{raw} banana & toasted coconut brownie pie

I don't what came over me, but the last few weeks my health-freak-ism has freakishly increased. The result? I got it in my big 'ol noggin that I could totally go raw for a week. 'Cuz, ya know. I have serious discipline and stuff. I messaged my friend on Facebook who's in the States at the moment {yay for fellow Freaks!!} and said I wish she was here to do it with me because, uhh. My family would never even think of doing anything remotely close to a diet. They love their pasta and doughnuts and Doritos way too much for that. My friend said she'd do it with me even though she's approximately 8236 miles away. Hey, whatever works, works.

If you don't know what a raw diet is, it's pretty self-explanatory. You just eat foods that are raw! It's mostly fruit and veggies, but also beans, nuts, and whole grains. I'm really getting creative with the grains. JUST KIDDING. The only way I can think of to eat whole grains RAW is overnight oats. So yes, I'll be living on raw oats for the next how many days. HA.

We started on Monday and about 5 minutes into it, I decided I needed coffee and cookies. It was the only way I could do to get through a morning of studying without passing out on my bed. Not even joking. I couldn't study in my room because I was afraid I was going to just fall over into a lack-of-coffee-coma. Don't worry though, guys. You know that serious discipline I mentioned? Turns out. It actually exists. I've gone 3 days without coffee and I'm still breathing! If you're not surprised by that bold statement I just made than you obviously don't know that coffee is basically what keeps me alive on a day to day basis. Well coffee and insulin.

Just because I'm going raw for a week does not mean I'll just eat spinach all the live long day and forget about the sweets. Uhh no. Sophie never forgets about the sweets. EVER. I need dessert every. day. whether that be ice cream with chocolate, peanut butter sauce, caramel, peanuts, banana, cherries, pineapple, and butterscotch {for the days when I'm feeling rather piggish.}, a smoothie, or some sort of healthy concoction like this herr pie. 

Remember when I made that chocolate peanut butter banana pie? That stuff is seriously, like… UGH. It shouldn't be healthy. But thank heavens it is because I could eat half the thing in one sitting. I seriously could. Don't test me. {although if ya wanted toooo….} I shnazzied up that pie and made this pie. GUUUUUYYZZEEEZ. It's better. The filling pretty much totally tastes like brownie batter. Yah. Brownie batter. And the crust is like a chocolate truffle. And the top if like crunchy munchy coconutty greatness. Don't you love the way I describe things? Har harrrr.

 I strongly urge you to make this pie. It's what dreams are made of!!! There's a little bit of everything in there. Peanut butter, chocolate {loooots and looooots and loooooots of chocolate.}, coconut, and banana. Plus it's no bake and super quick and easy. The only hard part is waiting. Which if you're kinda running low in the area of patience like yours truly, you could make this at night, pop it in the freezer, and it's ready to be chowed down upon for breakfast! Mhmmmm. 

{raw} banana & toasted coconut brownie pie 

crust: 

1 c. chopped dates

1/4 c. honey

3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 c. quick cooking oats

Blend all ingredients in a blender until the mixture resembles a coarse crumb. Press into a greased pie dish; set aside. 

filling:

2 bananas

3 tbsp. honey

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 c. creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp. soymilk {or any kind of milk will work} 

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into prepared crust. Top with sliced bananas and toasted coconut.

wholewheat banana zucchini muffins

{warning: this is a serious post. cuz I have serious things on meh brain. ugh boring, i know.}

It's no lie, the past month has been tough on me in a million ways. As I've mention before, our American teammates went back to the US for 6 months in July and it's been really hard adjusting to life without them here. Since I'm home schooled, I really don't have many opportunities to get out and meet people other than church and youth group. Of course, I know people. I know many people, but have only had few friendships click that I really want to invest in. Sometimes I think to myself "Do people around here ever DO stuff? Or am I just missing out?" I'm gonna be honest. After months of stepping out of my comfort zone and always being the first one to ask to hang out, I'm really tired of trying. Trying to put myself out there. It's tiring and I feel like in the long run, it's getting me nowhere. I can't even remember the last time I got a text saying "Hey, wanna hang out later?" or "Hey, wanna watch a movie tonight?" I feel like some sort of freak always being the one to ask only to be the one who's let down time and time again . No matter how who's here or who isn't, I need to learn to be content with the quiet. Or in my case, a million little boys running in and out of the house. I can't tell you how many times in these last weeks I've been inches away from hitting rock bottom. Sick of the loneliness. Sick of the nothingness. Sick of the boredom… What I wouldn't do for days filled with going to the mall, sports games, running miscellaneous errands, and people to see. 

