Berry Tropical Protein Smoothie

Well the holidays have come & gone & it's a brand new year!! 

This is the time to put forth our best efforts into maintaining or creating a healthy lifestyle!! Some are already accustomed to what it takes to live healthy & maybe just need a recharge while others are taking their first steps on their journey of health! Wherever the new year finds you & your health / fitness goals...... A sweet, yummy, energizing, HEALTHY smoothie is a must have for us all!! Packed with antioxidants & protein, this smoothie is perfect to enjoy post workout to refuel your energy levels & build muscle!!

Berry Tropical Protein Smoothie

1 container of Light Blueberry Greek yogurt -Kroger brand

1/2 scoop Gourmet Vanilla Dymatize protein powder

1/4 C fresh Blueberries

1/2 C Unsweetened Vanilla Silk Almond Milk

1 Stevia packet

* Pour all ingredients into your Ninja or Magic Bullet, blend & enjoy!!

~ Keep in mind that if you use a different brand if yogurt, milk or protein powder you will have to adjust the nutritional content!! ~ 

 

A Mid - Week Recipe - Creamy & Cheesy Chicken & Rice

I hope you all are having a great week! 

I did better on my food prep this week & I am so glad! This week I am working late every night & I have some projects that I am  into as well so having my lunch & dinner already prepared has really been a lifesaver for staying on track! I love that when it's time for dinner or I need a healthy snack, all I have to do is grab it thanks to a little planning ahead! Planning ahead can be difficult to do when there are other things going on or that we want to do..... I know because lately I have not been doing so well at it.  But, in the end, it actually saves you time that you can spend doing other things not to mention that it saves your waistline because it's extra challenging to make smart food decisions & eat healthy when you are famished! So, I encourage you, as well as myself, to set aside time to plan & prepare your meals one day each weekend for the week ahead if you aren't already in the habit of doing so! You will be glad you did! I know I always am!

With that in mind, I made this dish so I would have something that made enough to last me all week.  I was craving chicken & rice but the only recipes I came across all had Cream of Mushroom Soup which isn't exactly healthy & is really packed with sodium!
So, I came up with one using...... of course.....plain nonfat Greek yogurt (& some other things)! It turned out pretty tasty & healthy dinner worthy!

Creamy & Cheesy Chicken & Rice

You need:

1 lb chicken breast - cut into cubes & then cook in a skillet on the 

stove using cooking oil spray

1 Boil In A Bag Brown Rice - cooked & drained

2 containers of Oikos plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1/4 C Organic (or low sodium) Chicken Broth

2 C Broccoli Florets - steamed & drained ( I chopped mine up a little

 because the pieces were large)

1/2 C 2% Mozzarella Cheese - shredded kind

*Seasoning- I used the following seasonings to taste so I am just going to tell you what I used & you can use as much as you like to get the desired taste for you or you can use different seasonings altogether! This is a really simple & basic dish that would be hard to mess up!

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Basil

Parsley

Salt Substitute

Pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 11 casserole dish with cooking spray & spread rice in the bottom.  In a large bowl, empty Greek yogurt & get is seasoned the way you like it. Then stir cooked chicken into the seasoned yogurt mixture & spread over the rice. Sprinkle cheese on top & bake until it's all melted! It doesn't take that long to get done because all your ingredients are already cooked! 

Tip!! I stirred 1 Tbsp of salsa in with mine to give it a kick!

*Now, keep in mind that I am single when you read the portion size! If you are making this for a family or especially a man that eats a lot, then you may want to double the rice & chicken or just make the portions bigger & adjust the nutritional content!
*Makes 6 servings. Per serving- 187 calories, 15 carbs & 28 grams of protein!

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!

Wednesday is Operation: Smoothie

Happy Wednesday! 

How are you doing on the weekly challenge of 20 push ups a day?!  Did you check out the Syra Namaskar A video on Yogaglo I posted Monday? How about Pinterest.....did you pin any of my recipes?! I want to hear feedback from you!! Please feel free to message me or comment on any posts!!

 I really really look forward to Wednesday's Operation: Smoothie blog because I get to try out a new smoothie recipe & then I get to blog about it! I was a little undecided on what kind to make today because I have been dying to make a green smoothie but I want to learn more about them before I go there so I went with plan B which was to satisfy a caramel apple pie craving I had going on!  (I have those a lot, I know!) It came out sooooo good! If I had crushed low fat graham cracker crumbs  to sprinkle on top it would have been like drinking homemade apple pie! Mmmmmmm!!!

