Today I’m sharing a short, sharp, delt defining workout that you can knock out in just 15 minutes!

Everybody got time for that!

But, believe me when I say this workout is no joke, just because it’s short doesn’t mean it’s not effective, trust me . . . when you’re done with this workout, your heart rate will be pumping, endorphin’s flowing, metabolism firing and um your arms may feel a little like jelly, FYI . . .

. . . you have been warned.

But, this short, sharp shoulder sculpting workout will also  leave you feeling strong and energized ready to take on the rest of your day!

So, here’s what we are going to do –

6 simple exercises – Bicep curls – Hammer Curls – Front Raise – Lateral Raise – Reverse Fly’s and Triceps Extensions.

We will do 8 reps of each exercise and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 3 rounds, got it?

Nothing overly complicated, basic movements done with good form for a short but effective shoulder sculpting workout.

We will move from one exercise to the next with minimal/no rest in between then once we have completed all reps of each exercises we will take 1 full delicious minute of rest and recovery – catch your breath, grab a drink then we get straight back into it and repeat for a total of 3 rounds, deal?

Grab yourself a weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebells, some resistance bands or any combination you like. Make sure you choose something appropriate for your strength but, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

Although, we want quality not quantity, always! Never compromise your form, ever! If your form starts to fail your done, got it?

Take your time, concentrate, focus and breathe through each and every exercise. You are strong, you are amazing, you have big energy! You’ve totally got this!

And because nothing makes a workout challenge more fun than getting a buddy to join you. Why not grab your BFF or a family member or your fave workmate and have them join you, power in numbers baby!

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how you did once you’re done. Either leave me a message in the comments below, or you can give me a shout on the Facebook page or tag me (@EmSwanston) on Twitter , or Instagram (@emsswanston) . I mean it, I wanna hear how you did!

Ok enough chit chat time to work –

15 Minute Delt Defining Workout

As always make sure you are nice an warm before you start your workout – Run on the spot, do jumping jacks, jump rope, dance around your living room, anything to get you warm then it’s time to get serious.

Finish with a nice little cool down and stretch, maybe take a walk or something anything to help bring your heart rate down. Finish with a few of your fave stretches. Please don’t skip the stretch people, its like dessert for the body.

Now for our post workout refuel –  Smoothies are a great option for your post workout refuel, they make it super easy for the body to absorb and digest those precious nutrients, they are seriously convenient, quick and easy to prepare and, a great option for those of us who don’t have much of an appetite post workout.

It’s so important to nourish and re-energize your body post workout, you want to make sure  you give those muscles some fuel so that they can rebuild and repair themselves after working so hard.

How does a nice tall, light, fresh, subtly sweet, delicious, nutritious, blueberry coconut cream smoothie sound?

It’s thick, creamy, light, refreshing, subtly sweet and simply divine.

It kinda tastes like you’re indulging in a big ol’ slice of blueberry cream pie!

FYI – this tall glass of deliciousness also happens to be packed with protein, rich in antioxidants and full of slow release, low GI carbs that will help refuel and re-energize that beautiful body of yours.

Oh and it also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly but, most importantly, it’s downright delicious.

Blueberry Coconut Cream Smoothie
Makes 1 all natural, light, fresh, thick, creamy, deliciously dreamy, subtly sweet blueberry and coconut smoothie that is simply divine!

Ingredients –

1/3 cup coconut or Greek style yogurt

1/2 cup coconut milk (or milk of choice)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 an overripe banana (preferably pre-frozen)

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/4-1/2  cup of ice – more or less to taste

Optional but recommended for serving –

Shredded coconut/coconut chips

Method –

1 – Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth and creamy.

2 – To serve, pour into a chilled glass or mason jar and garnish with a shredded coconut if desired.

Enjoy xoxo

Don’t forget to give me a shout out when you’re done – hit me up in the comments below via the Facebook page on Twitter or on Instagram

Now go have yourself a killer day xoxo

_________________________________________

Question of the day –

What’s your favorite way to refuel after a workout?

Feel free to share recipes or links to recipes or name some of your fave store bought meals/snacks in the comments below

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make this smoothie (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Fit Friday Fun – A 15 min Delt Defining Workout + a bonus Blueberry Coconut Cream Smoothie Recipe first appeared on Better with Cake.

