Healthy Reeses Fudge

It's Thursday and I need some motivation to finish the week out!  Are you in the same boat?

How does a Reeses sounds?

How does a HEALTHY Reeses sound?  Now we are getting somewhere, eh? ;)

 

Did you know I didn't like peanut butter for the first 11-12 years of my life?  I think it was from one too many peanut butter sandwiches  (I also don't like grape jelly.  Never have, never will as far as I'm concerned.)

 

So, since I didn't like peanut butter, I obviously didn't like Reeses.  I began playing volleyball my 7th grade year and in junior high, we did a thing called "secret sisters."  You got a girl on the volleyball team and you secretly encouraged her with small gifts and notes throughout the year.  It was really fun!  Well, my secret sister (hi Anna M.!) chose Reeses as her favorite candy (we all filled out a questionnaire so as to be accurate with our gifts) and so I went out and bought one of those eight packs at Wal-Mart.  After a couple games, and giving her three or four of them, I still had half the container in my dresser.  One morning, I was hungry, and was like, hey, I'll try one of these!

 

Oh.my.gosh.  Love at first bite.

 

(I still love anything that involves peanut butter being mixed with sugar.  Sweetened peanut butter is the bomb.)

 

I then ate the remaining four Reeses.  Yes, I ate all of my secret sister's candy.  Now that I say that out loud, it sounds bad.  I wish I had been introduced to Reeses in an admirable way.  Unless you eat this  Reeses, your friend will die!  It is your choice!

 

Er, no, we'll just stick with the real story.

 

 

Notes:  The chocolate topping is dairy free and only needs three ingredients!  The coconut oil solidifies at cold temperatures, so you cannot sub another oil for it.  Oh, and this does have sugar in it, but there is only a heaping 1/2 cup for 12 servings.  I think that is pretty good!  The graham cracker crumbs may be subbed for GF graham cracker crumbs, if you want.  Finally, healthy doesn't mean low calorie. :)

 

This has a stronger peanut butter flavor than a normal Reeses, but other than that, the texture and flavor are spot on!

 

Healthy Reeses Fudge

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life

Yield: 16 pieces

 

Peanut Butter Fudge:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2/3 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup powdered sugar

 

Chocolate Topping:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

 

Line a 9x9 pan with foil.  Lightly grease foil and set aside.

For the peanut butter fudge: Melt the coconut oil in a medium sized microwave safe bowl.

Stir in peanut butter and vanilla.

Add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar.

Stir until combined (mixture will be a little grainy, that is ok)

Spread into prepared pan.  Set aside.

For the chocolate topping: melt coconut oil.

Add cocoa powder and powdered sugar.  Whisk until smooth.

Pour over peanut butter fudge, spreading if necessary.

Freeze for a couple hours before serving.

 

 

How to Make the Best Homemade Fudge Energy Bars (gluten, dairy, and cocount free)

Welcome to my no bake kitchen.  Because me and the oven have been best of enemies the past week.

 

(funny story about this photo - see the cocoa powder everywhere?  yeah, so I was trying to set a spoonful down on the cutting board, to look all professional, you know? and I lost my balance and flipped the spoon.  hence the cocoa powder everywhere.  my life story)

Ovens need time to heat up. 
Baking needs precise amounts of baking soda.
Cakes and cookies need planning ahead for prep work and cooling time.

Read:  Idonothavetimerightnow.  Or skills - obviously!

I tried a sponge roll cake.  I tried homemade bagels.  I messed up little details on both.  *faceplant*  I DID make these cookies and these cookies, but they weren't blog material because I've already posted them. 

So I stuck with what I know, however uncreative it may be.

No bake energy bites.

 

(don't you just want to finish that bite???)

I am in a not so creative rut right now (hence the lack of posts!)  But I have made these so often (I don't even measure anymore) and this last batch was so good I decided to go ahead and share it with you ... and since I didn't have anything else.

So today I'm going to break down why these are the best homemade fudge energy bites and how you can make them at home, too!

First up: the dates.  aka the key to refined sugar free energy bites.  Dates are the sticky sweetness that makes these taste like a dessert.  And without them, your energy bites will fall apart.  They contribute all of the wet ingredients that hold these bites together.  As for nutritional value, dates are a pretty good source of fiber, especially compared to honey and white sugar.

