Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Dough Balls

Happy Labor Day! Here's a great recipe to start off your school year! The recipe is simple, easy and tastes so good! I hope you enjoy it and have a great Labor Day!!

My family has really enjoyed trying out different kinds of dessert this summer, and this by far is one my favorites! I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much I did!

Ingredients:

1. 3/4 Cup whole wheat pastry flour
2. 1 Cup rolled oats
3. 1/2 Cup salted natural creamy peanut butter
4. 1/3 Cup maple syrup
5. 1/4 Cup unsweetened applesauce
6. 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
7. 1/4 Cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (We used cocoa powder and made a chocolate sauce)

Directions:

1. Grab a tray and line it with wax paper
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl
3. Whisk the wet ingredients with a hand mixer or electric mixer and add dry ingredients.
4. Make cocoa powder drizzle
5. Scoop up the cookie dough into balls and place on a the lined tray and drizzle or dip them in the cocoa sauce and enjoy!
6. Place the tray in the freezer for an hour to get the real cookie dough feel. (optional)

Yields: 16 servings (I would double the recipe)
Takes 15 minutes

I could barely get a picture before my sister started eating the cookie dough balls. They were/are super good!

 Hope you give this recipe a try! It's one of my families new favorite desserts/ snacks!

~Twitter~Pinterest~Instagram~Bloglovin~Facebook~

DIY Summer Exfoliator

via
Easy DIY Summer Exfoliator For Glowing Skin

Damage from the sun and chlorine from the pool can leave your skin peeling and dull. Your first thought may be to go to the store and buy a skin scrub or something similar. The problem with that is most of those skin scrubs contain chemicals that no one should ever put anywhere near their bodies. However there is a solution! The experts from Skana spa of the New York resort Turning Stone have sent us this recipe for a chemical free skin scrub that can be made in minutes with ingredients you probably have lying around your kitchen.

What You Need:

1/4 cup coffee grinds from coffee maker

½ cup coconut oil

½ cup aloe vera gel

Directions:

1. Remove excess water from the coffee grounds. The grounds don't need to be completely dry to use them in the recipe.
2. Melt coconut oil in the microwave. Stir every 10 seconds until melted.  Pour over coffee grounds.
3. Stir in the aloe and let set on the counter or in the refrigerator for several minutes. Stir occasionally while it is setting so the coffee grounds do not settle to the bottom of the mixture.
4. To use, rub the mixture on your body in the shower. Pay extra attention to your knees, feet and elbows because the thick skin here tends to get dry. Do not use on your face because the coffee granules are too harsh for sensitive skin. Use your fingertips to scrub in small circles all over your body. Scrub for several minutes and rinse with cool water. The coffee is also said to help reduce cellulite, so be sure to use on your thighs, buttocks and lower abdomen.

Fun Facts:

1. This recipe is very easy to make, but it is also very effective. The coconut oil is a natural moisturizer full of fatty acids that your skin needs to stay healthy. Since it has such a high concentration of oils, it penetrates deep in to the skin to moisturize and help your skin look and feel healthy. Aloe vera gel has been said to help the skin heal burns and moisturize dry skin. 
2. Although aloe vera gel can heal burns, do not use this scrub on sunburned skin. Use after the redness and irritation are gone to help get rid of dry, peeling skin. 
3. This easy recipe just takes a few minutes to make, so you can make it whenever your skin needs a little help looking its best. Your entire body will feel fresh and soft after this scrub thanks to its natural ingredients, and there are no chemicals or artificial ingredients that can irritate your skin.

  Sources:

Aloe Vera- http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aloe-vera/NS_patient-aloe/DSECTION=evidence

Coconut Oil - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/27/coconut-oil-benefits_n_1625631.html

~Twitter~Pinterest~Instagram~Bloglovin~Facebook~

Vegan No-Bake Cookie Dough Balls

One of my new favorite desserts is vegan no-bake cookie dough balls! I found this recipe on Pinterest and fell in love with it! It is super easy to  make and tastes so good!