Sadly it was way to hot and humid to do any kind of baking . . .

But there was no way around it, I really wanted a brownie . . .

Scratch that, I needed a brownie – we’ve all been there right?!

So what’s a girl to do?

She makes herself some all natural, quick and easy, decadent, rich, super fudgey, intensely chocolatey, deliciously chewy, slightly nutty raw chocolate brownies that’s what!

And, umm, you guys . . . all I can say is that I totally nailed it!

Brownie craving satisfied my friend, no baking required!

I know you guys are going to love, love, love these decadent, rich, raw chocolate brownies and here’s why;

Firstly they are made with just a handful of simple, healthy, real food ingredients that I bet you have on hand already.

They are sweetened naturally with a splash of vanilla and those deliciously chewy, magical medjool dates so they are naturally vegan, gluten free and paleo friendly.

And then there’s the fact that they could not be easier to make.

All you have to do is simply throw your ingredients into your trusty ol’ food processor or blender and let it do the work for you, once your brownie batter has come together just transfer it into a dish of some kind, smooth it all around, nice and even like then pop them in the freezer for 20ish mins to set – boomshakalocka, done!

Decadent, rich, fudgey, chewy, intensely chocolatey no-bake brownies for the win!

Seriously delicious and guaranteed to satisfy the most intense chocolate cravings . . .

I mean would you just look at how deliciously rich and fudgey they are?!

Get. In. My Belly!

I love the way that the buttery richness of our cashews, almonds and walnuts help to not only balance out the natural sweetness of those magical medjool dates but they also add a nice contrast in texture.

Decadent, rich, soft and chewy with just a leetle bit of crunch – a texture lovers dream.

Side note – I always add a touch of instant espresso to my chocolaty treats because I find that it really helps to intensify the richness of the chocolate, I don’t think you can really taste the espresso at all but if you don’t care for coffee (tell me again how it is that we’re friends?!  Just kidding, you know I love ya  ) or would prefer to not use it, simply leave it out or go ahead and sub a pinch of ground cinnamon in it’s place. Either way, just promise me that you will drop everything and go make these brownies already!

All natural, quick and easy, decadent, rich, super fudgey, intensely chocolatey, deliciously chewy, slightly nutty raw chocolate brownies;

Make them, Eat them, Love, love, love them.

Decadent and Rich Raw Chocolate Brownies {Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly}

Makes approx 15 (4 x 4cm) All natural, quick and easy, decadent, rich, super fudgey, intensely chocolatey, deliciously chewy, slightly nutty raw chocolate brownies

Ingredients –

3/4 cup raw almonds

1/4 cup cashews

1 Tablespoon of crushed walnuts

1 cup medjool dates, pits removed* (approx 6, large)

1 Tablespoon cacao

1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon of salt flakes

1 teaspoon of instant espresso – optional but recommend

1 scoop of Vital proteins unflavored collagen peptides – for protein and gut healing goodness

Method –

* Before you get started – If your dates are a little dry, I suggest you pop them into a small bowl or jug and pour over enough boiling water so they are completely submerged. Set aside for 5 minutes while you get your food processor out and gather up the rest of your ingredients and then when your ready simply pour out the water and proceed with the recipe as normal.

1 – Line a pan with baking/parchment paper and set aside. I used a roughly 9 x 13 inch loaf pan.

2 – Place almonds and cashews into your food processor or blender and pulse a few times until they have broken down into a fine crumb.

3 – Add dates, cacao, vanilla, salt and espresso if using and process until well combined.

4 – Add crushed walnuts and pulse again to combine.

5 – Scoop brownie batter into your prepared pan and firmly press down, taking care to smooth out into one even layer.

The dough is pretty sticky so I find it easiest to use another piece of baking/parchment paper to press it down instead of my bare hands, and then use the back of a spoon to smooth it out so it doesn’t stick to my fingers and leave me in a deliciously sticky mess.

6 – Once nice and smooth pop your brownies into the fridge or freezer for 30 mins to set.

7 – Once chilled and set remove from the tray and cut into whatever size your pretty little heart desires.

I cut mine into roughly 4 cm squares and got 15 delicious little brownie bites, you could slice them into bars or bigger/smaller bites – do what you feel.

Enjoy xoxo
_________________________________________

Question of the day –

What’s your fave treat?

