Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Christmas is coming! And in classic Christmas fashion, I’m sticking to the four elf food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup.

Chocolate Peppermint Energy Bites {Dessert Edition}

Chocolate peppermint is to Christmas as pumpkin is to fall – necessary and delicious. Whoever first decided to pair the sweet flavour of chocolate with that fresh peppermint bite is a hero in my books.

So it’s December 15^th and I am fully in the swing of Christmas shenanigans. I’m talking Christmas carol singing, gingerbread house making, random act of kindness doing, present wrapping, hot chocolate drinking, cookie eating Christmas GOODNESS. My dog might even have a Christmas sweater. I’ll never tell.

Moroccan Spiced Couscous

I’m back with another sampling from my Thug Kitchen cookbook! I decided to test out a side dish that incorporated my new favourite lazy-person pasta {technically more of a pasta than a grain}: couscous. This recipe literally took 20 minutes to make (and that’s including clean up). It’s a great dish to make if you need a quick food to bring to your next dinner party.

Harvest Salad

Being the greens lover that I am, I could probably eat salads year round and be pretty content. But there are a few days when it’s cold and windy outside and I just want to have something that tastes like fall. I want a little more richness and hearty flavours and less light citrus and berries {now I’m daydreaming about summer salads on the patio: withdrawals are mad real at the moment}.

Garlic Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries

I’m not a big fan of French fries. When I’m out with friends they’re usually horrified that I would openly admit to not liking fries. They try to rationalize it… “Oh you really like eating healthy, so you probably just choose not to eat fries…what a fry snob”. But the thing is, I really just don’t like them! I find them too salty and feel that they lack any actual good flavour.

But then I discovered sweet potatoes. BE STILL MY HEART.

Pumpkin Banana Oat Muffins

Of all of the baked goods out there, I have to say muffins have always had a special place in my heart. There’s nothing like a muffin and a big cup of coffee in the morning to start your day off right. But sadly, most store bought muffins have horrific nutrient profiles {tears}. High amounts of fat and sugar are unnecessary and they definitely don’t get your day off to a fresh and healthy start. So while I was in University I did a lot of experimenting with muffin recipes, trying to limit the amount of added sugar. When I learned about using mashed bananas, my life changed forever. Okay, that’s a little dramatic but I was pretty happy about it.

Pumpkin Banana Bread

So I warned you that pumpkin goodness was coming…and here I present to you pumpkin recipe #1: pumpkin banana bread! {cue applause}

Homemade Granola Bars

I love a good granola bar. Most days I’m on the go, so having a quick snack on hand that is filled with good energy and fiber to keep me full is definitely needed! Many store bought granola bars can be filled with lots of sugar and additives that I’m sure most of us would rather skip, so this week, try out this recipe and have good-for-you food on hand at all times!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Energy Bites

Peanut Butter makes everything better. And combining it with a little bit of Nutella is potentially the most delicious combination ever. Hands down. I felt like experimenting in the kitchen and wanted to create a snack that is sweet and yummy but still healthier than some of the store-bought granola bars and snack bites that can be filled with additives. After seeing dozens of recipes for these energy bites, I knew I had to try making them – and of course I couldn’t make them without somehow incorporating my favourite peanut butter cup flavour combo.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

This has to be my new favourite muffin recipe. They’re so filling and delicious and contain no sugar! Say whaaaat?! These muffins get their sweetness from pure maple syrup and ripe bananas. So much better for you than that white sugar commonly used in baking. I love these muffins for a midmorning snack with a piece of fruit, it keeps me powering through until lunchtime!

Give these a try and experiment with different add-ins – I’m sure these would taste amazing with slivered almonds or even some raw cacao powder for a chocolate-y twist!