Cassie DeNisco

My Healthy Dessert Recipe!

February 21, 2022

This healthy dessert recipe is delicious!! I used to not like dates but making them this way has changed my dessert game forever. I find myself always craving something sweet to finish off the night but I just wanted a healthier alternative.

This recipe uses dates to make a healthy version of a candy similar to a snickers bar. I know you might be thinking dates are kind of weird but they actually give off a caramel vibe paired with this chocolate and peanut butter treat!

Anyone can make this recipe because it is just that simple! Here’s the recipe for my favorite healthy dessert!

Ingredients

Pitted medjool dates

Peanut butter

Chocolate chips

Directions

Open up the date and put some peanut butter in the middle.
Melt some chocolate and completely cover the date in it.
Let the dates set in fridge for about 30 minutes and enjoy!

As you can see this recipe is so simple and only had 3 ingredients! I’ve seen some people take some flaky salt and add it to the top for a sweet/salty vibe. I personally am just all for the sweets so I leave it just like that.

I love this healthy dessert recipe because it really is a great alternative dessert. I never am one to deny cravings but I also know that I should sometimes try to swap it out for something healthier. Let me know in the comments below your favorite healthy dessert recipe!

Check out more recipes here! Be sure to subscribe to my mailing list here to never miss a post!

My Top Date Ideas in NYC

February 14, 2022

In honor of this being posted on Valentine’s Day, I wanted to share some of my top date ideas in NYC! Whether you live in the city or are planning a trip, these places and restaurants are must stops in the city.

For me, the city is only about a 45 minute train ride or drive away so I find myself in the city quite a bit. I’ve curated this list over the past few years. I wanted to make sure I hit the major categories like food, entertainment, and of course shopping!

Dinner & Drinks

Italian in Little Italy

Not sure about you but there’s nothing more romantic to me in the city than Little Italy. It has this adorable charm to it and some really great restaurants to just pop into for dinner. One of my favorites is Capri but I honestly just like to walk around a pop into whatever looks good. It’s always fun to discover something new and it kind of makes that place special for the both of you!

LadyBird Vegan Tapas

I have yet to actually go to LadyBird yet but I have heard nothing but great things. It’s a vegan apps and drinks kind of restaurant and the inside is decorated beautifully. If you’re looking for a quicker bite to eat and are in the area I think this is a great option!

What to Do

A Trip to the Met

This is one of my favorite things to do in the city. The Met is seriously a beautiful museum and honestly, it could take a you a few times to check everything out. I love finishing up at the Met and then walking through Central Park. This combo is literally perfect and honestly a great activity that’s not too expensive but gives you plenty to talk about.

A Walk Around South Street Seaport

If you’re looking for a less city atmosphere but great views, South Street by the boats is for you. I love this area because of the water and the peacefulness it has. Crazy that you can find this pocket of peace in the craziness of the city. This area also has some shops and restaurants so there’s more to do than just look at the water.

Where to Shop

The Shops at Hudson Yards

Not only is the building across the street sick but you get the mall vibe in the city. If you want to go shopping but not have to pop around streets this is great. I like this for a date idea because this area has a lot to do so you can stay in one place, eat and shop at once.

Soho

This is more of a general are to shop in. Of course you can head up and down Fifth Ave but I feel like for a date you’re looking more for a vibe and experience. Fifth tends to be a bit busy and I like the Soho quaintness.

I hope this top date ideas in NYC post gives you some tips on planning your next trip. I had a lot of fun putting this post together so let me know if you want more like this! I’m hoping to travel this spring and summer so I’d love to put more of these together if you liked it.

Be sure to subscribe to my mailing list here so you never miss a post and follow me on Instagram @cassiedenisco if you want more daily content!

Read my latest post here!

Healthy Greek Bowl for Dinner!

January 31, 2022

As soon as I tried this for the first time, I knew I had to share this healthy greek bowl with you. This recipe is delicious and so easy to make. I also love it because it is so fresh and healthy, making it perfect for dinner when you’re trying to get back on your healthy routine.

I love bowls because of how customizable they are. You can add or take out whatever you don’t want, which makes this great to feed your family! This meal is plant based but you can easy make a meat protein for it like grilled chicken if you’re someone who needs that!! Here’s the healthy greek bowl recipe!

