Super HEALTHY Chocolate AVOCADO Mousse

Avocados.

Very delicious and very versatile.

There are so many amazing benefits of adding avocados to your diet.

*avocados are a heart healthy food. 

*they are extremely high in healthy fats

*they are very nutritious

*tons of fiber

*tons of vitamins: 

~Vitamin K, A, E, & C

~Vitamin B-1, 2, 3, 5, & 6

~Folate

~Potassium

~Iron 

~Zinc

and so many more

*There are 2g of protein in each serving and 15g healthy fats.

*There is no cholesterol and apparently it helps lower it aswell.

*There is no sodium.

*Avocados have more potassium than a banana and are a powerful antioxidant

*With 9g of carbs and 7g of fiber there are only 2 net carbs.

*Its believed that people who have avocados in their diet tend to be healthier.

*Apparently an avocado is the healthiest food you can buy at the store.

These are just some of the amazing benefits you can get from one little avocado.

why not eat them? 

Im personally not a huge fan of how they taste. 

I love my homemade guacamole, and I can eat it mashed on a sandwich, But I cant just eat it in a spoonful or by itself.
And I have now found that I can eat it as a mousse.
Avocado when blended is the perfect light yet "moussey" texture.
I actually prefer this to actual mousse!
This isnt just a healthy girl that likes "nasty healthy things" saying this.
I know there are some things "healthy people" say to try and its gross but I promise you this is not one of those things!
All you can taste is super rich chocolate mousse!

I mean who doesnt love chocolate?!

Im going to try more and more recipes now because I love how it is with chocolate. 

You cant even taste it or if you can, you can barely tell.

This is ABSOLUTELY delicious. 

Decadent

Healthy

And EXTREMELY easy to make anyone could do it. 

You really cant mess this up!!

Im sure you're ready for the recipe now

You will need:

~ 1 Ripe Avocado

~ 4 Tbs Cocoa Powder (raw or just baking)

~ 3 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

~ 4 1/2 Tbs Agave Nectar

~ 1/8 cup Dark Chocolate 60% and higher

Step 1~ Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave 30 seconds at a time and stir (no longer or will burn, VERY easy to do so)

Step 2~ Throw all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Step 3~ Serve now or put in a container and serve later.

*My recipe made about 2 1/2 SMALL servings.(last picture) If you need more just double or triple the recipe.

*I put mine in small containers so when I want a treat I can just grab a small serving out of the fridge. 

*If not eating right away and storing in the fridge I might let it thaw on the counter for about 10 minutes or so. It might be good or better cold, not sure

*This is super rich and decadent so these small servings are just enough for me. :)

Give it a try!!

Let me know what you think:)

jclove

<3 

Delicious healthy Acai Bowl

As you may or may not know I love sweet healthy things.

So the second I found out about acai I had to learn more about it.

 (is it pronounced "ak-eye" or "AS-I-E")

Acai berries contain antioxidants, fiber, and heart-healthy fats. They might even have more antioxidants than other berries we consume. This bowl is great for breakfast because it is an energy boosting fruit. It is also great for your immune system because it is very high in vitamin C. Which is a great thing to start your day off with:) 

This bowl if made correctly and not with a bunch of sugar can also aid in weight loss. I say this because it is extremely healthy and filling and will keep you full for awhile. It also satisfies your sweet tooth. 

You can make this as a smoothie if on the go or in a bowl.

 (I really enjoy the bowl because all of the yummy toppings I add)

The main ingredient in this bowl I have made above is of course Acai. 

I used a brand called Sambazon.

I chose the unsweetened packs only because I try to avoid sugar as much as I can and if I want it a bit sweeter I can always add a bit of agave nectar which is great for any drinks or most baking.

The second and also important ingredient is GoodBelly's mango probiotic drink. 

Probiotics are so good for you as-well, boosting your immune system and helping your body with digestion. So using this as my liquid for this recipe is great!

I also add about 5 or 6 frozen berries, Its not needed, I just think it adds a bit of flavor.

The last thing I add before blending is some lemon juice. Either fresh squeezed or just from the bottle, I have the bottled pure lemon juice because I use it so often its cheaper to just buy the juice than to buy and squeeze lemons. Either way both are great.

Lemon juice or lime juice are a great additive to any smoothie or Acai bowl. It adds a bit of a kick to it and brings out the fruit flavors nicely. If you havent done it before you must try it! Not too much just a bit maybe 1/8 cup. 

