Cereal Crunch Bars

December 8, 2020

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

While celebrating the holidays has kind of an odd feeling around it this year, I’m destined to still make it as fun as possible not only for our little 10-month-old, but for my husband and I as well! I took out the decorations as early as possible, started listening to Michael Bublé and John Legend’s Christmas albums on repeat, even found some amazing mint mocha dairy free creamer—we are READY in this house!

I will say that most of this is for me and my sanity. I am obsessed with this time of year, so I’m not holding back one bit. Oliver really just wants to play too aggressively with the nutcrackers, climb on the gifts under the tree and just point to all of the ornaments hung up—so I’m waiting for next year for his excitement to be as high as mine! That being said, this little dessert is also more for me than him…oops.

While I would have given this boy chocolate the day he was born (exaggeration, but, I mean, another true love of mine!), I’m of course holding off until he’s at least one—and I read that usually around 2 is when it’s “acceptable” to give kids chocolate?! Yes, waiting until he’s at least 1 sounds better to me! Okay, back to it… I found this little chocolate bar/dessert to be this beautiful hybrid of no bake cookies + brownie batter + a Crunch bar, which is honestly kinda perfect! Your gal LOVES chocolate bars, but I never eat them, so I figured why not make some?! The peanut butter Panda Puffs cereal adds the most amazing texture and crunch to these cake batter/brownie-esque bars! This cereal was a true love of mine in high school, so we are bringing it back!

Sure, is this recipe “healthified?” A bit. But is the flavor all there and will you be hiding them in the fridge, so no one steals any of them?! Absolutely! I cannot wait for little O to be the age that he loves chocolate as much as his mom, but I’m totally cool not sharing these homemade Crunch bars for at least a few more months!

ingredients

Coconut Oil—1.75 oz, or ¼ C

Brown Sugar—6.5 oz, or ¾ C

Oat Milk—4 oz, or ½ C

Cocoa Powder—2.25 oz, or 2/3 C

Peanut Butter—6.5 oz, or 2/3 C

Vanilla Extract—1 TBL

Cereal [Panda Puffs]—4.5 oz, or 3 C

Salt—¾ tsp

process

In a medium saucepot, combine coconut oil, sugar, milk and cocoa powder on the stove. Allow to all combine together and lightly boil for 1-2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add in the peanut butter and vanilla extract.

With your cereal of choice in a large bowl, pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over it, mixing to combine and coat evenly.

Sprinkle with salt.

Pour into an 8”x 8” pan that is either lined with parchment or a nonstick spray.

Press down evenly.

Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 1-2 hours.

Once firm remove from the fridge and cut into desired size!

Best stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Bon Appétit!

Salty Crust Peanut Butter Fudge

October 11, 2020

“I am certain that everything will work out.”

— Rochelle Fox

I’ll come right out and say it: there’s nothing like a good seasonal nut butter to get me even MORE jazzed about the season that we are in! We all know how much I adore the fall season, and how much I am in love with Christmas and all of the magic that surrounds these upcoming months! When Wild Friends’ seasonal butters came out a few weeks ago, I was just filled with so much excitement!

This will be Oliver’s first Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas!! Sure, will an almost 1-year-old fully grasp what’s going on? Most likely not. Will his mom be over the moon excited about the decorating, the baking, the music, the entire vibe (yes, I said it) of the last 3 months of the year? DUH! For the past 8 months, Oliver’s entire life, the world has been weird. We haven’t seen family as much as we’d like, we haven’t been able to go to any of the places around Atlanta that we love to relax, no traveling, nothing that we had planned for Oliver’s first year, but we are rolling with it. With the holidays coming up, that’s one thing I will definitely make sure we do in full force!

That being said, I almost screamed when I saw that Wild Friends was having their seasonal nut butters come out. I am OBSESSED with these flavors—I never knew I needed their Gingerbread or Sugar Cookie peanut butter until a few years ago, and now I stock up! A spoonful of sugar cookie?! Yes, please! And adding it to both the crust AND the fudge was a no brainer. Sugar cookie for the crust, gingerbread for the fudge, damn. I don’t really know where or why or how this recipe came about, I was craving something salty and sweet, honestly!

