Berry Chia Shake

You may be hearing about chia seeds a lot lately, and maybe you've even tried them. I recently gave them a try when I spotted them in the bulk foods section of my grocery store. Instead of committing to an entire bag, I wanted to give them a test run first. Chia seeds are full of omega-3s, antioxidants, and fiber. It's been called a superfood and it's great for our bodies!

For my first spin with the chia seeds, I made this shake. It was delicious and I've found myself drinking it at lunch, adding a little protein for an after workout shake, or a mid-afternoon snack. It's easy to make and my kids even love it! Now if I can just figure out a way to freeze it and send it in my son's lunch. The chia seeds tend to get a little soggy. I recommend making this fresh, and drinking it fresh. :)

Berry Chia Shake
2 SERVINGS 
PREP: 1 minute           BLEND: 1 minute            READY IN: 2 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup frozen berries (I used a mixture of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, but you can use whatever you have on hand.)
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a blender add all the ingredients and blend until smooth. 
2. Serve in a glass and enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cup serving    75 calories   2.8g fat   13.4g carbs    1.7g protein    7.9g sugar   

Skinny Strawberry Trifle

I'll let you in on a little secret... My husband hates Valentine's Day. He is convinced it was a holiday created by Hallmark. And I've never been one to disagree with him. I think I'd rather have random acts of kindness (or love) shown to one another over a forced holiday that says we have to do something for each other. We are both pretty great at being rebels so when everyone is doing something, we tend to walk away for the sake of creating our own mold. :)

So rather than going out to eat with half the town on February 14, we'd rather snuggle up on the couch together after the kids go to bed and indulge in a yummy dessert. This dessert is perfect just for that, and good news... it's a skinny dessert! Feel free to indulge without the dessert!

Skinny Strawberry Trifle
15 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 angel food cake (I used store bought, but you can make your own if you want)
• 1 pint of strawberries, sliced
• 3.3 ounce white chocolate pudding box
• 16 ounce Lite Cool Whip

DIRECTIONS

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1. Slice the angel food cake into 15 even pieces. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the white chocolate pudding mix with the cool whip. (OPTIONAL: you can add a little milk to make the mixture a little more creamy. I opted to go without).
3. In a bowl or cup, tear 1/4 of the angel food slice into one inch pieces, add a dollop of the pudding mixture, then a few strawberries. Repeat until you have multiple layers in the dish. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    179 calories   3.6g fat   31.6g carbs    1.5g protein    9.9g sugar   

Enjoy!

Indulgence: Oreo Truffles

My husband's favorite treat to make over the holidays are Oreo Truffles (aka Oreo Balls). They are super simple to make and if you can hold yourself back from eating them all to share them with your friends and neighbors (which will be no small feat!), they will most definitely ask for the recipe. Just trust me on this one. These are definitely an indulgence, but before we kick in with our New Year's resolutions, let's keep this our little secret. Okay?

Oreo Truffles
25 SERVINGS 
PREP: 30 minutes           COOL: 30 minutes            READY IN: 60 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 14.3 ounce package of Oreos (do NOT use double stuf, it won't work as well)
• 8-ounce package of low-fat cream cheese, softened
• 16-ounce vanilla CandiQuik Candy Coating (vanilla almond bark also works)
• Optional: chocolate chips for drizzling over the tops

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a food processor, finely grind all the Oreos. (They should look like coffee grounds when you're done. No large pieces should be found. If so, I usually let the kids sample those. :)
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oreos and cream cheese until it's all mixed together.
3. Form balls bout 3/4"-1" in diameter using your hands. Put on a plate and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
4. Melt the CandiQuik when you're almost done with the 15 minutes of freezing. Dip the oreo balls in the chocolate and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 
5. Optional: Drizzle with melted chocolate.
6. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to allow everything to set.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 oreo truffle    192 calories   9.8g fat   25.7g carbs    1.5g protein    18.1g sugar   

Enjoy!

Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus

'Tis the season for appetizers and dips, yes? I feel like all I've been doing for the last two weeks is snacking. With New Years this week, let's cheers to one more week of snacking and then get back to meals and less eating. Who's with me? You will love this zippy hummus recipe if you like a little kick to your dips. It would even be delicious on a sandwich.

Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus
MAKES: 1 1/2 cups
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

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1. Place all ingredients, except for the salt and pepper, into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
3. Serve with pita chips, crackers, veggies, or bread.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/4 cup serving    53 calories   2.7g fat   6.5g carbs    2g protein    1.2g sugar   

Enjoy!

