Overnight Hot Peanut Butter & Banana Granola

You might be familiar with the saying, "when one door closes, another door opens." Sadly the end has come to Amanda's #letsgetfoodiechallenge, which was to run through until October of this year. Amanda had to end her #letsgetfoodiechallenge as other priorities took over and she could no longer do everything she wished.

But as this door closed, another door opened for me as I accepted the Golden Girl Granola Blogger Recipe Challenge. Yes, another challenge! I'm loving them as they give me a, er....dare I say, challenge. Yes, I just said that {smile}.

I don't know if you've ever heard of Golden Girl Granola before. They're a family owned business that started out of their kitchen up in Massachusetts. They're slowly growing their business which is why they started these challenges to help people become familiar with their product through recipes. Which is a great marketing idea if you ask me! A win-win for everyone!

Golden Girl Granola has challenged bloggers who have responded to their plea to create an entree recipe using their granola. And since my favorite time to eat granola is in the morning because breakfast is the MOST important meal of the day (as y'all know), I created a breakfast recipe, Overnight Hot Peanut Butter & Banana Granola.

A blend of Golden Girl's Honey & Coconut Granola with bananas, peanut butter, almonds, and coconut all warmed up to help you start your day off right.

Overnight Hot Peanut Butter & Banana Granola

Recipe by Julie Murphy

An overnight granola that makes mornings warmer & easier.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 2 minutes
Total time: 7 minutes
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon Golden Girl's Honey & Coconut Granola
• 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 Tablespoon almonds, chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons honey (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1 banana, sliced

Cooking Directions

1. In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup granola, coconut milk, coconut flakes, and almonds.
2. Mix together, cover, and place in refrigerator until morning.
3. In the morning, mix in peanut butter and a dash (about 1 Tablespoon) of coconut milk to help keep mixture moist while cooking.
4. Place bowl into microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes on High setting.
5. After 2 minutes, remove bowl from microwave, stir, and add sliced banana. Mix together.
6. Top with coconut flakes and 1 Tablespoon granola.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Disclaimer - I did not receive any monies for this post. I only received one bag of granola from Golden Girl Granola to help in making with the recipe. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Coconut Cream Truffles

I've done it again. I've put myself up for another food challenge. However, unlike my last challenge, the Sugar Crush Challenge, this current one is specific to me challenging myself to create a food from one of my fellow foodies, Amanda Bootes, food picks. And this week Amanda has challenged us to creating a recipe with chocolate.

Amanda chose chocolate to start off our challenge because she cares about raising awareness for the Sick Children'sTrust, who hosts a Big Chocolate Tea Party each year to help raise awareness, monies, and support for their charity.

 If you're interested in raising awareness for the Sick Children's Trust, you can also host a party, either online or through an organization such as schools or your workplace. Just go to their website here and check it out. It's a great way to give back to those in need of help.

Yes, that's a strawberry you see in the back there. With the leftover chocolate, I made chocolate dipped strawberries.

 

So in honor of the chocolate food challenge this week, I made a recipe I've had my eye on for some time now, Coconut Cream Truffles covered in dark chocolate.

A creamy coconut filling surrounded by a thin layer of dark chocolate. They remind me of a Mounds bar. So if you love Mounds bars, you're going to love these scrumptious little coconut bites.

And the best part is that I made them a little more healthy so you don't have to feel so guilty about eating them! I substituted coconut oil for the butter and pure coconut cream for the sugar laden cream of coconut. Plus I used organic unsweetened coconut flakes instead of the ones covered in sugar. And we all know dark chocolate is much better for you than milk chocolate.
 

The result is a sweet, creamy coconut center with a thin chocolate shell that satisfies any sweet tooth. If I never told you, you would never have guessed the ingredients I substituted to make these truffles good for you.

Stay updated to my blog for more food challenges this month from Amanda's  #letsgetfoodiechallenge.

 

 

Coconut Cream Truffles

Recipe by Julie Murphy

Scrumptious bites of creamy coconut covered in dark chocolate.

