Creamy Green Smoothie Bowl

If you are on Instagram, you have surely seen millions of perfectly staged pictures of smoothie bowls.  Never once did the thought of pouring my smoothie into a cereal bowl and eating it with a spoon appeal to me.  Just drink it like a normal person!  But finally I realized a few good things about the bowl concept.  First, you can arguably make a lot more of the smoothie–never a bad thing in my book.  You can also put lots of crunchy, delicious toppings on it, making it feel like more of a meal than just a drink on the go.  This morning I decided to take the leap.  I made one of my favorite smoothie combos slightly thicker than usual and loaded on the toppings.  The result?  Absolutely delicious.  I’m a believer.

Creamy Green Smoothie Bowl

-1 c kale (or spinach)

-1/2 avocado

-1/2 banana

-spoonful of peanut butter

-squeeze of honey

-1/2 c to 1 c almond milk

-toppings: shredded coconut, crushed plantain chips, toasted almonds (or anything you like)

Blend everything but the toppings and pour it in a bowl.  Place the toppings on–arranged in lines, obviously for Insta. 😉

 

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Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

My husband just came home from the grocery store having picked up just one item:  peanut butter.  I instantly knew what he was thinking:  peanut butter cookies please!  There is absolutely no way to turn down a request like this.  I mean, it doesn’t get better than gluten and dairy free chocolate chip peanut butter cookies!

I am fully aware that most gluten free products just aren’t as good as the real thing, but these cookies are the exception.  They are a gift from God.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

-1 16 oz jar of creamy peanut butter

-2 eggs

-1 c white sugar

-1 c brown sugar

-2 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 c mini chocolate chips (dairy free and gluten free if need be)

Step 1.  Add the first 6 ingredients to a bowl and stir until well combined.

Step 2.  Next add the chocolate chips and stir.

Step 3.  Place tablespoon balls of cookie dough on an un-greased baking sheet and bake at 350º for 9-12 minutes.  Don’t try to take the cookies off the baking sheet until they are completely cool-they will essentially turn to mush if you try.

Step 4.  Once cooled, try to resist immediately making a second batch.  Enjoy!

Snack Time – Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Bites

I am always intrigued by the no-bake, energy bites/balls recipes that I come across, but have never made them for one reason or another. Finally last week when @TracyShutterBean came across my Insta feed I knew that I wanted to make her Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls. Once I pulled up her recipe I realized that I actually would because I already had all of the ingredients in my pantry. Wahoo!

They were easy as could be and are the perfect breakfast or snack. Today I had two with some raspberries as my late lunch/snack but they would be a great breakfast, dessert or pick me up at any time of day. Two was a splurge.. if I had eaten lunch at a reasonable time and just needed a bit to keep me going until dinner one would definitely do the trick.

To cut a few of the calories one could omit the chocolate chips and these would still be great.

If your PB is kept in the fridge then these will be easier to put together. If not they may start to feel like they are falling apart but just get as close as you can to a round ball and get in them in fridge.

  

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Bites

makes about 15

1 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

2 tablespoons chia seeds

pinch of kosher salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until well incorporated. Form into balls and refrigerate! These will keep for at least a week in the fridge in an air tight container.