Bethany

EASY Buckeye Brownie Banana Muffins {Made with Brownie Mix!}

January 8, 2017 by Bethany 25 Comments

Low Carb Buckeye Brownie Banana Muffins are so decadent and tasty that you’d never guess they are full of fiber and have no added sugar!

This post is sponsored by the Silver Fern Brand. As always, all opinions are my own.”

Do you have a hard time cutting your sugar addiction? Maybe all you think about is sugar because your cravings are outta whack. I totally get you. I have a huge sweet tooth, but I also eat plenty of fiber and naturally sweet foods in place of white sugar. But if you do have a hard time with sugar cravings, it may be because of the bacteria in your gut. You see, bad bacteria in your gut feeds on sugar, so in turn you crave more sugar. But if you rid sugar from your body, the bad bacteria begins to starve and your cravings decrease.

The Elevated plan from Silver Fern Brand focuses on providing your body with probiotics to modify your metabolism. The probiotic tablets along with the Wai drink mix and fiber supplements can support the good bacteria in your gut. So why is this beneficial? Having more good bacteria in your body can :

increase fat burn
reduce inflammation
reduce gas production
prevent fat storage
improve satiety

You can learn more about the Elevated Plan by Silver Fern here.

Now this doesn’t mean that you cut out all the sweet stuff from your diet (that would be sad), it just means you improvise with the ingredients that you use. For these muffins I used the Paka Double Chocolate brownie mix, which only has 2 net carbs and 3 grams of fat per serving along with 6 grams of fiber, and 0 grams of sugar. In fact, these Buckeye Brownie Banana Muffins contain no added sugar at all. Totally expectable on the Elevated plan.

You’d never guess that these decadent brownie muffins are a great high fiber snack or even breakfast treat. Yes, I said you can eat brownies for breakfast without having a sugar crash later. It’s your lucky day😉

These muffins are incredibly simple to make and only require 7 ingredients:

Paka Double Chocolate Brownie Mix

Bananas

Egg

Peanut butter

Coconut flour

Almond milk

Coconut oil

EASY Buckeye Brownie Banana Muffins

Only 7 ingredients are needed to create these decadent muffins that will satisfy your sweet tooth. You’d never guess that they are low carb and contain no added sugar! Perfect for those who are trying to beat their sweet cravings without sacrificing dessert!

EASY Buckeye Brownie Banana Muffins

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Ingredients

1 11.5 oz box low carb double chocolate brownie mix
2 ripe bananas mashed
1 egg beaten (sub flax egg for egg-free version)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
6 Tbsp. coconut flour
Glaze:
2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together mashed banana, egg and almond milk. PLace brownie mix in a large bowl and mix in wet ingredients to form a batter.
In a separate bowl, mix together peanut butter and coconut flour. Form into a dough, then roll into about 12-16 separate little balls.
Place muffin liners inside about 12 slots in a muffin tin. Spoon batter until slot is 1/3 full, add peanut butter ball, then spoon more batter over top. Make sure to smooth out the batter. Repeat until all batter is used up.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until muffins are done.
To make glaze, peanut butter and coconut oil and drizzle over muffins.
Enjoy!

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EASY Mango Teriyaki Sheet Pan Chicken & Veggies {Whole 30 + Paleo}

January 1, 2017 by Bethany 21 Comments

Dinner has never been easier or tastier than with this Mango Teriyaki Chicken & Veggies One Pan Dinner! You’d never guess it’s Whole 30 and paleo friendly!

Would you be surprised if I told you that I pretty much eat the same exact thing for dinner every night? Yep, good old chicken with veggies. I’m such a creature of habit and never get sick of it. Why should I? That combo is so filling, delicious and can be made in a variety of ways!

I’ve been seeing one pan dinner recipes blow up on Pinterest so I’ve been dying to create a recipe myself. After making Skinny Taste’s all-in-one Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Veggies, I’ve been hooked. One pan dinners make life sooooo much easier.

The second best part of making one-pan dinners besides the taste? The minimal clean-up! Only one pan, not the usual 3 to 4 pans that I use.