Ingredients

2 tomatoes
1 red onion
1/2 a cucumber
1 c Bulgur (you can substitute with couscous too!)
Hummus
Feta Cheese (I use vegan)
Olive Oil
Salt
Peper
Garlic Powder

Directions

Dice your tomatoes, onion, and cucumber. Add them to a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix and set aside.
Cook your bulgur according to the packaging. You want it to have no water left by the time your are done cooking it.
Once the bulgar is finished, assemble your bowl with the veggies, hummus, bulgar, and feta cheese on top.

I literally told you this was the easiest meal ever. I love this because you can also prep it in the morning or even the day before and it sits really well in the fridge. This is such a fresh recipe and something I crave after the holidays when we’ve had a lot of heavy and dense meals.

You also get in all of your veggies and nutrients here too which is a plus! Like I said before, you can make this a little more filling by maybe adding a piece of grilled chicken on top. For me, the hummus really keeps me full and good to go!

If you loved this recipe and want more like it, click here for another easy bowl recipe! Be sure to subscribe here to the blog so you don’t miss any recipes!

My Vegan Pumpkin Bread Recipe

December 13, 2021

I love the holidays because of all the pumpkin spice. I wanted to get this post up sooner, but it has really taken me this long to perfect my vegan pumpkin bread recipe. It is finally ready to go out and I am obsessed with it!

This is a really easy recipe and since it’s vegan, it has very minimal ingredients too! I really have tried to move away from white sugar so this also is a little healthier since it uses brown. This recipe is going to be a go to when I want a healthy treat!

Ingredients:

1 c pumpkin puree

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c neutral oil (I used vegetable)

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp sugar free maple syrup

1 3/4 c oat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Sprinkle of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Prepare a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease it.
Combine pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup in a bowl and mix until combined.
Next, add in your flour, baking soda, baking powder, spice, and salt. Mix again until well combined but try not to over mix. You’ll notice it become fluffy and that is the consistency you want.
Pour batter into loaf pan and cook for 45-50 minutes or until you can stick a knife in it and it comes out clean.
Let it set for an hour and enjoy!

I am obsessed with this recipe. The oat flour makes this vegan pumpkin bread dense and so decadent. This is a perfect dessert to bring to a holiday party which will already be filled with all the other typical goodies. This is a really healthy alternative and I hope you’ll try it out!

If you loved this recipe, follow me on Pinterest for more or you can read my latest recipe here!

PS.. here’s a funny behind the scenes pic of what happens behind most of my food pictures lol!

The Best Chili Recipe

November 12, 2021

Fall to me is all about a warm dinner. I love to cook in fall because your meals can help to bring all the cozy fall vibes you are looking for. I actually used to not like chili at all but I am obsessed with this best chili recipe. It is super easy to make and the flavors are so good! This is perfect to pair with white rice or just eat it alone in a bowl.

Here’s the best chili recipe!

Ingredients:

1lb Ground Turkey
yellow onion
1 can of Bush’s Chili Beans
1 can of sweet corn
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Chili powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
salt + pepper to taste

Directions:

Dice yellow onion and add to a big pot with ground turkey. Cook until turkey is browned and onions are translucent
Using paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt + pepper, season the turkey and onion mixture
Slowly mix in 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of corn (without the water), and 1 can of chili beans
Let mixture sit on low for 30 minutes and finish off by tasting and making sure it’s seasoned to your liking. Sometimes I add more of a seasoning here if I think it needs it!

This is the easiest recipe I have found for chili and it is literally so good! Like I said, sometimes I’l serve this on top of white rice if I am looking for a more filling meal. I also like to make corn bread on the side of this too because there’s nothing I love more than chili with cornbread!

Let me know in the comments below your favorite fall meal and check out more of my recipes here!

I also am on Pinterest so be sure to follow me!

How to Meal Plan Each Week

October 22, 2021

If the pandemic taught me anything, it was how to meal plan your dinners for the week. This not only makes life easier but it saves you money because you only have to go shopping like once a week. I usually will grocery shop on a Friday so I sit down on a Thursday and plan out what I want for dinner. By planning it out, I know what I’m making and I’m not tempted to order out.

