Peppermint Patty Truffles

Greetings wellness lovers!

I hope you have all been having a great month! My apologies for being MIA... it's been quite a busy month, well year... actually! My husband and I, omg... "husband" is so cool so finally say that, after almost 7 years!... just came home from our week-long honeymoon, and officially tied the knot just before that!

Photos to come...

Anyways... today I have a fun holiday recipe to share with you, by my lovely sister Alyssa, to surly put you in the mood for holiday decorating and preparations!

Peppermint Patty Truffles
by Alyssa Craft, Pure Living for Life

Hello there!

I have a special recipe to share today: peppermint patty truffles!

I decided to get a head start on my holiday recipes this year... and I have a confession. I LOVE York Peppermint Patties. I always have. However, as I am sure you can relate... I am not exactly a fan of the fact that they contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavoring and who knows what else...

These peppermint patty truffles are made with only four ingredients: coconut oil, honey, peppermint extract and dark chocolate. (For the maximum health benefits, make sure all these ingredients are organic.) I topped mine with crushed traditional candy canes, but if you are feeling extra healthy feel free to omit this or substitute with your own topping... get creative!

 

Prep time: 30 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 15

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ tsp peppermint extract
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 candy canes, crushed

Instructions

1. Combine coconut oil, honey and peppermint extract in a bowl. Mash until well-mixed.
2. If mixture is not easy to form into balls, then put in the freezer briefly.
3. Scoop out 1.5 to 2 tsp of mixture and form into balls.
4. Place in the freezer while melting chocolate in a separate bowl over the stove.
5. Let chocolate cool a little bit.
6. Dip the frozen balls into the chocolate, sprinkle with candy cane topping. Let cool.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and feel free to stop by and say hello anytime!

 

Happy holidays!

Alyssa

Pure Living for Life

Coconut Oil Fudge + Health Coach Ornament!

Greetings! And happy holidays! :)

Today I wanted to share a delicious recipe for a healthier version of a classic holiday treat!

Coconut Oil Fudge!

Instead of the usual butter, milk, and sugar-- this recipe uses coconut oil, cocoa powder and honey/agave/maple syrup.

Recipe:
(Makes: 16 servings)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup agave
1 tsp. vanilla extract 
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Directions:
1. Using a spoon, blend the melted coconut oil with agave and mix well. Add vanilla extract, if desired. Stir in the cocoa. Mix until smooth.

2. Pour into an 8 x 8 " pan and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.

3. Cut into 16 pieces and keep cool. Enjoy!!

*Because of the nature of the coconut oil, the fudge must be kept cool.

*Yesterday I received the most adorable xmas ornament from one of my amazing health coaching clients! It really made me stop and reflect on how much I love my job.

made. my. day.

Have an exciting and wonderful week!

Massaged Kale Salad!

Greetings health and wellness lovers!

Can you believe it's almost 2012?! I can't...

Anyways, this weekend I made a (festive?) delicious recipe from the Integrative Nutrition Healthy Holiday Guide!

Massaged Kale Salad

I made the salad to bring to a family gathering...

Honestly, I was a little hesitant to bring it, because kale is (unfortunately) not a commonly-enjoyed leafy vegetable by people outside of the foodie/nutrition/wellness circles.

But I decided to bring it anyways... and it seemed to be a hit! A family member even wanted the recipe! In addition to the Integrative Nutrition Holiday eBook, the recipe is also featured on Lemons and Loafers.

The only change I made to the recipe was substituting raisins + pomegranate seeds for the dried cranberries (because I didn't have any).

Have you ever had massaged kale salad?

Special holiday treat + Integrative Nutrition book download!

Greetings health and wellness lovers!

And happy Friday! I am so excited to share my new favorite holiday treat with you today!

When a craving for something sweet, creamy, bread-y, and chocolate-y strikes... this treat is sure to make you happy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cake Bars!

But they aren't just any pumpkin chocolate chip gingerbread cake bars... they have a modern nutritional twist! Instead of using whole wheat flour, they are made with almond flour!

We all know almonds are amazing for you... but what can you tell people when they ask you "why would someone want to use almond flour?" Here's why...

Health Benefits
Almond flour, because it is simply ground almonds, offers the same health benefits as eating whole almonds. Eating nuts regularly can help your cholesterol, and a meta-analysis study published in the May 2009 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" verified previous claims that almond consumption results in lowered total cholesterol. When you have lower total cholesterol, you may reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke.


Beneficial Nutrients
Almond flour contains 160 calories in 1/4 cup, and 320 calories in 1/2 cup. In contrast, whole-wheat flour has 204 calories in 1/2 cup. Almond flour is high in fat, with 1/4 cup containing 14 g of total fat, 1 g of saturated fat and no trans fat. The fat in almond flour comes mainly from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. You get about 35 percent of your vitamin E requirement for the day, 20 percent of your magnesium needs and 6 percent of your daily requirement for both iron and calcium. Your body uses vitamin E for the health of your red blood cells, and magnesium for your muscle function, bone strength and energy needs. Almond flour also gives you 6 g of protein and 3 g of fiber per 1/4 cup, which is about 12 percent of your fiber requirements, if you aim for consuming 25 g a day.

Source: Livestrong

These cake bars can be enjoyed by everyone, because they are free of dairy and gluten! Here's the recipe!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cake Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup agave nectar
4 eggs
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. In a food processor, combine pumpkin, agave, and eggs and pulse until mixture is consistent and smooth.
2. Combine pumpkin mixture with almond flour, salt, baking soda, and spices in a mixing bowl. Mix on high until batter is mixed well.
3. Pour batter into a greased 10"x15" casserole dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.
4. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
5. Cut into cake bars of desired size. Serve and enjoy! You can also freeze them to enjoy later!

They are heavenly over banana soft serve!

Have an amazing day! xoxoxo

Peppermint Dessert Freeze

Greetings!

Today I wanted to share with you a favorite new treat! It is perfect for this most wonderful time of year! And, it can be enjoyed by everyone! It's dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.

Peppermint Dessert Freeze
(makes about 4 small servings)

Ingredients:
1. 2 frozen bananas (in halves)
2. 1.5 cups almond milk
3. 1 cup ice
4. 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (natural)
5. 4 tablespoons chocolate chips + more for garnish, optional

Directions:
Blend frozen bananas, almond milk, ice, until smooth. Add 4 tablespoons of chocolate chips (I used dairy-free). Blend on low, just enough to break the chips into smaller pieces. Serve in adorable glasses.. and garnish with additional chocolate chips if desired.
















Disclaimer: I am not saying that chocolate chips are healthy. I live by the 90/10 % diet. 90% percent of the time I eat amazingly healthy. 10% of the time I eat chocolate... well maybe only 2%. ;) Learning about the importance of not depriving yourself in my studies this year at Integrative Nutrition this past year has inspired me to start enjoying (organic, dairy-free) chocolate more!

I hope you are enjoying the beginning of the holiday season!

P.S. 'Taste for Healthy' now has a Facebook page! I am so excited to connect with like-minded wellness and nutrition enthusiasts!