The mango teriyaki sauce for this one-pan meal is sweet (with no added sugar), slightly spicy and perfect for coating the chicken thighs and veggies. You’d never guess it’s Whole 30 friendly too! I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine does😊

The only ingredients needed to make this easy and delicious meal are as follows:

Chicken thighs

Veggies

Homemade Mango teriyaki sauce

Sesame seeds

Easy Mango Teriyaki Sheet Pan Chicken & Veggies

Tender chicken thighs and roasted veggies are glazed with a sweet mango teriyaki sauce for a an easy and incredibly tasty dinner that only uses one pan! You would never guess that this super easy meal is whole30 and paleo friendly either!

Mango Teriyaki Sheet Pan Chicken & Veggies {Whole 30 + Paleo}

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Ingredients

5-6 skinless chicken thighs trimmed of visible fat
4 cups broccoli florets
3 red bell peppers cored and sliced into strips
5 carrots sliced
Mango Teriyaki Sauce:
2 cups chopped mango
1/3 cup coconut aminos
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or coconut vinegar
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
sesame seeds for sprinkling
mango chunks optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.
Place broccoli, red pepper slices and carrots in a large bowl. Set aside.
Using a food processor, puree mango chunks. Combine with all other ingredients for teriyaki sauce in a bowl. Whisk until well mixed.
Place chicken thighs on foil lined sheet pan. Brush sauce over both sides of each chicken thigh, coating well.
Add remaining sauce to bowl of veggies and mix thoroughly. Spoon around chicken thighs in an single layer. Sprinkle with sesame seeds
Bake for 35 minutes, or until done. Serve with more mango chunks, if desired.
Enjoy!

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Questions of the day!

Have you ever made a one pan dinner? If so, what’s your favorite recipe?

Gluten-free Pretzel Parmesan Crusted EASY Avocado Fries

December 28, 2016 by Bethany 13 Comments

Crispy and flavorful Pretzel Parmesan Avocado Fries will be a huge standout at your next holiday party! Super simple to make and gluten-free!

Can you believe that the name of this blog is Athletic Avocado and we barely have any recipes that contain avocado? That needs to change ASAP. As much as I love avocado, I have a really hard time making my own recipes with it because guacamole is the only thing I can think of until the idea for these avo fries came into my life.

This Post is sponsored by La Terra Fina. As always, all opinions are my own.

Instead of making a dip with avocado (aka guac), I made a dipper! The result is a crunchy, cheesy salty coating on the outside and delicious creamy taste of avocado on the inside.

La Terra Fina provided me with their line of greek yogurt dips to help spread some holiday cheer, literally. These dips are so flavorful with 50% less fat and fewer calories, thanks to the greek yogurt base. On top of that, La Terra Fina greek yogurt dips are gluten-free and have no artificial flavors or preservatives. I used their Spinach, Artichoke & Parmesan dip for a great companionship with these ago fries. The result is a delicious combination of flavors!

So how simple are these avocado fries? Almost stupidly simple. When making them, you are allowed to double dip. I mean, technically you could also double dip when eating if no one is watching but that’s not what I’m talking about. Right now, I’m strictly explaining the technique to make these avo fries as crispy as possible without frying!

Step one: dip avocado slice in pretzel-parm mix.

Step two: dip in egg mix.

Step three: drench in pretzel-park mix AGAIN.

Step four: bake.

Step five: eat with La Terra Fina greek yogurt dip.

Step six: repeat (10x)

Only six simple ingredients required:

Avocado slices

Pretzels

Parmesan

Eggs

Salt

Pepper

La Terra Fina greek yogurt dip

Pretzel Parmesan Crusted Avocado Fries

Thick avocado slices are drenched in a crushed pretzel- parmesan mixture and baked until crispy for an tasty crowd pleasing appetizer! Made perfectly sturdy to hold your favorite dip! Also can be gluten-free!