One of my favorite smoothies is a Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie where I use a bit more lemon juice. Ill have a post about that soon:)

After blended you can add your favorite granola and any fruits you love on tip. I didn't make it too pretty, unlike other peoples I've seen they make it look like an art piece. 

I love the crunch from the granola on top. That's normally all I add to mine. When I want to switch it up like today I add banana, dried cranberries, and a swirl of strawberry yogurt with a sprinkle of granola on top.

This is an absolute delicious and healthy breakfast. If made correctly it can have great benefits.

Here is how I make it step by step

You will need:

for the bowl

~ 1 Sambazon Acai Smoothie Pack (unsweetened)

~ 1/4 cup of Goodbelly Mango Probiotic Drink

~ 1/8 cup of lemon juice (organic)

~ sprinkle of frozen berries (organic)

for the toppings

~ 1/2 banana (chopped) (organic)

~ sprinkle of dried cranberries (unsweetened organic)

~ 3 tbs of strawberry yogurt

~ 1/2 cup of granola (organic)

Step 1~ Run the acai pack under warm water for about 5 seconds, Break up in the bag (a couple big chunks is fine) and pour into a blender.

Step 2~ Add the rest of the "bowl" ingredients and blend until smooth. (if not blending you can add a bit more liquid, but NOT TOO MUCH you don't want this to be a smoothie or like soup you want this to be a thicker smoothie, maybe between a smoothie and ice-cream.) **if you do end up adding too much or its soupy you can place the smoothie in a bowl and set in the freezer for 10 or so minutes stirring a few times to prevent freezing just to thicken it up**

*taste mixture before taking it out of the blender. If not sweet enough for you you can add a bit of agave nectar to sweeten it up.*

Step 3~ Pour into a bowl and smooth the top so its flat add yogurt and swirl around on top, add banana and cranberries. Top with granola.

*when I add the granola I add only 1/2 first so when I finish the top layer I and sprinkle more on tip and finish the second half:)*

Step 4~ Dig in!!! 

This is so delicious and healthy. 

My next task for myself is getting the powder instead of the prefrozen packs and make it 100% myself. 

Let me know if you tried it and what you think! 

Give me any tips or pointers to make it better if at all possible:)

thanks for reading:)

jclove

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Delicious HEALTHY Cakey Chocolate EXPLOSION cookies!!

If you've read some of my other posts you will know I love sweets and chocolate. 

Well who doesn't?

I love them but I don't want all the guilt and the consequences that come along with a delicious sugary chocolate chip cookie or a nice yummy cupcake. 

I was one of those girls that was "lucky" enough to have the metabolism when I was younger that gave me the ability to eat anything and everything I wanted and I didn't have to worry about gaining a pound. Now I no longer have that gift, at the time I hated it, and I wanted to gain weight so badly and now I have what I wanted and wished I was back to how I used to be. (there is more about this story in another post on my blog check it out if you want)

So now I have to be careful of what I put in my body not only so I don't gain weight but so I am healthy. I can feel what unhealthy foods do to me.  (there will be a post about what I mean by this soon)  So I dont want to put terrible things in my body I want to put things in my body that will only benefit me. Otherwise what is the point of eating it? Food is only supposed to be fuel. To keep you going day after day. Of course you want to enjoy it but I want to find a way to really enjoy what is good:)  

And one day I want to have children of my own and I will not be feeding my children the amount of sugar I see tons of kids eat daily. juices candy cookies etc. Sugar is so bad for us why would we be feeding it to our children? I know I cant keep them completely away from sugar but I can find alternatives to sweet treats now and when I do have children and they want cookies and cakes and whatnot I wont have to worry as much about what is going in their bodies. 

So within this journey I have twisted recipes, tried and failed on many occasions trying to find the perfect sweet healthy "sweets". Sometimes I find a diamond in the dirt and this is one of my diamonds:)

If you like fluffy almost brownie like cookies stuffed with yummy chocolate chips then you will love these:)

The secret to these healthy cookies is.......................................

..............................................................................

................................................

Black Beans.

Yes

 That's right. black. BEANS.

And also no refined sugars added only healthy natural sugars. These "sugars" don't spike your blood sugar levels and you digest them better than sugar. 

I promise you cant even taste the beans you and no one will ever now they are healthy. I tasted them and they are absolutely AMAZING. 

Please try them. You will not be sorry. 

