You put WHAT in the brownies?!?

Don't worry folks, it was just a little green. NO, NO, NO... not that green! Get your head out of the 60's. I'm talking veggies! I know, it's not fun, but it's WAY good for you. We decided to appreciate the teachers at Poplar Road Elementary and were invited to be a part of Teacher Appreciation Week. We were very excited, but wanted to bring some special treats of our own to show that eating healthy and sneaking vegetables into your foods can taste good too. And we love and appreciate you guys, so we are sharing the recipes with you as well!

Just to fill everyone in with the progress of the office location... well, honestly there's not much of an update unfortunately because we've been in a bit of a holding pattern for the last week or so as we continue to formulate our business plan and get our financials in order. There are a couple of locations that we really like, but we're taking our time and making sure that it will all be a perfect fit for our wellness center concept. BY THE WAY... if you haven't put your two cents in, please take this super-easy, ultra-important survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JPRFB7Q.

REMEMBER: Use fresh, organic, and locally grown/farmed ingredients so that you're not ingesting yucky pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals!

Sam's Zucchini Brownies:

3 eggs (I use Frisco Farms)

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla

12oz. dark chocolate

1 stick butter

3/4 cup gluten-free baking mix

1/3 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 cup grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together eggs, sugars, and vanilla. Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium-sized sauce pan. and add to egg and sugar mixture once melted. In a separate bowl, combine next 4 dry ingredients. Mix this into wet ingredients along with grated zucchini, alternating until well-combined. Pour batter into an oiled 9x13 pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with crumbs.

Granola Bars:

8 oz peanut or almond butter

2 Tbsp molasses

1 cup honey

2.5 cups crushed cereal flake (Cascadian Farms Raisin Bran)

1/2 cup almonds, chopped

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup toasted soy nuts

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

1/2 cup steel cut oats

1/4 cup ground or whole flax seeds

Mix first 3 ingredients well and blend in with the dry ingredients. Place in a 9x13 oiled glass dish. Place a piece of saran wrap over the granola and press firmly until even. Leaving saran wrap over the dish, place in the refrigerator until it is set. Cut into bite-size bars and individually wrap, if desired.

Health Tip: Appreciate the small things, even if it's just a little veggie hidden in your brownies! The small things, when accumulated, make a big difference. So, do something small for yourself or someone you care about today!

Oh... and yes that is a glass of wine in the background. Every good cook needs a little good wine to go with it!