No Bake Gluten Free Energy Bites - 2 Kinds! (Easy to make in a dorm room!)

 

I don't know why, but I have had the worst craving for granola bars lately. 

 

 

Most granola bars contain gluten, so that means they are out for me. I have taken a liking to a couple gluten free varieties, but you have to really watch the sugar levels in the nutrition info. My favorite brand is "All-But-Gluten" and my second favorite is "Enviro-Kidz". Both can be found at Walmart.

Though these are great when on-the-go, gluten free granola bars can be really expensive (like 4-5 dollars per box). On a student budget I find it's sometimes easier to make my own 'packaged' types of food.

I love peanut butter and was looking for a high-protein snack so one variety I made is peanut butter. The other, of course, since it's autumn and I have a ton of pumpkin in my fridge, is pumpkin spice.

These are super tasty. The batter was good on it's own! The best part is I have tried and tested making them on a piece of wax paper on my dorm room floor, so I know it is possible for EVERYONE.

 

 

Before getting started I should note not to be afraid to experiment with these. If the consistency isn't right I just rearrange the mixture a bit (it's really difficult to mess these up). ;)

Also, if you want to shape them into bars rather than bites, just place the mix in an 8"x8" square baking dish or pan, chill, and then slice into bars. Good luck and enjoy!

 

For Peanut Butter Energy Bites

You will need:

1 cup gluten free oats

1 medium-sized extra ripe banana (make sure it is ripe...it's difficult to mix if it's not soft)

2 tsp. ground flax

1 small handful of raisins

1 small handful of unsweetened coconut

3 heaping tbsp. of organic peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice)

 

1. Put all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl

2. Stir/mash together the ingredients with a fork. (They may seem dry, but the more you stir, the more the oats soak up the moist ingredients)

3. One the mix is stirred well and at desired consistency, scoop tbsp.'s full and squeeze firmly in hand to make dense before rolling into balls.

4. Place on wax paper (or in containers) and refrigerate...or freeze for a delicious frozen treat

 

 

For Pumpkin Spice Energy Bites

You will need:

1 cup gluten free oats

1 medium-sized extra ripe banana (make sure it is ripe...it's difficult to mix if it's not soft)

2 tsp. ground flax

1 small handful of raisins

1 small handful of unsweetened coconut

3 heaping tbsp. of pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 packet of Truvia

 

1. Put all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl

2. Stir/mash together the ingredients with a fork. (They may seem dry, but the more you stir, the more the oats soak up the moist ingredients)

3. One the mix is stirred well and at desired consistency, scoop tbsp.'s full and squeeze firmly in hand to make dense before rolling into balls. - This is especially important since the pumpkin will make these bites extra moist

4. Place on wax paper (or in containers) and refrigerate...or freeze for a delicious frozen treat

 

Early morning wake up

 

I have a busy weekend ahead of me...

 

 

...so I got up early to get a head start on my homework. Aside from my usual green smoothie and yoga practice, I've started beginning my day with a mug of warm water with lemon.

At first I found it extremely pungent, I've grown to find it extremely refreshing...(dare I say, even more so than my morning cup of coffee).

The digestive benefits have been incredible! Bye-bye heartburn and bloating. My skin has been amazing. I can't complain. It's almost like it glows.

Some people go the whole nine-yards with juice straight from a lemon, but going to university, I don't always feel like making a big mess in my room cutting stuff up. I just use bottled lemon juice. I still see incredible benefits. Just make sure it's 100% lemon.

 

 

You will need:

1 cup boiling water

1 cap of lemon juice or juice of half a lemon

 

 

Good luck! Try it as part of your morning routine and see how amazing you feel!





On-The-Go Healthy Lunch - Half Second Cup, Half DIY

 

Today I was really hungry, but really low on time.

 

I had a couple classes back to back and a short break in which I had to catch up on readings. I knew I would probably just sit in my room and eat junk since I didn't have a lot of time to prepare anything, so between classes when I stopped at Second Cup for a Green Tea (my favorite!) I picked up an Asian Spinach Salad to go.

