Grab a Snack

I really like that word, “snack.” I don’t know if it brings on a feeling of comfort or what it is, but when I hear the word it makes me happy. It makes me think of snuggling on the couch and watching a movie; it gives me a cozy feeling. I also love during Rachael Ray’s show when she is about to go into a commercial break and says, “go grab a snack and come on back.” I am a weirdo I am aware. But, speaking of snacks, I have some of my favorite SCD snacks to share with you all. Even if you aren’t following the SCD, these snacks are healthy and delicious options if you are in need of a little pick-me-up.

But first, let’s recap dinner last night because it was pretty darn tasty. I sautéed asparagus spears and green peas in a tiny bit of butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. I also had shrimp cocktail with homemade cocktail sauce made from SCD ketchup and horseradish. On the side, butter lettuce with homemade honey mustard sauce.

Honey mustard: mustard, Dijon mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar.

For me, the asparagus and pea sauté stole the show. I love those two veggies. Num num.

For dessert I ate a bite of peanut butter with honey. Later in the evening I munched on cooked carrots and applesauce.

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Now, on to those snackies. These have been some of my go-to’s lately. They are all SCD-friendly but like I said, SCD or not, they are great snacks for all.
1. Juicy, sweet watermelon. I keep this stocked up in the fridge, all cut up and ready to go. Sure it’s a little bit of a pain to cut up, but it’s well worth it.

2. Cooked carrots. When I have a little extra time I make a big batch and store them in the fridge so that they are easy to grab. I keep them at eye level so I am more likely to go for them first when in need of some energy.

3. Hard-boiled eggs. These are a great source of protein so if I need something to hold me over for a little while, I eat one of these. I like using our egg slicer to make perfect slices, and I sprinkle with a touch of salt.

4. Yogurt bites. Cool, refreshing, and fun.

5. Banana soft serve or yogurt and honey. It’s like eating ice cream, ’nuff said.

6. Mini muffins made from almond flour. Limit to 1 or 2 mini muffins a day though!

7. Smoothies with fruit, SCD yogurt, and spinach.

8. Banana with nut butter or just a bite of nut butter on its own.

9. And my newest snack addition: Almond Saltine Crackers. I found a great recipe from Comfy Belly’s site.

Here’s how you make them. To begin, preheat your oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups of almond meal or almond flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Next, add 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix well. It’s okay to use your hands to help mix, I did! Form into 2 balls of dough.

Place a dough ball on a non-stick baking mat or parchment paper, and top the dough with a layer of parchment paper (like a cracker dough sandwich). Use a rolling-pin to roll the dough into a flat large rectangle/circle/whatever shape you can roll it into. Carefully peel off top layer of parchment paper.

You can see mine was far from perfect. It doesn’t matter though! Use a pizza cutter to cut into cracker size rectangles, and transfer the baking mat and crackers to a baking pan. Sprinkle with a light amount of sea salt.

Bake for 20 minutes (baking time with vary so keep an eye on crackers and watch for a lightly golden color and crisp edges).

Split crackers apart.  Once cooled, store in an airtight container and you have a salty snack on hand when you need it. They taste a whole lot like saltine crackers and I really like these salty snacks.

Almond Saltine Crackers (courtesy of Comfy Belly)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond meal
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • sprinkle of sea salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together almond meal and salt.
  3. Add egg and olive oil; mix well and form into 2 balls of dough.
  4. Place a dough ball on a non-stick baking mat, and top the dough with a layer of parchment paper.
  5. Use rolling-pin to roll the dough into a flat large rectangle/circle/or whatever shape (it really doesn’t matter).
  6. Carefully peel off top layer of parchment paper.
  7. Use a pizza cutter to cut into cracker size rectangles, and transfer the baking mat and crackers to a baking pan. Sprinkle with a light amount of sea salt.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes (baking time with vary so keep an eye on crackers for a lightly golden color and crisp edges).
  9. Split crackers apart.  Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

Happy snacking! Oh, and happy Monday? Kidding, yes it will be a happy Monday. Again, I’ll try and be positive about Monday if you will! Catch up with you later.