Anyhoo, sorry for that. I just needed to let it out. When I'm not feeling the happiest, there is one thing I do and one thing only- I crank up the radio, switch on the oven, throw on an apron, and let all those cruddy thoughts slip away. No idea why exactly, but the past week I've been really craving zucchini muffins. I decided to take the day off of school {homeschool! yay!}, do an hour of yoga, take a hot bath, and then whip up something yummy to destress myself. I was totally planning on putting chocolate in these because, umm. Hello. Not much else can cheer a girl up than chocolate… Well maybe a Hemsworth. A Hemsworth made of chocolate? Yes. That. Back on subject. I totally forgot the chocolate which is kindaaaaaa not like me. I never forget such things. But if you'd like some added greatness, I think some uber dark stuff would be divine. 

wholewheat banana zucchini muffins

2-3 bananas, mashed
2 c. shredded zucchini
2 eggs
3/4 c. plain greek yogurt
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1/3 c. honey
2 c. wholewheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 375ºF and grease or line a muffin tin; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk bananas, zucchini, eggs, yogurt, honey, and brown sugar until smooth. Add wholewheat flour and baking powder. Stir until combined. Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely after transferring to a wire rack.

cookie dough greek yogurt

Hmm. Totally not sure how to start this post. Or what to write in general. SO HEY. HI. HELLO. 

Here's some news! As if I'm not already totally obsessed, I'm becoming even MORE infatuated with healthy treats lately. Yup, I didn't think it was possible either. But it is, guys. It gosh dang IS.

I totally 1111100009% blame this issue of mine on Instagram. Seriously, whoa. There is a wealth of people out there posting beautiful photos that make me drool my eyeballs out {what?} over perfectly presented bowls of overnight oats, yogurt, nuts, and berries. I may or may not be becoming one of those people. HAAAAAALP.

Instagram is making me think it's totally a normal thing to lay the fruit in a perfect pinwheel, sprinkle it with pretty things, and take 10 minutes holding my iPod over my food trying to get the perfect picture. Gone are the days when I just mixed up granola, yogurt, and fruit and ate it right then and there. 

HEEEECK to the no. I have to make it PRETTY. Even if it means eating cold oatmeal or mushy fruit for breakfast. Meh fave.

{if you wanna follow my pretty food problems, click here. come to the dark side.}

Anyhoo, seeing that I follow about 400 people posting pretty food by the minute, it's no doubt, my issue is only getting worse. I wouldn't say it's a bad thing though. I'm becoming inspired to satisfy my sweet tooth with healthy things. No, not just an apple and peanut butter. Way too boring. 

ENTER cookie dough greek yogurt. YAAAH, I todes went there. And you should too. It tricks your brain into thinking you're eating something totally indulgent and calorie-laden. But nope, you're not. Take that BRAIN!!

P.S. If you need help justifying eating cookie dough for breakfast, don't worry your pretty little heart. I got chooo back… Top it off with banana slices and raw almonds. BOOM BANG POW SHEBANGG! Breakfast. 

cookie dough greek yogurt

3/4 c. greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. honey
1/2 tbsp. nut butter {i used peanut butter}
2 squares dark chocolate, chopped {I used 70%}

Mix all ingredient in a small bowl until evenly combined. Top off with fresh berries, banana, or almonds.

raw chocolate truffles

Oh my woooooooord, I haven't posted in a week! Hmm, let's not be stereotypical and go into this whole shebang about "ohemmgeeeeeee I've been so busy lately." and this, that, and the other thing. Instead, I'm going to tell you I was busy sitting on the beach. {for three days not 7 since my last post. But gimme a break people.} Trust me, it's not as glamorous as it sounds. We drove three hours to a German beach town on the coast of Namibia called Swakopmund. That place is seriously an oasis in the desert and our favorite place to escape to. 