 Ingredients:

2/3 c raw cashews
1/3 c oats
2 Tbsp Agave
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup (Omit and use Agave to preserve true Raw Status if you care)
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 c Chocolate Chips (or to preserve true raw status, take 2 Tbsp Raw Cocoa Powder and add 1 Tbsp Agave, optional dash of vanilla extract, whisk and blend.  Spread into a thin layer on wax or parchment paper, freeze.  Take frozen chocolate off parchment and crumble the shreds into the mixture as your raw "chips".)

Directions:

1. Blend the cashews and oats in a Vita-Mix, food processor, or high speed blender until they're a fine powder.
2. Add the agave, maple, vanilla and blend until fully mixed.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Form into balls and serve. If dough is sticky, chilling it in the refrigerator or flash-chilling it in the freezer helps make it easier to work with.

Instead of making chips out of cocoa powder, we just drizzled it on like it was icing and then we dipped them in the chocolate too! They were delicious!

 Best dessert ever!

~Twitter~Pinterest~Instagram~Bloglovin~Facebook~

Peanut Butter Cookie Delights

One of my favorite desserts to make are peanut butter cookies. Their super easy to make and so good!
Here's how I make them.

 Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (I use honey)
• 2 sticks salted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat over to 300 degrees.
2. Mix all dry ingredient in a bowl.
3. Blend all wet ingredients in blender and add dry ingredient to it.
4. Place round tablespoon size balls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Use a wet fork to make crisscross pattern on the cookies.
5. Bake for 18-22 minutes
6. Transfer cookies immediately to cool service after they've baked.

 I you love peanut butter like me, this will be a great recipe for you to try. Hope you enjoy making your peanut butter cookie delights!

~Twitter~Pinterest~Instagram~Bloglovin~Facebook~

Vegan Gluten Free Brownies: Um Um, Yum

My mom's really big on eating healthy and last week she tried out this gluten free vegan brownie recipe and let me tell you it was deeeeliiiiciooous! We had a bit of a taste test and made both the gluten free brownies and regular homemade brownies with chocoa powder. We had about 10 people try out both brownies and everyone said that both the regular and vegan gluten free both tasted great and that it was hard to tell the difference between the two.

Here's how my mom made them.

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can (~ 1 3/4 cups) black beans, well rinsed and drained
• 2 large flax eggs (2.5 T flaxseed meal + 6 T water)
• 3 T coconut oil, melted (or sub other oil of choice)
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder (the higher quality the better)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• heaping 1/2 cup raw sugar, slightly ground or pulsed in a food processor or coffee grinder for refined texture
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Optional toppings: crush walnuts, pecans or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan (not mini).
3. Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients (besides walnuts or other toppings) and puree – about 3 minutes – scraping down sides as needed. You want it pretty smooth.
5. If the batter appears too thick, add a Tbsp or two of water and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.
6. Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.
7. Optional: Sprinkle with crushed walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips.
8. Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides. I found mine took about 25.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a fork. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don’t be concerned if they seem too moist – that’s the point. Plus, they’re vegan so it doesn’t really matter.
10. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.

Now go give it a try and don't take my word for it. Let me now how yours turn out! ;)
To find more recipes like this one, go to the Minimalist Baker
 

Campfire Smores

via

I told you in my last weekend recap that on my camping trip I had made some campfire smores with a waffle cone, so here is how I made it.

Ingredients:

1. waffle cone
2. mini marshmallows
3. mini chocolate chips
4. cut up banana
5. peanut butter

Directions:

1. Choose your waffle cone and spread as much peanut butter as desired on the inside of the waffle cone.
2. Then mix the rest of the ingredients (marshmallows, chocolate chips and banana together) and then place them inside the waffle cone.
3. After you have filled your waffle cone to the top  tear a big enough piece of aluminum foil to wrap around the waffle cone to seal the goodness inside.
4. Then place it on top of a fire grill and wait about 5-10 minutes for your treat to melt.
5. Enjoy! 

This was such an easy recipe and I really enjoyed being able to create my own dessert. It's perfect for camping trips or having a movie night outside with a projector! This a new favorite in my family and is perfect for summer!

 

Eggplant Chips

One of my favorite dishes is eggplant chips! It's a great side dish for baked chicken and it is so good!
Here's how I make it!