Without further ado...... here is the recipe!

Caramel Apple Pie Protein Smoothie

1 C Unsweetened Almond Milk

 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder

1 tsp sugar free Torani Caramel syrup

1 Tbsp natural no sugar added applesauce

1 Tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 Stevia packet

a couple of dashes of apple pie seasoning & a couple of dashes of cinnamon

1 C ice

*Throw into Ninja & blend until smooth! I sprinkled a dash of Nutmeg on top of mine for extra flavor & to make it picture perfect! ;)

*This Operation: Smoothie case is closed at 140 calories, 5 carbs & 20 grams of protein!

 

TGI Love Fabulous Food Friday!

Another week is behind us! It is so hard to believe that Mother's Day is this weekend! This year is flying by! I feel like I have spent a lot of it in the gym & in the kitchen! But, I am a healthier person because I have remained faithful to my health & fitness goals & that makes me proud! 

I just want to continue to learn & grow & strive toward positive changes in myself that I can share with others around me!

In this pre - Mother's Day post I bring you 3 really great treats! You are going to LOVE THESE!!!! I could hardly wait to write this blog!! I love trying new recipes that end up blowing your expectations out of the water don't you?! So, let's start with 2 variations of completely clean & totally easy ICE CREAM!!!!! Yes, you read that right! Actually, I think the second one tastes more like a sorbet / sherbert than ice cream but that's the same family, right?! They are both totally awesome! I got the first recipe from a page I follow on Facebook called Lean Body Lifestyle. And his recipe inspired me to try to make a more tropical, sorbet-ish version! And here they both are!

The recipe for both is the same but with different ingredients. You need to freeze your fruit overnight. For the Chocolate Banana Ice Cream you need 2 frozen bananas. For the Tropical Twist Sorbet I used about 4 oz of fresh frozen pineapples & 2 large frozen strawberries. You just take your frozen fruit, chop it up, throw it in your Ninja, add a couple of Tbsp of unsweetened almond milk to start & continue adding til you get it to the right consistency. I think I used about 4 total. And 1 Tbsp of Stevia. Blend it all up to ice cream consistency & when you get it there you can throw it in the freezer for a little while before eating it or eat it right then! The nutritional content will depend on how much fruit you use & how many servings you make out of it!

Seriously y'all........ you can't beat this as a completely GUILT FREE alternative to ice cream! And I am telling you......cross my heart & hope to die, stick a needle in my eye & pinkie swear that these actually taste REALLY GOOD!!!!!

For the final recipe that makes me wanna shout TGI Love Fabulous Food I give you another great, healthy & totally clean  snack!

Take a container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt, stir in 1 Tbsp Stevia & 1 Tbsp of natural peanut butter & coat chunks of sliced apples then take 1/2 Tbs natural peanut butter & heat it up so it's thin enough to drizzle & drizzle it over your yogurt covered apple chunks. Pop in the freezer until the yogurt & peanut butter has hardened & you have the perfect little frozen sweet snack! You can keep em in your freezer & just have a little frozen yogurt apple bite whenever you feel the urge!

 How ya like them apples?????? ;)





 

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!

TGI Love Fabulous Food Friday!

TGIF!!!!

It's the second edition of my TGI Love Fabulous Food Friday! Each Friday I will post 1 easy meal recipe & 1 snack recipe that I ate that week! 

No matter what mood I am in, whether I am stressed, happy, bored, pumped up after a good workout or any of the other 42 moods I can be in........ I am either thinking about something to cook or I am in the kitchen cooking it! This week was no exception! I had a little bit of a stressful start to my week & ....... guess what?! I took it out in my kitchen! It's a stress reliever for me! But, I made some pretty tasty food so..... all is well!

Now, without further ado, on to the first recipe...... 

 Mexican Pizza

1 low carb, high fiber tortilla round

1/8 C  Vegetarian re - fried beans

2 oz grilled chicken breast - cut into strips

fresh tomato sliced into chunks

2 Tbsp sliced black olives

1Tbs diced red bell pepper

1/8 C 2 % or fat free cheddar cheese grated

*Spray the tortilla shell & bake until it's slightly crispy but not too hard before adding the toppings then bake again until the cheese is melted!
*You can use whatever toppings you like! I just listed the ones that I used on the one pictured!
It was Muy delicioso!

