Healthy Mini Carrot Zucchini Mufins

I had a sample of some muffins like this at Trader joes and have been craving them.  I found this recipe at Cupcakes and kale chips and they are really yummy, I have made them twice now!you can find her here:  she has some amazing recipes on her site!

Healthy Mini Carrot Zucchini Muffins

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 Tblsp butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated zucchini
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

*Preheat oven to 350 and place rack in center of oven, coat a mini     muffin pan with nonstick spray
*Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a mixing   bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Set aside
*In a large mixing bowl, stir together the butter, maple syrup (or   honey), egg, and vanilla extract
*Add the zucchini, carrot and raisins and stir gently until just   distributed
*Fill each cup in the mini muffin pan about 3/4 full
*Bake for 15 to 20 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center of   a muffin comes out clean
*Let cool in pan for few min before removing to cooling rack
*Store in airtight container at room temperature for several days.  *Keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer.
they are really yummy!

YUMMY SAUCE from stephanie moore

My niece has a healthy instagram account and she posted this yummy sauce recipe, I like everything else she has posted and shared so I am sure this is good, I have not made it yet but plan to do so this weekend

Yummy Sauce

1 cup cashews
4 Medjool dates pitted
2 Tblsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup water
dash sea salt

Blend together
enjoy with fruit or off the spoon!

Healthier Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I just made these and they are very tasty and yummy.  I found them at Amy's Healthy Baking website (www.amyshealthybaking.com)

Healthier Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Yields 15 cookies

1 cup instant oats (not regular oatmeal but the quick cooking kind)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tblsp coconut oil or butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tblsp dark or semisweet choc chips
1 Tblsp miniature choc chips

Preheat oven to 325
and line a baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Whisk together the oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
In another separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil (or butter) ,pumpkin puree, and vanilla.  Stir in the maple syrup.  Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.  Fold in the choc chips.
Drop the cookie dough into rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet and flatten to the desired  thickness and shape using a spatula (or your hand).  They will finish looking like how you make them look at the beginning) 
Press some choc chips onto the tops if desired.
Bake at 325 for 11 to 14 min.
Cool on pan for 10 min

They are really yummy!

She has all sorts of baking tips and pictures and other fun recipes on her web site, go here   She is awesome!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Quinoa Balls

I found these on this cute blog here:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Quinoa Balls

a gluten free, vegan, healthy no bake balls made with peanut butter, chocolate chips, and quinoa

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup peanut butter 

* 2 Tblsp pure maple syrup

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

* 1 dash salt

* 1 cup cooked quinoa, slightly warm (not hot)

* 2 Tblsp mini choc chips (she uses Enjoy Life dairy free)

Instructions:

Line a half baking sheet or plate with parchment paper, set aside.

In a bowl, add peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Sit in quinoa and mix until well combine.  Fold in choclate chips.

Take a heaping Tblsp size of dough and roll into a ball. Place on to prepared parchment paper.  Do the same until no dough remains.  Place in the refrigerator or freezer to chill for about 30 min

Store in airtight container in the freezer or fridge

No Bake Chocolate PB Balls

This recipe comes from a cookbook called "The best homemade kids' Snacks on the Planet"
and blog is from "The Seasonal Diet"
can see a picture of them from here

No Bake Chocolate PB Balls

Author: The Seasonal Diet

Serves: 6

Ingredients

PB "Dough":

• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 2-3 Tbsp. coconut sugar (depending on how sweet you like things)
• 2 Tbsp. chocolate chips (we like the mini chocolate chips for this recipe)
• 2 Tbsp. peanut butter (we used a creamy variety that was slightly sweetened)
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate Coating:

• ¼ cup chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine all dough ingredients (except the chocolate chips!). Blend until it starts to stick together, about 30- 60 seconds.
2. Add mixture to a bowl and mix in 2 Tbsp. of chocolate chips. Roll into balls, and set aside.
3. Next, melt chocolate and oil for the coating and dip the balls in chocolate ;)
4. Place on a plate in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
5. Enjoy!

Energy Bars AKA Kind Bars

Energy Bars AKA (like Kind Bars)

This comes from the blog of Eat & Edit and her name is Laura.  She edits recipes for cookbooks and picked out some she tried and liked.
A picture of these can be found here:

Energy Bars

Energy Bars (aka Homemade KIND Bars)
These fruit and nut bars are the perfect cross between a granola bar and rice krispie treat, and remind me a lot of KIND bars (only with fewer ingredients). Light enough for a snack, but still satisfying. Brown rice syrup is available in most grocery stores, usually near the honey. You can swap out pretty much any of the nuts or fruit with what you have on hand, as I did below. Note that when you take them out of the oven, they may seem too soft, but they set up more once they’re full cooled. You can cut them into either squares or bars. // Yield: 8 bars or 16 squares

1 cup (110 g) almonds, coarsely chopped (I used blanched, sliced almonds)
1/2 cup (48 g) sunflower seeds, chopped (I used a mix of hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and crushed peanuts instead, as I didn’t have sunflower seeds)
1/3 cup (6 g) crisped brown rice cereal (I used plain puffed white)
1/4 cup (35 g) raisins
1/4 cup (35 g) dried blueberries (I just used ½ cup chopped dried cherries for the raisins/blueberries)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup (115 g) brown rice syrup

Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Line a square baking pan with parchment paper. (I greased it with a little coconut oil first so the paper would stick.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine almonds, sunflower seeds, brown rice cereal, raisins, blueberries, sea salt, and cinnamon. Pour brown rice syrup over nuts and fruits, using a spatula to evenly distribute the syrup throughout.

Pour mixture into baking pan. Place a second piece of parchment or waxed paper on top of mixture and press down to compact ingredients (I just used wet hands). Remove the top layer of paper.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the bars begin to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Using excess parchment paper as handles, lift the bars out of the pan and place on a cutting board, paper side up. Peel off paper and cut into bars or squares. Store extras in the fridge. I like to wrap them individually in waxed paper so I can pack them in my lunch bag.

Healthy No Bake Cookie dough Balls

This is from a cute blog called Eat & Edit  I found and from Amanda, check out her site, it looks so fun! she edits for cookbooks and said this was one she really liked.

Healthy No Bake Cookie Dough Balls

1/2 cup (112 g) creamy almond butter (I used ¼ cup almond butter + ¼ cup natural peanut butter—definitely recommend)
1/4 cup (85 g) honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup (27 g) unsweetened, dried coconut
1/3 cup (42 g) coconut flour* (see Note below)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing until they form a ball of dough. If your dough is dry, add a little more nut butter or honey. If it’s too wet, add a little more coconut flour. (Mine was just fine.)

Scoop out tablespoon-size portions and roll into balls.

Place on a plate and serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.

From Amanda: -(They’re so good though! Like a mix between a buckeye (minus the chocolate) and peanut butter cookie dough—but with all-natural ingredients. If you’re unsure on the coconut, I’d encourage you to try them anyway, as I didn’t find that flavor noticeable at all. Next time I’m adding a few mini chocolate chips too. // Yield: 8 to 10 balls)

go here for a picture:
So back to the snacks. They come from a new book called The Best Homemade Kids’ Snacks on the Planet (yes I realize the title is wicked long—it is part of a series). The author, Laura Fuentes, and I are now working on our third book project together,