CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (vegan style!)

1/2 cup coconut oil, softened
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tbsp chia seeds
3 tbsp water

Blend the above ingredients together until smooth.

Then add in :
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
vegan chocolate chips and mix by hand

Once it is all mixed together and smooth, put in refrigerator for about 20 minutes, till it comes together more.  Spoon out onto a baking sheet with a cookie mat on it.  Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes.  Let sit for 1-2 minutes before removing from sheet.  ENJOY!!

Saving money on grocery shopping!

SAVING PENNIES everywhere :) You may think we are crazy, but we are super excited and TOTAL NERDS! This past Sunday Amanda and I FINALLY did something we have been wanting to start FOREVER! We buy a lot of items in large amounts such as flax seeds, almonds, chia seeds, quinoa, farro, lentils, black beans, chick peas...you name it! We are even getting into the habit of buying the beans you have to soak instead of the ones in the can. The gooey mess that comes on those canned beans just gives me the creeps sometimes!

So...we went around to a few stores and compared prices. It even blew my mind that some items at whole foods were cheaper in the bulk, and some were cheaper in the bag. It was a lot of fun and of course we were totally geeking out when we found a cheaper price. Highly recommend people try this out :) We will be updating this sheet as we continue to compare and save!!

QUINOA PANCAKES

1 yellow container of cooked quinoa
2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup almond milk

Mix all ingredients together and cook on a sprayed griddle. Cook for a few minutes per side. Top with your favorite fruit and pure maple syrup.  ENJOY!!

ROASTED RED PEPPER & SUN-DRIED TOMATO SOUP

3 Red Bell Peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 bunch Italian parsley, trimmed
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste

1. Place all ingredients, starting with the peppers, into a blender, followed by the rest of the ingredients.
2. Puree until smooth.
3. Pour mixture into a saucepan and simmer until heated through.  It is just that simple!!

I served it with cauliflower "couscous" but you can also mix in brown rice or quinoa as well!

CARROT CAKE BITES

So excited to share this one as carrot cake is one of my favorites!  Coming up with a healthy alternative was my goal!

1 1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup ground walnuts
1/4 cup almond meal
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup PB
2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup raisins
handful of crushed walnuts
splash of vanilla extract

Mix it all together, make into bite size using a cookie scoop (about 20-23), freeze, and enjoy!!!

JALAPENO POPPER TURKEY BURGER

Ingredients:

Burger:
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium egg white
1.5 tsp Italian spice
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp southwestern spice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup whole wheat panko crumbs

Stuffing:
1/2 cup Tofutti cream cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp diced white onion
2 tbsp chopped jalapenos (but I am adding more next time!)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Mix the burger ingredients together in 1 bowl and the stuffing ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Make 8 patties out of the burger mix.  Top 4 of them with some of the stuffing mix.  Then top with another patty.  Make sure to seal in the stuffing mixture.

It will make 4 burgers total.  Throw them on the grill about 5 minutes per side or in a 400 degree oven.  You can even do it stove top if you want!

21 day fixers: 1 RED, 1 BLUE, 1 YELLOW (if you use the bun!) ...technically cream cheese is not on the fix but hey this one time, I say it is ok!

ENJOY!!

BANANA OAT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 ripe banana
1/4 cup PB powder
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp mini chocolate chips (dairy free!)

Mix together in a blender the banana, PB powder, water, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Then stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.  makes 10 cookies!!

PROTEIN BITES- TAKE 2!

Mix together:

1 cup oats
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (or any nut butter)
1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey)
handful of raisins (or mini chocolate chips)
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg

handful of crushed up almonds (if you wish...sometimes I do walnuts!)

Roll into bites or use a cookie scoop! 
Put them in the freezer and enjoy whenever you want!