Healthy Treats

I am always drawn to brightly colored drinks and refreshing fruits during the summer, and nothing is better than an ice cold smoothie on a humid summer day! These smoothies, are a-mazing. They are a mix between a push-up frozen pop, and a smoothie and are the perfect drink for the pool or backyard. I absolutely love oranges as well, and nothing screams summer more than oranges and frozen drinks!

I have a few ideas that would be great additions to this recipe and I will share them below after the instructions. I can just taste the juicy orange and the hint of vanilla right now! I love sitting by the pool, book in hand, drink on the table, and just relaxing. And I am sure I’m not the only one who loved those push-up pops as a kid, or the orange creamsicle ice cream flavor. I think that was one of my favorite treats!

Ingredients:

O  1 can orange juice concentrate, slightly thawed

O  1 cup milk (any milk you like)

O  1/2 cup of sugar (you can use more or less if you’d like, tweak as you go along)

O  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

O  2 cups ice, or to taste

Directions:

O Combine all ingredients, except ice, in a large blender and blend until smooth and creamy, taking care the sugar has dissolved and is well incorporated.  If desired, add a splash more water or more milk.  Add the ice and blend until smooth.

Here are some extra fun, (and tasty) tips! With the excess portions, try putting them into ice pop molds and freezing them for authentic orange push-up pops. Those are so yummy! For the adult parties you may be throwing this summer, add a splash of rum or  vanilla vodka to the drinks. And lastly, for a little surprise in your drink, add a DASH of cinnamon! The little kick behind the sweetness will be the perfect balance. I can’t wait to make these this weekend!

These triple chocolate chunk muffins are extra delicious because they are healthy too! I guess I should use the term healthy loosely, but they are under 300 calories a muffin which is amazing considering they have gooey chocolate inside! I figured these would be a great weekend treat and something you can bake for a party, picnic, or Sunday morning.

I love anything that involved chocolate and muffins are one of my favorite morning treats so this combination works perfectly together. The recipe is not too hard and anyone who loves baking will appreciate this recipe. There is something about muffins that just make me all warm and fuzzy inside and the comfort of chocolate just adds to that feeling!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup oats

3 egg whites

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 unsweetened apple sauce

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup hot water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

O  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with foil cupcake liners, or spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

O  In a blender, (or food processor), mix all of the ingredients together, except for chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth.

O  Place mixture in a bowl and gently stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans.

O  Place muffins tins in the oven for 10 minutes.

You can substitute the sugar with a sugar substitute to make these muffins even healthier. I am drooling over these muffins already and cannot wait to try them out! These would be great for a breakfast on the go during the week and even great for a lunch time snack! No matter who tries these muffins they are guaranteed to want more!

Not too long ago I over heard someone brag from across the way about how good baked kale was. Granit I have always used kale as part of a salad, or a special add-on when cooking an entree dish, but I never actually knew that kale could taste so good baked, let alone by itself. Dare I say that this was near the best snack I have ever tasted?

I now have found a whole new reason to start snacking in a much healthier way.

Heres the best possible way on how to make delightfully tasting baked kale:

Ingredients:

O A Bunch Full Of Kale

O 1 Little Tablespoon Of Oil

O 1 Little Tablespoon Of A Dash Of Salt And Pepper

Directions:

O Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.

O With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner.

O Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper ( or seasoning salt ).

O Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Personally I love until all of the kale pieces are crispy, so i’d add on another 2-3 minutes .

Since we are just starting off with the new site, what better way to create a new post about making your very own “Frozen Strawberry Souffles”. Super easy, and a great cake alternative to a healthier living.

Ingredients:

4 pints fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

5 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

3 cups heavy cream

“Directions:”

o Puree strawberries, lemon juice, and 3 cups sugar in a food processor. Press through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding pulp. You should have 6 cups puree.

o Prepare an ice bath; set aside. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, dissolve gelatin in 3 tablespoons cold water. Add 1 1/2 cups of the strawberry puree; return mixture to bowl with remaining strawberry puree.

o Set bowl in ice bath until mixture is chilled and slightly thick, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. In a separate bowl, whip 2 cups cream to stiff peaks, and fold into strawberry mixture.

o Cut parchment paper into 16 strips, each 2 3/4 by 10 inches. Tape each strip around a 3-ounce ramekin so it extends above the rim by about 2 inches. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet; fill each with about 1/2 cup strawberry mixture. Freeze until set, about 3 hours.

o Remove from freezer 20 minutes before serving; remove parchment collars. Whip remaining cup cream with 2 tablespoons sugar. Serve souffles with whipped cream and candied chips.

credit: martha stewert living