Shrimp Avocado Dip

Growing up, I always looked forward to Christmas Eve. We would kick off the evening at church and would have a candlelight service and sing Christmas hymns. Afterwards, my dad whipped up some of his favorite "special" traditions including steamed pudding (yum!) and oyster stew (um yeah...). There was always plenty of food which often consisted of appetizers, soups, and goodies like cookies or fudge.

This is the first year that we are doing Christmas Eve (and day) solo as our very own family. I am looking forward to creating our own traditions, and blending those which have been passed along to my husband and me. Though it feels a little overwhelming to decide what we should do, I will adopt my mother-in-law's favorite saying, "Keep it simple." I figure if I screw it up big time this year, I have a few years before all my kiddos leave the house to make things right. One thing I know for sure is that we will be having this dip. This is a tradition that comes from my husband's side, I believe, but we modified it to be a little healthier. For years we've made it with cream cheese instead of avocados as the base. My husband had the brilliant thought that we should try avocados instead because it has the same texture as cream cheese. (And the colors just scream holidays, right?!) This dip tastes amazing, and bonus: it's healthy! If you already have your holiday menu planned out, this would also be perfect for New Year's Eve.

Shrimp Avocado Dip
15 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 5 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 avocados
• dash of salt
• 4 tablespoons cocktail sauce
• 1 cup of small cooked & peeled shrimp (I purchased my shrimp in the frozen section and just thawed with cold water prior to making this)

DIRECTIONS

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1. Peel and pit the avocados. 
2. Place the avocados in a small bowl and add the salt. Mash the avocados until smooth. Place on a plate.
3. Put cocktail sauce on top of the avocados.
4. Sprinkle the shrimp on top.
5. Serve with crackers and enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS

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(not including crackers)

    1/8 cup serving    61 calories   5.2g fat   1.8g carbs    1g protein    1.7g sugar   

Enjoy!

Pomegranate Pear & Apple Salad

I've fallen in love with many salads over the years, but this one is my favorite this time of year. The colors are perfect for the holidays and it's a nice mix of fruit and veggies. And it has pomegranates which is a huge score in my salad-book. :) I love those crunchy little fruit bites. I took this salad to a Christmas party last week that was potluck style and received many compliments on the dish. It's a flavorful salad that is tangy, tart, crunchy, sweet and sour. It's also very versatile. You could maybe even add mango, pineapple, or nuts to this salad and it would be wonderful! I used spinach, but you could also use baby greens or arugula and it would taste incredible. If you'd rather buy your dressing, it would be great pair with just about any vinaigrette. I'm all about working with what I have so I encourage you to do the same.

Pomegranate Pear & Apple Salad
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 15 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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SALAD:

• 6 cups chopped spinach
• 2 gala apples, cored and diced (use a tart, crisp apple if you don't have gala on hand)
• 2 asian pears, cored and diced
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 cup feta cheese

DRESSING:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS

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1.  In a large bowl, combine spinach, apples, and pears.
2. Top with pomegranate seeds and feta cheese.
3. Wisk all the ingredients for the dressing together and pour on top, if you wish. (I serve my dressing on the side).

NUTRITION FACTS

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(salad without dressing)

    3/4 cup serving    52 calories   1.5g fat   8.8g carbs    1.5g protein    6.1g sugar   

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Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from epicurious.

Banana Avocado Mousse

You might be thinking to yourself, "Hmmm... that's interesting..." Don't judge this dish by the name of it, stay with me on this one. This is an amazing dessert that will have your partner, roommate, or whomever you're sharing it with wondering what's in it. It tastes like mousse (!!) and is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth at end the day with a healthier treat rather than something like ice cream. I told you a little ways back how I'm counting calories and fighting my sugar urges. I am trying really, really hard to use natural and raw sugar ingredients such as honey, agave, maple syrup in lieu of processed sugar. So far I've been successful and it's amazing how many great products are out there. I really wish we had a Trader Joe's here in Colorado, but Sprout's (and even Walmart!) have some great finds that I've fallen in love with. Agave sweetener is a must in my cupboard these days. I couldn't live without it!

Banana Avocado Mousse
3 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 banana
• 1 avocado
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/8 cup agave sweetener (honey or maple syrup would work too)
• 1/8 cup milk (I used almond milk)

DIRECTIONS

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1. Peel the banana and pit the avocado and scoop out of the skin and place in a food processor. Add the other ingredients and pulse until it's smooth and the consistency of mousse. 
2. Enjoy, or put in the refrigerator to enjoy over the next couple days. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/2 cup serving    252 calories   16.6g fat   24.4g carbs    3.3g protein    15g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from my sister, Julie.