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Confessions of a Chocolate Shake Addict

July 11, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Hey, it’s Tasha. Remember me? I’m Laura’s friend. The one who fell off the cliff and didn’t die. I homeschool a few kids and eat chocolate, AND I DRINK IT. Eating paleo took a turn for the better once I discovered some amazing chocolate tricks, but today is the day for the confessions of a paleo chocolate shake addict.

chocolate shake

Chocolate Shake Confessions:

  1. I drink a chocolate shake every day. Sometimes more than one.
  2. Secretly, not so secretly anymore, I am happy a few of my kids don’t like my chocolate shakes—more for me.
  3. 16 oz of cacao powder barely lasts me one month = that means I eat approximately 3 Tablespoons a day.
  4. Once, mid-shake preparation, I was ravenous. Hungry, grumpy, starving. The cacao powder was not where it was supposed to be. I searched frantically through the cupboards to no avail. Mean Tasha came out. I yelled across the house to my husband and kids, “WHO MOVED THE CHOCOLATE STUFF??” No one answered Crazy Mama. Climbed up on the counter and searched the top shelf while yelling at my family that there was a crisis upon us. Turns out, the almost empty bag was found behind the Blentec. Right where I’d left it I’m sure.
  5. No, I’m not misspelling Cocoa. Cacao is a real thing.

Cacao vs. Cocoa?

Cacao is the name of the tree that grows pods with beans that are harvested and roasted like coffee to make cocoa powder and chocolate. But—woah—if you don’t roast the beans, it’s called cacao instead of cocoa. Unroasted beans are raw and contain significantly higher levels of minerals, fiber, and even some protein. So that’s what I chose to eat. Please check out the Subscribe & Save options available for Organic Cacao Powder.

Paleo Chocolate Shake RecipeYum

Clearly, Laura’s salad-drinking habits are commendable. But, another confession: I’m not a grown-up enough human to submit myself to such torture. What I meant to say is that Laura is a super human blessed by the Almighty with taste buds of steel. Hmm. Okay, how about this: I’m so deeply in love with chocolate shakes and I see no reason to give them up.

Sorry. The recipe(s).

I mostly make it the same every day, but has been evolving over the year. Therefore, I will give you two recipes. The first is when you only have 30 seconds to spare. The second is when you have 2 minutes.

Quick Fix Chocolate Shake

  • 8 oz. coconut milk
  • 2 Tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 1/2—1 teaspoon Super Sweet from THM or stevia/blend sweetener of choice
  • Large handful of spinach
  • 3 cubes ice
  • Blend until smooth
  • Drink

The above smoothie has approximately 4 grams of protein and 92 calories. It is enough to satisfy a chocolate craving and sweet tooth. If you want to trick your mouth into thinking you’re having a treat, and you’re in a hurry, give it a try. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of nutrients in the spinach, cacao, and coconut milk, but I wouldn’t recommend replacing a meal with this shake. Unless you’re planning to starve yourself to death, which I highly discourage.

Paleo Chocolate Shake with more stuff…

  • 8 oz. coconut milk
  • 2 Tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 1/2—1 teaspoon Super Sweet from THM or stevia/blend sweetener of choice
  • 2 Tablespoons integral collagen (paleo friendly dairy/soy-free protein)
  • half of a banana (sliced and frozen is nice)
  • 1/2 cup frozen fruit (blueberries or sweet cherries are good options)
  • 1 Tablespoon almond butter
  • Large handful spinach
  • 3 cubes of ice
  • Blend until smooth
  • Drink in secret or make double to share with all the toddlers

This is the shake I drink daily. If we’re heading out and I’m not sure if there’s going to be paleo food for me, then I make a shake. Sometimes I drink with breakfast, or later in the day if I’m hungry and there’s no food in front of me. The full recipe is approximately 320 calories and 17 grams of protein.

What do you eat everyday?! Does it make you ask happy as this shake makes me? If not… maybe you should make this shake instead.

Paleo Chocolate Shake
 
Save Print
Author: Tasha
Recipe type: snack
Ingredients
  • 8 oz. coconut milk
  • 2 Tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
  • 2 pinches salt
  • ½—1 teaspoon Super Sweet from THM or stevia/blend sweetener of choice
  • 2 Tablespoons integral collagen (paleo friendly dairy/soy-free protein)
  • half of a banana (sliced and frozen is nice)
  • ½ cup frozen fruit (blueberries or sweet cherries are good options)
  • 1 Tablespoon almond butter
  • Large handful spinach
  • 3 cubes of ice
Instructions
  1. Blend until smooth
  2. Drink in secret or make double to share with all the toddlers
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book cover of bluebird on the prairieTasha Hackett is a friend of Laura and author of the Christian Romance, Bluebird on the Prairie; available wherever books are sold and from her website, www.TashaHackett.com. She spends most of her time (drinking chocolate shakes) with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Easy Orange Julius

June 2, 2021 by Laura 3 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

This Easy Orange Julius is a perfectly refreshing summer treat!