Now, for the snack recipe! I am LOVING this for a post workout snack or anytime you want something easy & protein PACKED!!!!!  This recipe is a GEM on the macro nutrient scale!!! ! I call it a .........

Protein Power  Pan - Crepe

Filling:

* 1/4 C 2% lower sodium cottage cheese- sweeten  (if desired)

with a Stevia packet & a dash of cinnamon & set aside.

Pan - Crepe:

2 egg whites

1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

1 Tbsp Stevia

1 Tbsp H2O

*Put all ingredients in your shaker & shake until well blended. Then pour all of  it into a heated skillet & cook until just firm enough to flip. Then flip & cook until it's golden.

*Then spread cottage cheese onto one side, fold over & eat! 

* You can use whatever you like for the filling such as Greek yogurt or any natural nut butter or even fruit for example! You can also use chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla! And for another idea..... you could double the recipe, pour them into smaller sizes & eat them like pancakes with sugar free syrup or whatever toppings 

you like when you eat regular pancakes!

*This recipe rings the post workout, protein packed snack bell at 

77.5 calories, 5 carbs & 18 grams of protein!

(Nutritional content will vary depending on your protein powder!)

TGI Love Fabulous Food!!!

TGIF!!!!!! 

I have really been meaning to do a post on my birthday so I thought I would kick off my TGI Love Fabulous Food series with the food highlights & a few pictures from the party so you can meet a few people that are closest to me in life!
 I had a tropical themed party so I tried to keep the food I made tropical-y! Most (not all) of it was clean & healthy & all of it was vacation - worthy good! 

Fruit Tree

 I made my first ever Fruit Tree. I served 2 yummy fruit dips, margarita flavored salsa with corn tortilla chips & Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Salad. The highlight of the food (for me) was the Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Salad I made that ended up evolving into another even greater recipe the next week! I actually entered it in a recipe contest that is going on right now on Facebook!  I am posting the recipe for it below! You have got to try it! It is really really good!

Fruit Dips

 I made  both of the fruit dips with plain nonfat Greek yogurt as the base ingredient & for one I blended almond butter, cocoa powder & Stevia for a clean, rich fruit dip & the other I stirred in a 2 qt packet of Pineapple Mango Crystal Light drink mix! Crystal Light may not be considered "clean" but I still love it & use it all the time! It made a yummy & super low calorie fruit dip! And you can use any flavor you like!

 Now, on to the main event! 

Pine - A - Hawaiian Summer Sliders

*These little sliders are the perfect thing to serve at all the outdoor cookouts we will all be hosting or attending with the warm weather approaching! Or when you just want to bring a little bit of the tropics into a drab week! After all..... our mouths deserve a vacation too! And nothing tastes more like vacation than pineapple!
You will need:
1) 4 oz roasted chicken breast
2) 2 Tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt
3) 1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
4) 1 packed tsp Splenda brown sugar blend
5) 1/2 tsp lemon juice
6) 2 oz fresh pineapple cut into chunks
7) 4 Tbsp Salsa- I used magarita flavored (optional)
8) 4 whole grain slider buns
*Shred cooled chicken & set aside. In a small dish, mix the creamy part (ingredients 2 - 5), then stir the shredded chicken into it until it is well covered. Next, fold the pineapple chucks in & spread onto 4 slider buns. Top w 1 Tbsp of Salsa & serve!
(Could also be served as a dip with whole grain crackers!)
*Nutritional content: per sandwich-150 calories/20 carbs/11.5 grams of protein.
Pine - A - Hawaiian spread alone (whole batch)-
201.25 calories/12.63 carbs/26 grams of protein.
Those are the food highlights from my 35th tropical themed birthday party! It was really fun to decorate everything up & have a theme to base the food around! I will definitely be doing the tropical theme for cookouts in the warm weather & am pondering what other themes I would love to center a get together around! I  hope you all enjoy the pictures & let me know if you make any of the recipes & how you like them!

Sweet Hawaiian Pineapple Glazed Chicken

TGIF!!!!!

