Gluten-Free, Hormone Balancing, Energy Giving Peanut Butter Protein Bars & a Treadmill HIIT Workout
A tragic thing happened yesterday: I went to the Grocery store and they were completely out of my beloved Perfect Foods Bars. The horror. How was I to survive? I stood there and stared at the empty display case where my besties once lived for a good 30 seconds.
I pulled myself together and decided that I would try my hand at making a homemade version of PFB. Honestly, I love the Perfect Foods Bar and compared to a lot of bars out there they really are full of goodness, but there are two ingredients that kinda bug me: 1. The non fat milk powder is not organic and I would prefer a dairy-free bar. 3. The egg white powder is also not organic. However, they taste amazing and I have tried to recreate this amazing-ness a few times and failed, so I was a little skeptical on the possibility of recreating my beloved. Well, I gotta say I have come pretty darn close. My bars are not as tasty, but Lawd they will do.
Without Further adieu I bring you: Gluten-Free, Hormone Balancing Energy Giving Peanut Butter Protein Bars.
I basically used The Blonde Pony Tail’s recipe for No Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars as my jumping off point then merged it with my balls recipe.
The Goods:
- 2c organic, crunchy natural peanut butter (this ended up being the entire jar)
- 3/4c raw honey
- 1/2c maple syrup
- 2c chocolate protein powder- I used Thorne’s Vegilite
- 1/4c chia seeds
- 1/4c maca
- 1/4c unsweetened almond milk
How To:
- Heat peanut butter, honey and maple syrup in an a small sauce pan on low for 2-5 min
- mix the dry ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl
- add peanut butter, honey & maple syrup to dry goods and stir while adding bits of the almond milk at a time
- after the ingredients are fully combined, spread evenly in a 3qt baking dish
- allow to harden in refrigerator overnight then cut and serve
*serving will vary on how big you want the bars to be. I sliced them into 16 different bars.
*store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Good Lord these are good.
I enjoyed one with a green smoothie after a run and sweaty yoga sculpt class today. They definitely hit da spot. #nomnom
Yesterday, Burt got the left over peanut butter jar:
Dog loves peanut butter.
And for giggles here is the treadmill HIIT I did on Saturday that got me good and schweaty.
Time Speed
And with that I am off. happy Monday!!
Banana, Peanut Butter Protein Muffins
Howdy and Happy Monday!
In lieu of my Operation Muscle Excavation mission, I decided to make a protein packed treat that will appease my sweet tooth and appetite. I had a ripe banana staring at me, so I decided to sleuth the ‘net for a protein packed banana bread recipe. I found this Banana Bread Protein Muffins from Dashing Dish and made a few tweaks.
Here is what my recipe looked like:
Banana, Peanut Butter Protein Muffins
*makes 12
The Goods:
- 1.5 very ripe bananas (medium in size)
- 2 eggs
- 6oz of Siggi’s 0% Vanilla yogurt (you could also use any plain Greek yogurt)
- 1/2 c oat flour
- 1/4 almond meal
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder ( I used plant fusion- my fave to bake with)
- 2T maple syrup (grade B is best for nutrient content)
- 1/4c peanut butter chips (could also use chocolate chips, but this would take the peanut butter out of this recipe)
- 1T unsweetened almond milk
- 1t baking soda
- 1t baking powder
- 1/2t cinnamon
- 1t vanilla extract
How To:
- Pre heat oven to 350
- Mash banana in a medium size bowl with a fork
- Place the rest of the ingredients (except peanut butter chips) in a bowl and stir until smooth (a few banana lumps is fine)
- Fold in peanut butter chips
- Line muffin tin with paper liners or grease with coconut oil
- Divide mixture evenly between 12 regular size muffin tin.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes- or until toothpick comes out clean
Hassle-Free, Healthy Eats
This post is for those people out there who think that eating healthy is only reserved for the few disciplined beings who make it in to the very secret, very elite club of healthy eaters. Or maybe this post is for people who already know the secret code and they could use a few simple eats to add to their repertoire. On any note, allow me to grant you access (whether you want it or not) into this exclusive club.
Allow me to start with my healthy eating manifesto:
1. Healthy eating does not equal punishment inducing food. I assure you there are oodles of healthy eats that taste real good. damn good.
