0 Sweetly Stuffed Celery!

This is a refreshing way to have a Laraball, get some extra veggies, and cool off on a hot spring day!

Most flavors of Laraballs (or sweet balls, as some call them!) will work.
Except, and I never thought I would say this,
but I can't see chocolate tasting great with celery!



PB&J Poppers, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough, and Cashew Cookie work especially well.

Here I used Cinnamon Cranberry Confections, yum!

1/3 c walnuts
1/4 c almonds
1/3 c raisins (make sure there isn't any added sugar!)
1/8 c dried cranberries
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp salt

Blend above ingredients all together in a food processor, fill your celery slices,
chill for a bit (optional), and enjoy!

 

OTHER great ways to enjoy Laraballs!

Apple Brownie Sandwich

Strawberry Brownies = 4 strawberries + Brownie Bites (post coming soon!)

Best Banana Bites

Detail: Sweetly Stuffed Celery!

0 Autumn Harvest Salad

SUPER EASY and NUTRITIOUS!

Autumn Harvest Salad

1 can tuna or chicken or wild canned salmon
1 c plain yogurt CLICK here for Benefits!
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)
1/2 c fresh cranberries (or you can try dried cranberries)
1/2 c walnuts CLICK here for 3 Wonderful Reasons to Be Wild about Walnuts!
1 apple, chopped
salt, pepper, cinnamon

Great on its own, whole wheat toast, or a roll-up of flat bread (Flatout) or a tortilla!

COMING SOON: Benefits of cranberries!, Pumpkin Bread Dip, and Berry Kale Popsicles

COMMENTS: What are your fall favorites?
The leaves are just gorgeous this year!  Have you jumped in any leaf piles yet this year?

Detail: Autumn Harvest Salad

0 Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Laraballs

These Laraballs are ADDICTING!

Only 2 or 3 ingredients and completely satisfying!

No OATMEAL, BUTTER, EGGS, BAKING, GLUTEN, or SUGAR!

LARABALLS: Always Healthy, Gluten-Free, Fast!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough

1 1/4 c walnuts

3/4 c raisins

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Other add-ins: cinnamon, or rolled oats (for a lower-calorie treat)

Blend in a food processor until a dough forms, and  enjoy!

You can eat it by the spoonful, 

or transfer the mixture into a plastic bag and make balls from the outside of the bag, 

or use candy molds and freeze like shown below. 

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough

Fresh-You RECIPES are so EASY, they can be written up (and made) by kiddos, especially Laraballs!  Click here for more flavors!  This afternoon, my daughter decided to make a "book of food" when included nearly twenty recipes/pages that she could make!  Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Laraballs made the cut (though the words didn't come out boldly enough to see in the pics below)!

When kids help decide about what to make and help make foods, 

they have big appetites for what is on the menu!

COMMENTS: Do you have certain foods that you eat when you are in a "healthy mode/phase"?  In my house, if there is a bag of Laraballs prepared/handy, everyone is less hungry, cranky all day long, and eating less junk!

Detail: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Laraballs

0 Practical Pesto!

As promised...


Super SIMPLE, delicious, healthy, and practical!

Ever had your pesto sauce go bad?  Reminds me of avocados: too expensive to let go to waste!  See how to ALWAYS EAT PERFECT AVOCADOS (#1 in Quick Kitchen Tips)!

Cranberry Pesto Pasta Salad

Remember this Pesto RATIO!

1/4 c pine nuts (or walnuts ... similar taste, less expensive, and more nutritious!) NUT BENEFITS
2 c fresh basil

Blend these in a food processor until smooth.
Freeze in 1/2c or so portions.

Fill silicone cupcake holders OR scoop mixture on a cookie tray to freeze, and then fill a freezer bag with the portions.  SO convenient and lasts forever!

Freezing just these two ingredients a) maintains perfect taste and b) minimizes freezer space used!

Whenever you WANT, pull out a 1/2 c portion.

Use spoon (no food processor necessary) to combine with:

1 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
3/4 c nutritional yeast (click for benefits!)
1/2 c Parmesan

Add salt and pepper to taste (optional).

Try it out with Cranberry Pesto Pasta Salad!

And COMING SOON: Pesto Pizza!

COMMENTS: how do you like to eat your pesto?

Detail: Practical Pesto!

0 Chocolate Cherry Torte Mousse

Hope your valentine treated you sweetly!  If you are still wanting MORE, try this!

Lick your lips, super-SAVORY!!

This is the Chocolate Cherry Torte Laraball version of Power Pudding!

Chocolate Cherry Torte Mousse

1 avocado
1/2 c milk
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 c dried cherries (unsweetened is ideal!)
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa
1/8 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth!

Makes about 4 1/2 c servings of thick and creamy, tart, sweet, and savory mousse!

Best eaten right away!

Plus, check out these super-cute, easy, heartsy crafts we did today!  Happy Valentine's Day!

SHARE IF YOU DARE!  Do you find crafts online?  What is your favorite, easy, craft that you have found?  I like to search in google under "images" to see what I want fast -- often that's all I need!

Detail: Chocolate Cherry Torte Mousse

0 Chocolate Raspberry Kiss Muffins

Happy Valentine's Day!

Enjoy these delicious sugar-free (besides the semi-sweet chocolate chips) muffins!


Chocolate Raspberry Kiss Muffins


2/3 c walnuts
1/2 c almonds
1/2 c raisins
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c chia seeds
1 c rolled oats
3/4 c raspberries, frozen or fresh
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips (CLICK here for benefits of chocolate!)


Heat oven to 375.
Cook rolled oats in water (I used the microwave for 4 min).
Blend oatmeal with all other ingredients in food processor to desired consistency.  You can leave them a bit chunky for some crunch in the muffins.
Fold in raspberries and chocolate chips.
Fill muffin tin and bake for 20 min or so.
ENJOY!


Recipe makes a dozen regular-sized muffins, or 2 dozen mini-muffins (shown).


Note: there are no eggs, so you don't have to be sure they are "done".  Cook to desired texture.


These muffins are a variation of Cranberry Cookies and Cinnamon Cranberry Confection Laraballs, so you may like these recipes too!


SHARE IF YOU DARE!  Valentine's Day, love it or hate it?  I assume if you clicked on this recipe, you probably love it, but who knows?!

Detail: Chocolate Raspberry Kiss Muffins