 I have to say that my week has been pretty good! I felt a little off track after having so much going on last weekend but I made it through & am looking forward to the weekend! I had a lot of fruit left over this week & that is unusual for me! I love love love fruit! Don't get me wrong! I used to eat it ALL the time!!!!! Like...... when I say all the time, I mean ALL THE TIME!!!!! Like, I made entire meals off of just fruit!  It really helped me lose weight & keep it off! But, it is high in carbs & there is so much debate on it in the fitness industry that I don't really eat it all that much anymore because I have been too scared that it would interfere with me seeing the results I have wanted to see in my body. But, lately, I have to be honest...... I have really been thinking about incorporating more fruit back into my diet. I am learning to love myself for who I am & in a place where I just want to be fit & healthy! I will more than likely never have six pack abs but I am ok with that! It doesn't mean I don't envy people that have them or that I will cut my workouts short or not work out as hard or anything like that......I just mean that things like light cheese or fruit for example that a lot of people avoid when getting super toned are still really good food choices & are have never stood in the way of me staying slim. In fact, things like light string cheese & grapes are what HELPED me get thin! All kinds of foods have their important places in each of our daily diets! Not to mention that everyone has different goals & dietary needs. You have to make food choices that are right for you & your goals & I have to do the same. The same thing goes for exercise. I am not a fitness model...... I am just a healthy & fit girl who wants to look & feel as healthy as I can & stay that way as long as I can!  Now, that being said...... let me move on to the yum factor of the post 'cause this dish totally was!!!!!

Having all the fruit around has inspired & helped me make a couple of new things this week! This is one of them! It would be good on a bed of brown rice too but I chose the carbs from the pineapple...... both would have been too many for me.

 

Sweet Hawaiian Pineapple Glazed Chicken 

Cut fresh pineapple into several chunks & set aside. 

For the glaze :

2 Tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 Tbs dijon mustard

 1 packed tsp of brown sugar Splenda

 1/4 tsp lemon juice

Mix in a little bowl. 

(Makes a great spread or dip too!)

*I preheated my toaster oven to 350 & lined my pan with aluminum foil & curled the sides up around my thinly sliced fresh chicken breasts so that the 

glaze would stay on & around them.

Spread the glaze on top of each breast then place pineapple chunks on top

 & around & bake until done!

I don't know about you but there are few things in this world that are tastier than grilled or baked pineapple! This is definitely one of my new favorite things to make! Especially since, after making it at my party last weekend, I can take the leftover chicken & make Pineapple Chicken Salad again! YUMMM!!!!!! I know, I know...... I need to post the recipe for it too! But, for now.....bring a little vacation to your taste buds with this recipe! 

*I ate steamed veggies sprinkled with Mrs. Dash lemon pepper seasoning on the side with mine! I am not even going to get started with how addicted I am to that stuff! 

A Fruit Dip Recipe

I know it's been since last week since I blogged & I feel like a total slacker for being so behind! I have been without a camera (other than the one on my phone) for almost 2 weeks now & it's really making blogging challenging! I want to do a birthday blog but until I get it all together I thought I would go ahead & blog something simple so you would all know I haven't given up blogging or fallen off the face of the planet or any of that jazz!
I don't know about you but I've been on a peanut butter kick lately! Like..... I could just open the jar & eat it if it weren't for the fat & calories that would most certainly show up on on my belly!! So, I have been allowing myself 1 tbsp almost every day for awhile now as my healthy fat & a healthy indulgence. I mean all natural, nothing added peanut butter by the way....the real stuff!
Tonight I needed a good, filling snack so I made a clean fruit dip & ate it with an apple. I had leg day at the gym today which means a higher carb day but I only had around 6 carbs for dinner so I figured an apple around 6 pm wouldn't hurt!

Clean PB Fruit Dip

1/2 c plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 tbsp natural peanut butter

1 tbsp Stevia

*mix it all together in a bowl & enjoy with a serving of whatever fruit you choose!!

*dip only-160 calories, 7.5 carbs & 13.5 grams of protein

A Busy Week & An Omelet On Wednesday.....

