Gluten-Free Gooey Double Chocolate Brownies

Gluten-Free brownies anyone?! Yes, you can have desert and still not break the calorie bank. I am not the type of person that likes to diet, but I do like to watch how much and what I eat. I will admit I have a bit of a sweet tooth, so I am always looking for creative low carb snacks to munch on. In particular, I love chocolate and I wanted to find a snack that I could eat without feeling guilty, or feeling like I had to jump on the treadmill right away. After a search on the Internet, I took notice that there are a million ways to make bake goods without using butter, flour, or sugar. I heard about gluten-free foods, and when I tried it at a well-known gluten-free restaurant I was not impressed. I decided to go into my own kitchen to experiment with different recipes to see if I could add my own flavor to gluten-free dishes. I will say going completely gluten-free was short lived; however, there is one recipe that I still use to this day. After experimenting to create the perfect snack, I came up with a gluten-free brownie recipe. Eating healthy is not about following someone else’s dieting guide to the “T”, but figuring out what works best for you. With that said, I would like to share one of my favorite go to gluten-free snacks that is very simple to make, and taste great!

Gluten-Free Gooey Double Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients
3 eggs

2 ripe bananas (mashed)

2 cups of almond butter

2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk

1 cup of raw honey

1 teaspoon of coconut oil, or butter softened

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

½ teaspoon of salt

½ cup of dark cocoa powder

¼ cup of dark chocolate chips

Yields: 6-8 people

Total Cook Time: 35 minutes

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, mix the banana, almond butter, almond milk, vanilla extract, egg, salt, baking soda, and honey together.

Once the mix is smooth, then slowly add the cocoa powder and dark chocolate chip cookies.

Grease a 13×9 inch pan with coconut oil (if you don’t have coconut oil, then use olive oil or margarine).

Pour the batter into the greased pan, and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. If you are unsure of when it is done, place fork in the center to see if it is flaky. If the brownie dish is flaky, then it can be removed from the oven.

Let it cool for about 20 minutes before serving.

Try serving this delicious dish with vanilla ice cream, or gelato.

Enjoy!

A Bold Color Statement

Dare to be bold by coming out of your comfort zone to wear a beautiful bright color. Bright colors look amazing during the day, and bring an extra glow to your look. You can definitely stand out from the crowd by wearing colors that are not in the traditional crayon box. This look can be worn while spending time at the beach, picnic, or shopping. However, be careful in making a color selection, because you don’t want to wear a color that adds to your waist, or clashes with your skin tone. Also, make sure to wear a more natural makeup palette to avoid looking like a Cirque du Soleil performer. I like to wear a more subtle makeup look to bring out my natural features, and draw people in to appreciate the outfit. By doing so, you can turn heads with a bold color statement piece wherever you go!

My Look: Dress by Victoria Secret & Sunglasses by Express

Farm Living: A Day at Mackintosh Fruit Farm

Just a little over an hour away from the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia area there is a beautiful farm nestled away in Berryville, Virginia (Shenandoah Valley area). The Mackintosh Fruit Farm is a family owned business that grows a wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables for your picking. Picking season is offered all year round, and provides different options each season. For example, in July you can pick peaches, peppers, cucumbers, and blackberries, and in September you can pick a variety of apples, squash, and pumpkins.

Once you arrive there is always someone to greet you, and ask if you need help with navigating the farm. This is my second time visiting this farm, and this city girl always has a good time. Beyond picking fresh fruits and vegetables there are other options to have a good time. There is a patio area, so if you decide to stay all day you can bring a picnic basket, or order lunch from their onsite restaurant. Their menu consists of dishes made with their fresh fruits and vegetables. I would suggest trying the fresh peach muffins or zucchini pizza.

Throughout the year there are various events hosted at the farm from Apple Butter Day to Peach festivals to Halloween events. There is also a beautiful lake in the center of the farm, and a stable full of horses. So if you just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, then I would suggest taking the beautiful drive to this amazing farm!

POPSUGAR Must Have: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Every woman would love to receive a box of goodies delivered to her door every month. Earlier this year for my birthday, I received an email from my guy letting me know a gift was on its way to my front door. I absolutely love a good surprise, so I was super excited to know that a box full of surprises was going to be delivered to me very soon. Once I received my first box, I was totally impressed with the packaging, and cute card that described all the products in the box. The overall look makes you feel that the subscription box was personalized just for you! 
The box of goodies I am referring to is the POPSUGAR Must Have Subscription Box. Most people may know POPSUGAR for their different blogs related to celebrity news, fashion, beauty, fitness, and home decor. Now, POPSUGAR is in the business of delivering right to your door the hottest products in the same industries that they blog about! 

I am already on box #4, and I am definitely not disappointed! Each month, POPSUGAR sends me an email alert to let me know my next box is on its way. I love when the box arrives, because I always like to set aside time to sit down with a cup of tea or coffee to take my time to open and go through the items. For the month of July, the box contained goodies like a portable toothbrush, and Henri Bendel stripe canvas bag, which I absolutely love! The box I received last month included a Summer read by Judy Blume, and a sweet-smelling body wash buffer that is infused with delightful aromas. What is also great is that they include discount cards in the box, so if you want to order more of what you love you can do so without breaking the bank!

On POPSUGAR’s website each customer is able to set-up a profile page, which can be customized. You can tell them your clothing/shoe size, skin type, skin tone, eye color, fragrance preference, color preference, and personal style. Keep in mind, they don’t necessarily use this information to customize your box; however, this information helps them to know their clientele, and to determine what products to select when organizing the box each month. I would love to see POPSUGAR tailor a subscription box for men!

If you don’t want to wait for someone to order the POPSUGAR Must Have Subscription Box for you, then treat yourself. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving!