Our adventure in Sardinia has begun. While we’re used to life during the summers in this tourist destination, living here year-round is another story. School started this week (about two weeks later than at home in Canada) and needless to say, my kids were more than ready to get back to routine, even if their ‘routine’ was a new one. I was certain that they would feel at home and fit in instantly, since they had spent a few days a week for the last two months at summer school. In fact, just as I had imagined, their first day went off without a hitch. End of summer usually also means back to work for me as an elementary school teacher, but not this year. I’ve taken a hiatus from my ‘9 to 5’ teaching job to move here and focus on the passions that feed my soul, like teaching yoga and cooking!

This summer was such a lazy one, in terms of cooking and recipe developing. Scorching hot temperatures resulted in the oven being practically off limits all summer, and not to mention extremely low blood pressure prevented me from having the energy to do just about anything, let alone cook! No excuses now. The kids are back in school and I cannot wait to get back into the kitchen to invent recipes, especially healthy snacks. One thing I noticed about snack time here in Italy is that they are always packaged treats loaded with sugar – mini cakes, croissants, cookies, the sugary choices are endless. Now that I have the time and energy to get back in the kitchen, I’m making it a point to prepare wholesome, portable snacks that the kids can bring to school, like these delicious oatmeal raisin cookies. My kids might be going to an Italian school and adapting to the Italian ways, but they’ll always be little Canadians at heart – ones who love mom’s homemade cookies!

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Sunday mornings are reserved for pancakes. On that note, we’ve been so busy lately that I’ve been resorting to cereal, even on Sunday mornings when I should have the extra time to prepare them! Albeit the kids love cereal and happily oblige whenever it’s served to them, they do love mom’s pancakes and get so excited whenever discover I’m making them for breakfast. There’s just something about sitting around the table all together on a lazy Sunday morning, enjoying a delicious homemade breakfast with all the fixings. More importantly, these pancakes are easily stored in the freezer, which means they make a quick and easy weekday breakfast for the family, or even easy school lunches for the kids.

This recipe for cinnamon flax pancakes is a relatively old recipe, and has been stashed in my archives for quite some time now. How unfortunate for us that I haven’t taken advantage of this delicious recipe for so long! We all devoured them – me, mostly while I was preparing them! You’ll be amazed at how fluffy and thick these pancakes pillow up as you cook them, all while the sides turn crispy and browned. It’s the perfect combination of a crispy exterior and an airy and light interior. They’re so tasty and delicious on their own, but of course taste even better smothered with rich maple syrup. Serve them any which way your heart desires – whichever way you choose, these pancakes will be the star of the show, and the family will be begging for more.

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Granola is a constant in my pantry during the winter months, and for good reason – it’s healthy, easy to prepare, and everyone in the family loves it. I sprinkle it on the kid’s breakfast cereal, or prepare fun to eat parfaits for snacks. As for me, I usually just eat it by the spoonful however, I do often add it to breakfast cereals, combining it with fresh nuts, coconut flakes, and dried fruit for a quick morning or afternoon snack. Granola is delicious, but what makes this particular granola even more delicious is the vanilla. I heart vanilla. It’s one of my culinary love affairs. I’m talking pure vanilla bean, not the chemical-laden fake stuff. That just won’t do in this recipe – or any recipe in my opinion. Recently I discovered pure vanilla bean powder. Albeit it’s somewhat pricey, a little goes a long way, and the sweet, aromatic flavour is just heavenly. If you can’t find vanilla bean powder I suggest you bite the bullet and purchase vanilla bean, which has the same intense flavour. Both add an intense aromatic flavour to this granola, without making it too sweet or overpowering – which vanilla extract tends to do. Although there are very simple ingredients in this homemade granola recipe, they pack a powerful punch of flavour – not to mention a healthy dose of superfood chia seeds.

Let’s move on to granola. Some like it drier, some like it clumpier. It’s all about personal preference. Be mindful that different techniques and the variety of oats you use in the recipe are the two main factors in determining the overall texture of the oats. Quick oats tend to favour a looser and drier texture, while rolled oats clump together more easily. In this recipe I’ve combined quick and rolled oats, making this vanilla chia granola’s texture the perfect combination of crunchy and clustery. If you’re a true fan of granola my suggestion is to experiment with different oat combinations until you find the one that suits your personal preference.