Ingredients

1. Eggplant
2. Oil
3. Salt
4. Pepper

Directions

1. Wash and cut eggplant into thin slices
2. mix enough oil to cover all of the cut eggplant and add salt and pepper as desired and thoroughly cover eggplant with sauce.
3. Place the eggplant on a foil covered pan and cook in the oven at 350 for 5-10 minutes

Enjoy!

Sweet and Salty Popcorn and Movie Night

Well, it's Friday, and I'm exhausted from finals and excited for the beginning of summer break! Friday nights are when I just chill and watch movies with the family and friends and eat good popcorn. You can never go wrong with popcorn. I've been on a sweet popcorn kick lately, so I've been making my popcorn a little differently lately, and I call sweet and salty popcorn. Here's how I make it.

Ingredients:

1. popcorn kernels 
2. popper machine 
3. bowl
4. maple syrup 
5. sugar 
6. salt 

Directions

1. Pop the popcorn in the popper machine and place in a bowl.
2. Pour the maple syrup over the popcorn.
3. Then sprinkle a mixture of salt and sugar and mix together with your hand or with a spoon and enjoy!

The best thing about this recipe is that it is easy to make and is perfect for Friday night movies.

P.S. Don't forget to follow my blog on Facebook!

Linking up with: BlogLovin, Aloha Blog Hop, GFC Blog Hop, Friday Blog Hop, Friday Fancies, FFF, Casual Friday, Friday Chaos, Find + Follow Friday

Pineapple Banana Sorbet

I'm all about simple and easy recipes that taste great! My sister found a recipe today that fits both of those descriptions while she was on Pinterest. You gotta love Pinterest! The recipe is for a pineapple banana Summer Sorbet. My sister made the sorbet and it tasted amazing! It's just like homemade ice cream! Here's the recipe!

 Pineapple Banana Sorbet Ingredients

1. 2 bananas (fresh) 
2. 1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple 
3. 1/2 cup lemon juice 
4. 1/3 cup maple syrup optional sub: try coconut milk instead of lemon juice for an ultra creamy sorbet (not fat free) 

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a high speed/high quality blender like a Vitamix.
2. Slightly thaw the frozen fruit so that it easily blends - but is still frosty. 
3. Blend until smooth. Keep it as thick and frosty as possible. 
4. Pour into a chilled metal container and chill until firm. 
5. Scoop and enjoy! 

This is the perfect ice cream recipe for summer! It's simple and takes less than 5 minutes to make and tastes great! Hope you try it out!

Linking up with: Just Because, GFC, Tea On Tuesday, Style Elixir, Tasteful Tuesday, Style Statement Tuesday, Taste of Tuesday, What We Wore, Made and Read, Real Girl Style, Wardrobe Wednesday, Too Cute Tuesday, BlogLovin'

Apple Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Apple oatmeal raisin cookies are the perfect treat! There a great snack, and the perfect dessert! Here's how I make them.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup quick oats (Not Instant)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (1 Medium Lemon)
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cup fresh apple, peeled and finely chopped (1 Medium Apple)
• 6 ounces raisins (About 1 Cup)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine all dry ingredient in a medium bowl until mixed well.
3. Cream sugar and butter together in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Add egg, applesauce and honey and mix at medium speed until smooth.
4. Add the flour mixture, fresh apple, raisins, and blend at low speed until mixed well. Dough will be soft.
5. Drop rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.

 Hope you enjoy making some healthy apple oatmeal raisin cookies!

 




Linking up with: Just Because, GFC, Tea On Tuesday, Style Elixir, Tasteful Tuesday, Style Statement Tuesday, Taste of Tuesday, What We Wore, Made and Read, Real Girl Style, Wardrobe Wednesday, Too Cute Tuesday, BlogLovin'

Chicken Salad

One of my favorite lunches of all times, is chicken salad. That may be weird, but I just love it! It's simple, easy and tastes great!

Here's how I make it!

