Tasty Tuesday: Chewy Coconut Almond Cookies

Thank you Celebrating Sweets for today’s recipe…

I will admit, I haven’t made them YET!  I have never been much of a baker, I always left it up to everyone else.  It was something Belinda liked to do especially during the holidays.  This recipe actually doesn’t seem too hard.  I LOVE almond cookies BUT was never a huge fan of coconut until recently.  The whole gluten free thing got me to try it and I actually liked it!

This recipe is courtesy of the author of “Simply Gluten Free Desserts” Caral Kicinski:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup plus1 tablespoon coconut oil melted (not hot)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional for drizzling)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl whisk almond flour, coconut, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar until no lumps remain.
2. In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk eggs for 1 full minute. Add coconut oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract and stir to combine. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Stir until thoroughly combined; use your hands if necessary. Tightly cover and place in the back of your fridge (where it’s really cold) for 2 hours or up to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners. Roll or scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon portions (about golf ball size) and place them a couple inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press down on each ball of dough to flatten (they will spread very little when baking). Bake for about 9 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown. Place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool completely.

OPTIONAL CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE:

1. Melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Drizzle the top of the cookies with melted chocolate (I put the melted chocolate in a plastic bag and snipped the corner for easy drizzling). Allow the chocolate to firm up at room temperature or speed it along by placing the cookies in the fridge. 

This may sound CRAZY but if you want to take some of these with you in your purse as you are running errands, why not use a mini zipper pouch or a cute case to keep your cookies safe.  

The Cute Case is the perfect little storage solution for jewelry, change, hair accessories, push pins, paper clips, gift cards, business cards, and countless other items. Keep it on your dresser, in a drawer, in the office or in the bathroom at home to keep things tidy and together, or pop it in your purse, backpack, travel bag or car when you’re on the go!

The Mini Zipper Pouch is a great carryall for all those loose little items in need of a place. Featuring a zipper closure, the Mini Zipper Pouch was designed to accessorize many of our other larger totes, thermals, backpacks and purses, it’s perfect size to keep smaller items secure, such as cash, change, lip stick, IDs, gift cards, small snacks, gum, mints and receipts.

 

Remember to send me your recipe for a chance to receive a FREE ThirtyOne product.

Hae a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Personal S’mores Pies

I LOVE S’more!  I remember sitting at my best friend’s house in the summer, letting the kids make s’mores in the fire pit.  Of course, they were also a favorite treat when we were camping when I was a kid.

Being a Weight Watcher, I would love to have them more often but the problem is I can’t stop at just one.  One turns to two and then two… you see where I am going with this, right?

I was so excited to see this recipe from Hungry Girl – not only is it low in points (calories) but I can make then any time at HOME!  You can bet I will be stocking up on the ingredients…

Prep: 20 minutes     Cook: 15 minutes     MAKES 6 SERVINGS
1/6th of recipe (1 mini pie): 149 calories, 6g total fat (2g sat fat), 128mg sodium, 20.5g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 8g sugars, 3.5g protein.  SmartPoints® value 6*

Ingredients:

Crust
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup light whipped butter or light buttery spread
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tbsp. powdered peanut butter
2 packets no-calorie sweetener (like Truvia)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Filling
2 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup mini marshmallows
2 graham crackers (1/2 sheet), finely crushed

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 6 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.
• To make the crust, pulse oats to the consistency of coarse flour in a small blender/food processor.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter for 20 seconds, or until melted.
• In a large bowl, combine ground oats, melted butter, and remaining crust ingredients. Mix until uniform with the consistency of wet sand.
• Evenly distribute mixture among the 6 cups of the muffin pan, using your hands or a flat utensil to firmly press and form the crusts. Press it into the edges and up along the sides.
• Bake until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and set oven to broil.
• Evenly distribute 1 tbsp. chocolate chips among the crusts (1 tsp. per crust). Top with marshmallows and remaining 1 tbsp. chocolate chips.
• Cook until marshmallows have melted and lightly browned, about 1 minute.
• Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers.
  

Want the perfect way to travel with your S’more supplies?  Try the Perfect Party Set.  An entertaining wonder! This thermal keeps your food warm or cool on your way to the party, with two compartments sized to fit 9” x 13” pans. Approx. 6″H x 16.25″L x 10.25″D (expanded)

Hope you have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge

I LOVE this Weight Watchers Recipe when I am craving something sweet without using ALL of my points.  Let’s make some before the HOT summer weather comes or you can make it and put it in the refrigerator.

Rich and delicious, and so easy to prepare. One square is all you need to satisfy a sweet tooth.  It is 3 PointsPlus Value for 1 cube.
Prep time: 10 min   Cook time: 5 min     Serves: 36

Ingredients

1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 2/3 cup(s) sugar
2/3 cup(s) fat free evaporated milk
2 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine, or light butter
12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
14 large marshmallow(s)

Instructions:

• Coat an 8- X 8-inch pan with cooking spray.
• In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, evaporated milk and margarine (or butter); bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in chocolate and marshmallows; remove pan from heat and stir until smooth.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Cut into thirty-six 1 1/3-inch squares and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.
  Notes
• Store fudge in refrigerator. Or freeze for a firmer consistency.

Headed out and about?  Want to carry a treat with you?  Use the NEW Cool Clip Thermal Pouch from Thirty One.  

This clip on thermal is ideal for carrying snacks. It easily attaches to a backpack, bag or tote. Also works well to hold medicine, sunscreen, makeup or small electronics. Approx. 8”H x 11.25”L x 3”D.

The best part is this thermal is part of the June customer special at Thirty One.  Spend $35 and get this thermal for half price.  How awesome is that?

