Avocados

Did you know that avocados are one of the healthiest things to eat on the planet?

It has been known for having tons of fat. However, what people don't know, is that it's actually has the healthy fats that keep your body nourished. Avocados are actually my new obsession and since avocados are so good for you, I decided to create a recipe that combines them in one of my other favorite things to eat.....BROWNIES!

Fudgy Avocado Brownies

Ingredients
1 small avocado
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ground flax
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp organic dark roasted coffee or instant
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. .

*In a large bowl, mash the avocado using a fork.

*Using a hand mixer, blend the avocado until smooth.

* Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, oil, flax, vanilla, and coffee (mix until smooth).

*In a medium sized bowl, mix together the spelt flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

*Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low or stir by hand until just mixed.

*Stir in chocolate chips.

*Add the mixture into a non stick baking pan (8x8 is what I used).

*Dip your spatula in cold water and smooth out

*Once smooth, bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

*Let cool.

*Enjoy

Serves 16

Nutrition Information
Calories 155.8 Total Fat 5.2 g Saturated Fat 1.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.8 g Cholesterol 0.8 mg Sodium 9.6 mg Potassium 178.2 mg Total Carbohydrate 33.3 g Dietary Fiber 3.2 g Sugars 20.8 g Protein 2.8 g

World's Best Banana Bread

Banana Bread

*Ingredients*
2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup brown sugar

3-4 ripe bananas

2 eggs (or 2 flax eggs)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt
*Directions*

*Preheat oven at 350 degrees

*Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl

*In an separate bowl, mash bananas with a fork until all lumps are gone -then mix wet ingredients together

*Combine both dry and wet ingredients, mix together thoroughly

*Pour batter into an 8x8 non-stick baking pan

*Bake at 350 degrees for about 60-75 minutes

Enjoy!
 

On hiatus!

Hi Everyone,

It's been a while since I last posted because my camera broke. I'm so bummed because I can't take any pictures of the things I have been cooking lately =(. However, I determined to go to Best Buy this weekend and purchase a new camera. So, I will be posting again very soon!

Endocrine disrupting chemicals are making you fat!

I stumbled upon this article the other day about endocrine disrupting chemicals (a.k.a obesogens)! It’s a chemical found in almost everything we eat. It may be the cause of why your not loosing the extra few pounds you have been trying to lose lately. Not to mention, the other adverse health effects it causes. I highly recommend you guys read it!


Check it out!

The future potato chips

Kale Chips

I was skeptical to try these at first because they don't look anything like a potato chip, but don't let them fool you! Not only are they healthy, they actually taste just like a potato chip. They are also super inexpensive and easy to make. Give them a try!

Ingredients
*1 bunch kale
*1 tbsp olive oil
*1 tsp seasoned salt

Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using a knife-carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces.

3.Wash and dry kale.

4. Once thourougly dried, place kale onto a cookie sheet then drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt onto the kale.

4.Bake for about 10 -15 minutes (until the ends are slightly browned).

Wild Alaska Salmon

I was at Publix the other day and noticed they had wild Alaska salmon on sale and figured I would give it a try since we love salmon. All I can say is WOW, it blows any other fish away and taste so different from the salmon we usually eat! It has a vibrant redish color, meaty taste, and is just so juicy! It is seriously is the best tasting fish I have ever had and it’s on sale for only $9.99 per lb at Publix (usually $18 per lb). It is only in season once a year, so I definitely recommend you guys give it a try soon!

*Not only does it taste good, it’s also a power food! Here are some health benefits of eating wild Alaska salmon.

• It is full of natural vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that will help you stay healthy.  
• Rich in omega-3 fatty acids  
• High in antioxidants
• High quality protein 
• Easy and safe to digest for all ages  
• Contains no detectable mercury  
• A 6-ounce serving contains 2.15 grams of omega-3 fatty acids and 47.7 grams of protein.
• Protects heart health
• Reduces risk of sudden death from heart disease
• Reduces heart disease risk in people with type 2 diabetes
• Essential in pregnancy and healthy infant development  
• May reduce severity and pain of symptoms of crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, asthma
•  May Reduce the risk of certain cancers, particularly breast cancer
• May help reduce the severity or development of nephritis, migraine, alzheimer's disease and type 1 diabetes
• May reduce the severity of psychological disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder

Budgeting 101

As most of you know, Dan and I are newlyweds and at the moment money is very tight for us. Instead of dwelling on the negative and wishing for more, I am actually very thankful for what we have and try to make the most out of our situation. I have learned to budget every way we can. This was extremely difficult at first for me because I grew up getting things I wanted without ever worrying about the price. Now, I  look at budgeting as a game and actually enjoy saving money.  I am really shocked at how much moeny I wasted when I was younger!

Here are a few money saving tips.

1. Clip Coupons!!!! Sundays are one of my favorite days of the week! Why, you ask?? Because of the Sunday newspaper and all the coupons inside! I honestly get so excited to start clipping away when the paper comes! The Internet is also a great resource to find printable coupons. Check out these website: wow-coupons.com or slickdeals.net. Remember if you print your coupons, try and print them all on one page to not waste any paper. Remember we are trying to save both our greens!!!!

2. Shop around- Unless you need something that very moment, try not to buy it unless it's on sale! For example, I can go to the Publix by myself and buy a week's worth of groceries for under $20!  However, when I go with Dan I end up spending $50 for the same amount of groceries because he picks things without thinking about them going on sale. I try to only buy things on sale or knowing I can't find it for a lower price. I know it sounds tedious, but when you find BOGO's at Publix and use coupons together you end up spending close to nothing! The money you end up saving  really can add up!!

3. Stop impulsive shopping!!! I use to be that girl who would buy things impulsively and then it would sit in my closet for months! Now when I shop I think to myself "do I NEED it or do I WANT it?".....if I don't NEED it, I don't buy it!

*Another tip*
 If you end up purchasing it try and hold on to the receipt because it may go on sale a few days later and many stores, such as Macy's and Target do price adjustments!

4. Set a budget! Before you go shopping, say to yourself "I am only going to spend "X" amount". If it was pretty easy for you to get by on that amount, try and challenge yourself next time by setting a lower amount. You will end up saving a lot this way!

5 Date night doesn't always have to be expensive! Here are some inexpnsive things to do.

1.Have a picnic at the park. The only thing you have to pay for is the food you pack and you can make them yourself!
2. Instead of going to the movies, rent a movie from a Blockbuster Express or Redbox machine. They only charge you $1 a night and they are at most Publix's so they are very convenient to drop off.
3. Cook a romantic dinner. Cooking not only saves you money, but it's also healthier for you too!
4. Have a game night! Invite a bunch of friends over and play some board games!
5. Go to the beach! Make sure to put on some SPF if it's in the day time!!!

*Remember there is an expression "A person can never get rich, if all they do is spend"

What are some ways you save???