The salad had spinach, carrots, edamame beans, purple cabbage, and mango (which was a pleasant twist). I tossed the high-calorie, high-fat, high-sugar balsamic vinaigrette that came with it and added some feta cheese for protein and extra flavor.

I'm on (another) feta kick right now, so I've been putting it on everything possible.

I had a sweet craving, but did not want to eat junk food for dessert so I made my watermelon feta salad for dessert instead.
Just an example of how you really can be healthy on-the-go. ;)

Movie Snack-Time! - Watermelon Feta Salad

Okay. So I was definitely a bit skeptical about this at first...

 

 

...but my skepticism quickly faded.

I am not a fan of ordering in high sugar, high fat foods for movie nights. My boyfriend used to love to order pizzas for movies, and I happily participated, until all my food allergies erupted. Not that I'm complaining. It was these allergies that taught me that I had to take a healthier road.

I really wanted sweets this past movie night, but at the same time I wanted the saltiness of a bag of chips, and the satisfying feeling that comes from protein rich meals.

I was Pinteresting it up for snack ideas...(surprise)...when I came to a watermelon feta salad. I had watermelon, I had feta...why not?

I just crumbled a tiny bit of feta over a few pieces of melon to start...but that quickly turned to giant chunks (as you can see) upon tasting it.

The tangy-saltiness of the feta and the sweetness of the watermelon are so complementing to each other. I have been eating this all week...(I even ran out of feta and had to get more just for this salad). The best part is it's high in fiber and protein and is super hydrating. Guilt free!

If you like watermelon and you like feta, you will love them together! Let me know what you think. Yum!

Afternoon Walk and Veg Session

After classes the weather was just too perfect not to go for a walk...

 

 

I have been sooo tired lately. Early semester readings have had me bogged down, but I couldn't help but take advantage of this beautiful day. This time of year I feel like my exercise regime kind of plateaus...or drops. School becomes all consuming.

We had to take a trip to the post office, so we decided to detour down through a small community and then took a short walk down a nature trail (I forgot my phone so I didn't get any pictures).

It was sooo hot by the time we got back to campus so I stopped at Second Cup for a sugar-free sparkling green tea lemonade and came back home to veg with some mindbodygreen.com

Sounds like a pretty good afternoon to me. :)



Gluten Free Parmesan-Herb Pasta

The other day I just really wanted pasta, but I didn't feel like doing anything elaborate. This dish was inspired by a discussion with another gluten-free friend of mine. Thanks, Kristy!

 

 

 

You will need:

1 cup spiral rice pasta

1/4 cup quartered cherry or grape tomatoes

1/4 cup of parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. oregano

A sprinkle of Italian spice

2 tsp. extra virgin, cold-pressed olive oil

 

1. Cook pasta

2. Drain pasta and pour drained pasta into bowl to serve.

3. Mix in oregano, basil, olive oil and parmesan.

4. Place tomatoes in the middle on top of the pasta.

5. Sprinkle Italian spice over the tomatoes.

 

It's that easy! If you like salt add a bit of sea salt for extra flavor! You will not believe how amazing this tastes!



Coconut Rainbow-S'more Oatmeal

I had a sweet tooth midday today, and wanted something pretty, so I put a spin on s'more oatmeal and changed it up a bit into something I thought was even more delicious!

 

 

 

 

You will need:

1 tbsp. rainbow mini marshmallows

1 tbsp. semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup oatmeal (I used gluten-free)

2 tbsp. unsweetened, shredded coconut

 

1. Boil 1/3 cup water in the microwave for 1 minute.

2. Stir in oatmeal, semi-sweet chocolate chips, rainbow mini marshmallows and coconut>

3. Serve and enjoy!



Apple Nachos

Super sweet and healthy alternative to  traditional nachos. I had a craving for sweet and crunchy yesterday evening, and discovered these are perfect for movie nights!