2. Healthy eating does not equal hours slaving away in the kitchen and food preparation. I rarely create a meal that takes longer than 10 minutes. I realize this blog could lead you to believe otherwise, when I do spend a good amount of time in the kitchen I feel the need to document it and present it to the world, so it is very convenient that I have this blog.
3. Healthy eating does not equal a dogmatic set of rules in which there are no indulgences. In fact indulgences are a must.
Without Further adieu, here are list hassle-free healthy eats that I consume on a regular basis:
I always begin my day with lemon water:
I cheat and use pre squeezed lemon juice- it is way easier and a wee bit less expensive than buying 7 lemons. Keep in mind this pre-sqeezed lemon juice is not the same as concentrate. This lemon juice is the real deal.
Why start the day with lemon juice? Well… It is a tastier way to drink water and it offers a few health benefits like alkalizing the body and promoting digestion as well as boosting a good amount of vitamin C.
Breakfast:
I generally bounce between:
Perfect Foods Bar and Coffee w/ a dash of nut milk of choice.
or 1/2 Ezekiel tortilla w/ 1T nut butter, 1/2 banana and a wee bit of honey.
Both of these breakfasts take under 5 minutes to prepare and leave me full for a good 2-3 hours. Woot!
Lunch:
every lunch includes a green drink
My current green drink obsession: Super Easy. Super Tasty. Super Nutritious.
- 1/2c organic orange juice
- 1/2c coconut water
- 1 small hunk of fresh ginger
- 1/4 of a frozen banana
- 3-4c mixed kale & spinach combo
- 2t Douglas Laboratories Detox Powder (optional)
- 1/2t matcha (optional)
- dash of cinnamon
- 3-5 ice cubes
With my green drink I usually eat 2 Energy Giving, Hormone Balancing Protein balls. I usually make a batch of these once every 1.5 weeks. They take about 5 minutes to create.
or I eat a plant powered protein wrap
1/2 ezekiel wrap w/ a few beans, 1/4 of avocado, a few hemp seeds & topped with hot sauce, nutritional yeast and and garlic salt.
With either of these meals, I am in and out of the kitchen in under 15 minutes.
Snack:
Snacks are kinda all over the place, but I try to make them more protein based, so I am not famished for dinner. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t
Vanilla Siggi’s with 1T dark chocolate chips or 1T ground flaxseed
My other go to snack is the avocado & egg mash:
Avocado & egg salad = 1/4 medium avocado, 1 hard boiled egg, small scoop of honey mustard (approx 1t), dash of sea salt, fresh ground pepper, & curry powder.
Sometimes I have a few crackers on the side, or if I am really on top of my game I have a few pieces of roasted squash.
Dinner:
is almost always some version of a bowls of steamed greens
I usually take my pick from one these guys:
I then top with, nut or seeds, sometimes a little seaweed, raisins or cranberries, beans, canned salmon or a veggie burger, & hot sauce nutritional yeast, garlic salt and spicy vegan cashew sauce (I make batch of this stuff once a week)
Ta da:
one of many bowls. More often than not, my husband and moi get home late from work, so we need something that we can throw together fast and these bowls are fast, satisfying and nutritious. Who says you need to spend hours in the kitchen to create healthy eats?!
Dessert:
oh how I love dessert. Dessert is usually one (or more) of the fellas below followed by a glass of vino. yumsicles.
On a really good day:
During the week, I really do not set aside a lot of time for cooking, but I still want to eat well, enjoy the heck out of it and not dish out oodles of money to do so. I really believe you can eat healthy with out slaving away, going broke or compromising taste. I hope these ideas help you out in a pinch.
Loves,
Kelli
What I Ate Wednesday
It has been a minute since I have done a WIAW.
Thank you Miss Jenn for hosting da food porn party.
I finally remembered to snap pictures of nearly all of my eats yesterday. I am starting to try to do this more to bring a little mindfulness back into my eating. So far, I have gone to the freezer out of frustration to grab “just a few” dark chocolate covered almonds and realized that I really didn’t feel like taking a picture of them, so I refrained from consumption. However, there are times when a few chips or bites of a cookie fall into my mouth and I simply can not take a photo. I am a victim.
Anyway, here are the majority of yesterday’s eats minus the bites of cookie and chips I am referring to above.
Breakfast:
My favorite breakfast of all time. I took a break from these delights, but I am back on the PFB train.