Feel free to share recipes or leave links to recipes in the comments below and please, for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your brownies (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Decadent and Rich Raw Chocolate Brownies {Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly} first appeared on Better with Cake.

Chocolate Espresso Hazelnut Almond butter

Decadent, rich, subtly sweet, intensely chocolaty, seriously creamy, deliciously dreamy, hazelnut-almond butter that has a divine little hint of espresso.

Oh

My

Nut butter

You guys, I am so very much in love with this recipe that I don’t even know where to begin!

Like really, I’m lost for words  . . .

So, I’m thinking I shouldn’t even bother trying to make small talk, let’s just make the nut butter already!

As always our homemade nut butter is super quick and easy to prepare made with just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already.

It s all natural made with no refined flours or sugars – sweetened simply with a splash of vanilla and a touch of cacao, so it’s naturally vegan, dairy free, gluten free and Paleo friendly

It’s thick and creamy, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, seriously chocolaty and oh so easy to make.

Here’s how we do it –

Start off by giving our golden, delicious almonds and hazelnuts a quick roast in the oven – toasting our nuts before we blend our butter helps to give it a more decadent and rich depth of flavor – please don’t skip this step. Yes it’s an extra 5-10 minutes but, trust me – it’s absolutely, 100% worth it!

Now, once our nuts are toasted, and your house smells like heaven, all you have to do is toss them into your food processor or blender and you’re pretty much done!

Initially your nuts will get all chunky, then after a minute or two they will break down into a fine looking flour, then the real magic happens, the heat and friction from all that blending will extract the natural oils from our almonds and hazelnuts and in a matter of minutes,

you will witness one of the most beautiful transformations of all time as your almonds and hazelnuts are whipped into a creamy, dreamy golden, delicious nut butter right before your pretty little eyes . . .

Once that’s done we simply add a splash of vanilla, a dash of cacao, sprinkling of espresso a  and a cheeky pinch of salt – give it one final blendy mcblend and boomshaklocka – done!

Decadent, rich, delicious creamy, seriously chocolaty, espresso infused and simply divine!!

I love that you can really taste all the different layers of deliciousness in each and every decadent spoonful –  the subtly sweet hazelnuts, the buttery roasted almonds, the sweet hum of vanilla, the decadent richness of cacao and that gentle yet angelic hum of espresso.

It’s heaven in a jar I tell you

I feel like I should warn you though, with no added sugars our healthy, homemade espresso infused chocolate hazelnut almond butter is nowhere near as sweet as your store bought chocolate hazelnut spreads.

Give it a taste and if you want to sweeten things up a little add some stevia or maple syrup to taste but, I personally prefer the more subtle sweetness of our homemade version.

Do what you feel though, make it your own.

Once you have your little pot of deliciousness go ahead and use it as you would, business as usual – dive head first into the jar and eat your way out . . . or you be a little more refined and get yourself a spoon . . .

Do what you feel, no judgement here just do yourself a favor and make it, asap!

All natural, quick and easy, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, intensely chocolaty, seriously creamy, deliciously dreamy, hazelnut-almond butter that has a divine little hint of espresso..

I can’t even deal, just do it already!

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it.

Chocolate-Espresso Hazelnut Almond Butter {Vegan, Gluten free & Paleo Friendly}
Makes approx 1 1/2 heaping cups of all natural, creamy, dreamy, subtly sweet, seriously chocolaty, espresso infused,  healthy homemade hazelnut-almond butter

Ingredients –

1 cup of raw almonds

1 cup of raw skinless hazelnuts*

1 Tablespoon of cacao

1 Tablespoon of vanilla bean extract

1 teaspoon of instant espresso granules

1/2 teaspoon of salt flakes

Method –

1 – Preheat your oven to 175’C (350’F)

2 – Line a large baking sheet with baking/parchment paper (or a non stick silpat mat) and pour your almonds and hazelnuts on, making sure they are spread evenly – aka not crowded.

3 – Roast your nuts for 10 mins, until lightly roasted and slightly golden.

*If you are unable to get skinless hazelnuts simply roast them on a separate tray and once they are roasted, place on a clean dry hand towel and fold it in half. Rub it gently between your hands and the skins should come loose. Once the hazelnuts have shed their skins, discard the skins and proceed with the recipe as normal.

