I first came across the idea of a carnival cookie from the Cook Republic. I loved the idea of putting popcorn and the flavors of carnival food into a healthy, fun cookie. With a few tweaks, I came up with my own version of the carnival cookie.

Popcorn and coconut oil mix to create the buttery-flavored crunch. Hot roasted peanuts and butterscotch/caramel flavored carob chips add extra depth to the mix. A final dash of cinnamon gives it a pop of funnel cake or caramel apple flavored fun. Combine with oats and bananas (or sweet potatoes if you feel extra adventurous), and you have a cookie ready for the carnival!

 

 

Health Benefits:

• Bananas: Rich in potassium, bananas help the body’s circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain. This also helps maintain a regular heartbeat and a proper balance of water in the body. It also contains tryptophan to help relax you and lift your spirits!
• Peanuts: These legumes are full of protein with 7g per ounce. They also have a great monounsaturated fat content that helps your heart and brain. Peanut is a good source of Coenzyme Q10 which protects the heart during the period of lack of oxygen example high altitudes and clogged arteries. It also has a high antioxidant and high niacin content that helps in the recovery of cell damage and provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive problem.
• Oats: Oats contain loads of vitamins and minerals to keep you full and energized throughout the day. They can lower cholesterol, burn fat, reduce risk of type 2 diabetes, regulate bowel movements, reduce blood pressure, reduce risks of cancer because of oat’s phytochemical, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Coconut: Coconut is widely misunderstood because of it’s high fat content; however, coconut’s saturated fat is made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chains are easy to absorb and digest, and are converted quickly into energy. This means that the body is less likely to store the medium-chain as fat. Coconut is also a great source of dietary fiber with a whopping 5 grams per oz!
• Pecans: They help boost your immune system, reduce LDL cholesterol, and protect against Breast Cancer because of the high levels of oleic acid. It contains vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and fiber, as well as antioxidants.
• Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.
• Carob: Unlike chocolate, carob contains no caffeine and it contains a number of nutrients, including vitamins A, B, B2, B3, and D. It contains a good dose of Pectin that helps to eliminate toxins from the body.
• Popped Corn: When made with a healthy oil or air-popped, pop corn can be rather beneficial to the health. It is a whole grain full of fiber and minerals. It contains a good amount of iron, phosphorous, and calcium to strengthen teeth and bones.

 

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Have you ever been to a carnival?

I’ve never been to a carnival, and I have only dreamed about seeing a circus. The closest I’ve gotten to either was the Iowa State Fair. I grew up as an Iowa girl, and the State Fair was the biggest, most exciting fair in the country. Giant squash and pigs, a cow sculpted from butter, rides towering above the fairgrounds, contests in all sorts of arts, music concerts all day long, free temporary tattoos for kids, and, of course, the smell of fried foods wafting through the crowds. If you ever pass through Iowa during August, definitely give the State Fair a whirl.

Thanks to Elizabeth for writing this Guest Post!

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6 tasty Sugar free treats for Valentine’s Day

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching; the day of love, with all its chocolate and other sweet treats might seem like be a real challenge for anyone looking to lead a sugar-free lifestyle.

It needn’t be though, and today I’ve got a couple of great sugar-free, dairy-free and gluten-free recipes for you to try…

First up, the Walnut-Apple Crisp, this one is really simple and is a very tasty treat.

 1) Walnut-Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

• Four medium-sized apples
• Half Teaspoon of Cinnamon Powder
•  A pinch of grated, fresh nutmeg
•  One cup of walnuts
•  Half Teaspoon of dairy-free vegan spread
•  Pinch of salt

Preparation: Core the apples and then slice it and you can peel the skin as per your taste. Mix the sliced apples with cinnamon powder and the grated nutmeg and then place them in a pie pan. Grind the walnuts in a food processor and when they are finely powdered, add the dairy-free spread and a pinch of salt and mix them gently. Now, sprinkle the walnut mixture on top of the apples and bake them for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. this is a wonderful and easy recipe and requires just a handful of ingredients.

