Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

I was a little skeptical of how these would turn out, but I was beyond surprised with the results. The original recipe is from one of my favorite websites; OhSheGlows.com, but we made a few changes to keep them whole food, and avoid processed sugars.

They were fairly easy to whip up, but do require quite a few bowls for prep. However, it's completely and utterly worth it!

My hubby, who claims to "hate" dates, and is my annoying picky eater of the house, said these were "really good, great texture, and could totally pass for a cupcake if they had icing".

These are a great mini meal for toddlers because they are made with whole, plant based foods. They freeze well so can be made in batches and added to the your weekly rotation. They're moist and fluffy, and with icing, would make an excellent chocolate cupcake.

Important Notes:

• Pulverize the zucchini instead of shredding it (you want it to resemble pulp).

• Make sure to use organic zucchini to avoid GMOs.

• If you have picky eaters, you may want to peel the zucchini first. Some of our cupcakes had tiny specks of bright green.

• Make the cashew milk after the date paste without cleaning in between (this will help you get the remaining date paste you weren't able to scrape clean; and alleviate a round of dishes).

• Carefully fold the zucchini and chocolate chips (if using) until just incorporated; do not stir.

• Use chocolate chips if you have picky eaters or kids who are used to super sweet treats, avoid for babies/toddlers introducing to food.

• While I haven't tried it in this recipe, I have interchanged rice and quinoa flours for white whole wheat with excellent results.

What you need:

• 1 Flax egg (3 Tbsp lukewarm water + 1 Tbsp ground flax)

• 3 small zucchini, pulverized (and peeled first if desired)

• 1 cup packed dates + 1/2 c water, pureed until smooth

• 1 tsp pure vanilla 

• 1/4 raw cashews + 1 c water (or 1 1/4 c plant milk)

• Juice of 1 small lemon (roughly 3 tsp lemon juice)

• 2 c white whole wheat flour (I use these berries and grind to flour)

• 1/3 c raw cacao

• 1 tsp aluminium free baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt (any will work)

• 1/4 c dairy free chocolate chips (optional - I used this brand)

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make your flax egg and set aside.

2. In a food processor (I used my mini) chop the zucchini until it resembles a pulp like texture. Set aside.

3. In a high speed blender or food processor, make your date paste (1 c dates + 1/2 c water). Once completely smooth, scoop into a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

4. Make your cashew milk (1/4 c raw cashews and 1 c water) in the same blender or food processor without cleaning first. Pour into a cup, and add the lemon juice. Let sit for at least 2 minutes.

5. Combine dry ingredients (raw cacao, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

6. Add the flax egg, vanilla, and milk with lemon to the date paste and stir (won't mix completely; you'll still have excess milk). Pour into the dry mixture and stir to combine.

7. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips until just incorporated. Be careful not to over stir.

8. Scoop into a silicon muffin cups or a lightly oiled muffin pan. Bake for about 15 - 17 minutes. Makes 15 cupcakes.

Enjoy!

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (Refined sugar and dairy free)

Sometimes you just need a dessert. But why not make those sweet treats work for your body instead of against it? I'm all for indulging, eating what your body craves, not restricting calories...but paying attention to the ingredients that you're actually ingesting.

I've experimented with these a few times, and originally made them into "buckeye balls". I think they look the best this way, but dipping them can be a bit time consuming. So I decided to turn them into my husband's favorite candy; peanut butter cups, and they were a HUGE hit!

You can make these a couple different ways...balls or cups, and crispy (my favorite) or not (Jamie's favorite). The batter is supposed to be somewhat dry, the chocolate coating helps to keep it in place.

What you need:

1 c natural peanut butter (I used chunky, but either works well!)

3/4 c date sugar (dehydrated dates finely ground...you can make your own or buy online or a health store)

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup (you can skip this and add extra peanut butter if it is too dry)

* 1 Plain rice cake (nothing added)

2 cups dairy free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

* Optional for crispy

What you do:

1. Combine peanut butter, date sugar, and maple syrup in a medium mixing bowl and stir until combined. It will be a little dry and that's ok!

2. Break apart the rice cake and add to the mixture if using. (I used a rice cake because it was the only thing I could find that had a good crunch without added ingredients).

For "buckeye balls"

3. In a double saucepan, melt the chocolate. (I heated water in a pot and place a glass bowl on top with the chocolate chips to create this).

4. While the chocolate is melting, begin to roll the batter into small balls, about 1/2 inch in diameter. (For best results, freeze the balls for 30 minutes before dipping in the melted chocolate).

