Basic Granola

This is the perfect on-the-go snack and is so easy to make. Feel free to store it in an airtight container and keep it up for up to a week! Enjoy :)

1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped pecans 
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup brown rice syrup or maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
optional: 1/4 tsp nutmeg 


Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Heat up your coconut oil in the microwave or on the stove until melted
Add all the ingredients together in a bowl 
Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 20ish minutes, flipping it around often so it doesn't burn
When you take it out, let it cool! That's how it'll turn crunchy


Nommmmmmmmmmm eats 

NuGo Dark Protein Bars: Review

It’s so hard to find healthy proteins bars on the market these days. Whether you realize it or not, many of the leading protein bars today are packed with GMO’s and loaded with refined sugar. I was so happy when NuGo asked me to review their Dark Protein bars: natural (vegan!) protein bars coated in real dark chocolate, none of the fake stuff.  NuGo is the only company to make REAL Dark Chocolate coated protein bars for many lifestyles. NuGo’s REAL Dark Chocolate melts in your mouth, releasing a luscious flavor. Other ‘dark chocolate’ protein bars substitute unhealthy palm kernel oil for the natural cocoa butter, raising the melt point above body temp, making it waxy and too sweet. For those of you with dietary needs, they have gluten and soy free products as well! But I’m just going to focus on the delicious Dark bars J They each have 200 calories (not that calories matter; count nutrients!), 2 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein!

I was lucky enough to try three mouth-watering flavors: Mocha, Mint, and Coconut. The Coconut was definitely my favorite; it almost tasted like an Almond Joy candy bar, but with a crunch (and so much healthier). The crunch in all three of the bars comes from the non-GMO Soy Crisp and the non-GMO Brown Crisp rice, which adds an amazing texture. The Mocha had a delicious, but not too overwhelming, coffee/caramely taste. And the mint, of course, was so delicious because mint and chocolate are one of my all time favorite combos. The dark chocolate on three of these bars complements their specific flavors so well, and the chocolate literally melted in my mouth. That sounds like a cliché, but it actually happened.

Whether you’re looking for a sweet pick-me-up to beat those mid-afternoon cravings, or you’re looking for a protein-packed dessert, these bars are your new best friends.

The NuGo company itself is also extremely active in the health community: Read and sign the petition created on change.org by NuGo Nutrition to create a FDA standard for dark chocolate. https://www.change.org/petitions/dark-chocolate-food-labeling-tell-the-fda-to-stop-the-deception

You can order NuGo Dark sample packs with free shipping in the US on: http://www.nugonutrition.com/products/dark/

Or use the store locator to find NuGo Bars in the US. (Most Whole Foods carry.) 

http://www.nugonutrition.com/where-to-buy/

Basic overnight oats recipe (and my favorite variations)

I thought that since I just posted my Bai5 overnight oats recipe (see one post down), then I should post the recipe for when I just want simple and delicious overnight oats. The beauty of doing this for breakfast is that you can go to bed and it'll be ready for you when you wake up!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup almond milk (see my recipe!)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
1 mashed banana

Method: Combine all ingredients in a jar, shake it up, put in the fridge for 4-6 hours (preferably overnight) and BOOM there's breakfast.

Variations:

Chocolate: add 1 tablespoon of cacao

Banana bread: add 1/2 tsp cinnamon instead of 1/4, and add just a little (1/8 tsp) of blackstrap molasses

Thin Mint: get rid of the cinnamon, add 1 tablespoon cacao, and replace the vanilla extract with mint extract, but only use 1/4 tsp

Bai5 overnight oats

Hey fellows! Bai5 was kind enough to send me a box of their delicious antioxidant fusion drinks, which I'm now obsessed with (I'll do a review post about them so I can get right to the recipe :)) I decided to combine two of their flavors and after many tries, I think I got something pretty good! 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup Bai5 peach flavor

1/4 cup Bai5 mango flavor (feel free to adjust the two proportions according to taste)

1 mashed banana

1/2 tablespoon chia seeds 

dash of cinnamon

berries, coconut and nut butter to top :)

Method:

Simply combine all ingredients in a fancy jar of your choice, shake it up, and keep in the fridge for 4-6 hours, but preferably overnight so that the chia seeds can expand. Top with lots and lots of almond butter (this is mandatory).

Carrot cake baked oatmeal

Sorry this post is so late! I've just moved into college so I've been a bit busy. Here's one of my favorite recipes that I make when I have a little extra time in the morning:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 grated carrot
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• optional: walnuts

Method:

1. Let the oats and carrots soak in the almond milk for about 10 minutes. This isn't necessary, but helps the texture a lot!

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then mash the banana (you can add a couple slices to the top), and add all the ingredients together, including the optional walnuts.

4. Put the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes (I like broiling it for a few minutes at the end to make the top crispy). Top with an excessive amount of peanut butter.

Homemade vanilla almond milk

I've always wanted to make my own almond milk, but I just assumed that it was too difficult/time-consuming. Not only does this take no less than fifteen minutes max, but it also tastes way better than any store-bought almond milk I've ever had. It could also save you some money in the long run!

Ingredients:
1 cup almonds (soaked in water for 4-6 hours, preferably overnight)
3 cups water (filtered)
3 pitted dates
1 vanilla bean (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

Method: Once you've soaked your almonds, drain them and put them in blender along with the water, dates, and vanilla on high speed until smooth.
 Line a medium/large bowl with a nut milk bag, and pour the mixture into the bag, allowing the liquid to go into the bowl.
 Once you've poured the whole mixture, gently squeeze the remaining milk from the bag (this takes a few minutes!) until all you have left is the almond pulp in the bag. I recommend using the pulp to make @againstallgrain's double chocolate cookies!
Rinse out your blend, and transfer the almond milk mixture back to the blender, add the cinnamon and sea salt, and blend on low. Store in an airtight container/jar for up to five days, and enjoy your almond milk with oats, cookies, granola, or just plain! 

Cinnamon-spice crepes

These are super easy to make and will keep you full until breakfast with the combination of complex carbs and protein. This recipe is adapted from @chocolatexdiaries, check her out she has some amazing recipes! Here we go:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats
1 egg (I haven't tried using a flax egg, but I think it will work!)
1/2 cup almond milk (I used vanilla unsweetened)
1 teaspoon-1 tablespoon liquid sweetener (depending on how sweet you like it)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
optional superfood add-in: 1/2 tsp maca (or as much as you're used to/can take)

Method: First, put your oats in a food processor until you get a flour. In a bowl, combine your egg, almond milk, sweetener, vanilla, and cinnamon. Let your batter sit for a couple minutes, allowing it to thicken. Warm up a pan on low-medium heat, along with a bit of coconut oil. Once it's warm and the coconut oil has melted, put half the batter (1/2 cup) onto the pan and spread it out with a spoon, allowing it cook for about a minute, or when bubbles start to form. Flip and let the other side cook for a minute. Pour the rest of the batter on the pan and repeat. Top with fruit, peanut butter, coconut flakes, or maple syrup!