My kids used to tear through bags of the Entenmann’s Brownie Bites like they were the last brownies on earth and to my surprise, they tore through these new brownies last night just as they did with the Entenmann’s brand.  You can double or triple the batch and freeze these for future use, so they can be grab and go just like the Entenmann’s we are all used to — after all, that is what makes the Entenmann’s little brownie like products so desirable, they are quick, easy and delicious.  Now we have a new option that is quick, easy and delicious with just a tad of planning.  We use WEXY Lunch and Munch Snack Bags to freeze our mini muffins.  These bags are BPA free and are fun for the kids with cute little monsters on each bag.  We put 3-4 muffins in a bag, freeze and grab when we need them.  If you pack them in a lunch they will be defrosted by lunch time.

We used Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder.  The only ingredient is Certified Organic Cacao. Cacao contains a naturally rich supply of antioxidants and is a good source of dietary fiber.  Raw cacao contains the highest concentrated antioxidant of any other food.  It is also known to be one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium, flavanols and polyphenols.  I was so excited to find something that promotes health that my kids would enjoy!

I hope you enjoy these brownies as much as we did!  Brownies are one of our favortie treats, and now we have an option that is actually good for us.  If you look at the ingredient breakdown, you will see that each ingredient in the brownies serves a nutritional purpose in one form or another. Simply click on the ingredient and you will see for yourself the goodness and wholesomeness you will be providing to you and your family.  (For this particular recipe 4 brownie bites equal 1 serving). You will be not only eating for pleasure, but for purpose.  The food we eat needs purpose.

This vs. That ~ Cacao Brownie Bites vs. Entenmann’s Little Bites Fudge Brownies:

(Apart from other health concerns, many of the ingredients in the Entenmann’s Little Bites are potentially GM (genetically modified) — sugar, corn syrup, fructose, cornstarch modified, soy lecithin, mono and diglycerides & xanthan gum.)

Almond Flour, Baking Soda, Himalayan Pink Salt, Raw Honey, Coconut Oil, Organic Eggs, Vanilla Extract, Raw Cacao Powder vs. Sugar, Egg(s), Wheat Flour Bleached, Chocolate Powder (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Dextrose), Canola Oil, Palm Oil, Milk Non-Fat, Soybean(s) Oil, Corn Syrup, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Fructose, Whey, Salt, Cornstarch Modified, Gellan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Soy Lecithin, Flavor(s) Natural & Artificial, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol Monoester, Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Potassium Sorbate Preservative

When purchasing your honey, raw unprocessed honey is a good choice. 75% of all honey sold in stores contains no honey at all. A comprehensive investigation conducted by Food Safety News (FSN) has found that the vast majority of so-called honey products sold at grocery stores do not contain any pollen, which means they are not real honey. “Raw honey is thought to have many medicinal properties,” says Kathy Egan, dietitian at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.  ”Stomach ailments, anemia and allergies are just a few of the conditions that may be improved by consumption of unprocessed honey.”

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This vs. That ~ Cacao Brownie Bites

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 11 minutes

Total Time: 21 minutes

Number of servings: 12

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup raw honey
• 1/2 cup coconut oil or ghee
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs (preferably organic)
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup raw cacao
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease muffin pan with coconut oil spray or ghee.
3. Mix honey, coconut oil or ghee, vanilla and eggs until smooth.
4. Add almond flour, cocoa, baking soda and optional salt.
5. Stir to blend.
6. Fill muffin cups with batter (approximately 1/3 full).
7. Bake for 11 minutes, until centers no longer jiggle and tops feel cakey.

Notes:

Another alternative is to pour the batter into a greased 8x8x2 inch pan. We use coconut oil spray to grease the pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until center no longer jiggles and top feels cakey. Recipe Adapted From: http://grainfreefoodie.blogspot.com

Cacao Brownie Bites

2/3 cup raw honey
1/2 cup coconut oil or ghee
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 eggs (preferably organic)
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup raw cacao
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease muffin pan with coconut oil spray or ghee.
3. Mix honey, coconut oil or ghee, vanilla and eggs until smooth.

4. Add almond flour, cocoa, baking soda and optional salt.

5. Stir to blend.

6. Fill muffin cups with batter (approximately 1/3 full).

7. Bake for 11 minutes, until centers no longer jiggle and tops feel cakey.

8. Let cool for 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

~ “To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”  – La Rochefoucauld

I played with a few recipes, made a few tweaks and came up with a delicious little muffin.  You can also add chocolate chips if you want to replicate the Entenmann’s Banana Chocolate Chip Little Bites.  We use Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips, which are dairy, nut & soy free — no one in my house can taste the difference between the Enjoy Life chips and Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chips.  The muffins are super moist just like the Entenmann’s mini muffins.  I used to love the Entenmann’s Little Bites because they were convenient and an easy fast snack. With the muffin recipe below, you can double the recipe and freeze what you are not going to use within the week and feed yourself and your family muffins that promote health rather than deteriorate health. Your bananas should be extremely brown, almost to the point when you would throw them away or freeze them. If they are not overly ripe, your bread will not be as sweet and probably not taste as good. If you are using non-ripe bananas, you should add about a 1/3 cup of maple syrup to the batter.