A pretzel crust has got to be one of my new favorite things, blended with some dates, some honey, nut butter—you’ve got yourself the perfect salty, sweet, crunchy crust. Then a a3-ingredient fudge? YES PLS! I threw in my favorite jam of all time: fig jam that I discovered many years ago at Whole Foods and only purchase when I go there maybe once a year. A creamy, nutty, slightly sweet fudge on top of a crunchy, salty crust, all topped with large flakes of salt—honestly, leave THIS out for Santa this year, my friends!

crust ingredients

Pretzels—2 oz, or 1 C

Peanuts, dry roasted + unsalted—4.75 oz, or 1 C

Dates, pitted—3 oz, or 8

Nut Butter, seasonal Wild Friends—3.75 oz, or 5 TBL

Vanilla Extract—1 tsp

Honey—3 TBL

process

In a blender or food processor, pulse until all ingredients are crushed into pea-sized pieces

When you squeeze a handful of the crust, it should hold together

Press into the bottom of an 8” x 8” pan, freeze

fudge ingredients

Chocolate—12.5 oz, or 2 C

Nut Butter, seasonal Wild Friends—12 oz, or 1 C

Fig Jam—3 TBL

Salt—large pinch

process

In a heatproof bowl or over a double boiler, melt the chocolate

Stir in the peanut butter and jam until homogenous

Pour this mixture over the crust, and even out with an offset spatula

Sprinkle your salt over top—I love a chunky salt for this, but any will do!

Allow to set in freezer for 30 minutes-1 hour until the fudge has firmed

Remove from freezer, cut into squares and store in a sealed container in either the fridge or the freezer!

Bon Appétit!

Dairy Free Chocolate Truffles

June 26, 2020

“Love is the bridge between you and everything.”

— Rumi

Since having Oliver, I have truly found that there is nothing I love more than a quick snack, especially one that I can also enjoy as a dessert!

Could I take the time to make something that takes me hours and is super complex? Sure! Do I want to? No! Like I’ve mentioned, I cannot wait until Oliver is old enough to help me in the kitchen (if he wants to, of course!), so maybe I will feel more inclined to spend over an hour+ baking. For now, I like things short and sweet! I get the bulk of my things done while he is napping, which now we are lucky if he naps 3 times per day! When he’s up, it’s constant playing, reading, going for walks, bouncing, swimming, eating…the list goes on and on! If I really need to get something done or take a break myself, sure, I will put some Moana on for a few minutes and he is SO fine just zoning out to watch them. And, who am I kidding, I’m all about it, too!

About a week ago, during a nap, I tried to make the oh-so-popular energy balls/bites, what have you and they tasted like SAWDUST. I actually thought I was going to choke with how bad they were! Must husband took 1 bite and gladly passed. Nothing helped them go down easy, so they went right in the trash! This week, I didn’t want another dry, choking hazard recipe, so I made sure to add in something other than just coconut oil to bind the nut flour. BOOM. Got it!

Nut butter for the win!

Once I perfected the recipe and ate probably half of the dough, I knew it was a winner. These babies taste like chocolate truffles!! They’re rich, creamy, satisfying, while also dairy free (!!), vegan (!!), and just SO DANG GOOD. As always, they’re nice and quick. They can be a dessert, an afternoon pick-me-up, a pre-workout energy bite—these babies have some range, let me tell you! So, while we are still all at home, spice up your date nights with them, give yourself a boost with them, treat yo’self with a few while you watch a movie on a wild Friday night, just be careful because these are ADDICTING!

ingredients

Almond Flour—4.25 oz, or 1 C

Nut Butter—4 oz, or ½ C

Dates, pitted—8

Cocoa Powder—1.5 oz, or ½ C

Collagen Powder—2 scoops

Salt—1 tsp

Cinnamon—1 TBL

Vanilla Extract—1 tsp

Coconut Oil, melted—2 oz, or ¼ C

Chocolate Chips—2.25 oz, or 1/3 C

process

In the bowl of your food processor, with the blade, combine the almond flour, nut butter**, dates, cocoa powder, collagen, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract.

