Decadently... Healthy?!

Yes, you read that title right!

I've created (initially based off of and inspired by Jamie Eason) two new desserts/snacks so decadent that you wouldn't even THINK they were healthy if you didn't create them yourself! I mean, I don't wanna toot my own horn, but I PROMISE my family will back me up on this!  Today was my second batch of s'mores protein cake since Sunday... and it's only Wednesday!

I immediately got inspired for something s'mores-related when I found these at Target:

I would've bought these even if they were $400 because they're just that cute! 

Okay, okay, without any further procrastination...

S'mores Protein Bars (... or Cake!)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups oat flour (plain oats ground into a flour texture)
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup Stevia/Splenda/sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
4 (individually-added) tbsp apple sauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
handful of flaxseed (optional... I used 2-4 tbsp)
1/2 cup teeny tiny marshmallows (or mini marshmallows, halved)
1 tbsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Blend oats with protein powder, sweetener, baking powder and salt. Blend until oats are completely ground and everything's mixed. When done, pour into a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites with almond milk, apple and vanilla extract. Add into large bowl.
Mix, then pour in marshmallows and flaxseed. Mix until fully combined.
Pour into two 8x8 trays (or whatever size you want).
Bake for 21 minutes. (That's the time that seemed perfect both times I made these... I know, odd, but make sure you don't over-bake! They will come out dry if you do. Otherwise, they're moist for DAYS!)

Apple & Almond Protein Bars (or, again, CAKE!)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups oat flour
2 scoops cinnamon roll or vanilla protein
approx. 2/3 cup apple, diced (I used Golden Delicious... My favorite!)
1/2 cup sweetener
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
2 egg whites
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
4 (individually-added) tbsp apple sauce
1 tsp almond extract
handful of slivered almonds
handful of flaxseed (optional)
1 tbsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Blend oats with protein powder, sweetener, baking powder and salt. Blend until oats are completely ground and everything's mixed. When done, pour into a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites with almond milk, apple and almond extract. Add into large bowl.
Mix, then pour in diced apple, slivered almonds and flaxseed. Mix until fully combined.
Pour into two 8x8 trays (or whatever size you want).
(Optional but recommended >>) Mix together 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/3 cup sweetener and a pinch of nutmeg. Sift on top.
Bake for 21 minutes. (Again, that's the time that seemed perfect for these! Haha.)

I hope you guys enjoy and make these for yourself! If you had to choose one to make, I'd 100% recommend the s'mores first. They came out incredible both times, and my family is obsessed! Even got my little sister's approval! 

Pancakes on Pancakes on PANCAKES!

Can you guess, even without looking at the title, what this post is gonna be dedicated to?
Probably.

Protein pancakes on protein pancakes on protein pancakes.

Yes. This post is gonna be 4 protein pancake recipes in one. This is really happening.

First up:

Peppermint Brownie Batter Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

3 egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

1 tbsp pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon
2 packets of Stevia/sweetener

1 tbsp chocolate protein powder

1 tbsp unsweetened unsweetened cocoa powder

optional: 1/2 tsp peppermint extract or 1 mini candy cane, crushed and stirred in

Filling:
banana slices
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or cottage cheese)
1 tbsp milk chocolate protein powder

1/4 banana, mashed in

Topping:
clean chocolate sauce (1 tbsp cocoa powder + 1-2 tbsp water)
1 mini candy cane, crushed and crumbled
a sprinkle of healthy cereal

Directions:

Mix all pancake ingredients in a bowl.

Cook on medium, flipping each pancake halfway through.

Mix your filling ingredients. When pancakes are done, layer in the filling.

Top with desired toppings and enjoy your chocolate Heaven!

Apple Pie Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

3 tbsp whole wheat flour

3 egg whites

2 tbsp pumpkin puree

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon
small dash of nutmeg
1 tsp packed brown sugar
1 packet of Stevia/sweetener
1/3 large apple, chopped finely then warmed up to soften

Filling:

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp cinnamon roll protein powder (you can opt for just cinnamon or sweetener)

warmed cinnamon apple slices

granola

Directions:

Mix all pancake ingredients in a bowl.