Next: the almonds!  All nuts, when blended enough, become like a butter.  I don't do that with the almonds in this recipe, but I blend them enough so that their natural fats create a thicker, firmer mixture.  Thanks to the almonds, these energy bites have a nutty, stick-to-ya factor.  You want to make sure you have at least 1:1 ratio of nuts to dates in these kind of recipes.  Otherwise, you will have a wet and sticky hot mess on your hands.  Trust me from multiple experiences.  And, almonds pack a big punch of healthy fats, and protein. 

Third on the list: oats.  Although oats have a bad rap thanks to clumpy lumpy bowls of oatmeal, these energy bites will have you taking back any nasty comments.  Instead of the traditional flour, oats are a hearty gluten free option.  They soak up any extra moisture, ensuring you don't have a wet and sticky hot mess described above.  They aren't usually used in Larabar or Clif bar copycats, but I like the chewiness that oats add.  Plus, they are a great source of fiber!

Finally, our choc-o-la-tay!  On to the goods!  Cocoa powder is an awesome substitute for flour in recipes where you want more chocolate oomph.  It serves the same purpose as the oats in terms of adding body to the energy bites, but it is obviously for the fudge factor.  When cocoa powder combines with dates, you've got a major fudge thing going on.  The rich and chewy fudginess is so darn good!  I use a hefty three tablespoons, but these aren't bitter (also learned from previous experiences) thanks to the dates and the ...

... Dark chocolate chips - don't you dare point to these little beauties and slam these energy bites as unhealthy.  Dark chocolate is good for you (or so I hear ... and tell myself as I eat half the bag) because of all those antioxidants.  (I honestly have no idea what they are but I hear they are good for me.)  And seriously, dark chocolate chips taste amazing. 

Blend those all up, with a little water to make it smoother, and roll into balls. 

Instant fudge gratification. 

These are some of my favorite things to make.  We're talking serious fudge truffles here!  When I want chocolate, I don't want to wait 45 minutes for brownies.  Now I don't have to.  These satisfy my random chocolate fixes in five minutes AND keep me fueled all morning and afternoon ... and afternight. 

In. Love. 

Homemade Fudge Energy Bites
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Yield: 12 bites

1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup oats
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Water

In a good food processor (I used my Ninja) blend the dates with 3 tablespoons of water. (It is okay if they aren't super smooth)
Add almonds and oats and blend again.
Add cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and 1-2 tablespoons more water.  (Start with 1 tablespoon water and if you need more, add the second tablespoon.)
Roll into 12 balls.
Enjoy healthy fudge bliss.
If you have any, store leftovers in refrigerator.

Super Easy Dark Chocolate Toffee Fudge

This is a fudge anyone can do!   It's very rich and creamy, but very simple.  There are only 6 ingredients and is perfect for when you are very short on time. 

Now, you might be thinking those are chopped nuts - guys, I do not do nuts in my fudge.  Or brownies.  Those are Heath toffee bits and they are incredible!  They are sweet, add some crunch, but also melt in your mouth.  They pair with the decadently creamy dark chocolate to make some of the richest fudge I've ever eaten.  Honestly, why buy fudge when you can make this at home?  In, like, 10 minutes?  You only need small pieces, although I love to sink my teeth into a big, thick square.  

This is the fudge recipe I have used for years and years, in fact, it was one if the first recipes I was comfortable making when Mom wasn't there. It was my beginning baker recipe that I could take to piano recitals and parties and classes.  John Caleb and the girls were my baking buddies and really, all you have to do is melt, stir, spread.  It is something they can't mess up and can be successful with.

Now, I really don't know what to say about the eggs ... this recipe is from a cookbook and I've always made it this way.  No one has ever gotten sick and we have eaten more batches of this than I can count.  I assume you could omit if you aren't comfortable with the egg, but it does make it richer and creamier. 

Super Easy Dark Chocolate Heath Fudge

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life. Adapted from Colorado Cookbook. 

Yield: 16 large pieces, 25 small pieces 

1/2 cup butter 

12 oz. dark chocolate chips 

2-1/2 cups powdered sugar 

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3/4 cup Heath toffee bits 

Melt butter and chocolate chips together. Stir until smooth and fully melted. Set aside. 

Beat eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until eggs are light colored and frothy. 

Slowly add powdered sugar and melted chocolate, stirring quickly.  

Add toffee chips and stir. 

