Archive of ‘Lifestyle’ category

Next level nanacakes (aka healthy, no-flour pancakes you’ll be obsessed with)

PANCAKES!!!

You’re probably thinking fluffy, yummy goodness.

BUT, if you’re following any foodie bloggers on IG, you’re probably also thinking NANACAKES.

I love nanacakes.

If you haven’t heard of them yet, they’re pancakes made with 2 ingredients: eggs + a banana.

EASY.

No flour. No added sugar. Super simple.

These are next level nanacakes (LOL!).

Think nanacakes + extra protein + extra fiber + omega 3s + a bunch more flavor—& they’re just as quick to throw together as your 2-ingredient nanacakes.

Here’s the breakdown:

NEXT-LEVEL JOYFETTI NANACAKES

INGREDIENTS
(makes 1 serving – multiple by 2 for 2 people, etc)

  • 2 eggs (preferably organic & pasture-raised)
  • 1 banana
  • A bunch of chia seeds, hemp seeds, & ground flax seeds (pour it in!!! go crazy. you can wing the amount, it doesn’t need to be precise)
  • Pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)

+ olive oil spray

The chia seeds & ground flax seeds provide omega-3s, fiber, & magnesium. Plus, the ground flax seeds help thicken the batter kind of like how flour would if we were using it—so I pour in a BUNCH of ground flax seeds.

The hemp seeds provide a ton of additional protein, fiber, magnesium & iron—plus hemp seeds have a yummy, nutty flavor that I love. I get these.

DIRECTIONS

  • Whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl. I like to keep some chunks of banana in there so I don’t make it perfectly smooth. This saves me time too (ha! I’m all about it)
  • Spray a skillet with olive oil and heat it on high heat. You want the skillet to look kind of soaked—so spray a lot of olive oil. As soon as it heats up (this will happen REALLY fast), lower it to medium heat
  • While on medium heat, use a spoon to pour little circles of batter onto the skillet like you would normal pancakes
  • Since I usually make a bunch and only 3-4 fit in my skillet at a time, I usually spray the skillet (again, liberally) once or twice more while making all of them. I spray the skillet between each batch so the 2nd, 3rd, etc batches don’t stick to the pan.

Let me know if that makes sense or if you have any questions! I also love topping them with some honey and fresh berries, & some more pumpkin pie spice/cinnamon. SOOO GOOD.

I make these alllll the time during the weekends.

Arrash loves them too—and he’s obsessed with fluffy, flour-filled, buttery pancakes, so even if you are too, you’ll want to try these : )

Give it a try & LMK what you think.

Oh, & you can get creative with it too—add cocoa nibs, chocolate, whatever you want. Mix it up. Have fun with it.

Chat soon!

xx,
Bita

+ for another yummy breakfast idea, try this fiber-filled fitness bread + coconut yogurt recipe

+ more quick & easy recipes

+ more nutrition tips & tricks

Let’s get crackin’:

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Cozy up for winter

Hey, hey! Happy 2018! How was your NYE?

We had a really fun night at our friends’ place in SF with tons of apps, a taco bar, & lots of drinks. LOTS of them.

Yesterday was rough, to say the least.

But today was much better—I even powered through a morning workout before work. So we’re off to a good start here ; )

For some reason I have this weird, completely bizarre feeling that winter ends when January starts, which is definitely not accurate. Lol we’re barely 2 weeks into winter. & I’m curled up under a huge throw right now, eating soup.

So here are some cool finds that’ll definitely keep you cozy through winter.

First up, BLANKETS!! Specifically, faux fur throws because they scream cozy, winter vibes. Plus they look super cute as decor. & you can also use them in your flat lays… Very versatile ; )

A mug is definitely a winter staple.

I’ve been very into tea lately—I love winding down with it at night. Oh & I use this straw, to prevent staining on my teeth.

Another winter staple, that’ll definitely help you stay warm, especially if you’re going on a ski trip: a beanie. This one is super cute. Same with this white one.

SNOW BOOTS!! This first time I went to Tahoe with Arrash I noticed these boots everywhere (& they look so cute in an outfit) so I googled them & found them online. This pair is super cute!

P.S. talking about shoes… These slippers **heart eye emoji** I’m totally eyeing these. Don’t they just scream comfort?

I picked up this candle at Whole Foods before the holidays and I’m absolutely OBSESSED with it. It has a super cozy feel to it.

I’m off to drink some more peppermint tea & wind down for bed. Sweet dreams! xx

<3,
Bita

More cozy feels:

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Buh-bye yucky artificial colors—here are some sprinkles WITHOUT artificial colors

Remember these Nutella stuffed Nutella cookies?

