Udi's Gluten Free and Chocolate Mounds Recipe

If you are familiar with the gluten free lifestyle, then you are sure to recognize the name "Udi's." Udi's products are natural, without artificial flavors, colorings, preservatives, or other synthetic additives. They also have a wide assortment of gluten free goodies that are sure to fill your belly and soul.

Udi's graciously sent me a ton (seriously, see for yourself) of products to review. It was like Christmas morning when I saw the package on my doorstep. My son was even jumping around the house, because he saw some of his favorites in the box! Of course we had to sample a few things right out of the box! YUM!

I've long been a long-time fan of their products, but they sent me new items that I had never tried before. Goodness - I can't even pick a favorite! I still love the snickerdoodles, but their granola bars are simply amazing and my son finished off the cinnamon rolls. As a parent, my favorite part of it all was that they weren't laden with sugar. It can be difficult to find granola, muffins, cinnamon rolls, etc without all of the excess sugar. Udi's succeeded in making tasty goodies, without sending us in to a sugar coma. I had no qualms about letting my child enjoy the cinnamon rolls at breakfast. We have also found a new lunchtime option. The Ancient Grain Chips will be a staple in our house. These little things come in a few flavors (we got cheese), and are made with quinoa, flax, and other nutrient-dense ingredients.

I talked to one of the teachers I work with, whom is gluten free, about Udi's. She noted how much she loves their products and the fact she has a healthy option with Udi's, as she is dairy and gluten free! Then she steered me towards their Lemon Streussel Muffins, one of her top picks!

After receiving all of this gluten free goodness, I decided to tackle some family recipes using Udi's products. One of my favorite family recipes is called Chocolate Mounds. My grandmother made it for my dad and his family growing up, and I remember my dad making it for us when I was young. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... peanut butter + chocolate = a gift from God. My dad gave me the Chocolate Mounds recipe a while back. I looked over it recently and saw some quick changes I could make to the recipe to make it gluten free and a cleaner treat for the holidays. My changes included using Udi's Coconut Peanut Butter cookies - hello!

 I hope you enjoy this special treat! It is sure to be a holiday hit!

Chocolate Mounds

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 cup dates, chopped
• 1 tsp xylitol (only add if you prefer this to be sweeter)
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup Udi's Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies, crumbled
• 2 tb orange juice (or more as needed)
• 1 6-oz package chocolate chips (60% cacao chocolate is the best option)
• 1 tb coconut oil

Directions

1. Combine peanut butter, dates, xylitol, walnuts, Udi's Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies, and orange juice. 
2. Shape into walnut-size pieces. Tip: Roll between hands to shape.
3. Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
4. In a double-boiler, melt 1 6-oz package of chocolate chips. Add coconut oil and melt.
5. Use a spoon and roll each cookie mixture in melted chocolate.
6. Place on wax paper to harden.
7. Enjoy!

Visit Udi's Gluten Free, find them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter!

The world of teacherdom

Teacherdom? Yes, I said "teacherdom." Is this really a word? I think not, but it works for me! Besides, it sounds less haute than saying, "academia." Who wants to read a blog post called, "The world of academia?"

Moving on...

When I became a teacher, there were a few surprises that just knocked me over the head. 

1. This is one of the hardest jobs I have ever done. Now, I wouldn't trade it for anything! I LOVE what I do and I love my kids. I was just stunned at how exhausted I was - especially in the beginning. 
2. I get along GREAT with 12-year-olds. I'm not quite sure what that one says about me... But I definitely find them quite entertaining, and I make them laugh... a lot. :)
3. Apparently there's a lot of gift-giving that goes on at Christmas. I was shocked when little gifts from my students started showing up on my desk. "Gift-giving" is one of my love languages, so this instantly filled my heart! To me, gift-giving doesn't have to be something big or ornate. I love cooking for people to show them I care. Sometimes just leaving someone a kind note, or letting them know you are thinking about them and praying for them can be an amazing gift to a person.

