Pumpkin Spice Latte!

Ok, fall is near and soon everything will be all pumpkin and apple flavored.  With all the crazy stories about what is in Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, I decided to make my own.  I used a vanilla coffee K-Cup in my Kuerig, but you could also use black coffee with a splash of vanilla extract or a shot or two of espresso.  I also used my milk frother to thicken it up.

1 cup coffee (see choices above)

1 cup 1% milk

1 tablespoon pumpkin purée

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

I normally drink my coffee black, so it isn't very sweet.  You could certainly add a little sugar or Stevia to taste.  

This was so yummy AND more importantly, better for you than the other versions you can buy at any coffee shop.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Protein Shake

I have been making quite a few protein smoothies lately.  Maybe it is the occasional 55 degree day that makes me think it is so balmy outside, i need to have a cold, refreshing shake.  Maybe it is because I want to have something good that will time me over until lunch.  Who knows.  I love them and they are so YUMMY!  My brain thinks I am having an actual shake but my brain knows that this is sooooo good for me.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Protein shake
serves 1

2 Tablespoons of PB2
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup of greek yogurt (I used Fage 0%)
a couple of hands full of frozen strawberries
1 scoop protein powder

Blend and serve!  This one rang in at under 300 calories.  DELISH!

Portion Control

If there was one thing I learned on my weight loss journey it was too look to see how much was an actual serving before putting food in my mouth.  I used to guess what they were, but you really need to measure and weigh, so you know what you are getting yourself into.  I have a food scale and I have several sets of measuring cups and spoons

so I can measure food all day long.

 I remember the shocking day when I was making my son a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I would always get a spoon and have some peanut butter when I was done making his lunch.  One day, I actually looked and found out that I was eating more than a tablespoon of peanut butter which was more than 100 calories mindlessly!  That is a lot of calories!

If you can't trust yourself or need to grab something easy for a snack, grab some that are already portioned.  I get hungry sometimes in between lunch and dinner and I know I always have preportioned  servings of some kind of nut butter in my pantry.  Just grab one of those and an apple or some celery.  Easy Peasy, right?

Lower sugar cookies

I have made the basic cookie recipe on the back of the bag of chocolate chips hundreds of times.  There is a lot of sugar in those cookies.  My kiddos ask for some kind of dessert almost every night.  Sometimes, it is an actual treat, other times it is a "treat" that is a much healthier option.

These cookies are really yummy.  I was surprised.  I love sugar and these cookies hit the spot!  I didn't even feel bad when I had one....ok, fine.  I had 2.  I found the recipe here...

http://foodbabe.com/2013/04/18/does-your-cookie-need-all-that-sugar/

You can add whatever you want to them to make them your own like raisins, chocolate chips or cranberries.  I added dark chocolate chips (because dark chocolate is good for you).  :-P

Try them out!  See if you can fool your kids too.

Mint Chocolate Protein Shake

I was wandering around the kitchen the other day wondering what to have for lunch (very dangerous) and nothing was sounding good.  I opened the freezer and saw some of my daughter's frozen junior mints and decided to figure out how to make a mint chocolate protein shake (that was a close one because the junior mints were almost my lunch).

**helpful hint**In my house, if there are bananas that are about time to throw away, I will peel and slice them and put one banana each in a ziplock bag and toss it in the freezer so I can add them to my shakes.

Ingredients:
1 frozen banana
1 heaping tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup almond milk
3 oz greek yogurt (I used Fage 0%)
A quick splash of peppermint extract ( a little goes a long way)
1 scoop of protein powder

Zap it all in your blender and you have a protein filled delicious lunch or breakfast!!!!

Almond Butter Cookies

Look!  A cookie recipe that has no refined sugar or white flour!  Try these out because they were seriously good.  Even small children liked them.  :)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

1 large egg
1 cup unsweetened almond butter
1/3 c raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 c almond flour**
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

**If you do not have almond flour (I got mine at Trader Joe's) you can make it by zapping raw almonds in your food processor until it is a fine meal like consistency.  

Mix the first 4 ingredients together and then add the last 3.  This recipe makes 12 good sized cookies.  The Nutritional below is per cookie.  

Food of the week: UNREAL

Maybe I have been watching too many food documentaries.  I have been taking a hard look at processed foods.  There are far too many processed foods in the world and I am trying to be more cognizant of the foods that I put in my body and my family.  Now, I know I won't be one of those people who will cut all processed foods out of my diet but I certainly can reduce it.