I make them every year around the holidays—& they’re always a big hit (peep the recipe below to make them at home, you’ll love!)

This time, I was even more excited to share them with my friends & family because I FINALLY used sprinkles that are free of artificial colors. Yup, NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS. None, nada!

Such a big win.

I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to realize I could find these sprinkles so easily.

They’re in the baking aisle at Whole Foods, shocker ; )

One of the things I like about shopping at Whole Foods, is right off the bat I know everything in there is free of artificial colors (among other things—deets here).

I still check the ingredients on everything (so important) but it’s nice to know that at the very least things like artificial colors & high fructose corn syrup, EEK, aren’t in any of the products I might be buying.

Anyways, I bought these at Whole Foods but you can also get them on Amazon. 

& P.S. they have A WHOLE BUNCH of really fun options on Amazon—like these white snowflakes & peppermint crunch sprinkles that are perfect for the holidays/winter & these super cute heart sprinkles I really want for Valentine’s Day baking.

So fun!

You can see the colors are still bright & cheerful but they’re colored with vegetable colorants instead of harmful food coloring like Yellow 5, Red 40, & Blue 1. Yuck, yuck, yuck. No bueno.

These sprinkles use vegetables, so basically, we’re eating kale… KIDDING, obv ; )

To get more specific, the sprinkles I used (India Tree sprinkles), are colored with turmeric, annatto, beet juice, vegetable juices, & beta carotene (which an organic, strongly colored red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits).

Cool, right?

These are definitely my go-to sprinkles now.

Okay, & here’s the recipe for these DELICIOUS cookies—I’m STILL obsessed with:

3-INGREDIENT NUTELLA STUFFED NUTELLA COOKIES

INGREDIENTS
(makes ~ 50-52 small cookies)

  • 3 cups Nutella (2 cups for dough + 1 cup, refrigerated, for stuffing)
  • 2 cups 100% white whole wheat flour
  • 2 eggs (preferably organic & pasture-raised)
  • Optional—Sprinkles for decoration (I used these)

(Heads up ⇢ You’ll also need baking/parchment paper)

DIRECTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 350° F and line two trays with baking/parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, mix together two cups Nutella and eggs. Add flour and stir until fully blended. The dough should be pretty thick.
  • Scoop out a teaspoon of dough (I actually use a teaspoon, it makes it easier to get a round shape) and flatten it in your palm. Place on lined baking tray.
  • Put a teaspoon of cold Nutella in center of cookie.
  • Scoop out another teaspoon of dough, flatten it in your palm, place it over the Nutella and press the edges of the two cookies together, sealing them like ravioli. I like to stretch out the top cookie a little more than the bottom cookie so I get cracks on the top (see snapchats below) because it makes it easier for the sprinkles to stick to it.
  • Repeat until you’ve used all the cookie dough. (Tip ⇢ To save time, I fill the entire tray with the bottom cookies, place a teaspoon of cold Nutella on each cookie, then add the top cookies.)
  • Bake for 6-7 minutes. Makes ~ 50-52 cookies. MMMM MMMM!!

If you want to speed up the process you can also make larger cookies instead of a whole bunch of small ones (& bake them for 8-10 minutes).

I was getting a bit antsy this year since I doubled the recipe, or maybe even tripled it, (I usually double it), so I also made some big cookies, which was kind of fun. The big ones are just as delicious & you get more cookie & Nutella in the middle. YUMMM!!

Let me know if you make these or if you try the sprinkles with another recipe. & tag me in your pics on IG (@JOYFETTI). I’d love to see what you make! Even though it’ll probably make my sweet tooth even worse ; )

Happy New Years!

I hope you have a very sweet NYE : )

<3,
Bita

Recipe adapted from Butter Baking.

More jimmies & baking tools:


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Sunday Splash: holiday vibes & pups

If you’re in a pinch & looking for some quick ways to make your place festive for the holidays, I’ve gotcha covered!

Especially if we’re talking Christmas—Arrash is already planning out his santa costume for when we have kids lol talk about planning ahead. So Christmas is a very big deal here ; )

Obviously a Christmas tree will do the trick, but since Cubby started eating our indoor plant (the one in the pics below—it’s an outdoor plant now), we thought it’d be a good idea not to introduce another big tree into our place.

So, we’ve gotten crafty.

One of my favorite ways to get our place christmas-y has been with this pure maple syrup candle. It smells SO good. We got ours at Whole Foods but you can also buy them here. It has this really cozy, christmas feel to it.

