Pumpkin Scones

What goes better with a cup of coffee? Freshly baked scones. These scones are perfectly moist, and crunchy on top.

2 cups spelt flour
7 tbsp organic sugar cane
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp each salt, cinnamon and nutmeg
1/4 tsp dried ginger
1 large egg
7 tbsp softened butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 tbsp milk
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

In another medium bowl, combing egg, butter, pumpkin and milk. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Stir just until combined. Add chocolate chips if desired.

Place 12 even spoonfuls on a greased baking sheet. Bake for approx. 16 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Kale Chips

I have heard of these so many times before, but assumed that they wouldn't be something I liked. I was wrong! Within 30 minutes of making these, they have all been devoured! My daughter thinks that they are the best treat, and they are great for satisfying a craving for something salty.

The ingredients for this aren't exact because it really depends on the size of your bunch of kale

1 bunch kale, washed,stems removed and chopped into about 2 inch peices
Olive oil, maybe 1 1/2 tbsp?
Sprinkle of sea salt

Preheat your oven to 375.

Wash and cut kale. Make sure that the kale is fully dried. I found using a salad spinner works best. Also, make sure you remove all the stems and discard. They won't get crispy in the oven, and will just get soggy once you cook them.

Place the kale onto a large cookie sheet. Add olive oil and salt. Mix around with your hands until the kale is evenly coated. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the kale is crispy.

Wait a few minutes for the kale to cool, and then dig in!

Dark Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

These granola bars are quite crunchy. They are not the chewy type bar that you get in grocery stores.
In our household, we could not get enough of them! They are absolutely delicious! You can always substitute the chocolate chips and coconut for other ingredients, such as seeds, dried fruit etc. Be creative.

2 cups oats
3 tbsp spelt flour
¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
½ cup dark chocolate chips
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup agave syrup

Preheat oven to 325 F.
In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, coconut, chocolate chips and sea salt. Stir until combined. In a small bowl combine oil vanilla and agave syrup. Mix well.
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Press into a 13x9 pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool for about 10 before removing from the pan. Cut and serve.

Crunchy Granola

In our household, granola is a must! We eat it for breakfast with milk, on top of yogurt, as a snack by itself – you name it. So I thought I would experiment with some ingredients that I had in the pantry, and I think I’ve found a great combination that is really tasty, and super crunchy – which I love.
This recipe makes about 4 cups. But next time, I would double it because it will be gone before you know it.

Dry ingredients
2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup uncooked buckwheat (can be found near the dried beans in the grocery store)
1/3 cup each sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sliced almonds

Wet ingredients
5 tbsp each agave syrup and maple syrup (can substitute honey if you want)
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup oil
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt

1 cup coconut - added at the end of cooking

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
Place onto a lined cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Once it has cooled, add the coconut, and store in a large container.

Pizza Muffins

I am always looking for quick snacks for my daughter, and this is such a great solution. They are packed with veggies, full of whole grains, and very filling. I made them into mini-muffins, so I put them in the oven for a couple minutes less than the 20 minutes that are recommended. Just keep an eye on them because I find mini-muffins burn fast.
My daugter's response when I gave her one, was "more"! And when I gave her another one - "more"! Needless to say, they were a hit in this house.

3 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup egg whites (or 2 whole eggs)
1 1/3 cup skim milk
5 tbsp olive oil
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 10oz package frozen spinach, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped
3 basil leaves, finely chopped
¾ cup your favourite marinara sauce
½ cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk and oil. Add to the flour mixture. Mix in spinach, red peppers and basil. Pour evenly into a 12-cup muffin tin. Top each muffin with a spoonful of marinara and mozzarella cheese (before baking the muffins).
Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Dip (for apples)

My daughter loves apples! She also loves dips. So, I thought I would combine these two favourites of hers into a pumpkin dip for apples. This is very smooth, and great for a quick snack. It does make quite a bit of dip, but don’t worry, it won’t last long...

1 15oz can of pureed pumpkin
½ cup each light cream cheese, plain yogurt and agave syrup
1/8 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well. Serve with apples or any other fruit.

Muesli

As my husband and I were grocery shopping this weekend, he suggested getting some boxed muesli. But, I feel like I am getting ripped off when I buy it. So I told him I would come home and try to make it myself. It honestly took me 2 minutes to do! The ingredients can be swapped out for your favourite nuts/seeds/dried fruit, so experiment. I serve it either as a regular cereal with milk, or on top of yogurt.