You guys. I totally cheat now when making so many of our meals and snacks. I only make whatever is the easiest and fastest because there are people to love and we just wanna play outside.

I’ve made Orange Julius for our family for years and years. But this little “cheater” idea came about after a local church had offered a food distribution to our community. They had several boxes leftover at the end of the day, and since we have so many kids, they thought of us. How kind and fun! They piled five boxes of food onto our porch, and we were super grateful!

Some of the items included in the box? Vanilla Yogurt, Milk, and Oranges

Does that sound like a delicious Orange Julius to you? Indeed it does. Brayden thought so too. :)

With a huge pile of oranges rolling off of our countertops, we started with an “Orange Peeling Party.” Our kitchen smelled citrus-y good, and soon we had several bags of these frozen orange slices:

Then, I took those frozen oranges and blended them up with the vanilla yogurt and some milk. Easy Orange Julius perfection!

So, if you find yourself with an abundance of oranges, freeze them like this. Then blend them up with yogurt and milk and grab yourself a straw!

Easy Orange JuliusYum

Easy Orange Julius
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 6 cups
Ingredients
  • 2-3 cups frozen orange slices
  • 2 cups vanilla yogurt
  • 2 cups milk
Instructions
  1. Blend the three ingredients together until smooth.
  2. Serve right away!
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Don’t want the added sugar in the yogurt? I usually don’t either, but hey, it was free food! You can make this treat with plain yogurt and honey or maple syrup if you want to cut down on the sugar content. This will be just as delicious and even better for ya!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Homemade Chocolate Bar

April 11, 2021 by Tasha Hackett 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Want to make a Homemade Chocolate Bar?! And here’s a fun new treat recipe from Tasha!

homemade chocolate

Homemade Chocolate Bar

by Tasha Hackett

This homemade chocolate bar recipe is everything I ever thought it could be. I tend to eat it all and so I make it small batches. Apparently, I have the self-restraint of a two-year-old near a puddle. Which is none-at-all. In case you haven’t been around two-year-olds lately, they pretty much do what they want. Thankfully this homemade chocolate is a good source of calories and protein.

 

Yum

A now a word about our homemade chocolate bar sponsor.

Laura once shared a recipe about Fat Bombs and we all said, “Ew, no.” Every now and then she talks about how hungry she is and is she ever grateful for these amazing goodies and we say, “Ew, no.” Initially, she explained how fat is good for our bodies because woman cannot live on salad alone. Secondly, she tried to be sneaky and change the name of these treats to “Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.” Nice try, Laura. I can still read and the recipe is the same and know it consists of butter, coconut oil, peanut butter, cocoa powder, and a drizzle of honey. And I said, “Ew, no.” 

And Laura shook her head and thought, “Oh ye of little faith.”

When I was literally starving after switching to a paleo diet (not for weight loss, but for other health reasons) she said, “Tasha, you have to make the chocolate peanut butter cups.” I can’t decide if that’s hyperbole or not about the starving. I was ravenously hungry all the time. If you’ve ever cut out sugar and grains, you know how your body freaks out for about a week. I’ve been eating a paleo diet for over four months and chocolate is life. Except, you know, after Jesus. Obviously. He’s literally life and light and I hope we know I’m speaking superfluously here. But figuratively . . . chocolate is life. I can honestly say that I’ve used significantly more cocoa powder the past four months than I ever have in my life before. 

Why buy the chocolate when I can easily make the chocolate? 

I confess, when Laura shares a recipe, I glance at it and then I take it cruising through the backroads. Is anyone else guilty of this? Therefore, keep reading Laura’s post if you want simple. If you want mostly simple and a heck of lot more ingredients, then also read my posts . . . Whew. Glad I got that off my chest. 

It is here. The chocolate bar that beats all chocolate bar cravings. Come one, come all, and enjoy the gluten-free, dairy-free, honey-sweetened granola chocolate snack thing that will make you wish I was your favorite aunt. 

I have been known to eat these in public and then share the bounty with my fellow mom-friends. (Living the dream over here. There are friends, and then there are mom-friends. #ifyouknowyouknow) This homemade melty chocolate bar has been met with surprise statements of, “This is really good!” As if they, clearly, didn’t think homemade paleo “sugar-free” chocolate would be any good. Oh ye of little faith.

