Chocolate Gogi Sea Salt Drops

What a year!  I can't believe 2013 is almost over.  It has been the most wonderful and eye-opening year for us here at Nutrition Transitions, yet we look forward to the change and renewal that 2014 will bring.  May you find peace in your thoughts about food and yourself in 2014.

*M*

******From Intern Kelsey******

I am very excited to be sharing with you one of the best tasting cookies I have ever tried! The holidays always sneak up on me. I usually make a bunch of different types of homemade cookies for Christmas, but this year I was extremely busy preparing for the GRE and getting my registered dietitian internship applications ready. Luckily, I found these cookies on FoodBabe. I am a big fan of goji berries. They are not only packed with powerful antioxidants and vitamin A, they also taste very good! By mixing them with chocolate, this just doubles the amazingness of these berries! Also, this recipe only needs four ingredients and are very easy to make. Even though I wasn't able to make all my homemade cookies this year, my family was disappointed with these!

Chocolate Goji Sea Salt Drops

Ingredients:

2 bags or 20 ounces of chocolate chips

4-6 ounces of goji berries

8 ounces of almonds chopped in half

¼ teaspoon sea salt plus additional for sprinkling

Instructions:

Assemble ingredients. 

Fill a small pot with ¼ water and heat to simmer.

Place a large bowl on top of the pot. This will create a double boiler.

Fill bowl with chocolate chips and slowly melt.

Once all chocolate is melted, stir in sea salt, goji berries and almonds.

Use a tablespoon to drop mixture onto wax paper.

Top each drop with a small sprinkle of sea salt.

Refrigerate and allow the chocolate to cool.

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Healthy Halloween Bark

Halloween kicks off the best time of year - the holiday season!  Regular ol' candy never makes me feel good, but I look forward to trying this healthier option without all the strange additives.  Let us know what you think if you try it!

*M*

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From Kelsey:
 
We are ending the October series with an easy and fun Halloween treat!  Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays not only because you get loads of candy, but also because you get to come up with fun creative recipes to make. Also, you get to carve pumpkins!            

    
This Healthy Halloween Bark is extremely easy to make, only taking about five minutes with only contains six ingredients. This is amazing compared to other regular candies/desserts that are packed with countless ingredients.  It is perfect for those of you wanting a healthy alternative to the artificial and chemical-packed candy.  The Sunspire chocolate pieces used in this recipe look exactly like Reese’s Pieces but contain no artificial coloring or GMO’s. Their natural coloring makes them the perfect item to use when creating a dessert for Halloween or Thanksgiving. I encountered this exceptional dessert from Food Babe’s blog. 

Hopefully this dessert will be a hit in your house so that you can stay away from the processed ones. I hope everyone has a great Halloween!!

Healthy Halloween Bark

Ingredients:

1 cup almond butter
(can sub other nut or seed butters)

3 T. coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt


1½ T. maple syrup


1/4 cup Sunspire sun drops chocolate pieces

Instructions:

Assemble ingredients.

Combine almond butter, coconut oil, salt, vanilla and maple syrup and stir well.

Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper and place the mixture in it.

Top with the Sunspire chocolate pieces. 

Place in freezer for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

Kelsey

October Pumpkin Series: Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin bread - gluten-free, Paleo, and vegan (depending on what you consider honey).  Looks delicious!  

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From Kelsey:

I am so excited to share with you all one of my favorite pumpkin bread recipes. I am always interested in trying different Paleo recipes because this type of diet is fascinaing to me. I have never fully been Paleo, but I have been gluten free for a month having tried it during a previous internship I had, and I definitely benefited from it physically. I had more energy, my skin was clearer and my overall health was better. Since going gluten free, I have basically white and wheat flour from my diet. Instead, I choose flours such as almond, coconut and oat. It is fun experimenting with all the different options out there so I encourage everyone to try it!

While perusing through Facebook, I came across this amazing recipe from Megsvegucation. This recipe instantly caught my attention with the fact that it was gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and Paleo. It also states that it is mostly vegan. I knew that this was something I had to try. I made it and everyone loved it. It makes me extremely happy when I can make healthier options for my family to enjoy. The fact that it is pumpkin is an added bonus! I plan on making as many pumpkin recipes as I can this season.

Hope everyone enjoys this marvelous pumpkin bread as much as I did!

Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

2/3 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or ginger, nutmeg, etc. will also do)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin

2-3 small very ripened bananas

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup almond milk

1/2 cup nuts or raisins (optional, I sprinkled some walnuts on top)

Instructions:

Assemble ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredient (coconut flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice).

Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl (pumpkin, bananas, honey, vanilla, almond milk) and mix until smooth.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.

Spray pan with coconut oil or line with parchment paper.

Pour bread into bread pan and sprinkle walnuts (if desired) on top.

Cook bread 45 minutes (mine took approximately 35 minutes).

Enjoy!

Kelsey

October Pumpkin Series: Pumpkin Chili

Intern Kelsey's second pumpkin post - yum, chili!   I bet this would be awesome with some homemade healthy cornbread...

*M*

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From Kelsey:

This time of the year is my absolute favorite. The weather is cooling down, Halloween is in a few weeks and then it will be my favorite holiday of the year, Thanksgiving. I might be a little more excited for Thanksgiving this year due to my birthday being the day after! I cannot even remember the last time I had my birthday off.  I almost always have an exam, school or work on my birthday so I’m looking forward to relaxing and maybe traveling somewhere this year.

So, if you haven’t been able to tell from my previous post, I am pretty much obsessed with pumpkin. My obsession, however, has only led me to try pastry/dessert pumpkin items such as pies, cookies, puddings, frozen yogurt, etc. When Megan gave me the idea of doing a savory pumpkin item, I was unsure of what I would pick. She was then kind enough to send me some ideas, one of them being this AMAZING pumpkin chili from the blog Wellness Mama. As my mom would say, amazing does not even begin to describe it. The flavors are incredible and the pumpkin aroma instantly fills the house. I tweaked the recipe a little bit, adding some organic great northern beans to it. Adding beans, along with the pumpkin puree, will give you a good amount of fiber, which then means this recipe will keep you full for awhile. The only downside was that I could not eat any of my pumpkin no bake cookies I had made earlier in the day or the pumpkin bread I had also made (will be on blog next week). But it was well worth it!! And yes, I did make three pumpkin items in one day.

Hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do! This dish is perfect to make during this wonderful AZ weather we have been experiencing!

Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound organic grass-fed ground beef

2 onions

1 (16 ounce) can of BPA free diced tomatoes (drained)

1 (15/16 ounce) can or jar of tomato sauce

1 (15/16 ounce) can of pureed pumpkin

1 cup organic beef broth

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon Himalayan salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 avocado

Cheese and sour cream to top

*I also added one can of great northern beans

Instructions:

Assemble Ingredients.

Brown beef in a large pot.

When beef is almost completely cooked, add the onions and cook until soft.

Add the pureed pumpkin, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, stock, beans and spices.

Simmer for 10 minutes until heated through.  

Top with cheese or avocado slices.

Enjoy!

Kelsey

October Pumpkin Series - No Bake Pumpkin Cookies

Oh hey there, fall!  Welcome back!  It's still a wonderful 90+ degrees here in the Valley of the Sun, but we are all itching for the temperature to fall below 80 so we can whip out our boots and sweaters.  (No, seriously.  That's considered "cool" around here.)

Here's my little pumpkin with her very first pumpkin.

Even though we don't have beautiful multi-colored trees and roads lined with fallen leaves, we can still get into the autumn spirit with some healthy pumpkin recipes.  Intern Kelsey has a treat for our readers - a month full of pumpkin!  Each week we will spotlight a new, healthy pumpkin recipe from some amazing food bloggers that will help you fall-ify your palette.  Let's get cookin'...or in the case of these no-bake cookies, let's just eat!  Wouldn't these be awesome with our healthy pumpkin spice latte?

*M*

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From Kelsey:

I am a huge fan of pumpkin. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, you name it and I bet I have tried it and LOVED it! I was so excited when Megan came up the idea for me to do a different pumpkin recipe for each week in October. I immediately began the search for the ultimate pumpkin recipes. Enter the No Bake Pumpkin Cookies from My Whole Life. These are absolutely delicious. Without a doubt, they are one of the best pumpkin items I have ever had. Also, they require no flour, no dairy and no baking. I did not even have to buy any of the ingredients because I had them all in the pantry. As if these cookies could not get any better, they also have tremendous amounts of nutrients in them.

Pumpkin has long been over-looked as a good source of fiber. It contains approximately three grams per one cup. Fiber can help keep you feeling fuller longer, which makes these cookies the perfect go to snack. Pumpkin can also help refuel you after a workout, since it contains more potassium than a banana! Lastly, since we are getting into cold and flu season, I thought I would mention that pumpkin has a substantial amount of Vitamin C to help prevent colds and even the flu! I hope that you enjoy these cookies as much as I do!

