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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I’m a coffee snob. I’ll admit it. But I have a defence – I lived in Italy for four years. Anyone who knows me knows that no day is complete without a morning and post-lunch espresso. Years ago, I gave up caffeine for 3 weeks during a detox cleanse, and somehow I managed to avoid it for 3 years. That is, until I had kids. I was forewarned that I would pick up the habit again, and of course, I did. But I have no regrets. There’s just something about freshly brewed espresso that I cannot live without. Leave it to me to incorporate espresso in a rich and delicious snack. Having said that, these aren’t kid-friendly, that is, unless you don’t ming forgoing nap time, or dealing with a caffeine-induced rambunctious child! You can easily prepare two batches and omit the espresso in the kid’s batter.

The perfect flourless cookies are hard to come by. There are so many interpretations of traditional cookie recipes, but they often fall flat, in terms of texture. The flavour’s there, but without the gluten, they loose their chewiness and tend to fall apart easily. The combination of walnut flour and gluten-free oats in this recipe for chocolate chip espresso walnut cookies makes for a delicious and nutritious substitute for refined flour, and also yield a similar texture to gluten-based cookies. Walnut flour is essentially pulverized walnuts. It’s rich and nutty, but that goes without saying. It’s just as delicious as almond flour but much cheaper, and yields the same results in terms of texture, flavour, and nutritional profile. The addition of rich chocolate chips, earthy vanilla and cinnamon, and natural sweetener take these wholesome cookies over the top!

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My kids always come home from school absolutely ravenous. The minute they walk into the doorway, they kick off their shoes, drop their bags, and head right to the kitchen. Most days I don’t get home from work until shortly after they do, so needless to say after-school snacks are usually an after thought – translated, I grab a yogurt from the fridge or something from the pantry (always healthy options, of course!). The other day however, I was perusing some recipes from the Blog and came across these decadent apple nachos  and easy apple sandwiches, and I was inspired to create this fun snack for the kids. These apple slices couldn’t be any simpler to make and literally took minutes to prepare. Not only are they healthy, they pack a punch of protein and are totally kid-friendly. The kids loved getting in the kitchen with me to prepare these and even better, they got to choose their own toppings. I simply set out a smorgasbord of garnishes; nut butters, coconut flakes, raisins, Goji berries, chocolate and carob chips, hemp hearts, Nutella, etc, for everyone to choose from. Check out these delicious flavour combinations;

Peanut butter, raisins, and chia seeds

Nutella and coconut flakes

Almond butter and strawberry jam (Get the recipe for homemade chia jam HERE.)

Nutella and goji berries

Peanut butter, carob chips, and vanilla bean powder

Sunbutter, coconut flakes, and sesame seeds

These sandwiches are portable and don’t require refrigeration, which makes them ideal for school lunches, or for those afternoons when we have errands or appointments right after school. Having said that, if these aren’t being serving immediately, they will brown like any apples does. To avoid this, simply combine about 1/4 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of lemon in a bowl and brush the tops of the apples before adding the garnishes.

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Energy bites are an absolute lifesaver sometimes. When you’re on a plant-based diet, you’re often looking for ways to include extra protein in your diet. Hemp hearts are a great option to include in your diet since they’re so high in protein, with about 10g in 2 tablespoons. Hemp hearts have a delicious slightly nutty taste and a soft, crunchy texture. These tiny little superseeds are also rich in omega 3 oils and magnesium, which make them a nutritious addition to any diet. They can easily be incorporated into just about any snack or meal; sprinkle them on salads or rice bowls, mix into oats, granola, or yogurt, add them to baked goods, or make them the star ingredient, like in these hemp heart protein balls.

These nut-free treats make for the perfect snack for school lunches, and they’re great as a healthy pre-workout snack for myself – or anytime snack for that matter. This recipe proves that looks can be deceiving – these protein balls may be small, but they are so rich that even one or two go a long way. Word to wise, these won’t last very long. My suggestion is to double or triple the batch so you can store some in the freezer for a quick and easy on-the-go snack for you and the kids.