Pretzel Parmesan Crusted Easy Avocado Fries

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Ingredients

two avocados ripe but still hard
2 cups of gluten-free pretzels
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg beaten (sub flax egg for egg-free version)
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside.
Slice avocadoes in half, then in about 5-6 thick slices in each halve (about 20-24 slices total).
Place pretzels in a food processor and blend until a fine crumb. Place in a shallow bowl and mix with parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Beat egg with a splash of warm water in a separate shallow bowl.
Dip avocado slice first in pretzel crumbs, then in egg, then drench again in pretzel-parm mixture. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining slices. Spray cooking spray overtop fries.
Bake for 25 minutes, flipping the fries at half time (12 minutes).
Serve with La Terra Fina Dip.
Enjoy!

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Peanut Butter Banana French Toast Waffles {Vegan & GF}

December 13, 2016 by Bethany 22 Comments

Have leftover bread that’s going stale? Use it to make these Peanut Butter Banana French Toast Waffles! They are incredibly easy to make and secretly healthy! vegan + gluten-free!

I’m not a hater, but if there is one thing that I hate the most, it would be wasting food. In fact, I don’t waste food. Like never. A lot of my recipes are actually created around the food in my kitchen that is left uneaten. Here are just a few examples:

Easy Grapefruit Corn and Mint Salad (a lonely grapefruit)
Paleo Dark Chocolate Fudge Zucchini Brownies ( bought too many zucchinis that week )
Pineapple Teriyaki Cauliflower Poppers (a pineapple just waiting to go bad)
Healthy Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancake in a Mug (pancake mix thats been in the pantry for a year)

This recipe is no different from all the above. I made french toast roll-ups the day before and had tons of bread crusts that were just waiting to be used in a recipe. My first thought was french toast casserole, but my heart wanted waffles. So indecisive, I know.

So what’s a girl to do? Make french toast waffles of course! It turns out that these french toast waffles are incredible easy to make, like stupidly easy. I went with the classic peanut butter-banana-choco chip combo because I’m a people pleaser and I know everyone hearts that combo. My crusts were partially stale, so I baked them for 10 minutes until the were the texture of toast.

Then you blend the pb-banana-coconut milk combo and pour over top the toast cubes. Let it soak until the bread starts to soften, then mix in the pancake/waffle mix and the chocolate chips. The batter will be THICK and LUMPY instead of smooth and thin, but trust ya girl. Drop a big spoonful on a hot and coated waffle iron than wait about 3 minutes, until golden.

Top with all de toppings and life will be golden, just like the waffles you’ll be eating.

Peanut Butter Banana French Toast Waffles

Leftover bread combines with pancake mix, bananas, peanut butter and chocolate chips to create the tastiest and fluffiest waffles! These French Toast Waffles are incredibly easy to make, and surprisingly healthy! Top with melted peanut butter, coconut cream and sliced bananas and you got yourself a decadent, crowd-pleasing breakfast!

Peanut Butter Banana French Toast Waffles {Vegan & GF}

Print Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups stale cubed bread I used gluten-free, but any kind will work
1/2 cup vegan pancake/waffle mix
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup coconut milk or any type of milk
1/4 cup coconut cream OR coconut yogurt sub greek yogurt if not vegan
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Topping:
Melted peanut butter
coconut cream
sliced bananas

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cubed bread on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until slightly toasted. Place in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
Combine banana, coconut milk, coconut cream, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon in a food processor. Blend until mixture is smooth. Pour over top cubed bread and mix well. Let mixture soak until bread gets soft, about 10 minutes.
Add in pancake mix, mixing well until all ingredients are completely combined. Fold in dark chocolate chips.
Turn on waffle iron and spray with cooking spray. Drop 1/5 batter in in waffle iron and let cook for about 3 minutes, or until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.
Top waffles with peanut butter, coconut cream and sliced bananas, if desired.
Enjoy!
Makes about 5 waffles
*Recipe inspired by the Noshery

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Questions of the Day:

What do you usually do with leftover bread?

Do you ever waste food, or do you use it up?

EASY Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Freezer Fudge {Vegan + Gluten-free}

December 3, 2016 by Bethany 28 Comments

Looking for a healthier crowd-pleasing dessert? Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Fudge is a unique take on two favorites, but is secretly guilt-free! Vegan + Gluten-free!

