Fudgy Sugar Free No-Bake Brownies With Peppermint Essential Oil

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If you are like me and are looking for healthier options to satisfy an occasional craving for something sweet, you may want to try recipes sweetened with dates. I have made Date Truffles before. Oh how YUMMY!


If you have been following me for any length of time you know that I try to keep away from sugar and other things that increase inflammation and pain. Processed sugar is an ingredient I always regret indulging in. Confession time: I occasionally give in to the nasty temptation. About once a year I want jelly beans. I LOVE the black licorice ones. 😉


Thankfully there are lots of great, healthy ingredients to give you healthier options. Dates are a little carby but they are a FAR healthier option than sugar. They are also a great source of iron, potassium, and B-vitamins.


I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did.


Fudgy Sugar Free No-Bake Brownies With Peppermint Essential Oil


Ingredients
2 1/2 cups pitted dates
1 1/2 cups cup almonds
6 tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp water
1/4 tsp salt
2 or 3 drops Young Living Peppermint Vitality Essential Oil


Directions
Combine the dates, almonds, cocoa, vanilla, water, peppermint essential oil and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down as needed. It will seem dry at first. Don’t add any extra water.


Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment or wax paper. Transfer dough to pan and press very firmly until dough is evenly distributed in the pan.


Refrigerate brownies for at least 2 hours. Store covered in the fridge. I store mine in the freezer and pull out whatever I need for a day.




Nutrition Information Per Brownie: (Based on 25 brownies)
Calories: 118
Carbohydrates: 9.75g
Fiber: 1.4g
Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: .36g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sugar: 4.52g



You may also want to try my Date Truffles recipe. It could also be pressed into a pan and made into a brownie. 🙂


Spicy Vitality Mock Potato Salad

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Potato Salad has always been one of my favorite side dishes. Not just a summertime favorite but all year. I love potatoes of any kind but they are a bit carby so whenever I am trying to lose weight, potatoes are not such a great idea. As I get older, low carb/keto is a means to manage pain and inflammation.

I really enjoy cauliflower in stir fry but when I tried it as a replacement for potatoes I wasn’t all that impressed. It had the cauliflower taste which was kind of disappointing. Well, all that changed when I got a great tip from George Stella. He said to cook the cauliflower in water instead of steaming to get a more potato like flavor. I tried that and all I can say is WOW! That made a world of difference.

Anyway, Here’s my recipe. It’s spicy. If you prefer the not so spicy, leave the hot peppers out. 😉

Spicy Vitality Mock Potato Salad

1 large head cauliflower, cleaned
5 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1/3 cup onion, finely diced
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, chopped
1/4 cup red peppers, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TBS yellow mustard
1 tsp salt teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 drops Dill Vitality Essential Oil

Garnish with cilantro or parsley.

Boil a large pot of water over high heat. Chop cauliflower into small pieces.
Cook the cauliflower pieces in the boiling water for about 5 minutes, until tender.
Drain cauliflower and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Let the cauliflower sit in the strainer a bit to drain and dry.

Place the cauliflower in a bowl with all of the remaining ingredients. Mix. Place in the refrigerator for a couple hours before serving. I like making it the day before. The flavors meld nicely.


Summer Popsicle Recipes

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Summer days are SO hot. What better way to cool down after a day of working or playing in the sun and heat than a delicious frozen popsicle?

Why not try some healthier popsicle recipes that your family will love.



NingXia Popsicles
1 cup Young Living NingXia Red
1/2 cup water
2 drops Young Living Vitality Orange Essential Oil
2 drops Young Living Vitality Lime Essential Oil


Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together. Transfer mixture to popsicle molds, leaving 1/4 inch at the top for expansion. Freeze until firm.


