Easy Kid Approved Zucchini Muffins!

Storytime…(or jump to the recipe)

For the longest time, I was the mom who couldn’t trick her kids into eating veggies. I would listen to the stories of moms who would chop, blend and bake veggies into their kids foods, longing for the day that I would be able to experience that.

Not because I needed to LOL but because I wanted to :P

I’m not the biggest fan of cooking (I do it out of necessity). Yet, I still want to be able to make the best chocolate chip cookies for my kids (spoiler alert: they completely prefer the pillsbury eat raw or bake option and I’m not mad about it) or maybe even have a family recipe to pass along.

And I think my day has finally come!

BOTH my kids have FINALLY enjoyed a healthy baked good that I’ve made from scratch. I think because it doesn’t have cinnamon, peanut butter or almond flour makes a real difference. It doesn’t have that heaviness to it and is also school safe!

Best part it’s incredibly easy to make! Moist on the inside with a light crunch on the outside. It has zucchini and no white sugar or flour. And just for balance – a good helping of dark chocolate chips.

My kids loved it (after a highly persuaded first bite)!

Recipe for “Easy Kid-Approved Zucchini Muffins”

Ingredients:
– 2 cups of shredded zucchini
– 2 eggs
– ½ to ¾ cup of maple syrup
– ¼ cup coconut oil (room temperature)
– 2 cups oat flour
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– ½ teaspoon salt
– ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions:
– Put the wet ingredients in a bowl and stir together
– Put the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix together
– Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well
– Fill 12 greased muffins tins evenly and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes

A Dreamy Nutella Crepe at @Sugarhill_Desserts Vaughan

I love desserts and specifically chocolate desserts. Chocolate chip cookies are my fav!

I’ve tried creating cleaner options of my most treasured dessert (which you can find here, here, here and here).

BUuuuuuut once in a while, I’ll indulge! And I’ll go all in!

Into the richness of the chocolate and sugar at an actual dessert shop. I don’t do it often and because of that – I really savour the experience 🥰

The last time I had dessert shop dessert was in Las Vegas (Sugar Factory).
We had a waffle and crepe and it was covered in Nutella and cookie crumbs and it was pure joy.

I definitely felt like I didn’t need to eat dessert again for at least a month
(spoiler alert: I had desert before that)

Enter Sugar Hill Desserts 💕

This cute little place was lively, modern aesthetic decor, had a heated patio and an amazing variety of desserts.  

Of course I opted for yet another Nutella crepe & and did no disappoint. Nutella spread inside, Nutella drizzle outside, Nutella-esque ice cream on top, Oreo crumbs for the crunch & bananas (because balance – right?!)

Conveniently located across from Vaughan Mills and right off the highway exit this is a MUST try any time you are in the area, on the way to or back from cottage country or even if you are a local looking for a fav dessert spot!

Starting the new year with renewed focus and intention

It was a GREAT 20 days of blogmas! I am pretty impressed with my ability, consistency and ambition.  I think it was the longest streak of blogging I’ve had in a long time.  For January, I’ll be returning to more regular yet less frequent blog posts.  Maybe, it will be twice a week and centered around a new theme – I haven’t confirmed my creative process yet! :P

<Admin reminder for myself> I’ve also yet to share all the posts on Pinterest so that will take some time in January also. So between editing titles (taking out the word “blogmas”), promoting on Pinterest (and twitter & instagram for that matter) I know I’ll be scaling back.  </end reminder>

So here is my first post – post blogmas!  It’s a multi day vlog showing my routines & habits.  All things I want to continue focusing on in the new year.  Whether that’s nature works, morning workouts, journaling, reading, meditating, doing well in my career – it’s a reminder that my Focus and Intention needs be all about consistency.  So hopefully it inspires others out there who want to start (or stay on …like me) the journey of their personal development and self growth.


Click here for Blogmas 2022!

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My go-to healthy pancakes

So easy, yummy-hit the spot pancakes. I got you! These pancakes 3 ingredient (minus optional toppings) pancakes are refined sugar & gluten free – incredibly simple to make and you probably don’t even need to go to the grocery store!

Pancakes, Gluten Free, Healthy, Good Food, UGC, Ikea dishes, Window, Natural Light, Food Photography

I never liked making pancakes from scratch, the flour would be all over my counter and the batter was always clumping. The beauty of this recipe, any high speed blender does all the work!