Happy Thursday everyone! Have you missed me?! I have been MIA the past couple of days because I am trying to get my back patio ready for my upcoming birthday party next weekend! As I am sure most of you already know..... outside work is tough stuff! It'll show you what you're made of, that's for sure! I have moved (with the help of my mom) 200 concrete stones, laid five 40 lb bags of rock, planted flowers in several pots, hung wind chimes, sun catchers & lights, spray painted & hand painted like you wouldn't believe! I even hand painted a fairy statue that turned out super pretty! I am happy to say that the patio is almost all done,  but not yet! I will be posting pictures when it is so you all can see!
So, Tuesday I did my Jillian Michael's DVD Killer Buns & Thighs instead of my normal leg day at the gym & yesterday I just worked outside & didn't go to the gym at all! Gasp! ......But it's not like I sat around eating Twinkie's all day watching Seinfeld (I would NEVER do either, by the way!) Other than having lunch with my dear friend Miranda before she moves away, I worked outside all day, so I know I got a good all over workout!
I still miss my gym routine though! As soon as I am done blogging I am headed to the gym for arms, abs & cardio!  Then tomorrow I will be back in the gym for legs!
Due to running around like Tigger, I have been in the kitchen a lot less than usual this week, which has been kind of nice but then kind of haphazard when I am ready to eat because I don't have my food prepared, I don't have  a lot to choose from to make & whatever I eat, needs to be ready fast so I can get back at it! So, last night, since eggs are a favorite dinner food for me anyway, I decided on an omelet! I always pride myself on making a pretty omelet because I remember the days when it seemed the pans would never let me master the perfect omelet technique! I would lose agonize, cry & lose sleep wondering if I would ever be able to serve myself lest anyone else........the perfect omelet! .....ok, it wasn't really THAT dramatic but it was important! It still is! Every time I start to make one, I still doubt myself in the beginning!...... but then.......I look at my eggs in the pan bubbling & firming up & I realize.......nah! I still got it! And what's even greater about the omelet is that it's so versatile! Like the little black dress in your closet...... Yes, it's the same dress just hanging there on the hanger, but when you pair it with your favorite accessories & voila! It takes on a whole new look every time! Same as the omelet! Sure you can have just a plain cheese omelet.......it has it's time & place....... but why stop there?? Accessorize your omelet sister!!! Fill it with tasty, clean foods like grilled chicken breast, lean ground turkey or beef, broccoli, sweet peas, peppers, onions, tomatoes, any flavor of low fat cheese or anything else that you think goes great with eggs! You can top with nonfat Greek yogurt, salsa or even a healthier ketchup (Warning-ketchup on eggs if for serious eggers only!)!  You are the chef & it's your kitchen so have it your way! Just keep it clean! So, there is an egg-tastic idea for  dinner tonight or breakfast in the morning! Sometimes, when I feel especially motivated, I make 2 omelets & put the second one in a container to have the next day & believe it or not, a second day omelet is just as good as the first after you heat it! Eggs are a great source of protein & so low in calories! I usually make my eggs with 1 whole & either 2 or 3 whites. I never eat more than 1 whole egg a day but you can enjoy as many whites as you like! They are so figure friendly you may even want to eat them while WEARING your little black dress!

Strawberry Cream Protein Muffins

Sundays I usually wake up with pancakes on the brain...... but this morning, I opted for muffins instead since it has been awhile since I have made any. I wanted to make a healthy, crumbly topping for them but that's going to take some looking into & I was ready to eat so I whipped up a creamy spreadable topping instead! I ate 1 of these scrumptious muffins with my eggs this morning & it was really, really moist & good! A perfect carb option for breakfast that anybody you cook for in your house will love! ......I know my mom did! Here is the recipe!

Strawberry Cream Protein Muffins

muffin batter:

2 c oat flour

1 c stevia

1 c fresh or frozen (but de-thawed) strawberries

1/2 c unsweetened almond milk

1/2 c applesauce

3 egg whites

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

 1 tsp baking soda 

1/4 tsp salt

cream topping:

3 tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 tbsp fat free strawberry cream cheese

1 tbsp stevia

*Preheat oven to 350.

*Blend dry ingredients - oat flour (grind first if you make them homemade like I do), stevia, protein powder, baking powder & salt together. Then add wet ingredients - applesauce, egg whites, almond milk strawberries to the dry ingredients & blend well. Batter is kinda pink.

Pour into 12 regular sized muffin tray that has been sprayed with butter cooking spray. Bake until toothpick comes out clean! Do not overbake! Cooking with appleasauce & stevia is tricky! It is crucial to take your stuff out before it overbakes so your food isn't dry!

*For cream topping - In a small bowl mix all ingredients with a fork until well blended. Spread a tad on top of each muffin then granish with a slice of strawberry to make em pretty-ful & more yummy-ful! 

