I don’t know about you guys but I (Britt) am getting in the festive spirit! 🎄Check out these delish, holiday inspired Cranberry White Chocolate Energy Bites!
Makes 22 energy bites.
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Ingredients:
1.5 cups large flake oats
1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup Sugar Cookie Peanut Butter (I used @wild_friends) or natural peanut butter
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup hemp hearts
2 tbsp ground flax
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
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Directions:
1. Line a tray or baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
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2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well with rubber spatula or clean hands until mixture can be formed into balls. Mixture should be slightly sticky, if it is too dry add a little more peanut butter and/or honey.
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3. Divide mixture evenly and form into 22 balls. Portion 2 energy bites into containers/ ziplock bags and store them in the freezer for an easy grab and go snack!
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Recipe & Photo by: Brittaney Berendsen RD, P.H.Ec
This one goes out to parents who are also full time chefs, chauffeurs, coaches and clean-up crews for their children! 👩🏾🍳👨🏾✈️.
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To students who are powering through hours of class, juggling part time work, volunteering and engaging in a plethora of unpaid activities to stand out to future employers 🙆🏻♂️.
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To colleagues and friends who have commutes that consume all their waking hours, an ill relative to tend to in their spare time, spend hours making trips to fertility treatment, or are struggling along the continuum of mental health 🥴😴.
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We see you 👁️.
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Repeat after us: Self care is not selfish 🙅🏻♀️🙅🏼♀️.
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Throughout our upbringing, we develop a critical inner voice that acts as a drill sergeant, telling us we have to meet certain objectives to be acceptable or worthy. That we must complete work or household tasks and tend to others before caring for ourselves. It can be incredibly distracting and demanding, influencing our thoughts ➡️ feelings ➡️ behaviours, leading to unrealistic expectations of ourselves to achieve perfection in the work we do [often, for others]. .
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This culminates in us losing feelings for ourselves and presents as a lack of self care. The inner critic convinces us that self care is selfish if it takes up space in our lives that should otherwise be directed toward caring for others 🙆🏽♀️🤦🏿♂️.
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This time of year can be stressful. We fill our lives with additional responsibilities as the holiday season approaches. Stress becomes the norm. Sound familiar?👂🏻.
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You are not alone. One of the first steps toward caring for self is mindfulness (I know… cue eye roll… hear us out)...
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💭Consider💭: When in your day do your eyes become glazed over, brain feel foggy, actions transition into autopilot? What is something you can deprioritize? Delegate? A responsibility or commitment you can shed? 🐍.
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Does this resonate with you? Share below!
How often do you find yourself pouring from an empty cup? 🙋🏼♀️🙍🏼♀️.
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Let me (Syd) tell you. Lately, I’ve felt like I am pouring from a cup that never seems to fill itself back up… and I think that’s where I am going wrong. I’ve been running on the assumption that meeting my very basic needs like sleep, regular access to food, a 30 minute stint of Netflix here and there and making it as often as I can to the gym will fill my cup back up after long work days. Hardly 👎🏼.
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See, the less you intentionally work toward filling your cup back up (i.e. through self care, reflection, mindfulness, protected time for yourself, alone time, etc.), the more you will find yourself shifting from manual to automatic (“auto pilot”) 🚙. Meaning, you may start to just “move through the motions” of day to day tasks 🧟.
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This may present the following way... 💭.
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A cup that has been filled back up to the brim gives you a feeling of “I have something to offer!” versus “I should/have to do x" (whether for yourself or someone else). For instance, with a full cup you may find yourself willing and eager to pack a nutritious lunch for you and your family, cook a special meal for your partner or help a colleague at work. With an empty cup you may feel resentment toward completing the above tasks. You feel stretched thin. Your motive becomes “I should” or “I have to” and you may feel less fulfillment from doing things for yourself or others 🥀.
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It also makes it more difficult to achieve your health goals ❌.
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Does this resonate with you? Do you have a tendency to prioritize others over yourself? Or stretch yourself too thin ⁉️.
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How have you moved YOU closer to the top of your priority list and filled up your cup? 🍵🥛🍺🍹.
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Source: Psychology Today
I (Britt) am a wino so you know I had to do a boozy brunch… check out this SUPER EASY Ice Wine French Toast Bake. Make this the night before and just pop in the oven an hour before you are ready to eat.
PRO Tip: Use Brioche bread. Brioche is a sweet and rich french bread that is basically begging to be made into french toast. I used the @preschoice brand, it is my fav!
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
1 loaf (400g) Brioche Bread, Sliced
8 eggs, whisked
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup ice wine
1/2 cup milk (or milk substitute)
Brown Sugar Sprinkle:
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp brown sugar
Ice Wine Syrup (to drizzle overtop):
1/4 cup ice wine
3/4 cup maple syrup
Garnish: lemon zest, fresh fruit, icing sugar
Directions:
Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Slice Brioche bread slices diagonally and arrange in casserole dish, overlapping slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, ice wine and milk. Mix just until combined. Carefully pour egg mixture over the arranged bread, being sure to coat the bread as evenly as possible.
In another small bowl, combine remaining cinnamon and brown sugar. Gently sprinkle the mixture over the egg soaked bread slices.
Cover the casserole dish tightly with plastic wrap and place in fridge. Allow it to sit for a minimum 4 hours (or overnight) to allow bread to soak up all the moisture and flavour.
In the meantime, mix 1/4 cup ice wine and 3/4 cup maple syrup together in a bowl, just until combined. Transfer to a pourable glass or container. Place in fridge until ready to use.
When ready to bake… preheat your oven to 350F (convection bake is best). Remove the plastic wrap from the casserole dish and cover tightly with tin foil. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the casserole dish from oven and remove foil. Return dish to oven and bake without foil for an additional 15 minutes to allow the top to crisp up.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before garnishing with lemon zest, fresh fruit, icing sugar and ice wine syrup.
