Exciting news in the Going household, I’m on for my second year as a NuttZo Ambassador! If you’ve followed the blog or any of my social media pages, you’d know we’re all NuttZo Fanatics over here, and I am looking forward to sharing the #NuttZoLove with everyone in 2016!
Sure, peanut butter is good, but why choose good when you can have out-of-this-world awesome with organic nuts and seeds providing a host of healthy benefits? It’s delicious and something I feel good about giving to my precious little girl, Avery. She definitely has no complaints either.
Actually, I often have trouble getting it back from her.
Since we’re all busy in midst of the holiday season, I wanted to kick off my renewed role as a NuttZo Ambassador by sharing 5 of my favorite quick and healthy recipes I shared this past year. These are perfect for entertaining or making just for yourself.
It’s also good in savory meals like soup. Just stir a little in for that flavor *pow* that’ll have everyone asking for the secret recipe. Or at least saying they like it. 🙂
It’s pretty clear that the Going Family loves both NuttZo and Oatmeal, so it only makes sense to combine the two into a healthy, tasty and transportable treat. I’m not trying to win any creativity awards here, just make something the whole family will love and won’t take forever to put together.
And that’s just what I did. Voila!
The unfrosted version is better for transporting. Trust me.
Nothing fancy, but damned delicious. If you’re enjoying at home, why not put some healthy Greek yogurt frosting on that NuttZo-atmeal cake?
Need a better view?
Topped with cinnamon and looking lovely. Make it go away…….via eating
I wanted a recipe for a super peanut buttery and healthy oatmeal cake, and am very pleased with the end result….so are Kelley and Avery!
– 2 packets or 1 T stevia powder, 8 – 12 drops liquid stevia, or, if you want to use sugar, 1 – 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
– 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin puree, or mashed banana (Plain yogurt works well too)
– 1/4 cup unsweetened almond or other milk of choice
– Small dash of salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together until well incorporated. Let sit 5 – 10 minutes to allow oats to absorb liquid
Pour into one of the muffin molds in a muffin tin, 1-cup ramekin (or use a glass baking dish like I used), or just spread flat on a baking sheet for a crunchy treat. Make sure you use non-stick bake ware, spread coconut oil, or non-stick spray before pouring batter into device of choice.
Cook for 25 – 30 minutes; the top should have a nice light brown and the whole cake will feel firm. You can set your oven to broil and let cook about 3 – 4 minutes for a crispier crust; reduce baking time by 5 minutes if you do this.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing.
For a quicker version, use a microwave-safe container and microwave mixture for 5 minutes.
What happens when you let your wife/kid try a “bite”
This cake is bliss on its own, but try smearing more NuttZo or nut butter of choice on top for extra nuttiness! Or, get a little more creative with a banana and peanut butter mashed together and smeared on top.
Try your favorite spread and let me know what you come up with. Have fun with the flavors and making this cake.
What?You want to try the Greek Yogurt Icing?Ok, it’s extremely easy; just like this recipe…..
Greek Yogurt Icing
Mix 2 cups plain Greek Yogurt (non, low, or full fat will work) with one of the following to suit your preferences:
–1/2 cup melted NuttZo, other nut butter, or peanut flour for peanut butter icing
–1/2 cup vanilla protein powder (preferably organic and sweetened with stevia) and 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
–1/2 cup chocolate protein powder (preferably organic and sweetened with stevia), 2 tsp cacao powder, and 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
–1 very ripe mashed banana and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
–1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger and nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cloves
I love the single serving recipes, but just double, triple, or quadruple the measurements to make more. This would be a perfect Thanksgiving breakfast you make in a hurry since we all know the rest of the day can get hectic fast! Try making the entire mix the night before so you can cook first thing in the morning.
I can’t believe I haven’t shared a day of eats for our toddler yet. For as much as I love food and cooking, you would think I’d do this all the time. Well, thanks to Jen, a fellow reader and blogger over at My Kitchen Musings, who requested a day in the life of my daughter’s food intake, I finally did it!
It’s been a while since my last What I Ate Wednesday post, so what better time than now to join in by sharing what my toddler ate! I always enjoy this link-up, so please make sure to check out and share the host’s post (cool, a rhyme!) if you don’t mind.
Breakfast #1 – We always start the day by reading Hey! Wake UP! by Sandra Boynton followed immediately with a green smoothie. Since I hardly never measure ingredients, some smoothies can be super green and a little bitter, but she usually loves what I blend up. In fact, she gets down right cranky and impatient if I’m not quick enough to hand it to her.
Breakfast #2 – After drinking most of her smoothie (I usually have to help with finishing), I made a super nutritious bowl of oatmeal.
Yeah, I ate it all by myself during nap time. Sorry, Avery, hope you still love me.
Lunch – This girl loves her veggies, so we always have a large bag of organic Normandy Blend frozen veggies from Costco that we steam. Nothing added, just make them bite size, put them on her tray, and she’ll gobble them right up. Along with canned wild-caught salmon, another staple in our house, and a simple, healthy meal is served in no time.
Pretty? Not really, but the importance of good nutrition far outweighs anything else in my mind. Especially when it comes to feeding a beautiful growing body like our sweet little girl. I even gave her a few spoonfuls of avocado that she surprisingly ate without protest.
It might of had something to do with watching Sid the Science Kid, the only 20 minutes of screen time she gets a day, and my promise to give her air-popped popcorn.
We don’t wear shirts for lunch!
With nothing added, this Tiny But Mighty Heirloom Popcorn is awesome! If you ever see it, buy it to try. It’s easier to eat than other versions which makes a perfectly healthy toddler (and parent) snack.
Dinner – Using our handy slow-cooker, I made a black bean and quinoa stew with carrots, zucchini from our garden, and crushed tomatoes along with wild antelope round steak my brother gave me from his hunting trip.
I love slow-cooker meals, and luckily, Going Mom and Avery do too! No special kid food here, we all ate and enjoyed a big bowl of our meaty stew. It’s almost too thick to be called stew, but lets just call it thick stew. Deal? Deal.
Pre-bedtime Snack – I tell ya, she can eat. She didn’t seem fully satisfied after dinner (she shared a big bowl with Mommy), so we gave her a few of these Go Raw Pizza Flax Snax to top her off.
We have to remind her to chew (only a million times a day), but she loves these things and I enjoy them too. They really have a good pizza flavor that makes them fun to crumble on a salad or eggs.
And there you have it, a typical day of eats for our 21 month old girl. We are proud that she enjoys fresh, whole foods and doesn’t cry for sweet treats all the time, and hopefully we can keep it that way. Only time will tell.
Do you have special food for your little ones or do they eat what you eat?
When it comes to cooking, do you tend to just throw things in as you please or prefer to measure it all out?
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