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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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We are huge muffin fans in my home, savoury or sweet, decadent or uber healthy, they always find their way into my recipe repertoire. Having said that, most of my recipes are reserved for experimentation, whether I’m substituting eggs with chia or flax seeds, or gluten-free flour blends. As with any experiment, the results sometimes vary in terms of texture and consistency, and although myself and my kids have accepted these fundamental differences, my husband is actually the one who has a hard time adjusting his (picky) palate to new flavours and textures. In an effort to appease his finickiness I created the closest recipe to the original that I could, albeit I couldn’t help but do some tweaking, replacing some of the all-purpose flour with oat flour, and the refined sugar with raw honey.

Besides the fact that they make a perfect finger food, ideal for packed lunches or an on-the-go healthy snack, they are easy to make – just whip up the ingredients in a bowl, bake, and voila. My husband’s approval of these healthy chocolate chip mini muffins prove that they are not only delicious, but also very similar in texture an consistency to traditional muffins. The honey adds just the right amount of sweetness, the Greek yogurt adds moistness, and the chocolate chips ensure every bite is full of decadence.

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Let me preface this post by saying that I nearly saved enough of these banana sushi to document any proof of it. Not only is this snack delicious (and addictive – but who cares? It’s healthy!), it’s incredibly easy to make, which means toddlers and big kids can help you prepare these. It’s a fun way to get the kids in the kitchen, and clean up is not nearly as stressful as it is when kids help with other recipes, say baked goods, or full-on meals. Having said that, although it is an easy recipe, there is some degree of mess, in the form of the creamy Nutella that sticks to your fingers while preparing these. Prep sort of involves, scooping out the Nutella, spreading it on the banana, lick your fingers and the butter knife, then repeat. No complaints on my end, and definitely no complaints from the kids!

What’s great about this recipe is that you can customize it however you like. The combinations are endless – just combine Nutella, peanut butter, almond butter, or a school-friendly nut-free butter with any crunchy component such as hemp hearts, chia seeds, crispy rice, crushed nuts, coconut flakes, and so on.

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No-bake snacks are one of the easiest ways to incorporate superfoods and healthy ingredients into your daily diet. These No Bake Chai Protein Muffins are loaded with nutritional ingredients, like chia and flax seeds, hemp hearts, organic nut butter, and coconut oil, with an added boost of protein thanks to Bob’s Red Mill’s Chia Protein Powder Nutritional Booster.

I recently had the opportunity to try out some of Bob’s Red Mill products, from their gluten-free flours, pancake and cake mixes, and hazelnut and walnut flour to their new plant-based line of nutritional boosts and meal replacements. Not only are their protein powders delicious, they are easily digested since they are made with pea protein powder. They are all gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan with a healthy dose of omega 3’s and probiotics.

Today I’m sharing the recipe for these two-bite superfood treats, which are jam-packed with healthy ingredients. The addition of the Chai Protein Powder makes for a protein-packed snack to enjoy before or after hitting the gym. Not only are these two-bite vegan treats healthy, they are also so unbelievably decadent – and addictive! They’re chewy, rich, and chocolaty, with just a hint of spice from the chai blend. These treats might only be enough for two-bites, but I can assure you that they will be two-bites of heaven! On top of that, they’re super easy to prepare. I’ve made them into these convenient little ‘muffins’ for a quick grab n’ go snack, but you can switch it up by transforming them into bars or balls. I might be tooting my own horn here, but this recipe is perfect just the way it is however, you can switch it up by adding more or less of an ingredient – except for the oats and honey which combined together with the applesauce give that perfectly chewy texture. And that decadent vegan ganache? It’s a simple addition that brings the flavour of these no bake chai protein muffins over the top. You can find the recipe here.

Giveaway time!

