Healthy Cookie Pie

I really feel like a lot of my post titles start with the word "Healthy". Not that that's a bad thing, it just shows how uncreatively I write.

So, I don't know if I've said it officially, but Hubs and I have been trying to eat much healthier this year. Not like a resolution or anything, just a subtle lifestyle change. More fruit &veggies, less meat, less refined sugar-type foods. It's going pretty good. However, not everyone is all about my new-found healthy-ness and sometimes I want to make something tasty for my amigos. Enter, healthy desserts. 

Chocolate Covered Katie is kind of a whiz at these things and I suggest that everyone visit her site. This is one of her creations, the first I've tried, and based on the results, I think I'll be using her many more times.

Poor smoothie-maker :-(

Also, this recipe is the reason I need to get a food processor. I blended everything in the blender and it took FOREVER. I had to do it in batches and I'm pretty sure it almost broke the poor smoothie-maker (what I've come to call our blender). [Side note - our blender was a wedding gift for Hub's parents and is one of my favorite things in our kitchen. It still works like a beast even though I abuse it.]

Deep-Dish Cookie Pie

Recipe from Chocolate-Covered Katie

Everything blended and ready to bake

• 2 cans white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed) 
• 1 cup quick oats 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 T canola oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar 
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Blend everything (except the chips) very well in a good food processor (not a blender - lesson learned). Mix in chips, and pour into an oiled springform pan. Cook at 350F for around 35-40 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

I don't have a picture of a slice of the pie. You'll just have to take my word for it. It was good. Hubs couldn't tell it had beans in it. Someone with a super sensitive taster might be able to tell that it's not a super-lux dessert, but I doubt they'd pin point "beans!"

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

I love this smoothie. It's for reals one of my favorites. It's just so decadent for breakfast and yet, so healthy. 


Unfortunately, I don't often measure when I make smoothies, so it makes it harder on myself to relay the yumminess to you. Feel free to adjust quantities higher or lower as you see fit.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
Serves 1


1 cup chocolate soy milk
1 Tbs espresso powder mixed in small amount of water (see photo below)
1 heaping Tbs of peanut butter
1/2 scoop protein powder (I use vanilla flavored)
1 scoop chocolate flavored greens powder
2 Tbs plain yogurt
2 Tbs dissolvable fiber
Ice


Mix everything in a blender, save the ice. Add ice to the mix while blending to thicken. Stop adding ice/blending once smoothie is at your desired thickness. Drink up!

This is not a pretty picture.

This is how much espresso/water mix I used - half of a half-sized ramekin's worth. 

Action shot. Before I added ice.

Final product. You can see ice in mine because I got impatient and didn't wait for it all to blend.

Not Exactly Pizza Inn Chocolate Chip Pizza

Every time I go somewhere I once lived, there are foods I feel I must eat while I can. As much as I love living in SoFla, there are many many foods that I just can’t get down here. I missed one precious opportunity recently - Pizza Inn's Chocolate Chip Pizzert. Sadly, if I want a genuine pizzert I must travel over 575 miles for it. Not likely. Sooooo I’ve tried to replicate it. This is more difficult than it would seem. (Google it. Many people have tried, many have failed.)

My secret ingredients:

The Jiffy mix plus butter poured over the pizza crust. (Side note: this is the first time I’ve used Pillsbury’s thin crust pizza in a tube and I’m a convert. It’s really good and doesn’t taste like it’s pre-made like I thought it would.)

Add chocolate chips. I used mini ones. It was a good call. Although, I’d probably use a few more.

After baking it for 15ish minutes. (Confession - I don’t remember how long I baked it. At all even a little.)

Yum.

Result - not exactly what I wanted. I cooked it too long, I need more of a gooey filling. Also, it was kind of thin. Maybe more mix? But I’m going to try again. Soon.

Hot Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I’m woefully backlogged on stuff I need to put up. But I’m jumping ahead. Way ahead. Like ‘batches of these cookies are in the oven now’ ahead. But that’s just how I roll.

These I’m making for a Halloween movie night hubs and I are going to tonight. Ok, so it’s not a Halloween themed party and I doubt we’ll be watching Halloween movies. It’s a movie night that I’m bringing Halloween-themed snacks to. So there, you got the truth out of me.

These cookies (from Julies Food) are kind of amazing. I ended up putting a dash more cayenne into the mix than it called for (a litteral dash) and it made them a little kickier. I thought it was appropriate for a Halloween cookie. They’re chewy on the inside if you don’t make them too thin and they taste like a healthy brownie from all the oats.

Warning: these cookies will spread. I made the first batch into cute little shapes and they came out as pumpkins and blobs. Lesson learned.

Edit: These things get spicier as they cool!! Holy crap! Don't add the extra dash of cayenne!!