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Nutty ‘Naner Bread: WILD HARVEST Recipe Contest

Happy Independence Day everyone!

As mentioned a little while ago, I received a wonderful package of WILD HARVEST Organic products courtesy of WILD HARVEST and SUPERVALU INC. in conjunction with the Healthy Living Summit 2012.  SUPERVALU INC. provided these products to me for free and asked that I come up with a fun and healthy breakfast recipe which included three or more of their products provided.

As soon as I received my box of goodies, my brain started rolling at a mile a minute. I absolutely LOVE recipe creation and was super pumped to get started.

The WILD HARVEST ingredients I chose to include in my breakfast recipe are: WILD HARVEST Original Applesauce, Creamy Peanut Butter, and Cherry Vanilla Granola.

Here is what I came up with. I hope you like it!

Nutty ‘Naner Bread

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Use cooking spray to lightly coat one 9 x 5 inch bread loaf pan. Set aside.

Step 2. In mini food processor, process 3/4 cup WILD HARVEST Cherry Vanilla Granola into a course sand texture.

Step 3: In a small bowl, combine processed granola with 3/4 cup almond meal, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine; set aside.

Step 4: In a large mixing bowl, beat together 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup WILD HARVEST applesauce.

Step 5: Add two eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla; beat well.

Step 6: Add 3 over-ripe mashed bananas; beat until smooth.

Step 7: In a small liquid measuring cup, measure 1/3 cup almond milk. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar to milk and mix.

Step 8: Alternate adding dry ingredients, then milk mixture to the batter, until both are incorporated into the batter; beat until well combined.

Step 9: Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 5-10 minutes. Baking time will vary so check bread at 1 hr and 5 minutes and test if it’s done by poking a toothpick through the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Remove from oven. Let cool slightly.

Step 10: Once bread has cooled, melt 1/4 cup WILD HARVEST creamy peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Drizzle over bread. Scrape the bowl clean to get every last drop of the wonderful peanut butter onto that bread!

Step 11: Sprinkle the top with 1/3 cup WILD HARVEST Cherry Vanilla Granola.

Serve slightly warm or cooled to room temperature. Enjoy this nutritious and delicious Nutty ‘Naner Bread for breakfast with a side of fresh berries and a glass of low-fat milk or your favorite morning beverage.

Nutty ‘Naner Bread (Makes 1 loaf)

Prep time: 20 minutes; Bake time: 1 hour and 5-10 minutes

Ingredients

Bread:

  • 3/4 cup WILD HARVEST Cherry Vanilla Granola, coarsely ground
  • 3/4 cup almond meal (almond flour would work fine too)
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup WILD HARVEST applesauce
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 over-ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/3 cup almond milk
  • 2 tsp white vinegar
Topping:
  • 1/4 cup WILD HARVEST creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup WILD HARVEST Cherry Vanilla Granola (for topping)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Use cooking spray to lightly coat one 9 x 5 inch bread loaf pan. Set aside.
  2. In mini food processor, process WILD HARVEST Cherry Vanilla Granola into a course sand texture.
  3. In a small bowl, combine processed granola the flours, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine; set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar with WILD HARVEST applesauce.
  5. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
  6. Add bananas; beat until smooth.
  7. In a small liquid measuring cup, measure almond milk; add white vinegar to milk and mix.
  8. Alternate adding dry ingredients, then milk mixture to the batter, until both are incorporated into the batter; beat well until well combined.
  9. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan; bake for 1 hour and 5-10 minutes. (Baking time will vary so check bread at 1 hr and 5 min. and test by poking a toothpick through the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Bread should be lightly golden brown). Remove from oven. Let cool slightly.
  10. Once bread has cooled, melt WILD HARVEST creamy peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Drizzle over bread.
  11. Sprinkle the top with WILD HARVEST Cherry Vanilla Granola.

Serve slightly warm or cooled to room temperature. Enjoy this nutritious and delicious Nutty ‘Naner Bread for breakfast with a side of fresh berries and a glass of low-fat milk or your favorite morning beverage.

Thank you to SUPERVALU INC., WILD HARVEST, and Healthy Living Summit for providing me with the opportunity to be a part of this recipe contest. I had such a great time in the creation process! I hope to do it again.

