Make-Ahead Freezer Fudge Bites!

Hi there friendly friends and welcome to the post you've been waiting for!!

...Or maybe not so much waiting for, as you didn't really now it existed until now, but a post that you will in fact be very content with as it holds the key to something we all desire so, so much in our lives. Time. Or more importantly, extra time. For things like sleeping. Ya get me?

Oh yes, my friends, today I have for you; A MAKE-AHEAD BREAKFAST!!

WHOOP WHOOP!

Ok, and you may be thinking right now; 'Whoop-di-doo, Steph, there are like a bajillion make-ahead breakfasts out there for me on the inter-webs' and while, technically, yes, I would agree with you; I bet none are as fudge-y, as nut-butter-y good, as more-ishly devilishly dessert-y tasting as this make-ahead breakfast.

Did I mention they are completely vegan, processed-sugar free and filled with the likes of highly nutritious wholegrain oats, natural nut butter, dates and vegan protein powder??

Sigh; heaven truly is a place on Earth.

Anywho! Back on track Steph!

Now, you know- I know you know- that I am currently in a very busy and stressful time in my life as I have been complaining about it non-stop for basically the past... oh, year I suppose! :P. My first set of final exams for year 12 are coming up roaring fast and I am feeling that time simply slipping right through my fingers like the liquid-iest liquid there ever was. I also know, that during periods of stressful time, I need my exercise and sweat sesh's to get me through and keep me grounded and in control and calm.

So what's a girl to do when she has a hectic weak of tests and assignments, a busy schedule of after-school studying and other projects activities and yet this utter desire for a long run on a random Thursday morning??

Why she preps ahead the night before for a super quick, throw-together breakfast, that tastes as decadent and delicious as a rich, fudge-y dessert:

I'd like to present to you my no-bake, freezer Nut Butter Fudge Bites!

With a side of mango/zucchini fro-yo which was whipped up in record time after I'd rushed into the kitchen post-15km, red-faced and panting and simply chucking a handful of frozen mango, frozen zucchini and greek yoghurt into the Vitamin and whizzing until smoothy smooth!

But the fudge bites? Now they took a little extra effort, but making them the night before made brekky come together in literally less than 2 minutes! You're welcome!

And, for your own eating pleasure, here is the recipe to make your very own!

Raw Vegan Freezer Fudge Bites:
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 heaped tablespoon nut butter of choice (I used crunchy PB :D)
1 scoop natural vegan vanilla protein powder
4 pitted dates
1/2 teaspoon maca powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2-3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

Method:
1. Place everything in a high-speed blender/ food processor and whaz until smooth and combined (should be slightly sticky)
2. Line a tupperware container with baking paper
3. Roll out spoons of the 'dough' into balls and place in the container
4. Place a lid on the container and pop in the freezer overnight (or at least 3-4 hours)
5. The next morning, remove from the freezer at least an hour before eating so defrost slightly and become a little softer (and more delicious!!)
6. ENJOY! On the go, in the car, walking around, sitting down, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, you name it- they're great!

Green Mango Zucchini Fro-yo: Trust me, you can't taste the zucchini- just an extra boost of veggies to kick-start your day (and more fro-yo!!)

Individual gorgeous fudge bite:

With a nom taken out of it:

and dipped in the green mango fro-yo:

Perfect post-workout fuel, pre-workout energy, pre-tackling-the-day energy, packed with protein and low-gi, high fibre carbs, as well as all those good fats and vital vitamins and minerals-

You really can't go wrong this these beauties and trust me when I say it was love at first bite!

Your turn:
What's your favourite make-ahead brekky for busy mornings?
Fav way to eat nut butter?
Fav thing to eat following a long run? I always crave the sweet stuff (dessert-like foods) don't know why but it just satisfies those post-run cravings like nothing else!!


I hope you all have a truly fantastic day, enjoy every single minute of it, see the good in everything (positivity can get us so far!) and as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!! Bye for now friendly friends! :D

The Most Random Meal Of My Life

You know when you're hungry.

You gotta eat.

Food is on the brain.

