An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Apple Nachos

As I am sure I have mentioned before, I have an uncontrollable urge to snack. Something I have on a regular basis is apple slices with peanut butter so I thought why not expand that? With all of that in mind, this week I made apple nachos! Apples are an excellent source of fiber and also contain antioxidants that carry many health benefits.

What I love most about this recipe is combining fresh fruit and ingredients with a little creativity can turn into a simple, yet incredibly delicious healthy snack. The best part of apple nachos is your imagination. You can use any ingredients to create the perfect toppings in order for this to be your favourite snack. Instead of using apples, you could also use pears or bananas. The recipe I made consists of natural sugar, which makes this a perfect sweet cheat that you can have more than once a week!

A tip I used for keeping fruits such as apples and bananas from turning brown in colour once cut is simply tossing them in lemon juice. Brown fruit is not appealing especially to kids so this little secret helps keep your fruit looking fresh.

Fruit nachos are a perfect a late night snack or after school snack for kids. I hope you all try this simple snack and let me know the alterations you have made!

Those of you similar to myself, here are some tips from Brett to help with your cravings. Enjoy!

Here is my recipe.

Don't Stress, It's No-Bake

“Stressed is Desserts spelt backwards”

Being a student, I personally can relate to the phrase stress eating. When studying for exams or completely assignments I find myself constantly craving for something to snack on, especially something sweet. Well, there is some truth behind this phrase and reasoning behind my uncontrolled cravings. Cortisol is a hormone that stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy and stimulates insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels. As a result, this can lead to an increase in appetite. However, everyone deals with stress in different ways and not every body reacts the same. 

No-bake Cookie Dough Bites

Over the years I have come to realize that I had to find alternatives for my sweet tooth cravings because stress increased my desire for treats. This week I made healthy no-bake cookie dough bites. I think these little sweet cheats are perfect to munch on for a study snack. I found this recipe on Lauren Conrad’s blog this summer and I have been waiting for a time to make them. What I love most about this recipe is not only are these healthy but they are also easy to make. These tasty bites are free from dairy and processed sugar, but also they are full of healthy whole grain oats to help control your appetite.

I recommend all of you the next time you feel stressed over something and begin craving something sugary, sweet cheat yourself to these cookie dough bites that will leave you feeling satisfying and stress free.  

Recipe

The Crêpe Escape

Chocolate Crepes with raspberry sauce

Valentine’s Day each year consists of your standard treats, whether it may be a box of chocolates, candy hearts, or even chocolate covered strawberries. This year instead of overindulging on Valentine’s Day goodies, sweet cheat yourself and a loved one to chocolate crêpes with raspberry sauce. Paris is known for being the city of love where the word crêpe, which is French, origins from France. Nothing says romance better than this homemade dessert for a special someone.

What I love about crêpes is the variety of ways they can be served leaving your sweet tooth craving satisfied. I found this recipe through Pinterest on a page called Taste of Home. I really enjoyed this recipe and found making crêpes for the first time easier than I thought. This recipe calls for fat-free ingredients making these crêpes low in calories and low in fat. The crêpe itself was not very sweet so adding the raspberry sauce was a really nice touch. Since this was my first time making this recipe, after making the raspberry sauce I noticed that there was a lot compared to home many crêpes I had. Next time I make this recipe, I will definitely cut that in half so I’m not left with much extra sauce.   

So this weekend refrain yourself from your typical store bought treats and try making these homemade chocolate crêpes with raspberry sauce!

Recipe

Cupcake Craze

This week I celebrated my birthday, and of course I had to include one of my favourite things – Cupcakes! I love cupcakes. Ever since I can remember, cupcakes have always made an appearance on my birthday and this year was no exception. This year for my birthday I made gluten-free vanilla cupcakes. It was my first time baking gluten-free and since my best friend is celiac, I definitely wanted to make sure I made something for everyone to eat. I found this recipe on Pinterest and found the ingredients and the directions simplistic.

Vanilla Gluten-Free Cupcakes with Icing

I liked this recipe because it made a dozen cupcakes; just enough so you won’t have cupcakes for a week. And the best part about cupcakes is that they are perfect for portion control. For first time gluten-free bakers, cupcakes are typically a little crumbly, more like a muffin and not as moist as you expect. Since it was my first time baking this recipe, I did follow the exact ingredients. These cupcakes weren’t very sweet, and like I mentioned, they were not very moist. This recipe does not include icing, and because some of my friends are used to sweet cupcakes, I made a little icing enough to help enhance the sweetness of the cupcake!

I know that my best friend enjoyed these cupcakes and I would recommend anyone who is celiac to try this little sweet cheat and let me know what you think!

Recipe