What is there to lose?

well maybe a couple dollars and 20 minutes of your time but still you will not regret it:)

So you will need:

~1 can of Black Beans (no salt added)

~2 tbs Peanut Butter (or any other nut butter you want you cant taste the peanut butter in the cookies)

~2 tbs Olive Oil (I used extra virgin)

~3 1/2 tbs Whole Wheat Flour (or any other HEALTHIER flour than just plain white flour)

~1/4 cup of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

~1/3 cup of AGAVE and/or Honey (I used both so 1/6 Honey & 1/6 Agave)

~1 tsp Baking Powder

~1 tsp Vanilla Extract

~2 dashes of Cinnamon

~1/3-1/2 cup of DARK chocolate chips (I used a variety Jumbo 63% DARK chocolate chunks, Mini Semi-sweet chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips) ((this is the only "sugar" added to this recipe)) *you can just use the dark chocolate chips if you want to be even healthier*

~A bit of extra chips for the top of the cookies if needed

*Preheat oven to 375f*

Step 1~ Rinse beans in a strainer and add to a blender or food processor.

Step 2~ Combine beans, peanut butter, olive oil, vanilla and agave/honey in the blender and pulse until smooth.

Step 3~ Pour mixture into a bowl. Add flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and cinnamon, stir until well combined.

Step 4~ Fold in chocolate chips

Step 5~ Spoon dough onto lined or lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Push extra chips on top if you desire. (to the left of the picture you can see a few I didn't add chips to the top and the right you can see the ones I did.)

*Don't worry. This dough will be pretty soft. kind of a mix between cookie dough and brownie batter. 

*Dough will not spread or flatten or it barely does so if you like a bit thinner cookies I'd try to spread them out into the shape you want. Whatever shape goes into the oven comes out of the oven.

Step 6~ Bake cookies for 10 minutes. ***AND I MEAN 10 MINUTES.*** they will seem soft and not done but you need to take them out. 

*Let them sit on the sheet for about 5-10 minutes, they will continue to cook as they cool down. after that time you can take the cookies off the sheet and serve warm or store in a air tight container. 

I absolutely love these cookies.

 I think the beans help them have the super cakey/brownie like texture and they are best warm:) 

well that's just my opinion... but you gotta love the soft warm chocolate chips :)

Please let me know what you think and if you tried them:)

Id love to hear if you did and if you have any ideas to make them any better:)

Thanks so much for reading:)

jclove

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Banana-Scotch Snack Mix (Healthy)

I love to snack.

I LOVE sweet things.

I also love being healthy.

This is a great healthier snack to pick at and you get a bit of sweet and salty in every bite:)

This is what I call my Banana-Scotch Snack Mix.

From banana chips to butterscotch chips, to dark chocolate to cashews this is a great mix of so many yummy things that tie all together

Here's how to make it:

You will need:

~1/2 cup of banana chips ( I got organic unsweetened banana chips)

~1/2 cup pretzels 

~1/4 cup of DARK chocolate chips (60% and up preferably)

~1/4 cup butterscotch chips

~1/2 cup of cashews (I used organic)

~1/2 cup of peanuts (no shells) (I used organic)

Step 1~ Add all ingredients to a bowl and toss until nicely combined
Step 2~ Store in a container or cute jars that you can gift:)

Thats it!! 

Super easy and Super yummy!!!
Let me know if you liked it and if you have any twists on the recipe:)
jclove
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DELICIOUS Healthy Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe

If youre like me you love pizza.

But dont want all the guilt that comes with it.

I have done a bit of trial and error and came up with this delicious pizza dough recipe.

One of my favorite pizza places is a small chain located where I grew up and they offer a whole wheat pizza crust. But I didnt like it at all it tasted too "whole wheaty" and the dough wasnt soft like normal pizza crust is and it just didnt have a good taste. So with that I decided if I was going to eat pizza I was going to feel guilty and just not eat it period. 

Well this was not going to work for me I LOVE pizza. Its too good not to ever have again.