*Each sweet little strawberry muffin taps the breakfast bell at 70 calories, 11.25 carbs & 4.5 grams of protein!

(Remember that the nutritional contents posted are accurate for the specific ingredients I use. Using different protein powder, milk or anything else you use that is different will require adjusting the nutritional contents!)

A Decadently Sweet Dinner

 

Whew! I had a busy last couple of days! I have to confess that I did great on preparing my lunch & having my protein bars made but I was not prepared on my dinners this week! And..... I am in need of a Kroger run.......so, when I got done with work tonight I wanted something with some substance to it & something tasty! I had peanut butter on the brain & though about just having a pb protein smoothie but I know how I am & sometimes a protein smoothie can leave me feeling unsatisfied...... even if it was filling...... because when I am hungry, I want something I can sink my teeth into & actually CHEW! I'm weird I guess. Anyway, I popped a whole grain protein waffle (these are always a life saver to have in the fridge!) in the toaster & topped it with 1 tbsp of pb & 1 tbsp of sugar free grape jelly & made a strawberry protein smoothie with 1/2 c plain nonfat greek yogurt, water, ice, stevia & a dash of a strawberry crystal light pack! I gotta say.......it was really good &  totally hit the spot! It's not something I would eat every night since it was a heavier dinner than I am used to eating, but I had a hard workout earlier & didn't get in my calories during the day today so that's ok! It was still low carb & packed with protein!  It's nice to know when faced with the challenge of not having a lot in my pantry or fridge that I can still find something HEALTHY  & FAST to throw together! It's proof that eating healthy doesn't have to be complicated or a lot of work! 

It's All Greek To Me!.....or is it?!

So, you're at the grocery store standing in front of the yogurt section....... you aren't completely new to eating healthy, but you aren't really much of a label reader either. You reach for a popular Greek yogurt that you have seen on TV since Greek yogurt is all the rage right now & go on about finishing your grocery shopping. You feel healthier already knowing you've made a better decision by not grabbing yogurt with the granola on top, but ........ not so fast! Have you read the label on the "healthy" Greek yogurt you just threw in your buggy?! The carb content?! The sugar?! Did you really make a healthier choice? You see, all Greek yogurt is not the same. You have all heard the saying "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" right?  Well, the same goes for food too. And the "real fruit" in the bottom? Have you ever seen real fruit covered in syrup? I haven't! All Greek yogurt is NOT created equal! Most of them are nothing more than sugary treats wrapped up in "healthy" looking containers because he makers of these products know that most people trust the front of the label that says Greek, light, low fat, low sodium, naturally sweetened, whole grain, etc. & will never turn them around & actually ready the nutritional content....... & if you do, you won't make it past the calories content. And, if they keep that low enough, the product is sold! So, if you haven't started reading labels yet, now is a great time to start!!!
Your best option when buying yogurt is most definitely Greek for it's many health benefits. Just make sure you choose one that is plain & nonfat. You can sweeten it yourself with Stevia & real fresh fruit. My favorite brand is Fage (shown above) 2%. It's thick & creamy & has 150 calories, 8 carbs & 20 grams of protein per container! You can use Greek yogurt for lots of different things! I use it in place of mayo in tuna, as sour cream on fajitas or a potato, I make a honey mustard dip with 1 tbs of Greek yogurt & 2 tsp of honey mustard, throw 1 tbsp in with your eggs to make them creamy, use it to make protein shakes........ be creative! Stir in Stevia & cinnamon,  a tsp of honey, 1 tbsp of peanut butter & 1 tsp of cocoa powder, your favorite sugar free jelly, cinnamon, fresh fruit or another thing I love to do with mine is pour a container into a small bowl first thing in the morning & put 1/4 to 1/2 a serving of frozen fruit (not the kind in syrups.....whole natural frozen fruit) on top, then put a lid on it & stick it back in the fridge til after my workout mid morning or to have right after lunch. By the time I eat it, the fruit has thawed & the juice can be mixed into the yogurt & it is soooo good! And you know it's real fruit & naturally sweetened! ............What can be sweeter than that?!
Click on the link below to read all about the health benefits of eating Greek yogurt in an article from Livestrong.com.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/300164-what-are-the-benefits-of-eating-greek-yogurt/