Tag: cacao

Cacao Walnut Superfood Cookies

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Boo-ya!! These cookies freakin’ rock!

I don’t know about you but my cupboards are always stocked with cacao. I use it a lot! From smoothies, to cookies, cakes, bars, and all kinds of desserts, cacao is my go-to chocolate saver. 

Did you know that cacao is one of the richest sources of Magnesium? Yup! It’s true!

Magnesium serves many, many functions in the body. From detoxification, to relaxation and sleep, this mineral is uber-importante!

Personally, I recommend supplementing with magnesium (magnesium bisglycinate is my preference). I take 400mg before bed to help with sleep and relaxation and to help relieve muscle soreness. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night with a calve muscle cramp. You know what I’m talking’ about! It ain’t pretty. In fact, it really sucks. 

And ladies, if you’re dealing with PMS cramps, be sure to take magnesium a week prior to your period. Not only will it help with cramps, but breast tenderness too. 

OK… now onto the baking! 🙂 

These cookies, which freakin’ rock, (did I say that already?), are super soft and chewy and loaded with some incredible superfood goodness. They lasted ONE day in my house! They are also amazing crumbled and served on to of my Vanilla Maple Chia Pudding. They are Paleo approved and could be vegan if you substitute the egg for a ‘flax’ egg. 

Enjoy!

Cacao Walnut Superfood Cookies
Yields 15
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/4 cups almond flour/meal
  2. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  3. 1/4 cup Cacao Powder
  4. 1/4 cup Cacao Nibs
  5. 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
  6. 1 cup Shredded Coconut
  7. 1/2 tsp Vanilla Powder
  8. 1 tsp cinnamon
  9. Pinch of Himalayan sea salt
  10. 1/2 cup maple syrup
  11. 3 tablespoons melted Coconut Oil
  12. 1 egg or vegan egg substitute
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix almond flour, baking powder, raw cacao, vanilla and cinnamon.
  3. Stir in cacao nibs, walnuts and shredded coconut.
  4. Whisk remaining wet ingredients, maple syrup, egg and coconut oil in a bowl and add to dry mixture. Use a large spoon to combine.
  5. Scoop out tablespoon sized mounds onto your baking sheet and gently press down.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, less time for more chewy cookies, more if you prefer a crunchier texture. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
  1. *To make flax egg - One egg equals = 1 tablespoon flax meal plus 3 tablespoons water. In a small bowl, add flax meal followed by water, stirring as you go. Place mixture in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow mixture to bind. Once mixture is set, replace with egg in recipe.
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Gluten Free Chocolate Oat Bars

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What do you reach for when craving a snack?

I’m sure most of us crave something sugary, or salty during that 3pm crash. If you haven’t nourished yourself all day with the right amounts of nutrients, and your on your second pot of coffee by 3pm; there’s a good chance sugar and salt are on your mind!

I’ve been there… we’ve all been there, and it’s time to get outta there!

Fruits, nuts, seeds, a protein shake; these are all great snacks to have mid day. I always encourage my clients to reach for a whole food option when it comes to snacking. No prepackaged special K bar is good in my books. And to think, as a teenager I used to eat those! My I’ve come a long way 😉

These bars are just what you need for that afternoon fix. In fact, they are full of nutrients and goodness, that they would be great along side a bowl of fruit in the morning for your kids, before sending them off to school. I mean… don’t you think it’s time to ditch the pop tarts?!

So let’s get to it…

Image 1

 

Gluten Free Chocolate Oat Bars
(recipe adapted from Joyous Health Book)

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups wheat free rolled oats ( I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1 cup chocolate whey protein powder (I use Progressive Organic Whey)
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional, but great for extra sweetness for kids! I like Enjoy Life chocolate chips)
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground vanilla bean
1 cup raw almond butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup almond or coconut milk
2 tbsp real maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a large baking dish with coconut oil.
In a large bowl, combine oats, protein powder, sesame seeds, coconut, chocolate chips, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and ground vanilla; mix well. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt almond butter and coconut oil together. Add to dry ingredients and quickly stir. Then add almond milk and maple syrup and mix well. Stir until well combined. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and press down evenly with hands. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from oven, keep oven on, and let batter cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Then cut into desired pieces and place on a cookie sheet. Cutting the batter into bars may get crumbly. Be careful when transferring them to a cookie sheet. Transfer back to oven and bake for another 12 minutes, until edges of bars start to crisp up.

