hot chocolate steel cut oatmeal

Disclaimer: I received this product for free to review. However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own!

Hot Chocolate Steel Cut Oatmeal ~made in the crockpot while you sleep! Topped with BarkTHINS snacking chocolate!

There is nothing like waking up to a warm bowl of Hot Chocolate Steel Cut Oatmeal topped with a little BarkTHINS to get you out of bed.  Literally, these oats are cooked in the crock pot overnight while you sleep!  I can’t even begin to tell you what a treat it was to have chocolatey oats ready and waiting for me after sleeping a combined total of 3 hours thanks to the kids waking me up all night long…it’s the little things that keep me going!

Talking about the little things that keep me going…chocolate!  Better yet, BarkTHINS snacking chocolate!  I was asked by the folks over at BarkTHINS to test out their chocolate.  Who wouldn’t say yes to that offer?!?!  The whole family gladly sampled the almond and sea salt, pretzel, pumpkin seed and coconut almond varieties.  All were winners here however, I loved the coconut almond best!  BarkTHINS are made with Fair Trade Certified chocolate and non-GMO ingredients.  Also, all products are made with dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate for the extra dose of antioxidants!

Make sure to enter the BarkTHINS giveaway below!!!  

Hot Chocolate Steel Cut Oatmeal ~made in the crockpot while you sleep! Topped with BarkTHINS snacking chocolate!

Now, on to the oatmeal!  

Steel cut oats, almond milk, cacao powder, cinnamon, pure vanilla extract, maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt all dumped into the crock pot and turned on low.  Simple enough, right?  This would make an excellent Christmas morning breakfast!  I know in our house we will be up before the sun and running non-stop all day!  Having breakfast made the night before is the perfect solution!

Hot Chocolate Steel Cut Oatmeal ~made in the crockpot while you sleep! Topped with BarkTHINS snacking chocolate!

hot chocolate steel cut oatmeal
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 2 tablespoons cacao powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1½ cups almond milk
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1.4 BarkTHINS crumbles for the top!
Instructions
  1. Spray inside of crock pot with all natural cooking spray.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together oats, cacao powder, cinnamon and sea salt. Add to crock pot.
  3. Stir in almond milk, water, vanilla and maple syrup.
  4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  5. Top with crumbled BarkTHINS chocolate and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 258 Fat: 6 Carbohydrates: 47 Sugar: 15 Fiber: 6 Protein: 7

Hot Chocolate Steel Cut Oatmeal ~made in the crockpot while you sleep! Topped with BarkTHINS snacking chocolate!

Note: While BarkTHINS are not made with animal products, they are not considered vegan due to the processing of the sugar used.  

 

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Hot Chocolate Steel Cut Oatmeal ~made in the crockpot while you sleep! Topped with BarkTHINS snacking chocolate!

strawberry citrus fruit salad with maple, mint and lime

May is filled celebrations!  A month of graduation parties, showers and Mother’s day!  Serve this beautiful Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime for a healthy and sweet treat at your next event!

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

I dished these up individually (because I thought they looked pretty that way!), but serve in a large bowl if preferred. I love grapefruit, but some find it a bit too tangy.  That’s why I made a quick mix of pure maple syrup and lime juice to off set the bitterness.

 Sliced citrus holds up really well in the refrigerator.  You can make this salad to enjoy with breakfast or as a snack for a few days!  Try mixing in pecans or walnuts for protein!

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

strawberry citrus fruit salad
 
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Makes 6 individual 1 cup servings or 1 medium bowl
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments
  • 2 oranges, peeled and cut into segments
  • 1 cup strawberries, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • fresh mint
Instructions
  1. Layer fruit in a medium bowl or individual serving cups. Whisk together lime juice and maple syrup, evenly pour on top of fruit salad. Garnish with fresh mint, enjoy!

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

Grapefruit’s amazing healing power and health benefits fly under the radar in my opinion.  They have been studied for a long time and  have been proven to lower cholesterol, normalize hematocrit levels, protect against certain cancers and rid the body of excess estrogen…that’s a lot of work for one type of fruit!

Beware, certain medications negatively interact with the powerful compounds found in grapefruit.

Check here for more info.

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

mini zucchini muffins with pineapple glaze

Bite-sized Mini Zucchini Muffins with Pineapple Glaze!

Mini Zucchini Muffins with Pineapple Glaze ~gluten free and vegan~

The muffins are naturally sweetened with banana and coconut sugar, which makes for healthier and gluten-free dessert…or breakfast!  The glaze is optional, but adds a festive flare!

 Unlike a lot of gluten-free baked goods that use a ton of different ingredients, these were simply made with Bob Red Mill’s all-purpose gluten-free flour mix.  These muffins are butter and egg free, and uses crushed pineapple, zucchini and banana instead, which makes for a fluffy muffin!

Containing only 65 calories and 1 gram of fat per muffin, they are pretty diet friendly as well!

Mini Zucchini Muffins with Pineapple Glaze ~vegan, gluten free~

mini zucchini muffins with pineapple glaze
 
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Makes 32 mini-muffins
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 32
Ingredients
  • 1¾ cup all-purpose gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed (just under 1 cup)
  • 1 cup grated zucchini
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • ⅓ cup crushed pineapple
  • 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used soy milk)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup raisins
  • For Pineapple Glaze:
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup crushed pineapple
  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
  • drop vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil or spray a mini-muffin pan, set aside.
  2. Sift GF flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl mix together mashed bananas, zucchini, coconut sugar, crushed pineapple, milk and vanilla.
  4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and fold in raisins.
  5. Fill mini-muffin tins ¾ full and bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  6. Let cool on a wire rack.
  7. To make glaze:
  8. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl or blender. (I pulsed the crushed pineapple in my blender to break down pineapple bits)
  9. Glaze cooled muffins and enjoy!
  10. Store in an air-tight container
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 65 Fat: 1 Carbohydrates: 15 Sugar: 10 Fiber: 1

Mini Zucchini Muffins with Pineapple Glaze ~vegan and gluten free~

 I dusted a pinch of powdered sugar onto the muffins prior to serving for decoration.

Wishing everyone a happy Easter weekend :)