 

If the walnut apple crisp doesn’t tickle your fancy then how about this heart-shaped fresh berry tart in raw pecan-apricot crust.

 2) Fresh Berry Tart in Raw Pecan-Apricot Crust

Ingredients:

•  Half cup each of pecans and walnuts
•  One tsp of freshly grated lemon zest
•  A pinch of cinnamon powder
•  Half a cup of dried apricots to be rehydrated by soaking in water for more than an hour.

You can use any of the fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.

Preparation: Grind the nuts and then add to it, cinnamon, lemon zest and the rehydrated and drained apricots and make a sticky mixture of it in a food processor and then press it onto small-sized tart bowls and then fill it with fresh berries and then your tart is ready to serve. You can also refrigerate and have it as per your liking.

Finally, if you’re looking for something a little different, how about these chocolate-quinoa-coconut-almond bars?

 3) Chocolate-quinoa-coconut-almond Bars

Ingredients:

•  Half cup of shredded coconut, quinoa flakes and almond butter
•  One-third cup of virgin coconut oil
•  Two raw cacao nibs
•  One-quarter of a tsp of stevia herb powder

Preparation: Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and to this add the melted almond butter and coconut oil and again mix well and refrigerate. Once they are firm, you can cut them into bars and can relish it.

Valentine’s Day is never complete without a luscious chocolate cake and it is possible to make a sugar-free, dairy-free and gluten-free delicious chocolate cake that is absolutely delectable.

 4) Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

•  2 cups of brown rice flour or teff flour
•  One cup of unsweetened chocolate
•  One and a half teaspoon of baking soda
•  Half tsp salt
•  One and a half cups of boiling water
•  Quarter cup of virgin coconut oil
•  One cup each of prunes and dates
•  1 tsp vanilla
•  2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Rehydrate the prunes in boiling water for about 15 minutes. Add the prunes with water along with coconut oil, dates, apple cider vinegar and vanilla into a food processor and blend well. Mix all the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture onto this. Pour the batter into the greased pans and bake for around 25-30 minutes and relish a totally new variety of chocolate cake.

How does the idea of carrot cupcakes sound to you? This healthy dessert tastes great, more than you could have ever imagined it.

5) Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients:

•  One cup of Teff flour or sorghum flour, grated carrots and dates or raisins
•  2 tsp of orange juice
•  One cup of grape seed oil or dairy-free vegan spread
•  One tsp of baking powder and a half tsp of baking soda
•  Half cup of chopped pecans
•  Half tsp of salt

Preparation: Mix all the wet ingredients along with dates or raisins in a big bowl and mix the dry ingredients together in another bowl. Slowly, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix it well until the mixture becomes smooth. Into this add the carrots and pecans and add a big spoonful of them into the standard muffin pan and bake it at 350 degree F for about 30 minutes.

For a very simple yet mouth-watering brownie, try out the below recipe and enjoy your Valentine’s Day with all these sugar-free and tasty treats.

 6) Chocolate Brownie

Ingredients:

•  100 ml of vegetable oil or dairy-free vegan spread
•  Quarter cup cocoa powder
•  I cup of Teff flour or sorghum flour
•  Half cup of fruit puree such as apple sauce
•  Half cup of dates
•  Half cup each of walnuts, pecans and raisins

Dates should be churned once or twice in the food processor so that they break into smaller pieces. Melt the chocolate first and add oil to this and then add the dates, apple sauce and the dry ingredients. Add the nuts and the raisin now and all you need to do is microwave it for around 6 minutes and your ravishing brownies are ready to relish!

–A guest post contributed by Elizabeth Goldman on behalf of Tasty Bingo, home to tasty bingo games and loads of great recipes.

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Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Quick! Answer: Chocolate or Berries?