Paleo Pumpkin Bread

It's not completely fall yet, but I've finally accepted that it's on the way. The fall candles are flickering, there's that little nip in the air around 5 p.m. and inevitably the leaves are changing color once again. Every year around this time I go on a baking kick. Last year it was pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting (delicious, by the way). This year I wanted pumpkin bread. And I wanted it paleo style!

So, of course, I scoured Pinterest for the best paleo pumpkin recipes with quite a bit of luck. I guess I'm not alone in my love of fall treats within the paleo community. The recipe is simple and it makes beautiful, moist, and delicious bread. 

A blender is what a college student uses because she doesn't own a food processor.
Same thing right?

Ok, so it turned out as more of a bar, but again, I'm working with the tools on hand.
Didn't have a fancy loaf pan!

The ingredients are simple and easy. I was quite skeptical at first, but when I tasted the batter I knew I was in for a treat. The ingredients are as follows:

Almond flour
Sea salt
Baking soda
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Cloves
Honey
Stevia **I used regular sugar**
Eggs

Additions to original ingredients
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

The original recipe with measurements and instructions I followed can be found at Elana's Pantry. Thanks for the recipe Elana! I will be keeping this one handy for the rest of fall!

Healthy "Fried" Bananas

I was inspired to use some of my quickly browning bananas today, but wanted something sweet. I adapted an actual fried banana recipe from Pinterest and created this delicious treat! I'm no chef, and I'm sure this has been done in some capacity before, so I'm not saying I'm the first one to ever do this before. Also, none of the measurements are going to be exact. This healthy treat is gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and fully raw. It's nice to know you can create something so scrumptious with so few ingredients! All you need is a banana, honey, water, cinnamon, and almond butter (optional).

All of these ingredients are very healthy and I recently read an article about cinnamon that said even the scent of cinnamon can boost your brain. As a college student preparing for finals, I definitely need the brain boost. Cinnamon also enhances memory and focus so I'll be sprinkling it like a magic potion next week!

I took one banana and cut it into pieces as if I was making a peanut butter and banana sandwich. I wanted the pieces to be small enough to cook quickly and not be a mouthful to eat! I threw the banana slices into a pan on medium heat with some cooking spray so the banana pieces wouldn't stick.

I let them cook for about 45 seconds to a minute before flipping them. Then I took raw honey and tried my best to dissolve it into water so the bananas would be evenly coated in the mixture. I used a heaping spoonful of honey and just enough water to dissolve it. I turned off the heat on the stove, poured the honey mixture in and let it bubble for a second. It gets nice and brown, like caramelized sugar. Then I placed the mixture in a bowl and covered it in cinnamon. It's not photographed, but I also placed a spoonful of almond butter on top because the combination of almond butter and bananas is classic. I know it doesn't look like the most appetizing thing you have ever eaten, but, believe me, it is delicious.

Have you tried any healthy snacks lately? Let me know!

Meeting Laila Ali

I had the incredible opportunity to hear Laila Ali speak at my school this week. She's a legend and she's only in her 30s! Obviously, her father is a boxing legacy, but she has accomplished so much on her own that she will be a legacy as well.

From a very young age, Laila decided she didn't want to be known as Muhammad Ali's daughter, she wanted to be independent. She spoke about her inspirations, her training regime, and how a healthy lifestyle wasn't always a part of her plan.

Her outlook really resonated with me as an athlete because there I was sitting in the audience listening to a 24-0 world champion. I know to be successful in anything I need to be motivated and inspired by people like her. When asked about staying motivated in the gym she replied, "If I'm lagging or dogging it and not doing my best, I ask myself, 'Why am I here?'" This is true of all things in life. Why do something if you're only going to do it halfway? Do everything 110% to be successful.

Laila Ali is tough, beautiful, and inspiring. I want to be like her because she's a member of the Women's Sports Foundation working to motivate and get young girls excited about sports. This is an organization that is special to me because I've had such great experiences in sports growing up and I want to share that with others. I wouldn't change it for the world and being an athlete has sculpted me into the woman I am today. She a fighter, a role model, and a beautiful person. I hope I can be as successful as she is someday.

Favorite Healthy Snacks

I'm a fitness lover. I love Pilates (rant is here if you'd like to read it), running, hockey, hurling, and yoga. Anything that gets me moving and sweating; I'll love it! Here are just a few of the healthy snacks I like to power up with after a good hard workout. Brain workouts count too because these are also snacks I eat when I've worked up a mental sweat writing papers or doing research.

1. Kind Fruit and Nut Bars - These are delicious if you're an almond lover like me! They have other flavors, but these two are my favorites. They're also gluten free and made with all natural whole nuts, fruits, and ingredients you can see and pronounce.

2. Celery and Almond Butter - This is a recent favorite of mine. I know I need to eat more veggies, so I always try to have celery on hand because it's one of my favorites. Pair it with almond butter and you've got a perfect snack full of protein.

3. Fruit Strips - I know there are recipes all over Pinterest showing how to make your own fruit strips, but sometimes I just want to grab a box and go. These taste like fruit snacks, but they're not full of high fructose corn syrup and other weird preservatives!

4. Sunflower seeds - When I'm in the mood for something crunchy or salty I love to reach for sunflower seeds because they satisfy my craving and I'm not reaching for a bag of chips or another unhealthy alternative.

5. Luna Protein Bars in Cookie Dough - These actually taste like cookie dough. And I know this might not be classified as a "healthy snack," but I had to throw it in here because it does have a lot of protein packed in it. I ate a lot of these bars following my long training runs preparing for the marathon.

6. Champagne Mangoes - And here's the winner! My all time favorite healthy snack award goes to the Champagne mango because of it's sweet and juicy flavor. I don't know exactly why I like Champagne mangoes better than conventional mangoes, but if you haven't tried them then you definitely need to! 

What are your favorite post-workout healthy snacks?