Healthy Brownie Bites

November 8, 2013January 27, 2016 / ktbuchs87

Sometimes, you just need some chocolate. Sometimes, that chocolate needs to come in the form of a brownie. We all know that brownies are not the healthiest of treats, but they are delicious. Have no worries though because the brownie bites will satisfy your chocolate/brownie craving without making all the not so good for you ingredients. Plus they are the perfect snacking size! With the holidays right around the corner, these are a quick and easy way to have tasty dessert on hand!

Healthy Brownie Bites

1 cup tahini, ground sesame seeds (you could also use almond butter, but the tahini really enhances the chocolate flavor)
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg or 1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal and 3 tbsp water mixed together)
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt, optional
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the wet ingredients together and then whisk in the dry. Make sure your batter is smooth with no lumps.

2. In a mini muffin tin drop in about 1 tbsp of the batter. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the middle of the bites are set. Remove from oven and let cool before you pop them out of the tins.

See? Super quick and easy way to get a brownie in your belly! You could also make extra because these freeze really well. Just pull them out of the freezer a few minutes before you want to eat them. Eat, enjoy, and if you try them out let me know what you think!

Making and Meeting Goals

November 4, 2013 / ktbuchs87

This past week I celebrated my 26th birthday. I also thought of things that I had accomplished over my life as well as the things that I want to accomplish. Clearly I am still relatively young and I have a lot of living left to do. I know that I want to make the most of that time and for me, making goals to strive for really helps.

When I first decided to be healthier, I made big goals of losing a ton of weight and eating perfectly and exercising every day. While those are good goals, they are big picture goals. Those goals can also often seem unattainable, and if you’re like me, you want to feel like you’re actually accomplishing something. Over time I realized I had to make smaller and more realistic goals. Instead of losing a ton of weight, I focused on fitting better into my clothes. Instead of eating perfectly, I focused on choosing better options than what I had been previously eating. Instead of exercising every day, I focused on running a little farther each time I went out for a run. With these more manageable goals, I saw results and felt so proud of myself for accomplishing things. I kept up with making smaller goals to be met. I ran in a 5k race and then a 10k race. I started doing yoga and practicing more difficult poses. I immersed myself in learning how to cook with healthier ingredients and now can create my own meals and recipes to be shared with others. I stopped focusing on a number on the scale and feel comfortable and proud of the body I have and all that it can do.

It is important to have goals and it is also important to have big goals. All the little goals I made and met, helped to move me toward my ultimate goal of being as healthy as I possibly could. I am still working towards that, but I am knocking out the little steps all along the way. You can do that too. Maybe you want to be healthier, maybe you want a better job, or maybe you just want to get through the day with less stress. Set small and attainable goals for yourself that will help you reach that overall goal. Once you meet those little goals that you set, you’ll be more motivated to keep going and meet that ultimate goal.

With all of that being said, I wanted to set another large goal for me to accomplish. I have really developed a passion for health as well as a heart for helping others to enjoy the best health they can. I want to make this my everyday work and I feel that the best way for me to get my message across and help others is to become a health coach. I have been researching this for quite some time now, and I am ready to start taking steps to reach that goal. What am I going to do to help that? I have been looking into certifications, once I settle on one I can start classes. I will continue to write and maintain this blog, as well as continue to learn as much about health and nutrition as I can. I want to start looking for opportunities to reach more people with my knowledge and message, maybe reaching out to people and offering my help. As long as I am moving towards that ultimate goal of health coach I am open to anything.

Sure, it is a little scary to declare that you are going to do something. What if you fail? What if it’s impossible? What if others don’t believe in you? Yes, those things can happen. You could also succeed, prove others wrong, and become a better version of you. You won’t know until you try!

All About the Presentation

October 21, 2013 / ktbuchs87

As a health blogger, I view my posts as possible guidelines for someone who may or may not know a whole lot about being healthier. Maybe they are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, maybe they are looking for different ways to live healthier, or maybe they just want to see other people’s opinions on a certain topic to make an educated decision about their own life. I am very conscious of the way that I present my views and opinions because I know that they can be integral in someone’s journey to a better life. Lately, I have noticed that other people in the health world might not have this same view.

I started noticing this on my Instagram account. I follow mostly health bloggers/enthusiasts/chefs/anything to do with food and every once and awhile I would see a post bashing a certain food/way of eating. The post would have a picture of some type of food (usually processed food like Oreos) and then state something along the lines of, “I can’t believe anyone can eat this junk”. I will be the first one to tell you that I don’t think processed food does anybody any good. I will also be the first to tell you that you’re not a bad person for eating those foods, nor do you need to feel guilty. Shaming anyone into a better lifestyle doesn’t work and most times has the opposite effect.

For the most part, people know when they don’t lead a healthy lifestyle. They know when they eat food that is not good for their health. What they don’t know perhaps is how to change, and making them feel badly about themselves is not going to get them to make a change. I would like to believe that the majority of health professionals out there genuinely want to help people be as healthy as possible, I know I do. The health community needs to make sure that rather than shunning people for eating poorly or not making the best health decisions, they need to understand it’s hard to make a big change. They need to remember when they first started their own health journey and the struggles they went through to get where they are today. Most people don’t just magically become super healthy overnight. It is a slow and gradual process with plenty of setbacks I still have to work at it each day. When I first started out, if someone had shamed me about the food I ate or all the exercise I should be doing but wasn’t or couldn’t I would have quit. No one wants to feel bad about themselves even more than they already do. They don’t need people to point out their downfalls, they need people to help them up and show them the way.