4 – Pour your roasted almonds and hazelnuts into the bowl of your food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy (or your desired consistency). Initially the almonds would grind down into a powder, give it a minute or two and the oils will extract and it will become deliciously, thick, rich and creamy. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

5 – Once you have blended to your desired consistency, add your salt, cacao, espresso and vanilla then process until combined.

6 – Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly – add a little extra salt or more vanilla/cacao or even a touch of stevia or some maple syrup if you feel the need and if you prefer a thinner consistency feel free to add a drizzle of coconut oil to thin it out.

7 – Store in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep well for up to 2 weeks – if it lasts that long! (← seriously, good luck with that )

Enjoy xoxo

_________________________________________

Question of the day –

Are you a fellow nut butter addict? What’s your fave flavor? Or brand? Or recipe? And your fave way to eat it?! Straight up by the spoonful, with fruit, on toast, on chocolate?! Tell me . . . details please

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make these chocolate espresso hazelnut-almond butter (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Chocolate Espresso Hazelnut-Almond Butter {Vegan, Gluten Free, Paleo Friendly} first appeared on Better with Cake.

Please, please, please tell me that I am not the only person who is seriously obsessed with their spiralizer?!

I just love it!

It’s so fun!

and makes everything look so pretty!

Although, as much as I love them, I kind of really don’t like the word “zoodle” I’m not sure why?!

It doesn’t bother me at all when other people say it but for me it just feels wrong.

Also, because we are using a mix of zucchini and carrot to make our “noodles” today does that mean I need to say “coodles” too?!

Yep sorry, just can’t do it.

What I can do is tell you about these insanely delicious, quick and easy sweet and spicy sesame “noodles” that I made for us – hello flavor town!

Carrot and zucchini “noodles” are combined with some finely shredded purple (or is it red?!) cabbage, some crisp and crunchy snow peas and the most amazing, all natural, 3 ingredient, quick and easy, healthy homemade Thai style sweet chili sauce.

It’s a little bit salty, a little bit sweet with a cheeky kick of heat that I guarantee will blow your pretty little mind.

Oh you guys I can not wait for you to try these “noodles”, I just know you are going to love them.

They are light, fresh, crisp, crunchy and seriously moorish.

Not only do they pack a serious flavor punch but they are so quick and easy to prepare coming  together in less than 20 mins which makes this the perfect meal for those busy nights when you come home and you’re super tired and super hungry but don’t really feel like cooking – no need to order expensive Thai take-away when you can whip up this deliciousness at a fraction of the cost in less than half the time.

Minimum effort, maximum flavor it’s what I’m all about!

I strongly suggest that you make a double (or triple) batch so you have left overs to take to work/school with you the following day because this dish is so insanely delicious that it’s one of those meals you never want to end.

I may have shed a tear when I finished my last bite.

It’s got that seriously satiating, salty-sweet thing going on and don’t even get me started on the textures!

This is a meal that ticks all the boxes!

And I don’t know how it’s possible but it seems that the longer you let those “noodles” soak up that magical sauce and they better they get. Leftovers of this are a must!

Serve them hot or serve them cold, feel free to add some grilled chicken, fish, beef, tofu (or protein of choice) for a heartier meal but do yourself a favor and make them asap!

Whoever said healthy eating had to be boring?!

Not this girl, not on my watch!

For those of you who don’t yet own a spiralizer never fear, you can simply use your trusty ol’ vegetable peeler to get your “noodles” (for those who are interested this is the spiralizer I have and it’s very user friendly and may very well be the best $29.95 I ever spent) or you could just use old fashioned noodles if you prefer the magic really is in the sauce.

I personally love the veggie “noodles”, they are a little more porous than regular noodles which means they soak up that magnificent sauce a little better and, they also help to keep things a whole lot lighter – I don’t know about you but when I sit down and eat a bowl of regular noodles I tend to wind up feeling a little heavy and sluggish but that’s not the case when I go with the veggie noodles. I feel completely satisfied yet light and energized after the meal, but that’s just me – feel free to make it your own, do what works for you just promise me you’ll make this already!

I mean just look at all that flava flave?

All natural, quick and easy, healthy, homemade, simply sensational, delicious, nutritious, sweet and spicy sesame “noodles”  – Taste the rainbow baby

Make them. Eat them. Love, love, love them.

