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!

PIN IT HERE

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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!

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Almond Parsley Pesto with Cracked Freekeh and Asparagus

If I'm honest, I'm really not that big a fan of cooking. I like coming up with new twists to old fashioned (and unhealthy) dishes, but it's not something I want to be doing every day. I want quick, easy, and healthy meals, without the hassle.

I recently bought some organic cracked freekeh that has been sitting in my pantry because I had no idea what to do with it. So what's a girl to do? I scoured Pinterest for inspiration (follow me on Pinterest here), and found exactly what I didn't know I was looking for!

Before we dive into the recipe, I wanted to give you a little background on this ancient grain that is budding it's way into today's health market.

What is Freekeh?

Freekeh is a young green wheat that has been toasted and cracked. It looks like a cross between barley and brown rice and has a distinctive, nutty taste.

The grain is a powerhouse of nutrients because of the way it is prepared. Drying and roasting the young moisture-laden grains retains the nutritive value and effectively captures them at their peak state. The whole process is natural, and no preservatives or additives are needed. While the term is associated with green wheat, freekeh is actually a process, and any grain picked when young and soft and roasted can be called as such.

According to food lore, freekeh’s fiery story dates back thousands of years to around 2,300 BC. Allegedly, a Middle Eastern village came under enemy attack and their crops of young, green wheat caught fire during the siege. The villagers ingeniously found they were able to salvage their food supply by rubbing away the burned chaff to reveal the roasted wheat kernels inside. This is what we know today as freekeh, which means “to rub” or “the rubbed one.”

Freekeh became common in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines and has long been part of the food culture in countries such as Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. It’s also become extremely popular in Australia, where modern processing of Freekeh originated.

Health Benefits of Freekeh:

• High in protein - a half cup of freekeh has 11 g of protein, while providing zero cholesterol, saturated or trans fat.

• Good prebiotic effect with large numbers of biofidobacterial and lactobacilli

• Low Glycaemic Index with excellent insulin response. Wholegrain freekeh GI = 43

• Rich in Zeaxanthin and Lutein, which have been associated with the prevention of age-related macular degeneration. May also help promote eye health.

• High in fiber - 1/2 cup of freekeh provides 8 g of fiber which promotes digestive health, prevents the body from absorbing too much starch and sugar, lowers cholesterol, helps bowels pass quickly through the digestive track, and helps control blood sugar levels and prevent Type 2 diabetes. (According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, fiber may also help prevent various types of cancer, but further studies are needed to prove this. - Source).

•  Full of essential nutrients such as selenium, potassium, and magnesium.

I originally found this recipe from Shape.com, and tweaked it quite a bit to fit into a meal that was clean and plant based. I did use olive oil in this recipe (which isn't exactly clean and something I usually stay away from). If you wish to avoid this, you can substitute white beans, veggie broth, or avocado in its place. Just make sure to thin it with water to get the correct consistency.

This recipe turned out better than I expected, and my 2 year old daughter even loved it! Although Nya was eating the cooked, unseasoned freekeh and raw asparagus as I was preparing it. She's my little eater...er, I mean helper!

It was delicious, incredibly filling, and extremely versatile. If you don't want to use freekeh, sub another grain instead. Quinoa, barley, rice, and farro would all work lovely in here. And don't have asparagus? Use broccoli, or any other veggie you wish. Or skip the veggie altogether since you're already adding greens to the pesto. Be flexible!

What you need:

For almond parsley pesto:

1/4 cup almonds

* 1/4 cup olive oil (See above note on substitutions)

2 cloves garlic

1 packed cup fresh parsley leaves

1 cup loosely packed greens of choice (I used spinach)

1/4 cup almond flour/meal

Pink Himalayan or sea salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

For asparagus and freekeh:

1 cup cracked freekeh

2 1/2 cups water or veggie broth

2 cloves diced or pressed garlic

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

Juice of 1 lemon

Pink Himalayan or sea salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes


What you do:

1. In food processor or blender, combine almonds, olive oil, and garlic. Pulse for 1 to 2 minutes until mixture resembles almond butter. Add parsley and greens and blend for another 2 minutes until smooth and bright green. (Add few teaspoons water if pesto is thick.) Add almond flour/meal and pulse for a few seconds to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, combine freekeh and veggie broth or water, and cook according to package directions. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. In a large skillet, water saute garlic and asparagus until just tender (about 3 minutes until bright green; do not over cook).  Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add freekeh and pesto to the asparagus, and toss. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Add cherry tomatoes. Serve warm or at room temperature. This dish is also great as a cold "salad", and it freezes well if you want to make extra to save for another night.