Cook on medium, flipping each pancake halfway through.

Mix your filling ingredients. When pancakes are done, layer in the filling.

Top with desired toppings and devour!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

3 tbsp whole wheat flour

1 tbsp ground flaxseed
3 egg whites
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 packet of sweetener
2 generous tbsp pumpkin puree

Cheesecake Filling:

1/8 cup prepared sugar-free/fat-free cheesecake pudding (I used Jell-O brand mixed with unsweetened almond milk)

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

Mix all pancake ingredients in a bowl.

Cook on medium, flipping each pancake halfway through. (Make SURE they're ready to flip, though! Pumpkin pancakes can be tricky!)

Mix your filling ingredients. When pancakes are done, layer in the filling.

Top with desired toppings and devour!

Reese's Protein Pancakes

(Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp whole wheat flour

2 tbsp plain PB2
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
3 egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon
1 packet of sweetener
1 tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tsp (or more) chocolate chips
1/4 banana, mashed in

Filling:

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt mixed with 1 tbsp chocolate protein powder & 1/2 tbsp chocolate PB2

Topping:
clean peanut butter 'fudge' (ripened banana slices + 1 tbsp PB22 + almond milk, all mashed together)
clean chocolate 'fudge' (banana slices + 1 tbsp cocoa powder + almond milk, all mashed together)

Directions:

Mix all pancake ingredients in a bowl.

Cook on medium, flipping each pancake halfway through.

Mix your filling ingredients. When pancakes are done, layer in the filling.

Top with desired toppings and devour! Add some regular peanut butter if you're like me and like peanut butter with a side of whatever you're having. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes:

*You can sub the whole wheat flour for whatever flour you want!

*Make sure to ALWAYS spray/grease your pan before cooking.

I hope you guys make some of these and enjoy every bite! Food is meant to be 

A Donut A Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

Okay, maybe not... But I wish that were true!! (Who doesn't?!)

Anyways... HAPPY NEW YEAR/2013, EVERYONE! Who's excited for another fresh start and new year? *Raises hand*

I'm gonna start this new year off with a post dedicated to one of my favorite things: donuts! Normally I'd be posting a protein pancake or microwave dessert recipe, but not today!

For Christmas, Santa brought me a mini instant donut maker. It looks like this:

And I looooooove iiiiiiiit!! The donuts are always so cute and tiny... Kind of like mini donut shots! 

But, since I got it, I of course had to test it out! Two of my successful recipes were chocolate protein donuts with peanut butter fudge, and cinnamon sugar pumpkin pie protein donuts! Can you say, um, DELICIOUS?! These were both too good not to share, so here we gooooooo...

Mini Chocolate Donuts with Peanut Butter "Fudge"

Ingredients:

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp milk chocolate protein powder
1/4 cup oat flour (1/4 cup dry oats ground into a flour texture)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar/sweetener (I used 4 packets of Stevia... use more for a sweeter taste)
2 eggs

Peanut Butter "Fudge":
2-3 tbsp almond milk
1 tbsp melted peanut butter
1/4 ripe banana, mashed

Directions:

Whisk all your dry ingredients in one bowl.

Next, whisk your sweetener/sugar with your eggs. Stir in your dry ingredients.

Turn on mini donut maker once your green light turns off it is ready.

Scoop your donut batter into each mini donut ring, then close and cook for 2-4 minutes.

Mix the ingredients for your "fudge", then pour on top of your donuts. Bon appetite!

(Inspired by x!)

Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Pie Donuts

Ingredients:

2 tbsp cinnamon roll protein powder
1/4 cup oat flour (1/4 cup dry oats ground into a flour texture)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar/sweetener (I used 4 packets of Stevia... use more for a sweeter taste)
2 eggs
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
pinch of salt
few dashes of cinnamon/nutmeg/pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Whisk all your dry ingredients in one bowl.

Next, whisk your sweetener/sugar with your eggs. Stir in your dry ingredients.

Turn on mini donut maker once your green light turns off it is ready.

Scoop your donut batter into each mini donut ring, then close and cook for 2-4 minutes.

