Period-Approved Chocolate with Recipe

How fun, ya'll, I have my period.
Hello, nice to see you all again...or maybe we are meeting for the first time and it's about to get real. 

Welcome.

Like every other red-blooded American gal, when my Painters are in town, I crave chocolate. 
Like every other gal trying to eat healthy-ish, I needed to find me a go-to when all I want is to devour an entire pint gallon of Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. *yum*

So -side bar- I used to live with my in-laws.
Yep. I wrote THAT.

My mother-in-love saw the Dr. Oz episode with a recipe for black bean brownies and...oh! 

a star is born!

Unfortunately for me, I forget how good these are and have to re-discover them about once every year. Every. Single. Year.

The recipe is simple enough and flexible, too...making it great if you are one of those people who has a smorgasbord of condiments or is always looking for food alternatives in recipes.

The recipe is following, but I did make mention of a healthy-ish treat, and black beans, albeit healthy, aren't...how you say..."party friendly".

Whoo-hoo, let's bring out the beans!!! Said no one, ever.

I don't typically reach for the beans when I am craving something delicious and chocolaty.
Then this.

To make the brownies more of a protein-bar style, I suggest adding your favorite seeds and spices.
To this recipe, I commonly add chia seeds and wheat germ. This week's brownies included flax seeds and cinnamon as well.
I add this in tablespoons and eyeballed assessments.
Also, I use coconut oil and not vegetable.

Naturally, the more substance I add to the batter, the thicker it becomes.

Is this yummy? You wonder.
Yum. Yes. Ya-betcha it is!

To be frank, there were 2 brownies left this morning after just beginning the pan yesterday. The two brownies were there as a gift from me to Big Strong Man.
I had a house full of females over yesterday and informed them that, help me eat them or not, the brownies would be gone within 24 hours.
I am no liar.

• 1 1/2 cups black beans, drained, rinsed (1 15-ounce can)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave (for non-vegans, honey is fine)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2-2/3 cup chocolate chips

  

The directions, details, and link can all be found here. 

Do you have a go-to for your time of the month? Can your favorite go-to be altered and made a little healthier? Please share!