No-Bake Matcha Tahini Energy Bites

Sometimes we all need a bit of extra energy. Especially when it comes in the form of a sweet and nutty ball with matcha and dates. These bites literally melt in your mouth! And I absolutely adore the soft texture of the dates with a bit of crunch from the almonds and chia seeds.

I call this the easiest and healthiest dessert, snack, whatever, invented! (My dad called them donkey shit but whatever, it’s the taste that counts, right?) It only takes 5 minutes to blend all 5 ingredients in a food processor before popping them in the fridge for a few hours. I may or may not have also licked the pot sparkling clean while waiting for the bites to firm up.

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Chocolate and Coconut Crinkle Cookies

School is sometimes so weird. We have a one week break right now (don’t know why but I’m not questioning their decision), so I’ve been home watching TV shows (The Flash is awesome!) and my brother decided to use the time to work on a school project.  This particular school project, having done it once upon a time back in 8th grade, is not your typical assignment. And mixed with cookie-making it becomes a bit hectic.

I somehow managed to bake these healthy chocolate cookies in the midst of my brother’s filming/singing chaos (though I did have to steal the camera for a few minutes to take pictures) and the results are soft, almost pillowy-like, cookies with a sweet burst of chocolate and coconut inside.

Healthier Cranberry Scones

On Saturday, I was at the Cranberry fest for volunteering and it was pouring rain! It also didn’t help that my station was right next to the performances and one of them was crazy high-pitched bagpipes. For that performance, I was crouching behind my recycling bins, trying to put a barrier in between me and that noise. Yes, I did look a little crazy but the music was loud!

Thinking back, I probably looked like a madwoman who hovered around the recycling bins for the entire day and I’m pretty sure I inadvertently photobombed most of the performers’ pictures. Hey, it’s not my fault my station was placed right beside the stage!

But wait! There is a good ending to this story.

Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries

Healthy fries just got real. Sure, they don’t actually taste like salty potato fries, but don’t compare them to that unhealthy junk. Think of it as soft baked zucchini coated with a crispy layer of cheesy goodness and breadcrumbs.

I think summer flew by way too fast. I did summer school for a month, went camping one time and now it’s already school again. I don’t know if I should be sad or happy. On one end, I know I’ll have lots of homework and projects and classwork and tests, but on the other hand, I am excited to see my friends again and see if there are any new kids coming (our school is small so a new kid is a big deal)!

I will now veer away from the topic of school since that’s making me anxious. 🙂

Zucchini Chocolate Muffins

A friend came back from a trip in France recently and they came over to our house, bringing lots of dreamy chocolates for us to taste. They were melt-in-your-mouth type of delicious. Anyways, that day, I had made muffins using the zucchini from our garden because we always have way too much, and my friend tasted one and said it was pretty good. I was happy, but then he paid me the utmost compliment any baker can get (or at least, in my rankings of compliments). He asked for another one! And then cheerfully gobbled it up.

Whenever someone asks for a second serving, I know they truly like it and that can brighten up my day no matter what kind of day it is. Even if it’s pouring rain and I have soccer practice. Outside. And my friend didn’t even flinch when I said it had zucchini in it :). A true eater.

These moist muffins are loaded with zucchini and chocolate, and there is no oil! Also, they are sweetened with maple syrup and cane sugar, which is a healthier alternative to your regular white granulated sugar. An all around A+ in my books.

• Servings: 12
• Time: 30 mins (Prep 10 mins)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Sneaking in that zucchini without compromising chocolate’s delicious taste. These muffins are even healthier with applesauce instead of oil or butter.

Ingredients:
1 cup white flour
1/4  cup cocoa powder
1  1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (try it homemade)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/3 cup applesauce, no sugar added
1 cup grated zucchini, lightly pressed to remove large amounts of water
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Grease 12 muffin tins with butter or coconut oil.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, cane sugar and applesauce. Once thoroughly mixed, fold in the grated zucchini.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and lastly fold in the chocolate chips. The mixture shouldn’t be too liquid (if it is, add a 1/4 cup more flour). Divide the batter into the prepared muffin pan.
5. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the top of the muffins have risen and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Let the muffins cool down in the muffin tins for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a metal rack. Eat warm or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Blueberry Walnut Applesauce Muffins

The other day, in my Spanish class, I had a discussion with my substitute teacher about food, and more particularly, eating healthy. She made one remark which really interested me. The teacher told me that she wants to enjoy life and all of its perks, such as food, so if she was presented cupcakes, she would go for it, but then she told me that eating one cupcake is not the same as eating three of the same.

This conversation prompted me to think about what is truly healthy eating. I have been thinking about it for a very long time and I have discovered a lot of different opinions.

When there are no fats in the recipe.

When you eat the right amounts of food from all the food groups.

Eating more greens and less meat.

Just eating one cupcake.

Crispy Sweet Apple Chips

You know those apple chips that you can buy at the store? The bag you buy when you feel really guilty looking at all those delicious salty chips in all different sizes and flavours? Well you can make it way cheaper at home by just using apples and a slicer/really good knife skills! We first made these a few years ago but it took so much time and sweat using a vintage mandolin slicer, as we had to move the apple back and forth across the blade to create thin slices of apples. Which was even harder to do in the summer heat. And the end result was tiny shriveled apple chips, that although tasted really good, disappeared too quickly for all that effort.

So we didn’t make them again until now. My mom decided, after buying a few expensive bags of apple chips, that it was time to attempt making apple chips again, but this time not with the vintage mandolin slicer.

The Healthiest Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Not only are they healthy, they taste awesome too! Coconut oil helps keep it all together and the oats are so flaky and delicious. This is the first time I’ve used oat flour ( I grinded oats in a food processor), and it acts exactly like regular flour! Make sure you grab a bit before everyone finishes it off.

The cookies are best eaten with a plate under so all the crumbs that fall can be picked up and eaten! Oh, and I just wanted to say that chocolate is my favorite thing to eat. Ever.

One piece of advice: Don’t forget to add the sugar! I made that mistake and realized it just after I had finished placing all the cookie dough neatly on the tray, all ready to go in the oven. So, sadly, I had to break all my nicely shaped cookies and mix it all together in a bowl with the sugar and then place then back on the tray.

Cranberry Harvest Granola Bars

These are so delicious and chewy! I saw some granola bars which are non-baked, but the nuts and oats are toasted separately. I don’t like doing all those steps, so I just baked the granola bars after mixing all the raw ingredients. Way easier.