To all of my readers, the contest is being judged on nutrition, taste, and creativity. I am anxious to see what everyone else came up with!

Again, Happy 4th of July to all! I hope you enjoy your day. Catch up with you soon!

Continue Reading Nutty ‘Naner Bread: WILD HARVEST Recipe Contest

Ruby Red Jewels on My Salad

Wednesday Yoga and Breakfast

What better way to start the day yesterday than a gentle yoga session. I turned on Gentle Yoga On Demand and completed the calming routine. I have found that I appreciate the gentle yoga versus the more intense yoga first thing in the morning. It gets me stretched out and really allows me to focus on my breathing and tackle my day. I love the more intense yoga in the afternoons though once I’m more awake.

Breakfast was an easy to digest, old favorite: the Cream of Wheat bowl. In the mix was the usual cereal, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Although it was stinking hot yesterday, this warm breakfast still tasted great.

I headed off to work for a while then came home for a super speedy lunch. I had prepped everything in the morning for a protein smoothie so that all I had to do was toss it into the blender, whip it good, and enjoy in minutes. I included tofu in this smoothie along with protein powder because I needed extra staying power to hold me through the afternoon.

I finished lunch with a couple of animal crackers and peanut butter, and two dark chocolate squares.

Lunch completely held me over until dinner. Mission accomplished.

When I got home from work ,my neighbor greeted me in between our yards. She was telling me that their raspberry bush in the corner of our two yards has completely flourished over the years and is plummeting well into our yard and into our bushes. She wanted to make sure I was aware that there were fresh raspberries up in our yard so I wasn’t missing out. I thought it was sweet of her to tell me that. I was very aware of the amazing raspberry bush in the corner of our yard, and actually thought it was our bush all along. Now technically it is partly ours since it is our yard too. Yes!

Raspberries are by far one I my favorite fruits. I went ahead and popped a few in my mouth and then decided they needed to go into dinner somehow. Since I am experimenting with adding salads back into my diet, I made plans to incorporate the ruby red jewels into a nice refreshing salad.

In the salad: Mixed greens, raspberries, watermelon, avocado, feta, and Newman’s Own Lite Raspberry and Walnut dressing. Holy cow the freshness on this salad was for sure a Melanie pleaser. This is a summer salad if I’ve ever seen one. Check out the colors. Awesome.

I also had a few mushrooms with hummus (photo from Tuesday).

And a caramel rice cake.

It was so incredibly hot here today, and I think pretty much all across the country, so I didn’t feel like being outside, but I wanted to get some light exercise in still. My favorite show, SYTYCD  was on tonight so I laced up the sneaks and headed down to the treadmill to watch my show in a cool basement.

This sounds pretty identical to last week actually with the walking and watching the show bit. I am really not one to sit down and watch an entire show because I either feel guilty sitting there sedentary for so long, or I feel like I should be doing something else productive. Walking on the treadmill while watching my show makes me feel WAY better about watching TV, not that I condone watching a ton of it. I only have two, well really three, shows that I truly enjoy watching these days: Bachelorette, SYTYCD, and always Wheel of Fortune. I would never cancel plans to watch these shows, but I usually either DVR them, or watch them when they’re on when I can. Who cares anyway;  sorry that was a pointless rant about TV.

OK! It’s Thursday which  means tomorrow is one of my favorite days of all time. I hope you have a wonderful day! Catch up with you soon.

Continue Reading Ruby Red Jewels on My Salad

My Day of Small Meals

I have officially taken on the June Yoga Challenge along with Courtney at SweetToothSweetLife and other lovely readers and bloggers.

(You can click on the above photo if you want to check out Courtney’s page)

Basically, the challenge is to incorporate more yoga into your life. You set your own goal as to how you wish to do so. Courtney’s challenge was to incorporate three yoga sessions into her weekly routine. It doesn’t matter how long the session, or at what difficulty, just as long as you do it keeping your own personal goal in mind. Or, you can create a different type of yoga-related challenge, such as mastering a new pose or trying out a new yoga studio for the first time. It’s up to you.

