Tonight I tried my first....

Let me start me off by saying that I haven't initially liked everything that I have tried since adopting a healthier lifestyle. BUT...because I want this life to work, I decided to implement a 2-3 bite rule. I found that it isn't necessarily that I don't like this something new, it is because the taste is foreign to me. Haven't you ever tried something & it stimulated your taste buds enough, but you couldn't decide what you really thought until you took another bite or two? That is what I am talking about.

I remember going to Whole Foods & trying their goji berry & raw cacao energy bites. I bought three little bite size pieces. I had never had raw cacao OR goji berry but I figured that chocolate & berry was a good combo, right? No. I REALLY didn't care for the first bite. It was that day that my rule was born. I tried a second bite....better. By the third, I wished that I had bought more. Since then, I have purchased them time & time again & I have even made my own. Not to mention that I am not much of a chocolate fan. So they must be good!

So what is it that tastes SO different? Well, the raw cacao powder just isn't as sweet. There isn't all of the sugar & the other 30 ingredients of junk that are thrown into these recipes or pre-packaged mixes. So our brain has to adjust. It is used to, even addicted, to these other flavors. So our brain is expecting a candy bar, boxed brownie mix kinda taste.

Tonight I tried my first black bean! Can you believe it? Little did I know that they would be in a dessert type recipe. I suppose that is the best way to try anything new. :) I combed the internet looking for a deliciously healthy recipe for brownies & found little pieces of recipes that I liked. So I put my thinking cap on, opened my mind & my Black Bean & Avocado Brownie Cookies were born.

1 can or organic black beans, drained & rinsed

2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder

1 tablespoon of vanilla

1 avocado, pitted

1/3 cup of honey or maple syrup

3 medjool dates, pitted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup of peanut butter chips (optional)

* You could also add nuts, almond butter, or dark chocolate chunks.

Directions

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. 

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, except the peanut butter chips or other optional items. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl & add in the chips. Spoon cookies onto baking sheet & bake for approximately 15-18 minutes. Cookies will firm up as they cool down. Yields 12 cookies. 

Did I love the first bite? No, I didn't. True to my past experiences, the second bite was better & then the whole cookie was gone. The only reason that I haven't eaten a second one is because I am writing this blog. Ha! Adopting a healthier lifestyle is all about baby steps & retraining our brain. These are good & will certainly satisfy a sweet tooth. Just the aroma coming from the oven is enough to drive you nuts!

I invite you to begin looking at recipes for foods that you love & figuring out ways to make them healthier. I could eat 5 of these tonight & not feel guilty for a second. You CAN find recipes like this for anything that you want. Find something really good? Share it with me & maybe we will post it for everyone else to enjoy!

In the meantime, please share this post with a friend or even on your Facebook wall using the icons below. Now, I am going to eat another cookie. :)