saturdaaaaaaay. the cool fall weather these past few early mornings… SO LOVELY.
my day started out with a pre-workout snack on the go: hot coffee (sweetened with Truvia and flavored with french vanilla So Delicious dairy-free creamer) and Sara Lee whole wheat 45 calories & delightful toast with dark chocolate dreams almond butter and nana slices.
i know. man hands. #noshame #filtersarenthelpingeither
i headed to teach class with @showtimefitness; you have got to come join us if you’re local.
afterwards i sped home to get the boys dressed and ready for some tailgating cause it’s our alma mater’s homecoming week/weekend!
wait… like this, Mommy? okaaaaaaaaay! GO COOGS!
this pic was definitely taken before Chiso’s hunger melt down. even with all the noise & music, Dego checked right on out. fun day catching up with old friends!
no flaw in that logic whatsoever, haha!
my very preggo sis requested brownies, so i whipped some up for her. i didn’t want to use the boxed mix, so i searched for a healthier, homemade version and found Jillian Micheal’s recipe that i tweaked a bit. they turned out super moist and chocolatey and i even topped them with a dairy-free chocolate ganache type sauce instead of frosting. and sprinkles ❤
Enjoy Life dairy and nut-free chocolate chips and chunks are on sale at my Sprouts this week; perfect timing. i got two bags along with some cocoa powder and all purpose flour by Bob’s Red Mill.
homemade fudgy brownies
the stuff:
- no stick cooking spray
- 2/3 cup mild honey or agave nectar
- 1/3 cups natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or 1/4 cup butter (or half applesauce half butter)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup Enjoy Life dairy-free chocolate chunks
- preheat the oven to 350°F
- coat 8×8 baking pan with no-stick cooking spray
- place honey in bowl and microwave approx. 45 seconds or until bubbling. add cocoa powder and stir until combined. let cool.
- in a separate bowl, place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. combine.
- in another bowl, combine applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla. add honey-cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth
- add flour mixture and stir until well combined. add chocolate chips and stir once more.
- bake for 25 minutes then do the toothpick test!
** if it comes out clean they are ready but keep in mind you might be stabbing a melted chocolate chip. make sure it’s not batter on the toothpick 🙂 **
stats above are for 1 brownie! Jillian’s recipe supposedly makes 16 servings (which equals a 2 inch brownie) but who eats a 2 inch brownie…………… so i cut mine into 9 nice size squares.
the topping is just 1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips and 2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk melted in the microwave and mixed thoroughly. that’s it! i put in the fridge to firm up slightly so that it wouldn’t be super runny. if it’s too thick, add more milk until you get it to the consistency you want. make sure the brownies are completely cooled before pouring the topping on, then decorate the brownies however you’d like.
theeeen i headed off to the Xi Alpha Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s 6th Annual Educators’ Ball! i was walking towards Chiso to hug him goodbye when he looked at me and said ‘mama you look pretty!’. my heart.melted.instantly. i mean gosh. i’ll be crying about that moment forever and wish i had captured it on video. #mommymoment
so my initial question when dress shopping is no longer ‘how does my _____ look in this?’ it’s ‘can i breastfeed without having to get halfway naked!?’ hahaha! times have changed. long dresses just don’t work for public breastfeeding unless they’re strapless! #nursingmomproblems
Q: do you attend your school’s homecoming events every year?
Q: what is your biggest breastfeeding challenge?
le