Prep time: 15
Total time: 25
Yield: 1 dozen
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup organic coconut oil, softened
• 2 Tablespoons coconut cream (separated from coconut milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract*
• pinch sea salt
• 1 cup organic unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 6-8 ounces dark chocolate melting wafers

Cooking Directions

1. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium to large bowl, beat together coconut oil and coconut cream until smooth.
3. Blend in coconut extract, vanilla, and salt.
4. Gradually add in powdered sugar until thoroughly blended.
5. Fold in coconut flakes, making sure everything is mixed together.
6. Take Tablespoon size balls and roll between your palms until mixture is made into a uniform ball shape.
7. Place onto wax paper and repeat.
8. Once all of coconut mixture is shaped into balls, place cookie sheet into freezer for at least 1 hour so balls can set up. Can even leave in freezer overnight.
9. When you're ready to dip ball shapes, prepare melting wafers as directed on package.
10. Have 2-3 clean forks, a large spoon, and toothpicks available nearby.
11. Place chilled ball into prepared dark chocolate. Leaving the ball in one place, take spoon and gently drip chocolate over the ball.
12. Once ball is covered with chocolate, place ball onto spoon, lift out of dipping chocolate, gently transfer chocolate covered ball over to fork. Tap off excess chocolate using edge of bowl or two fingers from your free hand. Swipe fork on edge of bowl and repeat tap, swipe at least 2-3 times. You do this to remove excess chocolate so the chocolate doesn't overpower the coconut cream filling of your truffle.
13. Once this process has been repeated 2-3 times, take truffle ball on fork over prepared cookie sheet with wax paper, place toothpick at bottom of truffle ball and gently swipe off of fork using the toothpick. Immediately sprinkle with coconut flakes or candy sprinkles if desired.
14. After all truffles have been dipped in chocolate, place cookie sheet into refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour to let chocolate set.
15. Best served at room temperature.

 

*Helpful Hints*

 

- Watch me and learn how to dip your truffles here.

- I used Madagascar Vanilla extract, which is also known as bourbon vanilla.

-  As in the directions above, I state to have a few clean forks available while dipping your truffles. This is because you want a clean fork for dipping the truffles. Sometimes the truffle filling will get stuck between the tines. If this happens, just grab a clean fork that is nearby or wipe fork off clean with a towel.

Recipe inspired by ~ Dorothy at Crazy for Crust.
 

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Shared with: Mix it up Monday!, Skip the Housework Link Party #71

Paleo Chocolate Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

You read that right...chocolate coconut chocolate chip cookies that are paleo friendly. Remember the Paleo Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies I made a few weeks ago? Well these are just a more chocolatey version of those cookies and what a difference a little bit of chocolate makes as they don't even taste like the same cookies!

During my Sugar Crush Challenge last month, I was craving something sweet but I couldn't have any granulated white sugar or brown sugar. So I had to find healthier versions of my all-time favorites. And after making the paleo chocolate chip cookies, I still had a strong hankering for chocolate.

As I was thinking of what could possibly be better than coconut chocolate chip cookies, it became obvious to me that more chocolate was the answer. And that is how I came up with these chocolate coconut chocolate chip cookies that are even more healthier for you than their inspiration, Paleo Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I say “healthier” because I’ve swapped out the dark chocolate chips for organic cacao nibs which have more nutrients without any added sugars, yet you still get that delicious chocolate flavor. And we all know the benefits of having dark chocolate over milk chocolate, right? Well, if you don’t already know, dark chocolate (unsweetened, not the sugary stuff) is found to:

• • Contain powerful antioxidants
• • Improve blood flow which helps lower your blood pressure
• • Raises HDL and helps protect LDL against oxidation
• • Lowers your risks of heart disease
• • Improves brain function

Who’d have thought adding more chocolate to your diet would be better for you? And you thought eating healthy meant cardboard and tasteless foods.

Times are a’changing baby!

By the way for all who are wondering, I've completed my Sugar Crush Challenge. I have to say it opened my eyes to how much sugar is in the everyday foods we eat on a daily basis. And I'm not talking just desserts here. Sugar is in almost everything we eat like ketchup, yogurt, orange juice, milk - dairy milk, almond, cashew, and coconut milk included. Add that together with the other foods you eat and the sugar grams quickly increase for the day.

I lost ten pounds by cutting out sugar from my diet and I feel better too. So after completing the challenge, I'm going to continue watching the sugar content in my diet although I will still be making sweets too, just in moderation now. If you haven't already, I highly advise you to try the Sugar Crush Challenge and let me know if it helps you clean up your diet.