Lunch/ Post Workout Eats:
My favorite green smoothie creation as of late:
- 3/4c carrot juice
- 1/4c apple juice
- 1-3T lime juice (I love sour, so I tend to go more for 3T)
- 3C mixed greens (usually baby romaine, spinach & kale)
- a small hunk of fresh ginger (note the ginger in the pic is not the size I used)
- 1/2t matcha
- 2t Douglas Laboratories Ultra Tox (detox powder)
- dash of cinnamon
- 3-5 frozen mango hunks
- 3-5 ice cubes
Holy Yum Granola
Lately I have been feigning for a good granola. I had it at a coffee shop for breakfast a few weekends ago and I am still trying to recreate the experience. While I am still missing the swanky ambience the coffee shop provided I do think I recreated the effect the granola had on my tastebuds. This granola is so textured and it is perfectly sweet (in my opinion). I love the hint of coconut too. Obsessed. Without further adieu, I bring you Holy Yum Granola….
The Goods:
- 1/4c flaxseeds ( I left them whole)
- 1/4c Chia seeds
- 1/3c Quinoa (rinsed or use truroots sprouted quinoa like I did)
- 1/2c Millet (rinsed)
- 1c Oats (I used Gluten-Free oats, but regular will work well too)
- 1/4c shredded coconut
- 1/3c cranberries or raisins
- 3T mini chocolate chips (optional)
- 1/4c pecans (chopped)
- 1/4c sunflower butter
- 1/4c raw honey (could also use maple syrup or agave)
- 2T coconut oil
- 1t vanilla
- Pre-heat oven to 300
- Rinse Quinoa and Millet, pat dry with towel or paper towel
- Combine Sunflower Butter, Coconut Oil, & Vanillla in a small saucepan and heat on low-med for 3-5minutes
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well
- Pour saucepan of goodness over the dry ingredients and stir until fully coated
- spread mixture on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Bake for 30 minutes- stirring every 10 minutes
Christmas Trees, a New Breakfast and a Schweaty Workout
Howdy and Happy Monday. I hope all had a swell weekend. We had a pretty low key one, which was superb. After much debate we decided to get a Christmas tree and I am so glad we did. For some reason decorating for the holidays has always seemed to overwhelm me. We kept it simple: a tree, a stand and two strands of lights were purchased.
Burt throughly enjoys the latest addition to our abode
Our house smells like Christmas, now I kinda want some bulbs for that beauty. I do believe I could get into this holiday decoration thing. I am seriously thinking of purchasing a cinnamon candle today.
Breakfast this AM was inspired by a breakfast I had at a coffee shop yesterday.
It began with a (1/4c) Museli + 1T chia seeds + 1/2c Unsweetened almond milk. Let stand for at least 10 minutes
add 1/4c of your favorite dry cereal (i opted for Erewhon’s Hemp & Buckwheat flakes)
top with a wee bit of apple, banana, a drizzle of maple syrup & 1/4c unsweetened almond milk
enjoy with a vat of coffee
This breakfast was pretty darn awesome and kept me full for hours. It also fueled this workout:
Schweaty Workout
Treadmill HIIT Pyramid
5 min @ 4.0 @ 1.0 incline
5 min @ 6.1 @1.0 incline
1 min @ 6.0 @ 1.0 incline
1 min @6.5 @ 1.0 incline
1 min @ 7.0 @ 1.0 incline
1 min @ 7.5 @1.0 incline
30 seconds @ 8.0 @ 1.0 incline
30 seconds @ 8.0 @ 1.5 incline
1 min @ 7.5 @ 1.5 incline
1 min @ 7.0 @ 1.5 incline
1 min @ 6.5 @ 1.5 incline
1 min @ 6.0 @ 1.5 incline
1 min @ 6.1 @ 1.0 incline
1 min @ 6.1 @ 5.0 incline
30 second rest
45 seconds @ 6.1 @ 6.0 incline
30 second rest
45 seconds @ 6.1 @ 7.0 incline
30 second rest
45 seconds @ 6.1 @ 8.0 incline
30 second rest
45 seconds @ 6.2 @ 8.0 incline
30 second rest
45 seconds @ 6.2 @ 7.0 incline
30 second rest
45 seconds @ 6.2 @ 6.0 incline
30 second rest
1 min @ 6.2 @ 5.0 incline
30 second rest
2 min @ 6.1 @ 1.0 incline
3 min @ 4.0 @ 1.0 incline
If this looks confusing I agree, but I assure it is not. The first part of this beast is a speed HIIT and the second part is an incline HIIT. Got it?
