monster mash green smoothie

Halloween is just around the corner! Trick your little ones into eating spinach with this Monster Mash Green Smoothie, mwahahaha!!!

Trick your little ones into eating spinach with this Monster Mash Green Smoothie, mwahahaha!!!

What kid wouldn’t want to drink a smoothie with a face like that?

This smoothie blends spinach, milk, pineapple and a banana making it a great breakfast, after-school snack or dessert! It’s very versatile too! Try adding a dollop of peanut butter for a punch of protein or a dash of cinnamon for a fall flare!

Who says healthy food can’t be fun?!?

Ok, candy corn aren’t healthy, please don’t hold it against me!  They just make the perfect monster teeth :)

FYI, Jelly Belly Brand Candy Corn is not made with gelatin.  However, it does contain beeswax.

Click here to check out my monthly contributing post and the recipe for this smoothie over on Real Housemoms!

blueberry zucchini oat snack cake

Blueberry Zucchini Oat Snack Cake or breakfast cake, after dinner with a cup of tea cake…pretty much an anytime type of cake!  This cake is both gluten-free and vegan!

Blueberry Zucchini Oat Snack Cake or breakfast cake, after dinner with a cup of tea cake...pretty much an anytime type of cake! This cake is both gluten-free and vegan!

I’m reluctant to let go of summer ingredients and move on to fall flavors.  While the fall is extremely beautiful in the North East, I’m always going to be a warm weather girl.  I try to embrace the crisp air and changing colors, but my enthusiasm never lasts too long!  Come November I will be longing for summer days filled with dips in the ponds, fresh fruit, locally grown vegetables and the beach.

Blueberry Zucchini Oat Snack Cake or breakfast cake, after dinner with a cup of tea cake...pretty much an anytime type of cake! This cake is both gluten-free and vegan!

With the last of the zucchini and the blueberries I had stashed in the freezer, I came up with a gluten-free and vegan cake perfect for snacking!  Oats, flax, zucchini, berries and a crumple topping make for a wholesome old-fashioned cake.  I used coconut sugar, which has a slightly sweet flavor.  If you do not have coconut sugar feel free to substitute with regular sugar, just note it will make for a sweeter cake.  I make my own oat flour in a vitamix, but you can always use store-bought oat flour.

Blueberry Zucchini Oat Snack Cake or breakfast cake, after dinner with a cup of tea cake...pretty much an anytime type of cake! This cake is both gluten-free and vegan!

blueberry zucchini oat snack cake
 
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Makes 16 pieces Blueberry Zucchini Oat Snack Cake or breakfast cake, after dinner with a cup of tea cake...pretty much an anytime type of cake! This cake is both gluten-free and vegan!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons flax meal + 5 tablespoons water
  • 1.5 cups grated zucchini
  • ¾ cups coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup of milk of your choice (I used soy milk)
  • ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1.5 cups all purpose gluten free flour (I used bob's red mill)
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup blueberries
For the crumbled topping:
  • ½ cup old fashioned oats
  • ½ cup oat flour
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • pinch sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter (I used earth's balance)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly oil or spray a 8x8 baking pan with all natural cooking spray, set aside.
  2. In a small bowl make flax eggs by mixing together flax meal and water. Let sit for 10 minutes or until a gel is formed.
  3. In a large bowl add flax eggs, zucchini, sugar, milk, apple sauce, olive oil and vanilla, stir until well combined. In a separate bowl sift together gluten free flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt. Combine wet and dry ingredients and fold in blueberries. Pour into 8x8 pan.
  4. Meanwhile, make crumbled topping by adding oats, oat flour, brown sugar and salt to a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Evenly spread on top of cake.
  5. Place in oven and bake for 45-60 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.
  6. Let cool, cut and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 209 Fat: 8 Carbohydrates: 33 Sugar: 11 Fiber: 3 Protein: 4

breakfast sweet potatoes

Getting tired of the same old breakfast routine?  Mix it up with a Breakfast Sweet Potato stuffed with granola and almond butter!

Getting tired of the same old breakfast routine? Mix it up with a Breakfast Sweet Potato stuffed with granola and almond butter!

Make a meal out of a sweet potato!

Once a week I bake sweet potatoes to have on hand for a quick meal.  They can be eaten as breakfast (pictured above!) or topped with beans and veggies for a complete dinner (as seen here!).  You can even use them to make brownies (once again, as seen here!).  Sweet potatoes are so versatile and healthy, they go down in my book of superfoods!

Superfood Sweet Potatoes:

~Great source of vitamin C

~Provides a healthy dose of fiber

~Provide B vitamins, manganese, biotin and copper

~High in antioxidants, especially carotenes

~May help stabilize glucose levels in the body

~Provide complex carbohydrates

Getting tired of the same old breakfast routine? Mix it up with a Breakfast Sweet Potato stuffed with granola and almond butter!

breakfast sweet potatoes
 
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Makes 2 servings Getting tired of the same old breakfast routine? Mix it up with a Breakfast Sweet Potato stuffed with granola and almond butter!
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • ½ cup of your favorite granola
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • dash cinnamon
Instructions
To bake sweet potatoes:
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce washed sweet potatoes with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until tender.
For breakfast sweet potatoes:
  1. Slice baked sweet potato in half. Top each one with ¼ cup granola, 1 tablespoon of almond butter and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup. Add a dash of cinnamon and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 337 Fat: 12 Carbohydrates: 54 Sugar: 19 Fiber: 7 Protein: 9

Getting tired of the same old breakfast routine? Mix it up with a Breakfast Sweet Potato stuffed with granola and almond butter!

 Did you know you can even make sweet potatoes in a crock pot!  Simply add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of a crock pot, add washed sweet potatoes and cook on low for 6 hours, or until tender.  Having baked sweet potatoes to come home to after a long day would make for such an easy dinner!  Or cook overnight to have breakfast ready in the morning!  Cooked sweet potatoes will last 3-5 days refrigerated.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend :)

We are making these Peanut & Jam Bars from Happy Healthy Life to bring on our weekend sleepover at my best friends house, I will let you know how they come out!