Refined Sugar Free Berry Cobbler

     Summertime always reminds me of fresh berries, picnics and berry cobblers. I love having warm berry cobbler with a scoop of ice cream melting on top. But, like most desserts, that is usually full of processed and refined sugars. Thankfully, I've created a recipe free from refined sugars, but still full of flavor and sweetness!

Healthy Vegan Buckeye Bars

     What is better than delicious peanut butter layered between rich, dark chocolate? The fact that it is healthy! Not only is this dessert super delicious and easy to make, its also dairy free, gluten free and refined sugar free!

Easy Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

     Its hard not to love peanut butter cookies. They're gooey and crunchy, sweet and salty....a perfect balance! Peanut Butter cookies have always been a favorite in our house and we've tried several recipes, but by far this one is my favorite!

Vegan Camping

     Last weekend my family and I went to Fall Creek Falls State Park and camped for two nights. We had lots of fun camping, hiking, and spending time in the great outdoors!

     Whenever we go camping, my Dad is in charge of the food, packing and planning of the whole trip! He always does a great job and we always have a good time!

     We got to the park in the afternoon and found our camp site pretty easily. The camp sites were a bit smaller and closer together than we had thought, but fairly flat, which was nice! We all helped set up the tents and my Dad got a fire started!
     Then we got busy helping my Dad make supper. He cooked some pre-made bbq on a portable stove and we wrapped russet potatoes in tinfoil and placed them in the fire to cook on the coals. They don't take very long, and fire-cooked potatoes are so much better than oven cooked ones! I ate my potato with some sauteed veggies, cooked on the portable stove! It was delicious!
     Then, for dessert, my Dad made a dutch oven pie and I made something just as delicious, but vegan. I made a campfire cooked, chocolate stuffed banana! Yes, it is just as amazing as it sounds! Here is how I made it!....

 

Chocolate Stuffed Campfire Banana

Ingredients:
Banana
Chocolate Chips (Dairy Free)
Optional Extras- Raisins, Maple Syrup, Nut Butter, or Cinnamon

     First, peel your banana and use a knife to slice down the middle. Try not to cut all the way through the banana. Then, place it on a sheet of tinfoil ( double it over to make it twice as thick) and stuff it with your chocolate chips. The first night I did just chocolate chips, which was amazing, and the second night I added raisins and maple syrup. Both were delicious!

 

 Wrap the tin foil around the banana.

 

 

Place you banana on the coals of your fire. Depending on how hot your fire is, your banana should take between 15 and 25 minutes to become soft, gooey and warm!

 

When it is done, you will have a delicious, healthy vegan camping dessert! I ate mine with a spoon straight out of the tinfoil, but I think it would be great with some vegan ice cream or some fresh berries on top!

 

 

    That first night camping, we didn't get much sleep. It rained off and on all night, which kept all of us but my little brother up! Thankfully, my Dad was quick to get the coffee going the next morning! One of my favorite things about camping is waking up in the morning to hot coffee around the fire!

     Then my Dad got going on breakfast while us females got ready for the day! The campsite had pretty nice bathrooms and showers that weren't too far from our campsite!
   For breakfast that day, my Dad made pancakes for everyone, and for me, he made some roasted potatoes! I ate them with some orange juice and mango!
After breakfast we went hiking through the park! We saw a beautiful water fall and some amazing views!

 

 

There was a pretty cool swinging rope bridge that we walked over!

 

We had to hurry back to our campsite before it started raining again! My Dad had brought an covering to go over the picnic table, so we were able to stay under that to make our lunch.

    Dad cooked burgers for everyone and I sauteed some of the leftover potatoes from our supper the night before. I ate them with some bbq sauce and it was really delicious!

Then we had to huddle into our tents and wait out a rainstorm! Thankfully our tent was water tight! After the storm, we went to the park's general store and looked around there. Then we went to the park's Inn and checked that out.

We came back to the campsite to get started on our supper! I made a sweet potato and veggie hash and my family had a chicken potpie. For dessert, I made another roasted banana and had a few oreos( which are vegan by the way!).