Boy, we showed them! 

I mean, eh-hem, I am modestly pleased when others enjoy the food that I make. So how’s about it? You ready for me to quit gabbing and give you the recipe to my honey-sweetened granola chocolate bar thing?

Okay, it is practically Laura’s Honey Sweetened No-Bake Cookies. Except I took her recipe, skipped off the highway, and drove through the country roads and a few corn fields. Figuratively. Literally, my car would be ruined and there would be no chocolate. Maybe a huge fine. Possibly jail time. Is there chocolate in jail? If so, it wouldn’t be as wholesome as this one.

homemade chocolate bar

This is a huge batch I made to share.

A word about the ingredients in this chocolate bar:

I replace all peanut butter with almond butter. Thankfully, I find it at Sam’s Club for a reasonable price or I make it myself. I go through about a tub a week. Yet I continue to lose weight. Figures. Feel free to use a natural (thick) peanut butter.

Butter is not technically paleo. Use ghee or make your own ghee by warming the butter and scraping off the white foamy stuff. But I’m not concerned about butter. Also, ghee is expensive and I always have butter in the freezer because I buy all of it when it goes on sale. (That’s a hyperbole, I don’t literally buy it all. That would be ridiculous. And rude. And against the rules. I have a heart.)

Where to get Cocoa Powder

Remember that cocoa powder is not all created equally. I buy Better Body Foods Cacao Powder from Amazon and it’s yummy. Actually, I subscribe to it and it shows up on my porch. *Voila* But I’m not going to tell you how many bags I’ve used since January. Mind your own business, mmk? Whatever you do, do not buy the cheapest store-brand variety, it’s not as good. Laura recommends this kind and it’s her favorite. (<— use the code home to get 15% off your purchases at Olive Nation!)

If you’re a rule-keeper and legalistic, there is sugar added to dried cranberries and cherries. If you can find some without sugar, the more’s the merrier. Dried cherries are my all-time favorite, but they’re expensive. I hoard them. Therefore, I share less frequently with my children. Literally. 

Always buy unsweetened coconut flakes. There are tons of varieties all over. (Figuratively. There are literal tons of coconut flakes. But only a figurative ton of brand varieties because brand names cannot be weighed.) I subscribe to Terrasoul on Amazon and get six bags at a time and they’re squirreled away in the basement pantry. 

A homemade chocolate bar blessing

May your homemade chocolate be as delightful as watching your toddler march his new rubber boots into a puddle.

Go ahead, bless your neighbors, your friends, your family, and your mom-friends.

chocolate blessing

Typing this out at the library and chuckling to myself every now and then has been a delight. But now I’m going to mosey around the bookshelves and look for a new historical romance to enjoy. Before I go to bed tonight, I will make myself another batch of homemade chocolate because somebody ate the last of it a few days ago and now that somebody is going to do something about it. Literally. 

chocolate bar recipe

Homemade Chocolate Bars

5.0 from 2 reviews
Homemade Chocolate Bars
 
Save Print
Author: Tasha
Ingredients
  • ½ - ¾ cup honey
  • ⅔ cup natural almond butter
  • ½ cup butter or coconut oil
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3-4 cups total of a combination of dry ingredients such as: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped pecans/walnuts, dried cranberries/cherries, unsweetened coconut flakes.
  • Suggestion: 1 cup pumpkin seeds, 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, 1 cup dried cherries, ½ slivered almonds, ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Instructions
  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together honey, almond butter, butter or coconut oil, salt, and cocoa powder,
  2. Melt and stir ingredients over medium heat until well combined and slightly bubbly.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Add vanilla extract and dry ingredients and stir until coated.
  5. Scoop 1-2 Tablespoons of mixture onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet OR pour into a parchment paper lined 9X13 for a granola bar OR pour into one or two parchment paper-lined cookie sheets for chocolate bark.
  6. Chill Homemade Chocolate Bars in the refrigerator until they are set, about 1 hour. Cut into bars.
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Go forth and make a homemade chocolate bar!

Thanks for sharing and blessing others with this recipe! Finally, be sure to let us know when you take a recipe and cruise through the backroads. Take us on the scenic route with you.