5. Dip each ball into the chocolate, coating evenly, and place on parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Store in fridge for 10 minutes to set. Makes about 24.

For Peanut butter cups

3. Melt the chocolate and scoop about 1.5 Tbsp into a silicon muffin pan (or a slightly oiled muffin pan). Spread across the bottom and up the sides (it doesn't have to be perfect, you just want to coat it as well as possible).

4. Scoop about 1/3 cup of the mixture into each chocolate coated muffin pan and press down firmly to pack.

5. Spoon more melted chocolate over the top to cover. Store in fridge to set (at least one hour). To remove, use a knife to slowly peel away from the sides and pop out (a silicon muffin pan works best for this!). Makes about 12.

Enjoy!

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Heart Shaped Bird Feeders (Natural, Organic, Vegan!)

I originally found this post last Valentine's Day from Alphamom.com.

A year later, I finally decided to give it a try. It was an epic fail. They didn't hold together at all. I tried salvaging what I had and added more agar agar to bind it, to no avail.

Nya really wanted to make these and I was determined to get them working. With some experimenting, we finally had success! Here's what we did...

What you need:

• 1/2 c water

• 2 Tbsp agar agar (seaweed - look for it in the Asian cooking aisles)

• 1/4 c date paste OR 3 Tbsp brown rice syrup

• 3/4 c flour (we used teff, but amaranth, brown rice, oat, or almond are great alternatives; and any can be used)

• 4 c birdseed

• parchment paper or silicon baking mat

• heart shaped cookie cutter

• String

What you do:

1. Mix all ingredients except birdseed together until a paste forms.

2. Stir in the birdseed making sure everything is coated well.

3. Place the cookie cutter down on the parchment paper or silicon baking mat and fill with the birdseed mixture. Make sure to pack down very tightly. Fill to the brim.

4. Take a straw or chop stick and poke a hole all the way through, making sure to reach the bottom, then pull out.

5. Slowly and carefully lift the cookie cutter up, place down on the mat, and fill again. Repeat until you have used all the mix.

6. In a 200 degree oven, bake for 1 hour, or dehydrate at 105 for 3 - 4 hours.

7. Once done, let cool for a bit. Take any neutral color string (we used fishing wire - bright colors will scare the birds) and string through the hearts.

8. Some small seed may crumble off, so it's best to bag these before giving as a gift. Hang in the trees and enjoy!

I bagged them along with a "Happy Valentine's Day!" tag and a list of ingredients (in case of allergies), and Nya brought them into school today for all of her classmates. Everyone enjoyed them!

You can use any cookie cutter shape you want and give these any time of the year. They are a fun, easy, and inexpensive craft to do with your children, and they make excellent gifts!

* We were still able to use the original failed mix. Nya and I collected large pine cones, smeared them with natural peanut butter (nothing added) and sprinkled the birdseed mix on them.  Another fun craft!

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Pumpkin Pie Bars (Dairy, gluten, and sugar free!)

I'm a huge fan of healthy mini meals that are simple and quick to whip up. As a busy stay-at-home, working-mom, I don't have a lot of time to spend slaving in the kitchen. My goal is always to pack a lot of nutrition into an individual serving "mini meal" for my active little daughter that tastes great, is nearly mess free, and can be added to our freezer rotation.

These pumpkin pie bars are a breeze to make with minimal, whole food ingredients. They store well in the freezer, and can be eaten any time of day.  They taste great straight out of the oven, or at room temperature. I am not a fan of oatmeal, but am a huge fan of these!

Why I Love These:

• My daughter loves them

• My picky eating husband loves them

• Less than 20 minutes to make

• Made from whole food ingredients

• Dairy, gluten, and sugar free

• Extremely moist 

• Very Filling

• Freeze well

• Perfect individual serving for toddlers

What You Need:

• 6 Flax eggs (1 cup lukewarm water mixed with 6 Tbsp ground flax)

• 4 c gluten free oats

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1.5 c pitted dates

• 1 can pure pumpkin (nothing added)

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Then make your flax eggs and let sit.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.

3. In a high speed blender or food processor, combine canned pumpkin and dates and blend until smooth (if it's not blending well, you can add a tiny amount of water). Then add to the dry ingredients along with your flax eggs.

4. Stir to incorporate. Spoon into a silicon or slightly oiled muffin pan.

5. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. Makes 12. Freeze immediately for ultimate moistness. Enjoy!

To connect with others in this crazy journey of life, discover new parenting ideas & fun DIY projects, learn about holistic remedies, & find whole food plant based recipes, please visit our Facebook page Loving Green at Loving Green FB.