Enjoy!

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Losing It.

I literally had a moment this morning....more like an entire hour, where I felt myself completely losing control of my emotions. For the first time, I was mad at my daughter.

Jamie has been gone for about 6 months. The holidays are around the corner. My family is across the country with no plans to visit. And the people I thought were my friends (all but a couple!) have completely bailed on me.

I got up this morning and reached for my wedding ring that I keep on my dresser. The place I always keep it. Yet this morning however, my wedding band was gone and only my engagement ring remained. I looked over at Nya who had wandered into my room. I vaguely remember seeing her bring her stool into my room the day before and place it in the exact spot I was now standing.

"Nya, do you know where mommy's ring is?"

"Uh-huh. I took it," she replied.

I felt the fear creeping through my body, as I began imagining the absolute worst.

Remaining calm, I asked her what she did with it. To which of course, she couldn't remember.

We only had one hour to get everything together and be out the door. As I frantically searched around the house, I wanted to scream at her, "WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY RING?!?!"

I could tell by the look in her eyes that she felt bad, and her kind words of, "I'll help you momma," made me feel like a complete ass.

I realize it's just a ring. It's something that can be replaced. And logically, I shouldn't be making such a big deal about it.

But panic overcame me as I realized I may never find it. I broke down and cried and told Nya, "Mommy needs a minute." The panic turned to anger and utter despair. I was a wreck and I felt so close to losing it.

With Jamie gone, this is all I have of him. This ring is incredibly sacred and means so much to me. We had our rings engraved with special messages to remind each other of our love while we were apart. And now that's gone.

Nya's made a mess, ignored me, damaged things, and more, and I've always been able to remain calm and even find humor in the situation. Because at the end of the day, nothing really matters but the confidence and trust Nya has in our relationship and herself.

But this time was different. I couldn't be in the moment with her. I couldn't find the humor. The panic, fear, sadness, and anger overwhelmed me. I wanted my ring...that little part of Jamie...back.

I explained to Nya why I was so sad and how special the ring is to me because it's a gift from her daddy. We talked about my feelings because I want Nya to learn we're all human. We make mistakes. We react to situations. And that the important thing is for us to work through them together.

I told her everything would be ok, and that we would look again later.

We went about our day and my sadness and anger turned into regret. I had actually felt mad at my innocent little 2 year old. I was so close to losing it and she meant no harm. I felt awful that I could even have those feelings towards her. And I was upset that I would allow something so little ruin a moment of time we had together.

I began to think of all the children who are yelled at on a regular basis. What does this do to their self worth?

Every action we take. Every word we speak. Every tone we use. Our children are observing. They are learning their value by the world we present them with. And they will grow up to live what they learn.

What value do we give their self worth?

What kind of world do we want this to be?

Nya helped me look for my ring for half an hour before bedtime, and I continued looking for another hour after that.

It's still missing.

I'm trying to remain hopeful that it will turn up, but I'm reminding myself it is just a thing. It can be replaced. Yet the moments we have together, cannot. And each moment we're granted, can never be had again.

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When nothing seems to go right...

I don't even know where to begin...

The craziness of the weekend began Friday, after a long drive to and from the vet for our new pup, Lulu, that we rescued a couple weeks ago (not the senior dog we were planning and looking for, but a puppy who is not potty trained!). If I hadn't had a 4 month break of Nya being out of diapers, I couldn't imagine where my sanity would be with both a puppy and toddler learning the boundaries of where to pee and poop.