That’s why the health world needs to not just focus on the message of better choices, but on how they present that message as well. We need to be welcoming and understanding and let others know that they are not alone in their struggles. Ever heard the saying it’s easier to attract bees with honey rather than vinegar? That same message applies to the world of health. Those just starting out or looking to become healthier, don’t need our bitter or angry put downs. They need words of kindness and encouragement. They need to know they can do this and that we are here to help. If we follow that philosophy, maybe more and more people can join us in leading healthier lifestyles. That’s the whole point right?

Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce

October 18, 2013January 29, 2016 / ktbuchs87

I didn’t think that this recipe would be a winner. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do, and in my head I could see it working, but as I started to put this together, I got nervous. Luckily it all worked out and this turned into a favorite around here! This makes a lot of falafel, so it would be good for a get-together or even as appetizers at a party.

Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce

2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in a big pot overnight
1 onion, diced small
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 bunch fresh cilantro
3 tbsp almond flour
1 tbsp coriander
3 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp cayenne, depending on how spicy you want your falafel
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Tahini Sauce

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (you could use any non-dairy milk, but I think coconut works the best)
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce or coconut aminos
1/2 tsp cayenne

1. Preheat oven to 400. Drain and rinse your soaked chickpeas, place them in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Place in a large bowl. Place the diced onion, parsley, cilantro, and garlic cloves into the processor and pulse until it looks like paste. Add the herb paste to the chickpeas and combine. Mix in the seasonings and then the baking soda and powder.

2. Using a tablespoon, ice cream or cookie scooper, form the chickpea mixture into little balls. Don’t make them too big or they will fall apart. Place the falafel onto a cookie sheet that has been oiled or use a baking mat. Flatten the balls just a little, brush with a little olive oil and bake in the oven for 10 min. After 10 minutes, flip the falafel and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

3. For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until thick. Pour over falafel or use it as a dipping sauce. Either way is delicious!

Don’t freak out if it looks like the falafel is not going to hold together, it will. Do be gentle with these, though, since falafel is usually fried, these are just a little bit more delicate (and healthier). So get to cooking and let me know what you think!

Confessions of a Food Lover

October 14, 2013 / ktbuchs87

A few weekends ago my husband, Adam, and I were watching episodes of The Best Thing I Ever Ate on the Food network. The show features famous chef’s and other people in the food world highlighting some of the best dishes that they have ever eaten from places around the country. Alex Guarnaschelli, a chef/restaurant owner/cookbook author/Iron Chef/all around awesome, is a regular on the show. It’s easy to see why, this woman loves food. Not just eating it, but shopping for it, preparing it, serving it, looking at it, talking about it… I told Adam that I feel like Alex really understands how I feel about food and as I was telling him this, I was lovingly cradling a banana.

Often people believe that in order to be healthy you have to stop loving food. They think that there is no way to balance healthy living with a love affair of all things food related. There are some health gurus out there who do believe this. They view food mainly as a fuel source to get their body to function properly and that’s it. While I agree that food is fuel for our bodies, I can’t deny that it is also so much more. Hi, my name is Katie Dawson, and I love food. And that’s OK.

If only….

Yes, I have had a tough relationship with food in the past. I would eat out of boredom or stress or anxiety. I would sneak food so that people wouldn’t see how much I really ate or see all the bad food I ate. I sometimes still struggle with overeating, even though it has gotten much better. But even with my strained food past, I still love food. While I do love tasting and eating food, I almost love all the other components more. Grocery shopping is better than clothes shopping to me. I love seeing all the fresh and colorful produce as I walk into the store, I love going through and picking the best bunch of broccoli or the biggest butternut squash. I’m like a kid in a candy store in the bulk food and spice section. Sometimes I just wander through the grocery store looking at food and products and reading labels and never actually buy anything.

I also love cooking food! I enjoy thinking of flavor combinations or creating brand new dishes. It thrills me to completely make a meal on the fly with just the ingredients I have in my kitchen. It gives me great joy to serve food to other people and see them enjoy eating what I have made. Sitting around with friends and family and food is my idea of a great time.

At this point, you might be thinking I’m just a little nuts about food, and you would be right. But does that make me an unhealthy person? Is it possible to love food as much as I do and still call myself a healthy individual? I think so. If I weren’t so in love with food, I don’t think that I would be as interested in eating as well as possible. I have seen how eating good and nutritious food can change your health and because I have a passion for food, I want to be able to share that with as many people as possible. I wouldn’t bother if I didn’t care about food. If food were just fuel, I wouldn’t spend so much time coming up with new and creative recipes. It wouldn’t matter if food tasted great if I were just eating it to get my body through the day.

I’m here to tell you that it is perfectly alright to be in love with food and still be healthy. Sure, the love of food can be taken too far and turn into an unhealthy obsession. I realize that overeating and unhealthy eating can damage your health and I know that is a major problem these days. Don’t be afraid to enjoy food though, don’t feel guilty if a certain dish makes you swoon or a certain ingredient takes your breath away, it doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy. I don’t think I will ever stop loving all the things that food is about, and I wouldn’t want too. If that means I lovingly cradle a banana while watching a show about food every once and awhile, that’s fine by me!