Vegan Puppy Chow

Puppy Chow or Muddy Buddies is the Perfect Holiday Treat!

     I don't know anything two things that go together as well as peanut butter and chocolate! Its a perfect blend of nuttiness, sweetness, and richness! Puppy Chow (or Muddy Buddies) pairs these two amazing ingredients together to make a delicious snack, treat or simple dessert for the holidays or anytime of the year!

     Who knew that 4 simple and easy-to-find items could come together to make such a delicious and addictive treat! I made these to take with us to our cousin's house and it was gone in a day! Thanksgiving weekend I made it for some different cousins and it was a huge hit! Needless to say, no matter where you bring it, who you serve it to, or how much you make, you probably won't have any leftover!

     This recipe is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and super easy to make! Just make sure the chocolate chips and cereal you buy is dairy/egg/gluten free if you are worried about that!

Ingredients

12 cups Chex Mix Cereal (I have used both the corn and rice and both work well)

2 cups Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips

2 cups Peanut Butter

3-4 cups Powdered Sugar

     For this recipe I used Trader Joe's Semi-Sweet chocolate chips (they are dairy-free) and I have also used a brand from Kroger's Grocery Store. Just read the labels and you should be able to find a brand that works for you! Usually semi-sweet and darker are dairy-free!

    Start by pouring your cereal into a large bowl. I was lucky enough to have a huge bowl, but if you don't, just split the cereal between as many bowls as you need!

     Next, mix together the chocolate chips and peanut butter. If you are having trouble getting the peanut butter out of the container, try warming it in the microwave for a few seconds first!

     Melt it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until it melts completely and mixes together.

     Just give me a spoon and I could eat this whole bowl! I would probably have a huge stomach ache afterwards, but oh well! You only live once, right? :)

     Pour the melted chocolate/peanut butter mix over your cereal and use a spatula for large spoon to mix it until all of the cereal is coated.

     Then, add one cup of powdered sugar at a time, stirring in between, until all the cereal is fully coated by the sugar.

     And we are done! See how easy and simple that was? No heating up the kitchen with the oven, or slaving away for hours to have a delicious treat! Just writing this post makes me want to make more!

     Store it in an air-tight container for a few days.......if it really lasts that long! I know at our house it never lasts more than 24 hours!

     I really hope you try this recipe out and see how delicious and addictive it is! I know that you and your family will love it as much as my family and I do! Its the perfect thing to make for a holiday party, potluck, or snack! Pair it with some dairy-free ice cream, hot cocoa, or coffee and you have yourself a perfect dessert!

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I post every Friday! Check back every week for a new post on all things healthy living!

Stay healthy, happy and laughing!

Happy Holidays!

Hannah

Easy Holiday Truffles

      Its December, and the holidays are upon us! I love the holiday season for many reasons! I love the holiday spirit, I love with cold days when all I want to do is sit by the fire with a good book, I love the decorations, and of course I love all the festive food! :)

     Unfortunately, holiday food isn't known for being overly healthy! And while part of it being the holidays is indulging a little bit, its nice to have some healthier treats to keep everything in balance! I love super simple and easy to make recipes, and that's just what these Holiday Truffles are! They are delicious, rich, easily customizable, super easy to make, and also a bit more on the healthier side! I also think they make great gifts to give to anyone who loves chocolate, and isn't that every one? Another perk about these amazing holiday truffles is that, if you use semi-sweet choc. chips or darker, they are vegan! What more do you need to know? You have to make them, now!

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
7-8 TBS Almond Milk
Flavoring of choice: I used some Young Living Peppermint oil, Cinnamon, and espresso powder for mine!
Coating of choice: I used candy canes, cocoa powder, and cinnamon.

See how simple this recipe is already? Most people are busy during the holidays and don't have time to make treats for parties, guest, or to give as gifts! These are a perfect solution!

Add your choc. chips and milk to a bowl and stir well.

Heat in the microwave for 30 sec. then stir. If it needs more time, heat for 20 sec. stir, and if it needs even more, just do 10 sec. burst(stirring in between each time) until it is nice and smooth!

Then add in your flavoring. If you are using an extract or liquid flavoring, less is more! Just add a tiny bit at a time. If you are using the espresso powder, rub it together in your palm to get rid of any big chunks.

Taste it to make sure it taste amazing! :)

Then pop it in the fridge to chill for around 30 minutes, or until it is firm to the touch. While it is chilling out, you can prepare your coatings!
I crushed my candy canes and put them in a bowl, mixed some cinnamon and cocoa powder together in another bowl, and just added cocoa powder to a third bowl!

 

If you use the candy canes, make sure you crush them pretty finely!

When the truffle mix is firm, take it out of the fridge. Use a spoon to scoop out desired amount, and roll it between your hands to form a ball shape. Then coat it in your coating! I am warning you, it is a messy job!

Place them on some parchment paper in a container for easy storage! I like to write the flavor of the truffles on the paper so I can keep them separate!

 

I rolled the cinnamon flavored ones in a mix of cinnamon and cocoa powder.

The peppermint ones I did a mix of the candy canes and just cocoa powder. I rolled the coffee ones in just plain cocoa powder as well!

 

These are one of my new favorite holiday treats! My favorite flavor that I made was the coffee, but I also loved the peppermint ones! The cinnamon ones remind me of Mexican hot chocolate! There are endless flavor combos out there to try, so get creative! I think some orange juice instead of the milk would be really yummy in the summer or fall!

 

 

Make sure you make plenty so you can share with your family and friends, or give away as gifts! I do recommend hiding a few if you want any for yourself! :)

Please share this post and my blog with your family and friends to spread some holiday cheer, and some healthy lifestyle vibes to everyone!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, and on Tumblr @ justrunningforfood. Make sure you follow the blog to stay up to date on every new post!

New Post every Friday!!


Happy Holidays!
H. Banana

Almond Butter

 I love almond butter on apples, in smoothies, used in cookies and so much more! Before, we bought it in the store and because we got the organic kind, it was pretty expensive. Little did I know how easy making your own almond butter is! You really only need one ingredient and a little patience! Now that I have made my own, and tasted it's amazingness, I will probably never go back to store bought!

So let's make some homemade almond butter!

Ingredients:
 3 cups Sliced Almonds ( If you don't have sliced you can use whole and just roast them for a tiny bit longer)
Optional: Salt.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread out the almonds on a baking sheet that has sides so the almonds won't slip off. Roasted them for 5-8 minutes (Or longer if using whole almonds)
When they are done they will have browned and the kitchen will smell amazing!

Next, place them in a food processor with a pinch of salt and blend for about 15 to 20 minutes.( if you are using whole you might need longer)

At first you will get a grainy like mixture (this is almond flour!) but keep going and it will turned into butter.

When it is done it will look nice and creamy and smooth! Pour it into a glass jar and take a spoonful to try it! Delicious!

The end result is about a cup of yummy almond butter, perfect for eating with apples, on a sandwich or in some cookies!

Please share this post with a friend!
Keep healthy and SAFE
H.Banana