Bob’s Red Mill is generously offering one of Bites for Foodies’ readers a $50 gift card for their online store.

To enter the giveaway you must complete the following:
1) Subscribe to Bites for Foodies’ Newsletter.
2) Leave a comment below.

*This giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents and will run for one week. It will close at 11:59pm EST on April 3rd, 2017.

Bob’s Red Mill products can be found in mainstream grocery or health food stores or online here.

The post No Bake Chia Protein Muffins + Bob’s Red Mill Giveaway appeared first on Bites for Foodies.

My children were asked by their school a few weeks ago to donate items for a gift basket. Their contribution were marshmallows. I rarely purchase marshmallows to keep at home but I grabbed an extra bag for the kids. The moment they saw the bags of marshmallows sitting in the pantry they began to ask (and ask, and ask, and ask) when I was going to make them rice krispie squares. I’m all about healthy eating and clean eating treats but I’m not so strict that I’d deny my children some of the treats that I adored as a child.

On that note, my innate desire to ‘healthify’ an unhealthy recipe reared its ugly head and ultimately inspired me to create these healthi-er treats by substituting ingredients, and throwing in uber healthy ones like spirulina. I’ve never been a fan of food colouring – I mean, it yields a pretty hue in a variety of recipes, but it’s synthetic. No thanks! Spirulina on the other hand lends a deep, earthy green colour, and a punch of nutrition at the same time. Spirulina is a blue-green microalgae and is well-known for it’s health benefits; it has between 55 and 70% protein (more than beef, chicken, and soybeans), 8 essential and 10 non-essential amino acids, it helps improve your immune system, and provides a near-instantaneous energy boost. The other great thing about spirulina, besides it’s beautiful colour, is that it remains incognito in these healthy krispie treats, in terms of flavour.
I can tell you that the kids have not been fond of anything green lately, but they devoured these! I’m sure your kid (and you) will too!

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There’s just something about packaged chocolate cake mixes. Firstly, they’re easy to prepare – just mix in a bowl and bake. Secondly, they’re the perfect consistency and texture – fluffy, cakey, moist, and of course rich and decadent. Unfortunately, they’re also loaded with refined flour and sugar, and more often than not many unhealthy ingredients. If I told you that I’ve found a vegan, organic, gluten-free, kosher, non-GMO chocolate cake mix product that also happens to be nutritious, packed with protein, and rich and decadent, would you believe me? The proof is in the pudding, or rather, the cake.

GoGo Quinoa is a manufacturer specialized in ancient grains and quinoa products and their mission is to provide healthy gluten-free products, not only for those with celiac disease, wheat allergies, gluten intolerance or those who choose to follow a wheat free diet, but delicious tasting products that the whole family will enjoy, and this dark chocolate cake mix is no exception. This gluten free and organic mix allows you to easily bake a decadent, moist and deliciously chocolaty cake and only takes minutes to prepare. The recipe instructions on the back of the package yield a delicious dark chocolate cake however, I’ve made this so many times that I’ve tweaked the recipe to make it even more delicious – if that’s even possible! You can follow the recipe below or the one provided by GoGo Quinoa. Either way the end result will be delicious, decadent, and most likely devoured the moment you take it out of the oven!

Are you craving some chocolate cake now? Lucky for you I’ve paired up with GoGo Quinoa for a giveaway! One lucky follower will win one package of GoGo Quinoa’s Dark Chocolate Cake Mix, plus I’m so passionate about this brand, and so sure that everyone will love it, that I’m throwing in a package of their Rice and Quinoa Fusilli, and Orange and Mango Cookies!

Follow the instructions below to enter:
1) Leave a comment below. 
2) Subscribe to Bites for Foodies’ newsletter.
3) ‘Like’ GoGo Quinoa on Facebook or Instagram.

This giveaway will run for one week and will close at 11:59pm EST on Sunday, March 19th, 2017. Giveaway is open to Canadian and U.S. residents only.

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