When we got home, Nya and I hoped in the car (it only gets driven around the block once every other week while Jamie's gone), along with both dogs, and set out for our biweekly spin around the block.

Only to discover the car wouldn't start. The battery was completely dead.

Oh well.

The next morning we awoke to weather in the 20's. It was TWENTY SOMETHING degrees... in the south... in the middle of November! I decided we would take the day easy after our crazy week of running around. All was going well, until we sat down for dinner...

Our sensitive smoke alarms that Jamie had "fixed" started going off. The sharp shrilling wail of the siren pierced my ear drums as I scurried to get everything under control.

Lulu was running through the house completely terrified. Lexi was trying to round everyone up to get outside. And Nya was dashing through the house in her underwear shouting, "What is that? What's going on?" Over. And over. And over.

I managed to reset the smoke detectors. The windows were open and the fans were on. The bloodcurdling wail was silent for the moment.

Five minutes later they begin to wail again. Lulu peed all over the floor, and Nya, still in just her underwear, shouting "What's going on?!"followed behind me as I ran upstairs, taking all five smoke detectors out of the ceiling.

But they didn't stop!

I disconnected all the wires and they were STILL going off. In my hands! I just wanted the noise to stop!

I opened them up, ripped out the batteries out, and those suckers were still shrieking! More of a dying shriek than the initial piercing, but what the heck?!

I threw the batteries in a zip lock bag, the disengaged and empty smoke detectors in another bag, and ran them out to the garage. It crossed my mind to throw them in the garbage, but I had a flash back to a Friends episode where Phoebe had the same problem. Probably not a good idea to fully dump them. I instead hid them as far away as I could, praying they wouldn't come back to life anytime soon.

Now I was proud of myself. I had done it! Those suckers were not going to bother us anymore!

Everyone came back inside, we finished our meal, and went about our night.

....

Sunday morning came too early, and Lexi was up at 6 ready to go outside and play. All I wish for is ONE morning to sleep in. Just one.

I crawled back into bed for a bit before getting Nya. It was still freezing, but not as cold as the day before. I had planned on baking most of the day to restock some of our food in the freezer. Nya loves helping me in the kitchen so I thought it was a perfect way to spend this cold Sunday.

First, Nya managed to climb up onto the counter, reach into the spice cabinet and pull my large container of Italian Seasoning off the shelf.... ALL over the floor.

Stay calm, I told myself as Nya quickly apologized.

On to the next task...Nya was helping me stir the flour and cacao for our chocolate doughnuts. She managed to stir it right out of the bowl and all over the island, cabinets, and floor.

"I'm sorry!" she cried.

Next, we began making almond butter bars. Somehow Nya spilled an entire cup of freshly made date sugar all over the floor.

"I'm sorry!"

Why is this happening?!?!

The last thing to spill was the warm cashew milk we just finished making. Down the counter, over the cabinets, onto the floor.

My Vitamix stopped working and I nearly broke my food processor getting the pieces to attach after 15 minutes of fussing with it.

At every turn, it seemed something was going wrong. I had moments where I wanted to scream and throw everything through the window, and moments where I couldn't help but laugh. Everything was so incredibly ridiculous. How could this many things go wrong???

So we ended our day by pulling out the Christmas tree and putting it up while we listened to Christmas music. And Lulu didn't pee in the house!

As crazy as this weekend was, it is so important to me how I react in these situations now that I have a child. No matter how clumsy Nya may be, or how much easier it would be if I didn't let her help, that's not what life is about. Nya's just an innocent being who is curious and eager to help, and she is always watching and learning from me.

These situations remind me to take a step back, a deep breath, and relax. The car will start again once it's jumped. The smoke detectors are just sensitive and will be fixed when Jamie gets home. And Nya is not intending to harm.

These are just accidents, and lessons in life. I don't want to make a big deal out of things that happen, because I don't want Nya becoming fearful of making mistakes, or afraid of running into roadblocks. I want her to always be confident to try new things and realize everything can be fixed or worked through with patience....

And a little bit of laughter.

But I really, really couldn't wait for bedtime!

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.