Sweet and Spicy Sesame Zucchini Noodles {Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly}
Makes 1 serving of all natural, quick and easy, healthy, homemade, simply sensational, delicious, nutritious, sweet and spicy sesame “noodles” 

Ingredients –

For the “noodles” –

1 large garlic clove, crushed

1 large zucchini, spiralized – if you don’t have a spiralizer you can just use a vegetable peeler to slice/peel your zucchini into ribbons, just make sure you stop once you reach the seeds.

1 large carrot, spiralized – if you don’t have a spiralizer you can just use a vegetable peeler to slice/peel your carrot into ribbons.

1/2 cup purple cabbage, finely sliced

1/2 cup snow peas

For the dressing –

2 Tablespoons of Sweet Chili Sauce

1 Tablespoon of tamari (could sub coconut aminos or soy sauce if you prefer/aren’t paleo or gluten intolerant)

1 teaspoon of fish sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

For Serving –

1 Tablespoon of sesame seeds

1 Tablespoon of coriander, roughly chopped

Red chili, finely sliced if you’re feeling feisty

Extra Sweet Chili Sauce

A few slices of fresh lime

Method –

1 – In a small bowl or jug, place dressing ingredients and stir to combine, set aside.

2 – Place a fry pan (or wok) over medium high heat, add a little coconut (or olive) oil along with your garlic and saute’ for 1-2 mins until deliciously fragrant and slightly caramelized.

3 – Add zucchini, carrots, cabbage and snow peas and stir to combine. Allow to cook for 1-2 mins until slightly tender and heated through.

4 – Add your sweet chili dressing and stir to combine. Continue to cook until heated through and vegetables are cooked to your liking. I personally like to have it on the heat for just a minute so my vegetables are still slightly crisp and have a little bite to them. Feel free to play around and make it the way you like it, do what you feel

5 – To serve, top with a sesame seeds, coriander and chili (if using) then finish with an extra cheeky drizzle of sweet chili sauce.

Note – This salad is delicious served hot or cold so feel free to double (or quadruple) the recipe so you can enjoy leftovers throughout the week.

Enjoy xo

__________________________________________

Question of the day –

Tell me, are you a fellow spiralizing addict?! What’s your favorite veg to spiralize?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make these noodles (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Sweet and Spicy Sesame Zucchini Noodles {Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly} first appeared on Better with Cake.

It’s time for our much loved “Fit Friday Fun” to make a comeback!

Excited much?!

I think yes!!!!

I thought we would kick things off with a short, sharp 25 minute lower body workout what do you say, are you in?

I love, love, love my lower body workouts, The lower body is where your powerhouse muscles are (I’m looking at you quads, glutes and hamstrings) which means you get a serious bang for your workout butt, I mean buck

Your heart rate will be pumping, endorphin’s flowing ah how I love that post workout rush!

Seriously how satisfying is that feeling you get once you finish that final rep?!

So, here’s what we are going to do –

5 basic exercises, 10 reps each and we will repeat for a total of 4 rounds, sound good?

Nothing complicated, basic movements done with good form for a killer lower body session.

We will move from one exercise to the next with minimal/no rest in between then once we have completed 10 reps of each exercises we will take 1 full delicious minute of rest/recovery before repeating for a total of 4 rounds.

Grab yourself a weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebells, some resistance bands or any combination you like. Make sure you choose something appropriate for your strength but, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

I want you to really push yourself, the final rep of each exercise should be a challenge!!

Although, we want quality not quantity, always! Never compromise your form, ever! If your form starts to fail your done, got it?

Take your time, concentrate, focus and breathe through each and every exercise. You are strong, you are amazing, you have big energy! You’ve totally got this!

It’s doesn’t have to be complicated people, sometimes less really does = more.

And because nothing makes a workout challenge more fun than getting a buddy to join you. Why not grab your BFF or a family member or your fave workmate and have them join you, power in numbers baby!

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how you did once you’re done. Either leave me a message in the comments below, or you can give me a shout on the Facebook page or tag me (@EmSwanston) on Twitter , or Instagram (@emsswanston) . I mean it, I wanna hear how you did!

Ok enough chit chat time to work  –

25 minute Lower Body Workout

As always make sure you are nice an warm before you start ay workout – Run on the spot, do jumping jacks, jump rope, dance around your living room, anything to get you warm then it’s time to get serious.