Share your favorite recipes with us.  I love hearing from my readers.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Swap and Save Calories

The LONG week-end is over.  There is still time to shed a few pounds before the summer season kicks off for real on July 4th.  Try some of these swaps courtesy of Hungry Girl.

1. Go egg-whites only for your morning scramble or omelette. A 3/4-cup serving of liquid egg whites (the equivalent of 3 eggs) is about 100 calories, and 3 whole large eggs are about 215 calories. I like the nutrients from the yolk so I only keep 1 yolk if I am having more than 1 eff.

2. Opt for English muffins over bagels.  The average whole-wheat English muffin has around 130 calories; a wheat bagel has closer to 300.

3. Three words: Powdered. Peanut. Butter. I LOVE Peanut butter. I mean who doesn’t right but who wants all of the calories (or points), right?  PB2 is good and can take the place of PB for less than half the calories.  Want it to be a little creamier?  Add a few extra drops of water.

4. Trade doughy rolls for flat sandwich buns.  These come in lots of flavors including bagels.  These slim 100-calorie versions are really good.

5. Making tuna or chicken salad, use fat-free plain Greek yogurt in place of regular mayo. For every 2 tbsp., you’ll slash over 150 calories!  I am a Miracle Whip Light kind of girl since I can’t have dairy and slash the calories as well.

6. Exchange rice for cauliflower rice.  I will admit, I love this swap BUT I do buy the frozen or bits since I never got it right with my blender.  Mash it up with your potatoes to cut the calories too.

7. Use nonstick spray on your skillet instead of oil. The spray is practically calorie-free, while a 1-tbsp. “glug” of oil runs about 120 calories.

8. Combine finely chopped brown mushrooms with ground beef to cut calories! Replace 4 oz. raw extra-lean ground beef with 2 cups of the mushrooms to save around 100 calories — just think if you were swapping out the fattier stuff!  I need to try this.

9. Spaghetti squash! Zucchini noodles! Veggie noodles are a great calorie saver — ditch conventional carby pasta, and you’ll save around 160 calories per cup.

 10. Eat an orange (or clementines) instead drinking orange juice. OJ has around 112 calories per cup, while a medium orange has just over 60 cals, plus filling fiber.

11. Switch from sugary sodas to zero-calorie carbonated water or seltzer. Or eliminate carbonated beverages totally.  Save about 120 calories per can!

12. Got dip? Use veggies instead of chips to scoop it up. An ounce (about 9 chips) of tortilla chips has around 140 calories and will be gone in no time.  Eat an entire large red bell pepper or about 14 baby carrots instead for around 50 calories.

13. Choose popcorn over chips — you get more volume! A single-serving baggie of Lay’s Classic has 160 calories. You can have 5 whole cups of 94% fat-free popcorn for 100 calories or less.

14. Having a chocolate craving? Why not have a fudge-flavored Enlightened The-Good-for-You Ice Cream Bar for 70 calories (plus 8g protein!).

15. Want something refreshing and sweet? Give fruity ice cream the cold shoulder. A measly 1/2 cup of strawberry ice cream has around 130 calories; have an entire cup of frozen berries for half the calories.

16. Halve the cheese. Cheese is great, but we’re generally served way more than we need. At a restaurant, ask for half of the usual amount to save calories without sacrificing flavor.

17. Request a to-go box right when your meal arrives. Keep a reasonable serving, put the rest in the box, and set it aside for another meal. (Or just split one entrée with a pal when dining out — save calories AND cash!)

18. When at the sandwich shop, opt for mustard over mayo. A tablespoon of full-fat mayo has around 100 calories, while standard yellow mustard has closer to 5. Yes, 5!

19. Trade dressing for salsa. Salad dressing can add hundreds of fatty calories to a healthy meal; 10 – 20 calories’ worth of salsa is a total bargain in comparison!

20. Choose broth-based soups over creamy ones. Fun fact: Yeah, you’ll save calories by selecting a lighter soup option — around 100 vs. 200 — but studies have shown starting a meal with a brothy soup leads people to take in fewer calories overall!

21. Lettuce buns. It’s gotten pretty trendy for restaurants to offer lettuce in place of traditional sandwich and burger buns; this is a stellar way to easily ditch around 200 – 300 calories. Don’t want to be extreme?  Take off the top, and eat the sandwich open faced.

22. Skip whole-milk morning lattes and sugary cappuccinos; grab a coffee with skim milk instead. We’ve been known to carry packets of our favorite natural no-calorie sweetener around for this very purpose.

What are your best tips for cutting calories?  Share them with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday Easy Dark Chocolate Mug Cake

For those of use who are NOT baking like a mad woman this holiday season and just want a little something sweet.

Do you long for something sweet but you can’t be bothered to make an ENTIRE cake or pan of brownies? I love this solution I found online….

A Dark Chocolate Mug Cake is the perfect answer and beyond easy to whip up in under 10 minutes. No oven required! Check out the easy steps below to see how easy it actually is. It serves one or two, depending on how sharp your sweet tooth is.  I love it with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or ice cream! Some days just require cake and ice cream, am I right?

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup dark chocolate
• 3 tablespoons milk (I use almond milk)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons flour (I use almond or gluten free flour)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Place the chocolate and milk in a 16 ounce mug and microwave for 45 seconds. Stir to combine.

Add the vanilla, oil, and sugar and stir to combine.

Whisk in the eggs, flour and baking powder and mix until smooth.

Let sit for 5 minutes.

Place the mug on a paper plate and microwave for 75 seconds.

The mixture will rise up like a souffle and then fall once out of the microwave (hence the paper plate to prevent any spillage)

Doesn’t it sound YUMMY?  What is your simple, quick and easy solution for your sweet tooth?  Remember to share your recipes with us

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!