Then we sat around the fire and my Dad told ghost stories! Unfortuantly, around dusk, several groups of college kids showed up. They didn't settle down until well after midnight, making for another restless night.  But, once again, my Dad had the coffee ready in the morning for us!

We did pretty much the same thing as the morning before for breakfast. I also had brought some pineapple, which was super yummy!

 Since it was our last day, we packed up our tent and camping gear before heading out on another hike. It was a bit crowded, but still pretty cool! We went to the Falls, which the park is named for.

 

 

     The hike was tough at times, but my three year old little brother was able to do the whole thing and was very happy about it! :)

    After our hike, we were all pretty tired, so we headed out of the park and on home. We all had a wonderful time, even if we didn't get much sleep! If I have any advice to anyone going camping at Fall Creek Falls,it would be- don't go on the weekends, and check the weather before planning your trip!

     This was my first time camping as a vegan, and I didn't feel deprived at all! Yes, I might have eaten alot of potatoes, but that really was my own choice! I really love potatoes! And I also found delicious ways to replace the food that my family was eating! Those banana desserts are really to die for!

I hope you enjoy this post! Maybe you can gain some camping tips from it, and some great ways to eat Vegan while camping and still eat great food!

Please share this post and my blog with your friends and family!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

I post every Friday!

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!

H. Banana

'Eat Your Heart Out' Valentine's Day Brownies

Valentine's Day is just a few days away, and whether or not you have a special someone this year, you'll want this brownie recipe! Its very delicious, moist, chocolatey, and even fruity! Perfect for impressing someone, showing your love, or drowing your feelings in this Valentine's Day!

These brownies are the perfect balance of sweet, rich, and fruity! The addition of the raspberry makes these chocolate delights something special,  not to mention festive! They are oil, dairy, and practically fat free, as well as being refined-sugar free and vegan. But, just because they are void of a few standard-brownie ingredients, doesn't mean they are any less delicious! And, because they are so healthy, you can feel free to Eat Your Heart Out of them! :)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 ripe Bananas
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Salt
4 TBS Maple Syrup
3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 1/3 cup Flour
1 TBS Baking Soda
1 cup Water ( You could also use coffee or non-dairy milk)
2 TBS White Vinegar
Jam of Choice (I used Raspberry, but Blackberry or Strawberry would be yummy too!)

First, we need to deal with the bananas. I used frozen ones, and just let them come to room-temp. before using them. Make sure they are really ripe! They riper they are, the sweeter they'll be!

Using a hand mixer, puree your bananas until smooth.

Then add in the Vanilla and Maple Syrup. Mix well together and add in the dry ingredients.

Use a spoon to fold in the dry ingredients. The cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking soda. Mix until about half way combined. It will be dry.

 

Then mix the vinegar with the water( or liquid of choice) and add it to the batter. This will cause the batter to puff up a bit, but don't worry! Thats the point!

Mix well and then pour into the pan. I used parchment paper to line my pan, but feel free to use oil or baking spray to keep the brownies from sticking!

Make sure the batter is even, and then get out your jam. Again, I went with raspberry, but go with what every jam-flavor sounds good to you! You could even do a nut butter or nut-chocolate spread and get a whole different flavor!

Use a spoon to add dots of jam to the top of the brownie batter. You can use a knife to swirl in some of the jam too!

And now, these brownies are ready for the oven! Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes. They will smell amazing when done! :)

If you are spending Valentine's Day alone this year, you might just want to dig into the pan now. No judgement here! :)
But, if you are going to be sharing these treats, allow them to cool before cutting.

 

To serve, warm them a bit and top with your favorite toppings! I went with Almond Dream non-dairy ice cream, and my family added chocolate sauce as well! Some warm jam would also be amazing!

 

 

They were delicious! The perfect treat for any sweet tooth, and especially perfect for Valentine's Day! Whether you make these for your family, special someone, or eat the whole pan yourself, you can feel good about eating these browines! Even though they are healthier, doesn't mean they don't make for the perfect Valentine's Day( or any time really) treat!

