Snickerdoodle Bliss Bites

Hello hello! 

Welcome to the start of a new week. Am I an insane person for saying I actually enjoy Mondays? I mean, I can comfortably say that I am an insane person, but whether or not that's solely related to my being okay with Mondays, not sure. I'll get back to you on that one. 

Most of the time a new week leaves me feeling inspired and motivated for all of the potential that lies ahead. This week Josiah and I have the entire week to work on our camper renovation. Up until now we've just been working on it here and there, getting things accomplished as we had time, BUT this week it's going to be all about the camper. I'm trying to manage my expectations though because the amount of things I think we can accomplish in a day are generally way more than is possible. Josiah will be there to help keep me in check. And these snickerdoodle bites will be here to keep me from having a hangry meltdown between Home Depot runs. They're full of fats and nutritious enough to justify as a snack, but sweet enough to satisfy a sweet craving. All wins in my book. Make them up today and have them on hand all week! 

Snickerdoodle Bliss Bites 

Makes: 10 

• 3 tablespoons coconut butter
• 2 tablespoons ghee, melted and cooled
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 scoops collagen
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 
• 1 cup almond flour 
• 2 teaspoons maca, I used Trader Joe's 
• a pinch of salt 

Combine the coconut butter, ghee, coconut oil, and vanilla in a medium sized bowl. Mix the collagen, almond flour, maca, and salt in another bowl. Slowly add in the dry mixture to the wet. Scoop the mixture into 1" balls and place onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Place the bites into the freezer for approximately 20 minutes or until the bites feel firm. As soon as the bites feel firm, enjoy! Store in the freezer. 

Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups

I think obsessed is the word I would use to describe my relationship with peanut butter. And that might even be downplaying it. It's always been a favorite food of mine, especially in the form of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. my problem with those however was that there were never enough peanut butter. Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate, I do, but when it comes to peanut butter in desserts or candies, I think the more the merrier. These peanut butter cups provide my preferred ratio and utilize much more health conscious ingredients than any packaged peanut butter cup ever will. Make these and keep them in your freezer for when that post-dinner sugar craving strikes. These are only slightly sweetened, which is my personal preference, but if you prefer them much sweeter, just increase the amount of maple syrup and enjoy. 

INSIDE OUT PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Makes 9

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 TBS maple syrup
• 2 TBS cocoa powder 

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Melt together the peanut butter and coconut oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. When the mixture has melted completely take out 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside. Add in 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to the peanut butter and coconut oil mixture you set aside. Using the peanut butter and coconut oil mixture that is still in the saucepan, pour the mixture into the paper liners in the muffin pan. Only fill the cups about half full and then place in the freezer. Allow that layer to freeze and then pour the chocolate layer on top and then allow that layer to freeze. Finally take the remaining peanut butter coconut oil mixture and pour it over the top of the chocolate layer and then place in the freezer. Once the final layer has frozen you can enjoy. Store in an airtight container in the freezer. 

DIY Coconut Kefir + Coconut Kefir Parfaits

I have a confession, I suck at DIYs. Like, I'm awful at them. The best example perhaps of my DIY fails, that was essentially a fail from the moment I dreamed up the idea, was the time I painted a couch. You read that right, I painted a couch. Or at least attempted to paint a couch. Josiah and I had just gotten married and inherited my parent's old couch and love seat that were not the prettiest of colors. 

So I decided to paint them. Most sane people would have maybe thought of the idea and then let it float away with the rest of the idea that you know are just bad. Me on the other hand, I thought of this idea and held onto it for dear life. In fact, at the time I didn't know if I could have had any ideas that were quite as amazing as this. Like, it was just the best. It was going to be cheap and I was going to get a beautiful black couch of my dreams. Did I mention it was going to be cheap? 

Well after buying about $170 worth of paint we ended up with some splotchy, crunchy-feeling seating in our tiny living room. Maybe not my best idea. Since then there have been a series of DIY fails that I've gone into so eagerly and fallen so flat on my face. 

Moral of the story, I'm not great at DIYs. I tell you this so that you know that if I can make this DIY coconut kefir, anyone can. 

Let's talk a little bit about why kefir is important. Kefir is a fermented drink that is similar to yogurt. It's made using cultures of yeast and lactic acid bacteria and it is super good for your gut. We all have probably been told that yogurt is good for our gut, but kefir is especially good for you because it includes a wide variety of bacteria strains. Yogurt on the other hand only contains a few. 