We use WEXY Lunch and Munch Snack Bags to freeze individual servings of muffins, they are biodegradable and BPA Free.  You can put 3-4 muffins in the bag, freeze and grab before you walk out the door.

When consuming grain free baked goods it is important to be careful about how much you consume because most contain large quantities of nut flours. These nut flours contain high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids. While omega-6 fatty acids are good for you, in excess, they can cause problems. It’s a good idea to keep your omega-3 consumption (from foods like organic butter, pastured beef, pastured eggs, raw organic cultured or fermented dairy, fish, etc.) twice as high as your omega-6 consumption to avoid possible inflammation.

This vs. That ~ Banana Blueberry Muffins vs. Entenmann’s Little Bites Blueberry Mini Muffins

Almond Flour, Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Cinnamon, Dates, Organic Bananas, Organic Eggs, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Coconut Oil, Organic Blueberries vs. Sugar, Bleached Wheat Flour, Soybean And/or Canola Oil, Eggs, Water, Blueberries, Glycerin, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Modified Cornstarch, Whey (Milk), Natural & Artificial Flavors, Salt, Mono- and Diglycerides, Baking Soda, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Sorbitan Monostearate, Soy Lecithin, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, Calcium Sulfate, Calcium Phosphate, Soy Protein, Color.

This vs. That ~ Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins vs. Entenmann’s Banana Chocolate Chip Little Bites 

Almond Flour, Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Cinnamon, Dates, Organic Bananas, Organic Eggs, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Coconut Oil, Chocolate Chips (Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Chocolate Liquor (Non-Alchoholic), Non-Dairy Cocoa Butter)) vs. Banana(s) Puree, Sugar, Wheat Flour Bleached, Soybean(s) Oil, Egg(s), Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Chocolate Liquor Processed with Alkali, Soy Lecithin, Vanillin), Molasses, Flavor(s) Natural & Artificial, Corn Starch Modified, Whey (Milk), Dextrose, Water, Fructose, Mono and Diglycerides, Tricalcium Phosphate, Baking Soda, Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Guar Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Soy Lecithin, Sorbitan Monostearate, Polysorbate 60, Calcium Sulphate (Sulfate), Soy Protein, Calcium Phosphate.

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This for That ~ Banana Blueberry Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Number of servings: 8

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Whole Food. Real Food. Good Food. www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 cup dates, pitted
• 3 ripe bananas
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• ¾ cup blueberries or one 10 oz. bag Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs, vinegar and oil.
4. Add mixture from food processor to dry mixture in the large bowl and combine thoroughly.
5. Fold in blueberries.
6. Spoon mixture into paper lined muffin tins.
7. Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes.

Notes:

Purchase organic ingredients if possible. Your bananas should be extremely brown, almost to the point when you would throw them away or freeze them. If they are not overly ripe, your bread will not be as sweet and probably not taste as good. If you are using non-ripe bananas, you should add about a 1/3 cup of maple syrup to the batter.

Banana Blueberry Muffins/Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1 Tbs cinnamon
• 1 cup dates, pitted
• 3 ripe bananas
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• ¾ cup blueberries or one 10 oz. bag Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to  350℉.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

3. In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs, vinegar and oil.

4. Add mixture from food processor to dry mixture in the large bowl and combine thouroughly.

5. Fold in blueberries.
6. Spoon mixture into paper lined muffin tins.

7. Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes.

To receive daily health tips and gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free meal/snack ideas, like us at www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood.

“When you know better, you do better.”

I came across Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder.  The only ingredient is Certified Organic Cacao. Cacao contains a naturally rich supply of antioxidants and is a good source of dietary fiber.  Raw cacao contains the highest concentrated antioxidant of any other food.  It is also known to be one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium, flavanols and polyphenols.  I was so excited to find something that would promote health that my kids would enjoy!  I used it in a milkshake and they loved it — it was delicious!

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This for That ~ Cacao Powder Milkshake

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 4 minutes

Number of servings: 2

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Ingredients

• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream (we use Turkey Hill Vanilla Bean)
• 1/4 cup milk (we use Organic Valley 1%)
• 1 heaping tbsp Cacao Powder (we use Navitas Cacao Powder)

Instructions

1. Combine ice cream, milk and cacao powder in blender.
2. Blend until smooth.

Notes:

The ingredients in our ice cream are: Cream, Milk, Sugar, Vanilla & Vanilla Bean. I have seen organic ice cream in the stores, this would make a great choice too -- just read the label and make sure it is carrageenan free.

