Having a case of sugar cravings? Try baking homemade sweet treats. This way you have control over the ingredients & portion size, plus baking is a fun family activity & you can get creative! 

♥ Ingredients ♥ 
2 Ripe Bananas
1 Apple, peeled & diced
1 1/4 Cups Oat Flour
1/2 Cup Almond Milk
1/2 Cup Crunchy Peanut Butter
10-20 Drops of Liquid Stevia
1 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp salt
1 Cup Peanut Butter Chips (Trader Joes) 

♥ Directions ♥
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9" loaf pan
In a medium sized bowl, mash the bananas
Add the rest of the ingredients & mix. Pour into greased bread pan.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry.
Cool in pan for 15 minutes & then transfer to a cooling rack. 

Enjoy!

Good Morning Sunshine! Whipped up a fast & easy healthy breakfast pancake delight even kids will enjoy! Mornings can be a hectic time of the day in many households leaving little time to enjoy a heart healthy breakfast on-the-go, let alone a sit down meal with loved ones. My alarm didn't go off, hit snooze too many times, got distracted, had to get the kids ready, running late to a meeting......ALL popular EXCUSES we use on a daily breakfast to justify eating an unhealthy high calorie breakfast or no breakfast at all. Plus, sometime eating healthy can can seem a bit plain & redundant. I challenge you to get creative with traditional healthy breakfast options & ingredients, you will be pleasantly surprise with what you can whip up that is not only healthy for you & your loved ones, but quick & easy to make even when your time is limited!


Enjoy this Banana Protein Pancake:

♥ Ingredients ♥ 
1 Ripe Banana
2 Eggs
1/3 Cup Oat Bran

♥ Directions ♥
*Mash 1/2 of the banana in a bowl, add eggs & oat bran, mix until mixture has a thick liquid consistency
*Spray small pan with Coconut Oil, add ALL mixture to pan, cook on medium heat for 3-5 mins, flip & cook for another 2 mins
*Slice remaining banana, add to top of pancake & ENJOY!

**This recipe will make one large pancake or 4-6 smaller "normal" sized pancakes. To increase serving size just double or triple the ingredients.

♥ Ingredients ♥ 
1 Cup Certified Gluten-Free Oats (prefer rolled over instant)
1/4 Cup Rice Flour
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp  Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1/2-1 Cup Chunky Unsalted Peanut Butter
1 Egg (Vegan Option: Flax Egg - 1 tbsp ground flax 3 tbsp water mixed well)
2 Tsp Gluten-Free Vanilla Extract
1/2-3/4 Bag of Gluten-Free Chocolate Chips or Carob Chips



♥ DIRECTIONS ♥
Preheat oven to 350
Mix ALL Dry Ingredients in Medium Bowl - set aside
Mix ALL Wet Ingredients in Large Bowl
Using an Electric Mixer, slowly add  Dry Ingredients Mixture 
Fold in Chocolate Chips into Mixture
Grease Cookie Sheet (use coconut oil or vegan butter) or Line with Parchment Paper
Roll Batter into 1 inch balls & flatten with palm, place on cookie sheet
Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely & Enjoy!

The Holidays Season is a joyful time of year with yummy sweet treats, comfort foods, holiday parties, family gatherings and the spirit of giving! However, the Holidays can also be a stressful, time consuming and can burn a hole in one's pocket. Enjoy this yummy sweet healthy bread I whipped up using all-natural ingredients I picked up at Whole Foods Market Encinitas that is perfect for an on-the-go breakfast/snack or holiday party dessert!

**One lucky winner will win a $50 Whole Foods Gift Card! Winner will be notified via email on Monday 12/16/13 & will have 24 hours to reply, at which point another winner will be selected if winner does not reply.
**Enter to WIN the giveaway by completing the tasks & any optional ways you’d like to enter.
*** YOU MUST Leave a blog comment below in response to the question (REQUIRED to ENTER), then follow the prompts for additional entries. Sometimes the widget is a bit slow to load, so please be patient.

Don't know what to serve at your holiday dinner or party? No worries, Whole Foods Market Encinitas has you covered their FREE in-store Dressing Rehearsal holiday tasting event with chef demos, sampling of delicious holiday dishes and special holiday offerings. 

Event Details:
Date/Time: Thursday, 12/12/13 from 6 to 8 pm
Location: Whole Foods Market Encinitas -687 S Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024
Features of the Event:
Beer & Wine – Holiday favorites, pairings and sampling
Holiday Cheese Board – How to create
Premier Party Dips sampling

Many people think raw organic healthy food shopping can get expensive, I have to say I disagree! Whole Foods Market offer an array of items to fit everyone's dietary needs and budget. Reduce your holiday stress and get creative with Whole Foods Holiday Cheat Sheet! Happy Shopping!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for Whole Foods Market Encinitas; however, the Gluten-Free Apple Chunk Bread recipe & opinions are all mine.

