April Favorites 2016 | Healthy Food, Recipes, and More!

April is coming to an end, which means it's time to talk about my favorite things from the past month! This month, I have a few fun healthy food products to share, along with a fruit I've been eating a lot of, a favorite healthy dinner, and more!

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PRODUCTS MENTIONED

Vita Coco coconut water with pineapple Tart Cherry Juice

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

3 Valentine's Day Chocolate Recipes | Easy + Simple

Valentine's Day is almost here and nothing says "I love you" like a homemade gift. Here are three delicious homemade chocolate recipes that are simple and easy to make: chocolate dipped figs, chocolate almond clusters, and heart-shaped peanut butter cups.

Chocolate Dipped Figs

Ingredients

2 ounces

chocolate chips, melted

12 dried figs

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet or small cutting board with parchment paper.
2. Holding the stem, dip a fig in the melted chocolate. Allow excess chocolate to drip off and place the fig firmly on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining figs.
3. Refrigerate the figs until the chocolate has hardened, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove the figs from the baking sheet and enjoy or store in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Almond Clusters

Ingredients

8 ounces chocolate chips, melted

1 cup raw almonds

Sea salt

Directions

1. Add almonds to melted chocolate and mix until evenly distributed.
2. Spoon dollops of chocolate almond mixture onto a lined baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle clusters with sea salt.
4. Refrigerate until clusters have hardened, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove clusters from baking sheet and enjoy or store in the refrigerator.

Heart-Shaped Peanut Butter Cups

Note: Quantities vary depending on the mold you use. These are the quantities for my mold.

Ingredients

10 ounces chocolate chips, melted

1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter

Directions

1. Fill the heart-shaped molds about halfway with the melted chocolate.
2. Place the mold in the the freezer for 10 minutes, or until the chocolate has solidified.
3. Spoon about a teaspoon of peanut butter into the center of each heart, being careful not to let it touch the edges of the mold.
4. Cover the peanut butter with the remaining melted chocolate and tap the mold on the counter a few times to even out the chocolate's surface.
5. Place the mold in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until the peanut butter hearts have solidified.
6. Take the mold out the the freezer, carefully remove the peanut butter hearts from the mold, and enjoy or store in the refrigerator.

Get the mold I used for the this recipe here.

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Chili Recipe for the Super Bowl | Smoky and Delicious

A group chili recipe is a must have! Chili is such a warm and cozy food and the perfect thing to have on a cold day or bring to a party. Plus, this chili has a secret ingredient that makes it smoky and extra yummy!

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Smoky Chili Recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking fat (pastured lard, grass-fed butter, coconut oil, etc.)

1 medium onion, diced

2 pounds grass-fed ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced

(2) 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes

1.5 cups dry kidney beans, soaked and cooked (about 3 cups cooked beans)

1.5 cups dry black beans, soaked and cooked (about 3 cups cooked beans)

1 quart water or beef broth

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, heat cooking fat over medium heat.
2. Add onion to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add ground beef, garlic, spices, and salt and cook until beef is browned.
4. Add chipotle in adobo sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, and water/broth to pot and stir to distribute ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
5. Serve chili, with toppings if desired.

Food Trends for 2015 | Real Food Round-Up

There are lots of food trend predictions for 2015 and a many of them fall into the real food realm. These are my favorite real food trends. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Real Food Holiday Gift Guide

If you're buying gifts for a real food beginner or are one yourself, here are some ideas to add to your list! [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Polder meat thermometer

100 Days of Real Food Cookbook

Local Flavors Cookbook

Is Your Goat Cheese Fake?

Goat cheese is goat cheese, right? Maybe not. There's a goat cheese labeling controversy in the UK and it raises some  important questions about food labels in general. Also in this Real Food Round Up: Food lessons from cooking on a farm and a real food story from Ethiopia about what's really important in life.

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UK Goat Cheese Labeling Controversy

6 Things I Learned About Food, After Cooking on a Farm

The Craftsman | Perennial Plate Real Food World Tour

What do you think about the UK goat cheese labeling issue and the implications it has for labeling in general? Let me know in the comments below!

Should You Reward Kids with Junk Food?

It seems like kids are getting rewarded for smallest things and, often, that reward comes in the form of junk food. But, should you really be rewarding your child with junk food? And, beyond that, should food EVER be used as a reward with children? [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Why Kids Should Not Be Rewarded with Junk Food

Roasted Garlic, Parsnip, and White Bean Soup from Yummy Beet

SORTED Food Sushi Burger