Can someone please tell me how it is mathematically, statistically, logically, and emotionally possible to dislike chocolate? I cannot wrap my head around this one. How does one despise the taste of the most glorious food in the world? Think about it; if you dislike chocolate, you miss out on a dessert world of opportunity. Could you imagine turning your nose up at to a ginourmous slice or a decadent 7 layer chocolate cake? Or gagging at the site of a right-out-of-the-oven gooey brownie? Or turning down a glorious chocolatey piece of fudge?

“This post is sponsored by Farmer’s Direct Co-op. As always, all opinions are my own.”

Believe it or not, my cousin is one of those people. I always asks her how she gets her sweet fix, but she always explains to me that there are plenty non-chocolate desserts that she enjoys. Sometimes I forget that there is a world outside of chocolate desserts. You know apple pie, cheesecake, blondies, vanilla cupcakes, white chocolate……the list could go on. It saddens me though, that these chocolate haters will never know the delicious taste of fudge. That is until I made a non-chocolate version to feed their souls.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Fudge. How does that sound? When the idea first came into my mind, it tickled my heart. A simple chocolate-less, sinless, crowd-pleasing dessert that is perfect for any holiday get-together. Who say’s you need chocolate to make fudge? Call me a rebel, but I say nay.

My friends at Farmer’s Direct Co-op hooked me up with some fabulous products, and I included their organic rolled oats in this recipe. You know what I love about this company? 100% of their products are farmer owned and are certified organic and fair trade. I choose to partner with their company because I believe that farmers and their land should be treated fairly. To learn more about this evolution click here.

Ok, now back to the recipe! Here is what you need:

Farmer’s Direct Co-op Organic rolled oats

raisins

cashew butter

maple syrup

coconut oil

vanilla

cinnamon

sliced almonds

Andddd thats a wrap up! Now go on and make this delicious guilt-free fudge! It will please chocolate lovers and chocolate-haters alike!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Freezer Fudge

Cashew butter fudge and oatmeal raisin cookies collide in this irresistible, guilt-free dessert! It’s super simple to make and will please everyone’s taste buds! Also vegan and gluten-free friendly!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Freezer Fudge {Vegan + Gluten-free}

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 3 30

Servings 16 pieces

Ingredients

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mixture:
1 cup Farmer Direct Co-op regular rolled oats
1 cup raisins
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. coconut oil melted
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup cashew butter
1/4 cup coconut oil melted
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients for oatmeal raisin cookie mix in a bowl. Spread onto a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until toasted. Let cool.
Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together, then fold in oatmeal raisin cookie mixture.
Spray cooking spray into a loaf pan and spoon in fudge mixture. Freeze mixture for 2-3 hours.
Slice into about 16 pieces.
Enjoy!
*Store leftovers in an airtight container in freezer.

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EASY No-Bake Turtle Candy Bark {Paleo + Vegan}

November 13, 2016 by Bethany 37 Comments

Only 5 ingredients are needed to create this tasty, decadent Turtle Pecan Candy Bark! With the great flavor combo of pecans, chocolate and caramel, you'd never guess this bark is paleo + vegan!

“This post is sponsored by Georgia Grinders. As always, all opinions are my own.”

Since the holidays are quickly approaching, all things sweets have been on my mind. From experimenting with new sweet recipes for the winter season to eating bressert (dessert for breakfast), I’ve been having my fair share of homemade (healthy) holiday treats. No shame included.🙅

Are desserts are your mind lately too? I think it’s just the time of year that has me dreaming of apple pie, Christmas cookies, chocolate,etc. I love making desserts for holiday parties, but I’m usually slaving in the kitchen for HOURS on end making 8 kinds of cupcakes, 11 types of cookies, 4 types of chocolate and 3 types of pie. Ok, total exaggeration here, but my point is, why take time spend hours in the kitchen when it can take you 3 minutes (plus chilling time) to make gourmet crowd-pleasing dessert? And bonus: it’s totally healthy.

