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Soft Carrot Cake Energy Balls

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Soft carrot cake with cream cheese icing. For over a decade of my childhood, I ordered carrot cake for my birthday cake when dining out OR when my mom asked what kind of celebratory dessert I wanted. Every. Single. Year. Today, I eat fewer heavy desserts like dense cakes or cookies, but I still love sweets and I know you do, too!

My Soft Carrot Cake Energy Balls are delicious and filling enough as a breakfast bite or snack that you won’t be hangry by meal time. The recipe’s mixture consists of nature’s best ingredients including dates, raisins, chia seeds, and say it with me…carrots! Admittedly, I use peanut butter as the binder so if you’re someone with a peanut allergy, this is not your recipe.

This is the right consistency for the mixture to form into balls.

Did you know carrots are a power food packed with nutrients and vitamins essential to our body’s good health? We all know that eating carrots improves one’s vision, but they also slow the aging process. Yes, please! (And there are 8 more reasons to eat them!) I know you’re going to love how simple it is to make this recipe and the clean-up couldn’t be easier.

You may also like my recipe for No Bake Energy Bites made with chocolate chips and dried fruit! That recipe also includes chia seeds since they help keep hunger at bay and are super healthy as well.

7-8 energy balls

Soft Carrot Cake Energy Balls

Love decadent carrot cake? These breakfast bites are the next best thing but healthy!

20 minPrep Time

20 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 1 c. rolled oats
  • 3/4 c. shredded carrot
  • 1 c. smooth peanut butter
  • 1/2 c. diced dates
  • 1/4 c. raisins
  • 1/2 tsp. chia seeds
  • heavy pinch sea salt

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until completely combined.
  2. Test the mixture to see if it binds to make a ball. If it isn't quite ready, just add more peanut butter.
  3. Remove the blade from the food processor.
  4. Using your hands, roll the mixture into tight balls about the size of a quarter.
  5. Transfer the carrot cake balls to a Ziplock bag or storage container and refrigerate until you'r ready to eat them. They last a couple weeks, if refrigerated.

Notes

Some people enjoy this recipe with shredded coconut added.

Tags

Allergy
dairy free
egg free
seafood free
7.8.1.2
90
https://onedelightfullife.com/soft-carrot-cake-energy-balls/

Nutrition

Calories

2303 cal

Fat

135 g

Carbs

181 g

Protein

86 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

20 Ways to Be Kind to Yourself

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So often I read articles about how to pay-it-forward and be kind to others, something you know I appreciate! However, we often neglect to be kind to ourselves. It’s like the airplane oxygen mask rule: put the oxygen mask on yourself first so that you can assist others. If we’re not healthy and not taking care of ourselves, then we can’t present the world the best version of ourself to aide others.

Why don’t we take time for ourselves?

It’s simple. We allow the world’s demands to distract us from turning the focus on ourselves. Of course, there are events in our lives that require us to act and live selflessly. That’s okay as long as we understand that life is a balance. At the end of the day, we are no good to anyone else if we have nothing left to give.

When I take time for myself to relax, to learn or to just be still — I’m a better person to those who I connect with in the world. So, when was the last time you took a hour to give back to yourself?

If you’re like me and often need a reminder to prioritize myself, here are 20 Ways to Be Kind to Yourself.

  1. Take a long shower or enjoy a hot bath. Relax.
  2. Prepare your favorite meal even if it’s not what others want to eat for dinner.
  3. Use your vacation days from work. Americans don’t use provided vacation days, according to Forbes. Learn why. 
  4. Subscribe to a delivery service like Stitch Fix or order your household supplies from Amazon. Give yourself a break from shopping!
  5. Go for the appetizer. You always turn down the restaurant server’s suggestion for a pre-meal bite. Stop denying yourself the queso!
  6. Upgrade your shoe game or wardrobe.
  7. Make an appointment for a massage or make-up application.
  8. Read a self-help book or an inspirational story.
  9. Meet a friend for lunch. Conversations with friends are a vital to understanding oneself.
  10. Buy yourself flowers or a nice bottle of wine.
  11. Meditate.
  12. Go to bed an hour early every night for a week.
  13. Eat a nourishing breakfast.
  14. Yoga. Downward dog anyone?
  15. Allow yourself free time for a hobby you’ve put on the back burner.
  16. Try an at-home facial.
  17. Gently rub your temples.
  18. Eliminate the feeling of being rushed in the morning before work. Pack your lunch the night before.
  19. Dedicate one evening every week to watching your favorite show or movie.
  20. Get a babysitter and take yourself on a date.

How have you taken time for yourself recently? Tell me in the comments section below!

 

Photo: Pixabay

No Bake Energy Bites: A Mid-Day Snack to Keep You From Feeling Hangry

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Hangry – The word ‘hangry’ is a concise way to describe a common feeling. Hangry is a clever word combination of hungry and angry, and an adjective that describes being irritable due to hunger, according to Webster’s Dictionary.

Anyone who works with me knows that I keep snacks in my drawer (fruit roll-ups, whole fruit, or granola bars) so that in the event I begin to feel hangry, I’ve got relief nearby. Sometimes I can feel myself getting hangry mid-morning and nobody wants me to get hangry. Nobody. So, I grab a healthy snack.