3 cups steel cut oats
1/2 cup each sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, raisins and bran buds (or any other psyllium fibre)

Add all ingredients to a large ziploc bag, and shake well until it is mixed. It will stay fresh for a few weeks if the bag is sealed properly.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

We love chickpeas in this house. Seriously, we go through a few cans a week, and they go in just about everything we cook. They are a versatile bean that adds flavour and protein to a meal. So, to try something slightly different than I am used to doing with chickpeas, I roasted them. They were DELICIOUS! They get crunchy on the outside, and the spices add just enough flavour. We almost devoured an entire bowl in one sitting. Make extra of these, trust me, they won't go to waste.

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp paprika and cumin
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne
1 19oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

After the beans are rinsed and drained, place into a kitchen towel to get them as dry as possible. This is important. If the beans are still moist, they will not get crispy.

While the beans are drying, add olive oil, spices and salt to a bowl. Mix well. Add the beans, and stir until all the beans are evenly coated.

Place on a cookie sheet in an even layer. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the beans are crispy.

These will stay fresh in an air tight container for a couple of days...if they make it that long.

Salt and Pepper Almonds

My husband loves almonds, so I thought I would try this out for something different. They were surprisingly easy, and a great snack. We took them to a friends house, and they also agreed. Plus, they are in the slowcooker, so they are even easier!

1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups raw almonds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In a slowcooker, add all ingredients. Stir until all almonds are coated evenly. Cook for 1 1/2 hours on high, making sure to stir every half hour so that they don't burn. Remove from slowcooker and store in an airtight containger.

Breakfast Bars

You know those cereal bars that you see in the grocery store that claim to have whole grains. Well, what they fail to mention is that they are only partially whole grain. They are mostly made with "enriched wheat flour", which is a fancy term for white flour, a.k.a. empty calories. This recipe is truly whole grain, and full of fruit.
Trying to get everyone out the door in the morning with a good breakfast is a challenge on the best of days. This recipe simplifies the question "what's should we have for breakfast?" Since I premake them, I don't have to worry about preparing something every morning. We usually eat a banana with it, and find it keeps us full for at least a few hours.

Fruit filling
3 cups frozen mixed berries
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp organic sugar cane

Crumble topping
1 ¼ cup oats
1 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
½ cup organic sugar cane
¼ tsp each cinnamon, baking soda and salt

In a pot on medium high heat, combine fruit, water and sugar cane. Cook for a few minutes, and then set aside for another few minutes, until it slightly thickens. It will still be quite liquidy.

In a medium bowl, mix together oats, flour, butter, sugar cane, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Using a muffin tin, place a layer of the oat mixture on the bottom of each cup, using only half of the entire mixture. Pour a layer of berries over top of the oats. Top with the rest of the oat mixture.

Bake on 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool completely in muffin tin before removing.

Banana Chocolate Chip cookies

The dates in these cookies provide the perfect amount of sweetness, without overpowering the flavour. I used a mini-muffin tin, but if you don't have one, just use a cookie tray like you would for a normal cookie recipe.

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup chocolate chips
½ cup coconut
1 ½ cup oats, not instant
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir until evenly mixed. Evenly distribute batter into a mini muffin tin (one that fits 24 muffins) that has been greased. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool before removing from the pan.

Tapenade

If you like olives, try this recipe. It totally beats the tapenades that you can buy in the grocery store. An added bonus is that it takes no time, and any guests that you serve this to will be impressed that you took the extra effort to make it yourself. We served it on crackers and bread.

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
2 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
1/4 cup roasted red pepper (jarred is fine), finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

Combine all items in a bowl, and serve. If you like a more pureed tapenade, then this can easily be pureed in a blender or with an emulsifier.

Artichoke Spread

When my husband and I were in Italy, we had an amazing meal that we talk about all the time. We went to a market and bought fresh tomatoes, cheese, olive oil, wine, arugula and a loaf of bread, and ate all of it! Seriously, there wasn't a bite left.
We often try to recreate this meal, and although it doesn't taste quite the same as it did in Italy, it always comes pretty close. We had one of these meals recently, and I decided to try something new with it. This artichoke spread was delicious on freshly toasted bread. If you like artichokes, you'll love it.

1 14oz can artichokes, liquid drained
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Salt to taste

Puree all items in a blender, and spread on fresh bread.