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I have a confession to make. I’m a self-professed recipe-tweaker. Although I spend the majority of my time in the kitchen creating my own recipes, I sometimes decide to take a recipe developing break and prepare a recipe from one of the many cookbooks I have stashed in my pantry. I recently purchased the new cookbook from Oh She Glows Every Day and this recipe immediately caught my eye. A breakfast cookie that only takes 15 minutes to prepare-and also happens to be vegan and gluten-free? Yes, please!

These cookies are not your ordinary cookie – but that’s a given since they are prepared with non-traditional ingredients like refined sugar, butter, and milk. Long gone are the days when I made cookies that were laden with unhealthy ingredients (or ‘normal’ cookies, as my husband calls them). Nowadays, those cookies are reserved for special occasions (like these peanut butter or lemon chocolate Christmas cookies) or as special treats for the family – when I feel compelled to serve them ‘normal’ baked goods, of course. Not only are these cookies are a healthy, on-the-go snack, they also make for wholesome treats to put in school lunches. If I’m preparing these for home I use almond butter however, if they are being sent to school I just substitute the almond butter with sunflower or pumpkin seed butter. Also, for this recipe I used unsweetened store-bought jam however, an easy and sugar-free homemade jam would be just as delicious.

I’m giving these flourless vegan thumbprint cookies a 5-star rating, and so are my hubsand and the kids. (They didn’t actually say so, but they devoured these so I’m fairly certain they would agree with my review). If you’re accustomed to ‘normal’ cookies, you need to know that these are far from them – but they are still delicious. Chewy, dense, nutty, and not too sweet – just how a healthy, clean eating cookie should be.

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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Two months of living la dolce vita every summer in Italy makes it easy to adapt the traditional Italian way of life. And no Italian life is complete without gelato.

A few years ago I discovered a new flavour called ‘apriti sesamo’ in a local gelateria. It literally translates to ‘open sesame’ and the name fits because the combination of decadent chocolate and savoury sesame seeds literally explodes in your mouth.

Sesame and chocolate is a culinary power couple to be reckoned with. Long story short, after my gelato experience on that hot sunny day, I was hooked. I have searched and searched for that gelato flavour here at come, but to no avail. The closest thing I’ve found is sesame-flavoured chocolate (which is delicious, by the way).

The second best thing next to gelato are sweets, so I have brought the flavours of my favourite gelato to my kitchen by incorporating them into a decadent, savoury-sweet, rich cookie.

These vegan peanut butter sesame cookies are exquisite. Delicate in flavour, even though they are packed with rich ingredients. In fact, everything about them is subtle-especially the sweetness and the sesame flavour.

If you like a super-sweet cookie these may not be for you however, I implore you to try these. If anything, you can substitute the brown rice syrup for regular sugar to kick the sweetness up a notch. But one cannot go on life without knowing how delicious the combination of these flavours are.

Come on, if the Italians can combine these two ingredients in a delicious traditional gelato, then it must be exceptional!

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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If there is only one recipe that you make from this Blog, this should be the one!

These crunchy peanut butter granola bars are DEE-licious.

Not only are they are made with super rich (and healthi-er) ingredients, their texture is sheer perfection-super crunchy on the outside, dense and chewy on the inside.

One bite and you’ll be hooked. Trust me.

Wanna know why? Firstly, how can you go wrong with the combination of creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate?

Secondly, these crunchy peanut butter granola bars are the epitome of ‘healthy’ decadence.

Thirdly, these are just DEE-licious! (Have I mentioned that already?)

Sure, peanut butter and chocolate aren’t commonly referred to as ‘healthy’ snacks, however, on a positive note, a little goes a long way in this recipe.

As for the other ingredients, no one can deny that raw honey, omega 3-rich coconut oil, and fiber-rich oats aren’t healthier options than what you regularly find in traditional granola bars.

Word to the wise; double or triple the recipe when you prepare these. I’ve made them a few times already and forget to do so each time-which means they are gone before I can even stock a few in the freezer.

On a side note, be sure to allow these to cool for 5-7 minutes before cutting them. If they are too hot they will stick to the knife and will be difficult to cut properly.

On the other hand, do not wait too long to cut them. If they harden completely before cutting there’s a greater chance they will break apart when you do cut them.

