Vanilla Cold Brew Overnight Oats

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Quick and easy breakfasts are a major staple in my house, always paired with a small cup of HOT coffee. Iced coffee and cold brew aren’t usually my thing, but these vanilla cold brew overnight oats DEFINITELY are!

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I used Wandering Bear Cold Brew coffee and would highly recommend it if you’re into coffee! The flavor it added to these oats was absolutely perfect.

discount CODE “KEEPYOURLIFEALIVE”

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What you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 3 TB cold brew coffee

• 1/2 cup milk of choice

• 2 tsp chia seeds

• 1 scoop (1/2 serving) vanilla Nuzest protein powder or protein of choice

• 1-2 tsp maple syrup (to taste)

• Dash of vanilla extract

• Dash of cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together and store in the refrigerator overnight, up to 5 days. Top with fruit, nuts, nut butter, coconut, etc. as desired!

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Flourless Chickpea Blondies

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The first time that I made this recipe marks the first time that I… peeled an entire can of chickpeas! It was tedious 🙃 but worth it! I don’t know that I’ll take the time to do it very often (or ever again), but it does result in a smoother product when the chickpeas get blended together.

I don’t bake things very often either, but these were super yummy and come together pretty quick! (if you don’t peel the chickpeas) 😉

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Yield: 6-8 blondies

What You’ll need:

• 1 15-oz can chickpeas

• 1/2 cup peanut or other nut butter

• 1/3 cup ground flax

• 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/3 cup mix-ins (chocolate chips, coconut shreds, chopped nuts, etc.)

• optional: 1-2 scoops collagen peptides (does not change flavor or texture, just adds protein)

  • Further Food discount FINDINGBALANCE

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Blend in a food processor or high-speed blender until smooth.

   • Optional: before blending, peel the skin of each chickpea. This will result in a smoother product and makes the chickpeas easier to digest as well.

3. Add nut butter, honey or maple syrup, and vanilla extract and blend again until smooth.

4. Add flax, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda and blend again until smooth.

5. If needed, add 2-4 TB liquid (milk, water, etc.) and blend until the batter is dense and smooth, but not runny.

6. Stir in chocolate chips and/or other desired mix-ins. Do not blend.

7. Pour batter into a greased 8x8 baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until batter is no longer wet or sticky.

8. Allow blondies to cool and cut into 6-8 pieces. Drizzle with nut butter if desired.

   • I stored mine in the fridge for a cool treat. They were gone in 2 days, but should last up to a week!

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Cookie Dough Protein Balls

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Quarantine 2020 had me in the kitchen lots 👩🏼‍🍳 and this is one of the recipes I threw together out of boredom and curiousity!

They’re kind of a spin off of my most popular blog recipe: Easy Chickpea Cookie Dough. I’m a really big fan of anything cookie dough 🙂

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These come together in just a couple of minutes, and I suggest letting them chill for at least 30 minutes before eating them… if you can wait!

You can omit the protein powder if you don’t have any, but you’ll need to add extra oats or flax. You can add any “mix-ins” you want; you’re certainly not limited to chocolate! Chopped nuts, coconut, raisins, or anything else that you like.

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What you’ll need:

• 1 can (15-oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1/4 cup nut butter

• 2 TB ground flax

• 1/4 cup oats or oat flour

• 1 serving vanilla protein powder (this is the one I use)

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

1. Place drained and rinsed chickpeas into a food processor or high speed blender and pulse until smooth.

2. Place the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate into the food processor or high speed blender and pulse until smooth and well combined. You may need to scrape down the sides periodically.

3. Transfer the dough into a bowl and fold in the chocolate (and anything else you want to add in).

4. Roll the dough into balls and place on a plate or baking sheet.

   • Note: I like to use about a 2 TB (1/8 cup) scoop when scooping the dough out of the bowl to roll.

5. Allow the balls to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving for maximum palatability.

6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer.

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How I Make Perfect Spaghetti Squash

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Especially in the fall, spaghetti squash is one of my favorite things to meal prep. I love all squash really, but spaghetti squash is so much fun! I’ve cooked quite a few of them in my day, and I’ve discovered some tips & tricks to get those perfect “noodles” every time. Read on to hear them & try it for yourself!

One of the simplest meals to make using spaghetti squash is just to saute it with some marinara sauce & ground turkey or chicken sausage. I like to have a piece of garlic toast on the side for some carbohydrates, too. You could also bake it into a casserole dish, like this one. The list goes on & on!

To make your squash:

1. Cut spaghetti squash in half & place face down on a baking pan or in air fryer basket.

2. Cook.

   • Oven: Cook on 425°F JUST until the skin starts to give & feel a little bit soft. Any further than that, your ‘spaghetti’ will be more like mush. (It usually takes about 30 minutes)

   • Air fryer: Cook on 400°F for 15 minutes.

3. Let the squash cool completely & then de-seed the middle. (Everything should come out in one scoop!)

4. “Shred” the squash with a fork to make your spaghetti.

5. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I like to put a paper towel in it as well to soak up any extra moisture.

   
   I don’t add any oil or seasoning until I’m reheating the squash in a pan to eat (rather than just meal prepping it). That way, I can essentially make it any flavor I want with whatever additions I have on hand! 

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Pumpkin Cookie Dough Hummus

I don’t know about you, but every time fall rolls around, I’m making a recipe like this at least once a week! It’s great any time of the year, but fall means ALL things pumpkin… right?

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This recipe makes a “hummus” texture, but see the recipe below to turn it into pumpkin chickpea cookie dough in one easy step!

In hummus form, spreading it on a mini Western Bagel pumpkin bagel is DREAMY.

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What you’ll need:

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained

• 1 cup pumpkin purée

• 1/4 cup nut butter

• 3 TB maple syrup

• 1/4 cup nut milk

• splash of vanilla extract

• generous sprinkling of cinnamon

• dash of pumpkin pie spice & sea salt

• optional: 1 scoop collagen peptides**

For a thicker consistency like chickpea cookie dough:

• add up to 1/2 cup of coconut flour and/or ground flax (pictured is the texture without these)

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Directions:

1. Blend everything in a high speed blender or food processor & adjust any liquid, sweetener, thickener, etc. as needed.

2. Stir in chocolate chips or other mix-ins & enjoy! Store in the fridge for up to one week.

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**Adding collagen peptides will not change the flavor or texture at all. It completely dissolves and will only add protein.

I use Further Food collagen; discount code FINDINGBALANCE!

If you’re unsure of what collagen is or does, I wrote a whole blog post about it and the benefits of taking it. READ IT HERE!

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