Yes I’m talking about this eye-catching tiger-stripe Turtle Pecan Bark. Who doesn’t love pecans, caramel and chocolate together? So good.

The star of the show here is Georgia Grinders Pecan Butter, which creates the perfect base for this bark. It’s creamy, drippy and has a strong nutty taste. Did you ever try pecan butter? I hate to say this, but sorry peanut butter, you are now second.

Georgia Grinders is a nut butter company that is dedicated to creating high-quality, unique nut butters with simple and minimal ingredients. They also sent me their original almond butter, creamy cashew butter (you can use in these blondies) and pecan-peanut butter. All these jars deserve a big round of applause👏👏👏

Ok, now back to this bark! It’s mind-boggling to think that it’s vegan and paleo friendly and highly addictive. Only 5 ingredients are needed:

Georgia Grinders Pecan Butter

Coconut oil

Paleo caramel sauce

chopped pecans

melted dark chocolate

No-Bake Turtle Pecan Chocolate Bark

Only 5 ingredients are used to create this tasty, decadent Turtle Pecan Bark! With the great flavor combo of pecans, chocolate and caramel, you’d never guess this bark is paleo and vegan friendly!

No-Bake Turtle Pecan Candy Bark {Paleo + Vegan}

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10

Total Time 40

Ingredients

Turtle Pecan Bark
1/3 cup coconut oil melted
1/4 cup Georgia Grinders Pecan Butter
1/4 cup paleo caramel sauce
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips melted

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together coconut oil, pecan butter and caramel sauce in a medium bowl. Pour onto parchment lined cooking sheet and spread in an even, thin layer.
Top with chopped pecans, and drizzle melted chocolate on top.
Place in freezer for 30 minutes, or until hardened. Break into pieces.
Enjoy!
Store in an air tight container in fridge
Adapted from Bakerita

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EASY Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole Baked Pancake {8 Ingredients!}

November 2, 2016 by Bethany 33 Comments

Looking for a sweet, filling and healthy breakfast? Try this Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole Baked Pancake! It’s made with only 8 ingredients and made in the blender!

Can I get an amen for tasty breakfast recipes that get your day started off on the right note? Seriously, think back to the last time you either forgot or didn’t have time to eat breafast. Was your day full of peace and joy? Or did you want to punch everyone in the face? I’ll assume that you weren’t a happy camper!

When I don’t get to eat breakfast in the morning, I get hungry, then angry, then HANGRY. But when I do have time to make a delicious and hearty breakfast, I usually have a pretty fantastic day. Maybe that’s why they say breakfast is the “most important meal of the day.” It basically sets the tone (and your mood) for the day. I guess that doesn’t matter if you’re not used to eating breakfast though, then you should disregard my last few sentences and help me understand why you don’t like breakfast!?

If you’re like me, you could you breakfast for every meal of the day and not get bored of it. I could also probably write a novel about breakfast, but I don’t want to bore you. So let’s get to talking about this recipe. Who likes sweet potato casserole? It’s my favorite Thanksgiving side dish because it basically tastes like dessert and since I love eating dessert for breakfast, I am certain that I would eat it for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving if there was any left (which there never is!).

This thick, dense, baked pancake tastes exactly like sweet potato casserole. If you also love the classic Thanksgiving side dish, I am 100% sure that you’ll love it too.

It’s made from only 8 ingredients and mixed in the blender! Here are the ingredients:

sweet potato

eggs

coconut flour

paleo caramel sauce

cinnamon

vanilla

pecans

coconut

Caramel Sweet Potato Casserole Baked Pancake

Love sweet potato casserole? You’ll love this recipe! A thick baked sweet potato pancake is topped with caramel glazed pecans and coconut to make a sweet, filling breakfast. It is paleo, gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free!