What you need:

  • 2 spotted bananas
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup of quick oats

Instructions

  1. Put all ingredients in a high-speed blender, blend until smooth
  2. Heat a griddle or flat pan and greese with avocado spray or butter
  3. Turn down heat on pan
  4. Immediately, using an ice cream scoop, scoop 1 laddle full of batter and shape with back of spoon
  5. Cook each side for 3-5 min (golden brown)
  6. Let cool on a paper towel lined plate
  7. Enjoy warm, with berries, whip cream, Nutella or pure maple syrup. The choices are ENDLESS!

Pancakes, Gluten Free, Healthy, Good Food, UGC, Ikea dishes, Window, Natural Light, Food Photography, Christmas Morning Breakfast
Pancakes, Gluten Free, Healthy, Good Food, UGC, Ikea dishes, Window, Natural Light, Food Photography, Easy cooking

Want more? Follow my Blogmas 2022 journey here!

Blogmas | Do THIS before you create your reality with a #VisionBoard

We are 18 days out from 2023.  I hope between the get togethers, holiday meals and gift giving your are making time for YOU.  As a mom of daughters, with a full fledge and progressive career with ambitions of growing my business – goal setting has always been my thing.

But with the new year I definitely try to be more intentional.

Below is the process I’ve developed over the years + sharing my vision board capturing visual cues of all the areas I’m setting goals in (wellness, learning, career promotion, financial abundance, family, friends and world travel).

  1. Retrospective on the past year: I use the life audit wheel and do an audit of the areas of my life that went really well (10) and the areas that I felt I could have put more effort towards or that could have gone better (1 being the lowest on the scale)
  2. Write in words what the life audit showed me: This is really about writing down what went well and what didnt.  So now you have two representations of the past year.
  3. Get clear on what you want to achieve: Now taking the written retrospective, write down all the things you want to achieve.  Be as detailed as possible.  And also make room to jot down the feeling you have when you think about these achievements.  And most importantly, write down actionable steps to get where you want to be (full disclosure: this will take you more than one sitting)
  4. Pinterest, pinterest, PINTEREST! You are gonna grab all images that show you achieving everything you clearly articulated in step 3.
  5. Make you vision board: Now you are going to make a visual representation of what you wrote in 3. Before you make your vision board, make a gratitude list, meditate, light a candle, clense your crystals – just be in the most receiving space you can be in!  Once you love what you’ve created (also: this could take a few tries) PRINT it out, save to all of your desktop wallpapers & make sure you look at it multipe times a day.

You’ll notice a pattern here, we think, write and visualize.  Repeatedly.  Why? Because the brain can’t tell the difference between something actually happening/how it feels when you achieve something vs when you just think about achieving it & feel the feelings.  Once you brain believes you’ve achieved it, you’ll starting behaving in a way and taking actions in the direction of that achievement.

BONUS: Do future journalling – everyday of the new year, potentially as part of your morning journalling practice.  This is where you write down everything of the day as it it’s already happened (ie: these will be the actionable steps you wrote down in 3 aboce).  Again tricking your brain into thinking you’ve already achieved the accomplishment but on a daily basis.

Vision Board, Pinterest, Mood board, Future, Goals, New Years Resolution, Goal Setting, Happy, Abundant, successful, wealthy, prosperity, vitality, wellness

Want more? Follow my Blogmas 2022 journey here!

Blogmas | “Bring a Board” Easy Charcuterie idea!

I’ve noticed recently this cute party with friends idea which is a take on the classic potluck! 

Instead of having your friends bring a slow cooked or oven baked meal, have them bring a board. 

Some board ideas include:

  • S’mores 
  • Fries and dips (sweet potatoes, waffle fries, tater tots)
  • Donuts
  • Build your own tacos 
  • French toast, pancakes and waffle + toppings
  • Cheese fondue
  • Movie snacks (think popcorn, concession candy, pretzels)
  • Tea & biscuits

Sharing a beginner charcuterie board that I made for a get together recently.  Super easy to put together and the best part of finding a creatively aesthetic of putting it all together 🎀

Want more? Follow my Blogmas 2022 journey here!