Finish with a nice little cool down and stretch, maybe take a walk or something anything to help bring your heart rate down. Finish with a few of your fave stretches. Please don’t skip the stretch people, its like dessert for the body.

Speaking of dessert make sure you give your body some super delicious post workout re-fuel.

This strawberry banana smoothie is one of my faves and always goes down a treat, its packed with protein, low GI carbs which will help refuel and re-energize that beautiful body of yours. You can click here to grab the recipe

It also happens to be vegan, dairy free and Paleo friendly

You could always add a scoop of protein powder for an extra boost and I highly recommend you finish it with a sprinkling of our healthy, homemade pumpkin & cranberry grain free “granola”

Love this quote that Jen Comas shared on the Girls Gone Strong Instagram account – “No food-y, no booty” – I love it because it’s true. Eat, nourish, thrive baby

Don’t forget to give me a shout out when you’re done – hit me up in the comments below via the Facebook page on Twitter or on Instagram

Now go have yourself a killer day xoxo

The post Fit Friday Fun – A 25 minute Lower Body Workout first appeared on Better with Cake.

You guys know how much I love you right?

And I know how, much you love, love, love your Nutella. I saw all the pics you shared of those custom made, personalized jars of sweet, nutty, chocolaty deliciousness that you were lucky enough to get for Christmas.

Seeing all those pics gave me a serious craving for Nutella and a deliciously fun idea . . .

How about we make ourselves an all natural, quick and easy healthy homemade version Nutella ?

And yes, that really is my idea of fun and I think you’ll agree that – chocolate and nut butter is always a good idea right?!

Right!

Say hello to my latest obsession – healthy, homemade chocolate-hazelnut almond butter

You guys are going to love, love, love this;

This right here . . . is the stuff that dreams are made of!

Not only is it insanely delicious but it’s super quick and easy to prepare made with just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already.

It also happens to be all natural made with no refined flours or sugars so it’s naturally vegan, dairy free, gluten free and Paleo friendly

It’s thick and creamy, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, seriously chocolaty and it could not be easier to make.

Almonds and hazelnuts are oven roasted then combined with a splash of vanilla and a touch cacao before being blended into a creamy, dreamy, velvety smooth, intensely chocolaty, vanilla infused, buttery oblivion.

And all that happens in less than 20 minutes!

I mean what’s not to love?!

Enough with the chit chat, let’s just make it already shall we?

Here’s how we do it –

Start off by giving our golden, delicious almonds and hazelnuts a quick little roast in the oven – toasting our nuts before we blend our butter helps to give it a more decadent and rich depth of flavor – please don’t skip this step. Yes it’s an extra 5-10 minutes but, trust me – it’s absolutely, 100% worth it!

Now, once our nuts are toasted, and your house smells like heaven, all you have to do is toss them into your food processor or blender and you’re pretty much done!

Initially your nuts will get all chunky, then after a minute or two they will break down into a fine looking flour, then the real magic happens, the heat and friction from all that blending will extract the natural oils from our almonds and hazelnuts and in a matter of minutes,

you will witness one of the most beautiful transformations of all time as your almonds and hazelnuts are whipped into a creamy, dreamy golden, delicious nut butter right before your pretty little eyes . . .

Once that’s done we simply add our vanilla, cacao and a cheeky pinch of salt – give it one final whiz and boomshaklocka – done!

Decadent, rich, delicious creamy, seriously chocolaty and simply divine!!

I love that you can really taste all the layers in each and every delicious spoonful –  the subtly sweet hazelnuts, the buttery roasted almonds, the sweet hum of vanilla and the decadent richness of cacao.

I should warn you, with no added sugars our healthy, homemade chocolate-hazelnut almond butter is nowhere near as sweet as your store bought Nutella. Give it a taste and if you want to sweeten things up a little add some stevia or maple syrup to taste but, I personally love the more subtle sweetness of our homemade version. Do what you feel though, make it your own.

Then go ahead and use it as you would, business as usual – dive head first into the jar and eat your way out . . . or you be a little more refined and get yourself a spoon, do what you feel, no judgement here just do yourself a favor and make it, asap!

All natural, quick and easy, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, seriously chocolaty healthy, homemade, chocolate-hazelnut almond butter  . . .