But...

You have no idea what food is on the brain? Like trying to picture what sounds good results in a big black wall in the visionary area of the noggin?

You think of different meals and foods, cuisines and flavours and yet nothing quite seems... right?

Ok, I know you've all felt this at some point in your life so no denying it! However, I'm not sure how many of you would have resorted to the meal I threw together during this episode of my own, in the sense of just how random it was.

Judgement is not welcome here people, so when I show you the meal I decided sounded good for lunch as my brain sorted through endless food suggestions I threw at it, you must not laugh!

Well, perhaps you can laugh, because quite honestly it is just plain strange. But no judgement! Food is delicious fuel and whatever way it comes is ok!

Alrighty, presenting my lunch from the weekend passed:

 Yep.

Yep.

 Ok, I'll walk you through it. On my 'YAY' plate was 1 raw, fresh, sweet, juicy, crunchy carrot... 1 perfectly soft yet still with its integrity, microwaved potato.... and an almost empty jar of cashew butter filled with muesli, almond milk and cinnamon, made in the morning and left to sit for a few hours in the fridge.

 Sneaky peak in the delicious overnight over-morning oats in a jar.

 So yes, none of these foods necessarily go well together, or create a brilliant combo or whatever else food connoisseurs would judge about this meal, but hey, I quite enjoyed crunching on the crisp raw carrot and then sinking my teeth into the hot, fudge-like textured potato, followed by the cooling, sweet, chewiness of the cold oats and cashew butter.

 Call me crazy but eating a potato like it's an apple is just so much more satisfying than chopping up and steaming!

 Chomp.

 And then, the real Steph came back to her senses and you know me, try anything, I did the unthinkable:

 And it was awesome! Seriously, for some incredibly unknown and unexplored reason, soaked muesli in almond milk with some cashew butter atop a warm potato- is LEGENDARY.

 Who'd a thunk it, right? Not me, until I created this beautiful monstrosity of a meal.
And so, it just goes to show; listen to your body, go with what it's craving, eat the weirdest most random meal of your life and who knows; maybe you'll just come up with the best combo ever that the world has never thought of before and your taste buds will sing with elation! Or perhaps not, there are some combos that just should not happen together... a few of these come to mind! And also this post I wrote a while back :D!

What about you?
What is the strangest meal you've ever made for yourself?
Strangest but extremely good food combo you've come across by accident?
Peanut butter and pickles? Yay or nay? I just don't know- won't knock it til' I try it though!! :P

I hope you all have a fantastic day- eat for you and not what society deems a suitable breakfast/ lunch/ dinner- eat what sounds good! Also eat a cooked whole potato like an apple; you won't regret it! ;) Bye for now friendly friends! :D

Minty Fresh!

Hello there beautiful people!!

Today I'm popping in (for what seems like the first time in a long time- #studylife) for a quick little recipe creation that was purely a let's-see-if-this-works-out-because-it-just-came-to-me inspiration/ epiphany that got the brain cogs (the none mole-ratio, anti deriving, English technique cogs that have been in overuse) turning.

You see, in this season of life- things be busy. Real busy. And more often than not I'm heading into school early for some kind of meeting/ commitment/ cross country training. And in particular with cross-country training mornings- brekky needs to be prep-ahead, transportable and still delicious after sitting in my bag for an hour.

Just you wait... :D

Yes, you've heard it all before- but when you're in a period of life that requires certain recipes, than the recipes that will be shared will be of certain characteristics- and recently as you made have deduced, they have been prep-ahead and take on-the-go meals! And I think we all appreciate these recipes at some point in our lives!

So anyway, onto today's inspired creation!

I had fresh mint leaves hanging around in my fridge that needed to be used up in the next day or so. I also had cross-country training the following morning. I'm also a person who love, love, loves the malt-y, vanilla-y, rich flavour of protein powder added to recipes. And oats are a great addition to a post-workout breakfast as well as my undying love for them meaning they would also be included in this recipe.