Thanksgiving gone Healthy & Wild! Coming from generations of traditional Italian cooking, my family Holiday dinners are a combination of traditional Italian favorites, turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing; so I decided to put a healthy exotic twist to the All-American Stuffing! The result is an AMAZING Cranberry-Apple Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe that can be tailored to dietary restrictions or allergies like vegan, dairy-free, gluten free, nut-free or to your desired taste palette. Wild rice adds a wonderful texture to this stuffing while the slight sweetness of the dried cranberries and apples lends a delicious flavor. This is a perfect stuffing for winter squashes making a dazzling holiday main dish.  Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.....ENJOY!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, or 2 1/2 cups water with 1 vegetable bouillon cube
2/3 cup Raw Wild Rice or  1/2 Package of Trader Joe's Cooked Wild Rice
1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Medium White Onion, chopped
1 Large Celery Stalk, diced
2 Medium Apples, cored & diced
4 Cups finely diced Cornbread or Whole Grain Bread (Use Gluten-Free Options like our Gluten-Free Zucchini Cornbread Recipe minus the zucchini or Gluten-Free breads)
1/3 Cup Dried Cranberries
1/4 Cup finely chopped Pecans or Walnuts
2 tsp Salt-Free Seasoning (like Spike or Mrs. Dash)
1/4-1/2 tsp Dried Thyme, to taste
Salt & freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
1/2 Cup Apple Juice or Apple Cider (Organic, Unfiltered or All-Natural)

Directions:

1. Bring the broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir in the wild rice, then cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 35 minutes. (**If using cooked wild rice, omit this step)
   
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
   
3. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onion, sauté  until translucent. Add the celery and sauté over medium heat until both are golden. 
   
4. Combine the onion-celery mixture with the cooked wild rice and all the remaining ingredients except the apple juice in a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine. Drizzle the apple juice in slowly, stirring until mixture is evenly moistened. 
   
5. Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled or buttered, large shallow baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top begins to get slightly crusty. (**Cover with foil if desired)
   

**Bonus Quick Tips:

• Whirl slices & chunks of whole-grain bread in a food processor until fine. This is a good way to use up ends and slightly dated pieces of bread.
  
• Plump dried cranberries in the cider by warming them both in a saucepan or in the microwave and letting them stand for about 5 minutes. Drain the cranberries, reserving them and the cider separately.

**Nutrition ~ Makes 8 serving with 178 Calories per serving

COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
These cookies are packed with protein, gluten free & dairy free!

♥ INGREDIENTS ♥
1 Cup Coconut Flour
1/4 Cup Ground Flax Meal
1/2 Cup Dry 
1/4 cup Protein Powder of choice (I used Metabolic Nutrition Chocolate Cake)
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Cinnamon
2 Whole Eggs
2 Egg Whites
2 Tbsp Melted Coconut Oil
1 Medium Banana Mashed
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1/4-1/2 Cup Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk (used as needed to moisten mixture)
2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract
10-20 Drops of Liquid Stevia (I used the Chocolate Flavor)

♥ DIRECTIONS ♥
Preheat oven to 350
Mix ALL Dry Ingredients in Medium Bowl - set aside
Mix ALL Wet Ingredients in Large Bowl
Using an Electric Mixer, slowly add  Dry Ingredients Mixture 
Fold in 1/2-3/4 bag Chocolate Chips into Mixture
Grease Cookie Sheet (use coconut oil or vegan butter) 
Roll Batter into 1 inch balls & flatten with palm, place on cookie sheet
Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely & Enjoy!

Recipe Inspire By: Powercakes.net

Fall is in the air which means it's "sweet treat" baking season....my FAVORITE time of year! Since Halloween is right around the corner, I decided to whip up something sweet & chocolatey using pumpkin, so ENJOY this yummy & healthy recipe:

PUMPKIN OAT BARS WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS
Perfect for a party dessert dish, breakfast on the go, snack time or simply any occasion. 

♥ INGREDIENTS ♥
2 1/2 cups of Organic Oat Flour
2 tsp aluminum free Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
pinch of Ground Cloves
12 oz or 1 can organic  pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)(Trader Joe's has a great one)
2 teaspoons pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup unsweetened Applesauce
1/4 cup Honey
10 drops of Liquid Stevia
1 tablespoon grape seed oil or coconut oil
1 bag of Organic and/or Vegan Chocolate 

♥ DIRECTIONS ♥
Preheat oven to 350
Mix ALL Dry Ingredients in Medium Bowl - set aside
Mix ALL Wet Ingredients in Large Bowl - Mix for 1-2 mins until smooth & creamy
Using an Electric Mixer, slowly add 1/2 cup of Dry Ingredients at a time 
Fold in 1/2-3/4 bag Chocolate Chips into Mixture
Pour Batter in a greased (use coconut oil or vegan butter) 8x11 inch baking pan. Level out batter & top with remaining chocolate chips. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely. Cut into individual serving sizes. Enjoy!

HOMEMADE VEGETARIAN REFRIED BEANS
**Perfect for burritos, a side dish, nachos or as a dip!

♥ INGREDIENTS ♥
3 Cups Cooked Pinto or Black Beans OR Two 15 oz cans cooked beans, drained & rinsed well
1 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Minced Fresh Garlic Cloves
1/2-1 Seeded & minced fresh Jalapeno Pepper
1Tsp Cumin
2 Tsp Coriander
1 Tsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt 
Optional: 1 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce
Optional: 1/4 Cup Fresh/Canned Tomatoes or Salsa

♥ DIRECTIONS ♥
Add beans to food processor or blender with 1/4 cup water or more to make a smooth bean paste
Heat olive oil on med-low in a 2 qt saucepan. Add minced fresh garlic, jalapeno & spices. Sauté for 5 minutes or until garlic starts to brown.
Add the bean paste and blend with the spices. Add Braggs or soy sauce and salsa, if using. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

♥ NUTRITION ♥
Serving Size -  1/3 Cups
107 Calories 
17g Carbs
 2g Fat
178 mg Sodium 
4g Fiber 
6g Protein