Tasha HackettTasha Hackett is a friend of Laura and author of Bluebird on the Prairie, a Christian historical romance releasing Spring 2021. Sunshine, homemade chocolate bars, or hot chocolate—whichever is more readily available is her fuel. While she often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women. Most of her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. You can connect with her at www.TashaHackett.com or Instagram @hackettacademy

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Decadent Simple Paleo Pudding

February 22, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Decadent Simple Paleo Pudding

by Tasha Hackett

I was Surprised by my Love of Paleo Puddings 

I’ve been eating a paleo diet since December 20th. Do some math there—it’s been a few days! And for most of that time, there was no pudding. Truthfully, I was blindsided at first: No sugar of any kind, no grains of any kind, no legumes of any kind, and no dairy of any kind. Quickly I discovered a whole new world of food that has brought delight to my family as well. One of our favorites is Salisbury steak with a mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes and asparagus. I’m drooling just typing about it. 

coconut vanilla pudding

Yum

paleo vanilla pudding

And Then There was Coconut Vanilla and Pumpkin Pudding

Most winters I make Laura’s vanilla and other flavored soothers for my family. Instead of hot chocolate when they come in from the snow, they get a protein packed healthy version.

My paleo version, I believe is even healthier, doesn’t have any dairy, hardly any sweetener, and a solid amount of healthy fat for growing kids and all of us using up so much energy trying to stay warm this winter. 

Dairy-Free Paleo Pudding Special Ingredients

Coconut Cream  

I ordered a case of this from my local grocery store for a small discount. It’s not cheap. But I found I can get it for much cheaper from Azure Standard. (Currently $2.30/can.) Though I haven’t tried the Azure ordered cans yet, it will be coming on the truck in a couple weeks! Canned coconut milk has a higher percentage of liquid and less of the fat/oil. You can use that in this recipe instead of canned coconut cream, just factor in the extra liquid. You may need to add more thickener. 

Coconut Milk in a jug

I buy the jug in the cold aisle and go through about one a week. Be sure to buy unsweetened and check labels if there are options at your grocery and get one with the fewest amount of added ingredients. I use this in my coffee, smoothies, baking, and pudding! It is much yummier than almond milk. I’m just going to pretend I didn’t even mention almond milk, because I like to pretend it doesn’t exist. Almond Milk in my opinion is one of the most disgusting . . . blech. So, don’t even. Get yourself some unsweetened coconut milk from the jug. 

Egg Yolks

You can make this recipe with whole eggs, but I’ve had better luck just using the yolks. Egg whites will curdle and get chunky if you heat past 165* and nobody in my family wants to eat curdled pudding. Save the whites in another bowl because you can use them in baking or scramble with a few other eggs. Go ahead and store them in the fridge for a few days. 

Arrowroot Powder

I ordered a bag of this years ago and use it in place of cornstarch. If you’re not on a restrictive diet, cornstarch will work. Or you can skip this entirely if you want to drink your pudding. A healthy gelatin powder, or collagen works to thicken puddings, but they thicken upon cooling. To recap: if you use gelatin to thicken pudding, it will not thicken on the stovetop!

Sweetener

My preference is maple syrup. For the vanilla pudding recipe, I only used one tablespoon. I think the natural coconut cream is quite sweet. The vanilla extract needs the sweetener, I think. If you wanted to try this with NO syrup, I suggest going very easy on the vanilla extract. The pumpkin recipe calls for two tablespoons to counter the spices and vanilla. Start with less, you can always add more. Feel free to experiment with honey or stevia or other sweeteners of your choice. 

Simple Paleo Vanilla Pudding

  • Four egg yolks
  • One 13.6 oz can of coconut cream
  • 13.6 oz of coconut milk from the jug (use empty can to measure)
  • A couple dashes of salt

Mix those three together in a pot and then turn on the heat. Be careful not to boil.

Scoop out a ¼ cup of pudding and mix a slurry with ¼ cup of arrowroot powder and stir it back in the pot.

Once it begins to thicken, turn off the burner and add in:

  • One teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • One tablespoon of maple syrup. 

Taste and adjust sweetener if necessary. 

Either drink warm or chill for pudding. 

Frequently I serve this chilled for breakfast with toasted shredded coconut and pecans, blueberries, sliced bananas, apples, or any other toppings to create a full breakfast. We love this for a make-ahead breakfast. My kids can’t get enough. 

Simple Paleo Pumpkin Pudding

The same as the vanilla pudding, except add in:

  • A can of pumpkin,
  • 2-3 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
  • An extra tablespoon of maple syrup to counter the spices 

I poured this one in a paleo pie crust and pretended I was eating pumpkin pie for breakfast and had enough for six small servings for the next day. (No, it wasn’t as thick as a traditional pumpkin pie. But it was just as good!)

paleo puddingpumpkin puddingpumpkin paleo pudding

Psssst! All of these great ingredients can be purchased from Azure Standard!