Pour into a greased 9x9 pan.  

If you are really short on time, stick in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving and it will be the perfect texture. Otherwise, just store in the refrigerator for at least four hours. Refrigerate leftovers. 

Salted Chocolate Coconut Popcorn

I always claimed to be a sweet and salty kinda gal, but to be honest, my exposure to sweet and salty was limited to, well, I honestly can't think of anything off the top of my head.  (I can just see the shame I'm bringing down on the sweet and salty club.)

But now that I officially tried it, I can't stop adding salt to all my desserts. It's really weird, but it is so good. I might actually get around to the whole salt-on-watermelon thing this summer. 

It all started with a recipe I can't tell you about right me because I'm going to post it soon, but lets just say, it took the veil off my eyes and opened a world full of salt.

My sodium intake will probably double and my doctors will probably roll their eyes every time they see me, but that doesn't matter because - oh, their eyes are already back in their heads when I show up. (I'm only half kidding.  I get hurt and sick - a lot - in the randomest ways. My doctors love me.)

Just in case you were wondering, my hands are not that cute (right now, the skin is dry and the nails even more cracked, if that were possible) but Abigail's sure are!  She graciously let me use her as a photo assistant.

Anyways, salted chocolate. What an easy way to upgrade!  And it coats our popcorn, making it irresistible. I threw in some coconut, because coconut is plain good and I really like coconut and chocolate, but also to add some texture and chew to the popcorn. My mom, who really isn't a big fan of coconut, gave me the mock groan when she saw it, but after a handful, decided that this was really good and it was ok that there was coconut. 

This stuff is so easy and so good and so easy to snack on!  There is no baking, only one bowl, and five ingredients. I melted the chocolate, poured it over the popped popcorn, added the coconut, and then sprinkled the salt on top. I used a tablespoon and it added enough that it was salty, but not too much so that the salt was all you tasted. I think I was more sensitive to the salt because this was my first salty chocolate, but I really liked it. If you don't believe me, I'll show you the empty bowl. And the three salted dessert recipes I have ready to go.

Salted Chocolate Coconut Popcorn

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life 

Yield: 4-5 cups 

1/4 cup unpopped popcorn kernels (yields about 4-5 cups) 

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 

1 teaspoon oil (coconut, canola, or olive)

3/4 cup coconut 

Sea salt (I used about a tablespoon, but adjust to personal preference)

Pop your popcorn.  (An easy way is to place your kernels in a brown paper sack and just microwave for 90 seconds.  Easy, oil free popcorn!)  Then, melt your dark chocolate with the oil.  To do this, place your chocolate chips in a microwave safe  bowl and drizzle the oil over the chips.  Microwave for one minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.  Drizzle over the popped popcorn.  Stir in the coconut.  Sprinkle on the salt.  And now you can eat and enjoy!

Related Recipes:

Popcorn n' Pretzel Butterscotch Puppy Chow

Brown Butter Coconut Caramel Popcorn Blondies

Homemade Healthy Butterfingers

So New Years is coming up and along with it are lots of resolutions.  So I decided to post a healthy recipe to help us all out.

Oh my gosh, there are absolutely incredible.  Like, I literally made three pans of this in three weeks and I ate all three pans.

I think I negated all the healthiness with all that peanut butter!  I cannot get enough of the combo of peanut butter and chocolate.  I had six Reeses peanut butter cups for breakfast the morning after Christmas.

You think I'm kidding.

Anyways, these are incredible.  I didn't expect much from these, but these are so good.  Who would have thought bran flakes with peanut butter and molasses and chocolate would make a very realistic copycat???  Granted, it may not taste exactly like the real thing, but it is pretty darn close.  So don't eat this and then take a bite of a real Butterfinger because it will taste a little different.  The molasses is key. It's not a dominant flavor, but it helps create the Butterfinger flavor.

This recipe is from Chocolate Covered Katie and the first time I followed the recipe as followed, using corn flakes instead of bran flakes.  The second time, I used bran flakes.  The third time, I subbed a scant 3/4 cup dates for the 1/2 cup honey and used bran flakes and honestly, there really wasn't a noticeable difference. 

The peanut butter flavor is the strongest and the bran flakes add that crunch.  They are mixed with the peanut butter and soften into a chewy and dense texture.  I was wary that freezing them wouldn't have the authentic flavor, but lo and behold, it works!  I hope you try these, they are easy, done in five minutes, and are delicious and healthy.