Inspired by our healthier “lifestyle” (we’re not calling it a diet), I was inspired to make No Bake Energy Bites: A Mid-Day Snack to Keep You From Feeling Hangry. They taste like no bake cookies and curb your hunger thanks to the addition of oatmeal and chia seeds, a popular ingredient in smoothies and granola bowls. Chia seeds are a trending super food high in nutrients that provides boost of energy. You can purchase them in bulk at any health food store. Because they expand a bit when wet, they make you feel full! Oh, and total bonus…chia seeds are suppose to promote healthy skin and reduce the signs of aging. Well, duh! I think I’ll add them to every early morning breakfast.

These No Bake Energy Bites taste like a cookie but they’re healthy for you. This recipe included cocoa, chocolate chips, peanut butter, almonds, vanilla and honey add-ins. See the recipe card below.

Using quick oats as the base, the mix-in ingredient options are about as endless as your imagination. For example, you can make ingredient substitutions or try these flavor combinations:

  • butterscotch chips for chocolate chips
  • chopped dried bananas, bacon bits, and peanut butter
  • dried apple chips with raisins and cinnamon
  • sunflower seeds instead of peanuts or almonds
  • Nutella and dried berries like cherries or blueberries
  • crushed honey oat cereal and peanut butter
  • cranberries, raisins, and toasted coconut with Nutella (see photos below)

Making No Bake Energy Bites is as easy as combining all of the recipe ingredients in a bowl, mixing them (your hands are a great kitchen tool but beware – the added honey will leave your hands sticky), and rolling them into one inch balls after the mixture refrigerates for 30 minutes. It’s a cinch!

This recipe version of No Bake Energy Bites includes cranberries, chopped peanuts, chia seeds, toasted coconut, raisins, Nutella, honey, vanilla, and oatmeal.

Work together all of the ingredients by pressing your spoon into the walls of the bowl and then finish mixing.

If you initially have a hard time rolling the mixture into balls, squeeze it in your hand until the mixture is tight and then use both hands to form a one-inch ball. Tip: Layer parchment paper (or wax paper) between the layers of energy balls in an airtight container before you store them in the refrigerator for at least two hours. I’m impatient and put my Tupperware container of energy bites in the freezer for one hour. A-c-t-u-a-l-l-y, I must admit that I ate one before the rest even made it into the refrigerator. They’re simply delicious!

Cranberry Raisin with Nutella No Bake Energy Bites

There you have it! No Bake Energy Bites are healthy for you and will save you from hunger pains at work so you don’t “bite” your co-worker’s head off. Yes, I went there (insert eye roll). Grab some oatmeal and your favorite mix-in ingredients and get started making tomorrow’s mid-day snack (or breakfast)!

Ingredients

  • 1 c. quick oats
  • 1/2 c. natural peanut butter
  • 1/3 c. honey
  • 1/4 c. cocoa
  • 2 T. chopped almonds
  • 2 T. milk chocolate chips
  • 1 T. chia seeds
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients with a spoon.
  2. Refrigerate mixture in the bowl for 30 minutes.
  3. Remove bowl from the refrigerator and shape it into one-inch balls.
  4. Place energy bites into a airtight container. Separate layers with wax paper or parchment paper.
  5. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.
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https://onedelightfullife.com/no-bake-energy-bites-a-mid-day-snack-to-keep-you-from-feeling-hangry/

Nutrition

Calories

98 cal

Fat

3 g

Carbs

16 g

Protein

3 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Enjoy friends.

Refrigerator Overhaul: How to reduce food waste and slim your waist

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Sometimes we have to admit that things have gotten away from us.

This week I had one of those moments when I opened the refrigerator only to find teetering takeout boxes and a lack of vegetables. I know you’ve experienced this moments at least once too.

So, how do we cut down on our refrigerator waste while trying to slim our waist? If you’re like me, sometimes you buy healthy food but don’t prep it for the week and end up tossing it later. Perhaps you don’t even know what’s in your refrigerator right now.

Reducing food waste and restocking it with healthy food starts with a total refrigerator overhaul. Follow these six steps:

  1. Toss food. You work hard for your money, which everyone can respect. But the food you buy just sits in the refrigerator and doesn’t get eaten. That’s a waste of your money. Example: Look at all those condiments! How many times a year are you going to actually use three kinds of horseradish? If it is expired or not something you’ll ever use, admit it and pitch it.
  2. Clean it. Remove all items from the refrigerator from every bin and door compartment. Use a warm sudsy sponge to remove grime. For those difficult to remove stains or bits, I spray diluted Simple Green and they scrub away with little effort.
  3. Check your thermostat settings for your refrigerator spaces. Make sure they are set to temperature for the items they house.
  4. Return items to the refrigerator by category and face them (labels towards the front.) Have a hankering for pickles? Store them on the door near the ketchup and mustard. Like items should be placed with like items. Place taller items towards the back.
  5. Visit the produce section of your local organic grocery store. Recently, I bolted to our city’s new Sprouts Farmers Market and came home with bags filled to the brim with berries to leafy greens. As you know from earlier an earlier post, I’m quite the hunter when it comes to tracking down low-cost produce and clearance grocery finds.
  6. Clean and store your prepped veggies in transparent containers with secure lids. Lettuce should be washed and completely dried before storing it in new Ziplock bags. The only way you’re going to actually make time for smoothies before work is if you clean and dice all your newly purchased fruit!