My kids love M & M's and Peanut Butter cups...heck, who am I kidding?  We all love them.  I came across these little gems and was very pleased with them.  They are kid approved and contain no artificial ingredients, no hydrogenated oil, no corn syrup, no preservatives and no GMOs.  Even the coloring for the candy coated chocolates come from beetroot juice, turmeric root extract and purple cabbage juice.

I wouldn't call them healthy candy, but I can feel good about the fact that my family is eating food and not some Frankenfood.  Give them a try!

Food of the Week: NuttZo

I LOVE peanut butter!  That is no secret.  I have even been known to just pass through the kitchen to get a spoon full of the nutty goodness.  I found Nuttzo at Earth Fare (you can get it at Whole Foods as well).  The Original Blue Label is an Organic Omega-3 seven nut and seed blend.  There's only 2g of sugar  (2T), 50% of your daily value of Omega 3 ALAs (2T), and a complete protein –so eat it right out of the jar (You don't need to tell me twice)!  There is no added sugar or hydrogenated oils and it is also vegan and kosher.  

NuttZo Original for 2Tablespoons

There are 3 different kinds of Nuttzo.  The Original Blue label that has Peanuts, Cashews, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Brazil Nuts, Sunflower Seeds,  Flax Seeds and sea salt.  The peanut free red label kind has Almonds, Cashews, Brazil Nuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia seeds,  Flax Seeds, Hazelnuts, and sea salt.  There is also Chocolate Nuttzo!  It has Peanuts, chocolate chips (organic cocoa liquor, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic cocoa powder), Cashews, Almonds, Brazilian Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, Flax Seeds, Hazelnuts, and Sea Salt.


I just want you to know that this stuff is not cheap.  At $12.99 for a 16 oz, I still think it is worth it.  I'm not making sandwiches with it.  I'll eat it with apple slices after a workout or as a snack in some celery. It is really delicious.  Give it a try!

Food of the week: Quest Protein Bars

I know.  I haven't posted much lately.  Our kitchen is being renovated and it is not a big motivator to try new recipes.  We should be back to normal soon.  Hang in there with me.  All I wanted was a new backsplash and it has snowballed into something much bigger.  We are all waiting on the new counter tops now.  :)

In the meantime, I found my PERFECT 3pm snack!  Quest Protein bars!  They are HIGH Protein (20 grams!!), high fiber and gluten free!  They are the perfect snack to get me from lunch to dinner.  Plus, they are yummy!  There is quite a selection of flavors.  The only downside is that I can only get them at my GNC.  They aren't available in grocery stores.  Check out the link and see the flavors and the nutritional info.  You will be surprised all this great stuff can be found in one bar.  I love them!

Breakfast Coffee Protein Shake

I love coffee.  I drink it A LOT.  This morning, I decided to make a protein shake with my morning coffee and it was DELIGHTFUL!

I made some coffee and let it cool while I was getting the kids ready so that it wouldn't melt my ice.  After it was cool, I added to my blender:

1 cup of coffee
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2-1 frozen banana
1 scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder
2 handfulls of ice

Blend to your desired consistency and ENJOY!

**TIP:  I almost always have frozen bananas in my freezer.  When I see that my bananas are getting too ripe, I peel and slice them and put them in a baggie to toss in the freezer.  They work well in banana ice cream when I am craving something sweet at night too.  :)

Cinnamon Apple Quinoa Bites

Pinterest strikes again!  I came across these little numbers and at about 35 calories a piece, I couldn't help but make this apple pie tasting goodness!  I adapted the recipe from here.

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup quick oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 cup chopped apples

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.  Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

I plan on breaking a few of these up and putting them in my yogurt.  Oh my!!

Decadent Dessert

You know when you just NEED to have a treat?  Well, that was me last night.  I went all out.

I got 2 Ghirardelli Bittersweet chocolate baking squares and put 2 teaspoons of almond butter in between them.  The darker the chocolate, the less sugar, so be sure you are choosing your chocolate wisely.

It took me 10 minutes to eat it.  I savored it and it hit the spot.  It was so good.  Now, it was 205 calories of heavenly goodness, but it was a much better option than any of the other sugar filled treats that were racing through my brain.