On Fridays, we all check in with our weekly yoga status updates and motivate eachother through those weekly updates as well as through twitter. It’s always more encouraging and motivating working out with others, and this is a fun and different way to do it!

At first I was thinking my goal would be to incorporate one yoga session into my weekly routine, but considering I have already tackled two yoga workouts in the past two days, I figured I could create a heftier goal. I am going to also have a goal of completing three yoga sessions through the week. I am finding I am enjoying this workout first thing in the morning; it is very relaxing and allows me to mentally and physically relax as I begin my day.

The other part of my challenge is working around this big dude who likes to sit directly next to me on the carpet during yoga time.

And inevitably he just HAS to go outside during this time.

He keeps me smiling at least. 🙂

My brain and body could really use the stress relief from yoga. Thank you Courtney for creating this and motivating me to get yoga’ing! It’s always a good idea to set fitness goals for yourself, and I look forward to continuing this challenge.

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Food Recap from Yesterday

I had a day full of small meals and snacks versus three bigger meals and small snacks in between. I prefer to eat this way, but my work situation doesn’t really allow for this type of structure. Well, our schedule was a little different yesterday and it just so happened that it did work out for me. So, here it goes.

Breakfast: Cream of Wheat with cinnamon, brown sugar, and bananas with a cup o’ decaf coffee with cream and stevia on the side.

Snack: the rest of the banana from breakfast with PB2

Snack #2: Unphotographed tuna noodle salad at work

Lunch: Lower-sodium turkey breast, hummus, and avocado wrap

A spoonful (or two) of peanut butter…

Pomegranate no-added sugar applesauce…

Snack: Unphotographed peanut butter M & M’s at work

Dinner: Cooked spinach, pureed black beans, cheddar cheese, and avocado with salt and onion powder

Lastly, pretzels with honey mustard dipping sauce, and then I made myself I small batch of PB2 with honey to finish’er off!

I love these kinds of days! I get to eat all day long. I was extra hungry yesterday too so this worked out perfectly.

I slept much better last night by the way and am very thankful. I had a rough night of sleep the following night and was hoping it wasn’t going to be a reoccurring theme.

Alright, I’m off. Happy Thursday everyone.

Question of the Day: Which do you prefer? Small meals and snacks throughout the day/grazing or 3 larger meals?

I prefer grazing throughout the day but like I mentioned, work doesn’t always make that possible. I feel like my energy level is so much greater when I am eating smaller meals throughout the day and I am able to regulate my blood sugars more evenly versus many highs and lows which makes for a happier me overall.

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FroYo Sunday and Frittata Recipe

It’s Monday, my most favorite day of the week. You all know I’m kidding, but I will do my best to stay positive if you promise to try and do the same. I am meeting my mom and possibly dad for lunch during my break from work, so that is something fun I get to look forward to!

Yesterday…

Dana and I carried out our normal Sunday morning routine which consisted of coupon cutting while eating breakfast, and then going grocery shopping. We already had quite a few groceries but still needed a few things like PEANUT BUTTER!

We then got busy on tackling two of the worst house cleaning jobs: bathroom and kitchen. We decided we’d spruce up and de-clutter both of these rooms. And much to my relief, I came across unclutterer, and got some ideas on how to begin. We divided and conquered with Dana taking the bathroom (bless is heart) and I took the kitchen. We have stainless steel appliances in the kitchen and although they are beautiful to look at, they are a pain in the neck to keep clean. But nevertheless, they are clean right now, so we will enjoy it for a short while. It feels real good to have both of those rooms cleaned.

Mid-morning, I snacked on a bunch of Special K Sea Salt Cracker Chips and then I made myself a PB2 and jelly open face sandwich on spelt bread.

Then we were out the door to visit with mom and dad. I also snacked on some chips there, but that time it was Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips. After mom and dad’s we headed to Dana’s parent’s place to visit over there for a while, and then we made our way home.

I was starving when we got home so I made myself a light (early) dinner at 4:50. Lower sodium turkey deli meat wrapped around mozzarella string cheese.

Plus some more Special K chips (I am LOVING chips today apparently) and hummus.

I ended with a bowl of cooked carrots with a little sugar.

