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Simply Tina | Tina Gravalos

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Healthy Easy Recipe, Food Photography, Food Blogger

Choosing local matters

August 10, 2020 · In: Nutrition

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I am a huge advocate for supporting local (see my previous blog posts about farmers markets and local honey), especially right now. More than ever, our local economy needs our support and what better way to do that than by supporting local farmers! Every time you purchase products from local businesses, you’re putting money back into the economy. When you choose eggs by Conestoga Farms to be a part of your kitchen, you are choosing wholesome, local eggs produced by proud Ontario farmers and their families. So, you get to consume delicious eats plus support your local economy. It’s basically a win-win situation.


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Quality is important

My family has been purchasing Conestoga Farms eggs for years so when they reached out to me to create a recipe and spread the love about their eggs, I jumped on the opportunity. I take pride in sharing quality products with you guys, products that I use myself and fully support. At the end of the day, I want you to feel confident in the choices you make for your health.

The eggs I used in the recipe I share below are the free range eggs which are from hens that live on open concept farms, with access to outdoor pastures. This means that they can freely forage, scratch peck, perch and lay their eggs in nest boxes. One thing that really stands out to me, is the colour of the yolk with all of the Conestoga Farms eggs. The colour is a bright yellow-orange that is really rich. It doesn’t look pale and dull. That’s how you know you have some good eggs!


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How to check if your eggs are fresh

Something fun that I learned in a virtual workshop with Conestoga Farms is how to check if your eggs are fresh. Grab a bowl and add enough water to cover the eggs. Gently place the eggs in the bowl and if they lay on their side, they are fresh. If you have some eggs that are close to the best before date or the date has passed, you can still check if they are ok to eat by doing the same trick with the water. Again, if they lay on their side, they are fresh but if they sort of stand up but on a bit of a slant, they are also still good to eat. If they float to the top of the water, time to get some new eggs!
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Why I love eggs so much

Versatility – There are SO many ways to use/make them. Baking, scrambled, fried, poached, omelettes, frittatas, hard boiled, salads, sandwiches, etc.

Nutritious – I always include eggs in my clients meal plans. Mostly for breakfast because it’s so important to start your day with a blood sugar balancing meal and eggs are the perfect addition for breaking your fast (break-fast – see what I did there?). Eggs have a combination of healthy fats + protein.

Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies

I love all things ooey-gooey and chocolatey and these blondies fit the bill. I love how the almond butter mixed with the egg makes the texture perfectly moist and “cakey”, is what I like to call it (you’ll see). These are gluten-free and sweetened with coconut sugar!

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Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Print Recipe
Prep Time:15 mins
Cook Time:18 mins
Total Time:33 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fine almond flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 1 ConestogaFarms Free Range egg
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil cool for a few minutes before adding to bowl
  • 1 cup smooth natural almond butter
  • 1 dark chocolate bar break into chunks

Instructions

  • Line a 9x5 inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease with coconut oil and preheat to 350 degrees F. I baked it on the middle rack of my oven. You can use another pan like an 8x8.
  • In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda, sea salt and coconut sugar.
  • In a small bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, coconut oil and almond butter. Use a hand mixer to make smooth or a whisk or spatula.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer or spatula until well combined.
  • Fold in most of the chocolate chunks, leaving about a handful to the side to add on top of the blondies before they go in the oven.
  • Pour dough into your greased pan and make sure you spread it out evenly, pressing down to make sure it’s all in there! It will be a little sticky, but don’t worry! Add the rest of the chocolate chunks on top and press them into the batter.
  • Bake for 16-18 minutes, depending on your oven (you might need a little bit longer - I baked mine for 18 minutes). Make sure to keep an eye on it! The edges will get golden brown and the top will harden a bit.
  • Let it cool down for at least 10-15 minutes before cutting into squares.
  • Store in a covered container for 2-3 days (if they last that long!).
  • Enjoy!


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By: Tina Gravalos · In: Nutrition

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Let’s talk sleep (it’s sleep month!) 😴 My Let’s talk sleep (it’s sleep month!) 😴 

My sleep has been off since the time change. 🙃 I also caught a cold which seems to happen around this time of year for me. 🤧 Anyone else struggling with sleep?

Sleep can be a tricky one because there can be a lot of reasons why you can’t fall asleep, you wake up often, etc. I’m usually a food first kind of gal but when it comes to sleep, I’ll turn to some supplements for a little support. My issue lately is an overactive mind. I think of everything I need to do the next day. 😂

I love that my pals @naturescanada have a huge supplements department and there is a section for sleep! From homeopathics to herbs and everything in-between. There’s something for everyone! I will say though, one thing might work for one person but not so much for someone else so sometimes it’s trial an error. And always talk to your healthcare provider before taking anything. 