 



 

 

You will need:

1 apple (I chose Gala because they are super sweet and crunchy)

1/2 tsp. of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 tsp. of butterscotch chips

1/2 tsp. unrefined coconut oil

 

1. Start by quartering your apple, and cut out the core. Continue by slicing away thin pieces from each quarter.

2. Add coconut oil, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips to  small bowl and microwave stirring frequently until all are melted together (I left a few butterscotch chips unmelted for texture).

3. Drizzle the mix over your apples and ready to serve!

Chunky Monkey Smoothie

 

This is an excellent smoothie for a quick and lasting energy boost and a healthy alternative to a sweet treat.

 

 

 

You will need:

1 medium to large size banana

1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice)

1 cup chocolate coconut milk (or chocolate milk of your choice - also works with regular milk if you add  teaspoon of cocoa)

1/4 oats (cooked or uncooked)

1/2 cup of ice

 

1. Add milk and ice to blender and blend until nearly smooth

2. Add banana, oats and peanut butter to the mix (and now cocoa if you are choosing to use non-chocolate milk) and blend until smooth

3. Serve and enjoy!



Chocolate Avocado Pudding...that actually tastes like chocolate pudding

I was skeptical to try this, but it is a delicious way to get those heart-healthy fats, especially for those who don't like avocados! It actually tastes an smells like chocolate pudding.

 

 

 

You will need:

1 avocado

1 heaping teaspoon of cocoa

2 packets of Truvia or 2 big tbsps. of honey

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or creamy milk of your choice)

1 stemmed cherry to garnish (optional)

 

1. Cut, peel and pit the avocado and add to the blender.

2. Add in milk and blend the avocado and milk together.

3. Mix in cocoa and Truvia/honey and blend until smooth.

 

*Note: I prefer anything chocolate to be more on the bitter side, so don't be afraid to taste test and add more or less cocoa or sweetener as you desire!

 

Serve and enjoy!

 

I got this idea from http://www.mindbodygreen.com/ which is an incredible blog to check out for health and wellness. I did modify the recipe to make it my own, but I would recommend testing out their version as well!



Guiltless Iced Chocolate

Today I had a terrible caving for chocolate (surprise...), but I didn't want to indulge so I managed to come up with this super low-cal, low-fat, dairy-free...but delicious treat!

 

You will need:
1 cup of ice
1/2 a cup of unsweetened coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
1 rounded teaspoon of cocoa
1/2 a packet of Truvia
1 dollop of light Cool Whip

1. Add ice and milk to blender and blend almost completely.
2. Add cocoa and Truvia to the mix and finish blending until desired thickness.
3. Pour and add a dollop of Cool Whip to the top and voila! Chocolatey deliciousness without the guilt!

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Tortilla Chips with Blueberry-Mango Fruit Salsa

Today I realized I had way more gluten free tortillas left than I could eat as wraps, so I decided to mix things up a bit. Let's just say the results were pretty amazing.

You will need:

1 pan

Tinfoil

1 tsp. of coconut oil (preferably organic and unrefined)

2 large gluten free tortillas (or 4 small ones...or tortillas of your choice)

Cinnamon to sprinkle

1/2 cup of fresh mango

1/2 cup of fresh blueberries

1 heaping tbsp. of Light Cool Whip

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Cover your pan with tinfoil (you can spray it with cooking spray if you feel the tortillas might stick...I didn't...probably should have. Haha.)

2. Lay out your tortillas on the pan and get a teaspoon of coconut oil out.

3. Place the coconut oil in a boil and microwave until melted.

4. Spread/drizzle the coconut oil over the tortillas and then sprinkle cinnamon over them (use as much as you like)

5. Cut the tortillas into little triangle-shaped pieces about the size of average tortilla chips (triangle-SHAPED is the keyword. Mine tend to vary as the cutting goes on...haha). Place in the oven for about 5 minutes or until they have reach desired crispiness.

