chocolate

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Hazelnut Chocolate Banana Smoothies

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Hazelnut Chocolate Banana Smoothies

Smoothies and summertime go together like...chocolate and bananas :) Today's crazy easy recipe is for a refreshing smoothie that will satisfy your sweet tooth while remaining on the healthier side. 

Nutiva is one of my favorite organic plant-food companies. Their products are well-priced, delicious, and their brand is transparent. Recently, Nutiva sent me some samples of their new Organic Hazelnut Spread, which comes in Classic and Dark flavors. Despite the rich, decadent flavor, it contains 40% less sugar than the leading brand, and comes in jars or packets for on-the-go snacking! I love the individual packaging because they're so easy to use and help with portion control. On top of all that, they're gluten free and vegan :) 

Today I decided to whip up some smoothies - all you need to do is blend your favorite milk, some ice, a banana, and some Nutiva Organic Hazelnut Spread together and you're in smoothie heaven. Add in some chia, honey, other fresh fruit, or chopped chocolate to make it extra decadent. Let's get blending :) 

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This is moist, flavorful, chocolatey bread that makes your house smell unbelievable. It's delicious warm out of the oven, the next day...(if it lasts that long), and even with a scoop of ice cream on top. This recipe is unbelievably easy – all you've got to do is measure-and-dump. You don't need a mixer; just a few extra-ripe bananas and an appetite. Let's get baking!

Mint Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Mint Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Ch-ch-ch-chia :) I know you've heard me rave about chia seeds since forever, but rightfully so! They are an absolute nutritional powerhouse - an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, magnesium, zinc, iron, protein, and calcium. The craziest thing about itty bitty chia seeds is that they are FULL of fiber. Just one oz of chia seeds contains 10 grams of fiber. Why is this important? Because they have the ability to soak up 27 times their weight in liquid and bloat up! They form a thick gel that can be used in tons of recipes.

 

Chia Seed Pudding sets up in about 4 hours, so this is a great idea for overnight prep. You can keep the pudding in the fridge for 3 days. If you love the texture of rice or tapioca pudding, you'll love chia pudding! 

The One Minute, Single Serving Brownie

The One Minute, Single Serving Brownie

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! Whether you like to celebrate or not, I think we can all agree on one thing - chocolate. Mug Brownies are hugely popular on Pinterest, so I decided to see if it was actually as good as everyone makes them seem. Turns out, you can have a warm, fudgy, single serve brownie in a minute! This recipe is as simple as whisking together a few ingredients and then microwaving them for about a minute in a mug. You can customize your brownie off of this base recipe - add chocolate chips, caramel, ice cream, whipped cream... even chili powder :) 

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Hot Chocolate French Toast

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Hot Chocolate French Toast

The smell of hot chocolate is so comforting to me. It reminds me of my childhood. When it comes to breakfast, my family has always been about waffles. What is it about wanting what you don't have, even when it comes to something as simple as breakfast? :) As a kid I always craved French Toast. I imagined the crisp edges and custardy center...while munching on waffles. Now as an adult, I eat French Toast when ever possible ;) Check out my recipes for King's Hawaiian French Toast and Pumpkin Spice French Toast as evidence! For Christmas breakfast, I thought, why not combine these two fantastic flavors? Soaking eggy brioche in a custard mixture spiked with hot chocolate mix is as decadent as you can get. Hot Chocolate French Toast is perfect for the holidays. Let's get cookin :) 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

April Fool’s Day is right around the corner, and what better way to fool someone than with an indulgent chocolate bread….that’s filled with zucchini! This double chocolate zucchini bread is rich and stays super moist because of the grated zucchini, which is barely noticeable and a great way to sneak some veggies into your kids’ diets!
I’m not much of a baker, at all. I don’t understand the science of it all and really love free-styling in the kitchen. After playing with a recipe I found online, which resulted in a failed attempt at a rich, fluffy bread, I asked my friend Tracy, an amazing Pastry Chef, for a little help. I loved how her recipe turned out and hope you will try your hand at this too - don’t ever feel discouraged in the kitchen …it’s all about experimenting and learning :) Also, I don’t currently have a stand mixer and this recipe still worked out. So don’t let that stop you! Let’s get baking! :) 

Ridiculously Easy Black & Orange Marbled Cake

Ridiculously Easy Black & Orange Marbled Cake

It’s #OrangeOctober, my favorite month of the year. October brings the start of the fall holidays, colder weather, Halloween, and my birthday as well! Our #SFGiants have made it to the #NLCS and San Francisco is lit up in orange. It’s a beautiful thing. #EvenYear

A few weeks ago I started to rack my brain for fun #Halloween tutorials to do, since it’s one of the funnest DIY holidays of the year. However, I realized that I’m not really into spooky, gross looking treats. I love the creativity of Halloween, and wanted to come up with a fun, simple, and even…elegant dish for this ghouly holiday.