The key to my meal planning is this little notepad. It has space to plan out literally your whole week and even your grocery list. I will usually just fill out the dinner side but I like that if I want to plan lunches or snacks I have enough space to. You can shop this notepad from Amazon here!

One of the major tips I have for meal planning is actually creating an outline. I will usually have the same type of meals each week but change up the recipes. This makes planning easy because I know I’ll have a pasta night or a chicken night.

Sample Meal Schedule

Monday- Pasta
Tuesday- Salads
Wednesday- Fish
Thursday- Sandwiches
Friday- Turkey
Saturday- Beef
Sunday- Chicken

As you can see, each day of the week had the same things but I switched up the recipes. This is seriously such an easy way to plan because you don’t just have to think of an idea, you have the base. Also, I’m not super strict with my meal planning. If I’m not feeling a certain meal or want to order out one night, I’ll do watever feels best.

Most of my meals actually come from Pinterest so make sure you’re following me so you’re not missing out on the recipes I’m sharing. With my meal schedule, I just have to type in the keyword and then from there like millions of recipes pop up making life so much easier.

Once I have all of my meals, I’ll see what I have here versus what I need to get. I also always have a few things like almond milk or bread that we need every week so I’ll add those too.

I will do anything to make my life easier so I really hope this was helpful! Not only will my how to meal plan post save you time but it will save you money so you’re not buying random things at the store. Let me know in the comments below if you have any how to meal plan tips!

You can see more recipes here!

A Delicious Korean Turkey Recipe

October 1, 2021

This Korean turkey recipe is definitely something out of my comfort zone but it’s actually delicious! As many of you know, for the most part I am plant based. Once in awhile I will incorporate meet into my diet and Iove this recipe for that. The protein from the turkey makes this meal filling and somewhat healthy. Keep reading to learn how I make my Korean turkey recipe.

Ingredients:

3 lbs Ground Turkey

4 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 yellow onion

2 tbsp of minced garlic

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground giner

Red chili flakes (add to your liking)

Sesame seeds

3 c cooked rice

Directions:

I like to first dice up my onions and set aside. Next, I will start to cook the ground turkey in a large frying pan until cooked thoroughly.
While the turkey is cooking, I add all the other things together to make my sauce except for the sesame seeds.
Once the sauce is mixed and the turkey is finished, I’ll add the onions and sauce to the frying pan and let both sit covered for about 10 minutes. This step really helps the onions to soften and the sauce and meet to mix.
When that is finished, I plate this with some white rice and top with sesame seeds!

I think you can see why this is one of my favorite recipes. I absolutely love how fast and easy this korean turkey recipe is. This makes for a really great meal prepped dinner or lunch if you want to prep this ahead of time. I prefer turkey over beef but you can obviously swap the turkey for ground beef, chicken, or even a plant based option!

Let me know in the comments below your favorite meal prep dinner! Check out my other recipes here!

Tips for Getting into a Fitness Routine

September 3, 2021

With summer now over, I find myself wanting to get back into my fitness routine. I usually am much more laid back with workouts during the summer months, really only doing what feels good. Now that I am back into work mode after a relaxing summer, I wanted to share my tips for getting back in to my fitness routine!

1. Cute Workout Clothes

I swear this is a bigger tip than it may seem. I am most motivated to workout when I have something I feel confident. Workout clothes really help not only the workout but showing up for the workout. When I have something fun and cute to wear, I am most likely going to be excited for the workout and keep coming back. I love Amazon for workout clothes. This tank here came in a 4 pack for only 28.99!

2. Pre/Post Workout Snack

I must say, waking up and having my pre workout meal is something I really look forward to. I like to workout mid morning during my lunch break so I love to make a morning smoothie. You can check out my morning smoothie recipe here. Some people wake up and look forward to their coffee, for me I love waking up for this smoothie with my workout gear on. If your a person who workouts out later, you can have your favorite protein bar or smoothie post workout to keep you motivated through your workout.

