BEST RECIPE EVER!!!! - FRUITCAKE

Ok, I blog about the recipes I love the most! But, I don't remember the last time that I came up with something so good that I just had to stop (after I ate it,  of course) & blog about it right then & there! Well...... that time is now! I just came up with the absolute most fantabulous dish to date! I am calling it a Fruitcake because it's made like a pancake but with fruit..... so it's a Fruitcake! Let me tell you, this was so good that I turned right around & made it again but made it into Fruitcake Muffins so I could have them to eat on for a few days. 

SOOOOOO GOOOOOD!!!!!! 

Simple, sweet, fruity, filling, healthy & at around 200 calories - sooo very figure friendly!!!!! You have got to try this! I know I will be making this A LOT from now on! It'd be so good for breakfast but since I love breakfast for dinner, I ate it for dinner tonight! There are all kinds of different fruit options that I am sure would be wonderful in these! I used blueberries & strawberries but I would love to  try peaches, like  Peaches 'n Cream Cakes...... apples, like Apples Pie Cakes & top with honey, bananas, like  Banana Cream Pie Cakes & top with natural peanut butter...... YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fruitcake (with toppings)

 Fruitcake

cake ingredients:

4 egg whites

1 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk

1/2 C fresh (or frozen) fruit - I used strawberries & blueberries.

1/2 Tbsp vanilla

1 Tbsp Stevia

topping:

1 vanilla carb smart yogurt

1/2 Tbsp Stevia (optional but it gives the yogurt a sweeter taste that makes it taste more like a topping instead of just yogurt.)

Fruitcake without toppings

*Put all cake ingredients except fruit in a shaker bottle (or whip with a whisk) & shake really well. Then remove lid & wire mixer ball, add fruit & give it one more good shake. Pour into a pre - heated skillet over medium heat & cook like you would a pancake. It won't get really firm because of the fruit so you just kind of have to check the bottom & when it looks brown, it's time to flip it! This part was tricky because of the fruit! Flip & cook until both sides are brown like the picture above.
Stir the Stevia into the yogurt in a small bowl or in container & spread on top. Then I added a few more pieces of fruit & a sprinkle of pecans!

And get ready for some seriously happy 

taste buds my friend!

Fruitcake Muffins

For the muffins, I did the same thing but used 6 whites (for 6 muffins) & just added a little fruit to each muffin cup after filling them 1/4 with the egg mixture. I am practicing extreme willpower because I haven't tried one of them yet but I know they will be equally as delightful! And maybe easier to deal with since the flipping won't be an issue. They are so pretty too aren't they?! 

I LOVE PRETTY FOOD!!!! I love it even more when it's

 HEALTHY, YUMMY AND PRETTY!

 Nutritional content for the Fruitcake (including topping)- 200 calories, 10 carbs & 18 grams of protein!
Per muffin - 25 calories, 4 carbs, 4 grams of protein!

Banana Pops!

Tell me...... what is better than frozen bananas?? 

I mean, I am a huge fan of bananas anyway but lately I am really into them frozen! I guess it's the heat..... anyway, I got this idea from Pinterest, "Callie-fied" it.......

&  am now totally addicted to  making (& snacking on) these things! 

You gotta try em for yourself! 

The possibilities are endless! 

They are a little messy to make (as most yummy things are) 

but so totally worth it! :)

Along with these, let me tell you about another great yummy food trick that isn't clean but it is a very low calorie & fat free way to enjoy pudding without the guilt!

You can take 1 Tbsp of Jello fat free sugar free instant pudding mix in whatever flavor you choose & mix it  in w 1 container of Vanilla flavored Carb Smart yogurt & it tastes just like pudding! YUM!!!!!! So, with that being said, that is what I did with the first Banana Pop! 

*Take a whole banana & barely cut the end off so that it will sit 

flat on the popscicle stick!

Take a plate with some wax paper on it & lay the banana already 

on the stick on it before you take:

1 container of vanilla Carb Smart yogurt

1 Tbsp vanilla Jello sugar free fat free pudding mix

& stir together really well then spread all over the banana! Then press chopped nuts into the yogurt mix! I used pecans on this one! Yum!