Variations:
Tangerine Vitality, Lemon Vitality, Black Pepper Vitality, Peppermint Vitality, Cinnamon Vitality


Creamy NingXia Lemon Lime Popsicle


2 cups Young Living NingXia Red
Juice 1/2 Lemon
1 cup Coconut Milk
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
10 drops Liquid Stevia
3 drops Young Living Vitality Lemon Essential Oil
3 drops Young Living Vitality Lime Essential Oil


Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together. Transfer mixture to popsicle molds and freeze until firm.



Ginger Pineapple Popsicles with Essential Oils


12 oz. fresh pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup filtered water
1/4 cup raw honey
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 drops Ginger Vitality
4 drops Lemon Vitality


Directions:
Combine the pineapple, lemon juice, water, honey, and grated ginger in a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Stir in Ginger Vitality oil and Lemon Vitality oil. Transfer mixture to popsicle molds and freeze until firm.



Orange Cream Popsicles


1 can full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 drops Young Living Vitality Orange Essential Oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 drops Liquid Stevia


Directions:
Place all ingredients in the blender and process on high speed about 60 seconds, until completely blended.
Taste, and adjust sweetening if needed. Transfer mixture to popsicle molds and freeze until firm.



Creamy Lime Popsicles


1 can Coconut Milk
3/4 cup lime juice
2 drops Young Living Vitality Lime Essential Oil
10 drops Liquid Stevia


Directions:
Place all ingredients in the blender and process on high speed about 60 seconds, until completely blended.
Taste, and adjust sweetening if needed. Transfer mixture to popsicle molds and freeze until firm.



NingXia Orange Popsicles


1 cup coconut water
2 cups NingXia Red
3 drops Orange essential oil


Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together. Transfer mixture to popsicle molds and freeze until firm.



Chocolate Mint Fudgesicles


1 can coconut milk
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 cup Erythritol (non GMO) or other healthy low-carb sweetener
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 or 2 drops Young Living Vitality Peppermint Essential Oil


Directions:
Place all ingredients in the blender and process on high speed about 60 seconds, until completely blended.
Taste, and adjust sweetening if needed. Transfer mixture to popsicle molds and freeze until firm.



Tips:
Don’t have any popsicle molds? You can use any kind of small cup to mold the popsicles. When the mixture is halfway frozen, insert a popsicle stick.
To unmold popsicles, dip the frozen molds in a warm bowl of water until the popsicles are easily removed.


Margarita Popsicles

3/4 cup sugar Or low carb sugar substitute like Swerve or Monk Fruit
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 drops Young Living Vitality Lime Essential Oil
1/2 cup water
2 drops lemon oil
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
1 lime wedge
Kosher salt, for garnish

Directions:
Special Equipment: 6 small cups, about 3 oz each, (recommended: Dixie), 6 popsicle sticks
Combine sugar, lime juice, water, lemon juice and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool transfer to a blender with tequila, orange liqueur, and lime wedge and process until smooth. Pour into the cups and cover the top of each cup with foil. Make a slit and place the popsicle stick in center of cup (down through foil, which will hold it in place). Freeze until hard, preferably overnight.
Remove from freezer. Carefully tear the cups from around the popsicles. Garnish with kosher salt and serve immediately.

Note: Since the tequila makes these popsicles on the soft side, they must be eaten immediately. If you want to sit them out for several minutes, set them on ice sprinkled with a little coarse salt. And go ahead and sprinkle them with a little too. This will give the popsicles a few extra minutes of cold.

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Spicy Pulled Pork Salad With Cilantro Lime Sauce

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Spicy taco salads are among my favorite meals. I usually add lots of cilantro and hot peppers to any salad. I love cilantro and lime together. I am always experimenting with cilantro combinations for sauces, soups and salads. I recently made this Cilantro Lime Sauce made with added Lime Vitality Essential Oil. This was really tasty. I made a large batch of the sauce and had it on several salads over the week. It’s a new favorite.

The pulled pork recipe makes 8 4oz servings. It’s great for a family gathering or putting half in the freezer for quick meals when you have busy times.