Paleo isn’t a Prison

Clearly I’m not saying everyone must eat the way I do, but I have found it to be more freeing than I ever expected. My motivation for staying on this diet is different than most. If you’re curious about that, ask any questions you have! I’d love to chat about it. I’ll just briefly explain, though some people have found great success losing weight with this meal plan, that is not my goal. I’ve suffered headaches for over a decade, and recent lab results show evidence of chronic inflammation and infection among other things. In a nutshell, the paleo diet eliminates all foods that are prone to causing inflammation, as well as cutting out any processed foods that add toxins that prevent my body from healing itself. 

God is Greater than Paleo

While I 100% agree that love is better than food and who even cares about free-range chicken anymore? I know I’m on the right path. Laura spent years developing simple recipes and then they were there for her when she needed them! I believe the same has happened to me, for the first time in my life I have the budget to purchase more meat, vegetables, and nuts, to fill in the extra calories I’m no longer receiving from grains and beans and other “cheap” fillers.

Honestly, two years ago I fed my family on $200 a month. Six months ago it was about $450 a month. Paleo food for six (thankfully three of them are still tiny) is costing me $900 a month. If a doctor had told me to eat this way three years ago I would have cried. Point is: Food isn’t everything. Do what you can. Love your people. Love yourself.

Right now, for me, loving my people and myself means spending more time in the kitchen figuring out how to make paleo simple. For Laura, it means spending less time in the kitchen and more chicken nuggets. And we are not trying to confuse you. Ha! 

toddler messes

And just in case you think I have my act together, this salad-dumbing disaster, in some form, happens daily. Canned chicken on salad is a go-to lunch for us and that is not the face of a repentant toddler.

What’s your greatest struggle in the kitchen right now? Are you spending more or less time in the kitchen these days? Have you ever been put on an elimination diet of some form?

Paleo Coconut Vanilla Pudding
 
Save Print
Prep time
2 mins
Cook time
8 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
Author: Tasha
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 13.6 OZ can of coconut cream
  • 1 13.6 OZ of coconut milk from the jug (use empty can to measure)
  • A couple dashes of salt
  • ¼ C arrowroot powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Mix egg yolks, coconut cream, and coconut milk, in a medium-sized pan.
  2. Add a few dashed of salt.
  3. Heat mixture on the stove being careful not to boil. Stir constantly.
  4. Remove ¼ cup of the mix and make a slurry with the arrowroot powder. Mix it all together in the pot.
  5. Keep stirring and just as the mixture begins to thicken, turn off the burner and add in the vanilla, and maple syrup. Taste and adjust sweetener if necessary.
  6. Drink warm or chill for pudding.
  7. Serve chilled pudding with a variety of toppings for breakfast or snack: sliced apples, bananas, cherries, blueberries, toasted coconut, pecans, etc.
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Try both and tell us your favorite!

Paleo Pumpkin Pudding
 
Save Print
Prep time
2 mins
Cook time
8 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
Author: Tasha
Recipe type: Breakfast / Snack
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 13.6 OZ can of coconut cream
  • 1 13.6 OZ of coconut milk from the jug (use empty can to measure)
  • 1 can of pureed pumpkin
  • A couple dashes of salt
  • ¼ C arrowroot powder
  • 3 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Mix egg yolks, coconut cream, and coconut milk in a medium-sized pan.
  2. Add a few dashes of salt.
  3. Heat mixture on the stove being careful not to boil. Stir constantly.
  4. Remove ¼ cup of the mix and make a slurry with the arrowroot powder. Mix it all together in the pot.
  5. Keep stirring and just as the mixture begins to thicken, turn off the burner and add in the vanilla , spice, and maple syrup. Taste and adjust sweetener if necessary.
  6. Drink warm or chill for pudding.
  7. Serve chilled pudding with a variety of toppings for breakfast or snack: sliced apples, bananas, cherries, blueberries, toasted coconut, pecans, etc.
3.5.3251

 

 


Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, friend of Laura and author of Bluebird of the Prairie, a Christian romance releasing Spring 2021, is fueled by sunshine, paleo pudding, or hot chocolate—whichever is more readily available. Though she often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women. Her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. You can connect with her at www.tashahackett.com or Instagram @hackettacademy or for Laura @heavenlyhomemaker.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Low Sugar Granookie: Granola Cookie

October 25, 2020 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Tasha brought these Granookies to our family along with a meal when our newborn moved in with us in September. They are SO GOOD and I felt great letting our toddlers eat them along with the rest of us! (Bonus peek at “Baby Sister”—>)


Low Sugar Granookie: Granola Cookie

by Tasha Hackett

When you want a cookie, but you’re actually starving and what you need is a hearty snack or breakfast? Never fear, granookie is here! Granookie is a granola cookie and is the next best thing to stir-and-pour bread. (Go ahead and add Granookie to your dictionary.

No, it’s not spelled wrong, your computer just isn’t up with the times.) It’s not simple, being that it has about a thousand ingredients and then there’s the whole stirring and making into cookie balls and baking. . . okay, it’s still pretty simple. Especially so because this recipe makes 5-6 dozen cookies. I bake one pan for eating right away, and I freeze the rest into premade cookie balls for a fresh granookie snack or breakfast or dessert for later. Tip: Freeze on a flat pan and then transfer to a bag once frozen.

bagged granola cookie

Yum

Granola Cookie: Granookie

Before you skim straight to the recipe for the granookie, you may want to take a few things into account. These are low-sugar and mildly sweet, but not nearly as sweet as cookies, nor even as sweet as traditional granola. In addition, there is a hearty mix of nuts and seeds that makes them deliciously healthy, along with the whole grain addition to stock you up on healthy carbs, fiber, and an exorbitant amount of vitamins and minerals. However, can we cut the healthy talk and just be amazed at how delicious these are and hand them out guilt free? 

Whole grain for the win!

I always use fresh-ground flour when baking these. Either soft or hard wheat will work, though I use soft white wheat as it is marginally cheaper than hard wheat. If you’re using store-bought flour, you may need a touch less in your recipe. But it’s a fairly forgiving recipe. 

I developed over the past year after much frustration of my granola crumbling everywhere. I’ll sheepishly tell you that I changed it every time because I didn’t follow the recipe… but people kept asking me how to made these granola cookies (and I’d correct them, “It’s called a granookie.”) so I was determined to write down legit measurements and this is the winner! 

Granola Cookie

Enjoy!


homeschool momTasha Hackett is a friend of Laura and a bedroom closet jalapeno Cheeto eater. She lives in the great Midwest where the winter whisks your breath away and the summer smothers. Laura is still here, but likes to take a shower every now and then and let Tasha play on the blog. In other news, Tasha’s debut novel, a historical fiction romance, is currently being evaluated by a publisher. She’s been lost in the 1800’s for decades, dreaming of ways to bring her heroes to a happily ever after.

 

Low Sugar Granookie: Granola Cookie

Low Sugar Granookie: Granola Cookie
 
Save Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
25 mins
 
Author: Tasha
Recipe type: cookie
Serves: 60
Ingredients
  • 2 Cups of Butter
  • ¾ Cup Brown Sugar
  • 5 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Caramel Flavoring (I use this one.)
  • 1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
  • 1½ tsp baking soda
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 Cups Flour
  • 3 Cups Thick Rolled Oats
  • 1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
  • 1 Cup Slivered Almonds
  • ½ Cup Pumpkin Seeds
  • ⅓ Cup Sunflower Seeds
  • 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
  • ½ Cup Butterscotch Chips
Instructions
  1. Whip the butter and sugar until fluffy, add the eggs, flavoring, and dry ingredients. Add the nuts and seeds and chips. Dough will be quite firm.
  2. Form into cookie sized balls and bake at 375* for 8-10 minutes (until golden brown). They do not flatten much.
3.5.3251
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Low Sugar Pecan Cookies

October 14, 2020 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

It’s baking season! These Low Sugar Pecan Cookies are buttery and delicious!

You might remember our other Low Sugar Cookie recipes. Here are just a few of our favorites:

  • Easy {Low} Sugar Cookies
  • Low Sugar Lemon Melt-Away Cookies
  • Low Sugar Almond Melt-Away Cookies
  • Low Sugar Orange Melt-Away Cookies
  • Low Sugar Lime Melt-Away Cookies
  • Low Sugar Chocolate Fudge Cookies
  • Low Sugar Oatmeal Cookies

We adapted a few of those to create these Low Sugar Pecan Cookies because it’s so easy to make a tiny tweak to create a brand new recipe!

The “melt-away” cookies listed above are my favorites simply because they are so buttery. This truly makes them melt in your mouth! No one can tell that these are low in sugar OR that they are made with whole grain flour. And the toasted pecans give these such a delightful flavor and crunch!

Low Sugar Pecan CookiesYum

Low Sugar Pecan Cookies
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 20
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups melted butter (3 sticks)
  • ½ cup sugar (sucanat, raw, brown)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups whole grain flour (I use freshly ground soft white wheat)
  • ½ cup pecan pieces toasted in 2 Tablespoons butter
Instructions
  1. Toast pecans by stirring them in a small saucepan over low heat for 2-4 minutes. Set aside.
  2. In a mixing bowl, stir together butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour.
  3. Fold in toasted pecans.
  4. Scoop ½ inch sized balls of dough onto a cookie sheet.
  5. Press balls down with the end of a drinking glass.
  6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.
3.5.3251

Want to cut down on sugar while still enjoying occasional treats?