EASY Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole Baked Pancake {8 Ingredients!}

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Ingredients

1 cup mashed sweet potato
4 eggs
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup paleo caramel sauce recipe link in instructions
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Toppings:
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup paleo caramel sauce recipe link in instructions

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place dutch oven skillet in oven until you finish making batter.
Either make paleo caramel sauce (using this recipe fomr Bakerita) or use jarred caramel sauce.
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until mixture is smooth.
To make topping, combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Coat skillet with cooking spray/coconut oil/ butter. Add batter and top with toppings. Bake for 15 minutes, or until done.
Adapted from I'mma Eat That

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Questions of the day:

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side dish!?

EASY Pumpkin Rosemary Pesto Paleo Gnocchi

October 30, 2016 by Bethany 35 Comments

Looking for a crowd-pleasing Fall pasta dish? Make this Pumpkin Rosemary Pesto Paleo Gnocchi! It’s full of autumn flavors while being grain-free!

This post is sponsored by Cappellos. As always, all opinions are my own.”

Growing up in an Italian family, I’ve had my fair share of pasta dishes. From handmade pasta by my 90 year old grandmother (the best) to store-bought spaghetti for busy school nights and every thing in between. I’ve even been to Italy where I basically lived off of pasta for two meals a day. Ugh, take me back to Italy where the views were great and the gnocchi was even greater.

Out of all the types of pasta , gnocchi has always been my favorite. I love that it’s so doughy and goes well with any sauce. But after I adopted a gluten-free/grain-free-ish lifestyle, pasta hasn’t been on the menu in a longggggg time because me and tons of grains and gluten don’t mix. Thankfully Cappello’s changed that.

Never did I ever think it was possible to enjoy pasta without the use of regular flour! After tasting Cappello’s soft, pillowy gnocchi, my mind was blown! Cappello’s gnocchi and other pasta products are all paleo-friendly and made with a mix of almond and tapioca flour. How awesome is that? No need to skip your favorite pasta dishes anymore! Along with the gnocchi, they have lasagna sheets and fettuccine.

To showcase my love of fall, I mixed gnocchi with autumn-inspired flavors.

Pumpkin- Rosemary Pesto Sauce

Brussels sprouts

Chicken Apple Sausage

Red Onion

Apple chunks

Mix them all together and the end result is a comforting dinner that will please your entire family!

Paleo Pumpkin Rosemary Pesto Gnocchi

Soft pillowy gnocchi are sautéed with brussels sprouts, red onion, apples and coated in a pumpkin rosemary pesto sauce to make an comforting Autumn meal!

Pumpkin Rosemary Pesto Paleo Gnocchi

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Ingredients

1 package Cappellos paleo gnocchi
4 chicken apple sausages sliced ( I used Al Fresco)
1 lb fresh brussels sprouts trimmed and quartered
1 small red onion finely chopped
1 apple finely chopped
Pumpkin Rosemary Pesto recipe below*

Instructions

Cook Gnocchi according to package directions.
While gnocchi is cooking, place brussels sprouts and onion in a large sauté pan with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Lower heat to medium and add sliced sausage, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
Add sliced apple and let cook for 2 more minutes.
Lower heat to low and add gnocchi and pumpkin rosemary pesto, stirring until pesto is coated evenly.
Take off heat.
Enjoy!
* Pumpkin Rosemary Pesto: Place 1 cup fresh rosemary (no stems), 1/3 cup walnuts, 1/3 cup canned pumpkin, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 garlic cloves and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor. Blend until mixture is smooth.

Check out Cappello’s products here!

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Gingerbread Pumpkin Protein Smoothie Bowl {Paleo + Gluten-free}

October 12, 2016 by Bethany 39 Comments

Love all things pumpkin and gingerbread? Make this high-protien Pumpkin Gingerbread Smoothie Bowl! It taste like pumpkin pie and gingerbread all in a guilt-free smoothie form! Perfect for a post-workout treat!

When the holidays roll around, I’m probably the least festive person in the whole wide world. Even when I was a kid, I hated trick-or-treating. I would only go to one house in my neighborhood that gave out large bags of chocolate-covered pretzels (jackpot) and that was it. I don’t go black friday shopping at the crack of dawn after Thanksgiving. When Christmas rolls around, I refuse to listen to any Christmas music, except the song Little Drummer Boy. I also don’t own any Christmas sweaters or lightbulb earrings, so I guess you could call me a scrooge in that sense. But if you see what I eat during the holidays, you’d be able to tell that all my festivity lies within my food choices.