"Baked" apples

As you may know from reading my blog in the fall, I love apples.  I go apple picking with the hubs and our kids every year.  I love apples baked/cooked in everything too.  It is a cold and snowy day here and I just needed a snack that would warm me up and make me think I was eating something that wasn't so good for me.  :)

I cored and sliced an apple and threw it in a Tupperware container that had a vent on the top.  You can use your own favorite container you toss your leftovers in.  If it doesn't have a vent on the lid, just don't close it all the way.  Once the apple was in the container, I sprinkled about 1/4-1/2 tsp of cinnamon over them, 1 packet of stevia and a hand full of raisins.  Then I added 1/4 tsp corn starch and 1 tablespoon of water.  I put the lid on, gave it a shake, vented it, and put it in the microwave and cooked for 2 minutes.

Yummy, pie-like deliciousness!

Fruit Dip

I am a huge fan of dips.  I loooove fondue as well.  Here is a healthy snack that won't break the calorie bank.  I made 2 dips, one peanut butter and one chocolate to dip my fruit in.

Chocolate dip
6 oz container of FAGE yogurt
1/4-1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa (according to taste)
1-2 Tablespoons of honey (according to taste)

Remember that you won't need it to be too sweet because you are dipping fruit in it.

Peanut Butter Dip
6 oz container of FAGE yogurt
1/4-1/2 cup of PB2 (Powdered Peanut Butter)
1-2 Tablespoons of honey

As a note, it can last a few days in the refrigerator, but it thickens.  You may need to add some almond milk or milk to thin it out a little so you can dip in.

Just as another side note.... if you were to pop these in the freezer until frozen and perhaps put it on top of your favorite brownie, right out of the oven, that would be some darn good fro-yo.  Just saying.

Dessert for 1!

I love desserts and will never give them up, but making desserts and then having left overs in the house for days after they are made are no good for me.  My thinking is either, "Man, One cookie is good....surely 6 more would be even better." I also think, "I need to get these cookies out of the house so I am not tempted to eat them every day, so maybe I'll just eat them all now and be done with them."  Yes, I have been known to be a binger.  Confession made.

Since I have accepted a life that includes desserts, I have discovered making smaller batches so that there are no leftovers.  I do not have dessert all the time.  Sometimes, you just need a cookie or some cake.  I am not including calorie counts for these things because, honestly, I just don't want to know.  If I want dessert, I eat dessert.  Then I just continue eating right and working out.  No big deal.  Just so you know...the following desserts, I have tried and tasted in the last 24 hours.  I love writing this blog.  :)

Chocolate chip cookies!  This recipe says it makes 2 cookies.  I made them for my kids and they are HUGE cookies.  I will make 4 cookies from the recipe next time.  They are DELISH!  This was MY FAVORITE small batch dessert I made.






Mug Cakes...They can be tricky.  You can put them in the microwave to bake them, but you need to keep an eye on them.  Most of the recipes say to put them in for 1-2 minutes.  I highly recommend you put them in for only a minute, take it out to test the center of the cake to see if it is done.  If it isn't done, put it back in the microwave for an additional 30 seconds and repeat test for doneness.  If left in the microwave for too long, they will be rubbery and gross.  I have also been known to put the mug in the oven at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes.  Be sure your mug is oven safe.  Mine are Fiestaware, and they work just fine.

I made 2 more mug cakes in addition to these and they just weren't very good.  I am not going to be posting them.  I guess that is the good thing about making a dessert that isn't very good.  If you don't like it, you can just throw it out .

Coffee Cake in a mug.  I am a fan of eating coffee cake with my coffee and this hits the spot.  The hubs thought so too.  :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake  This was very rich and yummy.  I am a big fan of frosting, so I tried finding a cake that I didn't want to add heaping Tablespoons of buttercream on and this one hit the spot.






I also have a recipe for carrot cake in a mug, but I didn't get around to making it as I didn't have the buttermilk needed on hand.  I WILL be making it though.  :)

Peanut Butter and Banana Streusel Muffins

Let me start out by saying that these are regular size muffins, not mini muffins, and each one has ONLY 125 calories!!!!  I love streusel!  I especially love streusel that has actual brown sugar and butter!!  Of all of the healthier muffins I make, these are BY FAR my favorite.  That is not to say that those other muffins are bad.  These are just AWESOME!