Open bags and packaging, rinse with water, and allow them to completely dry before placing vegetables in new see-through containers. Place grab and go items at eye-level.

Admitting that you’ve fell off the “healthy diet” wagon isn’t easy but the shame doesn’t last long if you own it. If you admit that you live a rushed lifestyle and that the only way for you to eat healthy on a regular basis is to have grab and go produce or meal prepped food, then make sure your refrigerator (and pantry) contain those items. Taking a couple hours each weekend to prep your refrigerator for the week, will pay off.

I’ve included two produce driven recipes that are easy to pack for lunch or prep for breakfast. Try this fruit-filled spinach salad or one of five smoothie recipes!

If I can do it, you can too. Walk over to your refrigerator, open the door, and be honest. You got this!

Let me know your tips for overhauling the lazy eater’s syndrome and getting healthy in comments section below. I’d love to hear from you.

*While Sprouts Farmers Market did recently like this Instagram photo, they are not an affiliate.

Tangy Cream Cheese Dill Pickle Spread

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Cleopatra thought eating pickles was what kept her beautiful. I’m going to eat more pickles.

Last summer I posted a video on ODL Instagram of our pickling experience after buying bags of cucumbers from a local farmer. They stored jars in our cool basement didn’t last long. We were going through two jars at a time.

My obsession with pickles didn’t wain. It’s winter and I’m still eating the briny fruit. Wait! Did I just refer to them as a fruit? Yes! Pickles are technically a fruit of the vine like tomatoes, but are known as a vegetables according to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Why they are responsible for solving this mystery is well, a mystery. I thought they had important court cases to review?)

My Tangy Dill Pickle Cream Cheese Spread recipe can be made in less than 10 minutes and goes equally well on a toasted bagel in the morning or on a water crisp cracker thin when guests come over. You could even spread it on sandwich bread instead of mayonnaise and stack it will sliced corned beef or roasted chicken. The dill-flavored possibilities are endless! Your spread will be ready in 10 minutes. Now, that’s easy!

While this spread is ready to serve in 10 minutes, allowing it to sit in the refrigerator for an hour allows the flavors to meld.

Ingredients

  • 1 package 8 oz. softened cream cheese
  • 1/2 c. finely chopped jarred dill pickles
  • 1/2 T. worcestershire
  • 1 T. chopped fresh dill
  • 1. T. pickle juice (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Instructions

  1. Allow cream cheese to soften to room temperature and then add to a medium bowl.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients.
  3. MIx thoroughly.
  4. Refrigerate in a covered dish at least an hour.
  5. Garnish with a sprig of dill before serving.

Notes

You can add more worcestershire for flavor but it will make your spread a brown color.

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https://onedelightfullife.com/tangy-cream-cheese-dill-pickle-spread/

 

Apple Cider Muffins with Walnuts and Warm Caramel Sauce Drizzle

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Is this recipe for breakfast or dessert? Who cares! Either way, Apple Cider Muffins with Walnuts and Warm Caramel Sauce Drizzle are whatever you want them to be because they’re that delicious.

As mentioned before, I’m not a from scratch baker. So I doctored up these muffins made from Martha White Apple Cider package mix with bits of fresh red apple, walnuts, and caramel sauce. Semi-homemade recipe cooks should feel any shame in their style of cooking because it’s practical and easy to do when you’re short on time.

Why make basic muffins when you can pull out all the stops and add seasonal baking ingredients to them? Have fun and try these topping swaps as well: butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips, crunchy peanut butter and sliced apple, oatmeal crumble topping or cream cheese vanilla frosting with almond slices. Don’t forget a warm cup of coffee to enjoy them with too.

apple-cider-muffins-with-walnuts-and-caramel-sauce-drizzle4Take boring baked goods to another level by adding interesting ingredients. Tag @OneDelightfulLife on Instagram and let me see how your yummy delights turn out!

Signature ODL 170x70px

Ingredients

  • Muffin Mix:
  • 1 package Martha White Apple Cider Muffin Mix
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 1/2 diced red apple
  • 1/8 c. chopped walnuts
  • Toppings:
  • chopped walnuts
  • 2 T. warm caramel sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Mix apple muffin mixture ingredients.
  3. Spray a muffin tin with canola cooking spray.
  4. Pour muffin mix into six wells of the muffin tin.
  5. Bake 10-12 minutes on the middle rack.
  6. Remove from oven and allow to partially cool.
  7. Run a toothpick around each muffin to remove from pan, if necessary.
  8. Warm the caramel sauce in the microwave for 10 seconds.
  9. Top muffins with the rest of the walnuts and caramel sauce.
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https://onedelightfullife.com/apple-cider-muffins-with-walnuts/

Nutrition

Calories

360 cal

Fat

17 g

Carbs

44 g

Protein

10 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info


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