All Things Chocolate and Berry

(I LOVE BERRIES AND CHOCOLATE)

SO, the newest Larabar ball recipe: Chocolate Cherry Torte, Yum!

1/2 c walnuts

1/2 c dried cherries, unsweetened*
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa

Blend well with a food processor and shape how ever you like! Larabars are a favorite treat in my house and super-healthy (read more here).

In my house, we put the mix in a resealable sandwich bag and shape into balls as eaten. They can be stored at room temp or in the frig. Easy as that!

 

Good for the Naughty (I'll take this coal any day of the year!)

Good for the Nice (easy to gift as a gift!, you can even send in the mail!)

*I used to get unsweetened cherries in the bulk section of Whole Foods - apparently that choice is out!...let me know if you find them! We don't need the sugar - those tart cherries have plenty of flavor on their own! If you only find sweetened and want to decrease added sugar, substitute some cherries for dates.

Another delicious treat! I get it from Costco (Costco doesn't pay me, in case you were wondering -- I just shop there a lot, and I'm pretty sure they have at least one dietitian working for them, picking such awesome products -- most much more nutritious than this!)

Brooksde Dark Chocolate Acia with Blueberry. Dark chocolate and berries combine to give an antioxidant punch! For a candy :) There is a gram of fiber, for a candy, this is cool! I'm not saying you can click away your fruit and veggie requirement here, but for a treat - DELICIOUS!!! And with some nutritional side benefits :) See those smilies :)

UPDATE: these are not dairy-free, so I don't eat them anymore. We did just find some chocolate covered pistachios that are dairy-free, and yummy!

For the chocolate lover, add unsweetened cocoa (~1/4 c) to the 3-Ingredient Super-Shake!

 My 3 yr-old loves it too ... she was dying for a sip when I wanted to take a few pics!

Another great snack - FREEZE DRIED STRAWBERRIES! These were purchased online (www.amazon.com) after Costco STOPPED selling them; the fact that Costco randomly stops selling items I love is one of the only things I don't like about Costco.  The brand Just Tomatoes carries these FREEZE DRIED STRAWBERRIES. They have a huge variety of fruits AND veggies, and the ingredients list is beautiful! - only ONE ingredient!  Can't beat that!

Finally, my 5-yr-old sees me making posts all the time, and you know, "monkey see, monkey do". So, she wanted to write a post too! She made her own "recipe", a doggy snack!

Whole wheat bread trimmed (bitten) to the shape of a dog, topped with Earth Balance (a butter alternative, no hydrogenated oils) with dried cranberries and Cheerios (a great grain!) as a face!

QUICK TIP: regular Cheerios are a healthier choice than Multigrain Cheerios! (less sugar and more fiber!)

TELL ME IN A COMMENT! Do your kids ever invent "recipes"? Do they help you cook? Eat more when they do? It's amazing what a little elbow grease does to the appetite!