As we continue on our journey to healthy eating, it’s important to be conscious of the products we are using and do our best to reduce waste. Check out these statistics:
Total number of plastic bags used worldwide annually 1 trillion
Total number of plastic bags used every minute 1 million
Total number of years it takes for a plastic bag to degrade 1,000 years
Total amount of plastic bags discarded in 2008 3.5 million tons
Total amount of plastic floating in every square mile of the ocean 46,000 pieces
Average amount of plastic bags consumed per family in 4 trips
to the grocery store 60
Total amount of plastic bags used by US citizens every year 100 billion
These numbers are pretty shocking. So how do we begin to reduce our waste? One way is to trade in our disposable bags for reusable ones. At my house we pack lunches each day before school, so when a stainless steel or glass container isn’t a good fit, I use Lunchskins. They are reusable sandwich bags that are dishwasher safe. Over the last year, I’ve picked up a few Lunchskins here and there at the store and overtime we’ve drastically reduced our plastic bag use. I use them on road trips, or to stash a snack in my purse. My husband packs food in them and keeps them in the pocket of his flight suit for when he needs a quick meal. A few weeks ago when we went hiking in Yosemite, I packed all of our snacks in Lunchskins—we didn’t throw away a single bag during our entire trip!
To celebrate Earth Day and to help us on the path of reducing, reusing and recycling, Lunchskins has kindly offered a $100 giveaway package for one Deliciously Organic reader.
Here is what is included in the giveaway:
2 sets of LS2s the dog/ladybug/frog sets
1 bike sub
1 red spoon sub
1 green stripe sub
1 tangerine orange slice sandwich
1 green pear sandwich
1 berry reverse dot snack
1 bright yellow dot snack
See widget below to enter:
A brownie is one of my kid’s favorite treats to take to school. Many of you have asked that I create more recipes without almond flour, so this recipe is for you! They are fudgy and moist, but not too dense. Coconut flour, cocoa powder, butter or ghee, honey and bittersweet chocolate chips make for a fun, easy-to-make occasional indulgence. To keep this recipe dairy-free, I used the fatty portion of the coconut milk that rises to the top when refrigerated. It’s best to place a can of coconut milk in the fridge the night before and then scoop off the dense coconut cream that rises to the top.
Makes one 8x8-inch pan.
For a much lighter flavor you can omit the chocolate chips and espresso powder.
Save RecipeIngredients
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (make sure it's grain-free!)*
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut cream skimmed from the top of the coconut milk (see above description)
- 6 tablespoons ghee, butter or coconut oil, melted ( click here for an easy homemade ghee recipe)
- 3/4 cup raw honey (I used clover)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips or a chocolate bar chopped into small pieces (I prefer Trader Joe’s organic bars or Equal Exchange because they don’t contain soy.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Cut two long pieces of unbleached parchment paper that are 8-inches wide. Fit parchment into length of 8x8-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Fit other piece of parchment into width of pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet (this keeps the brownies from sticking and will give you the ability to lift the brownies out of the pan after they have been baked for even cutting).
- Place coconut flour, cocoa powder, sea salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Whisk gently to combine ingredients. Place eggs, coconut cream, melted ghee, honey, espresso powder and vanilla in the blender and blend until smooth (this step is necessary because the coconut cream is very thick and it will ensure a smooth brownie batter). Whisk wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until smooth, about 30 seconds. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into the parchment-lined baking dish and spread evenly using an off-set spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until edges are set and a cake tester inserted into the middle of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs (be careful not to over bake). Cool for 10 minutes and then, holding onto the parchment, gently lift the brownies out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut brownies and serve.
- *To make homemade grain-free baking powder combine 1 part baking soda, 1 part arrowroot powder and 2 parts cream of tartar. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
I am a paid member of the LunchSkins Blogger Advisory Board, but all opinions and experiences are 100% my own. I think LunchSkins is a great brand and I am thrilled to be partnering with them for 2013.
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