Recipe for Raspberry-Jalapeno Almond Butter Cups

Are you looking for a home-made treat for Easter?  Give these easy almond butter cups a try.  I’ve seen quite a few recipes for home-made candies based on popular commercial brands but they all seem to have stuff in them that I don’t really want to use like tons of powdered sugar or cornstarch or other stuff that I didn’t even know what it was.  I guess that’s what makes those candies taste so good, and probably not so good for us! 

So I thought I just give it a try with the basics: chocolate and nut butter, and added in a couple of things for fun: raspberry-jalapeno sauce and kosher salt. 

Recipe for Whole Wheat Pancakes with Banana and Almond Butter

On a lazy Sunday morning, I surprised Mr. ELEB with these healthy and filling pancakes.  They are the basic whole wheat pancake recipe with a banana and some almond butter added.  I thought about adding some chocolate but restrained myself!  I think it would be a good add though, so let me know if you go all out.  This is another use for frozen bananas.

This is a kid-friendly recipe so if you have kids (or grab your neighbors'/friends' kids) try this recipe and cook with them.  For more kid friendly recipes check out Make Time For Change, sponsored by Frigidaire.    Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner are teaming up to inspire families everywhere to roll up their sleeves and get cooking together. Starting today, people can join in the Frigidaire Kids' Cooking Academy to get great recipes, how-to videos and tips, all designed to help involve kids in the kitchen.  If you join, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children to help make sure that more children have access to healthy foods. Plus, to help spread the word, everyone who participates will be entered for a chance to win the daily prize, a kids' apron set, and the grand prize: a new Double Oven Range from Frigidaire.

Made 9 pancakes, each approximately 112 calories, 5 grams fat, 15 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams protein without butter or syrup; 3 WW Points +

Recipe for Creamy Dreamy Chocolate Almond Pie

Mmmm.  Doesn't that look good?  I promise it you it is and it is also pretty easy to make.  It’s hard to beat the combination of almond butter and chocolate, so why fight it?  We're not vegan (obviously!) but this pie turns out to be so if you have vegan friends coming over, here's your dessert!  (I developed this as part of a contest sponsored by Earth Balance but was not paid to do so or to write about it; but I did win the contest and $400 gift card to Whole Foods and a year of Earth Balance products!!)

I'm a Believer Shake

I don't know if you are old enough to remember the Monkee's song "I'm a Believer" but I can't get the jingle out of my head after today's mid-morning shake. 

I'm always interested in shake ideas (Roni at Green Lite Bites shared one with Green Tea as a base, on my list to try) and an ingredient I see occasionally in shakes is raw spinach.  Now don't get me wrong, I love spinach, raw or cooked but my knee jerk response to it as an ingredient in a shake is "BLECH!"