Vegetable Dip

I made this dip up on a whim, and am really happy with how it turned out. My daughter loves this with crackers, but it is also great with raw vegetables as well. It is high in protein and loaded with vegetables, making it a great, and filling, snack.

1/2 cup light cream cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup raw carrots, roughly chopped
1/2 cup roasted red pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Store in the refridgerator.

White Bean Dip

This is great served with veggies or crackers, and only take a few minutes to prepare. An added bonus was that I gave it to my one year old on top of crackers, and she couldn't get enough of it.

1 19oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup light cream cheese
½ cup roasted red pepper, jarred is fine
1 14oz can of artichokes, liquid drained out
¼ cup sundried tomatoes

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender. Blend until purreed. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before eating.

Cheerio Bars

Anyone who has children, knows that Cheerios are a staple food in the house. This recipe uses this staple food, and combines them with a little almond butter for added protein. These are seriously addictive even for adults. Plus, they take no time to make!

1/2 cup almond butter, or any other nut butter
1/2 cup agave syrup
4 1/2 cups Cheerios

In a small pot, heat up almond butter and agave syrup on medium heat until it is smooth, just a couple of minutes. While that is heating up, place Cheerios in a large bowl. Once the almond butter and agave syrup are smooth, pour over Cheerios. Stir until evenly coated. Press Cheerios into a Pyrex dish, use a smaller one for thicker bars, and a larger one for thiner bars. Let cool in the fridge for a couple of hours before cutting.

Pumpkin Bars

These are super moist because of the pumpkin, and so delicious! I originally made these for my daughter to have for her afternoon snack, but I ended up eating lots myself. And, the next day when I gave them to her again for her snack, she gobbled it up, and ate seconds (me too)!

2/3 cup organic sugar cane
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 14oz can pureed pumpkin
3 egg whites
1/3 cup skim milk
1 1/4 cup spelt flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each nutmeg and ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup dried berries (dried cranberries or raisins will also work)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray a 9x 13 inch pan.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg white, pumpkin and milk in a medium bowl.

In another bowl mix flour, oats, spices, baking soda and salt. Stir into pumpkin mixture until just blended. Fold in dried berries.

Spread in pan, bake for about 30 minutes.

No Bake Fruit Crumble

It was hot here yesterday, and I didn’t want to turn the oven on. So, I made this dessert instead of the traditional fruit crisp that I would make. The maple syrup and dates added the right sweetness. Although it was very different than my normal fruit crisp, it was light and perfect for the hot summer evening. Not only was it quick and easy, but delicious!

1 cup pitted dates
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup unsweetend coconut
1 tbsp maple syrup
6 cups berries (I used blueberries, strawberries and raspberries)

In a blender, blend dates, almonds, coconut and maple syrup. It will be crumbly, so don't expect it to stick together a whole lot.

Place washed and chopped berries in a large bowl. Top with blended date mixture. Serve with frozen yogurt if desired.

Cocoa and date treats

If you have a sweet tooth than this is the recipe for you. I admit that after dinner, I like to have something sweet to finish off a meal, and this is something I can have without feeling guilty about. I know it sounds a little strange with the dates, but trust me, these are delicious! Plus they are raw – even better for maintaining energy throughout the day.

1 ½ cups pitted dates
1 cup sliced almonds (raw is best, but used blanched if you can't find raw)
5 tbsp cocoa powder
¾ cup coconut
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp water

Put all ingredients into a blender, and puree. The batter will look a little dry, but don’t worry, that is how you want it.

Mold the batter into 1 inch balls, and place onto a plate. Let cool in the fridge for about an hour, then serve. Keep these covered in the fridge.

Blueberry Protein Pancakes

I made these for myself and was surprised at how much I like them. I also gave some to my daughter, and she gobbled them up like there was no tomorrow! Although, I prefer not to talk about the blueberry mess that I had to clean out of her hair, eye lashes and outfit...that is a whole other story.

My husband even ate a couple post workout, and also really liked them. We didn't put syrup on them, but feel free to do so. These will definitely be made again, and since they are so high in protein, they keep you full for longer than your traditional pancake. Next time I might cook down some raspberries into a syrup and put them on top.


1 cup oats
3/4 cup egg whites
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp agave syrup
3/4 cup blueberries

Put all ingredients except blueberries in a blender and puree. Add blueberries. Pour into a pan greased with an all-natural cooking spray, on medium heat. Cook for about 3 minutes, or when the first side is golden brown. Flip, and continue to cook for another few minutes. Remove from heat, and top with your favourite toppings.