We have an entire eBook full of Low Sugar Treats, which you can check it out here. But it makes more sense to join our Heavenly Homemakers Membership Club so that you can enjoy ALL of our eBooks and much more any time, anywhere. :)

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Cups – 4 Ingredients

February 19, 2020 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cups are practically begging for you to make them!

With college students joining us for lunch, I was searching the internet for ways to treat them, and I had rice krispie cereal that I needed to use up. All the recipes called for marshmallows, of course. But hey, I don’t keep those in my pantry regularly, much to my kids’ dismay.

Therefore, after wading through all of the marshmallow-y options, I finally found this winner! I tweaked it just a bit, and that is how these Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Cups were born.

These are incredibly easy and they were a hit with the college students! Who needs marshmallows?! (Well, they are helpful if you’re making smores…) But for rice krispie cereal treats, it’s amazing that we can do other fun things and use more wholesome ingredients to make treats!

Speaking of “other fun things” – I highly encourage that you also put these 4-Ingredient Chocolate Crunch Bars on your list of awesome rice krispie treats to make. These are hugely popular when I serve them to guests! It’s worth noting that the ingredient list in that recipe and in this one are very similar, making life easier. They just turn out two different and fun treats!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch CupsYum

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Cups - 4 Ingredients
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Natural Peanut Butter
  • 4 Tablespoons Honey
  • 2½ cups Crisp Rice Cereal
  • 1½ cups any variety Chocolate Chips
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan, stir peanut butter and honey together over low heat until melted.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in rice crispy cereal.
  3. Press mixture into 12 muffin cups. (I recommend silicone cups to make them easy to remove.)
  4. Melt chocolate chips on the stovetop, stirring until melted and smooth.
  5. Spoon and spread melted chocolate over each peanut butter crispy cup.
  6. Refrigerate for at least an hour until chocolate has hardened.
  7. Remove cups and serve!
  8. Store Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispy Cups in an air tight container.
3.5.3229

 

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Easy Heart-Shaped Food for Valentine’s Day

February 5, 2020 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

It’s pretty easy to make heart-shaped food for Valentine’s Day! I’m pretty sure this is the least expensive way to treat your family and show them extra love!


Our family hardly ever spends extra money on Valentine’s Day, but we do like to make our food fun!

I recommend getting an inexpensive set of Heart-Shaped cookie cutters in a variety of sizes like this one. Then you and your family can be creative with all the ways you can make heart-shaped food!

Easy Heart-Shaped Food for Valentine’s DayYum

Food you can easily shape into hearts (with or without cookie cutters) before serving it to your family on Valentine’s Day:

  1. Simple Whole Wheat Pancakes
  2. Whole Wheat Waffles
  3. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
  4. Quesadillas
  5. Pizza
  6. Whole Wheat Donuts
  7. Poptarts
  8. Quick Mix Biscuits
  9. Soft Pretzels
  10. Cream Cheese Cookie Cutouts
  11. The Easiest Chocolate Fudge
  12. Peanut Butter Honey Fudge
  13. Chocolate Chip Brownies
  14. Chocolate Chip Cookies
  15. Cheesecake Brownies
  16. Butterscotch Bars

To go with your Heart-Shaped Foods, here are some bonus Valentine’s Day food ideas, you’ll enjoy looking through these lists…

Red and Pink Treats (No Food Dye!)

Sprinkles are fun, but not entirely necessary if you have naturally red and pink goodies like these:

  1. Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
  2. Strawberry Cream Muffins
  3. Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
  4. Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries
  5. Strawberry-Peach Slushies
  6. Strawberry-Kefir Smoothies
  7. Strawberry Yogurt
  8. Strawberry-Yogurt Fruit Dip
  9. Strawberry Christmas Salad (which obviously becomes Strawberry Valentine Salad on Feb. 14)
  10. Low Sugar Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait
  11. 7-Minute Strawberry Ice Cream
  12. Strawberry Creamsicles
  13. Strawberry Shortcake
  14. Strawberry Milkshakes
  15. Easy Raspberry Syrup (for your heart-shaped pancakes)
  16. Raspberry Lemon Cream Cups

Don’t forget obvious foods that are red – like tomatoes, sweet peppers, strawberries, grapes, cherries, or raspberries!

