LiveFit Trainer Phase 1 Day 9 and Paleo Brownies

Today was just an altogether awesome day!  I had a day off work and plans to hang out with friends.  I started off my morning with a testing of a new recipe for my own Cookie Dough Pop Tart, which isn't perfect yet, so I'm not posting the recipe.  I went to the gym to do the regular Back/Biceps workout, which according to my Polar watch burned about 200 calories.  For lunch I had my regular prepped food: baked chicken, brown rice, and veggies.  Since I was going out with friends later, I decided to test out a new paleo brownie recipe I've been dying to try.  This recipe comes from the Instagram of @hungryhappens.  It is a triple layer brownie with the third layer being a coconut topping.  I am not the biggest fan of coconut, but this was actually really good.  My mom and dad even said this was the best recipe I've made to date of the ones they've tried.  Everyone loved these, so do yourself and favor and make them!!

Ingredients:
Brownie Layer:
15 pitted dates
1/4 c coconut oil, melted
2 T coconut flour
3 eggs whisked, or 9 T liquid egg whites
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T raw honey
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
pinch of salt

Middle Layer:
1/2 c unsweetened raw cocoa chips (I used Enjoy Life dairy free, soy free and nut free chips)

Coconut Layer:
1 1/2 c shredded unsweetened coconut (This is difficult to find.  I found it with the Bob's Red Mill flours/sugars.)
2 T coconut oil, melted
2 T coconut butter, melted
1 T raw honey
2 egg whites or 6 T liquid egg whites, whisked until foamy
pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Begin with the brownie layer.  In a food processor, process dates into a paste.  This is a very thick paste, and it stuck the the blades of my food processor.  So you may have to push it off the blades a couple of times.  Next, add in the coconut oil and cocoa powder.

Puree again to mix it all together.  Then, add eggs, coconut flour, honey, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Puree. Grease an 8 x 8 pan and cover the bottom with this brownie mixture.  Try to control yourself and don't eat too much of the batter, but it is so delicious on it's own!!

Evenly top the brownie layer with the 1/2 c of cocoa chips.

To make the final layer, in a bowl, mix the coconut flakes, coconut oil, coconut butter and honey.

 Microwave for 1 minute and mix.  Then add the whisked egg and salt and mix well.  Pour evenly over the batter and cocoa chips in the pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Mine only took 25 minutes.  Let it cool, cut and EAT!!!!

Also while hanging out, my friend Jen and I tried a Market Bistro downtown called Spoon.

Dinner may have not completely fit my daily caloric intake, but it was still a pretty healthy choice minus the ciabatta roll my sandwich was on.  I had the Dr. Strangelove sandwich, which was portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and pesto, plus I added chicken, on a ciabatta roll.  I also had a side of their homemade kale chips and a pickle.  This food was absolutely amazing!

Sorry for another late post!!