Freeze til firm & enjoy!

The yogurt makes them so thick so it's a pretty darn large sized snack if you were to eat all of it!!!! Instead, I just sliced mine up & kept the slices in a plastic container on my freezer & just ate a slice when I wanted it.  1 lasted me about 3 days doing it that way.

 Love that!!!! :)

Vanilla Banana Pop

Strawberry Banana Pop

The next one I just used 1 container of strawberry flavored Carb Smart yogurt & pressed slivered almonds into it instead of chopped pecans! Equally delish!

TGI Love Fabulous Food Friday!

If you are reading this post then you made it through the week like me! Whew! I had my doubts a couple of times! This week has seemed so off to me! It's the holiday though. They always throw me off! I had a great week though! And it's supposed to be a lovely weekend weather wise so I am happy about that! I have a weekend project that I am going to start on today! I am going to paint my front door & antique it! Pretty excited about it! 

I haven't tackled a project in awhile so it'll be fun!

Now, on to a few great things I ate this week! 

Butternut Squash French Fries

I am going to start with the Butternut Squash French Fries! French fries are like one of my favorite foods of all time! I love them made out of anything & I love ketchup! So, show me a way to enjoy my fries without the guilt & I am all on it! I got this recipe from Busy But Healthy Recipe Club. Click here for the recipe. I seasoned mine differently though. I sprayed mine with cooking spray then sprinkled Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning on them & tossed it all around. I had mine with 1 Tbsp of reduced sugar ketchup because I am a ketchup addict! And they were AWESOME! This is a recipe I will definitely be making again! But I must say that, just like Spaghetti Squash & Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash's are tough little veggies! So have a really serious knife that can handle the job of cutting it up!

The next 2 recipes are for satisfying your sweet tooth the 

totally clean & healthy way! 

This recipe for Blueberry Muffins came from my Spark recipe app & they are soooo yum!!!! I made them last Sunday morning & are so great as a side for eggs instead of your traditional toast & jelly! Gooey gooey goodness right here! 

Mmmmm Blueberry Muffins

Mmmmm Blueberry Muffins!
1.5 C Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 C Stevia
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1Tbsp Vanilla
1 container plain non-fat Greek yogurt
3/4 C H20 C water
3/4 C Blueberries (I used frozen)
*I mixed 1 tsp of brown sugar Splenda & 2 tsp of Stevia then after spraying the tops with I can't Believe It's Not butter spray, I sprinkled the brown sugar blend on top! 

*Directions:
Combine and mix dry ingredients. Then add water and yogurt, mix then add berries and stir carefully. Fill greased regular sized muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 400 F. for 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. I broiled mine just long enough to get the tops golden!
*I mixed 1 tsp of brown sugar Splenda & 2 tsp of Stevia then after spraying the tops with I can't Believe It's Not butter spray, I sprinkled the brown sugar blend on top!
*Makes 9 muffins - 85 calories/15 carbs/4.5 grams of protein per muffin.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Protein Bars

These are Pumpkin Peanut Butter Protein Bars & let me tell you ..... you will have to practice self control when eating these because they are WONDERFUL!!!! I went off a recipe from The Gracious Pantry but I altered it some so mine is different & lower carb & calorie! Here is the recipe!

 Pumpkin Peanut Butter Protein Bars

3/4 C Oats

1/4 C Pure Pumpkin

1/2 C natural peanut butter

1/4 C natural honey

1 Vanilla Carb Smart yogurt

1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Toast oats til they turn a nice golden brown then remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Mix all ingredients in a bowl then spread into a 9 x 9  square baking pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out almost completely clean but not totally because they will continue to bake after you take them out & you want them to be soft & chewy. They will have a light golden brown appearance & the top will feel firm. I left mine in my pre heated toaster oven for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Slice into 10 bars (one time down the middle then 5 on each side) & store in a Tupperware container or Ziploc bag.

