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No Bake Chewy Date Bars

No Bake Chewy Date Bars

I knew when I went on this elimination diet that I was going to have to come up with some good alternatives for that something sweet that I love to have at night. These date bars were just that. It’s funny that up until about a year ago I have never even tasted a date and now I buy them in bulk and use them almost daily. They are nature’s candy and just perfect. 

These bars are sweet, but have no added sugar and they have a slightly salty crunchy top and bottom with a soft chewy center. You can store them in the refrigerator or the freezer but I prefer the freezer, they are more firm that way. I love grabbing one for a quick breakfast or snack. It is so important for me to have some healthy options around for when a craving hits so that I won’t open the pantry and eat all the chocolate. 🙂 No seriously, it has happened! 

No Bake Chewy Date Bars

If you are looking for a healthy dessert that does not contain gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, or eggs and only takes about 10 minutes to make then do your self a favor and make these today! 

No Bake Chewy Date Bars
Yields 10
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
For the crust/crumble
  1. 1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats
  2. 1 1/2 cups Organic Brown Rice Crisps
  3. 8 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
  4. 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  5. 1/2 tsp salt
For the filling
  1. 2 cups of Medjool dates, pitted
  2. 1/2 cup water
  3. 1/2 tsp vanilla
  4. 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper or foil.
  2. Using a food processor pulse the oats and brown rice crisps together until finely ground.
  3. Add in the chopped dates, coconut oil and salt and process until a dough is formed.
  4. Set aside 1 cup of the dough to use as the topping.
  5. Line the baking dish with the rest of the dough, using your fingers to gently press the dough down into the bottom of the pan.
  6. For the filling, combine all of the ingredients into the food processor and process until everything is broken down.
  7. Spread the filling over the crust evenly, then crumble the rest of the topping on the date filling using your fingers to gently press down.
  8. Then cover and place the bars in the freezer for an hour and then enjoy! Store the bars in the freezer.
Adapted from http://detoxinista.com
Adapted from http://detoxinista.com
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Savory Roasted Plantains

Savory Roasted Plantains Recipe

I remember the first time I had a plantain. It was about 7 years ago, we were vacationing in Boca Raton.  We were staying at this fantastic resort and had a cabana for the day complete with a crib for Lily she was around 9 months at the time. I don’t know what it is about being out in the sun and swimming that makes me want to eat everything in sight but it does.  I decided to order a plate of guacamole, yuca, and plantains. The thing is at the time I thought I didn’t like guacamole, and I had never tried yuca or plantains, but at that moment it all looked great! I devoured it and I was in love. Now it is rare that a day goes by that I do not eat an avocado and almost every week I make plantains. 

Savory Roasted Plantains Recipe

They are so easy to make and are delicious. You can make them sweet or savory. Most of the time I go with savory, although they are fantastic either way. I love to have them when I make rice, black beans, and guacamole. Don’t forget the hot sauce. That is a perfect meal to me!

Savory Roasted Plantains
Serves 2
Delicious and healthy savory plantains!
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Prep Time
2 min
Cook Time
23 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
2 min
Cook Time
23 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 plantain
  2. 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil (melted)
  3. 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
  4. salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 415 ºF. Peel the plantain, then cut the plantain in half and then cut each half into fourths. Put the plantains in a bowl then pour the coconut oil over them. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Toss them all together. Put the plantains on a baking sheet (I line mine with foil to make cleaning up easier). Bake them for 23 minutes, turning them halfway through. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. Plantains are great by themselves as a side dish or with salsa or guacamole.
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Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins

After the holidays and one too many delicious desserts Jim and I decided that we needed to give up refined sugars for a little while. We just felt like our bodies needed a little break from sugar. We decided that we didn’t want to give up all sugar and were okay with using honey or maple syrup in moderation. I was browsing around Pinterest and stumbled on these. The ingredients sounded great. White Whole Wheat flour, no refined sugar, and carrots! I’ll let you in on a little secret here….I’m one of those few people that has never tried carrot cake. I know crazy right?! I decided to give these muffins a try and I’m so glad I did because they are delicious. Moist, full of flavor from the spices, and even a little crunch from the carrots. These are perfect for a quick breakfast, snack, or a great addition to your child’s lunch box!