[ This candle is so perfect for the holidays. ]

[ My lil’ Cubby bear ]

[ Buds & Cubs }

We’ve also been diffusing peppermint essential oil, which is really fun. It reminds me of candy canes.

Another fun touch? Hanging a wreath outside, on your front door. I love this because it gives everyone a festive feel right before they walk in. Also, the dogs can’t get to it lol. WIN/WIN.

& of course, Christmas music.

We started playing Christmas music the night of Halloween—literally after we got back from taking the kids (my niece & nephew) trick-or-treating lol. Crazy, right? Anyone else start super early?

Oh & our new dot has made this super easy. Alexa’s fun.

It’s basically been Christmas over here for the past month or so ; )

And if you’re looking for a fun recipe, try these nutella-stuffed nutella cookies. I’ve been making them for the past 3 years & they’re always a big hit. They taste like little nutella brownies. Give them a try & let me know what you think.

Okay, dish—how do you like to get festive for the holidays? xx

<3,
Bita

Here are some more pics with the dogs ; ) 

[ My lil’ Mint chip ]

[ My bud a buds ]

More festive vibes:

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Superfood Spotlight: hemp seeds!!! get ready for TONS of protein & fiber

Pick up a bag of hemp seeds, flip it over & read the nutrition facts on the back—it’s NUTS. Hemp seeds are literally FULL of protein & fiber.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

3 tbsp of hemp seeds (shelled—I get these) provide 10g of protein & 3g of fiber, which is 11% of your daily recommended fiber.

WOW! Right?

To put things in perspective 1 hard-boiled egg = 6g of protein.

3 tbsp of shelled hemp seeds also provide tons of vitamins and minerals, including:

  • 45% of your daily recommended magnesium
  • 20% of your daily recommended iron
  • 110% of your daily recommended manganese (not a typo!)
  • & 45% of your daily recommended phosphorus.

NUTS, right?

Speaking of nuts… That’s kind of it’s flavor. It has a buttery-nutty flavor to it, & it’s SO good.

Can you tell I’m very into it? ; )

Here are some ways to enjoy them: 

  • Add them to your smoothies
  • Top your smoothie bowls with them
  • Add them to yogurt
  • Add them to cereal
  • Top your toast with them (#tuesdaytoast)
  • Add them to your pancake batter/nanacakes
  • Have them on their own (yes, I’ve had them straight out of a spoon—in fact I just had a spoonful of them RN lol)
  • Or on a spoon with peanut or almond butter. No shame, guys ; )

Those are some of my favorite ways to have hemp seeds, but you can obviously add them to anything & everything you’d like! They’re very versatile.

It’s like a healthy, nutty sprinkle. It’s so good!

You could also bake with them during the holidays. YUM! LMK if you add them to any of your holiday recipes? I’m all ears : )

Chat soon!

<3,
Bita

+ try this fiber-filled fitness bread + coconut yogurt recipe too

+ learn about chia seeds & ground flax seeds

+ more nutrition tips & tricks

Some kitchen faves:

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Sunday Splash: fall vibes & fitness

Who’s ready for bed? Everyone, hands up?

I’m definitely exhausted in the best way possible—this past week was filled with lots of fun, family get-togethers, relaxation, & yummy food. BTW, we still have TONS of Nutella-stuffed Nutella cookies in the fridge. I might have gotten a little carried away & made way too many.

This year, I went for a run before our Thanksgiving get-togethers & it felt SO good. I definitely want to make it a tradition. Fresh air, fall leaves & endorphins? YES PLEASE!

I’m still not a fan of running on the treadmill (any tips here?) but running outside is hands-down one of my favorite ways to workout. I usually shoot for 1-2 runs a week, and I go to the gym on the other days.

Fall vibes & fitness have been our theme lately.

We shoot for daily workouts, & usually hit 5-7 workouts a week. I’d love to say it’s 7 days/week every week, but being real here, that doesn’t always happen. If I miss a day, I try not to dwell on it too much, & instead I focus on hitting it hard the next day.

A few things that help us reach our fitness goals?

  1. HABITS: during the week, we go to the gym as soon as we get home from work. This trigger helps SO much with consistency. During the weekend, we try to get our workout in, in the morning, before we head off to any weekend plans. This way we don’t miss it by getting home too late/coming home exhausted.
  2. BUDDY SYSTEM: we go to the gym together, whenever we can. This helps with accountability & motivation.
  3. BCAAS: BCAAs feed our muscles and protect them, so we burn fat (not muscle!) while we work out. SO important. They’re essential amino acids—meaning our bodies can’t produce them on their own so they need to come from our diet. It’s best to take them 3x per day—before your workout, after your workout, & before bed. More details here. Oh & update if you’re following JOYFETI on IG, I can swallow two BCAAs at once now. Small wins, guys! LOL. I take these vegan BCAAs, which I’m about to take again right now.