Homemade Healthy Butterfingers

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Adapted slightly from Chocolate Covered Katie

Yield: 8-10 bars

2 cup bran flakes (you can also use corn flakes)

scant 3/4 cup pitted dates

1 tablespoon molasses

1 cup peanut butter

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Soak dates in water for 15-30 minutes.  Drain and blend in a food processor until smooth.  Add peanut butter and molasses and blend again.  Heat in a small pot for a couple minutes or until smooth and slightly runny.  Lightly crush bran flakes and add to peanut butter mixture.  Press into a lightly greased 9x9 pan and freeze.  Cut into 8-10 bars.  Melt chocolate chips.  Dip bars in melted chocolate and freeze again.  Enjoy!

 

Related Recipes:

 

Low Fat Peanut Butter

 

 

No Bake Peanut Butter Cereal Crack Bars {Gluten Free}

 

 

 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bites

 

Gingerbread Cookie Puppy Chow

What do you get when you crumble up gingerbread cookies and coat Chex cereal in white chocolate and gingerbread crumbs? 

Good.  That's what you get.  Finger licking good.

I really like gingerbread.  It isn't my favorite holiday flavor, but it sure is good!  I saw Gingerbread Twix at Dillon's the other day and thought it sounded incredible.  I am a huge fan of cinnamon, so it makes sense why I like gingerbread.  I've heard of many bloggers who could drink molasses, they like it so much, but I don't think I'm one of those people.  But I won't say no to gingerbread, ESPECIALLY in Twix.  And puppy chow.

Holidays bring out all the flavors and shapes in candies.  Like the Twix.  I've also seen MnM's and Oreos.  These marketing people, I think they must know some food bloggers!

I wish they would make gingerbread Cheerios.  And frosting.  Oh, and peanut butter!

I hope they don't ever make gingerbread gum.  Or salsa.  And definitely not Skittles.

Yuck.

But now you can have gingerbread puppy chow! 

 

Gingerbread Cookie Puppy Chow

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life

Yield: 4-1/2 cups

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

4 cups Chex cereal (I used corn, but wheat or rice will work)

2/12 cups gingerbread cookie crumbs

 

Melt the white chocolate chips and shortening a large pan, stirring frequently.  Once melted and smooth, stir in ginger and cinnamon.  Add Chex cereal and toss until coated.  Pour half of the gingerbread cookie crumbs in a Ziploc bag and put half of the coated Chex in the bag.  Toss until Chex is coated with crumbs.  Repeat with remaining cereal and cookie crumbs.  Store in an airtight container.

 

Note:  I used homemade gingerbread cookies that I let bake a couple minutes longer so they would be crunchy.  Then I just crushed them.

 

Related Recipes:

Caramel Cake Batter Puppy Chow

 

 

Popcorn and Pretzel Butterscotch Puppy Chow

 

 

Eggnog Cookie Dough Rice Krispie Treats

These were a huge hit at our house!  Eggnog Rice Krispie Treats covered in eggnog cookie dough and then sprinkles ... festive and addictive. 

Stephen especially liked these. He normally isn't a fan of my recipes because they either 1) include chocolate, pumpkin, nuts, or mint or 2) are healthy or rich. I can't help him, I know. But these, these he liked and according to my family, "when Mary Frances and Stephen can agree on a desset, you know it's good."

Although Stephen and I rub each other the wrong way sometimes, I do love him. He's a cookie dough fanatic and will make his own batch of eggless cookie dough for dessert (because he doesn't like my Candied Pecan Cheesecake Tart)  He is like me in being an extroverted control freak (which is why we don't always get along) and can be an excellent teacher to his younger sisters. He's kind of stuck in the middle, which challenges him a lot. He has to be the youngest of three boys in a row and also the oldest of two little sisters. It's tough sometimes and I often forget to appreciate his struggles and gifts. 

One thing I have really enjoyed doing with Stephen is taking photos. He loves taking pictures and if he can handle the camera, he will.  He is more than willing to take pictures of me and honestly, he is really good at it.

We took Christmas photos yesterday and afterwards, did some individuals for the fun of it. I really like photo sessions (what can I say ...) and its different when he is taking my picture vs. mom. Like, I can tell him how to hold the camera, etc. because I'm his big sister. I won't need to help him for long though!  He is also really photogenic. Want to practice photography?  He and I will sign up ... Luke, not so much:)  Our family's personalities, as they should, run the gamut!