This vs. That: Cacao vs. Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup

Certified Organic Cacao vs. High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water, Cocoa, Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of: Potassium Sorbate (a Preservative), Salt, Mono and Diglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, Vanillin, Artificial Flavoring.

My son had two friends spend the night tonight and asked me to make these milkshakes.  The boys said they were “delicious”!  They wanted me to take their picture with their milkshake mustaches.  So here you go!

~ We need to teach our children TO EAT REAL FOOD. No Fast Foods. No Junk Foods. No Processed Foods. Just Honest, Nutritious, Real Food.

When eating lunch meat, one thing to steer clear of is sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate, which is found in a lot of lunch meats, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs. It is a salt that helps to prevent bacterial cultivation of foods and makes them appear fresh.  It can lead to formation of cancer-causing molecules that can result in tumor formation. Both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate have been linked to significantly increasing the risk of colon and other forms of cancer, so be sure to choose only uncured meat products made without nitrates, and preferably from grass-fed sources (http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/processedmeat050305.cfm).

Here is the ingredient list for our homemade “lunchable”: Organic Turkey (Organic Turkey, Water, Salt), Organic Cheese (Organic Pasteurized Cultured Whole and Skim Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Sesame Crackers (Organically Grown whole wheat flour stone ground, clover honey, sesame oil, dairy butter, sesame seeds, yeast and salt), Organic Blueberries, Organic Strawberries.

We bought our turkey at the deli at our grocery store. I asked them to cut it a little thicker than I do for sandwiches — it makes it easier to cut it with the shape cutter.  If the deli in your store does not carry organic lunch meats, Applegate farms makes a pre-packaged organic, nitrite free turkey and ham.  The “lunchable” also contains Organic Valley Monterey Jack Cheese and Ak-Mak crackers. The container I used for her lunch is the Rubbermaid Lunch Blox, which fits nicely in her Dora The Explorer lunchbox.  I still have room for her Thermos Funtainer Bottle which I fill with water or milk — I let her choose.  I used Stainless Vegetable Cutter shapes to cut out the cheese and turkey.  When you use these cutters, you will have some scraps; I ate some of the scraps and gave some to our dog, so nothing went to waste.   Lastly, there is a heart toothpick in the fruit, because she likes to use this so her hands don’t get sticky.

This vs. That: Homemade vs. Oscar Meyer:

Drink: Water vs. Water; High Fructose Corn Syrup; Pear and Grape Juice Concentrates; Citric Acid; Water Extracted Orange, Apple and Pineapple Juice Concentrates; Natural Flavor; Vitamin E Acetate.
Turkey: Organic Turkey, Water, Salt vs. White Turkey; Water; Potassium Lactate, Modified Cornstarch, Contains Less Than 2% of Dextrose, Carrageenan, Salt, Sodium Phosphates, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Diacetate, Flavor, Sodium Ascorabte, Smoke Flavor, Sodium Nitrite, Natural and Artificial Flavor.
Cheese: Organic Pasteurized Cultured Whole and Skim Milk, Salt, Enzymes vs. Part-Skim Milk, Skim Milk, Milkfat, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Cheese Culture, Sorbic Acid as a Preservative, Lactic Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Enzymes, Vitamin A Palmitate, Apocarotenal (Color), With Starch Added For Slice Separation.
Crackers: Organically Grown whole wheat flour stone ground, Clover Honey, Sesame Oil, Dairy Butter, Sesame Seeds, Yeast, Salt vs. Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine MonoNitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Soybean Oil, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Salt, Leavening (Baking Soda and/or Calcium Phosphate), Whey (From Milk), Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor.
Dessert:  Organic Blueberries and Strawberries vs. Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Less Than 2% of: Apple Juice From Concentrate, Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Colors (Red 40 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Red 40, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, Blue 2 Lake, Blue 1, Blue 1 Lake), Sodium Citrate, Carnauba Wax. (This is the ingredient list for Skittles).

** The Ak-Mak crackers I used are not an exact replacement for the crackers in a Lunchable.  My girls like the Ak-Mak crackers, but my son does not.  Another alternative that is closer to the Lunchable cracker are the Late July Classic Rich crackers.  The ingredients in those are: Organic Wheat Flour, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Oleic Safflower Oil and/or Organic Oleic Sunflower Oil, Organic Palm Oil, Sea Salt, Leavening (baking soda, ammonium bicarbonate, cream of tartar), soy lecithin (an emulsifier), enzymes.  These crackers are made without synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or genetic engineering.  They contain no trans fats no hydrogenated oils, no corn syrup, no artificial flavors or colors, no preservatives and no cholesterol.  Here is a picture of the “lunchable” with the Late July crackers.