At least I thought that was the end, but no. Dana and I made our way to a local frozen yogurt shop for a special Sunday treat. Come to think of it, we had frozen yogurt last Sunday too. This could be a nice little tradition we have started. 🙂 FroYo Sunday.

I chose cookie monster frozen yogurt with brownie pieces, cookie dough, snickers, sprinkles, and whipped cream. What a great way to end the weekend.

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I had a few requests for the frittata recipe that I had made the other day with my first frittata ever. I thought I would share it with everybody in case anyone else was interested. I used this recipe as a guide since it was my first time. I wanted to make sure I got the proportions and baking time right and such. I did make some adjustments to the recipe and put my own spin on it. I can now consider it my frittata recipe.

Melanie’s First Frittata: Serves 2-4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 1-10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Cilantro or other fresh herbs (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. In an oven-safe skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat on the stove top
  3. Add onion; allow to cook down for 2 minutes
  4. Add mushrooms; allow to cook for 1 minute; lastly add spinach
  5. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, egg whites, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper; mix well
  6. Remove skillet from heat and add spinach mixture into egg bowl
  7. Pour entire mixture back into skillet, sprinkle with cheese, and place in oven; bake for 25 minutes*
  8. Remove frittata from pan carefully and cut into 4 triangles. Garnish with fresh herbs and salsa or your favorite egg accompaniment (I love ketchup) and enjoy

*Baking time may vary. Keep an eye on the skillet and watch for melty cheese and a firm egg bake.

Dana and I finished this off ourselves for dinner, but it could be split between four people and served with a big fruit salad and some fresh-baked whole grain rolls for a more well-rounded meal. I enjoyed making my first ever frittata. It was actually extremely easy and turned out great.

Have a happy day! I am getting back on the workout wagon this week….I have fallen off slightly. Yikes!

P.S. Are you following me on twitter yet? NuttyMelanie could use some friends.

Continue Reading FroYo Sunday and Frittata Recipe

Nacho Apple Nachos

Hello, it’s Thursday which means tomorrow is Friday. Not only is Friday my favorite day of the week for obvious reasons, but it is also the day we leave for our trip to paradise. Dana and I will be flying out to the Dominican Republic for some major R and R and we are more than a little excited.

But first things first. I had a rocky day yesterday. Let’s just say my digestive tract was a little “off” throughout the entire day. I brushed it off as a nothing in the morning and hit the treadmill for a 3 mile run. It was rainy and dark outside so I nixed the outside run idea plus, given my stomach issues at that time, inside in the comfort of my own home was probably a better idea on many counts.

After the run, I ate a fairly usual breakfast: an overnight chia seed yogurt bowl with blueberries and banana. It tasted better than normal today.

The stomach issues continued, and then came the body aches, chills, and slight fever. Really? Right now? Right before vacation? It’s inevitable though. I rarely get sick and of course it happened to me right before an amazing vacation. But guess what? I am a fighter. I am kicking back the Emergen-C and zinc, staying hydrated, trying my best to eat a healthy diet although our refrigerator is getting fairly sparse, and getting adequate sleep.

For some reason my body was majorly craving sweet all day. My breakfast was sweet as shown above, lunch was a peanut butter banana wrap without honey, also sweet. And dinner….

Sweet again. Apple nachos. I small apple sliced, drizzled with natural peanut butter, and topped with walnuts and chocolate chips. This is the toned down version of the big plate of Apple Nachos I made for a work meeting in February. This time I made it single serve. Who’s apple nachos are they? Nacho apple nachos.

An hour later, after some more packing, I grabbed a banana to munch on. Then an hour after that, I ate a plain sandwich thin, and then some Greek yogurt. Random and unexciting dinner by far.

I realize 80% of my intake yesterday was from sugar (albeit mostly natural sugars), but I had decided to listen to my body and that is definitely what it was asking for. I aim to please. As much as I would have loved a big bowl of broccoli, my body would not have been okay with that. Sugar and peanut butter only says the dietitian. KIDDING. But I do really believe in listening to your body.

I am out for my last day of work for a bit! Enjoy your Thursday.

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Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars

Happy Hump Day!