I'm going to share one of the gifts I received the other day from a family. I got the MOST amazing treat, and it was accompanied by a recipe! SCORE! These little things are INSANELY good! They definitely hit that sweet spot with the rich chocolate and almond butter. Oh, yeah. They are 100% clean, too. :)

Almond Power Bars

• 2 cups raw almonds
• 1/2 cup flax seed meal
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
• 2 scoops flavored whey protein powder
• 1/2 cup raw almond butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• Stevia or xylitol to taste
• 1 TB pure vanilla extract
• 8 squares Ghirardelli chocolate

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in a food processor and pulse for about ten seconds.
2. Melt coconut oil, and add Xylitol and vanilla. Pour into the food processor while it is blending. 
3. Blend the mixture in to a course paste. 
4. Press mixture into an 8x8 in glass pan. Chill for one hour.
5. Melt chocolate and xylitol in a double boiler. 
6. Spread over the chilled almond mixture.
7. Cut into bars before placing the pan back into the refrigerator to chill.

Tips:

• Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
• Keep refrigerated.

Gluten Free, Clean Snickerdoodle Cookies

One of my favorite holiday treats is the Snickerdoodle cookie. It doesn't even have any peanut butter in it, but goodness gracious I love them! Maybe it's the cinnamon and subtle sweetness? I'm not sure, but the snickerdoodle is a bit of amazingness baked up in a delicious cookie. Enough said. :) We've been snowed in with the "winter storms" that are moving across the country. Suddenly, I got a craving for snickerdoodles. My son is a huge fan of the cookie, so I had my sous chef at my side! 

Gluten Free, Clean Snickerdoodle Cookies

Ingredients

Cookie:

• 1⅓ cup oat flour
• 5 tsp truvia baking blend
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp  baking powder
• 2 tb coconut oil
• 1 tsp  vanilla
• 4-5 tb unsweetened vanilla almond milk 

Cinnamon/Sugar Coating:

• 4 tsp truvia or coconut sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 380 degrees.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together (oat flour, truvia, salt, and baking powder).
3. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, adding milk only as needed (I added about 4 tb). The batter should be moist, but not sticky.
4. Let the dough sit for a few minutes to allow the oats to absorb some of the moisture.
5. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together on a plate.
6. Spoon the dough and form each piece into a ball. There will be about 10 total.
7. Roll each ball in the cinnamon/sugar mix until lightly coated on all sides.
8. Place each ball on a cookie sheet. Use a spoon to flatten into a cookie shape.
9. Bake for 10 minutes and cool for five minutes on the baking sheet.

Protein No-Bake Cookies

I've made these Protein No-Bake Cookies MANY times and they are always a hit! I tend to just throw stuff together, so when one of my fellow teachers asked for a recipe I decided to finally write it down! They are an amazing, but much healthier version of the treat! They are bound to be a great addition to any holiday gatherings you may be heading to. :)

Protein No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients 

• 1 cup of Chocolate Shakeology (or another chocolate protein shake mix)
• 1/2 cup agave nectar or brown rice syrup 
• 1 cup gluten free oats
• 1 cup organic, natural peanut butter 

Instructions: 

1. Mix peanut butter and agave nectar (or brown rice syrup) in a microwaveable bowl. 
2. Heat for 60–90 seconds. Mix well. 
3. Add protein shake powder and mix well. 
4. Add rolled oats and mix gently. 
5. Using a Tablespoon, scoop the dough into round balls and place on a cookie sheet 
6. Use a spoon to flatten into a cookie shape 
7. Refrigerate 1 hour. 

A Clean Thanksgiving

I don't think I can say how much I love Pinterest enough. This is my second year with a gluten free Thanksgiving, and I am ALL kinds of prepared. I remember last year taking short cuts (hello, canned cranberry sauce) because I was so overwhelmed about what to cook and eat because of my diet changes. This year, I am totally prepared. How prepared am I? Enough to not wince at the thought of making cream of mushroom soup from scratch. Now that's impressive!

Here is a glimpse into what I'll be slaving away at on Thanksgiving, thanks to a few other clean bloggers!

• Turkey
• Clean Eating Cranberry Sauce from The Gracious Pantry. 
• Clean Eating Green Bean Casserole from The Gracious Pantry. 
• Mashed Sweet Potato Casserole from He and She Eat Clean
• Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing from Better Homes and Gardens (My mom always used this recipe)
• Mashed Potatoes (my Dad loves them)

I might tweak these recipes, some. If so, I'll post them!