it, terrible photo and all, way back in the TY archives.) That very idea also sparked the creation of these delicious Creamy Chocolate Fudgesicles.
This past week, as I continued to collect the many avocados still available in abundance from the tree in our yard, I was dreaming up creative uses for all the avocados we have. I can never get enough guacamole and my homemade avocado salad dressing is always a favorite, but I was also craving something sweet. I am not sure how or why, but I was instantly inspired to create a creamy, luscious chocolate shake.
I have never been a fan of milkshakes!! Gasp… I know right? There is just something about that much dairy getting sucked through a straw, laced with a year’s worth of sugar that ALWAYS spell disaster for my gut, as it should.
Velvety smooth, rich and sinfully delicious, this Chocolate Shake get it’s creaminess from avocado, rather than ice cream and it’s sweetened only by a few dates (or other sweetener of your choice) and a little melted dark chocolate (your choice of how dark). It brings you some healthy fats from both the avocado and the coconut milk and a load of antioxidants from the raw cacao (read more about the benefits of dark chocolate). Also, shhhh, there’s no dairy in there, so it’s great for all, paleo, vegans, it’s even safe for our nut-free pals. Basically in all it’s delicious glory, it’s like a nutrient-dense chocolate shake, that you can indulge in, without worrying about crappy ice cream or loads of sugar! I promise, it will be love at first sip.
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Chocolate Trail Mix Energy Bars
If you follow me on social media, on apps like Instagram or Snapchat, you may have noticed that after nearly 3 years of living in California, I am back to traveling again. The travel-bug has bit this girl and this is an itch that must be scratched. I absolutely love adventure and I live for that joy you get when discovering new places.
The hardest thing about traveling, however, is doing so with dietary challenges. With limitations on my diet and wanting to maintain a healthy, mindful lifestyle, this can be hard while I am away from the comforts of my own kitchen. While challenging, it is also totally possible and I want to share with those of you living a life similar to mine, that with a little research and planning, your wanderlust can certainly be quenched, too! In the past, after first changing my diet, discovering my gluten intolerance and making other changes to my lifestyle, I had found myself scared to travel, worried that I wouldn’t be able to eat. But I always more than make it, I eat well on my travels and I am able to honor my body the way I choose to, while still being able to explore new cuisine, experience new restaurants and travel a city the way everyone else gets to. I want to encourage you guys, to get out there, to have fun, explore and travel.
For me, a big part of my travel routine, relies heavily on planning ahead and of course, packing food. Though with every passing year it gets easier and easier to find restaurants that truly support gluten-free, I also like to know that I am covered. Plus, when flying, let’s be honest, most airlines haven’t quite received the memo that gluten-free is a thing! Homemade energy bars, trail mix, dark chocolate and other healthy snacks, these are always a must for me. Plus, I don’t ever leave home without some green stuff. This girl’s gut needs the green stuff to keep things moving, if you know what I mean.
These Chocolate Trail Mix Energy Bars (gluten-free, vegan and paleo) are basically all of the good superfood stuff you love, in one magical, travel-friendly bar! Trail mix, greens and of course, chocolate. (To know me is to know, this is something I won’t leave home without). Enter ALOHA, my very best travel companion. In my world, ALOHA is as important as my passport, when I head off on adventure.
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Pineapple Coconut Energy Bars
It’s quite fitting that my fifth and final recipe for this series of healthy travel snacks, I created with Albertsons, is being written from around 37,000 feet in the air. I am flying from California to the East Coast where I will be spending a total of 10 days between Maine and New York. As usual, I have a large selection of healthy snacks packed away for my travels. While I find when flying I have to be a bit more selective with my snack choices, homemade energy bars are always a must. They are super travel-friendly and so simple to whip up the night before my trips.
By now I am sure you’ve caught my tutorial on how-to make your own homemade energy bars, but if you haven’t get to it. It’s the perfect formula to create the perfect bars for your favorite flavors. These bars were one of the few that I have made more than a few times and inspired the ideas of the adaptable tutorial.
These tropical-inspired bars are a great, healthy snack for bringing along on your vacation, but they are also a wonderful way to bring the vacation to you at home. Coconut and pineapple always summons the tropics. Think fancy frozen drinks with umbrellas on the beach.
These particular energy bars are made nut-free, but you can certainly add nuts to fill them out a bit more, if you prefer. Almonds, walnuts, pecans – these are all great options.