6. Chop up blueberries. (I put wax paper over the cutting board because it makes my life easier when it comes time to clean up)

7. Chop up the mango.

8. Place the blueberries and mango in a bowl and mix together.

9. This is optional, but I like to add a dollop of Light Cool Whip and sprinkle cinnamon on top to garnish. Yum.

10. Place tortillas on a plate and they are ready for dipping. Mmmm.

 ...and this is the result you can expect because they are soooo yummy! I could have demolished the whole pan! Good luck!

Hiking on the perfect Fall...ahem...Summer Day

Today seemed like the perfect day for an outdoor adventure! It started out as a walk that turned into a small hike. It really was the perfect day!

 I could not believe when I saw that the leaves were starting to change! It was a little scary, but I am so excited for Fall! It is my favorite season!

The weather was beautiful and it doesn't get much more peaceful than here!

 I decided to get a final taste of summer before they were all gone! So delicious! #wildblueberries

There is nothing like traipsing cross-country on such a beautiful day! I can honestly say I feel the healthiest, happiest, and most fit that I have ever felt in my life. I was one happy girl!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I tried my hand at cauliflower pizza crust last night as an alternative to my usual store-bought, gluten-free pizza crust. Turns out it's amazing, and even my gluten-eating family liked it! Definitely a must-try! 

 

 

This super easy crust takes about ten minutes to construct. The hardest part is steaming the cauliflower...like I said, super easy!

You will need:

1 cup of steamed cauliflower grated or mashed
1 egg

1 tbsp. of Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. of basil
2 tsp. of parsley
1 tsp. of oregano
1/2 tsp. of Italian spice

1 small mixing bowl

1 potato masher

1 small pizza pan or baking dish

 Precooked desired pizza toppings (the crust is not in the oven long enough to cook most toppings, but veggies can be left uncooked)

Pizza sauce of your choice

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Prepare and cook all desired pizza toppings (I just cooked up some ground beef and Italian sausage and diced some green pepper, onion, and added some canned mushrooms).
3. Mash steamed cauliflower well (I started off by grating it and got lazy, and found that a potato masher is equally effective).

4. Add egg, cheese, and spices.

5. Mash mix with a fork and mix well.

6. Put the mix in a greased pizza pan (I just used cooking spray). Make sure to spread at least 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick - I made mine waaay to thin the first try)

7. Bake at 450F for 12-15 min. or until edge gold AND middle is crisp (you do not want the middle to be uncooked, bleh)

8. Add pizza sauce and PRECOOKED toppings and place back in the oven until toppings are hot  (should take about 5 minutes).
 

Super tasty! Good luck!

Low Fat, Low Cal, Dairy Free Mocha Frappe

Sure. It might not sound so appealing at first because how can anything so good for you really taste that good? Well, it's possible. I was just messing around the other day, and was trying to create my favorite frozen beverage dairy-free for lactose intolerant me.

You will need:
- 1 cup of ice
- 1/2 cup of coffee
- 1/2 cup of chocolate coconut milk
- 1 pkg. Truvia or Stevia

In a blender mix all ingredients until desired consistency. Taste test (as I had to do this to make sure I got the desired bitterness of the coffee or sweetness of the Truvia) to personal taste.
Pour and enjoy!

Fruit Salad Deluxe

I made this over the holidays and it was amazing!

You will need: 

- 4 large strawberries

- 1/2 cup of pineapple (preferably fresh)

- 1 orange

- 10 maraschino cherries

- 1 tbsp. walnuts

- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon-sugar mix. 

Slice:

- Strawberries

- Pineapple

- Oranges

- Apples

Cut cherries in half.

Mix all but 5 cherry halves together in a medium size bowl.

Sprinkles walnuts and cinnamon-sugar over top of the mixture.

Place the 5 cherry halves on top in any design.

Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Serves 4.

Snowshoeing in a blizzard...

I love snowshoeing, and this was my first outing of the season (of course I would choose to go in the middle of a blizzard)