Paleo Chocolate Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe by Julie Murphy

Prep time: 8 minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup organic coconut flour
• 1/3 cup organic cacao nibs
• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
• Pinch sea salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup organic cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon dark cocoa powder
• 2 Tablespoons organic unsweetened coconut flakes

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Line cookie sheet (2 if you have available, otherwise, just use one cookie sheet will do) with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a medium to large mixing bowl, add coconut flour, sea salt, eggs, melted coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Mix together until all ingredients are blended. Making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to get all the coconut flour blended in. Texture will be reminiscent of normal cookie dough. It might take a little longer for the coconut flour to soak in the wet ingredients. If using a stand mixer, about 5 minutes longer. If texture is still runny, add in coconut flour a little at a time until you achieve correct texture.
4. By hand, fold in coconut flakes, pecans, and cacao nibs.
5. Using a Tablespoon or pre-set cookie spoon, drop onto prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
6. Gently press down cookie with your fingers or palms, as cookies will not spread out during baking.
7. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. You will not be able to see these cookies turn a golden brown in color that is usually a sign to take them out of the oven, so keep a watchful eye on them as you do not want to burn.
8. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack where they can cool completely.
9. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. But trust me, they won't last that long!
10. Cookies will retain a soft texture during storage.

Benefits of Dark Chocolate found here.

 

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Baked Banana Nut Oatmeal

During the first five days of my Sugar-Free Challenge, I had to keep a food diary and log the sugar in everything I ate. The purpose of doing this is to find the hidden sugars in foods you eat and where you can cut the sugar in your diet.

To my surprise, my breakfast had the most sugar. All this time, I thought I was eating healthy. I normally start my days with oatmeal and fruit, a glass of orange juice, a glass of organic fat-free milk, and my morning coffee.

Healthy, right? Yes and no. You see, the oatmeal with fruit is healthy. However, the glass of orange juice and milk, healthy as they sound, have a lot of hidden sugar in them. One glass of unsweetened orange juice has an average of 22 grams of sugar. And a glass of organic fat-free milk has 12 grams of sugar. Making the total for my "healthy" breakfast a whopping 64 grams of sugar!

Keep in mind the daily guidelines recommend 50 grams of sugar a day while the American Heart Association recommends only 25 grams of sugar a day. So much for my "healthy" breakfast.

With this in mind, I needed to make some changes to cut the sugar in my diet and my first choice was with breakfast.

I switched to Tropicana’s Trop50 orange juice, which only has 10 grams of sugar per glass instead of 22. And I changed my milk to either cashew, almond, or coconut milk instead of organic fat-free cow milk. The sugar savings there are anywhere from 6 to 12 grams per glass, depending on whether I choose sweetened or unsweetened milk.

And I even found a way to cut the sugars in my oatmeal with this delicious baked banana nut oatmeal recipe from Marie over at Feeling Foodish. Made with bananas, oatmeal, walnuts, and egg with no extra sugar added. The bananas provide the sweetness for natural deliciousness! I made it even more healthy by substituting coconut oil for the butter.

Of course I sprinkled a little bit of unsweetened organic coconut over the top to make it even more scrumptious {smile}.

Now instead of 64 grams of sugar at breakfast, I’ve cut it down to about 27 grams of sugar now with this baked banana nut oatmeal and I can actually say I eat a “healthy” breakfast.

Of course, if you’re not worried about cutting the sugar in your diet, feel free to sprinkle a little brown sugar or slices of banana over the top. Or a little coconut, like I do.

You can also prepare it the night before for a quick and nutritious breakfast in the morning.

Baked Banana Nut Oatmeal
________________________________________

INGREDIENTS

2 cups oats (can use instant, old fashioned, or steel cut)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 egg, room temperature

2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 and ½ cups Almond-Coconut Milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
________________________________________

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Spray an 8” x 8” casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add oatmeal, cinnamon, nuts, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add egg, melted coconut oil, bananas, milk, and vanilla. Mix together.

Add in dry ingredients and blend well. Pour into prepared dish and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Let cool before serving, about 5 minutes.

Can serve with flaked coconut, sliced bananas, fresh fruit, brown sugar, honey, or milk over the top.

Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Inspired by ~ Marie at Feeling Foodish

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Shared with: Savoring Saturdays, Totally Terrific Tuesday Link Party #25

Banana Blueberry Oatmeal

Y'all know I have a major sweet tooth. Yes, I'm a self-proclaimed sweet addict. And lately, it has been overtaking my life and causing me to indulge in my sweet cravings a little more than usual.
So when I saw this Sugar Crush 30 day Sugar-Free Challenge, I knew it would be something for me to try to get my sweet tooth back under control. And maybe lose a few pounds along the way too {smile}.

During these next 30 days, I will be sharing healthy recipes with you that help curb those sweet cravings as I stumble through this 30 day Sugar Crush Challenge.

My first recipe as part of this challenge makes for a great way to start your day. It has fruit and nuts, antioxidants, warms you up, keeps your tummy full, is delicious, and ready in about five minutes. All this and with no added sugar, my recipe for Banana Blueberry Oatmeal. One of my favorite ways to wake up in the morning, along with my cup of coffee {smile}.

If you want to try the Sugar Crush 30 day Sugar-Free Challenge with me, go here and check out all the helpful hints they have to help get you through this sugar free journey.

And let me know in the comments below so we can support each other. You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what choices I make during these next 30 days.

Banana Blueberry Oatmeal

1 serving

Ingredients

¼ cup instant oats (can also use old-fashioned or steel cut)

1 medium banana, sliced

½ cup blueberries, washed and rinsed

½ scoop protein powder

1 Tablespoon chopped walnuts

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

Directions

Add oats, banana, protein powder, walnuts, and chia seeds together in a small microwave safe bowl. Add enough water to cover ingredients, about 1 cup. Mix together.

Add just enough water to cover and wet ingredients like above

Place in microwave for 1-2 minutes on High. Stir together. Fold in blueberries. Enjoy!

*Helpful Hints*

- If too watery, place back in microwave for a little longer.

- If too dry, add a little more hot water.

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Shared with: Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #137, Savoring Saturdays

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Banana Froyo (frozen yogurt)

You didn’t really think I would let summer end without a few more homemade ice cream recipes, did ya? Especially since it seems hotter now than it did when summer began! I love summer but I have to tell ya, I’m ready for the cool nights of fall.

Until then, we will cool off with some homemade ice cream! After all, who doesn’t love ice cream? With that creamy sweetness of any flavor you desire right on the tip of your tongue…mmmm. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it {smile}!

And not just ice cream, as you have sherbets, sorbets, gelatos, and my new favorite, froyos! I like to refer to froyo as the “healthy ice cream” since it’s similar to the texture of ice cream without all the heavy cream or eggs. And I have to say, if I did a blind taste test, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between Froyo and ice cream.

Wait right there and hold that thought, I’ll be right back….. Nope can’t tell the difference, let me just have a few more bites to make sure…….nope! Oh this is good {smile}. Yes, I just did my own taste test to prove to you I cannot tell the difference between textures while I closed my eyes. What you say, you don’t trust me…??

Then I challenge y’all out there to try for yourself and let me know your results. Yep, we will call it the ice cream-froyo challenge.

It’s a whole lot more fun (and taste better) than the ice bucket challenge. Plus, it won’t cost ya a dime, other than the cost of ice cream and Froyo, which you and your whole family will enjoy!

I start with this recipe of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Banana Froyo. Please post your results in the comment section.

Good luck to everyone and let the challenge begin!

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Banana Froyo

Serves - 2

Ingredients

2 bananas, ripened

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup coconut milk

3 Tablespoons peanut butter (can use creamy or crunchy)

5 Reese’s Miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped and quartered

1-2 Tablespoons honey (optional)

Directions

Place banana, yogurt, coconut milk, peanut butter, and honey (if using) in a blender and puree until all ingredients are blended together.

Pour into a freezer safe dish and gently fold in quartered Reese’s peanut butter cups.

Place lid on top and freeze overnight.

*Helpful Hints*

- honey is optional if you prefer it a little sweeter.

- let set out for at least 10 minutes if freezing overnight as it will be difficult to scoop out straight from the freezer.

- All measurements are US

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Shared with: #glutenfreefridays #109, Savoring Saturdays #32, Wine'd Down Wednesday 54, Wonderfully Creative Wednesdays Link Party, Wake Up Wednesday "Linky" #35, On Display Thursday #13 , Great Idea Thursdays 67, Say G'day Linky Party {106}, Busy Monday 133, Mix it up Monday!, Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party #26, Tasty Tuesday Link Up, The Southern Special 26, Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday {20}