{ Clean Almond Joys }

A little messy, but totally worth it.

The items above are all it takes to make the filling for these chocolates. Surprisingly, these four clean ingredients combine into something sensational - that, honestly, taste just like the real thing.

Into a blender, combine 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut, 4 tbsp of honey (or pure maple syrup), 2 tbsp of coconut oil, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.

Next, get out an ice cube tray. Any kind will do...I just happened to have this adorable one on hand.

You'll also need dark chocolate and almonds.

Fill the tray with your coconut mixture and top it off with an almond (or two).

Once you've used up your coconut filling, place the ice cube tray in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. The longer you leave them in, the easier they'll be to coat in chocolate.

While your little candies harden in the freezer, melt about 2/3 cups of dark chocolate in the microwave with a small dab of coconut oil (to add smoothness and shine).

Melt the chocolate in 30 second intervals, until completely smooth.

Next, take your candies out of the freezer. Plop them out of the ice cube tray and set them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Parchment paper is a lifesaver (I've said this before and I'll say it again). 

Covering things in chocolate (and getting them to look perfect) is always a bit tricky. However, I think the method I used was probably one of the easiest. First, coat the bottom of each candy in chocolate, and then lay them chocolate side down onto the parchment paper.

Continue until you've done this with every candy, and then pop them into the fridge for about 10 more minutes (or until they come clean off of the baking sheet).

Place them onto a wire cooling sheet, over the cookie sheet. Then spoon the chocolate over each candy to coat it completely, letting excess chocolate drip below.

Once completely coated, sprinkle with a bit of extra coconut for a decorative touch.

And voilà! A little messy, but so cute.

And they taste just as good as they look :)

~INGREDIENTS~

1 CUP unsweetened shredded coconut

4 TBSP of honey (or pure maple syrup)

2 TBSP of coconut oil

1/2 TSP of vanilla extract

2/3 CUPS dark chocolate

enjoy*

{ Healthy Quinoa + Coconut Cereal }

This recipe is inspired by a post from The Beauty Department - one of my favorite blogs, with awesome tips on everything girly. Initially, I followed their recipe without any alterations. But after trying the first batch (which is delicious as is), I thought it would be fun to offer a little twist with a few extra ingredients of my own.

I'll start with the original recipe. Begin by combining 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa with 1/4 cup of unsweetened, shredded coconut. Then drizzle on about 1 tbsp of honey.

Next, sprinkle about 1 tsp of cinnamon onto the mixture. (I love cinnamon and added a little more than called for...as you can tell)

Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Next, pop into a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the mixture is golden brown.

The final product is sweet, crunchy, cinnamon-y, and delicious.

Top with milk and dried strawberries (or whatever fruit you happen to have on hand) - and enjoy!

now, here's my

twist...

Added ingredients: Chopped almonds + walnuts, dried cranberries, 1/4 cup of rolled oats, and 2 tbsp of natural peanut butter.

Mix ingredients and bake just as before.

The final product is a bit more chewy and granola-y than the original recipe. The mixture was sticky enough to form into bars (once cooled for about 5 minutes). These are the perfect replacement for a store-bought granola bar.

And of course, the extra ingredients can be altered in any way you like. You could switch out the cranberries for chopped dried apricots, and the peanut butter for almond butter. Any combo would likely be just as wonderful, depending on your taste! 

enjoy*

{ Clean Banana "Ice Cream" }

If you've never tried this magic, get ready to be amazed. It's all over Pinterest for a reason, people! Only two ingredients - frozen banana + low fat milk - yields a creamy treat to satisfy any sweet tooth. 

First, cut a banana in thirds and freeze overnight. Once frozen, place the banana into a blender with a splash of low fat milk (soy or almond would work, too). 

Blend the banana and milk together until they reach a smooth, soft-serve-like consistency. You may need to add a bit more milk if you find that the ingredients are not blending smoothly.

Time for some toppings...

A sprinkle of cinnamon makes this ice cream taste just like banana bread. So good. 

Top with semi-sweet chocolate chips. You won't regret it. Oh, and don't forget a spoonful of crunchy peanut butter, because PB + Banana is the ultimate combo.

or if you're not into the toppings above, try

a little twist...

Before blending the bananas and milk, add a couple of frozen strawberries + a spoonful of honey.

Blend together, and you get this beautiful pink color.

Top with unsweetened coconut shavings, and it tastes just like a Robert Is Here milkshake. If you've never been, I suggest you go...but until then, this will definitely do :)

enjoy*

{ Simple Snickerdoodle Cookies }

While these aren't your authentic snickerdoodles (contain no cream of tartar), they definitely won't disappoint. Just throw together your favorite sugar cookie recipe and follow my lead...

To start, mix together 1/4 cup of white sugar, 1 tbsp of brown sugar, and 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon.

Next, roll up your sugar cookie dough and lay it out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I used up some leftover cookie dough that I had in the freezer. Cookie dough freezes wonderfully, and this recipe is the perfect way to use up extra!

Roll each ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture, lightly pressing down in order to pick up a good amount of the sugar coating (the more sugar, the better).

Place the dough about an inch apart on the cookie sheet. Oh, and lining with parchment paper is a miracle. The cookies slide right off once cooled, and it makes cleaning up a breeze.

Next, flatten each ball of dough with your fingertips in order to ensure that the cookies bake evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes - or until golden brown, like the picture above!

That's absolutely it. So simple. So yum.

...and then "accidentally" smother them in cookie butter and turn them into cookie sandwiches. Trust me on this one.

enjoy*

{ Devil's Food Cupcakes }

~ swirly ~

Just some decorating inspiration for ya!


enjoy*

{ The Five Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie }

just, yum.

This ooey, gooey cookie is to die for. And so quick to whip up - you probably have all the ingredients sitting in your cabinet. Convenient, huh? Such a great cookie for those spur of the moment urges to snack on something sweet. Here's all you need:

~INGREDIENTS~

1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons of granulated sugar

1 tablespoon of light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 large egg

(top with mini 'shmallows and chocolate chunks if you'd like)

That's it.

- preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

- mix all ingredients together

- place rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheet

- bake for 10-11 minutes

- make the classic crosshatch with a fork (if you'd like)

- cool & eat!

don't forget to stack 'em up

enjoy*

{ Caramel + Chocolate Dipped Pretzels }

This simple treat is one of my favorites. They're quick and easy, requiring minimal ingredients and open to unique creative adjustments! 

To begin, cover the small rod pretzels in a base layer of caramel, let them cool until hardened, then follow with a generous dip in dark chocolate.

 Next, roll in toasted pecans. Or sprinkle with sprinkles. Or drizzle on even more chocolate. Really, the possibilities are endless... :)

~INGREDIENTS~

1 bag of dipping pretzel sticks

1 bag of both dark and white chocolate

1 bag of caramels

rainbow sprinkles

pecans

(any additional toppings or chocolates you desire!)

enjoy*