Ingredients

• Canned Chicken
• Mayonnaise
• Apples
• Raisins
• Onions
• Celery
• Dill Pickles
• Whole Wheat Bread

Directions

1. Drain the canned chicken and place it in a bowl. Add the desired amount of mayonnaise and stir until mixed well.
2.  Add an apple or two.
3.  Stir the chopped apples into the mix.
4. Add a little bit of raisins.
5. Add a little more raisins, because goodness knows I love them!
6. Chop up an onion and add it to the bowl.
7. Cut some celery up and mix it into the mix.
8. Get some whole wheat bread (to keep it healthy) and put pickles or relish on your bread as desired and place a huge scoop of chicken salad on top and enjoy!

Hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do! Don't forget to add some of your favorite chips and a cookie! 

 xo
Caroline

Linking up with: Peacoats and Plaid, More the Merrier, Monday Mingling, Sami's Shenanigans, Monday Morning Gossip, I Love Bloglovin, Life Lately, This Weekend I , Sweet Sharing Monday, Monday Meet Up, My Greatest Hits, Monday Mingle, Monday Bloom  Just Because, GFC, Tea On Tuesday, Style Elixir, Tasteful Tuesday, Style Statement Tuesday, Taste of Tuesday, What We Wore, Made and Read, Real Girl Style, Wardrobe Wednesday, Too Cute Tuesday, BlogLovin'

Cherry Dump Cake Cupcakes

For Easter this year, my grandma wanted everyone to make cupcakes to bring to her house for lunch after church, instead of cakes and pies, so I decided to make Cherry Dump Cake Cupcakes. Usually the recipe is Cherry Dump Cake, but I just put the ingredients in small cupcake holders and they turned out pretty good. My family loves Cherry Dump Cake and I think it's a great dessert and snack ;)

 Ingredients

1. Canned Cherry's
2. Canned Crushed Pineapple (semi drained)
3. Yellow Cake Mix
4. 1/4 Coconut
5. 1/4 Chopped Nuts (I use Pecans)
6. 1 Cup butter

Directions

• Place the ingredients in the cupcake holder in order of ingredients listed (I used a spoon to place the ingredients in the cupcake holders) 
• pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and let the cupcakes cook for 20-25 mins.
• Then take the cupcakes out, let them cool and serve!

I really loved how the cupcakes turned out. I made small cupcakes, so you may want to make them as regular cupcakes. Either way, they'll turn out great! Add some ice cream and Enjoy!

xo
Caroline

Linking up with: Peacoats and Plaid, More the Merrier, Monday Mingling, Sami's Shenanigans, Monday Morning Gossip, I Love Bloglovin, Life Lately, This Weekend I, Sweet Sharing Monday, Monday Meet Up, My Greatest Hits, Monday Mingle, Just Because, GFC, Tea On Tuesday, Style Elixir, Tasteful Tuesday, Style Statement Tuesday, Taste of Tuesday, What We Wore, Made and Read, Real Girl Style, Wardrobe Wednesday, Too Cute Tuesday, BlogLovin'

The Best of Fruit Cobbler



One of my families favorite desserts, is homemade fruit cobbler. It easy to make, tastes great, and is perfect for movie and game nights!

Ingredients and Directions

• I cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• Cut in 1/4 cup butter mixture resembles coarse crumbs
• Add 1/4 cup milk
• 1 Beaten Egg

Add all this together in a bowl and mix well.

Directions

1. Pour frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries or mixed fruit) into the bottom of a pan (Use whatever pan you want)
2. Spoon/ Spatula mixture on top of frozen fruit
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 mins.
4. Makes enough for 6 people

 

After it cooks for 20-25 minutes, take it out and enjoy with ice cream or just plain! Don't forget to have some great family time and play a game as you eat it!

xo
Caroline

Linking up with: Peacoats and Plaid, More the Merrier, Monday Mingling, Sami's Shenanigans, Monday Morning Gossip, I Love Bloglovin, Life Lately, This Weekend I, Sweet Sharing Monday, Monday Meet Up, My Greatest Hits, Monday Mingle, Monday Bloom, Just Because, GFC, Tea On Tuesday, Style Elixir, Tasteful Tuesday, Style Statement Tuesday, Taste of Tuesday, What We Wore, Made and Read, Real Girl Style, Wardrobe Wednesday, Too Cute Tuesday, BlogLovin'