These Rice Krispie Treats are some of my all time favorites. I really like eggnog, for one, and cookie dough. If I had to choose, I would prefer a brownie base, but I am not one to turn down a Rice Krispie Treat. It's amazing how good marshmallows and cereal taste together!  You bite into smooth cookie dough and then crunchy, sticky cereal bars, eggnog in ever bite.  And I love how cute the sprinkles are. I just can't get enough sprinkles. We have a Christmas themed sprinkles can (?) that has different Christmas jimmies, sprinkles, and sugar and I'm definitely going to be taking advantage of it in the next couple weeks!

  

Eggnog Cookie Dough Rice Krispie Treats 

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life 

Yield: 16 servings

Eggnog Cookie Dough: 

2/3 cup sugar 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2/3 cup flour

1 tablespoon eggnog

1/2 teaspoon rum extract 

A pinch each, of salt and baking powder 

Eggnog Rice Krispie Treats: 

1 bag (10 oz) marshmallows 

2 tablespoon butter 

1 teaspoon rum extract 

6 cups Rice Krispie Cereal 

Christmas sprinkles 

For cookie dough: Beat butter and sugar together. Add eggnog, rum extract, baking powder, and salt and stir until combined. Add flour. Set aside

For Rice Krispie Treats :

Melt butter and marshmallows in a pot.  Once melted, remove from heat and stir in rum extract. Immediately stir in Rice Krispie cereal and press into a lightly greased 9x9 pan. Let cool. Spread cookie dough over cold Rice Krispie Treats and sprinkle with sprinkles. 

Notes: you can omit the eggnog and run extract for plain cookie dough Rice Krispie Treats. Confession, Stephen did like the plain version more than the eggnog, but he did like both! 

Related recipes: 

Mini Wheat Rice Krispie Treats

 

No Bake Peanut Butter Cereal Crack Bars {Gluten Free}



Fudgy Sugar Cookie Dough Brownies

 

My First 5K, Running Tips, and Pumpkin Granola Bars

I ran my first 5K this Saturday!  It was a whopping 25 degrees and I was the only girl, but me and my family did it. The boys were *thrilled* but Nathan ran with me and for not training, did really well (ie finished less than a minute behind me.) It was really fun and I enjoyed it a lot. Since it wasn't very windy, it really wasn't that bad, and as long as you've got gloves and a hat, it's hard to stay cold while running.  The winner of the boys and the winner of the girls each got a turkey as a prize.

Now that I've proved to myself I really can run, I'd like to try a 10K next. My goal is six miles this week and is like to keep running throughout the winter. Icy driveways might be a problem, but we'll see! 

I'm not a runner, but I have been trying to run consistently the past couple months.  Here are some tips I've learned and picked up along the way.

1) Listen to your body!  Don't push that last half mile if something is hurting you.  It's your body's way of letting you know something is up, so don't ignore it.  That extra three minutes of running won't help you in the next couple weeks if you injure something.  On the flip side, if you're feeling good and pumped, push that extra mile.  Don't limit how far you can run by how far you think you can run.  Sometimes your body will surprise you.  Sometimes it won't.  Listen to it.

2) Set reasonable goals.  I needed to do some research on running before I set my goals.  Don't set them so high that they're almost impossible because that just leads to discouragement.  It didn't take me very long to get started running longer distance, but it has taken me a while to add several miles to the original distance.  I had some unreasonable goals in the beginning, but I've been working on them.  I tried running certain distances and certain minutes and I found minutes worked better in the beginning and distances works better now. 

3) Invest in a good pair of shoes.  Shoes don't make you a runner, but they sure make it more comfortable - thus, they help you become a better runner. And since you're running to keep your body healthy, investing in good shoes helps prevent injury (which would negate keeping your body healthy;)

4) Listen to something while running.  I time my miles by how many songs it takes me to run them.  They're fun to listen to and motivating.  I also love getting my worship time in while running.  Sometimes I prefer radio theater and those are great, too.  The only exception to this is in earlier in the morning.  Before I ran, I walked, usually every morning.  In the late winter, early spring, the sun doesn't rise that early and walking down our pretty long driveway in the dark, listening to intense audiobooks - bad, bad, bad combo.  However (I digress), music is great help while running!