Give me the pumpkin goodies and I will gladly eat them ALL. Let me become friends with the gingerbread men you make and we can eat Christmas cookies together.

I’ll take three platefuls of sweet potato casserole during Thanksgiving. Oh, and lets not forget to celebrate halloween by downing 10 lbs of dark chocolate!

You guys can probably tell by my recipes, that I can’t stop won’t stop with all things pumpkin and gingerbread. But usually when you think of these flavors, your mind transports you to the land of sugar.

Hold up for a moment. What if I told you that your post workout meal could combine the two amazing flavors while being high in protein? Yessssssssiirrrr.

My friends at Naked Nutrition sent me their 100% Premium Grass-Fed Whey Protein to create this festive protein-packed smoothie bowl. You may be wondering “Why Naked? That sounds dirty.” Actually, Naked Whey is the cleanest, most pure whey protein you can find on the market. Being the protein powder snob that I am, I was pretty stoked when I saw that the ingredient list only consisted of whey protein concentrate and nothing more. Quality protein for the win💪.

Here’s more detail about “The Naked Difference“:

From Grass Fed Cows’ Milk From Small Dairy Farms in California
No Artificial Sweeteners, Flavors, or Colors
25 Grams of Protein and 5.9 Grams of BCAA’s Per Serving*
Only One Ingredient: Grass Fed Whey Protein
GMO Free
Soy Free and Gluten Free
Growth Hormone Free, no rBGH or rBST
Cold Processed
Acid and Bleach-Free Processing

Now that I explained the high-protein quality of this fluffy frosty smoothie, let me tell you about what it tastes like! It’s a hybrid of pumpkin pie filling and gingerbread cookies all in smoothie form, aka the best of both (festive) worlds. What makes it even better it that you don’t have to turn on your oven to enjoy these flavors. All you need is a blender and these ingredients:

pumpkin puree

Naked whey

almond milk

almond butter

molasses

gingerbread spices

pecans

pumpkin seeds

cranberries

dark chocolate chunks

Gingerbread Pumpkin Protein Smoothie Bowl

The flavors of pumpkin pie and gingerbread unite in this thick and creamy high-protein smoothie bowl. Topped with pepitas, pecans, dried cranberries and dark chocolate, this smoothie bowl is decadent, sweet and filling all while being nourishing and totally guilt-free!

Gingerbread Pumpkin Protein Smoothie Bowl

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings 2 smoothie bowls

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree frozen into ice cube trays*
2 scoops Naked Whey Protein Powder
1/2 cup almond milk
2 Tbsp. almond butter
1 Tbsp. molasses
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
stevia to taste
TOPPINGS
pecans
pumpkin seeds
dark chocolate chunks
dried cranberries

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a Vitamix or other high power blender.
Blend until smooth and fluffy.
Divide into 2 bowls and top with toppings.
Enjoy!
* if you didn't freeze the pumpkin before hand, you can add regular pumpkin puree and ice instead.

To check out Naked Nutrition’s other lines of protein powders and their powdered peanut butter, click here!

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Coconut Matcha Oatmeal Latte with Dark Chocolate Chunks {Vegan+ GF}

September 10, 2016 by Bethany 27 Comments

Love all things matcha? Try this Coconut Matcha Oatmeal Latte! You get your caffeine and hearty breakfast all in one bowl! Vegan + Gluten-free!

I feel like I’m always the last person to hop on board with the coolest trends. Do you remember skinny jeans? I refused to wear them until everyone and their mother started wearing them.

Did you ever try avocado toast? It literally took me soooo long to try it out after swooning all over it on Instagram. I could go on for days, but I think you get the point that I procrastinate to try new things. I swear that one thing I’ll never get into is Pokemon go.😝

Love all things matcha? Try this Coconut Matcha Oatmeal Latte! You get your caffeine and hearty breakfast all in one bowl! Vegan + Gluten-free!