So I decided to experiment and come up with my own healthier pizza dough. And I think Ive found a winner:)

This dough is just soft enough and very tasty:)

You will need:

~1 package or 1/2 tbs of yeast
~1 cup of warm water
~1/4 tsp sugar
~1 1/2 cup of oat flour
~1 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
~1 tsp salt
~1/2 tsp garlic powder
~1/4-1/2 tsp rosemary(optional I liked the added hint of flavor)
~2 tbs of olive oil

Step 1~ Dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water
Step 2~ In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients
Step 3~ Add oil to the wet ingredients and mix dry ingredients in slowly (1/3 at a time)
Step 4~ Form a dough. Might be a bit dry, thats ok
Step 5~ Place dough on a sturdy surface (clean countertop) dust with any of the two flours and kneed for just a couple minutes. If the dough is dry it should come together the more you kneed.
Step 6~ Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel or clingwrap. Let rise for no less than 30 minutes. The longer the better. I wait about an hour.
Step 7~ Dough should double in size. Take dough out and divide into 4 seperate balls or two if you want bigger pizzas. (1/4 of the dough could be one mans serving I ate half of that size, my boyfriend ate a whole pizza himself.) Cover cover the balls and let sit for about 10 min to set and rise a bit more
Step 8~ Roll out dough to desired size. (not too thin not too thick) Place on a greased pan you can also sprinkle the pan with corn meal to make it more like a pizzaria style.
Step 9~ Add your favorite pizza sauce and toppings to the dough. Dont go too heavy on the sauce or it will turn out soggy. Just a nice layer is fine.
Step 10~ BAKE FOR 9-12 MIN ***(this time is in my toaster oven might be as much as 20-25 min in a conventional oven, Im not 100% sure)*** depending on your oven and the size of the pizzas. It should be golden and the cheese just getting a bit brown on top.

**Place any extra dough in a ziplock bag with the air squeezed out. You can store it in the fridge and set it on the counter an hour before you plan to use it. Or freeze them and let thaw either overnight or 12 hours.

This dough is so tasty.

I know that all the sauce and cheese arent too "health conscious" but the dough is the main thing Im worried about I steer clear of white and bleached flours. They really have no health benefits. This isnt something Id eat every day but when Im craving pizza its perfect. 

I made my boyfriend an alternative to this recipe without whole wheat and oat flour. He enjoyed it:) Ill be putting that recipe up soon. 

Im so happy I figured this out and Im going to keep finding alternatives to my not so healthy "food loves". And Ill be sure to share them with you:)

Thanks for reading and let me know if youve tried it and also if you have any tips or twists to the recipe that might be better:)

thanks:) 

jclove

<3

Amazing Delicious Easy PUPPY CHOW!!!

Um... who doesnt love chocolate, peanut butter and powdered/icing sugar? 

This stuff is amazing. 

If you havent had this yet.... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR. 

And if you have you know what im talking about when I say its amazing.:)

And you cant go off of the crap store bought stuff. I will not buy nor even put it in my mouth. It is not worthy of its name.

No im not talking about puppy food. To tell you the truth im not really sure why its called puppy chow... kind of strange. But its yummy so I dont care.

If you dont know already puppy chow is chex (cereal) peanut butter, chocolate and confectioners/icing/powdered sugar on top. It tastes SOOO good. 

Now if you arent a peanut butter fan you can skip the peanut butter step, and if you arent a fan of chocolate you can skip that step aswell. Ive made it all three ways and all taste amazing.

SO. How to make it.

~rice chex. (or corn chex) doesnt have to be name brand.

~a bag of semi sweet chocolate chips

~1/4 to 1/2 cup of peanut butter 

~bag of powdered sugar

~large ziplock bags and/or sealable containers to put it in after

This can get pretty messy..

Step 1~ Grab a medium sized bowl and pour the bag of chocolate chips in it. Put the bowl in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds and take it out and stir, keep doing this step until chips are melted.

DO NOT cook for more than 30 seconds at a time or you will burn the chocolate. 

Step 2~ Add peanut butter. (to taste. you want an even taste of PB and chocolate) Heat in microwave for another 30s to help mix. Set aside

Step 3~ Grab a large bowl(or bag) and pour about 1/3rd of the bag if chex into it. *i would recommend bag so you dont crush the chex as your mixing*

Step 4~ Add a couple "plops" of the yummy goodness to the bowl or bag and mix or shake around until the chex are evenly covered. (*not too thick but just covered shouldnt see chex color.*) 

Step 5~ Grab your other bowl or bag and put about 1/3 cup of powdered sugar into it and add the covered chex. mix around until you can no longer see the chocolate and the chex are evenly covered. 

You can add more powdered sugar as needed.

*If there is too much just pour it into a sifter and toss around until the excess comes off. (you can just sift it back into the bowl you used to put the powdered sugar on the chex, reuse it and not waste:))

Step 6~ Pour into a storage bag or container and move on to the rest of the chex.

