healthier marshmallow treat bars | BAKING HEALTHY FOOD

Sawyer is a big fan of mini marshmallows, they're like crack to him. But they're sort of terrible for you, so I wanted to try and incorporate some healthier ingredients into the classic marshmallow treat bar, and see what he thought of them.

I replaced the butter with coconut oil, that was my first substitute. And instead of the bag full of butterscotch chips, I used peanut butter, honey and some melted semi-sweet chocolate chips, for the sweet covering.

Then I threw in some sliced almonds, cranberries, rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and flax seeds, and mixed it up. Once smoothed out in a glass baking dish with some parchments paper, I froze it for about two hours.

They turned out really tasty! Sawyer approved and I suppose they are some what of a healthy treat, healthy enough for me. They need to be kept frozen though because they'll melt to mush left out at room temperature.

ingredients:

• 1/2 peanut butter
• heaping handful of chocolate chips
• 6 tbs coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 cup muesli
• 1 tbs chia seeds
• 1 tbs flax seeds
• handful of cranberries
• handful shaved almonds

You could get really creative with this recipe on either side of the health spectrum. Add m&ms or white chocolate chips... or goji berries and cocoa nibs.

They're the perfect treat to keep in the freezer for when a sweet craving strikes. Which is pretty much always.

Cheers,

Ashley

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BEEF STROGANOFF // the healthy version // dinner recipe

here's the thing about me in the kitchen: i have a tendency to wing it. any recipe you're likely to find on this blog will be about the farthest thing from precise measuring than you can get. and that's probably why this isn't a food blog.

nonetheless i still love to share the occasional food post when i create something tasty in the kitchen. i especially love putting a healthy twist on an old favourite, like beef stroganoff for instance. nothing says childhood dinners like hamburger helper! but i cringe at the thought of all those additives and artificial everythings that must have been in those boxes. and i don't know about you, but my body craves more than just beef and noodles, i need me some veggies.

so was born this veggie filled healthier version of beef stroganoff! for a warm and filling comfort food feel, give it a try and let me know what you think!

Beef Stroganoff with Vegetables

ingredients:

• olive oil
• med-small onion
• minced garlic
• pack of ground beef/game meat
• about a tsp of paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbs of flour
• broccoli florets
• chopped asparagus
• chopped red pepper
• about 4 cups of beef broth
• about 2 cups of pasta
• about 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• (optional) fresh parsley

step one:

throw your chopped onion and garlic into a big pot or dutch oven with some olive oil and heat on medium-highish. after a few minutes add your ground beef and stir well.

step two:

place your chopped asparagus and broccoli florets into a pot with about an inch or little less of water. put the lid on and heat on high for about 5 minutes. 

step three:

once your beef is nice and brown, sprinkle in the flour, paprika and salt and pepper, stir well. then add your broth and pasta.

step four:

after your broccoli and asparagus have been cooking for about 5 minutes, add the chopped red pepper and cook for another 4 minutes or until your veggies are cooked to your liking.

step five:

once the pasta is cooked, mix in the greek yogurt and mix well. you can add more salt and pepper here if you like. next you'll gently stir in your steamed veggies and you're ready to eat!

serve steaming hot and garnish with fresh parsley!

and because of how healthy the strog' was, i paired it with a perfectly unhealthy pretzel bun, hah!

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the conscious cleanse . day six

DAY SIX

As I continue creating new healthy dishes each night, I find that I'm getting a little more creative and possibly a little more talented in the kitchen. Dan gave tonight's dinner a five star rating! He's still raving about it even as I type this from my iPhone in bed.

 

We made Greek chicken and veggie kabobs and a mixed greens balsamic salad. It was so good I nearly forgot to get a picture of it before it was all ate! I marinated the chicken in this delicious Greek and basil pesto mixture for a few hours:

Marinade:

- 1 1/2 tbs basil pesto (I used classico)

- 3 tbs olive oil

- 2 tbs white wine vinegar

- 1 tsp dijon mustard

- sea salt and pepper

- garlic salt

- pinch of oregano

- onion salt

- squeeze of lemon

I used asparagus, tomatoes, red peppers and a couple carrots for the kabob veggies. And the greens salad had cucumber, tomato, almonds, kiwis, chickpeas and leftover quinoa/rice/lentil mixture. 

 For dessert I made this coconut flour brownie dish that was super healthy, sprinkled with hemp hearts and cashews, sweetened with honey, I'm bringing two big slices with me on my road trip tomorrow.

Could definitely get used to eating this way! Sawyer also approved. I'm going to do my best the next two days to stick to the cleanse as much as possible while I visit my bestie Juice and her little family in the city. She's going to do my hair and I'm going to do some lifestyle photos for her and the girls! Six forty-five am will come early when it's 2:26 am... I think I'll have to cheat a bit once I get on the road, there's no way I can make that 2 hour drive without my coffee.

xoxo

 - ash

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