Flourless Chocolate Muffins

These dark chocolate muffins are delicious and surprisingly healthy.

Total Time: 22 min.
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cooking Time: 15-20 min
Yield:12 servings, 1 cupcake each

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
3 large eggs
½ cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Prepare 12 muffin cups by lining with muffin papers or coating with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
3. Place chickpeas, eggs, maple syrup, cocoa powder, baking soda, coconut oil, and extract in blender or food processor; cover. Blend until smooth.
4. Divide batter among 12 prepared muffin cups.
5. Top each muffin with about four chocolate chips; push into batter.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool completely and enjoy!

Check out the 30 second clip I made on making this recipe!

5 Steps to Waking Up Earlier and the Benefits

Since returning to work I have been trying to make myself wake up early to workout before beginning my day. 

I had been doing really well with it and feeling great, but last week I was finding it very hard to wake up at 5:30am. 

This week I'm back on track and I'm glad because I just get so much more done in the mornings. This morning I worked out first thing, jumped in the shower, made a cup of coffee, got ready, emptied the dishwasher and the made a list of my goals and tasks to do for the day. 

I can tell you that when I workout in the morning I feel so much happier and energetic through out the day. I feel like rising early just sets the tone for my day. 

I have read that the most successful people wake up early and start their day much the same way I have been. So I did a little research and here is a short list of benefits from getting up early:

• Better grades in school
• More proactive/able to anticipate problems
• Better planning/organizing
• Time to exercise/in better shape
• Better sleep
• More optimism
• Easier commutes
• Better focus
• More family time

I also found some great information on how to reprogramme yourself to wake up earlier here and I'll share some of what I found. 

If you struggle with the idea of waking up early here are the 5 steps to waking up earlier:

1. Pick your goal wake-up time. If you'd like to get good at being ready and raring to go by 6 AM, great! There's your goal. This will be the goal you're working toward every day of the week. You're going to do it gradually, though, as to avoid shocking your system.

• That's right, every day of the week, including weekends. Until you're completely reprogrammed, there won't be any sleeping in. But once you get it down, you won't need to!

2. Set your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier than normal. If you're normally sleeping till 9, going cold turkey and aiming for 6:30 just isn't going to happen. Well, it could happen once, but then you spend the entire day drinking coffee and regretting your life decisions. For the next day, set it for 8:45. The next day? 8:30. And even when you hit that glorious Saturday, chuck off 15 minutes until you hit your goal wake-up time.

• If mornings are a serious issue for you, stay at one level for two days. Monday and Tuesday can be spent at 8:00 and then on Wednesday bring it down to 7:45.

3. Give yourself enough time for a good night's rest. If you're used to sleeping from 12 to 9, you can't still go to bed at midnight and expect that 6 AM wake-up call to be all trumpets and roses. As you get up earlier and earlier, go to bed earlier and earlier. The goal isn't to need less sleep (sleep, after all, is wonderful), the goal is just to wake up earlier easier. Science tells us that if you get the recommended amount of sleep during the night, it's easier to do just that.

• You can also try conditioning your body to need less sleep if passing on those night hours is like giving up your first born child. It's the same idea, but with maintaining a set bedtime.

4. Get excited. In order to hop out of bed in the morning with gusto, you may need something to hop out of bed for. So find something to get excited about! If nothing comes to mind, use this experiment as something to do full-force. After all, the path to new, more productive habits is certainly something to be proud of.

• What do you have going on in the next day that you can't wait to get up for? Its size does not indicate its efficacy -- small things work just as well. Even getting excited for the morning's cup of joe works! Yum. Can you almost taste it? Or maybe a new workout program will get you out of bed.  A goal is always a good motivator!  

5. Get ready for the benefits. Waking up early is linked to a bunch of different, positive things. Research says that early risers get better grades, are generally more proactive, can anticipate problems and plan better than their late-rising counterparts. Hope you can handle your own impending awesomeness.