I finished this workout with this arm workout from the Tone It Up ladies and 3 sets of squat jacks and a few yoga stretches. I was good and schweaty.
Happy Monday!
A Divine Beauty Elixir and a New Protein Powder Love
For the past couple of months I have been starting the day with an elixir inspired by a drink in the Tone It Up community. I bring you the divine, beauty elixir.
The goods:
How to:
Combine 2T apple cider vinegar with 2T lemon juice a dash of cayenne & cinnamon and 8-10oz warm water.
What makes this a divine beauty elixir?
Pros:
The lemon juice & warm water stimulates digestion and helps sir liver detoxify a wee bit.
Apple Cider vinegar- stimulates circulation and aids in detoxification. It also helps lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and helps to control blood sugar. Stable blood sugar = great for diabetics & weight loss.
Cayenne- is anti-flamatory, helps to break up mucus (great for cold season), mildly anti-fungal, and helps to stimulate digestion. Is there nothing this gem can’t do?
Cinnamon- helps to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol, mildly anti-fungal and helps to stabilize blood sugar- again great for diabetics & weight loss.
It warms me up and I like the taste of it, but I like sour tasting goods. If sour isn’t your thing you could had a wee bit of raw, organic honey, which also stimulates digestion and is anti-fungal.
Cons:
Keith thinks it “smells like throw-up” (his words not mine) and I think it smells like apple juice, so consider yourself warned that this may not be the kinda drink that you want to drink all day long. Although you might….
True Story:
Honestly, I haven’t noticed any revolutionary changes from consuming this miracle bevi, but I was taking my supplements with warm water and lemon juice anyway, so I decided to kick it up a notch. Who can’t use a little extra blood stabilizing and liver detoxing?
In other news:
I fell in love with Vega’s protein powder:
I have been on the prowl for a protein powder that does not contain any naughty ingredients and doesn’t taste like chalk. Vega is the big winner in my book. Vega (sort of recently) re formulated their powders and I definitely like the new formulation. I made the best smoothie with the above packet. It gave me oodles of energy too.
In this fella:
- 1/2c coconut water
- 1/2c unsweetened almond milk
- 1 packet of Vega’s almondilla powder
- 1/2 frozen banan
- 1T sunflower butter
- 3-5 ice cubes
Slow Cooked Steel-Cut Oats
Happy Wednesday!!! If the past is any indicator of the future, it is time for another WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday). Woot! If you want to learn more about this craze hop on over to Peas and Crayons to see what other food obsessed foodies are munching on.
I am breaking tradition a little and just displaying what I ate Wednesday for breakfast on this fine Wednesday because I can and it is a good one.
For the past couple of mornings I have been craving steel cut oats. However, I wake up ravenous, so waiting 30 minutes for these gems to cook is not an option. Last night, I put a stop to this madness. I went over to Abby’s blog and looked up her recipe for Over Night Steel-Cut Apple Pie Oats, which involves prepping the night before, so I can wake up to ready-to-eat-steel-cut goodness. Why did I wait so long to do this? This is so easy and so yummsicles. Per usual, I switched up the recipe a wee bit, here is what my version looked like.
The Goods:
- 1c steel cut oats
- 1.5c apple cider
- 1.5c unsweetened almond milk
- 2T ground flaxseeds
- 1/2t pumpkin pie seasoning
- 1/4t sea salt
- coconut oil for greasing
- Get out your slow cooker and coat the sides with coconut oil
- Put all of the above ingredients in Sir Slow Cooker
- Turn Sir Slow on low and leave go to bed
- Wake up and top with your favorite toppings- I opted for a wee bit of raisins, apple, and raw almond butter, but your options are endless. The world is your oyster.