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins
Serves 12
Delicious and healthy muffins without refined sugars!
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
  2. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  3. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  4. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  5. 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  6. 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  7. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  8. 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
  9. 1/2 cup pure honey (or maple syrup)
  10. 1 large egg
  11. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  12. 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  13. 3/4 cup finely shredded carrot (2-3 medium carrots)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper or silicone muffin liners (or grease the pan).
  2. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Whisk thoroughly.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, honey, egg, vanilla extract, and applesauce and whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined.
  4. Fold in the shredded carrots, being careful not to over mix.
  5. Scoop batter into your prepared muffin tin. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes before serving.
Notes
  1. Recipe from naturalchow.com
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 Bottom line, if you are looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth without refined sugars then make these muffins! 

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Raspberry Kombucha Smoothie for Smoothie Week with Williams-Sonoma

A typical day for me starts with Jim and I waking up and getting Lily up and ready for school. Once she is off to school I head out for a run and Jim and Emma hang out. Jim starts working and Emma plays princess. 🙂 After an hour of running I come back hot, sweaty and hungry! So basically a smoothie is the perfect breakfast for me no matter the season! 

Raspberry Kombucha Smoothie

There are several reasons I love them so much….

1. They are healthy and delicious.

2. They are quick and easy to make. (This is perfect when you are starving and don’t have a lot of time in the mornings.)

3. I can sip on it while I’m getting ready for the day.

4. They keep me going til lunch.

I’m teaming up with Williams-Sonoma to create a “Not Your Typical Smoothie” for Smoothie Week. This is fun for me since I love to switch up my smoothies and trying different combinations. It’s great for your body by getting different nutrients and it also keeps you from getting bored. For a while now I have been thinking about the possibility of creating a Kombucha smoothie. For those who may not be familiar with Kombucha it is a fermented tea beverage that is full of probiotics, antioxidants, and vitamins. It can help boost your immunity and balance the pH in your body. I usually have a glass with my lunch or before dinner, so why not breakfast?! 

I wanted to make something festive for the holidays so I chose raspberries. I wanted a little Christmas-y spice so I chose Ginger Kombucha and added a dash of cinnamon. Frozen bananas gives this smoothie the perfect creaminess. When you blend it all together the color is beautiful light red. I took this smoothie one step further and whipped up my own coconut whip cream. This was my first making whipped coconut cream, and it was so simple! I used a can of full fat coconut milk that I refrigerated overnight so that the cream and the milk would separate in the can. Open up the can from the bottom, pour the milk in a separate bowl (save to use later). Scrape out the cream, add a little vanilla extract and honey use a hand mixer and beat it for about 3 minutes and you will have a fluffy mound of delicious dairy free whip cream! This smoothie is the perfect blend of tangy, fruity, and sweet, not too mention extremely good for you! 

Raspberry Kombucha Smoothie
Serves 1
A little bit of spice and alot of creaminess with a little kick of Kombucha!
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup of frozen bananas
  2. 1 cup of raspberries
  3. 3/4 cup of vanilla coconut milk
  4. 1 tsp chia seeds
  5. 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
  6. 3 tbsp of Ginger Kombucha (I used GT's Gingerade)
Instructions
  1. Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.
  2. If you feel like getting fancy make the coconut whip cream and top smoothie.
  3. Enjoy!
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Raspberry Kombucha Smoothie 

When making a smoothie it really helps to have a good blender. I use a Vitamix and it makes smoothie making as quick as 30 seconds! Don’t forget to check out these great blender options at Williams-Sonoma!