So, I have to say that I have had a great recipe week! I love trying new recipes that end up coming out great! That's one great thing about having sites that you know you can always count on to go to for recipes that never let you down! I have a couple of more recipes that I am looking forward to making this weekend! I encourage you to check these sites out if you haven't already! (Spark Recipes has an app!) ;)
The Gracious Pantry
Busy But Healthy Recipe Club
Spark Recipes 

 

Wednesday is Operation: Smoothie

Let me just say that the holiday Monday has totally thrown me off this week! I sat down to write my Monday Challenge for the Week blog last night & realized it was Tuesday! Feels a little like deja vu from last week except last week I was ahead a day

 & this week I am a day behind!

 Lol.... So, I apologize for no Monday Challenge this week! 

I hope you are all staying busy with previously posted challenges or your own thing &, 

of course drinking your H20!

Earlier I made the yummiest smoothie for today's post!

It was sweet with a teeny tinge of tart & very smooth & creamy!

Creamy Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie

1 container of Carb Smart Strawberry yogurt
1/2 scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder
3 frozen strawberries (around 70 grams) - 1 for garnish or you can throw it in if you like!
1 Tbsp Stevia or 2 packets
1- 2 packets of True Lemon
1/2 Cup of ice
1/2 Cup of H20
I floated raw natural almonds on top to make it pretty-ful! ;) 
Throw it all in your Ninja & blend until smooth!

This creamy dreamy twist on the all American classic Strawberry Lemonade is around 

130 calories, 12 carbs & 17 grams of protein!

TGI Love Fabulous Food Friday!

The end of the week is finally here & I have to say I am sooooo glad! I am planning on curling up on the couch with my pink bubba keg full of H20 with my 2 furry friends laying next to me & watching a movie tonight!! I intend to fully enjoy this holiday weekend & start next week off more organized than I did the past couple of week! I have just been picking old workout routines every day that I went to the gym & preparing food as I need it instead of ahead. Running to the store whenever I need something, etc....... It really throws me off all week when I don't have things planned out! 
It gives me an out of control feeling.......which I hate!

 So, needless to say I have some planning & preparing ahead of me this Sunday but that's perfectly fine with me!

Today I bring you a breakfast, dinner & a snack that I ate this week! I may not have planned everything out but I still ate really tasty food!! ;)

Clean Egg McMuffin 

I made myself an Breakfast Egg Muffin with 1 whole egg & 3 whites on a Healthy Life English Muffin with mustard &  a Diet Citrus Green Tea - which is my new beverage LOVE!!!!! If you haven't jumped on the Green Tea bandwagon yet, try it!!!! This was such a yummy & filling breakfast & a nice change from my regular oats or yogurt & oats! So quick & it would be so easy to prepare & have ready to just microwave & eat on the go if you were running out the door in the morning! Definitely better than any fast food breakfast sandwich would have been!! And so much healthier!!

Garden Veggie Burger & steamed veggies

This was probably my favorite dinner I had all week! I ate it tonight actually! A Bocca Garden Veggie Burger on a Whole Grain Sandwich Round topped with onion, a juicy ripe tomato & pickles! I had  steamed mixed veggies on the side sprinkled with Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning which is soooooo good!!! Totally tasty!!

Cinnamon Pumpkin & Oat Carb Smart Yogurt

And the week wouldn't be complete without a decadently jazzed up yogurt! This one is Kroger Carb Smart Carrot Cake flavored yogurt with a serving of pure pumpkin,  1/8 C of oats & a dash of cinnamon  nutmeg on top! SOOOOO YUMMY-FUL!!!!!! This would make a great smoothie too!!!! 

Well, that wraps it up! 

Have a super safe, healthy &  

Beautifully Fit 

hoilday weekend!

TGI Love Fabulous Food Friday!

FOOD FOOD FOOD!

It's everywhere! It's what our lives are centered around for the most part if you think about it...... so it just makes sense to figure out how to make the foods that you love work for you! We all crave things at times & have our favorite meals, snacks, etc. Different things appeal to us at different times of the year as well. When it's warm like it is now, 

 I crave light, cool, refreshing things, as I am sure you do too.