I just finished drinking my peppermint tea & I’m off to get ready for bed & pop 2 BCAA pills. Popity pop.

Sweet dreams!

<3,
Bita

+ if you’re a runner, find out how to find the right pair of running shoes for YOUR feet (+ an interview with A Runner’s Mind)

+ check out the JOYFETTI playlist: energized—it’s perfect for working out!

[ the vegan BCAAs I take ]

Fall vibes x fitness:

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How to eat Fitness Bread—a yummy little snack

Have you guys heard about “Fitness Bread”?

I’d heard about it hear & there in talks about fitness & nutrition, but I never really sought it out.

But, then, today, on my 2nd trip to Whole Foods (there were 3 today—gah! Thanksgiving for ya) I spotted it. And instantly, I had to have it. After checking the ingredients of course—we’re solid. More on that below.

The funny thing is, right away, I knew exactly what I wanted to have it with: COYO coconut yogurt. To the point that I started craving it.

COYO caught my eye a couple months ago & Arrash I really liked using it as a spread on toast. We topped it with honey & pumpkin pie spice (YUM!) & it was sooo good. I had a feeling it’d be delicious with Fitness Bread too & it was! Fitness Bread is kind of long—the pieces are really wide, like double the width of a typical slice of bread—so I cut it in half.

It really hit the spot.

Once I took a bite, I knew I had to snap some pics to share with you guys—it’s definitely worth trying.

Oh & side note: I’m so sorry I completely ripped the packaging! The photoshoot was completely spur of the moment, & since I didn’t plan to photograph it, I basically ripped the packaging in half to get the bread out ASAP lol. I was very eager, LOL. My bad.

To make:

  • Cut one slice of Fitness Bread in half
  • Spread COYO coconut yogurt on top
  • Drizzle with honey
  • & sprinkle pumpkin pie spice on top

Easy—peasy!

If you’re wondering what Fitness Bread is made out of (I was too!) here are the ingredients:

whole kernel rye, water, oat kernels, wholemeal rye flour, iodized salt, wheat germ, oat fiber, yeast.

I’m also into it’s nutrition facts.

1 piece (the entire slice—I used 1/2) provides 24% of your daily recommended fiber (yes, please!) & 4g of protein.

That’s 6g of fiber & 4g of protein just from the bread, & then you’re getting some extra fiber & protein from the coconut yogurt as well.

I’m very into it.

The packaging for the Fitness Bread says to eat it within 5 days of opening it, so I’ll be getting creative & thinking of more ways to eat it. Any suggestions? I’m definitely thinking an avocado-tomato combo will be happening soon. Maybe the day after thanksgiving : )

Okay, I’m off to get ready for bed. Very excited about this little discovery. I hope you guys enjoy too!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! xx

<3,
Bita

Cute plates I’m loving:

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Superfood Spotlight: nutritional yeast

I kept hearing about nutritional yeast but it took me a minute to finally try it.

About 6 months ago, I finally picked it up from Whole Foods and it was so good, I got a little carried away. I sprinkled it on everything, more or less—but not really a sprinkle, more like a BIG ASS POUR.

I poured it into pasta sauce.

I poured it all over potatoes before I baked them—same with zucchini and squash.

I poured it over mushrooms when I sautéed them.

I even poured it over quinoa whenever I wanted a quick, carb-y snack.

I let Arrash in on this little secret a few weeks ago… That he’s been eating tons of nutritional yeast. LOL. And he was pretty shocked to hear about 1/2 the meals he’s been eating the past few months have been filled with nutritional yeast. #YoureWelcome ; ) (Moana reference—I love that movie!)

Okay, let’s talk about taste first—because really, even if something is healthy & has tons of benefits, it’s hard to get into it if you don’t really enjoy it, right? So, taste…

It really does taste like cheese. Specifically, parmesan.

Can you make a quesadilla with it? No, not really. At least not with nutritional yeast alone. I tried. HA! But it has a parmesan-like taste that’s SO good.

& THE BENEFITS… Let’s get into them.

First off, it’s a complete protein—it provides all nine amino acids our bodies can’t produce on its own, while also being vegan. WIN!

