Healthy Treats for the Holidays (thank me later)

I have to admit, this post is a bit selfish.

I wanted to compile all the healthy, tasty, "holy shit I just found this on Pinterest" kind of treats in ONE place so that I, uh, I mean, we could all have these resources in one place. You know, make it easier for baking/creating/entertaining.

Here are some fabulous, crowd pleasing desserts that you can/should bring to your holiday parties or provide at a family gathering. And they are secretly healthy too. Win-win. (Almost wrote "wine" instead of "win." Good grief.)

1. Apple Cookies. I mean, how cute are these?!?

If you have an apple corer, I would suggest cutting out the core of the apple, so you can slice it into medallions easier. If not, slice it into medallions and then just cut out the center seeds and such. Top with you favorite kind of nut butter (look for ones that have the least ingredients as possible! Ie: no added sugars/cane syrup/hydrogenated oils/palm oil crap in it. Unnecessary. Nut butter should be (roasted) nuts and maybe a little salt. Period.), add some dark chocolate chips, coconut flakes, cranberries, cherries, goji berries, a little sea salt...basically anything that sounds good to you.


2. Chocolate bark
This is my absolute go-to when I need to bring food or dessert to a party. I also give fancy chocolate bark out as gifts sometimes. I buy 3-4 bars of dark chocolate, 72% or higher. Some of my favorites are Ghirardelli (72% or 85%) and the Belgian Dark Chocolate from Trader Joe's. Melt the chocolate, spread it over wax paper on a baking sheet and top with your favorite things. In the past, I've topped

chocolate with pistachios, dried cranberries or cherries, coconut, crushed peppermint stick, peanuts/almonds...the list goes on! Enjoy creating. Remember though, when it comes to toppings, the simpler combinations, the better. Cover 1/2 your chocolate in pistachios and cranberries and the other half in coconut and almonds. Here are some good "how to make chocolate bark" recipes: Aquí y aquí.

3. Cookies!!! Well, 48 Healthier Holiday Cookie Recipes, to be exact. Written by my website crush, Greatist.

4. Raw Brownies. Say what?! No, really. I've made these countless times, even for people who are suspicious of anything healthy and they are an absolute hit. They are a little more labor intensive, as they require either a food processor or Nutribullet/Vitamix kind of weaponry, but they are worth. every. ounce. of. effort. Raw cacao powder is sort of pricey. But again, worth it for this recipe. And you can use it in your green smoothies to give them a superfood boost! :)

5. Pumpkin bread. If you are a fan of pumpkin bread, especially the Trader Joe's pumpkin bread mix, these will knock your socks off! I love the package mix at TJ's, but this is even better. And it's Paleo, which means it's gluten-free and has no refined sugars. #winning

Hope these recipes provide some inspiration for any dessert-bringing you may have to do over the next few weeks!

Sending merry thoughts!

The 5 Websites I'm Obsessed With

Here are my top five  favorite websites and blogs:

MindBodyGreen: "MindBodyGreen is a conversation about health, and we hope to give you the tools and information to make your life better and to inspire you to keep doing the awesome things that you're already doing "  I love this site because the articles are informative, spiritual, funny and easy to understand.

Astrostyle: IMHO, the best Astrology guide out there :)

Elite Daily: "The Voice of Generation Y" Time and time again, I find myself clicking on their articles, reading them, and then clicking on another one in the "related stories" sidebar. I kinda have a crush on this website. Like, I really want to write for them. Their articles range from humorous and spot-on about the quirks of our generation to thoughtful or heart-wrenching topics. LOVE THEM.

Greatist: "Bet you've never met a health site like this." Basically, yes. I've actually laughed out loud while reading their articles. They're my first "go-to" when researching a nutrition topic. Excellent source for down-to-earth health information and a-ma-zing recipes.

TUT.com/Notes from the Universe: Stop reading my blog (I know, it will be tough. LOLZ) and sign up for Notes from the Universe. You'll get inspirational/hilarious/wonderful/encouraging emails from "The Universe" when you wake up every morning...best part of my Monday-Friday. If you ever get a chance to hear Mike Dooley speak, do it do it do it.

Enjoy!!