These bars are amazing as is, or you can crumble them like granola and serve over your favourite sheeps yogurt or with some homemade almond milk.

Happy Baking 🙂

To Your AWESOME Health & Abundance,
Samantha xoxo

 

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Chocolatey Black Bean Brownies

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Image 2Simple, easy, and mess free!

These brownies are so easy to make. Pile all your ingredients into a food processor and viola! You’ve got delicious brownie batter made from BLACK BEANS!

Yes…ya heard right! These brownies are made with heart healthy, fibrous black beans. I was shocked at how moist they were! They are absolutely delicious and will become a new dessert staple of mine 🙂

I’m prepping for a Women’s Seminar next week and need to introduce them to easy and simple ways to prepare gluten free goodies, minus all the expensive gluten free flours out there. Let’s face it, almond flour, coconut flour; as much as these are staples in my baking, they can be quite costly.

So if you need a chocolate fix that won’t break the bank, make these brownies!

Black beans are packed with protein and fiber, two key macronutrients that help to keep you fuller for longer. This is also beneficial for balancing blood sugar levels.

“One cup of black beans provides over 4 grams of soluble fiber, and this is precisely the type of fiber that researchers have found especially helpful in lowering blood cholesterol levels. Decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarct (MI, or heart attack) have both been associated with increased intake of soluble fiber from food” – WHF.

In just 1 cup of black beans, you’ll get a super dose of magnesium, B1, folate and iron. All nutrients essential for your health. Not to mention the extra magnesium and antioxidant boost you’ll get from the added cacao powder!

Now let’s get backing!

Gluten Free Chocolatey Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

1 14oz. can black beans (I use Eden Organic)
3 organic eggs
½ cup of cacao powder
½ cup coconut oil, softened (room temp)
½ cup coconut sugar
½ cup of dark chocolate chips
1 tsp ground vanilla bean or vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ cup roughly chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
and grease a brownie pan with coconut oil.
2. Add all ingredients except walnuts to a food processor and puree to create your batter.
3. Add batter to brownie pan and gently stir in walnuts.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

 

Other ingredient options:

– Add 1/3 cup dried cherries for extra sweetness

– Try using ½ cup maple syrup instead of coconut sugar

– Butter works well instead of coconut oil

– High quality cocoa powder can substituted for cacao

– Top with toasted coconut flakes

 

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DIY: Homemade Chocolate Lover’s Massage Butter

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Creams, potions, lubes, massage oils. How many of these have you used on yourself or your lover for Valentines Day? Or use on a regular basis to soften and moisturize?

It’s quite scary how many products on the market contain carcinogenic ingredients, ie. cancer causing ingredients. What’s more scary is that we bask ourselves in these creams and oils and all those chemicals get absorbed through our skin and right into our bloodstream.

And worse yet, we use chemical laden lubes and massage oils on our very-special-and-oh-so-beautiful private parts! Did you know that these generic products actually age your skin!

So what do we do? We make our own!

I whipped up an easy and ‘delicious’ massage butter that is perfect to use for Valentines Day! It won’t age your skin and it does not contain any chemical and toxic ingredients. In fact, it will actually moisturize your precious skin, soothe dryness and lift your sensual senses with sweet and delicate notes from rose and orange essential oil.

Rose otto is such a beautiful oil. It has a positive effect on emotions and helps to lift your spirits!

Sweet orange helps to bring clarity, brighten your mood and is sweetly uplifting.

Cacao butter – real, rich chocolate in it’s purest state. Full of skin soothing nutrients and an incredible emollient.

Coconut oil – loaded with healthy fats that help to moistures and soothe skin. Plus it’s antibacterial and safe to use on all your special spots!

Image 4

Here’s What You’ll Need:
1 small mason jar
Heat proof bowl to use for double boiler
Spoon

Ingredients:
4 oz. cacao butter or 1 large chunk of cacao butter paste (as you can see in photo)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp ground organic vanilla bean or 8 drops vanilla essential oil
5 drops rose otto essential oil
3 drops sweet orange essential oil

Directions:
Using a double boiler, melt cacao butter. Keep heat to medium and using a spoon, stir the cacao to help melt. Once cacao is almost completely melted, add in coconut oil, vanilla bean, and essential oils. Stir well. Pour mixture into mason jar and leave on counter to cool. *Be careful lifting bowl from double boiler! It’s hot. Be sure to use an oven mitt.