But ya know how it's winter right now? Yah, well multiply our cold weather in Otji times 50. We were seriously freezing our buns off for those three days in Swakop. It was kind of sort of miserable. COLD WEATHER IN AFRICA! Isn't this a strange world we live in? Methinks yes.

Since all my brothers wanted to do was run around on the beach {where it's coldERRR} and swim in the water {where it's coldESSSST}, my mom and I did everything in our power to stay warm. This required coffee- much coffee. I had 5 cups in a day once. Or twice. 

Also some emergency shopping trips whose purpose was to find some wooly infinity scarves. But then we found snazzy sunglasses fooo cheeeeap. And boyfriend jeans were on sale. Oh gosh. My mom and I can do a lot of damage in not a lot of time. My dad just adores it. 

Surprisingly, we didn't only drink coffee and shop while we were there. We also took a little boat tour where we saw beautiful pelicans, seals, and dolphins. The morning fog that faded into the oceans expanse was a sight to behold and no photo or fancy camera lens could ever do it justice! I could just sit on a boat wrapped up in a blanket staring out into the distance for the rest of ever.

Whenever we're in Swakop, we always stuff ourselves to the brim, binging on sushi, pastries, gelato, and pretty much all the carbs in the land. I kept thinking "Ugh, this is so unhealthy. I'll just skip when we eat at the bakery." But then I realized was being to hard on myself and was missing out on some dang good food. I can just diet when I get home. So that's what I did. I ate what I wanted and I freaking enjoyed it, thank you very much. 

But when got home, I was seriously more than eager to dive back into green smoothies and salads. Since going on that diet a few months ago, I've realized dairy really is the culprit to my skin issues. If I over do it on yogurt for breakfast during the week or eat one too many cookies, my skin breaks out horribly. But when I cut dairy out completely, it worked wonders! The amount of dairy and sugar and gluten I consumed over the weekend was enough to make my skin go all wacky, so I'm back at it. 

These truffles are the perfect way to cure a sweet tooth the healthy way. They're raw, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, no-bake, require only five ingredients, and take only a few minutes to throw together. Plus, there's chocolate involved. Win win.  

{new nail polish. hardy har har.}

raw chocolate truffles

1 c. ground almonds {or 3/4 c. raw almonds, ground in a food processor or coffee grinder}

1 c. finely chopped dried dates

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder + more for rolling

1/4 c. honey

1 tbsp. soymilk {or other non-dairy milk to keep it dairy-free}

Combine all ingredients using a fork or pressing with the tips of your fingers until the dough resembles a coarse crumb. Add more milk if it seems to dry. Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls and roll in extra cocoa powder. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate. 

my favorite green smoothie

I have this weird obsession with green smoothies. I think it's because of their adaptability. You can clean out the veggie drawer and fruit bowl with the swish of a blender. I have a green smoothie at least two or three times a week- they make a quick breakfast on the go, lunch, or snack and are the perfect remedy to an over-indulgent weekend of stressful eating. {I speak from experience.} I know a lot of people {my family included} stick up their noses at the thought of vegetables skiddaddling their way into their smoothies. But seriously, you guys. If you have the right balance of fruits and veggies, you don't taste the greens, but instead get the added nutrition and pretty color without any funky taste! 

Everyone has their own definition of the perfect green smoothie, but this is roughly the recipe I use. The creaminess of this smoothie comes from banana and avocado instead of yogurt since dairy makes my skin get all wacko. All those healthy fats are really good for healthy skin and hair! There's also some kiwi and honey for sweetness to balance out the spinach. Soy milk is used to thin it out, but you could use coconut milk, regular milk, fruit juice, or yogurt for extra creaminess. See what I mean when I say adaptable?! 

my favorite green smoothie

1 banana

1 kiwi

1/2 avocado

handful of fresh spinach

1/2 c. soymilk {or other milk or juice}

1 1/2 c. ice cubes

1 tbsp. honey

Place all ingredients in a blender; cover and blend until smooth.

nut & seed granola

When we were in Windhoek last week {which is the capital of Namibia- about 3 hours away from our town.}, ya know- the same time I didn't sleep on a hard hotel room floor and nearly died from a horrible cold? Yah, that time.

