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3-Ingredient Protein Balls

January 23, 2017/in Recipe /by phiggins

I made this on a whim and they tasted amazing! I was lazy about it and mixed everything together in this bowl and once I rolled them into balls, stored them in the very same container so why wash it until they were all gone! #timesaver Photobomb by my daughter’s new portable snack holder! These would fit in here very nicely. She’s a little too young too eat these at the moment but she’s getting in her first 4 teeth right now so it’s won’t be too long before she’s eating my homemade protein balls.

3-Ingredients Protein Balls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quick oats

1/4 cup sunbutter

1 T. cacao powder

2 T. water

optional, 1 T. maple syrup for added sweetness ( I did not add extra sweetener this time because Sunbutter already has sweetener in it.)

Method:

Stir together all ingredients in a bowl.
Scoop by the Tablespoon and roll into balls. I mixed in this bowl then covered and stored in it as well. Saved a few dishes!
Enjoy!

Yield: 8 protein balls

No Bake Cacao Hemp Cookie Dough Bites {gluten free, dairy free}

February 3, 2014/4 Comments/in Recipe /by phiggins

Sometimes you just want something that tastes really good without the effort of waiting for it to bake in the oven. I created these cookie dough bites with that in mind. I love cookie dough and wanted to make a gluten free recipe that didn’t have to go in the oven.

Hemp seeds are a great source of protein and you know I love cacao for it’s antioxidants, magnesium content, and rich flavor.

These cookie dough bite hit the spot!

You’ll want to make this asap. Enjoy a healthy treat that won’t end up on your hips!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa flakes

1/2 cup hemp seeds, shelled

2 Tablespoons raw cacao powder

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

2 Tablespoons raw honey, local preferred

Method:

1. Add ingredients to food processor.

2. Pulse until combined.

3. Scoop out by the tablespoon. Wet hands then press cookie dough into balls.

4. Store in fridge until ready to serve.

Yields: 10 cookie dough bites

Serving size = 2 cookie dough bites

Cacao Love Birthday Cake

September 3, 2013/2 Comments/in Recipe /by phiggins

September is my birthday month and up until my birthday, I am planning out my birthday cake every year. The store bought cakes won’t do. I have food allergies and eat gluten free and dairy free so I have to create my own. This version includes bean flour to make it grain free plus organic cacao I picked up from Bedner’s local farm a few weeks ago – my new obsession and coconut oil, another favorite of mine for baking or just eating by the spoonful.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Garbanzo and Fava Flour

3/4 cup Turbinado sugar

1/4 cup organic cacao powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 Tablespoons ground flax meal

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (I like Bragg’s)

4 Tablespoons applesauce PLUS 2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1 cup water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Sift flour, sugar, cacao, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flax meal together into a medium size bowl.

3. Add in wet ingredients: vanilla, cider vinegar, applesauce, coconut oil, stir then add water last. Mix well to combine.

4. For mini cupcakes, put 1 Tablespoon batter into each mini cupcake tin. For regular size cupcakes, put 1/4 cup batter into each cupcake tin.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes (mini cupcakes) or 30 minutes (regular size cupcakes) or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

6. Cool completely, then frost with your favorite icing (see suggestion below).

Divine and chocolately, just the way a birthday cake should taste!

Cacao Love Frosting (vegan)

I love frosting, but the junk they sell at the store is less than appealing. Too many chemicals and an imminent belly ache for me.

Instead I created one with my favorite cacao and coconut oil!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Organic cacao powder

1/4 cup Organic coconut oil

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 teaspoon raw honey, add more if you like it sweeter

Add ingredients to a small bowl and stir until well combined. Chill until ready to frost cupcakes.

What is you favorite kind of birthday cake? I grew up eating yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Now I go for chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Yum!

New From Vitacost.com: SUPER CACAO – Love at First Bite

July 7, 2013/4 Comments/in Beneficial Foods, Review, Vitacost.com /by phiggins

Anyone who knows me knows that I <3 chocolate in a big way! I eat it a couple of times a week, but not just any chocolate will do. I love dark chocolate, milk chocolate doesn’t sit well with my body. Dark chocolate that’s dairy free and 66% or higher. I even love the 90% dark chocolate that’s pretty bitter.

Disclosure of material connection: Vitacost provided me with free samples of these products to review. All opinions expressed here are completely my own.

Vitacost recently introduced their own line of chocolate bars, called Super Cacao, and they set the bar pretty high. These bars start with ultra high quality cacao “handcrafted heirloom Ecuadorian cacao, blended with Madagascar vanilla”, but they don’t stop there. They infuse the bar with botanicals, probiotics, and antioxidants to make it bursting with good for you ingredients. So yes calling it super is pretty accurate!

I was sent the Mandarin Orange and Lemon Ginger, they have a third variety of Coconut. Both I really loved, the Mandarin Orange reminded me of the chocolate oranges I used to get at Christmas in my stocking as a kid. Vitacost’s bar is much higher quality in flavor and ingredients by leaps and bounds. The Lemon Ginger was surprisingly good as I’ve never tasted lemon in chocolate. I’ve had ginger in chocolate before and this was a pleasant twist with the lemon. Both bars were Love At First Bite, I can’t pick a favorite they are both divinely delicious!