It’s strawberry season here in Florida!
I like to believe that Florida has the sweetest, reddest, juiciest strawberries in all the land.

And what better way to dine on these pretty little rubies (and get your family eating fresh fruit!) than with STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE.

Mmmmmm…. shall we have a moment of silence please?

The shortcakes are made with coconut flour and raw honey, and the berries are macerated in a combination of lime juice and vanilla extract (with the option of using some coconut sugar for added sweetness).

Strawberry Shortcake
Coconut flour shortcakes
Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut flour (benefits)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup raw honey
1/4 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter (or you can use an equal amount of coconut oil)
2 tbsp. coconut or almond milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Grease a cupcake pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl whisk together wet ingredients. Add flour, salt, baking powder and whisk until you have a smooth golden colored batter. Place 1/4 cup of batter into each cupcake section of your pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool.

While the cupcakes are baking, remove the stem of a quart of strawberries (benefits). Dice into quarters and add to a bowl. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over the berries, then sprinkle 1/2 tbsp. coconut sugar (optional, but you can add if you like your berries sweeter) and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract over the berries. Use a fork to mix, gently “mashing” a bit along the way until some of the berries have started to release some of their natural juices. Let the berries sit until the shortcakes are cool, then build your dessert: shortcake cut in half, berries on top, dollop of whipped! Enjoy! 

What’s your favorite way to eat strawberries?
Steph 🙂

Craving something sweet? Try these 100 Grand truffles!

I’ve always loved 100 Grand candy bars. With 200 calories, 31g of carbs and 23g of sugar per full size candy bar, eating one of these is definitely reserved for special occasions!

Source: Wikipedia

Just one my 100 Grand truffles will satisfy your chocolate sweet tooth without making you feel like you’ve just devoured 100,000 calories or grams of sugar!

The honey and nut butter gives these truffles that recognizable caramel chew that the candy bar has. The crisp rice and cocoa powder bring the rest of the flavors and textures together. I rolled each walnut-sized truffle into some unsweetened coconut flakes for appearance (a completely optional step if you want to skip it!).

Each truffle has 85 calories, 3g of sugar, and 5g net carbs compared to the original candy bar which contains 200 calories, 23g of sugar, and 31g of carbs!

Healthy 100 Grand Truffles
Ingredients
1 cup plain natural creamy peanut butter (check the label! Peanuts and salt should be the only ingredients)
1/2 cup raw unfiltered honey
1/2 cup crisp brown rice cereal
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
pinch of sea salt
1tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. coconut oil

Directions
1. Drain off most of the oil from the top of the natural peanut butter. Stir well.
2. Using a hand or stand mixer, combine peanut butter, honey, vanilla, coconut oil, cocoa powder and sea salt until smooth.
3. Reduce speed on the mixer to the lowest setting then add in crisp rice cereal and pecans. Mix until just combined.
4. Roll into walnut-sized truffles. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Need a quick, easy and delicious breakfast option for busy weekday mornings?
Whip up a batch of these amazingly moist and hearty banana nut muffins!

Banana Nut Muffins
Yields 12
Ingredients
3 cups almond meal
3 large eggs
2 ripe mashed bananas
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw unfiltered honey
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup unsalted melted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp. plain PB2
1/4 cup Enjoy life dark chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a mixer, combine butter, eggs, honey, vanilla extract, PB2 and bananas. Mix until just combined.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a seperate bowl, and then slowly add to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
4. Stir in walnuts and optional dark chocolate chips!
5. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 of the way up and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on top and toothpick test proves done.

Enjoy!

There are times in my life where I must have chocolate.
And nothing, and I mean nothing can curb that craving.

I know you’re feeling me, right?

Unless you don’t like chocolate.
Or you’re allergic.

Poor poor thing.

You can whip up these chewy, chocolately, brownie-like cookies in a snap. The dough freezes well too for future unannounced chocolate-related emergencies.

Oh and did I mention they’re low-carb, made with no refined sugars and have NO grains what-so-ever? Oh and they’re dairy free as well for my no moo friends.

And these delicious treats will pass the tastebuds of your pickiest eaters- promise!

Chewy double chocolate chip cookies makes 40
*adapted from Paleomg’s recipe for soft and chewy double chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients
16oz creamy almond butter
2 large eggs
1 cup raw honey
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chunks
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, combine almond butter, eggs, honey and vanilla extra. Mix until just combined.
2. Add in baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Mix until a sticky dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven at 350 about 10 minutes before it’s time to remove the dough from the fridge.
4. Using a mini melon ball scoop or spoon, drop walnut-sized dollops of cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Cook 8-10 minutes or just until the edges start to brown. Let them cool completely before eating. They’ll be chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside! Delish!

Nutritional info (compared to Tollhouse ready-made double chocolate chip cookies)
1 cookie (mine/Tollhouse)
Fat 5g/8.5g
Calories 102/160
Carbs 9g/20g
Sugar 8g/16g

Apple crisp has always been one of my favorite recipes.

It was my mom’s favorite too!

In fact, today as I was perusing around my local farmer’s market, honeycrisp apples caught my eye.

My mom LOVED honeycrisp apples. In fact when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, the whole year that she fought, she practically lived on them. They never upset her stomach, and was the one thing she could still taste fully (chemo messes with your tastebuds, big time).

In honor of my mom, I purchased a few of these sweet little gems today for mother’s day. When I got home, I immediately knew what I was going to make with them: apple crisp!

Apple crisp serves 6-8
Ingredients
For the filling
3 large honeycrisp apples
1tsp. vanilla extract
1tsp. cinnamon
1/2tsp. ginger
1/2tsp. nutmeg
the juice of 1 large orange (or 2 smaller oranges)
1/2tsp. sea salt

For the topping
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup almond flour/meal
1/4 cup chopped raw pecans
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup raw honey or pure maple syrup

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Core, peel and slice apples into thin slices. Place into a bowl. Add the juice of the oranges, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and sea salt. Stir gently to coat all of the apple slices.
3. Arrange apples into a greased pie dish in a circular pattern. Pour additional juice from the bottom of the bowl over the apples. Set aside.

4. Using a mixer or food processor, combine oats, butter, honey, vanilla, sea salt and almond meal. If using a food processor, pulse gently until combined. Fold in chopped pecans, then sprinkle onto the top of the apples. 
5. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown, and the apple mixture is bubbly.
Enjoy!