**Repeat until you are out of chex or chocolate mixture.**

This is great to take to parties or to set out if youre having people over.

Everyone LOVES it.

Give it a try!

 Its SO easy and SO tasty! 

Its worth the bit of mess I promise.

Everyone will be begging you to make it again!

Let me know how it turned out for you and if you have any tips for me or any twists on the recipe

jclove

<3 

Super Yummy Stuffed Crust Pizza Dough Recipe

My boyfriend and I love pizza. We seriously eat it once a week... 

Which can get expensive if you order out every time. Which we did. We are young we dont have much money so we need to save where we can.

I didnt like how I didnt know what was in it or how it was made so I decided to try to make my own.

For some reason Ive always been scared of home made pizza. Maybe I had a bad experience with it when I was younger and had a really gross one.. I always thought home made pizza would be disgusting. Maybe im the only one? But I thought what the heck and tried it anyways and found a recipe on Pinterest. I couldnt belive how good it was. :D 

This is why you should always try new things even if you had a bad experience.

Here is the recipe, I changed it a bit to my liking.

This is what you will need:

-2 cups of all purpose flour or bread flour. *I use all purpose flour

-1 packet of active dry yeast

-1 cup of warm water

-1 teaspoon of garlic powder

-1 teaspoon of salt

-2 teaspoons of sugar

-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

-corn meal 

-packet of mozzarella string cheese 

-1 medium and 1 large bowl

-hand towel

-1 oven. haha;)

Step 1~ In your medium bowl add the warm water and the packet of active dry yeast. Stir around until combined.  Let sit for about 10 minutes

Step 2~ Grab your large bowl and add flour, sugar, salt, and garlic powder. Use a whisk and mix it all around until nicely combined.

Step 3~ Add oil to the yeast water and then mix the dry into the wet slowly. 1/3 at a time preferably.

Mix until combined. May be a bit dry that is ok.

Step 4~ kneed the dough for a few minutes, it will help bring the dough together more if a bit dry.

Step 5~ Form it into a nice ball. And place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Place towel over the bowl covering the top completely. Let rise for 30 min to 1 hr. (the longer the better)

**Preheat oven to 400f**

Step 6~ Grab a big cookie sheet (no sides) or a pizza pan, whichever you have and sprinkle some cornmeal on it. Not too much but not too little. Just a nice layer.

Step 7~Grab your favorite pizza sauce, a bag of shredded mozzarella cheese, mozzarella string cheese, your favorite toppings, and put aside.

Step 8~ On another cookie sheet, a rolling mat, or just your clean counter sprinkle some flour around and place your dough on top. (If your dough is really sticky and hard to get out of the bowl sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough and move around until no longer sticky.) 

Step 9~ Push the dough around or roll into a nice round pizza shape, Push the edges of the dough a bit thinner and place the string cheese around the edges about 1/2inch from the sides. (use as many as needed to go around the whole circle.)

Step 10~  Roll the crust over the cheese until covered and you can tuck it under the cheese a bit for extra coverage.

Step 11~ Carefully transfer the dough to the cookie sheet with corn meal. (*Be careful. It can rip easily..*) You can fold it gently and transfer it and unfold it, you can slide it over, or just quickly pick it up and move it over to the other sheet. 

Step 12~ Now you make your pizza how you like it:)

This is what I do:

Put a couple spoonfuls of sauce on the middle of the dough and move around until nicely covered. Dont put too much it will make your dough soggy. Just a nice layer where you can kind of see the dough through it.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly on until the sauce is just covered. Add your other toppings. 

*I like to drizzle a bit of olive oil on the crust.

Pop it in the oven:) 

***Bake For 20-25min***

When its ready and the crust and cheese is just golden its ready to take out:)

BE CAREFUL

~*~*~*I do this extra step to make my crust a bit more tasty:*~*~*~

Put about 2tbs of butter in a small bowl, pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until melted and add 1tsp of garlic powder. Mix until combined.Use a spoon or a pastry brush and run the mixture over the crust.

Now the pizza is ready to slice and serve:)

*I also use a bit of the pizza sauce in a small bowl for dipping sauce for the crust. So yummy:)

*if you want normal pizza crust you can just skip the step with the string cheese and just form a crust.*

Delicious and easy.

And a whole lot cheaper than ordering pizza out.

Give it a try and let me know how it went:)

jclove

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