This post is sponsored by Mind My Matcha. As always, all opinions are my own.”

I became aware of matcha because everyone on social media raves all about it, but I still wasn’t convinced enough to try it. I thought “it’s just another kind of tea, right?

No thanks, I’ll stick with my coffee.” But like most things, matcha has grown on me. After Mind My Matcha send me some to try, I was hooked right away.

Matcha isn’t just another tea, it’s like the Simone Biles of teas. For those who have no clue what I’m talking about, Matcha is a special type of green tea grown in Japan and made from the full leaf.

One serving of matcha tea is the nutritional equivalent of 10 cups of green tea. Woah!

If you think Matcha is something that would float your boat, you have to get the high-quality grade stuff from Mind My Matcha (Psssst You can use the coupon code AA20 for 20% off!).

Their matcha is organically grown from the Nishio region of Japan and contains no fillers or additives. <<<<<< My kind of company👌

The first time I tried matcha was in a latte, and I fell in love. Being the oatmeal loving person I am, I thought it was a great idea to make a matcha oatmeal latte because oatmeal is BAE.

I also happened to realize that matcha goes incredibly well with coconut and dark chocolate, so naturally I added them to the mix and oh my gosh, this oatmeal is heavenly!

You think matcha lattes are good? Try adding oatmeal. You get your caffeine and nutritional boost and hearty breakfast in one! SCORE.

Coconut Matcha Oatmeal Latte with Dark Chocolate Chunks

Hearty oatmeal is mixed with matcha tea, coconut extract and coconut sugar then topped with frothed coconut milk, toasted coconut and dark chocolate chunks for the most epic breakfast you will ever eat! Also gluten-free and vegan-friendly!

Coconut Matcha Oatmeal Latte with Dark Chocolate Chunks

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Ingredients

1 cup gluten-free old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups coconut milk or non-dairy milk of choice
2 Tbsp. coconut sugar
2 tsp. Mind My Matcha tea
1 tsp. coconut extract or vanilla extract
TOPPINGS:
1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes
2 Tbsp. dark chocolate chunks
1/4 cup frothed coconut milk

Instructions

Place coconut milk, coconut sugar, matcha and coconut extract in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Whisk until mixture starts to boil.
Lower heat to medium and add oats. Let simmer for about 10 minutes (or until oats soak up liquid), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and place in a bowl.
Top oatmeal with frothed milk, toasted coconut and chocolate chunks.
Enjoy!
*inspired by how sweet it is

Bethany

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Give me the pumpkin goodies and I will gladly eat them ALL. Let me become friends with the gingerbread men you make and we can eat Christmas cookies together.

I’ll take three platefuls of sweet potato casserole during Thanksgiving. Oh, and lets not forget to celebrate halloween by downing 10 lbs of dark chocolate!

You guys can probably tell by my recipes, that I can’t stop won’t stop with all things pumpkin and gingerbread. But usually when you think of these flavors, your mind transports you to the land of sugar.

Hold up for a moment. What if I told you that your post workout meal could combine the two amazing flavors while being high in protein? Yessssssssiirrrr.

Here’s more detail about “The Naked Difference“:

From Grass Fed Cows’ Milk From Small Dairy Farms in California

No Artificial Sweeteners, Flavors, or Colors

25 Grams of Protein and 5.9 Grams of BCAA’s Per Serving*

Only One Ingredient: Grass Fed Whey Protein

GMO Free

Soy Free and Gluten Free

Growth Hormone Free, no rBGH or rBST

Cold Processed

Acid and Bleach-Free Processing

Gingerbread Pumpkin Protein Smoothie Bowl

The flavors of pumpkin pie and gingerbread unite in this thick and creamy high-protein smoothie bowl. Topped with pepitas, pecans, dried cranberries and dark chocolate, this smoothie bowl is decadent, sweet and filling all while being nourishing and totally guilt-free!

Gingerbread Pumpkin Protein Smoothie Bowl

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Coconut Matcha Oatmeal Latte with Dark Chocolate Chunks

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