Once butter has cooled, screw on the lid and put in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight to set.

To use, leave out at room temperature to soften for about an hour. Cacao butter and coconut oil are solid at room temperature. Rub a small amount of massage butter between hands to soften the butter.

All done!

Now soothe, slather and get busy! 😉

If you’re looking for an all natural and chemical free body butter to use everyday, visit my shop page to check out my Love Your Body Butter that is a customer favourite!

To Your Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂

 

 

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Almond Butter Cups & Cacao Coffee Frappuccino to Kick Start Your Week!

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Who doesn’t love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups?!?! I mean…peanut butter and chocolate together…OH SO GOOD!! As much as I crave peanut butter and am tempted to dive into a Reese’s cup every now and then….I don’t!!! Instead, I make my Almond Butter Cups that are TENS times more nutritious and delicious! Peanuts, as yummy as they are, contain a mould called Aflatoxins. Unfortunately, these little nuts just aren’t as good for us as we may think. They are also highly allergenic, so I suggest you do your best to avoid them. Instead…eat almonds or have almond butter and make these divine treats! They are perfect for Halloween, especially if you have little ones with peanut allergies!

Almond Butter Cups

Ingredients
2 bags organic dark chocolate chips
1-2 cups organic raw or crunchy almond butter

Directions
Line a mini cupcake tray with baking cups. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Once melted pour 1-2 tsp of chocolate into cups, making sure to spread chocolate up the side of the cups ( I did this with the back of a spoon). Once all cups are filled, place tray in freezer for 5 minutes so chocolate can harden. Once frozen, place a dollop of almond butter into cups (flatten with finger) and pour remaining chocolate over top. Freeze for 10-12 minutes, or until cups have completely hardened.

Cacao Coffee Frappuccino
This is a delicious morning shake that will really give you a boost! I don’t recommend having coffee first thing in the morning, so you should start your day with warm water and lemon and/or an alkalizing fresh pressed veggie juice….then onto the coffee! This recipe came about when I had leftover organic coffee that I just didn’t want to waste, so into my shake it went! It was delicious!

Ingredients
1/2 cup chocolate coconut water (optional)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 heaping tbsp raw cacao powder
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Coffee (I used about 1 cup organic french pressed coffee)
2-3 ice cubes

Directions
Mix in blender until smooth

 

 

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Adzuki Bean, Sweet Potato and Kale Stew + Almond Avocado Cacao Power Shake for Meatless Monday

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One pot veggie filled meals are the best! They are loaded with nutrition, great for experimenting with flavours and great for freezing! This simple stew is a perfect weeknight meal and great for those chilly nights, which I hate to admit but fall is officially upon us in just a few days. I love the bounty fall has to offer- pumpkins, squashes, rich greens…mmmm….I can’t wait! Looking forward to sharing many more fall inspired recipes with you this coming season! 🙂 Enjoy!

Adzuki Bean, Sweet Potato and Kale Stew

Ingredients
1 can organic adzuki beans
1 large sweet potato, cut into cubes
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili flake (optional)
pinch of cayenne (optional)
2 tsp sea salt or herbamare
1 bunch kale, chopped

Directions
Saute onion and garlic in coconut oil on low heat until onion is translucent. Add all spices and gently mix together. Add stock and sweet potato and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add beans, salt and simmer another 1o minutes. Layer kale on top of stew and put a tight fitting lid on top. This will help to steam kale. Let steam for 5 minutes or so, until kale is bright green and slightly crisp. Remove for heat and serve. **Depending on thickness of sweet potato cubes you may need to cook a few minutes longer or until desired texture is reached.

Almond Avocado Cacao Power Shake
This shake is loaded with antioxidants, energy, protein and fat! It’s a great breakfast shake when your on the go and need a much needed boost of nutrition and deliciousness!

Ingredients
1 cup coconut water
1 cup almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
2 heaping tbsp cacao powder
1 tbsp maca powder
1/2 avocado
3 medjool dates
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 heaping tbsp almond butter
ice

Directions
Place all ingredients into a high speed blender.

Happy Meatless Monday!

Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂

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