Spicy Pulled Pork Salad With Cilantro Lime Sauce Sauce


Ingredients for Cilantro Lime Sauce


¼ cup oil
¼ cup water
½ cup chopped green onions
½ cup cilantro leaves
2-3 cloves garlic
½ tsp salt
5 drops Lime Vitality Essential Oil
½ cup sour cream


Ingredients for Spicy Pulled Pork Salad


4 lbs pork shoulder
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Tbs. Chili Powder
2 Tbs. Cumin
½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup chicken broth


2–3 cups shredded lettuce & spinach
1–2 small bell peppers, sliced
2 tomatoes, diced


Remove twine from the pork shoulder. Score the meat, then sprinkle seasonings over the pork shoulder and rub them in. Put the pork in your crock pot along with chopped onion and garlic. Pour in the chicken broth. Cover and let cook on low for 8-10 hours.


After the pork shoulder is cooked, transfer it to a large bowl and shred with two forks. Drain the liquid out of the crock pot but save the onion and garlic. Add the onions and garlic to the pulled pork and mix to combine. Taste test at this point and salt if necessary.


Directions for Cilantro Lime Sauce:
Pulse all the sauce ingredients except the sour cream in a food processor. When mostly smooth, add the sour cream and pulse until combined. Taste and adjust as needed. Set aside.


Serve pulled pork on a bed of lettuce and spinach, sliced peppers and chopped tomatoes.
Top with Cilantro Lime sauce until it the vegetables are coated to your liking.

The Cilantro Lime Sauce works well with chicken or beef as well.



Nutritional Info:


Pulled Pork 4 oz:
Calories 364.3; Carbohydrate 1.0 g; Protein 26.6 g


salad:
Calories 113.5; Carbohydrate 10.2 g; Protein 2.4 g


Total:
Calories 477.8; Carbohydrate 11.2 g; Protein 29 g



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Orange Vitality Coconut Cream Filled Candies

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These sugar free, low carb coconut cream filled candies are so tasty you would never know they were really healthy. They are made with a touch of Young Living Orange, Tangerine and Peppermint Vitality Essential Oils. My favorite are the ones flavored with Orange essential oil. Peppermint is a close second. So yummy and guilt free low carb, sugar free snacking.


4 ounces cream cheese
4 Tablespoons butter
1 cup natural sugar substitute (I used a half Monk Fruit and half Swerve)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
Several drops Young Living Vitality Essential Oils: Orange, Tangerine, Lemon, Lime, Peppermint or other.


Chocolate Coating:
4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Ounces food grade cocoa butter
5 Tablespoons natural sugar substitute (I used powered Swerve)
1/4 tsp stevia powder (sometimes I use stevia drops)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, sweetener, and vanilla extract. Mix in the shredded coconut.
Using about one tablespoon of coconut mixture each, form into a log and set onto a parchment paper or silicon mat lined baking sheet.


Put bars into freezer while making chocolate coating.



Added a few drops of Orange Vitality Essential Oil. Couldn’t resist. 😉



In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: cocoa powder, natural sweeteners,
In a double boiler, melt cocoa butter. Once the cocoa butter is melted, remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder mixture. Add vanilla extract. Mix well until smooth.


Remove the coconut bars from the freezer.
Place each coconut bar on a fork and dip bottom into melted chocolate. Then use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over top and sides until bar is completely covered in chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip off bottom of fork, then set on non-stick sheet to harden.
Repeat steps until each bar is covered in chocolate.
Place finished sheets of candy in refrigerator.
Let sit at least an hour then remove and place in covered container. Store in refrigerator.


Update: I decided to roll the filling into 2 logs and slice after letting them sit in the fridge. I wanted to make the disk shapes you see in the picture below.

orange-peppermint-vitality-essential-oils

Sliced into disks



Nutrition Facts:
Makes 20 low carb candy bars
Serving size: 1 bar
Calories: 255
Fat: 23 g
Net Carbs: 1
Net Total carbs: 7g
Protein: 4 g


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