Here are some of my picks:

Magnesium bisglycinate - one of my favourite all around supplements! Magnesium plays a key role in hundreds of chemical reactions in the body. It truly is a star mineral! I like it for relaxing muscles and just helping to feel more calm.

Pascoflair - a herbal sleep aid that can help with restlessness, stress, falling asleep faster, etc.

Sleep by Orange Naturals - homeopathics for restlessness and sleeplessness

Coffee Cruda by Boiron - another homeopathic for sleeplessness

L-Theanine with magnesium - one of my faves! I love this combo because l-theanine (found in green tea) is like a natural stress reliever. Paired with magnesium it’s like the ultimate relaxation combo

Ortho Sleep - this supplement help increase total sleep time, reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, and help to re-set the body’s sleep-wake cycle

Mental Calmness - this is l-theanine on its own - I used to take this one when I was in nutrition school before tests to help me relax and get focused. 

Nighty Night tea - a blend of herbs like chamomile, passionflower & spearmint

If you’re not sure where to start, the team of nutritionists @naturescanada are super knowledgeable and can help you in the right direction!

#sleepmonth #sleephabits #sleephealth
CARROT CAKE BREAKFAST COOKIES 🥕 Did a little CARROT CAKE BREAKFAST COOKIES 🥕 

Did a little edit on these from last year! I added some dried cranberries and swapped the almond flour for 1:1 gluten-free flour. 👌🏻

Here’s the how to:

(Makes 12-13 cookies)

Dry ingredients:

1 cup 1:1 gluten-free baking flour (I used @bobsredmill)
1 1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup crushed walnut pieces
1/3 cup dried cranberries 
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Wet ingredients:

1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded carrot

Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Melt coconut oil and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. 

In a small bowl, add the wet ingredients, except for the carrots, and mix to combine.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.

Fold in the carrots.

Using a cookie scooper (or ice cream scooper) or a 1/4 cup measuring spoon, drop cookies onto baking the sheet and flatten them to about 1 inch thickness. Make sure to space them out.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden.

Let cool for 10 minutes.

Enjoy! 🧡
SIMPLE 5 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CASHEW BUTTER BITES SIMPLE 5 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CASHEW BUTTER BITES 🤩⁠⁠
⁠⁠
These are great for meal prep or if you’re looking for something a little sweet but with no added sugar (dates are naturally sweet!). 

Makes 8⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Ingredients:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
❃ 1 cup walnuts halves⁠⁠
❃ 3 medjool dates, pitted⁠⁠
❃ 2 tablespoons cacao powder⁠⁠
❃ 2 heaping tablespoons cashew butter⁠⁠
❃ 1/4 teaspoon sea salt⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Directions:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
1. Add walnuts to food processor and pulse until they are broken down into crumbs.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
2. Add the dates and pulse until they are mixed in with the walnut crumbs.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
3. Add the cacao powder, sea salt and yes, pulse again! ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
4. Add the cashew butter and pulse again until the mixture is all combined.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
5. Shape the mixture into bite sized balls (about 1-2 tablespoons per ball) and put them on a plate.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
6. Refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes before eating.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
7. Top with flaky salt, if desired (highly recommend! 🤤). ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Enjoy! ♥️⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Notes:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
No cashew butter - use almond butter, sunflower butter or tahini⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Protein - add a scoop of chocolate protein powder⁠⁠
⁠⁠
My fav way to meal prep 👇🏻 If you’ve been My fav way to meal prep 👇🏻

If you’ve been around here since the beginning, I loved talking about meal prep! 

1. Utilize flyer deals! This is a great way to save a few bucks each week. @naturescanada has the ground beef I use on special + whole chickens to roast (plus other great protein options), which can be used for several meals! With protein like this, you can make different meal out of them to switch it up. Wraps, tacos, salads, etc. I also picked up some clementines, cheese, rice crackers, coconut milk and sometimes they have some flash deals for berries (and other fruits + veggies) that are great finds!

2. Batch cook/prep foods separately. This means batch cooking/prepping things like protein, rice, lettuce and other vegetables and fruits separately so that you can toss them together to make a meal. Maybe one day you want a taco salad and the other you want a taco wrap! This also keeps things fun and different so you don’t get bored of repetition. 

3. Similar to number 2, I like to have fruits and veggies washed, chopped and ready to grab for a snack. Usually with some cheese and crackers. ☺️

4. Grab and go. I like to make chia pudding or overnight oats sometimes. I can make a batch and get 2 to 3 portions out of it. For protein, you can add collagen or protein powder. Adding fruit on top + some granola (there’s some in the flyer too) is good too! 

5. Have some fun! Sometimes I’ll have some snack packs on hand! 🤭 I don’t have them all the time but I won’t lie, they make me happy. 😋

What are your favourite things to meal prep!? Let me know! 

PS. I have a link in my bio where you can check out the @naturescanada flyer. ☺️💚

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