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me onInstagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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Healthy cookies are a way of life for me. So much so that I can’t even remember the last time I made a real cookie, as my husband calls them – the ones laden with butter, sugar, and refined flour. Since converting to a predominantly clean diet, traditional cookies no longer appeal to me as much as they used to. Why would they when recipes like these banana coconut quinoa cookies – which also happen to also be the perfect healthy breakfast cookie, are just as delicious and satisfying! These cookies incorporate all of the ideal components of a really good cookie; sweet, chewy, moist, and crumbly.

These clean eating cookies have quickly become a family favourite. I often double the recipe and store extra cookies in the freezer for a quick grab n’ go snack or a healthy breakfast option for the family – dipped in the kid’s cappuccinos (caffeine-free, of course) and enjoyed along with a homemade morning espresso for myself and the hubby.

My son’s mouth was watering as he waited, so very patiently might I add, for my photo shoot to come to an end. Before I had time to offer my little guy a cookie, he had already swiped one from the tray. After eating three in a row, I can assume that they were well-received. And not to mention, these cookies are the perfect size for little hands to hold onto and the perfect chewy texture for toddlers and self-feeders.

As a general rule of thumb, baking with non-traditional ingredients results in texture variations. Although they’re tasty, these cookies are much denser and not-so buttery and sweet as traditional ones. For a sweeter cookie replace the maple syrup with regular sugar. Also, adding extra chocolate chips will add more decadence to these.

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me onInstagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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One of the most popular items on Instagram and Pinterest feeds are raw bliss balls. Why? Firstly, they are the epitome of the no bake, no fuss, no prep snack generation that practically anyone can make (even my kids!).

Secondly, they are much healthier than packaged foods which are usually loaded with refined sugars and empty calories. Thirdly, they are easily transportable…and just plain ole’ delicious!

Bliss balls are a made with a combination of dried fruits and nuts, seeds, oats and/or puffed rice and natural sweeteners, such as maple syrup or honey. You can personalize the recipe by opting for additional flavourings which can vary from chocolate and coconut to cherry and carrot. Nut butters add creaminess to these decadent treats and you can sneak in superfood combinations like chia, hemp, or flax seeds.

Preparing these two-bite treats requires only about 10 minutes (plus chilling time in the fridge) and are practically effortless-just roll into a ball, and done!

It comes as no surprise that these bliss balls can actually be called a bona-fide healthy snack since they are made with natural sweeteners and wholesome ingredients, so go ahead and eat one, or two, or more!

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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These decadent chocolate coconut overnight oats are a sweet morning treat that the kids that you can feel good about feeding them since they’re made with all-natural, wholesome ingredients.

These chocolate coconut overnight oats are by far one of the easiest breakfasts to prepare and one of the most decadent and delicious. The kids devour these, hot or cold, and I love that although these oats are super rich and decadent, they are also made with wholesome ingredients!

I always stock my fridge or freezer with a variety of breakfast food options for the family. These ready-made meals ensure an effortless breakfast during the crazy morning rush.

Simply heat the oats in the microwave for a minute or so or enjoy them chilled, right from the fridge. There you have it; a quick, stress-free breakfast that’s delicious and nutritious for the family. No more resorting to that box of sugary cereal or other prepackaged food for a quick a breakfast option.

I managed to keep these overnight oats light and healthy by using gluten-free oats, dark cocoa powder, omega 3-rich chia seeds, dairy-free milk, pure maple syrup and unsweetened coconut flakes.

Essentially, the only decadent element in these oats are the chocolate chips-and they are completely avoidable if you simply omit them (but why would you do that?!).

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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Granola is a blank canvas for a healthy, wholesome breakfast for the family. All you need to prepare it is a simple base of oats (I like to mix quick and rolled oats for the perfect combination of flaky and clustered texture), some oil or butter, and sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup.

I’m a fan of granola-regardless of the time of year, and its always a staple item in my pantry since it’s a healthy and quick go-to breakfast or snack for the family.

This fall harvest granola is full of warm and earthy autumn-inspired flavours, like pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin seeds, and nutty oats.

Don’t let the long ingredient list fool you. Homemade granola takes only a few minutes to prepare before popping it into the oven. And nothing beats the aroma of granola roasting in the oven!

When it comes to granola recipes, I always make a huge batch since it usually goes fast in my home. What’s more, it has a long shelf-life and can be served and eaten in a variety of ways-mix it with yogurt or fruit, add as a crunchy topping to pancakes or crepes, or simply eat by the spoonful!

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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