So, with that in mind, I have been making a lot of frozen things lately! 

Which is why this edition of TGI love Fabulous Food Friday is totally FROZEN!!!! 

Tummy flattening Lemon-Mint Ice Cubes, Fro-gurt  Dibs &  Frosty Fruit Slices!
I hope you all try & enjoy these easy to prepare frozen treats that are perfectly figure friendly & so fabulous for snacking on during the HOT days that are upon us!

Lemon-Mint Ice Cubes

Mix about a glass full of H20, lemon juice & Stevia to taste - you can drink what you have left so don't worry if you make too much.... Then pour in tray & add a fresh mint leaf to each one & freeze!

I saw this on the Dr. Oz show this week & he recommended adding a few cubes 3 times a day to your water & it helps beat belly bloat! They are really pretty too!

Fro-gurt Dibs

Take a container of Carb Smart yogurt (I used strawberry & there are a few leftover Vanillas in this picture too!) or Greek yogurt that you have jazzed up to your liking (if you add fruit it will have to be blended). Take the yogurt & put it into a ziploc bag & squeeze all the air out of it then cut a tiny hole in one corner then start squeezing just a drop onto a cookie tray covered in wax paper. 

Freeze until hard & enjoy! 

Got this sassy idea from Pinterest & I love these little things! They are tiny but mighty & one container of yogurt makes a TON!!!! 

Frosty Fruit Slices

I used oranges, bananas & strawberries. I sliced em, put em in a bowl & froze em! That's it! 

I always knew frozen grapes were awesome but I had no idea about other fruits! Who knew?! YUM!!!!! SO GOOD!!!!! let me just add that the bananas are so tasty frozen like this then dipped in natural pb! Shut the front door & your mouth!!!!!.....After you pop some frozen fruit in it that is .......cause it's delish! :D

These are all great weekend ideas because they are such great snacks to have while watching movies which most of us love to do on the weekend! So much better than a candy bar or butter covered popcorn or ice cream or any other unhealthy, sugar covered treat that is the normal "staple" movie food! Who wants to be normal anyway?! It feels a lot better to wake up the next day not feeling totally bloated & guilty doesn't it?! 

Hope your weekend has been nothing less than fab!  Be sure to do something refreshingly healthy &  frozen for yourself this weekend!

TGI Love Fabulous Food Friday!

Well, this edition of TGI love Fabulous Food Friday comes to you on Saturday morning because my day yesterday got busy & I just never got around to blogging.....actually I never even opened my Mac Book yesterday! 

Gasp! I know right?! 

But, sometimes it feels good to live a day outside of cyber world! 

I did enjoy some really great food this week! One of the 3 recipes I am about to share with you is a protein cupcake recipe that I am  proud to call my very own! Yes..... I said protein cupcake! They are amazing! And really cute too! I designed & named them around an Alice In Wonderland theme! 

For those of you who don't know me that well..... I bleed Disney! ;)

This first recipe is a Veggie Lover's French Bread Pizza!
All you need is a loaf of whole grain french bread from the bakery, whatever veggies you like, a low carb & sugar sauce (you can make it homemade or just add some Italian seasoning to the plain stuff to dress it up!) & some fresh mozzarella or 2% cheese!
Hollow out all the bread & just leave it like a little boat, then brush it with EVOO & toast a few minutes til it's a little crispy before you put anything in it. You can saute any veggies during this time if you need to. Then start with your veggies, then layer sauce & cheese & bake until melted! Really simple & really delish!

Next on the list ended up being one of the absolute tastiest ways I have ever dressed up Greek yogurt & I cannot WAIT to have it again! It tasted like apple pie!

Plain nonfat Greek yogurt -1 serving

1 tsp pure honey

dash of apple pie seasoning & cinnamon

Stir & then see how slow you can eat it!....... Seriously! 

And now, without further ado........ let's see how deep the rabbit hole goes!