5) Pretend you are racing someone and that they are always just beating you.  If you're competitive, this is a good one. It keeps me on pace and guarantees I don't slack off. (Refer to point number one though - be wise!)

6) Stay relaxed.  Don't tense up.  You'll just get hurt and I'm speaking from experience:)

7) Get accountability.  I run for volleyball, so practices and games are my accountability and they are very motivating.  If you don't have that sort of goal, get a person to keep you on track.

8) Find a time that gets the most of your.  I stink at running in the morning.  It's just ugly and leaves me feeling defeated (ie, I can't believe those two miles kicked my tail like that!)  I run best between 3-5 in the afternoon and so, obviously, that is my favorite time to run because I can run the best then.

9) Have fun!  Sounds easy ... it isn't always. Run for the right reasons with the right attitude.

10) Let me hear your thoughts!  Do you run?  If so, what are your tips for running?

Also, make sure you've got energy for your run.  Here is one of my favorite granola bar recipes.  I've been trying to get the texture right for a really long time. More often than not, mine are too wet and aren't firm enough to hold unless refrigerated and even then, they've been ultra soft. These on the other hand, although refrigerated, are firm like real bars!  The flavors are nicely balanced and there isn't a dominant one. It isn't too nutty or pumpkin-y, just very fall-ish (spell check hates me right now)

Pumpkin Cranberry Walnut Granola Bars
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Yield: 4-6 bars

2/3 cup walnuts
2/3 cup oats
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Grind oats and walnuts in a food processor until fine. Add cranberries and pulse 4-5 times. Add pumpkin, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice and pulse until mixture pulls into a ball. Press into a small pan and refrigerate for several hours. Cut and enjoy!

Related recipes:

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars

Almond Joy Energy Bites

Caramel Apple Granola

Raspberry Truffle Bites {healthy, GF}

 

I love talking with people. 

 

I'm extroverted and I like talking anyways, but getting to talk with people is so much fun. There are so many different types if conversations. There are the for fun chats, the one on one discussions, the group conversations, the long distance phone calls - they're all unique, but all special.  I love the different aspects of different friendships and I'm so blessed to have friends who are willing to share their different interests with me. For example, I like to get together and bake/experiment/make a mess with one friend. Then I like discussing and analyzing books and stuff with another friend.  One it's volleyball, another fashion, another pinterest - I'm truly blessed by the friends I have.  God created us for fellowship!  Getting to talk things out, getting up hash things over, getting to speculate ; conversations are gifts and memories. 

 

I'm working on what I love. Because it bugs me to no end when people say they love something or someone and either 1) it gets old and loses its meaningfulness or 2) you know they person really doesn't love him/her/it and then you don't know if you can believe them every time they say it. 

Words are powerful and I want mine to be meaningful and not fluff. Whether I'm in a group of one on one, I want to not regret my words (trust me, I've stuck my foot in my mouth more times than you can count) but have an image of sincerity. I want my love for things to be special.  Reserved for friendships and conversations. Not the best chocolate pudding ever. 

So here we go. 

 

I really really really like this chocolate cheesecake pudding. Last night at a friends house, my friends mom offered me avocado and we both laughed ... she knows me well!

The chocolate filling in these is divine.  It tastes like rich chocolate pudding and after being refrigerated, takes on the texture of cheesecake.  Not kidding, it is amazing.  The oat base is slightly nutty, has a lot of texture, and pairs with the ultra smooth filling so well.  And the raspberries aren't really necessary, its just for aesthetics;)
 

 

Raspberry Truffle Bites
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Yield: 12-16 bites

Base: 

1 cup oats (gluten free certified)

1/2 cup almonds 

1/4 tablespoons honey 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

Truffle: 

1 avocado, ripe 

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1/4 cup honey 

1 tablespoon milk 

Optional: raspberries for garnish

For the base: In a food processor, blend all the ingredients together until it forms a ball.  Form into 12-16 bases.  Freeze for 10 minutes.

For truffle filling: In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth.  REfrigerate for 10 minutes.

To assemble: Spread a 1/2 - 1 tablespoon truffle filling onto each base and top with a raspberry.  You can eat then, but best results are after you refrigerate the bites for at least four hours before serving.

Adapted from The Best Chocolate Pudding

 

These Almond Joy Energy Bites served as inspiration, too!