When done, spray with butter spray (or drizzle with melted butter), and roll into cinnamon and sugar mixture.

*Both of these can also be made using a donut, or even a muffin pan! I'd say about 350 degrees for around 10 minutes.

Gingerbread (Tea-Infused!) Cheesecake Protein Pancakes

What's your staple food/smell/flavor, now that it's the holidays? Pumpkin? Peppermint? ...Gingerbread?

If it's gingerbread, then you're in the right place because I have a recipe for gingerbread TEA-infused protein pancakes!

I never thought it was possible to make tea-infused pancakes... until I tried and succeeded! 

Oh, and what are they stuffed with, you ask?
Cheesecake pudding.

Ingredients:

Pancakes:

2 egg whites

2 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tbsp dry oats, ground into flour (or just more regular flour)

1 tbsp cinnamon roll protein powder

1 packet of Stevia/sweetener
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/4 medium banana, mashed
1/4 cup gingerbread tea, steepened in 1/4 cup unsweetened almond (or any other non-sweet) milk

*optional: for a heavier/more distinct gingerbread flavor, you can sprinkle in 1/4 a packet of gingerbread flavored Duncan Hines Frosting Creations!*

Cheesecake filling:

a sprinkle of cheesecake (instant) fat-free/sugar-free pudding mix (I used Jell-O brand! I don't have an exact measurement because I just eyeballed it and put as much as I personally wanted... You do the same!)

2+ tbsp milk

*Refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight*

Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients completely.

Stir liquid ingredients (including mashed banana) into dry, then stir again until completely mixed.

Cook on medium-low heat.

When done, layer with prepared cheesecake pudding, and whatever else your heart desires! I recommend some healthy chocolate sauce (splash of milk + 1 tbsp cocoa powder or chocolate protein powder) on top.

*These come out pretty thin, but they also make 5-6 big pancakes! So worth the thinness!*

So. Good.

For all of September and October, my go-to flavor was pumpkin! I'm still in complete pumpkin-mode (I don't know if I ever won't be!), but I've been leaning more towards gingerbread lately... Seasonal flavors are the greatest thing! 

Inspiration for these pancakes came from the lovely Rungry Chef! Thanks, pretty!

WIAW #26 - Hurricane Sandy + A New Outlook

Wow... it's been over a week since my last post, and I haven't even done WIAW in two weeks!
Why, you ask? (I hope...!)

Well, I'm almost positive all of you know about Hurricane Sandy and it's destruction to the east coast... preferably to the shore of New Jersey? I actually live about 10 minutes off-shore, and my town got pretty banged up. Over 60,000 people just from my town had lost power, and my family JUST got power and heat back yesterday. We, successfully, went almost 9 full days without power or heat... And I'm pretty proud of that!

Being deprived of electricity taught me a lot of things. One of those things is definitely to not take so much for granted anymore. My warm bed, the microwave... those things I didn't really care to acknowledge enough to appreciate before, I appreciate more than ever now. Thankfully we have a gas stove (two, actually), or I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have survived the storm! Haha. We used a lighter to carefully light it (it's electrically powered), and we made the most of what we had. I didn't feel like I HAD to go on my computer. I didn't feel as helpless as I thought I'd feel without any electricity. I learned how to use a kettle (yay, tea!), make my own successful workout circuits (which turned out to be some of my favorite workouts yet. So relaxing to do in mostly quiet!), eat healthy without having to eat completely fresh, and how to treat myself without regretting it. Without power, I, for some reason, grasped onto intuitive eating a lot easier than when I had it. I ate what I wanted, and I felt more body-positive than I have in a long time. I didn't feel obligated to eat certain things because I was so limited to what I could have. I didn't feel overwhelmed. I just kinda went with it all.

Some meals I consumed through the power-less 9 days:

Big salad with hard boiled eggs (2 whole), chickpeas, honey turkey, a mini piece of grilled chicken and vegetables. Dressing was hot sauce, salsa + plain Greek yogurt.

Pumpkin egg white oatmeal with protein cereal (plus some Cinnamon Toast Crunch) + pumpkin flax granola + banana slices + plain Chobani + cinnamon, all inside a nearly-empty Biscoff spread jar.