Pulse until combined.

Once combined and with the food processor on, stream in the coconut oil. Stop when all combined and forms a ball.

Add in the chocolate chips and pulse for 5-10 seconds.

Take a small scoop and scoop out the dough, placing them on a parchment lined tray or a Silpat.

Place in the refrigerator to firm up a bit.

This part is optional, but so worth it! Melt either some chocolate or nut butter, drizzle on top of the set truffles, sprinkle with salt.

Allow to set again in the refrigerator.

Once set, can all be stored together in an airtight container in the fridge.

**For the nut butter, I did a combination of peanut butter and almond butter, as I find that peanut butter can be VERY sweet! The combination here is great, it doesn’t overpower any of the chocolate in these bites, or make them overly sweet, either! Of course, all peanut butter, or any other nut butter, is perfectly fine!**

Bon Appétit!

Granola Brownies

May 29, 2020

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

— Mahatma Gandhi

Did you know that brownies seem to be the most difficult thing for me to make? I have tried what seems like a million recipes and they’re either too dry, not enough flavor, too cakey, I can’t seem to get it right. Until now! I finally did it! Sure, it took me a couple of tries, but we now have the most perfect brownie. They’re moist and dense, which is, honestly, just what I wanted. I’m quite surprised that I continued to test out recipes for these babies, but as a brownie is basically a STAPLE baked good, how could I not?!

And so once I got these amazing single-nap brownies finished, I figured why not use up another of Oliver’s naps to take them to the next level?! Yep. I measure everything in naps. How many naps does it take for me to get in my workout? About half of one. How many to clean to house? A full nap. How many to make these granola stuffed brownies? Two whole naps! For a baby who naps 3-4 times per day, I’ve become a pro at using up every second of them - even if it means I’m napping during one of those, too!

If you haven’t had them already, these toasted oat raw granola bars are the best things on the PLANET. Like, I try to have our freezer full of them whenever possible! So, I decided to use the same idea but make a granola layer on top of these brownies, then just throw on some more chocolate after that! I will say these are probably some of the best things I’ve made. They’re so thiccc and decadent. Oh my. The brownies have coffee and orange zest in them (you’re welcome for this combo), then a nice peanut butter granola, all covered in chocolate. These are a TREAT for sure! Wholesome ingredients, rich flavor, I’ve outdone myself with these 2-nap brownies!

brownie ingredients

Butter—4 oz, or 1 stick

Coconut Oil—3.5 oz, or ½ C

Coconut Sugar—2.5 oz, or ½ C

Coffee, ground—1 TBL

Orange Zest—from 1 orange

Eggs—2

Coconut Sugar—5 oz, or 1 C

Flour—7.5 oz, or 1 ¼ C

Salt—1 tsp

Baking Powder—½ tsp

Cocoa Powder—2 oz, or 2/3 C

Chocolate Chips—5.5 oz, or ¾ C

process

Preheat your oven to 350˚F.

In a small saucepot, combine the butter, coconut oil, first amount of sugar (2.5 oz) and coffee. Melt on the stove until the oils are melted. Set aside

Whisk together the eggs, orange zest and second amount of sugar (5 oz) until just combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder.

Slow add the melted oil mixture and egg mixture into the dry. Fold together with a spatula until just combined—you do not want to over mix!

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour brownie batter into a 9”x9” baking pan.

