At last I get to post a recipe.

It has been a hectic last 2-3 weeks with PA school. We have just got done completing our summative week and I hope everything went well for me.

We got 2 physical encounters with standardized patients, which I think I did really well, and then one crazy written exam. A lot of you wished me well and sent positive energy and vibes so I hope that worked on my favor. I really want to be done with PA school, travel a little, enjoy my family and eventually start working.

I just need a few months to recharge my energy and eventually start my career as a PA. It has been a very busy, overwhelming past 2 yrs so I think a break is in order.

Anyways, onto this amazing chocolate peanut butter overnight oats bowl recipe.

I love making overnights oats not only because they are super easy to prepare, like 10 minutes max, but because it is super healthy, feeling and tastes super awesome.

I have made a blueberry and coconut overnight oats version that it is also magnificent. If you have not tried to make overnight oats yet I really encourage to do so. I think you will not be dissapointed.

As you may know, this coming summer I am going back to my beloved Spain for almost 2 1/2 months. While in Spain we are going to do some traveling and for a few days I will get to go to Morocco.

I will be going with my best friend, but can you believe that we will be in the Sahara desert in July? We are going to melt but that was the only time that we could make it. We are going to be taking cooking classes and learning about Moroccan cuisine. I really can’t wait.

I will be posting a lot of Moroccan recipes upon my return as well as a lot of pictures and things to do if you ever make it of that part of the world. Stay tuned for that. I think Morocco is going to be epic.

Anyways, I leave you with this amazing chocolate peanut butter overnight oats that I hope you get to try soon. Super easy, healthy and delicious to say the least.

Enjoy!

Chocolate peanut butter overnight oats

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 22-26 servings

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 32 oz gluten rolled oats
• 1/2 gallon dairy free milk
• 1/3  cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup organic peanut butter

Toppings

• Fresh blueberries
• Cacao nibs
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
• Hemp hearts

 

Directions:

In large mixing bowl mix all the ingredients. You may need a bit more milk if you like. I prefer mine a bit more liquid like than pudding consistency so I added more. Place mixture in the refrigerator overnight and eat the next morning.

This recipe will keep in your refrigerator covered in a  glass container for up to 1 week. You can also add any type of nuts or protein powder if you like.

NOTE: You can half the recipe if you don't like to make such a big quantity.

The post Chocolate peanut butter overnight oats appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

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Do you know if you are hydrating properly? By going to PACt.OceanSpray.com you can take Ocean Spray’s Hydration IQ survey. The survey only takes about 2 minutes and you will find out if you need to hydrate more than you currently are or you are good to go! I did take it myself and I was surprised at the results.

Results from Hydration Survey:

• More than 60% of Americans are drinking less than 8 glasses of water a day.
• Americans aren’t hydrating in other months outside of summer.
• More than half of Americans don’t feel the need to hydrate when temperatures cool down.

PACt® cranberry extract water makes it easier and healthier to increase hydration year round especially when it comes to kids consuming high sugary juices and soda. This drink is a great alternative, as the taste is also very good!

You can also have this cranberry extract water in different flavors: Cranberry Raspberry, Cranberry Pomegranate, Cranberry Blood Orange, and Cranberry Mango Passionfruit.

A few tips about the energy bars:

• You can make any combination you like by using other type of nuts.
• You can use chocolate chips in place of cacao nibs, however, you will increase the sugar content.
• Keep bars refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

Energy bars

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pitted dates
• 1 cup pistachios
• 1 cup cashews
• ¼ cup cacao nibs
• 2 tbs water

Directions:

Line a 9x 5 inch loaf baking pan with unbleached parchment paper and set aside.

In a food processor place all the ingredients. Pulse until the mixture comes together.

Place the mixture in the prepared baking pan and with a spatula press until it is uniform on all sides. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Cut into squares and keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

This post was sponsored by Ocean Spray® PACt® cranberry extract water. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Energy bars appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Previous tips to keep hydrated:

• Monitor fluid loss by checking the color of your urine. It should be pale yellow and not dark yellow, too smelly or cloudy.
• Drink enough water to prevent thirst. Know that thirst is a sign of dehydration.
• Begin exercise well-hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids within the hour before, during and after your exercise session.

New reader’s tips:

• Carrying a water bottle at all times.
• Providing water for kids’ sports teams.
• Drinking a glass of water even before breakfast or the morning coffee.
• Remembering to drink water at all times especially when living in hot areas where body water loss is more prominent.

As part of their dedication to healthy hydration through the Drink Up initiative, Nestlé Pure Life has committed to providing nearly one million 8oz servings of water to After-School All-Stars.

To help your family Drink Up and be a part of the Ripple Effect – a movement to keep kids hydrated – visit pureliferippleeffect.com and share your tips for healthy hydration using #pureliferippleeffect. I am positive that many people will benefit from everyone’s hydration tips across the nation!

For everyone that entered the giveaway and gave their personal hydration tips, thanks so much. The Nestlé® Pure Life® Ripple Effect Giveaway Winner is:

Christina! Congrats!