• It's sort of a chicken before the egg thing. Early risers have more time for exercise, family, and more quiet time at the office (and an easier commute). Is sleep making their lives better or do they sleep better because they have good lives? Try it out for yourself!

Now I just need to work on going to bed a little earlier AND waking up early on weekends too! 

Halloween Candy and the Switch witch

The candy is stacked higher than me in Superstore.... and I have to say this is kind of disgusting to me.... 

You have got to think that this is just one store of many who are selling halloween candy in our area and it they so so much candy. 

Will all of this be purchased? Handed out? Consumed? Thrown away? 

It's kind of crazy to think that it could all get purchased in the next few weeks.  It's more insane to think that it could all get consumed.  But really I bet there will be a lot of waste that happens also.  I wish I could find some stats on this.... hold on let me go find some!

Ok I'm back!

Check out what I found.....

More ABC news videos | ABC Entertainment News

On a CTV new Article i read that Costumes were expected to account for $1.2 billion dollars out of the $6.9 billion spent on halloween last year.

It also noted that Americans will spend $1.9 billion on it this year,according to The Nielsen Company. That’s around 600 million pounds worth of Hershey bars, lollipops, Milk Duds, Twizzlers and Clark Bars.
Crazy!!

Ok so with that out of my system I can move on. 

As a child I loved this holiday because of the fun of going door to door seeing how much you could collect then sorting through it all and trading with your friends and sister... But seeing this mound of junk makes me think about how this holiday is so much about consumerism and is fed by the food production industry.  It's really sad that we see boxes upon boxes of unhealthy over processed food stuff when instead there really could be healthy pre packaged foods like dried fruit, nuts, healthy cookies and the like. 

In our house the Switch Witch comes to collect Asher's Candy. 

How it works

Asher still enjoys every aspect of Halloween including having a few treats. But before he heads to bed he selects a few treats to keep and the rest he puts out for the switch witch who exchanges his treats for a toy, clothes or crafts. 

When he wakes up the next morning his new toy is in place of the treats. 

He actually brought this up the other day and was excited about what the switch which might bring him. I think that doing this provides a nice balance between enjoying the holiday and having a loot bag of treats hanging around for weeks. 

How can you get the switch witch poem for yourself?  

You can simply click here to fill out your name and email address and I will email you a copy of the switch witch document that I use!

I like to print off the switch witch poem a day before halloween and put it into an envelope in our mail box.

The second sheet which has just the photo of the switch witch on it, I will cut out and glue to the front of the envelope.

Put the letter in the mail box for your child and they are sure to be excited!

This is such a great way to reduce the amount of candy your kiddos actually eat but still allows for the fun of halloween!

I hope you try it with your kiddos this year and I would love to hear from you so if you do use the Switch Witch poem with them please comment below and tell me how it went!

What do you need to succeed in fitness?

Accountability

Motivation

Success

Sharing your struggles

Support

These are the words that come to mind when I think of my fitness challenge groups.  Could you see your self benefiting from one or all of these things while you are trying to reach your own health and fitness goals?

The support of others who are working through the same exact program as you are.... it's a powerful thing.

I have a group starting on October 20th and I'm so excited to get them all started!
In my previous groups the success was breath taking... some of my challengers were dropping pant sizes and purchasing their first pair of skinny jeans!  The really exciting part is that for me I get to be a part of their journey and I also get to celebrate when they reach milestones and achieve their goals!

Curious what my groups are all about?  Check out this quick video clip:



My group that is starting on October 20th will all be doing the 21 day fix together from the beginning.  This challenge group is going to be really awesome because there are about 5 people in the group that are just beginning and each of them hold each other accountable toward their goals.

How would it make you feel to get through this 3 week challenge and work toward your health and fitness goals?

Want to know more about the program we will be starting?

Check out this short clip:



If you would like more information on this group you can access the Facebook group invite here!

You can also Email me and share your fitness goals with me so I know best how to help you reach them!

