Confession: I LOVE Brownies!!!

Yes, I confess! I really do! I LOVE brownies! Oooey, gooey, fudgey, chocolatey brownies! And, I would prefer to eat the batter. Yep, even with the raw eggs...so, I will let you in on a little secret. When I make brownies, you know, the yummy, not super healthy for you kind...I leave the eggs for last so that I can eat the batter without the raw eggs. :) OH, SO GOOD!

But, when I am craving some ooey gooey brownies and don't want to feel guilty for eating the entire batch by myself, these are my go-to brownies. Yes, they have things in them that your typical brownie does not, but they are ooey, gooey, and satisfy my chocolate craving.

There are so many "healthy" brownie recipes out there now, and lots of them are fabulous. I don't even know where I found the base of this recipe years ago, but I have tweaked it so much since then. And, that is half the fun. Find a recipe that you like on paper and make it. Don't like it as much as you want to like it...? Make some tweaks and try it again! 

But, make sure you write it down!! I am so bad about that! I make things like this for people and then they ask me for the recipe and I have to remember which version of mine I made! HAHA! Oops! :)

But, I wrote this one down!

Guilt-free Ooey Gooey Brownies

*Note: These are gluten free and can be made vegan by subbing the eggs for ground flax. Also a note below for added protein.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg (2 eggs for less ooey gooey & a little more cake like)
• 1 15 oz can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 medium avocado
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 4 TBSP stevia sweetener (I use Pure Via Stevia sweetener)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
• Note about the cocoa and the cacao:
• You can use 2/3 cup cocoa if you don't have cacao. I just like the added health benefits of raw cacao. It is a pretty awesome superfood!
• If you want some added protein, you can replace the cocoa and cacao for a chocolate protein powder. I use Arbonne's Chocolate Protein, which tastes like brownie batter anyway!
• 1 TBSP coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (save some to sprinkle on top...or add more!)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8x8 inch baking pan.
2. Add all ingredients together, except chocolate chips, and use mixer (or food processor) to mix until smooth. The batter will be very thick. If batter is too thick (and you will know if it isn't mixing well), add 1-2 tbsp water and mix. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Spread batter into greased pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Do not over cook! Let pan cool, then cut and serve warm and ooey gooey!

These should be stored in the fridge. I actually LOVE these cold straight out of the fridge.

Don't believe me that brownies with black beans, avocado, and very little sugar can be ooey gooey yummy?? I don't blame you. You have to try them for yourselves.

Just remember, on your journey to find a healthier you, it is the little things, like subbing your old brownie recipe for this one that make a difference. :)

Let me know what you think! Enjoy!

Transformation Tuesday!!

I always feel bad for Tuesdays. I mean they really get jipped!! I was even telling my yoga students this, because I teach on Tuesday evenings. Think about it, Monday get the bad rap for being the first day of the five day work week. Wednesday is "hump day" and Thursday is the day BEFORE Friday, so people even love Thursday, and well, Friday is TGIF!! So, I truly believe that Tuesday gets jipped.

But, at least we can have TRANSFORMATION TUESDAY! WOOHOO!!

And since my blog is about all things healthy and healing and real life, here are some transformations that I have made. I love giving new life to old things!

I love this buffet, not only because it came out exactly how I imagined, but also because I found it on Craigslist for $50! It was missing a drawer, but my dad made me a drawer to match! And, I used the same hardware, just spray painted them with the Antique Bronze spray paint.

So, something you may not have known about me....two things I LOVE: Chalk paint and General Finishes Gel Stain in Java!

I didn't have a chance to take a picture of the chairs before I recovered them, but this is them now, and if I want to recover them again someday, SUPER easy to do!!

I know lots of people love Annie Sloan Chalk paint, and so do I! But, I like to use Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint. I get it from Pacific Ace Hardware in Vacaville. They mix it right there, so I can choose from any color they have on the little swatches. A bit more cost efficient and it works great! I am lazy and rarely sand my pieces and it works fabulous!

I also like to make my own chalk paint by adding a powder additive that I buy (for all I know it is actually chalk powder) to a regular flat latex paint, and BAM!! I just made my own chalk paint for cheap, cheap!! If you are interested, I use Webster's Chalk Paint Powder.

We recently remodeled our home, and this was one of the projects that I tackled.

Ahhh, the General Finishes Gel Stain! This looks like a huge project, and I thought so too, at first, but it really wasn't that bad. NO SANDING! I did it in sections, because I was applying it during the girls' nap time. There is another section that you can't see in the picture, but total labor time (not including drying) was about 5-6 hours. COMPLETE transformation!! In case you are interested in the gel stain, I bought mine on Amazon, partly because I love Amazon Prime and partly because I don't drag my two girls 4 and 18 months (and younger at the time I bought it) anywhere I absolutely don't have to!

Another Craigslist find, and it has a gorgeous mirror too! Sanded the edges after for a distressed look for my oldest daughter's room.

Do you have some projects you have just been too nervous to tackle because you are afraid to mess them up? DON'T BE!! This is super easy! If I can do it, anyone can!

Of course, Craigslist finds!! $10 chairs (I think, they could have been less). 

My motto is REVAMP, RENEW, REUSE!! Make something old look brand new! Have fun!

BALANCE

Kauai, Oct 2015

 WHAT?!?!?!? A new blog post!! You must think you are hallucinating, right!!? Don't worry, you aren't! It is reality! Life just took over, as most of you can probably relate! I am a busy mom of two sweet, spirited girls, now 4 and 19 months! Where does the time go!? No, really, I want to know!

Yes, it has been over two years since my last post, but I have made a goal for myself to at least post two times a month, hopefully more.

Life is changing for me, as it does for all of us. Never stagnant. And, right now I am probably at my busiest I have been (I dare say EVER been - not complaining though). But, I am often reminded of how important balance is in life. Not just for moms of little kiddos, but for everyone. Finding balance between too much and too little, that that takes you to the edge without going over. And, only we know where that edge is.

Like I said, things are changing in my life, all good things (more on this later)! And, for me, coming back to my mat reminds me to find a balance. It helps me to recognize where that balance is. We are like rubber bands - elastic. We can stretch, but when stretched too far, we can break, too...yoga has taught me how to release without breaking. And, for me, my family is a constant reminder of the things that are important to me and why that balance is so vital.

As always, I invite you to come and join me on your mat on Tuesdays at 6pm at Ebb & Flow Yoga Studio in Vacaville. You may be pleasantly surprised by how much you can learn about balance off of your mat and in your lives, while actually trying to balance on your mat!

Kauai, Oct 2015