I worked late last night and so often when I work late, I get home and don’t have much of an appetite. Last night was one of those nights. I decided just to pour myself a small bowl of Fiber One Original with some raisins on top.

Then I had some of these (love these things).

And made my way into some almonds, a few more raisins, and a bite of peanut butter. Not super exciting but it was good enough. I called it an early night and woke up feeling semi-well rested.

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I went for a 30 minute walk on the treadmill this morning with a slight incline. It was a nice soothing way to start the morning, along with this yogurt bowl. I made it this morning and let it do it’s “overnight” thing for just 30 minutes before digging in. It turned out just as great!

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Anyway, moving on to the good stuff. I have one final recipe from last weekend that I still wanted to share with you. You may recall seeing photos of these…

Those are Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars and they are divine. I did make a few fat-saving adjustments here and there but really, this pan of amazingness is truly decadent, and should try to be enjoyed in portion controlled servings. Good luck with that though.

I have to share.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars (recipe adapted from www.eatrunread.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup and 2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 Tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup and 1 Tablespoon non-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 11 ounces caramels*
  • 4 Tablespoons fat-free half and half
  • 1-2 teaspoons sea salt

*(I used an 11 ounce bag of small pearls of caramel that don’t have any wrapping and are great for baking)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Coat a 9 inch square pan with cooking spray (or line with aluminum foil then coat with cooking spray); set aside.
  2. In medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer, cream together yogurt, butter, and sugars.
  4. Add the egg, egg white, and vanilla; mix until smooth.
  5. Slowly add in dry ingredients, mixing on low until all ingredients are incorporated.
  6. Hand mix in chocolate chips; cover dough and place in refrigerator.
  7. In medium microwave-safe bowl, combine caramels with half and half. Microwave on high stirring every 20 seconds until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth.
  8. Press half of cookie dough into bottom of prepared pan.
  9. Pour caramel on top, and spread to cover in even layer; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt.
  10. Dollop the remaining half of dough on top, and carefully spread to even layer; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt.
  11. Place bars in oven and bake for about 60 minutes (cooking time will vary so keep an eye on them) until top of bars have set and have a light golden color, and the edges begin to pull away from the pan.
  12. Cool bars on wire rack at room temperature. Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream if you wish!

Total decadence.

Continue Reading Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars

Healthier Reese’s Recipe, Now Hide the Sweets

Yesterday morning I woke up not feeling the slightest bit hungry. It may have been the larger than average meal I ate on Easter Sunday, but I was actually surprised I wasn’t hungry being as we ate lunch/dinner, “linner” at about 2:30, and didn’t eat much the rest of the day.

Nevertheless, I knew I needed to eat something before heading off to work, so I whipped up a classic. A heap of blackberries and raspberries, topped with Fage o% Plain Greek Yogurt, and finished off with a drizzle of honey. It was light, refreshing, and a healthy way to begin my day.

Hunger finally set in at lunch time. I had packed leftover pulled chicken mixed with celery, carrots, pickles, and mustard, a big baggie of carrots and sugar snap peas, an apple, string cheese, and a Lara bar. That held me over well until dinner time.

After work I headed to the gym. I began with 10 minutes on the elliptical, then moved to the stair master for 10 minutes, before hitting the weights. I was not in the most motivated strength training mood but knew I would feel good once I was done. I have been saying that a lot lately, huh? Anyway, I focused on legs today but really didn’t get too crazy: some leg presses, calf raises, leg curls, and that was it.

Dinner last night was not very impressive (can you tell it was a tired Monday around here). I snacked on some more sugar snap peas as I deliberated what to make for dinner, realizing that we are running low on groceries. I decided on a wrap similar to a Greek one I had made not too long ago, but this time with a few less ingredients.

Lawash Brand Whole Wheat Flatbread, hummus, feta cheese, and avocado.

Super simple, lots of great flavors, and enough to keep me satisfied for a while. Now, with such a simple dinner, how is it that I manage to injure myself, whereas I can make elaborate dishes involving copious amounts of chopping and go unscathed? I managed to get in a fight with the pairing knife while trying to twist out the pit of the avocado.

