Almost-Raw Apple Butter Tarts

As of January 8th of this year, I officially hit my one year mark since I'd officially got my life back on track.  By this I mean, I started working out officially on the 8th, and I admitted to myself that yes, the past year I had been suffering from an eating disorder and needed this to change if I wanted to live a healthy life.  That was an incredible step for me, and since then the steps have gotten even bigger as to my improvement, and I couldn't be happier.

To mark my one year "anniversary" I wanted to treat myself to something, to compensate myself for the hard work I'd done the previous year, and for all the sweat I shed, and just for the emotional and physiological progress I'd improved on.  I had decided I was going to buy myself some new work out clothes.  However, when I got the mail around January 4th, I got a promotion flyer from the gym my dad works out at.  I didn't think twice about this really, other than it gave a coupon for a one day trial, I figured I'd give that a shot.  As I was going to the mall to go buy myself a new gym outfit (which still hasn't happened), I decided to stop in at the gym.  Typical Sam springing on impulses I was now a member to a gym, go me!

When you become a member of this gym (I'm not sure if other gyms offer this, which is why I'm writing such as this), they give you a fitness assessment.  My results weren't too bad considering, what I'd put my body through the past few years, but it still however wasn't good enough for me.  After talking about what my goals were in joining the gym, I realized one of them really was to get toned.  So long the days of skinny is beautiful, as you read on all over many picture boards strong is the new beautiful, and I am definitely a believer in this.  So, with that being said, I decided I would hire a personal trainer.  Hey, I'd been working basically every single day for the last year, and yes, the results are much better than what I looked like prior to this, but my knowledge when it comes to exercise is limited, regardless of all the hours I spend reading about it on the internet.

With this being said, I could continue doing what I was currently doing at home, only have some more cardio options, but that's not what I wanted.  I want muscle.  I want to be toned.  I want people to look at me and know that I work out, not that I'm just this skinny girl, that's not who I am, and that's not what I want to portray.  I decided to hire a personal trainer until April, and will be seeing him three times a week.  I am very much looking forward to this.

I'm finding it a wee bit intimidating at times however, because a lot of things are being assessed, and it's not only my strength or my ability to know how to use a machine, but the foods I consume, my mental state and just how I deal with things overall.  It's a lot of fun, incredibly information, and definitely a work out, and I cannot wait to see what I will see for myself again both emotionally/physically within the next few months.

Now, onto the point of this post.  Food is definitely my trainers bigger criticism when it comes to me.  It's not that he's telling me to eat meat (although he keeps trying to push chicken into my head... and well, more to come on that I'm sure in the future), but for now, I'm making an effort to consciously intake more calories - this is incredibly difficult for some reason, but I've been eating much more protein, and my meals are definitely complete meals.  Regardless of all of this, he still doesn't think what I'm eating is enough, which for now is too bad because I'm not going to make myself sick.

Through out all of this, I've been trying to find ways to sneak in more protein.  Since it'd been two weeks since I had any "treats", I decided I would make myself some "butter tarts".  I found a recipe for an almost-raw pumpkin butter tarts, and since I had a gigantic jar of apple butter sitting in the fridge I figured why not, especially considering I had all the ingredients on hand.  They were incredibly easy to throw together (typically as most raw recipes are, uhhhh, hello no stove needed), but hellloooo the flavours?!  These are amazingggg.  I absolutely love raw desserts, nuts + dates (natural sugar, nomnomnom), and they are still healthy, so regardless of if your new years resolution is to not consume junk foods, these can still keep you in tact ;), unless that is you go buck wild and eat the whole batch, hehe.

Will definitely be making these again, and will play around with fillings, I'm feeling a nice raspberry jam ;) yuuummmmyyyy.  Now, go on ahead, and try these!

Almost-Raw Apple Butter Tarts


Recipe taken from here

Ingredients - 


Crust:

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 tbsp cornstarch (I forgot to add this in)
• Pinch of salt
• 2 dates
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Filling:

• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 4-5 dates
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/4 cup whole pecans

Directions:

Combine ingredients for the crust in the bowl of your food processor and press into muffin tins.

Combine ingredients for filling and process in your processor again.  Add all of your ingredients other than the pecans.  Then fold in the pecans.  Spread filling into tart shells.  Refrigerate for at least six hours.

Makes 6 tarts.

What are ways in which you try to sneak protein into your diet?