3. Do What You Love

Let me tell you, this one took awhile to figure out. I absolutely love Melissa Wood Health pilates and yoga inspired flows. They are gentle on my body but I feel so strong after them. I seriously look forward to my workout because they are just that great. You need to find a workout program or class that you love and that excites you or else you won’t want to keep coming back to it. My Melissa Wood Health Review is live here on my site if you want to check it out!

4. Build it into your Schedule

This one is so important for me. I build my day around work and my workout. Workouts keep me energized to get through the day and my mind clear. I like to workout midday so I make sure that I find time for a workout even if it’s only 5 minutes. A little movement is better than no movement so whatever you can get in whenever you have time will make the difference. It’s all about the little consistency that will make habits for you.

5. Don’t Stress!

Missing a workout isn’t the end of the world. I’ve found you just have to listen to your body to see what works for you. I like to workout Monday-Friday and if I’m feeling it, I’ll do a Saturday or Sunday workout too. If I miss one day, I don’t get myself worked up or down because it’s not a huge deal. For me, it’s all about listening to your own body and doing whatever you can to form healthy habits.

I hope these tips for getting into a fitness routine helped you. My perception of working out has really shifted as I’ve gotten older. It’s more about the habit as opposed to the actual work out. You can workout once or twice but until you get a habit formed of working out a few times a week, you won’t stick with it.

For me, these tips have helped me get into my own fitness routine and keep it going all year long. Let me know some of your fitness routine tips in the comments below!

My Veggie Couscous Bowl for Back to School

August 27, 2021

This recipe is seriously one of my favorites to meal prep. My veggie couscous bowl is so easy to make and reheats well so I love to make this at the beginning of the week. Another great part of this recipe is you can really choose any veggies you like. I picked sweet potato, zucchini, and tomato because they’re my favorite but you can use whatever you like. Here’s my veggie couscous bowl recipe!

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato

2 tomatoes

2 zucchini

1 box of couscous (I like instant)

Olive oil

Thyme

Paprika

Directions:

First preheat your oven to 425 then I start chopping up all of my veggies. I dice them into about 1 inch pieces so that they don’t cook down to small.
I prepare 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and place the sweet potatoes on one with a sprinkle of paprika. On the other I put my tomatoes and zucchini with a sprinkle of thyme.
Bake the zucchini and tomato tray until soft for about 15 minutes. The sweet potatoes will need to be in longer for about 25 to get soft.
While everything is baking, I follow the directions on the instant couscous box and then let it sit until my veggies are ready.
Once everything is cooked to how I like it, I stir together and I’m all set!

I wasn’t kidding when I said this was such an easy recipe. The instant couscous seriously makes life easier because you don’t even have to do much to it. I like this as back to school or work meal because it’s somewhat healthy and gives you all the nutrients you need to continue on with your day.

Let me know in the comment if you loved this recipe! Subscribe to the blog for more recipes like these!

Follow me on Pinterest!

My Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

August 13, 2021

As summer begins to wind down, I thought sharing my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe is fitting. I love the chillier weather that comes with fall and my go to dinner is usually a soup. I am obsessed with this chicken noodle soup recipe because it’s delicious and filling! Here’s how I make it:

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked rotisserie chicken

1 can of sliced carrots

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 white onion chopped

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2-3 tablespoons of garlic (i love more garlic)

8 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 package of egg noodles

Directions

I start by heating a large pot with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I then place the onions in and sauté until cooked down then add the garlic and carrots and cook until fragrant.
Add the 8 cups of broth, cooked chicken, potatoes and spices to pot and cook for 30 minutes on a simmer covered.
After 30 minutes, I remove the lid and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes with the uncooked noodles. You really just have to make sure the potatoes are soft enough for you and that you boil the noodles to your liking.

This is literally one of my favorite chicken noodle soup recipes because I cheat and use rotisserie chicken. It makes life so easy and the soup I swear tastes better. Rotisserie chicken is a serious life hack because you can get it and use it so many different ways throughout the week!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious chicken noodle soup recipe. Weather you’re trying it out this summer or holding off until the fall, let me know how you liked it! Soup is always a favorite meal of mine because of just how easy it is to make and how yummy it tastes every time!

You can see more recipes of mine here!

« Previous Page