Pumpkin cheesecake and gingerbread cheesecake cookies (omg so good!! Me and my mom split them.) and a mini Almond Joy.

Take 5 protein egg white oats with protein & regular cereals + slivered almonds + pretzel pieces + banana slices + plain & caramel Chobani Greek yogurt + White Chocolate Wonderful! And an extra splash of unsweetened original Almond Breeze.

Candle-lit breakfast-for-dinner with mommy and sissy!

Clean and healthy "Almond Joy" pancakes with a big egg white protein scramble! And some of my favorite sugar cookie tea!

Banana split egg white oatmeal with cereals (protein & regular) + plain Chobani Greek yogurt + cinnamon + banana slices + Dark Chocolate Dreams PB + shredded coconut + healthy protein chocolate sauce + a mini sprinkle of some sprinkles and Fruity Pebbles for color! Oh, and an extra dash of unsweetened original Almond Breeze.

Low calorie, high protein pumpkin protein pancakes (recipe adapted from Powercakes!) layered with peanut butters, cereals, banana slices, and cinnamon roll protein cream, all topped with healthy and clean chocolate sauce!

Could NOT pass these up for $1.99! Caramel apple flavored Milky Ways. 

S'mores protein egg white oatmeal with cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + mini marshmallows/a bit of Marshmallow Fluff, all inside a nearly empty White Chocolate Wonderful jar.

Even though I've been treating myself like crazy lately, my mom bought a discounted bag of my all-time favorite chocolate candy — Take 5 chocolate bars.

I literally almost cried when I saw she had gotten them because I was frustrated since I wanted them SO bad for SO long, but I haven't had the courage to treat myself to one in over a year... BUT! After my {big and filling!} candle-lit dinner with my family, we all decided to have a small piece of chocolate... to cleanse our pallets, ya know? Haha. I treated myself to a small Take 5 bar, and guess what? It was just as amazing as I remember, and I didn’t magically gain 70 lbs back because of it. It’s ridiculous to think that way, and I can only help this will help inspire all of you who suffer from those thoughts to not be afraid to treat yourselves, too. I feel, not “fat” (though there’s worse things to be and feel), but content and free. I’ve been loving treating myself lately, and I’m feeling more body-positive today than I have in a LONG time. I don’t call it “cheating”, I call it “TREATING”. “Cheating” sounds so negative and I hate it. The end.

Fluffy pumpkin spice egg white oatmeal with my new gluten-free and nut-free natural crunchy chocolate granola (AMAZING, cheap Big Lots find! I’m obsessed! The serving is 1/2 c for 160 calories, too! I have no allergies but it’s still amazing) + cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + a little bit of Biscoff spread + a mini gingerbread man, ainside a nearly (and basically) empty Cinnamon Raisin Swirl jar!

(Note: ALL of my family (there's 5 of us) eats these nut butters... Not just me! I promise I don't finish these jars all by myself, haha. They take 2-3 weeks to finish normally with all of us eating them.)

My delicious post-workout lunch! Higher in calories, but who cares?

Swiss & feta turkey grilled cheese on soft light wheat bread, tomato & basil soup with some spicy Mrs. Dash, and a big ol’ plate of steamed vegetables with plain Greek yogurt + ranch to dip. I like me some soft veggiez.

Warm chocolate protein egg white oatmeal with gluten-free/nut-free chocolate granola + cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + shredded coconut + Biscoff spread & White Chocolate Wonderful + a dollop of cinnamon roll protein “cream” + a mini gingerbread man.

Probably one of the best bowls of oats I've had!