When we were there, we always make sure to get in some shopping because it seems like pretty much anywhere but in Otji, there's better stores. {The grass is always greener on the other side.} We quickly popped into one of the grocery stores and I was so excited to see the amount of health food they had! Seriously, nothing fancy around here- just sunflower seeds and almonds in the health food aisle at our grocery store in town.

At this one though, there were flax seeds, wheat germ, rolled oats {you can only usually find quick oats.}, puffed brown rice cereal, agave, and I even saw a sticker for quinoa although I couldn't find the actual bag which made me sad since I've heard about all it's ancient powers but never actually gotten to try the stuff.

Anyways, I basically grabbed every bag of healthy greatness in my peripheral vision and was so excited to get home and use it in my baking!

First up, I made granola. Usually when I make granola, I'm the only one who eats it. This time, my family inhaled it and it was gone within 24 hours which I found to be quite shocking since my granola jar is usually full throughout the week. It was definitely some of my favorite granola I've made in awhile so I decided to remake it, measure, take pictures, post, ya da ya da ya da.

And here ya have it, folks! Nut and seed granola. I added in some flax and sunflower seeds, wheat germ {which gives it a nice nutty flavor that I totally dig}, and brown rice cereal because I love the crunch it adds to each bite. I also used some mixed nuts we had on hand, but you can use only almonds, only walnuts, or a mix of whatever. As always, it's super adaptable and you can easily change things up according to your tastes!

nut & seed granola

1 1/4 c. oats

1/3 c. puffed brown rice cereal

2 tbsp. wheat germ

1/2 c. chopped nuts

1/4 c. flax seeds

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

3 tbsp. dark brown sugar

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 c. honey

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until evenly combined. Pour onto lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Once cooled, transfer to a large jar or plastic container.

no bake trail mix cookies

The last few days, I've gone through a box of tissues and a few rolls of toilet paper. Been close to coughing my brains out. Taken numerous bubble baths. Worn nothing but pajamas and yoga pants. Spent hours in bed reading. Eaten mainly chicken soup and smoothies for my meals. And have watched tons of movies and episodes of the Office. 

In case you can't tell, I've come down with one heck of a cold. 

I felt it coming on when we were in the car driving to Windhoek for the day. That night, I was so miserable laying on that hotel room floor and didn't sleep a bit due to my stuffed up nose, congested chest, and sore throat. 

What. a. dream. 

Trust me, I love being lazy- I'm basically a professional. 

But after day one, I'm ready to not be sick in bed. It drives me CAAAHHHRAAAZAAAAAY. Not to mention, since I haven't exercised since Wednesday, I feel like a big old blob. 

Unless I want to cough and wheeze to my death, I probably won't be able to run until next week. 

I am starting to feel a lot better though. I'm still so stuffed up, but I can actually taste some of the things I eat. My energy is coming back too... enough so that I was able to climb a water tower last night. 

BUUUUUUUT that's a whole other story. 

I have also come to the conclusion that the Office is basically the best show there ever was.

In one episode when Andy said "My whole life is a freaking snot bubble!", I found it oddly hilarious and relevant. I laughed so hard.

And then had a cough attack and nearly died.

Gross, sorry.

Anyways, this post is pretty scattered, but I figured I'd end it with something appropriate to a food blog… Food!

These cookies take about 5 minutes from bowl to face hole and you don't even have to turn on the oven! The base for the cookies is honey, peanut butter, and oats- that's it. I love this combo and, I'm gonna admit, at times when I need something sweet {which is. umm. always.}, I mix those ingredients together in a bowl and eat it with my fingers like cookie dough. 

For add-ins I just grabbed what I could find out of the cupboard. Raisins, peanuts, chocolate chunks, almonds, and flax seeds. You could substitute whatever nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate you would like though- the possibilities are endless. 

no bake trail mix cookies

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. honey 

1 1/4 c. quick oats

2 tbsp. flax seeds

1/4 c. salted peanuts

1/4 c. seedless raisins

1/4 c. chopped almonds

1/2 c. chocolate chunks {or chocolate chips}

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients. Stir until combined. Roll dough into balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Press down with a fork or the palm of your hand. Store in a plastic container.