You know you want in on this ↑

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it.

Healthy, Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Almond Butter {Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly}
Makes approx 2 cups of All natural, quick and easy, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, seriously chocolaty healthy, homemade, chocolate-hazelnut almond butter

Ingredients –

1 cup of raw almonds

1 cup of raw skinless hazelnuts

1 Tablespoon of vanilla bean extract

1 Tablespoon of cacao

1/2 teaspoon of salt flakes

Method –

1 – Preheat your oven to 175’C (350’F)

2 – Line a large baking sheet with baking/parchment paper (or a non stick silpat mat) and pour your almonds and hazelnuts on, making sure they are spread evenly – aka not crowded.

3 – Roast your nuts for 10 mins, until lightly roasted and slightly golden.

If you are unable to get skinless hazelnuts simply roast them on a separate tray and once they are roasted, place on a clean dry hand towel and fold it in half. Rub it gently between your hands and the skins should come loose. Once the hazelnuts have shed their skins, discard the skins and proceed with the recipe as normal.

4 – Pour your roasted almonds and hazelnuts into the bowl of your food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy (or your desired consistency). Initially the almonds would grind down into a powder, give it a minute or two and the oils will extract and it will become deliciously, thick, rich and creamy. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

5 – Once you have blended to your desired consistency, add your salt, cacao and vanilla then process until combined.

6 – Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly – add a little extra salt or more vanilla/cacao or even a touch of stevia or some maple syrup  if you feel the need and if you prefer a thinner consistency feel free to add a drizzle of coconut oil to thin it out.

7 – Store in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep well for up to 2 weeks – if it lasts that long! (← seriously, good luck with that )

Enjoy xoxo

_________________________________________

Question of the day –

Are you a fellow nut butter addict? What’s your fave flavor? Or brand? Or recipe? And your fave way to eat it?! Straight up by the spoonful, with fruit, on toast, on chocolate?! Tell me . . . details please

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make these bliss bites (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Healthy, Homemade Chocolate-Hazelnut Almond Butter {Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly} first appeared on Better with Cake.

Tell me, how has this first week of 2016 been for you?

Me?

Well . . . let’s just say things have not gone according to plan . . .

Firstly it’s rained solidly for the last 4 days straight.

And when I say solidly I mean SOLIDLY! After the first 2 days they reported that we had had more than a months worth of rain fall in 48 hours . . . and 2 days later, it’s still falling.

Which is so not what you want when it’s school holidays and you have a very energetic little lady on your hands. Thankfully we were able to don our rain coats and make a dash for some much needed coffee and ice cream

And then my laptop decided to die on me.

Ugh total first world problem I know but so, so annoying!

Anyways, thankfully all has been repaired and restored and here I am up and running again at last.

So how are you?

How were your New Years Eve celebrations?

Did you make any New years resolutions?

I didn’t, well not really. Although if you follow along on Instagram you will know that I recently had my first taste of this insanely delicious Purely Elizabeth Ancient Grains Granola which I randomly picked up on my travels last month and instantly fell in love with. So much so I resolved to make myself a copycat version asap because, you guys that stuff is sooooooo good!

Like so, so good! As in I may have shed a tear (or two) when I reached the bottom of the bag.

It’s crisp and crunchy, perfectly spiced without being overly sweet which is pretty much everything you want in a good granola.

My mission was clear, I must recreate it (or something very similar) asap!

Um, you guys . . . I think I nailed it!

Say hello to my all natural, crisp and crunchy, subtly sweet, cinnamon spiked pumpkin and cranberry {grain free} granola.

Some of your favorite nuts and seeds are combined with a little pumpkin puree’, a drizzle of maple syrup, a splash of vanilla and just a pinch of heart warming cinnamon then oven roasted until they are deliciously golden and perfectly crisp.

Then we simply stir through a handful of sweet and juicy dried cranberries and boomshakalocka – you’re done!

So simple right but oh so good!

Delicious, nutritious, crisp and crunchy clusters of oven roasted nuts and seeds with a subtly sweet maple-vanilla glaze, a heart warming hum of cinnamon and chewy dried cranberries . . .

Yep, nailed it!

I feel like I need to tell you that for those of you who might be worried about the use of pumpkin, fear not my friend – I promise you the granola does not taste like pumpkin, not at all.