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends and family! Make sure that everyone you love has a great brownie recipe this year!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

I post every Friday!

Happy Valentine's Day!
H. Banana

Berry Lemon Muffins

I know, these aren't the greatest looking muffins ever, but they are delicious all the same! The muffins are the perfect blend of the tartness of the berries and the sourness of the lemon! They are perfectly moist and delicious!

Ingredients:
1 cup Coconut Flour
1 Tbs. Chia Seeds
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Lemon Zest
Pinch of Salt
3 Eggs
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil
1/3 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1 Cup Coconut Milk
1 Cup Frozen Berries

Start by whisking together the dry ingredients. Make sure that the Baking Soda doesn't clump up.

Next, beat the eggs and add to the bowl along with the lemon juice and coconut milk. Make sure to mix well!
Heat the coconut oil and honey together in the microwave and mix into batter.
Then fold in the frozen berries. The more you mix this the more color will come out of the berries, so keep this in mind! If you want a purple-ish batter like I did, mix fairly well. If you want to keep the colors separate, just fold to combine.

Grease a muffin tin and then scoop the batter into the molds. These muffins don't rise too much, so fill them fairly full.

Bake at 350 F for 30-35 mins. They smell so good while baking!

Once they are baked, let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and allowing to cool completely.

They are just simply delicious! A perfect spring and summer breakfast, snack or even dessert! I love how the berries just burst when you bite into them!

So, even if they aren't beautiful in looks, they really pack some yummy flavors!


Please share this post and this blog with your friends and family to spread the love of healthy living!
You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

Stay tuned for more healthy post every Monday and Friday!

Keep healthy and Safe!
H. Banana

Healthy Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups!

Yes, you read that right! These are a healthy spin on the sugary treat we all love! This version won't wreck your healthy diet and you still get to enjoy something delicious!

 

 

Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter is a flavor combo I seem to gravitate to, given my last post on Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins( Check them out for a great breakfast or snack recipe!) In this recipe the chocolate is rich and dark without being to sweet or bitter. The peanut butter filling is creamy, soft and perfectly sweet.

If you are looking for a healthy yet amazing dessert or sweet treat, this is a recipe you won't want to miss!

 

So let's get these going!

 

Ingredients:

 

2 tbs Coconut Oil

2 1/2 tbs Honey

1/4 tsp Vanilla

1/3 cup Cocoa Powder

Pinch of Salt

 

Peanut Butter Filling:

 

3 tbs PB2

1 tbs Coconut Oil

1 tsp Honey

 

Start with melting the 2 tbs coconut oil and 2 1/2 tbs honey in a bowl. Whisk this well and add the 1/4 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt and 1/3 cup cocoa powder. Mix this well.

 

Line a mini-cupcake pan with some paper liners. Pour in just enough of the chocolate mix to make a lining on the bottom of the liner. Pop this in the freezer to firm up while we make the peanut filling!

 

To make the peanut butter filling, take the PB2 and mix in the 1 tbs coconut oil and 1 tsp honey. Warm this until the oil melts and mix well until combined.

 

Once the chocolate is firm, take it out of the freezer and add a dollop of the peanut filling to the middle of each cup.

 

Then pour the remainder of the chocolate mix on top and place back in the freezer to firm up.

 

 

 Once they have set and chilled you can take them out of the freezer to enjoy. Let come to room temp. a bit before eating them to make them softer to bite into. Store them in the fridge so they won't melt all over the place!

 

 

These are such great treats to have when you have a sugar craving! My little brother was quite pleased when I let him have some 'chocolate'!

 

 

As soon as he bit into the peanut butter cup he let out a very satisfied 'mhmmmmm'! I was so happy he, along with myself and the rest of my family, loved these healthy chocolate peanut butter cups!

 

 

 

I hope you give these healthy treats a try! If you do, I am sure you will love them as much as we did!

 

If you liked this post, please share it with a friend. Also, check back for more healthy recipes, healthy life style tips and more!

 

Keep healthy and Safe!

H.Banana

 

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