Bake for 28-30 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before going to the next steps.

granola ingredients

Oats, toasted—5.25 oz, or 1 ½ C

Peanut Butter—6.5 oz, or ¾ C

Honey—3.5 oz, or 1/3 C

Salt—½ tsp

Vanilla Extract—½ tsp

process

In an oven preheated to 350˚F, toasted your oats for about 10 minutes.

Once out of the oven and cooled, mix your oats with the peanut butter, honey, salt and vanilla until all of the oats are covered and the mixture is homogenous.

Spread this over the top of your cooled brownies.

Put in the refrigerator to firm up while you do the next step.

chocolate topping ingredients

Chocolate Chips—6.25 oz, or 1 C

Coconut Oil—1 TBL

process

In a heat proof bowl, melt together the chocolate and oil in either the microwave or over a double boiler until smooth.

Pour over the top of the oat layer.

Chill in refrigerator until set, cut into squares.

Bon Appétit!

Peanut Butter S'more Bites

May 1, 2020

“Maybe 2020 isn’t so much about specific goal setting as it is taking care of our mind, being kind through our thoughts, fine tuning our daily mind set, and seeking to uplift ourselves and others. Perhaps everything from there with naturally find its course.”

Here’s the deal: since having a baby 3 months ago (what!!??) and now being at home with a new appreciation for all things parenting, I’ve decided to pick this blogging thing back up! I needed a ‘me’ activity. Yes, I do consider my workout time me time, even with little Oliver sitting right there watching and giggling at me the entire time! That aside, unless you want to consider showering my personal time, I don’t have too much of it. My incredible husband (like, seriously, out-of-this-world-amazing. Does middle of the night wakeups, the bad diapers, knows when to refill my wine glass when I haven’t said a word…) suggested that I start to do something that is truly me time. While I LOVE a good workout and am so excited that we just got a lawn mower, this blog has been on the back burner (hah!) for quite some time. I’m ready to pick it back up with some TLC!

So, in quick mom fashion, here’s the DL. Having Oliver is probably the greatest thing to happen to me, to us, ever! I can’t even begin to explain the love I have for him – if you’re a parent, you know what I’m talking about. Like, right now at 9:45pm, while he is asleep, I just watch him on the monitor and want to cuddle him!! Obsessed is an understatement.

Anyways, I could ramble about him for dayssssss. Seriously. Little did I know that being a mom would take up every breathing moment of mine. Feeding him alone is a full-time job! Oh, and then my husband and I are both in graduate school. LOL. We love to take on as much as possible, clearly! With all of that + my husband working like crazy from home, I didn’t think I should get any down time, so I totally just shut off any part of my brain that wasn’t related to baby / dog / school / scheduling. But hey, guess what? Mental health needs some lovin’ too there, mama! Which is where I was like dang, I miss that blog. I’ve put so much time into this baby and then I just stopped writing. Stopped baking. Stopped experimenting. So, boom, I’m going to wipe the dust off of this thing!

I then started to write down recipes like crayzee! But not just any recipes. Healthy ones. Quick ones. Parent-friendly ones. Cause here sits a mom who has anywhere from 15 minutes-2 hours when babe is napping that I can do things. Sure, I love to let him do independent play, but I also love to play with him and watch him grow every single second! So, these recipes are a mix of healthy and slightly not, simple and quick, hell, a lot of them will probably even be raw and frozen because helloooo timesaver and what’s up Atlanta summer from March-November!

Recipe #1. Peanut butter s’mores. An eggless PB cookie + a 10-minute marshmallow + a simple chocolate dip. What more could you want!? Not your traditional s’more setup, but peanut butter is my jam – and it’s a top allergen so I should just be consuming it by the jar, right?! And I am storing these babies in the freezer, which is my place of choice to keep desserts. Something so decadent about a frozen treat to me! Also. Still no dairy for this gal, so ice cream is not an option. Probably ever again. Eye roll.

How many times have I said that I’M BACK!!? Let’s try this again. Get ready for parent-friendly, quick, minimal ingredients, healthy, TASTY snacks/goodies/what have you. This mama is making her comeback!