CC Energy Bites

It’s like making cake pops and no bake cookies – but healthy. All the fun without the sugar – and they said it couldn’t be done.

Get creative with these little guys – use this recipe, or any other you come across, as a guide. Don’t have peanut butter, use almond butter. If ya don’t like raisins, use dried figs. I could keep going but I think you get it.

I’m sucker for basically any nut butter so whenever I see them on sale, one or the whole shelf ends up in my cart. (No MasterCard, those aren’t fraudulent charges. Meijer had organic sunbutter on sale.)

Speaking of finding nut butter on sale, Costco had a 2lb jar of Cashew butter priced at like $4 a few months back. In an amazing display of self-control, I only bought one. Which is a good thing because I swear there is no bottom to this jar.

Once I decided to make energy bites, I busted said cashew butter outta the fridge.

Pro tip: Not all nut butters have the same consistency. Adjust your wet ingredients until the right consistency of your “batter” is achieved. Basically, “wet” enough that they don’t crumble when you bit into them but not too “wet” where they lose their shape or leave your hands feeling really greasy or sticky.

{CC Energy Bites}

[Ingredients]

• 1 cup cashew butter
• 3/4 cup salted cashews
• 3-4 pitted medjool dates
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
• 3 tbsp ground flax seed
• 2 tbsp chia

[Directions]

1. Add all ingredients to your blender or food processor. Pulse until combined and crumbly.
2. Using a large cookie batter scoop, roll the dough in your hand to form bite size balls. Or press dough into a parchment lined baking dish.
3. Store balls or bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Cheers,

Danielle

Progress > Perfection

As I’m sitting here trying to come up with a title for this blog post, I’m wishing that it could just be audio of the Backstreet Boys singing Everybody. Like the Backstreet Boys, I’m back 🙂

Since my last post, I’ve accepted a new job and passed my registration exam. I’m tempted to report that I’m finding an equilibrium but it would be a lie. Rather than hide the mess that my life often looks like, I’m going to share it with you. Because if I can find time (and enjoy it) to cook healthy meals, I know you can too!

Coming back to blogging, I went through some of my old posts. It was a fun way to see how I’ve progressed in cooking and communicating to you all about food and nutrition. Some of the habits I’d been working to kick to the curb, I’ve achieved (I’m looking at you coffee creamer)! What a beautiful reminder that progress is never linear, often slow, but absolutely achievable.

My focus and philosophy on food has changed a bit, too. The more I learn about food versus food like products, the stronger I feel about using my money to “vote” about what and how the food industry grows, makes, and distributes food. My definition of “processed foods” has expanded to cover a lot more than what it used to.

When purchasing food, I ask myself these questions:

1. Where did it come from and how far has it traveled? – A manufacturing plant or from the ground/tree/plant; another country/state or a local farm?

2. How was it grown? What chemicals were sprayed on the plant? Does the farmer that grew this food grow several crops or just a few?

3. Is this food going to benefit my body? Does it move me closer to my health goal or farther from it?

4. How does this food make me feel? Energized, content, healthy or sluggish and gross?

When I use these questions to make food choices, my pantry is filled with nutrient dense, often locally produced foods. Which means I’m supporting my local and state’s economy, reducing my carbon footprint, eating food at peak ripeness and often saving money.

And while I strive to make most of our food purchases that were grown not produced, have not traveled miles and miles, that benefit our bodies to leave us healthy and content – not all of them do.

Some packaged foods still make into the pantry and while my goal is to continue to reduce that, it’s totally fine that we have more than one bag of chips in the pantry. Because there are such things as moderation and mindfulness.

What I’ve come to learn and accept over the past year is that everything in life is about the process of progress not achieving perfection. I think this can be applied to just about any area of life. If we strive to continually learn and apply that knowledge to our lives, we will be setting ourselves up for success.

So, what now? Much of what I’ll be blogging about will stay the same. I love to cook and enjoy sharing the excitement and deliciousness of healthy cooking. I also love sharing how a healthy lifestyle, eating well and exercising, can dramatically impact and improve health.

I hope you tune in and join me on the journey!

Cheers,

Danielle

 

 

My Grocery List

Confession: I am probably one of the worst people to shop with. Either I have a list, I’m on a mission & nothing can stop me from punctually crossing off each item OR I get all glazed over, listless, & touch every thing.

When I lived by myself, I went to the grocery all the time. Aldi was in walking distance from my apartment & Meijer was a right turn & 5 minute drive.

Being a dietetics student, I would go when I (1) actually needed groceries or (2) in my free time to pick up various food items to inspect if they were organic, where they were grown, their nutrition label, where they were in the grocery store, what surrounded them, was the store brand comparable in nutrients & price, etc. Sometimes, I did both in one trip.

Now, being married & on a different schedule then that of a college student (sigh). My grocery store trips have turned into something different… First off, I started going to the Meijer that is much busier than the one that was close to my apartment.  And instead of going at really odd times like I did during college, 3 AM insomnia, I was going after work or church or when normal people do their grocery shopping.

I discovered that I don’t like sharing the grocery store. Also, for the sake of my sanity & marriage, Daniel should not join me on shopping trips. Turns out I’m a little particular in how things are arranged in the cart.

I’ve restrategized: leave the husband at home & either go to a less busy store or during a less busy time.  The bliss of grocery shopping has returned. I arrived at my Meijer around 7PM Tuesday armed with my supremely organized list & iPhone playing my audiobook (Gone Girl, its AMAZING) through my earbuds.

I generally shop the perimeter of the store first.  The produce section is the first place I hit.  The more room these items take up, the less room there is for chips & processed stuff. From the produce section, my list included:

• Portobella Mushrooms
• Michigan Apples
• Organic Red Grapes
• Tofu
• Wonton Wrappers
• Broccoli slaw & Rainbow Salad
• Local Romaine
• Spinach
• Bananas
• Roma tomatoes
• Bell Peppers
• Brussels sprouts

The rest of my list included:

• Porterhouse steak
• Lite Toasted Asian Sesame Dressing
• Crescent rolls (To make Dan Pigs in a Blanket)
• Tahini
• Refried Beans
• Quick Oats
• Crunchy Corn Bran Cereal
• JIF Natural Peanut Butter
• Agave Nectar
• Coconut Oil
• Salsa
• Shrimp
• Mahi Mahi, wild caught

I do my best to keep the fridge & pantry stocked with versatile ingredients.  Generally, I make a weekly meal plan then head to the store.  This week, I just stocked up on mostly staples & a few “novelty” items.

Examples of my weekly meal plans to come soon….

Cheers,

Danielle