The Hatter's Mad Cupcakes

dry ingredients:

1 1/2 C oat flour

1 vanilla carb smart yogurt

1 serving of birthday cake flavored protein powder

1/4 C stevia

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

wet ingredients:

2 egg whites

1 Tbsp vanilla  

4 oz H20
Icing:
1 wedge of Laughing Cow light cream cheese
2 Tbsp of vanilla carb smart yogurt

1Stevia packet 
Stir with a fork in little bowl

*food coloring of your choice to make them un-birthday looking!

 I used neon food coloring for mine!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites then add remaining wet ingredients  until blended then add to dry. Blend until smooth then pour into medium sized muffin pan sprayed with non stick spray filling about 3/4 of the way full.Take the food coloring (only use 1 color per cupcake otherwise they all bleed together & are not so  pretty if you try to make them multi colored. I lost a good cupcake trying to do that!) & put 2 - 3 drops on top then poke it with a toothpick several times to get it down into the batter. Bake until toothpick comes out clean then completely cool before icing. I would only ice the ones you are going to eat.

Makes 9 regular sized cupcakes. I posted some extras about this recipe below the last picture.

*Per cupcake  -  calories 85, 2 gram of fat, 10 carbs & 8 grams of protein!

Perfect for any un-birthday occasion! ;)

 

 

*I have switched to a new protein powder that comes in these convenient little bottles that you can take anywhere, has no chalky aftertaste, no artificial sweeteners, no growth hormones & the best part is that it is only 125 calories per serving, 0 fat, 0 carbs, 0 sugar, 31grams of protein & comes in tons of awesome flavors! Like... birthday cake! Check it out right here. But if you don't want to buy birthday cake flavored protein powder, use regular vanilla. I am sure they will still be good! They just won't have the same cake flavor. 

*You could make this in mini muffin tins if you wanted to & have mini cupcakes which would also be really cute! And you could use cute little wrappers too, which I left off so you could see the inside of the cupcakes! Eek! I love recipes that you can make pretty! Makes me happy!

Punkin' PB 'n J Protein Bites

TGIF!!!!! Today Kristei & I finished the first week of Phase 2 of the Live Fit Trainer! It was a great week workout week but I am ready for next week because the routine is familiar now so we will be able to move at a faster pace. The one thing I have been struggling with for a long time is the issue of how many calories I really need to reach my fitness goals. I have talked to a few different trainers & everyone always has different advice. It is really a frustrating issue for me but I think I have found someone who is going to help me with that! I was referred to her from a good friend & I am hoping after talking with her next week I will finally have some concrete information that will help me get to where I want to be! So, I will be posting more about that when I find something out! Until then...... here is a yummy treat for you to make & nosh on this weekend!
I made a batch of punkin' protein bars & had em in the fridge, but yesterday, I wanted to try to kick em up a notch......so, I took 2 bars, sliced em in half & spread 1 tbsp (1/2 tbsp each) of natural peanut butter on the bottoms & 1/2 tbsp (1/4 tbsp each) of sugar free strawberry jelly on the tops then sandwiched them together! I know what you are thinking....... pumpkin & strawberry, right?! But, trust me........ it waks soooo good! It was rich & creamy & ooey & gooey & very tasty! One thing I have learned from spending so much time in the kitchen trying to create healthy foods is to think outside the box! Because sometimes things that don't seem like they would go together, end up being a match made in healthy food heaven!

Punkin' Protein Bars

1  c oat flour

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

4 oz vanilla carb smart yogurt

2 egg whites

1/2 of a 15 oz can of pure pumpkin

1/4 h20

1/4 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Blend wet ingredients in 1 bowl & dry ingredients in another then mix all together until really well blended. (I throw all of mine in my Ninja!) Pour into a 8 x 8 square baking pan pop into the oven heated to 350. Then mix up 1 tbsp of stevia & 1/2 packed tsp of brown sugar splenda in a small dish &after the bars look slightly firm but are still wiggly, take them out & spread the brown sugar - stevia mix all over the top & barely pat down so they really stick to the top of the bars. Then pop em back in the oven & bake until done & a toothpick comes out clean! 