So I got to thinking, what would tired, hot, sweaty, muscle-sore Steph want to devour as soon as she made it back to the change rooms after a heavy training sesh? (And I mean heavy; think stair runs, interval sprints and suicides... for 12 minutes EACH.)

Unfortunately my imagination cannot make stairs appear flat... no matter how hard I tried :P

It was then that I knew I would be making some sort of vanilla-mint, fudge, no-bake oat bite creation. And so it was created:

Now I could go into lengthy detail about how soft, chewy, fudge-y rich and delicious these bites were and that hint of fresh mint coupled with the delectable, sweetness of the vanilla protein powder and the nutty tones hidden throughout every bite... but I just did so I guess I will in fact!

To make a batch of these bad boys for yourself all you will need is:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 dates
3-4 fresh mint leaves
1 large scoop peanut butter (or any nut butter)
1/4-1/2 cup almond milk (add more if too crumbly and not forming nice compact balls)
dash of cinnamon (optional)

And all you will need to do is:

Method:
1. Place everything in a high-speed belnder/ food processor and whaz! You may need to stop and give everything a little stir around and whaz some more until combined!)
2. Line a container with baking paper
3. Roll mix into balls, place in container, cover with lid and pop in the freezer overnight until required (around 30-40mins should be enough if you're making it for that day).

This:

 To this: (frozen)

 Nice and cold; perfect for a cooling brekky treat:

 No Steph; don't devour it yet- an hour defrosting will make it all the more delicious! (tip for anyone creating it; let defrost for at least half an hour for optimal texture and taste)

And just for your viewing pleasure; here is my hand, holding my delicious vanilla-mint oat fudge bites in said change room, crying tears of joy (or maybe I was just delirious after being so smashed from training!)

 Yeah, I'm the weird kid taking pictures of her food in the school change room. No shame.

That texture tho...

 Happy, happy days.

 Beautifully balanced with carbs, fat and protein for optimum recovery; the body was happy!

Your turn:
Had any good runs recently? Workouts that have left you completely hammered? It hurts.. but it's so, so good!
Fav brekky of recently?
What's your fav combo with mint? Choc mint is pretty good, though vanilla-mint has suddenly taken the spotlight in my life at the minute!!

 I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, filled with love, laughter and good times- make a memory you will never forget and, as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!! Bye for now friendly friends! :D

Recently- The Food Front- Rawesome!!

Okidokie, I have definitely noticed I go through phases like there's no tomorrow!

So you know how I was loving on eating my smoothie bowls separated for a while there..
 

 Well apparently now my body wants a proper smoothie bowl... but with raw granola (ie. not oven baked) so:

 I whipped up a delightful smoothie of 1 frozen banana, a large handful of frozen honeydew chunks, a handful of frozen zucchini chunks, a handful of spinach, a handful of kale, 3 big spoons of greek yoghurt and some water to get it all moving!!

And topped it all off with a mix of uncooked cashew butter granola and uncooked peanut butter granola. Steps as follows:
Place a tablespoon of each nut butter into two separate small bowls, place a tablespoon of almond milk in each, microwave for around 20 seconds, add to one of two bowls, each with 1/3 cup oats, sprinkle chia seeds, small handful of no-added-sugar wholegrain cheerios (or other cereal/ crunchy thing you like) and stir to combine!

 Then simply top your smoothie (which has been chilling in the freezer whilst making the granola) with the soft, fudgey raw granola and ENJOY!

 P.S. Adding honeydew to smoothies is a good idea!!

 Very good indeed!

 But when you don't have time to whip up such an extravagant brekky?
Say, you are scheduled in to start work at 6:00am, so are up at 5:00am but still need a little first breakfast to keep you sane?

1 frozen banana:

 + greek yoghurt:

 = Quick easy and delicious!!

And then when break time rolls round- second breakfast!!!

 Yep, I made my raw freezer frudge brownie again (I really don't like cooking things do I?)

To make this delicious bad bowl, simply place 3/4 cup oats, sprinkle chia seeds, 1 scoop of choc protein powder, 1 teaspoon raw cacao powder, dash of cinnamon, 2 dates, 1 heaped tablespoon peanut butter (or any nut butter) 1/3 cup almond milk (add more if required) to a food processor and process to combine (until thick and sticky)- transfer into a small container lined with baking paper, cover and freeze for a few hours or overnight!