I adapted the recipe from here.

Streusel:
3 Tablespoons whole grain pastry flour
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon honey

Muffins:
2 cups whole grain pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup PB2 (powdered peanut butter) + 4 Tablespoons of water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray

Streusel: Make the streusel by combining all of the ingredients together with a spoon until it forms wet crumbs

Muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined. In a large bowl, whisk together the banana, applesauce, peanut butter, sugar, and egg until blended. Whisk the milk and vanilla into the banana mixture until combined.

Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture with a spoon, just until blended. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing evenly. Crumble the streusel mixture on top of the muffin batter, dividing evenly.


Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Coconut-Carrot Morning Glory Muffins

I find myself intrigued by bizarre recipes lately.  Would I have eaten a muffin with carrots, applesauce, raisins and coconut a couple of years ago?  Heck no!  It would have most definitely had chocolate chips of some sort.  When I came across this recipe in my Eating Well (February 2013) magazine, I knew I had to try it.  It makes a great breakfast!

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats, plus 2 T. for garnish
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted if necessary
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus 2 Tablespoons for garnish
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Whisk the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a bowl.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, applesauce, honey, vanilla, and oil.

Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just moistened.  Gently stir in carrots, raisins, and coconut.

Distribute batter into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle extra coconut and oats on the tops.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Nutritional Info: calories: 186, Saturated fat: 6 grams, Sugar: 7 grams, Protein: 4 grams, and Fiber: 3 grams

Lemon Cookies

I realized that I no longer have any Girl Scouts living on my street.  I started to panic.  I love the lemon cookies.  I mean, I really love them.  I calmed down a bit and decided to make some myself.  There was a fantastic recipe for lemon cookies in my Eating Well magazine, February 2013.

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, or all purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 Tablespoons, softened
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.

In another bowl, beat 1/2 cup sugar, butter, and oil with an electric mixer.  Beat until fluffy.  Add egg white, lemon zest and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Add lemon juice.  Mix it all together.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time with a rubber spatula just until combined.

I used a mini ice cream scoop and my batch of cookies made 1 1/2 dozen.  Space them 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet and press them flat with the bottom of a glass.  Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar (You will NOT use all of the sugar).  Bake for about 12 minutes.  Just until the edges begin to lightly brown.

Allow to cool and crisp and store them in an airtight container.  They are darn tasty!  The hubs even liked them!

Nutritional info: 100 calories each, 3 grams fat, 8 grams sugar, 1.5 grams protein, 0 grams fiber

Mocha Smoothie

I am mixing things up a bit.  I am making a smoothie for my breakfast instead of some overnight oatmeal.  Try this one.  I am really LOVING IT!  I mean, it has coffee in it for goodness sake.

1 frozen banana
1 cup almond milk
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
1 packet of instant coffee
1 Tablespoon of PB2 (powdered peanut butter)
1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
1 large handful of fresh spinach
1 large handful of ice

Nutritional Info: 271 calories, 2.1 g fat, 37.1g carbs, 5.9 g dietary fiber, 15g sugar, and 24 g protein.

Pumpkin Bread

I like a good challenge.  When I found this recipe on Pinterest boasting the entire loaf is only 500 calories, I knew I had to make it because even if I ate the entire thing, it was only 500 calories....only 500.  Now, I do enjoy the full fat version of this very much.  I make it every year, so I was curious to see how this tasted.  It is certainly a yummy addition to my 3pm snack with my coffee and I only eat 1 serving at a time at 100 calories each.  Delicious.

Batter:
1-1/2 c. pureed pumpkin
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 whole egg
3 egg whites
1 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. Stevia Cup For Cup sweetener
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg

Cream filling
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 T. all-purpose flour
2 egg whites
1 t. vanilla extract

1. For the Batter: With an electric mixer, beat the pumpkin, applesauce, egg, and egg whites on medium speed until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, Stevia, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Slowly mix the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture.

2. For the cream cheese filling: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg whites and flour until creamy and smooth.

3. Grease 2 8x4x2″ loaf pans. Divide half of the batter between the two pans. Pour half of the filling in one pan and the other half in the second pan and smooth with the back of a spoon. Top with the remaining batter.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don’t overbake or your bread will be dry on the edges. Cool and remove from pans. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.