3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce

My husbands Grandmother made this Cranberry sauce every Christmas and Thanksgiving.  When she moved into a care home some years ago she gave me her recipe and I promised to make it since she no longer had a stove in her new place.  She has since passed away it has become even more special to make this recipe now.  

Everyone in the family loves this cranberry sauce for it's not too sweet not too sour taste and because I use local cranberries and organic cane sugar I know that the ingredients are from good sources. 

This Cranberry Sauce will last for weeks if stored in the fridge in a jar, much like Jam would.  Then it can be used when you have a roast chicken dinner too!  

Here is my short 1 minute video on how to make 3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce.

Ingredients

3 Cups of Cranberries

1 1/2 Cups boiling water

1 1/2 Cups Organic Csne sugar

Directions

• Dump Cranberries in Sauce Pan.
• Pour boiling water over top the cranberries and bring to a boil.
• Pour in Cane Sugar and stir in.
• Let mixture get to a rolling boil and boil for about 5 minutes, stirring periodically. 
• Take off element and let cool.
• Spoon into Mason Jars and store in the fridge. 

I hope you try this Cranberry Sauce Recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner and please comment below how you and your family liked it if you do!

Healthy Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

What do you do with left over pumpkin puree after making pumpkin scones?  Search around on pinterest for some inspiration....

• Pumpkin granola?  Not today.  
• Pumpkin Cheese Cake?  Yum but don't need cake
• Pumpkin Bread? Don't have enough pumpkin for that. 
• Pumpkin Cookies?  hmmm.... yes but I really don't want to use all that sugar and butter!  Let's see what I can come up with!

I adapted my oatmeal cookie recipe and turned it into Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries and Sunflower seeds!  These cookies just came out of the oven and having tried one I can say that they make a lovely breakfast cookie and would be awesome for kids!  

I'm going to send a few along in Asher's school lunch tomorrow!

Healthy Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup organic Apple sauce
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 and 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together pumpkin, egg, vanilla, apple Sauce and honey until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries. Fold together the wet and dry ingredients until just combined - do not over-mix. The cookie dough will be pretty thick.
3. Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheets and slightly flatten to the shape you want your cookie. 
4. Bake for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for at least 3 minutes and transfer to a wire rack. Cookies stay fresh at room temperature for 3 days in an airtight container.

I love using my cookie scoop!  

Starbucks Pumpkin Scone recipe turned Healthy!

I adapted this recipe years ago from one I found online (don't recall the source), I have nixed all the sugar in place of honey except for the icing and have managed to create a healthy version of the Starbucks Pumpkin Scone!

Everyone usually loves these scones and although they do have some icing they just aren't quite the same with out it!

Honey and Organic Pumpkin Puree!  **No sugar here**

Ingredients

4 cups Whole Wheat flour
2 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1 cup Butter or Coconut oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup Honey
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs

Directions

1. Mix all dry ingredients together in large mixing bowl.  Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives. Set aside. 
2. Mix pumpkin, honey, milk and eggs together with whisk in small bowl.  
3. Combine pumpkin mixture into dry mixture try not to over mix.  
4. On a clean dry surface spread out a little flour and grab 1/3 of the scone dough and pat flat.  You can either cut the scones with a knife or use a large cookie cutter (I often use a large circle) to cut out the scones to make them uniform.  
5. Bake at 425 Degrees F. for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown.  
6. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. 

Taking about a 3rd of the dough, pat flat and cut into 4 pieces

Cinnamon Spice Icing

Ingredients

1 cup icing sugar

1/4 tsp each of Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger

2 tsp milk (give or take to get consistency just right)

Directions

While scones cool on the wire rack, mix together icing until it is a medium consistency.  Not runny but not too thick because you will be drizzling it on top the scones.  

Once scones are cool, using a spoon you will scoop up a little icing and with a back and forth motion drizzle the icing on top the scones.  Let rest before storing them in a air tight container or enjoy right away!

Fresh out of the oven

Let cool and drizzle with icing

Comment below on how you think these scones compare to Starbucks pumpkin scones!