So not that long ago, because I don't tolerate dairy well, I hadn't really tried kefir before. I knew there were benefits to drinking it, but I just assumed because I didn't eat dairy, those benefits wouldn't be available to me. However, after a conversation with my friend Kate I was introduced to the idea of making a non-dairy version of kefir at home. She sent me the link to the kefir starter and in no time I had the most creamy, dreamy, tangy, and irresistible jar of coconut kefir. The fact that it's super good for me is really just a bonus. I would drink this stuff whether it was helping support my GI tract or not. So thank you, kate, for your wisdom. 

A few things to note when making this recipe. I was not successful with ALL coconut milk. If your coconut milk is watery or just all around not thick, the kefir will still do it's thing, but you'll end up with a much chunkier and less appetizing result that separates in the fridge. The coconut milk that I have found works the best is the Whole Foods brand. However, I do think as long as you are conscious of choosing a coconut milk that is legitimately thick, you'll be golden. 

This recipe could not be easier. Like You combine two ingredients and then leave them to do their thing for 24-48 hours and then BAM, you have a good-for-you base for a super yummy snack. I am totally cool with drinking this stuff straight up or spooning it straight from the jar, but I also think it's extra magical with some berries and granola added. I hope that you enjoy this recipe and feel super good about yourself for totally nailing a DIY project that looks fancy, but requires minimal work. 

Coconut Kefir 

• 1 can of coconut milk (14 ounces)*
• 1 packet of the kefir starter

Combine the coconut milk and kefir starter in a mason jar using a whisk. Place a paper towel, cheesecloth, or thin dish towel over the mason jar and set it in a place at room temerature that it will not be disturbed for 24-48 hours. I put mine on our refrigerator. The amount of time you leave your kefir to hang out depends on how tangy you want it. The longer you let it set, the tangier it will be. I usually aim for close to 48 hours because I like it really tangy. If you prefer a more mild flavor, call it good at 24. Once the kefir has reached the level of tang you want, cover it with a lid and store it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. 

*Using thick coconut milk such as the Whole Foods brand pictured above is critical to the texture of this turning out creamy and delicious. I've found that Trader Joe's coconut milk does NOT work, so I would not recommend using it or other coconut milks that have similar consistencies.

Coconut Kefir Parfaits

Makes 2 

• 1 cup coconut kefir
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries 
• 1/2 cup gluten-free or paleo granola 
• a drizzle of honey (optional) 

Alternate layering the coconut, blueberries, and raspberries into two small mason jar or bowl. Top with granola and if you're feelin' extra, drizzle some honey. 

Spiced Coconut Butter Fat Bites

Let's talk about fat. Fat is good. Have I lost you already? Fat helps our bodies do all the things bodies are supposed to do and the 90's fad of keeping thing low-fat actually took a turn for the worst for our nation's health, but we don't need to get into all of that now. Just know, fat is good and you should feel good about consuming it frequently, especially from plant based sources. 

These fat bites are packed full of, you guessed it, FAT, and are super great at helping you control those mid-morning and mid-afternoon hangry feelings. There are only three dates used to sweeten the entire batch so they're not overly sweet, which I am a big fan of! Ridding these bites of large amount of sweetness (even natural sweetness) lets the fats work to manage hunger and level out blood sugar levels. I love the flavor of these fat bites and I know you will too! Basically these should be in your purse at all times. Because having food in your purse is totally normal, right? 

Spiced Coconut Butter Fat Bites 

Makes 30 bites 

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
• 3 pitted medjool dates
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/3 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
• 1" fresh organic ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons almond milk 
• 1/3 cup raw coconut butter

Combine all the ingredients except the almond milk and coconut butter in a food processor. Once you feel that all the ingredients have been ground together, add the coconut butter and almond milk. The mix will still be a little crumbly, but you should be able to roll them into balls. If you still feel like they are falling apart, add a little bit more coconut butter. I use a 1" inch cookie scoop to help me scoop them out, but if you want them to be different sizes there is nothing wrong with that! Once I've rolled them all into balls, place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer for about 1 hour. Then take the bites off of the cookie sheet and store them in a container in the freezer until hunger strikes.