 He may not look like the prettiest brownie, but boy, this guy tastes so gooood! Think of the fudgiest, richest, chocolatiest brownie you've ever tasted and I reckon this guy would give it a run for it's money. And it's good for you too! Bonus!!

Brownies for breakfast? Yes, please!

 The take-away from today's post? Steph's current new phase is raw foods. Or that healthy foods can-and do- taste amazing!

You can take your pick ;)

What about you?
What's your favourite frozen fruit to add to smoothies?
Ever tried uncooked granola? Are you a fan?
Ever had brownies for breakfast? The healthy or... less healthy kind?

I hope you all have a fabulous Monday in whatever it is you are doing (I'm heading out to breakfast!!) be brave, take risks and smillleee :) Bye for now friendly freinds!! :D

P.S> Don't forget to eat something delicious!! Thought I had forgotten didn't you? ;P

Smoothies... and the weird things I put in them

Smoothies are one of my absolute favourite meals. True.

I fill smoothies with all the typical ingredients. False.

Now, I'm not saying that my smoothies are made up of the leftover roast veggies and tofu I had last night, or that I throw in some tomato sauce for added flavour. No, I add in strange ingredients to add to the awesome-ness that is a smoothie.

Source

Adding silken tofu for added creaminess, thickness and filling protein, some frozen avocado for a deliciously ice-cream like texture, soaked oats for a cake batter flavour,spinach and kale for all their benefits and vibrant colours, mint for an mouth-watering
chocolate and mint combo, even steamed and mashed pumpkin for added flavour and... magical pumpkin powers.

 I have no fear when it comes to adding slightly odd foods that you wouldn't consider smoothie worthy, to my smoothies and there are quite a few other strange (but probably amazing) ingredients that I have yet to try!

I hear sweet potato makes an awesome smoothie addition and that quinoa adds great volume and filling protein to the delicious drink.

There was one ingredient I cam across however that left me slightly sceptical.

Frozen zucchini.

See, growing up I'd only thought of zucchini as that disgusting green veggie that was always served to me extremely mushy and cooked to the point of appearing almost grey (it kinda grew on me and now I sometimes overcook my zucchini circles voluntarily!). It was definitely on the list of some of my least favourite vegetables along with cauliflower and mushrooms.

I also didn't realise it was possible to eat raw zucchini until I started blogging myself and immersed myself into the Healthy Living community (where I read numerous blogs showcasing pictures of cut up raw veg including zucchini and cauliflower, as a snack.

So, for a while, I always told myself I should try frozen zucchini in my smoothies, and then never got around to it.

Until yesterday.

The night before, I cut up 1/2  a medium zucchini, popped it in a zip lock bag and chucked it in the freezer overnight.

The next day, I threw the zucchini, a chopped frozen banana, 1/4 frozen avocado, spinach, greek yoghurt, vanilla protein powder, crunchy peanut butter, soaked oats in macadamia milk and some water into a blender and blended until smooth.

The result was a HUGE green smoothie, super thick, super delicious, it was simply SUPER!

There was absolutely no trace of the zucchini (and spinach for that matter) other than the gorgeous bright green colour, and with the delicious flavours of banana, peanut butter and cake-batter like protein powder, this totally hit the spot!

If you're looking for something to add more substance, nutrients and creaminess to your smoothies without sacrificing on the taste- zucchini is the answer!!

Boy was I full after this monster!!

As usual, the thicker the better, I love straining to get the thick smoothie threw the straw- it lasts longer and gives my mouth a workout!!

So double tick for frozen zucchini!

Your turn:
What strange ingredient/s do you add to your smoothies?
Have you ever added frozen zucchini?
thick or thin smoothies? If it requires a spoon to eat, it is perfect for me!

That's it from me today friends, I hope you all have a lovely day, remember to smile and as usual eat something delicious!! Bye for now! :D