Chocolate Valentine’s Day Treats

Chocolate is always a hit on Valentine’s Day! (And if you’re me, it’s also a hit tomorrow and the day after that.) Here are some great chocolate treats you might consider making to share with your family:

  1. Warm Chocolate Soother
  2. Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries (which I realize I mentioned above, but it is both red and chocolate, so it deserves to be in both categories)
  3. No-Bake Chocolate Fudge Bites
  4. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
  5. Peanut Butter or Caramel Chocolate Truffles
  6. Low Sugar Chocolate Cake
  7. Low Sugar Chocolate Cheesecake
  8. Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mousse
  9. No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
  10. Homemade Chocolate Frappe
  11. Chocolate Cheesecake Pie
  12. Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

What are some of your family’s Valentine’s Day traditions?

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The Easiest Chocolate Fudge Recipe

January 26, 2020 by Laura 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

This Easiest Chocolate Fudge recipe is for real. I’ve never made an easier fudge recipe! (And you’ll love that these ingredients are REAL!)

You may notice that this Chocolate Fudge recipe looks strangely similar to our Chocolate Fudge Pie recipe. That’s because it is the exact same recipe minus the pie crust.

What can I say? One recipe always turns into another around here! It something works well for one recipe, it often makes sense that it will work well with a few minor adaptations. So it is with this Easiest Chocolate Fudge recipe.

When I first made the pie variety, I poured a little extra pie filling into a dish without a crust. It cut into pieces just like fudge, tasted amazing just like fudge, and so here we are with a recipe for the Easiest Chocolate Fudge.

Food really isn’t as hard as we like to think that it is. (This Simple Real Food Recipes Cookbook proves it. If you don’t already have it, you need it!! This will save you so much time and energy while you feed your family great meals!)

I figured you might need this fudge recipe this Valentine’s day as you make special treats for your special people. Use any chocolate chips you like best – milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bittersweet chocolate. So delicious!

Easiest Chocolate Fudge RecipeYum

The Easiest Chocolate Fudge Recipe
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 40
Ingredients
  • 10-ounces chocolate chips
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and butter together.
  2. Once melted, whip the chocolate mixture and the cream with beaters or in a high power blender (like a Blendtec) until smooth and thick.
  3. Pour mixture into a 9x9 inch pan.
  4. Chill for at least two hours before cutting and serving.
3.5.3229

Chocolate Hint:

Do yourself a favor and order any of the Cocoa Powders, Chocolate Chips, or Chocolate Chunks from Olive Nation. (And use the code home to get 20% off!) I can’t tell you what a wonderful difference these cocoa powders and chocolate chips have made in my chocolate recipes. The quality is MUCH better, and they do not cost more than I was spending on the lesser varieties.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Super Soft Chocolate Cookies

December 18, 2019 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

If I told you that these Super Soft Chocolate Cookies taste a little bit like an Oreo, would that make you want to try them?

The good news is that they won’t make your teeth all Oreo-y like Oreos do. (Don’t try and picture it. Oh wait, you just did.)

And of course, these are made with real food ingredients and I don’t know what Oreos are made with. So these Super Soft Chocolate Cookies are a win in every way!

My kids found that they like turning them into actual Oreos by frosting them. Well, I guess they’re still not actual Oreos because they are my homemade, real food version. But with the frosting, they taste almost exactly like an actual Oreo.

Tell me I haven’t made you all want to eat Oreos now?!

Just make these cookies, and your craving will subside. They stir up quickly and bake in 10 minutes. So you can have your Oreos – um, Super Soft Chocolate Cookies – in less time than it takes to go to the store to buy purchased cookies!

Super Soft Chocolate CookiesYum

Super Soft Chocolate Cookies
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 20
Ingredients
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • ½ cup raw sugar or brown sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾-1 cup whole grain flour (I use freshly ground soft white wheat)
Instructions
  1. Cream butter, sugar, and cocoa together in a bowl.
  2. Add baking soda, vanilla, and egg - stirring until well combined.
  3. Add flour and mix well. (Start with ¾ cup then add more if needed.)
  4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.
  5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until cookies are barely set.
  6. Remove cookies from oven and allow the cookies to stay on the pan for at least 10 minutes so they will firm up.
3.5.3229

What’s on your holiday baking list this year?

Chocolate Hint:

Do yourself a favor and order any of the Cocoa Powders, Chocolate Chips, or Chocolate Chunks from Olive Nation. (And use the code home to get 20% off!) I can’t tell you what a wonderful difference these cocoa powders and chocolate chips have made in my chocolate recipes. The quality is MUCH better, and they do not cost more than I was spending on the lesser varieties.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!
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