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!

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 | “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!

Our Experience at Valarie in the X Hotel

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to check out the fantastic roof top patio at the X Hotel.

Valarie is boasted as Toronto’s newest nightlife concept with an innovative Japanese menu, inspired cocktails amidst unparalleled views the six.

What we ate:
Cocktails: Single Malt on the rocks, Espresso and Cosmo Martinis
Food: Truffle Fries, Maitake Mushroom (bowl) & Truffle Teardrop (sushi roll)
Food Menu

The mushroom item was delicious.  Crispy and with a truffle flavour. 

And the martinis were perfect (flavourfull and strong!)

The entire rooftop is lined with a glass balcony – so you get views of the lake, Mississauga, the downtown core and the lake of course.

And of course I only got pictures of the CN Tower.

The views and cocktails really made it for me, although I wish they had more food items.

Over all it was a great experience (we tried to ignore the early 2000s clique vibes between patrons and the restaurant staff).

We got reservations through OpenTable, but I think a walk in is worth a try!

5 Ingredient Vegan Cookie Dough Bars

Vegan, Chocolate Chip, Cookie Bar, Healthy, Fitness, Sweet, Dessert

OMG!  This FIVE clean ingredient INDULGENCE is so good and addictive.  I’ve made this recipe several times, rounding measurements up and by half – each time it turned out equally good.  I’d even think it would taste amazing with a sprinkle of flaked sea salt!

Vegan, Chocolate Chip, Cookie Bar, Healthy, Fitness, Sweet, Dessert, Flatlay

The texture is so incredibly like raw cookie dough but without the butter, eggs or white sugar.  The coconut oil helps everything stick together perfectly.   But the real star is the almond flour (I used the Kirkland brand blanched almond flour from Costco).

Pinterest, Recipe

You could definitely make this for a potluck by swapping the 1/3 cups for 1 full cups, all other ingredients would be to taste.


Want more cookie recipes?  Check out this vegan, gluten & guilt free cookie, granola that tastes like cookies, 3 ingredient breakfast cookie or this chickpea chocolate chip cookie (ha! don’t knock till you try it!)