Millet Puffs and A little inspiration
Millet Puffs, where have you been hiding? While strolling through Whole Foods yesterday I found Millet Puffs. I have never seen these fellas before. They are simply that- just puffed millet- no sugar, preservatives or other naughties. They are not full of flavor, but I wasn’t expecting puffed millet to be bursting with flavor; however, the texture is just like puffed wheat and there is something comforting about that. I enjoyed a bowl this AM with powdered peanut butter, banana and unsweetened almond milk. I am not sure if this will replace my beloved Perfect Foods Bar, but it was a nice change o pace. I invite you to get on the millet puff train.
In other news, I read & loved this blog post this AM. It is a lovely reminder that miracles are all around us everyday.
I had another reminder that miracles are ever present and there is a force greater than is at work at all times: I woke to a text from my best friend that said her fiancé who is a French Man and lives in France got the paperwork that essentially allows them to get married. This may not seem all that miraculous, but if you knew the work they had to do to get that letter and the fact that they met one night in Paris because he missed his train and two of our best friends convinced her to go on that trip, you would see the blatant miracles in this amazing news. Congratulations Lenny and Olivier! I am so proud of you both.
Have miraculous Friday!!
WIAW & Tone It UP
It is that time again….
Another What I ate Wednesday is upon us. This time it really is what I ate/ will be eating on this very fine Wednesday.
Breakfast:
Perfect food bar & coffee w/ whole milk
Side note: I tried to break myself of both the bars and coffee, but neither were successful. Obviously.
Pre Workout Snack:
1 Coco-Roon & handful of kale chips
Both of these were an impulse purchase that were way too expensive, but I was starving and no where near home. I am a victim.
Side note: love the kale chips, not so impressed with the Coco-Roons. Deep thoughts.
Post Workout eats:
Cold Buster Green Smoothie (recipe below) & the cleanest cottage I can get my mitts on. What does that mean exactly, well they get their goods from grass-fed moos (this equals more omega 3′s and less saturated fat), they make their delights in small batches, so all the goods get a good amount of TLC, they use celtic sea salt instead of the other stuff and it is organic. Woot!
In this medley= 1/2c cottage cheese, 2T homemade applesauce (color me Martha), a few drops of stevia, and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. Perfect for refueling after a rather arnold-esque lifting sesh.
After consuming the above creation, I was craving OJ and we had actually had some, so I bring you my latest obsession, THE COLD BUSTING SMOOTHIE. Honestly, no idea if it will bust a cold, but it made me feel dynamite.
The Goods:
- 1c organic, fresh pressed OJ
- 1/3 frozen small banana
- 2-3c spinach
- 2t Douglas Laboratories Detox Powder (totally optional)
- 3-4 ice cubes
- dash of sea salt & cinnamon
How To:
put all of the above goods in a blender, push start.
Onward….
later today I packed some goods to eat at work:
1 hard boiled egg + 1T hummus+ dash of curry & sea salt+a wee bit of honey mustard. Mix them all together and you have a high protein, tasty baby food-esque medley. hmmmm
Also packed some, new to me, Flackers w/ raw almond butter & raw honey
A word about Flackers, they are kinda blah, but the ingredient dec is so superb and they make a tremendous nut butter vehicle, so I would say I am a fan. On another note, please excuse the crusty pics. My camera is having a moment.
I am thinkin’ dinner is going to be a repeat of last night’s delight:
Shredded kale, with roasted root veggies, a drizzle of homemade OJ & EVOO salad dressing then topped with Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie burger & bbq sauce.
A word about Dr. P and his veggie burgers: they taste amazing, but the ingredient dec needs some work. Why does everybody insist on using canola oil. Why?!!
For Dessert: I imagine I will be hitting up my not-so-secret stash of Trader Joe’s dark chocolate covered cherries. If past behavior is any indicator for future behavior this will most definitely be the case.
Now a word about Tone It Up.
If you do not know what tone it up is, you should go here. The ladies that are leading this crusade seem really sweet and dedicated to getting young women to feel their best in their bods and they definitely lead by example. I recently purchased their Beach Babe DVD and I really like it. The workouts integrate yoga, strength training and cardio and they can be done in the comfort of your humble abode. Yesterday, I got on Lance for a solid 35 minutes and did their bikini sculpt workout. I feel like I got a really good stretch and workout in. I also didn’t hate every second of it and I think it really can work with any fitness level. Keep in mind, I am not a fitness expert, so take my words with caution.
And with all of that life altering information, I am out.
Happy Wednesday and if you want to oogle at more eats or participate in WIAW, go here.