Just 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast (specifically Bragg’s) provides:

  • 4% of your daily recommended fiber (1g)
  • 4% of your daily recommended protein (2g)—complete protein
  • a ton of B-complex vitamins, such as vitamin B12 (it provides 40% of your daily recommended value of it) < these are added to it

I also sprinkled it over my popcorn, which was delicious, but also messy when I spilled the popcorn. Whoops.

If you’re never had nutritional yeast, give it a try & let me know what you think?

And if you’re already a big fan, what’s your favorite way to use it? Tell, tell. I’m always looking for new ways to use it : )

<3,
Bita

PTFE- and PFOA-free pots & pans + my favorite bowls:

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How to make pumpkin seeds: a quick & easy recipe

Arrash is VERY into Halloween—& Christmas, but we’ll save that for another post.

For weeks now, he’s been telling me, “We have to get our pumpkins. We have to carve our pumpkins”.

About a week ago, we finally picked up two pumpkins, kind of on the smaller side, from Trader Joe’s & we got carving tools from Walgreens.

I wasn’t totally into the idea at first, but once we got into it, I LOVE IT. Carving is super fun—& kind of relaxing too. I feel like all these activities we use to do when we were kids, like drawing, have this kind of meditative feel to them now. Don’t you think? They’re oddly relaxing.

[ Our pumpkins. Can you guess which is mine & which one is his? ]

Anyways, before we started, we decided to save our pumpkin seeds so we could roast them after we finished carving the pumpkins.

It was so much fun carving pumpkins & then winging a very fall-ish recipe together!

& we definitely winged it.

Here’s the recipe we threw together, literally…

What you need:

  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Butter (we used Kerrygold—if you want to keep it vegan, use olive oil instead)
  • Honey
  • Seasoning: pumpkin pie spice, paprika, pepper & garlic salt

& parchment paper! : ) 

Here’s the 2-part recipe (don’t get scared, it’s super quick & easy):

Part 1—in the skillet pan

  • Rinse the seeds, if they’re straight from a pumpkin, drain them, and put them in a large bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, melt some butter in the microwave. Once melted, stir in some honey, and pour it over the pumpkin seeds.
  • Add your seasonings (pumpkin pie spice, paprika, pepper & garlic salt), & stir the pumpkin seeds.
  • Put some butter in your skillet pan and roast the seeds in the skillet on medium heat, stirring constantly (so the seeds don’t burn).
  • Add more honey & seasoning as you like : )
  • After the seeds are roasted the way you like them, turn it off, & move on to part 2.

Part 2—in the oven

  • Lay out some parchment paper on a baking tray and pour your seeds on top, laying them flat. We’re going to pop them into the oven to dry them out a bit. Heat the oven to 450, and, if you’d like, drizzle some honey over the seeds before popping them into the oven. (We did this & it was delicious! Kind of like an extra glaze.)
  • Taste test them & take them out as soon as they’re dry enough & taste the way you like them : )

We snacked on them immediately, after they cooled down just a bit, & put the leftovers in the fridge.

& let me tell you, they’re REALLLLY good coming out of the fridge.

We liked them best that way.

This recipe is inspired by Halloween, but it’s also perfect for taking to Thanksgiving dinner, which we’ll definitely be doing this year.

Let me know if you try this recipe, how you like it. & LMK, if this kind of loose recipe works well for you or if you’d rather have a more measured recipe in the future : ) I love hearing your feedback. Thanks for reading!

HAPPY (almost) HALLOWEEN! xx

<3,
Bita

[ My niece & nephew, Shireen & Nadav, made this for us with their 3D-printer (so cool!) since Arrash is obsessed with The Nightmare before Christmas. Super sweet of them! & so good. They’re 9. ]

Cooking essentials + cute bowls for snacking:

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How to curb your sugar cravings

This is my favorite way to do it: FRUIT.

Lately, I’ve been avoiding dessert—not cold turkey, just limiting it, so I’ve been picking up more fruit at the grocery store.

When I get a sugar craving, I grab some fruit—instead of a brownie. Simple, right?

Some of my favorite fruits to snack on are stone fruits (mostly nectaries & peaches), grapes, & of course, berries. I’m obsessedddd with berries. Antoxidents! & they’re SO yummy!

If your office is filled with chocolate & desserts, pack some fruit with you in the morning and snack on it when you want something sweet.

Another good go-to is apples with nut butter. I love the sweet + salty combo.

Okay, dish… What do you eat to curb your sugar craving?

<3,
Bita

Cute bowls make it more fun:

 

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