As I mentioned previously, water is the most important, and often most forgotten, nutrient. You can last for some time without food, but only days without water. Use some of the tips mentioned above to keep you and your family well hydrated. It is very important for proper digestion, blood circulation, metabolism and many other bodily essential functions in the body.

So remember, stay hydrated!

Enjoy!

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 2 servings

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond milk
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp cacao nibs
• 1 banana
• 2 cups crushed iced

 

 

Directions:

Blend ingredients in your blender for 30 seconds and serve immediately.

Thank you to Nestle® Pure Life® for sponsoring this blog post. All opinions are my own.

The post High protein smoothie appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Have you ever made your own frozen popsicles before? If you haven’t you truly should start. I actually have a couple of frozen popsicle moulds which work great. Having these have saved me a lot of money since making your own popsicles at home is much more economical than bying them at the store. Healthier too!

Making your own variations is also super easy. You can make any variations of your choice.

For these double chocolate almond butter popsicles I used raw cacao nibs, however, if you don’t have any you can use chocolate chips. I also used almond milk but if you would like to use any other milk that is fine too.

I tend to make other variations very soon. I love nothing but to have my freezer well stocked with these popsicles. They are perfect for a snack and kids are always fond of them.

Well not much else to say about these double chocolate popsicles. If you haven make your own just yet you should.

Enjoy!

Double chocolate almond butter popsicles

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 12 popsicles

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe bananas
• 2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 1/3 cup cacao nibs, optional

Drizzle

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, vegan if you like

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in your food blender and pulse until it comes together. Divide mixture between the popsicle mould and place a wooden stick on each popsicle hole and freeze for at least 3-4 hours.

Before serving the popsicles, place the chocolate chips in a safe microwave dish and melt in 30 seconds intervals until melted.

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the frozen popsicles. Serve.

The post Double chocolate almond butter popsicles appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Surely you have seen many of the other overnight oat recipes I have made in the past but never a chocolate one until today. It is truly extremely easy to make and you can have breakfast ready for the entire week in a mere 5 minutes. You can even take this chocolate almond butter overnight oats with you and place them on ball jars and have on the go.

I have seen many chocolate peanut butter overnight oat versions but I am starting to use almond butter a lot more. Surely it is more expensive but I like it better. You can use peanut butter too, which ever you like best. I also tend to add chocolate protein powder to kick the protein content up a bit since that is what my husband likes to have for breakfast before going to the gym.

I actually love having this chocolate almond butter overnight oats in the morning or after working out. It has quite a bit of protein and fiber and it is not too sweet. It can be a great choice for a snack and eat any time through the day really!

For the milk of choice I used Silk Original Soymilk. No other dairy-free milk brand gives you more protein! With 8 grams of heart-healthy, plant-powered protein and a smooth delicious taste, Silk Original Soymilk gives you plenty to love. And because Silk is plant-based, it’s naturally low in saturated fat and has no cholesterol!

To learn more about Silk Original Soymilk and obtain a coupon click here

If you need a way to curve hunger or if you are looking for better ways to start the day or snack this is the recipe for you. This chocolate almond butter overnight oats only has 6 ingredients, takes 5 minutes to make and it is gluten free and vegan.

Enjoy!

Chocolate almond butter overnight oats

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs
• 2 tbs cacao powder
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 4 cup Silk Original Soymilk
• 1/4 cup chocolate protein powder, optional

 

 

 

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients and with a large spoon mix until combined.

Place mixture covered in the refrigerator overnight. Serve with extra milk, warm, cold or as desired!

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Chocolate almond butter overnight oats appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Last week I made the banana chia seed pudding which was the bomb. This week I experimented with another version. Since I got a huge bag of chia seeds I am getting really creative with it in the kitchen and so I made this coffee and chocolate chia seed pudding.

For this variation I used cacao nibs which I placed on a coffee grinder and pulverized. Cacao nibs are really high in antioxidants, that is why I used them. They are a little bit bitter but that is OK with me. If you don’t have cacao nibs you can use cacao powder instead. The coffee and chocolate chia seed pudding will still be as good.

For this variation I didn’t use my food processor. I just used a wire whisk to mix all of the ingredients and that was good enough.

I am going to keep coming up with other chia seed pudding variations. It is so easy and so healthy. Having this as a snack is also great. My kids actually think they are having a treat when in reality they are having something great. Next time I am going to make a pineapple and coconut flavored one. I love those two flavors together and since I have the ingredients on hand I think I will make it this week. I hope I don’t forget…

I hope you get to try this variation. It is truly sensational.

Enjoy!

Place the cacao nibs in your coffee grinder or food processor and pulse until they are pulverized. Mine are not totally pulverized but good enough.

Coffee and chocolate chia seed pudding

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup brewed coffee, I used decaf
• 2 tbs cacao nibs, or cacao powder
• 1/2 cup coconut cream, or coconut milk
• 1 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup chia seeds
• 2 scoops chocolate protein powder

Directions:

In a coffee grinder add the cacao nibs and pulse until pulverized. In a large mixing bowl add all of the ingredients. With a wire whisk, mix all of the ingredients until combined. Place the pudding in the refrigerator and serve when chilled, about 4-6 hours.

The post Coffee and chocolate chia seed pudding appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.