{I guess this can count as a WIAW post now... Hurricane Sandy edition!}

Though me and my mom jumped and screamed when we finally got power back (ironically enough, me, her and my little sister had left to get hand warmers since it was 57 degrees in my house, and we came back to power!), it was nice living without it for awhile. It taught me to appreciate a lot more, and it made me spend a lot more time with my family. (And I mean A LOT more!) In a way, Hurricane Sandy was somewhat of a blessing... at least to my family. My mom got to have some time off of work (even though we desperately need the money, she works on birthdays, holidays... everything. Since she works off-line, though, both of her jobs were closed, and she was unable to get on anyways), and we got to have a lot of mother-daughters time. (Me, her and my sister, that is!) I cringe when I see what happened to my poor boardwalk and the homes surrounding it, but it's all nothing time can't fix. The most important thing is no one got hurt. People I know who lost their houses (or at least some of their belongings) are being sheltered for free, and they're all okay. Maybe not completely mentally, but time will fix that. They're alive, their families are alive, and that's all that should really matter. We're lucky Hurricane Sandy was only a category 1 hurricane (or "super-storm")!

A big factor in staying positive and, you know, sane through all of this, was actually my little sister. She was the one I was most worried about (aside from my mom since she can't make income without the computer, haha), but she was actually the most positive. She's 11-years-old (almost 12! My little girl's growing up so fast!), and she's autistic, but she stayed happy. She made the most of what she had (no TV, no iPhone, no laptop, no iPod or iPad... just my mom's Kindle!), and she didn't complain even once. She barely even cried until the last few days when she was starting to get frustrated, which makes sense. She was more happy to be off of school than anything! Haha. I swear, that little girl was born with invisible angel wings. She's a blessing.

P.S. A week and two days after a hurricane, and it's SNOWING! AHHHH!! This makes me even more excited for the holidays! I can't believe Thanksgiving is so soon!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Fudge

Chocolate peanut butter fudge, packed with protein, and is also dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, AND vegan... AND it's delicious? What?!?!?!

Yep. It's real. I promise.

{Adapted from this recipe.}

So satisfying that you might not even want 1/10th of it in one serving!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
1 tbsp unsweetened all natural cocoa powder
2 scoops chocolate protein powder

1 tsp honey (you can use agave, maple etc.)
3 packets of Stevia/sweetener
5 tbsp creamy OR crunchy natural peanut butter

optional: almonds, walnuts, granola, etc.

Directions:

In a bowl, mix everything EXTREMELY well. Stir in any add-ins, if wanted.

When done, place a piece of parchment paper (or plastic wrap) inside a freezer-safe container (this will also shape your fudge). Press into place so it's evenly distributed.

Place in your freezer for 2+ hours. (Best if done overnight.)

Both my parents AND my brother loved this! I'm obsessed myself, but that's probably because I'm a peanut butter addict!  You don't taste the pumpkin... Just a great peanut butter and chocolate-y sensation. You will love me if you try this. I promise.

Almond Joy Protein Pancakes with Pumpkin Protein Cream

Phew! That was a long title!

But, like it reads, this blog is gonna be dedicated to a recent breakfast recipe I've created; Almond Joy (inspired) protein pancakes with pumpkin protein cream. I know the combination sounds weird, but trust me on this one! I wouldn't steer you guys wrong!

I used to put so much effort into my breakfasts, but lately, especially since school restarted, I've been just sticking to creative-ish, nut butter-filled oatmeals, but I've been loving trying new pancakes every Saturday... Otherwise known as PANCAKE SATURDAY!

Ingredients:

Pancakes - Dry:
1/4 cup dry oats
1/2 scoop (about 2 tbsp) milk chocolate protein powder
1/2 tbsp unsweetened all natural cocoa powder
pinch of salt
cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 packet of PureVia/Stevia/sweetener
shredded coconut, as much as you want
slivered almonds, as much as you want
optional: sprinkle of (about 1/4 package) chocolate almond Frosting Creations

Pancakes - Wet:
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 large ripe banana
1/2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

Pumpkin Protein Cream:
2 tbsp canned pure pumpkin puree
2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp cinnamon roll protein powder
1 packet of PureVia/Stevia/sweetener
dash of cinnamon

Directions:
In a blender (or food processor), blend your oats with about 1 tsp shredded coconut and a pinch of cinnamon until they're a flour-y consistency.

In a bowl, combine all other pancake ingredients completely, aside from your coconut and almonds. When done combining, stir them in.

While your pancakes are cooking, combine all the ingredients for the pumpkin cream.

When done, top your pancakes with everything.

And I meant everything.