The one ingredient I needed to cut in this whole dish, and I managed to splice my finger open in the process. I got a little woozy but Dana kept me calm as I ran it under water and then put pressure on it. He bandaged me up and of course I am fine, but it did hurt and it’s always scary. Dana to the rescue. I can be a little dramatic.

After dinner I had a few million Easter treats. It was my “Fat Monday.” I decided I had one more day to enjoy a bunch of my Easter treats before I put them away in the freezer for a while. They are now zipped away in a ziploc freezer bag in the freezer, in the garage. That’s what we have to do around here to keep our sticky fingers off the candies.

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This may seem a little backwards considering I just told you I hid all of my Easter treats, but I wanted to share a delicious recipe with you all for a treat I made last Saturday.

One of my all-time favorite candies are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, however they aren’t the most figure-friendly candy. I wanted to find a healthier version of these delectable treats without sacrificing the wonderful peanut buttery flavor. I stumbled upon a recipe for healthier Reese’s eggs, I put my own spin on it, and this is what I came up with.


Healthier Reese's Eggs
Print
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup almond milk
  • 3 Tablespoons chia seeds
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ⅓ cup PB2 prepared
  • ¼ cup light maple syrup
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. In small bowl, combine milk and chia seeds and let sit for 10 minutes.
  2. After ten minutes, combine chia seed mix with remaining ingredients except the chocolate chips; mix well.
  3. Shape mixture into small eggs, and place onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  4. Once eggs are chilled, begin melting chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds until completely melted.
  5. Roll "eggs" in the chocolate, covering them completely in the melted chocolate.
  6. Place them back onto the parchment paper. Decorate with sprinkles if desired, and return to the refrigerator. Allow chocolate to set before serving. Remove from fridge 15-20 minutes or so before serving.

 

The inside of these eggs are soft yet chewy with the perfect amount of sweetness and peanut butter flavor. The chocolate on the outside of the egg adds a semi-sweet touch that balances the bites perfectly.

Peanut Butter + Chocolate = Soul mates

They may sound a little off the wall being that they have chia seeds in them, but I’m telling you they are awesome! You don’t need a special occasion to make them either.

Give ’em a whirl!

Now, the candy and treats are all stowed away, and I refuse to fall back onto the sugar train.

Anyone eat any delicious treats this past weekend? I would love to hear from you. Sharing is caring!

Continue Reading Healthier Reese’s Recipe, Now Hide the Sweets

Low-Fat Banana Bread

It’s Monday, so how about a banana bread recipe to kick off your week? What’s even better is that it is low fat, but you would never guess it seeing as there is no sacrifice in flavor. I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light and am extremely  happy with the results.

 

Low-Fat Banana Bread (makes one loaf)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 Tablespoon butter, softened
  • 1 Tablespoon non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 Tablespoon almond milk*
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
  • 1/3 cup almond milk*
  • 3/4 Tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Cooking spray

*almond milk is used two different times in this recipe

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. In medium bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, stirring with a whisk.
  3. In a large bowl, cream sugars, butter, yogurt, and 1 Tablespoon of almond milk with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute).
  4. In small bowl, combine 1/3 cup almond milk and vinegar, mix to combine, set aside.
  5. Add eggs to the creamed sugar, 1 at a time. Add banana, and vanilla, continuing to mix.
  6. Alternate adding the milk vinegar mixture and flour mixture; mix at low speed until moist (do not over-mix).
  7. Pour batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch bread loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool, then remove from pan and transfer to cooling rack.

You can eat the bread plain, with your favorite nut butter, apple butter, honey, or anything else that floats your boat. This recipe is my “positive” for my Monday positive talk. I don’t always win when it comes to baking because I really like to experiment with recipes, which leaves a bit of a mystery as to the results of the finish product. This was a win. Another perk to making banana bread besides it tasting wonderful, is that it perfumes the house with such a warm, comforting scent. Have I convinced you to make it yet?

************

I am off to tackle the world, aka laundry, errands, cleaning, etc. I ran two miles this morning and plan to run 2-3 this afternoon. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. But first, one more cup of coffee.

Have a great day!

Question: Did anyone else bake up any delicious snacks this weekend?

 

Continue Reading Low-Fat Banana Bread
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