No Bake Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients: 

1 cup raw pecans

1 cup raw almonds

10 medjool dates
 (pitted)
3 TBSP pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Instructions:

Assemble ingredients.

Grind up almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and spices using a food processor.

Add in dates and continue to grind.  Finally, add pumpkin and mix until dough forms.

Let sit in the refrigerator for approximately one hour.  

Roll into balls and use your palm to flatten into cookies.  

Then eat!  Enjoy!

*Kelsey*

Grain-free Banana Nut Waffles (Paleo-friendly)

My intern Kelsey is at it again!  This girl loves to cook, and she has been making some delicious recipes for her family.  When I was in college, my specialties were salads with sliced tofu and Lean Pockets (ugh).  I'm so glad she got the "real foods" message at a much earlier age than I did, plus her time in the kitchen will be so helpful when she's an RD one day!

These waffles are gluten-free and can be refrigerated and reheated for future meals.  I have a feeling my Baby-led Weaning friends will love this for their littles ones!

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From Kelsey:

When I was younger, my least favorite meal of the day was breakfast.  I have no clue what changed, but now I absolutely love breakfast.  In high school I would let myself sleep in until the last second, usually grabbing a bar or something quick to eat on my way to school.  Even though I now wake up earlier, I give myself a good 30 minutes to eat breakfast.  I guess my habit changed once I started taking nutrition classes and learned just how important breakfast really is for you.  It basically "jump starts" your metabolism for the entire day.  This is why I started doing research into different kinds of breakfast foods.

I got this recipe for Banana Nut Waffles from FoodBabe.  She has some amazing recipes, and I found this one while skimming through her page.  I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do.  They are such a big hit with my family that we even make them for dinner.

Ingredients:

4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1 cup almond flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
Maple syrup for serving

Instructions:

Assemble ingredients.

Preheat waffle iron.  Assemble wet ingredients: eggs, bananas, vanilla, and water.

Add the dry ingredients: almond flour, sea salt, baking soda, cinnamon, walnuts.

Grease preheated waffle iron with cooking spray.  (I used the coconut oil spray from Trader Joe's.)

Spoon batter onto hot waffle iron.  Cook approximately four minutes or until timer goes off.

Mmmmmm....

Enjoy!

*M*

All About Oats Part 3: Overnight Oats (Guest Blogger)

Meet Kelsey.

Kelsey is my wonderful intern.  I'm so excited to have her help!  Her sister Angie and I have been friends since college, and I have gotten to know their wonderful family over the years.  Kelsey will make an awesome RD soon.  Below is her first blog post about super popular Overnight Oats.  Enjoy!

*M*

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I am both excited and grateful to be a guest blogger and intern for this amazing site! I would like to share with you one of my favorite breakfast recipes. This recipe is essential to me since I am constantly rushing out the door in the morning, yet I still know that I need to eat something for breakfast (the most important meal of the day some will say). Right now I am a full time student at ASU, a volunteer at a hospital and a dance/tumbling instructor. My days consist of waking up and rushing out the door to the gym, rushing to get to school and rushing to get to work. I do find time to relax and do pilates and yoga every once in awhile!

I was first introduced to overnight oats at the Gilbert Farmer’s Market: Uprooted Kitchen. I was a bit skeptical because I was unsure if I would like oats that were chilled. After I tasted the first bite, I absolutely loved them. I then did a great deal of research on different recipes and found that the flavor possibilities were endless. I thought to myself, “I could make this every morning for breakfast and never get tired of it!” I am thrilled to share with you the favorite recipe that I have found for overnight oats. I have, no joke, been eating these for breakfast for the last week.

Overnight oats are a super quick and easy meal that will please anyone who likes flavored oats. 

Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Ingredients:
¼ cup Old Fashioned Oats (not the quick, instant or steel cut)
1/3 cup almond milk
1 ½ teaspoon chia seeds
¼ cup greek yogurt
1 tablespoon PB2 (peanut butter powder)

Optional:
1/4 cup walnuts

In the morning add:
1 banana
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  
Instructions:

Assemble ingredients.  

 

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake/stir it together. Let it sit overnight in the refrigerator or up to three days and enjoy! 
 

 

Once I take it out in the morning, I add a banana and 1 tablespoon hemp seeds for an extra crunch and protein.
 

Do not be afraid to try other ideas! I have only made the peanut butter banana but once I move pass my obsession with this flavor, I want to try blueberry maple, apple cinnamon, banana cocoa, etc.!!

 

Have fun and be creative! Hope you all enjoy!

Kelsey