*Per bar (without pb & j) they are 34.5 calories, 4.8 carbs & 3 grams of protein

Cinnamon Baked Apples

I don't know about you guys but ever since I was a baby I looooved apple anything!!! I walked around w a baby bottle full of apple juice hanging out of my mouth forever ...... Then I had a sippy cup full of apple juice! So, needless to say if it's apple flavored..... I'm interested!! So, I love taking classic comfort foods & cleaning em up! This one is especially easy, fast & just as yummy as the sugar filled cinnamon baked apples we all grew up on! Take whatever kind of apple you like (granny smiths are my fave!), peel & slice (or leave the peel for extra fiber) & you can do the baking cooking part 1 of 2 ways. If I amazing a big batch, like 3 or more apples then I put them in a glass covered baking dish. If I am just making 1 serving using 1 apple, then I use a small glass covered dish & nuke em in the microwave. Either way is fine! Just follow the directions below according to how many you are making!
*Use 1 tbsp of water & 1 tbsp of natural no sugar added applesauce per each apple used. (you may need to add 1 tbsp or more of water extra if they start getting dry. Just check them every minute or so to see.)
*sprinkle a dash of cinnamon & a dash of apple pie spice (or nutmeg if you don't have apple pie spice.) & 1 tbsp of stevia on top of the diced apples & applesauce.
*cover w lid & microwave or bake! It usually takes around 3 minutes in the microwave for 1. But, I like mine soft. You can cook yours to your preference on that.
What I REALLY love about these is that you can eat them w a carb smart vanilla yogurt & a tbsp of crushed almonds on top & seriously feel like you are committing the diet crime of the century!! Or...... Just eat them by themselves, top your morning oatmeal off w a couple of spoonfuls or eat them as a side w your morning eggs! Eat em however you like but you gotta try em!! They are definitely a treat to me that never gets old!!
*shown here w the peel left on, one topped w almond slivers & one w vanilla yogurt & nuts that truly tastes as good as apple pie & ice cream!

Berry Sweet Protein Waffles

Happy Saturday!! Well, breakfast in bed never happened because by the time I got done cooking my sweet Saturday morning breakfast & then cleaning up (I'm a messy cook! ;)) i was ready to start my day!! Then I got sidetracked as I often do & now I'm posting what should have been a breakfast blog at what is now mid-day! Oh well, it's the weekend right?!
So, ok...... I've been craving these protein waffles lately so I went ahead & doubled the batch so I'd have enough for 3 servings of 2 each. You can pair them w eggs & low fat cheese, natural pb & sugar free jelly, a tbsp of strawberry or plain fat free cream cheese.... I could go on & on but you get the idea! Be creative! .... Just keep it clean & healthy! Today I chose a berry yogurt topping (since I've been on a berry kick this week)..... & here's the berry sweet recipe!
Waffle batter:
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 tbsp vanilla protein powder
4 egg whites
1/2 c unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp vanilla
2 slightly rounded tbsp natural no sugar added applesauce
1/4 tsp salt & 1 tsp baking powder
Berry yogurt topping:
1 strawberry flavored carb smart yogurt from Kroger
2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1 tbs stevia
Whip it together in a blender to thin to thick but drizzly consistency
*pour batter into waffle iron (fill just enough to cover squares so batter doesn't run all over the sides!) & cook til tops are a little golden then spread berry yogurt topping! I nuked mine to warm the topping too because I'm not big on mixing hot & cold foods but this is totally optional! Eat it how you like it!

Makes 6 waffles
*per 2 waffles w no topping - 156 calories, 13.6 carbs & 14 grams of protein. The yogurt topping alone is 65 calories, 4 carbs & 8 grams of protein. Altogether using ALL the yogurt topping (i was hungry but you can use less if you like) ..... It rings the breakfast bell at 221 calories, 17.6 carbs & 22 grams of protein! I think that's berry sweet enough for me!