~ “Children learn more from what you are than what you teach.” – W.E.B. Du Bois

One of my husband and son’s favorite things to eat is wings.  My son usually orders Teriyaki, but he told me the other night he wants to try to start eating spicy wings because that is what his friends eat.  Following is my attempt to make a healthy hot wing.  They turned out great!  My husband called me from the car just to tell me how good they were (I packed them up for him to take to work).  The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled if you are having company.  I had my daughter help me peel the carrots and as she did this, she ate the carrots!  As we were putting the celery and carrots on the dish, everyone stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a few to eat.  If healthy is available, healthy they will eat!

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and place wings on  greased sheet pan.  We use the Misto Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer to grease the pan.  I have Trader Joe’s California Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil in my sprayer.

2. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until they are cooked through.

3. Combine hot sauce, ghee or butter, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, and celery seed, in a medium saucepan.

4. Set over low heat, mixing until butter is completely melted and combined; simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat.

5. When wings are baked, dip in sauce to coat well, then shake off excess and return coated wings to baking sheet.

6. Reduce over temperature to 250°F (120°C) and give wings another 15 minutes.  Toss wings in remaining sauce after you remove from over and serve.

Why are these wings better for you than pre-packaged wings or wings from a restaurant?  Here is the breakdown:

– Organic Chicken: Good source of protein with no presence of antibiotics. Organic chicken contains ten times more omega-3s.
- Ghee: Ghee is made by a simple process of gently simmering butter to remove potential allergens such as casein and lactose.  What remains is the pure butter oil, which promotes good helath and longevity.  Ghee is a natural source of CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) and the important fat-soluble vitamins A,D and K2 that are critical for maintaining good health.  CLA slows the progress of some types of cancer and heart disease and appears to help reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass. We use Grassfed Organic Ghee.  The only ingredient is 100% Organic Butter.
– Apple Cider Vinegar: Detoxes the body, lowers high cholesterol and high blood pressure, kills candidia and fungus, eases arthritis and stomach acid.
– Paprika: Has very powerful anti-inflammatory properties and is very high in vitamin C which is known for fighting off infections and helping your body absorb foods that are high in iron.
– Cayenne Pepper: Helps adjust blood pressure to healthy levels, regulates blood flow, helps prevent blood clots, cleans artereies, increases metabolism, helps the digestive system process and eliminate foods, boosts immune systems, improves energy levels and can kill cancer cells in the lungs, prostate and pancreas.
– Black Pepper: Helps with digestion, promotes healthy skin, antibacterial, keeps arteries clean and relieves joint pain.
– Garlic Powder: Has all the benefits of whole garlic because it is a powdered version of whole garlic (Mayo Clinic).  Helps to reduce cholesterol, strengthens the immune system and has a blood-thinning benefit.
– Celery Seed: The antioxidants in celery seed may help lower the risk of cell damage and chronic inflammation, which are know to contribute to many types of cancer.  The seed is also high in antioxidants, is an effective pain reliever, high in calcium and lowers blood pressure.

Every ingredient promotes health rather than deteriorates your health!  NOW… here are the ingredients in some other types of wings:

FOSTER FARMS, CHICKEN WINGS, HOT AND SPICY
INGREDIENTS: Chicken Wing Sections, Water, Buffalo Sauce (Pepper Sauce (Aged Cayenne Pepper, Vinegar, Spice, Modified Cornstarch, Salt, Natural Flavor, Xanthan Gum)), Contains Less than 2 percent of Wheat Flour, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Modified Food Starch, Rice Flour, Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Spices, Distilled Vinegar, Natural Flavor, Xanthan Gum Spice Extractive, Parfried in Vegetable Oil.

Please reference to my label library to read about the ingredients I bolded.  Those are the ingredients to avoid at all times.

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This for That ~ Hot Wings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Number of servings: 3

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Ingredients

• 20 Chicken wings (organic if possible)
• 2 tbsp hot sauce (only ingredients should be distilled vinegar, red pepper, salt)
• 1/4 cup ghee (organic butter works too)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on taste)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp celery seed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and place wings on greased sheet pan. We use the Misto Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer to grease the pan. I have Trader Joe’s California Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil in my sprayer.
2. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
3. Combine hot sauce, ghee or butter, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, and celery seed, in a medium saucepan.
4. Set over low heat, mixing until butter is completely melted and combined; simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
5. When wings are baked, dip in sauce to coat well, then shake off excess and return coated wings to baking sheet.
6. Reduce over temperature to 250°F (120°C) and give wings another 15 minutes. Toss wings in remaining sauce after you remove from over and serve.

~ Eat Healthy. Feel Healthy. Be Healthy.