The pumpkin just adds a subtly sweet yet slightly savory element that well, it just works. Just trust me ok, have I ever steered you wrong?! That being said, if you don’t feel like you can do the pumpkin clearly we can no longer be friends you could totally just sub apple puree’, but please, please, please try the pumpkin. You will love, love, love it I just know it!

Not only is it seriously (and I mean seriously) delicious but, it’s all natural made with no refined flours or sugars and just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already.

It also happens to be super quick and easy to prepare coming together in less than 30 mins, start to finish.

It also happens to be naturally vegan, dairy free and Paleo friendly.

Eat it straight up by the handful, sprinkle some onto your favorite smoothie, or with some fresh fruit and yogurt for a quick and easy, delicious, nutritious, protein packed breakfast (or snack) that will leave you feeling nourished, energized and satisfied for hours.

All natural, quick and easy, crisp and crunchy clusters of subtly sweet, healthy, homemade, maple-vanilla glazed, cinnamon spiced, delicious, nutritious, pumpkin and cranberry, grain free granola;

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it.

Pumpkin and Cranberry {Grain Free} “Granola” – Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly
Makes approx 3 cups of All natural, quick and easy, crisp and crunchy, subtly sweet, perfectly spiced, delicious, nutritious, healthy, homemade pumpkin and cranberry, grain free granola

Ingredients –

3/4 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped

1/2 cup raw cashews, roughly chopped

1/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped

1/4 cup Sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pepitas/pumpkin seeds

1 Tablespoon of chia seeds

1 Tablespoon of Pumpkin Puree’

1 Tablespoon of coconut oil, melted and cooled

2 Tablespoon maple syrup

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

a pinch of salt

1-2  scoops of Vital proteins unflavored collagen peptides – optional for an extra boost of protein and gut healing goodness

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Method –

1 – Preheat your oven to 150’C (300’F) – Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking/parchment paper and set aside.

2 – Roughly chop your almonds, cashews and pistachios – Go easy though, you want there to be some larger pieces, even a few nuts left intact for some nice contrast in texture.

3 – Place your crushed/chopped nuts into a medium size bowl.

4 – Add sunflower seeds, pepitas, chia seeds and cinnamon and stir to combine.

5 – In a small bowl or jug whisk together maple syrup, coconut oil, pumpkin and vanilla then pour over your nut/seed mix. Stir to combine.

6 – Pour your maple-vanilla-pumpkin coated nut mix into one even layer onto your prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 mins stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on it as like any granola recipe, these nuts can catch and burn quickly if left unattended especially when it comes to the final 5 mins.

7 – Once your “granola” is deliciously golden and no longer “sticky” remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 mins.

8 – Add your cranberries and stir to combine then allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring by the handful directly into your mouth to an airtight container (or ziplock bag) and store in the pantry.

Enjoy xoxo

_________________________________________

Question of the day –

Are you a fellow granola lover? What’s your fave flavor combination? Or brand? Or recipe? Tell me . . . details please

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make this granola (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Pumpkin and Cranberry {Grain Free} “Granola” – Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly first appeared on Better with Cake.

Yesterday we looked at your favorite healthy recipes of 2015 so I thought today I would share my top 10 faves –

1 – Vanilla-Espresso Almond Butter – Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly

2 – Healthy, Homemade Teriyaki Turkey Burgers – Paleo Friendly

3 – {Date Free} Chocolate Tahini Bliss Bites – Vegan and Dairy Free

4 – Healthy, Homemade Maple-Vanilla Almond Butter – Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly

5 – Healthy, Homemade Asian Style Lettuce Wraps – Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly

6 – Healthy, Homemade Mexican Seasoning – Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly

7 – Raw, Rainbow Spicy Peanut Lettuce Wraps – Vegan & Dairy Free

8 – Sweet and Spicy Strawberry Salsa – Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly

9 – Carrot Cake Mini Muffins with Cinnamon Spiked Cashew Cream “Cheese” Frosting – Paleo Friendly

10 – Maple-Vanilla Choc Chip Banana Bread – Paleo Friendly

__________________________________________

Question of the day –

What was your favorite recipe of 2015?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make any of these “best of” recipes (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post My Top 10 Healthy Recipes of 2015 – Personal Picks first appeared on Better with Cake.