HOMEMADE BOUNTY BARS

I was never mad about coconut, not to mind  bounty bars, those things disgusted me. Over the past few months though, coconut has taken over. I've gone from hating the taste and texture to craving it in all forms. So when I spotted this recipe over here, I knew I had to give it a go, and they did not disappoint. These beauties have shot up to my number one favourite healthy, guilt-free treat. Next up on the list? Coconut coffee. Oh yeah.

SUGARLESS BROWNIES

                                                                                                           I had a serious hankering for some homemade chocolate brownies, so to satisfy my cravings I concocted a healthier recipe by substituting most of the ingredients for healthier options. I could have gone one step further and used coconut oil instead of butter, but there's only so much coconut oil a girl can take. The ingredients may be a little on the pricier side of things, but these bad boys tasted no different from the original double-the-caloire recipe, so totally worth the money in my book!

HOMEMADE ICED COFFEE

During those long, hot Irish summer days there's nothing you want more than an ice cold drink... I kid, but I like to pretend we get a summer.  Come June I'm switching to this cooler, more refreshing version of my morning cup of joe, even if it is more than likely raining outside. If you're really dedicated, make some coffee ice cubes with your left over coffee to keep the strength. But if you're anything like me, the glass will be empty before the ice even has a chance to melt. Fill three quarters of the glass up with ice and your favourite milk and pour in your shot of coffee. Pop in a straw and shlurp away.

HOMEMADE VEGETABLE CRISPS

I had been wanting to try my hand at homemade vegetable crisps for a while now, but was waiting until I got my hands on a mandolin. That time never came so I settled for a cheese slicer, which made a pretty good alternative. I've tried store bought vegetable crisps plenty of times and loved them, but never thought that my homemade version would live up to them. Well, I was wrong.  (Apart from the kale, not my cup of tea. At all.) 

INGREDIENTS
yields one large bowl of crisps
1 large carrot
1 large parsnip
1 beetroot
bunch of kale leaves
olive oil
sea salt
chilli flakes

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Wash the kale and peel the carrot, parsnip and beetroot. Using a mandolin, sharp knife or peeler/cheese slicer, cut the carrot, parsnip and beetroot into paper thin slices. Keep them as big as possible, cutting the carrot and parsnip length-ways.

2. Dry off the slices of all vegetables as much as possible using kitchen paper. If they're damp at all they will take much longer to get crispy in the oven. Once all the moisture has been absorbed, coat the slices in the tiniest bit of olive oil. I'm talking 1/4 tsp per vegetable.

3. Lay the crisps out on an unlined baking tray and sprinkle with salt and chilli flakes to taste. Try to keep the crisps separated and they'll crisp up better.

4. Pop in the oven and give them all a shake every 5 minutes. I found that the cooking time really varied (anywhere from 8-30 minutes) depending on the thickness of the crisps and their moisture when going into the oven. Just keep checking them until they're perfect.