Protein Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

I saw Hungry Runner had made Sally's "skinny peanut butter swirl brownies" the other day.

I love chocolate. I love peanut butter. I love food. So, I was pretty much destined to make them, too!

I changed up some ingredients (and some of the sizing amounts), added in some of my own ingredients, and pretty much came up with the best brownies I've ever made. (Well, at least from scratch!)

As if they didn't taste heavenly enough; they're nothing but good for you, too!

89 calories, 7g of protein, 3.5g of healthy fats... What more could you ask for in a delicious, SUPER peanut butter-y (I'm talking a layer of peanut butter) brownie?! And the serving is a pretty big brownie! (1/9th the recipe.)

Did I mention these are flour-less, too? Yep.

They looked really liquid-y, which made me super nervous at first... Then,

This came out. Perfect.

I put them in the fridge for a few hours to cool off (like Sally said she did), then cut them into 9 medium-sized/large-ish squares.

The bottom of these incredibly moist brownies was a layer of natural peanut butter.

A good layer.

Topped with powdered sugar to make 'em even better!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter - 380 calories, 14g protein, 28g fat

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage) - 65 calories, 11.5g protein

1/4 cup almond (or skim) milk - 20 calories

1 egg - 70 calories, 6g protein, 5g fat

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

4-5 sweetener packets

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

dash of cinnamon

1.5 scoops milk chocolate protein powder - 188 calories, 31g protein

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (not quick oats) - 150 calories, 5g protein

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Blend everything, aside from the peanut butter, in a blender (may turn liquid-y! Don't be alarmed).

Melt the peanut butter for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Pour your blended batter into an 8x8 baking sheet/tin. (Make sure to spray/grease it prior!)

Swirl in your melted peanut butter.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

*Optional; refrigerate for 1-3 hours for easy cutting.

Thank you, Sally, for the inspiration! My mom loves them, and really wants me to make another batch... I ain't complaining!

I hope you guys enjoy these as much as we do... I never really post recipes, but I felt bad not posting it since quite a few people asked! Enjoy!! 

Giving and Gaining

A few days ago, I was in the car with my mom and my little sister. On our way home from the store, we saw the same homeless guy that we see {at least} once a week in the same spot. It looked like it was about to rain, so he was lounging on the main street corner underneath an umbrella with his stuff. He seemed content. Not unhappy.

We passed him, and he waved and smiled at us... Like he always does. He doesn't ignore people passing. He smiles at them. (You would think living that type of lifestyle wouldn't result in a smile on your face.) But, after we saw that, we immediately turned around. On our way back, again, we passed him... This time, I offered him $2. He acceptably and happily took it, and then he thanked us. By giving him those $2, instead of losing something (money), I felt like I gained something. I felt incredibly good and grateful for what I have, and my heart felt warm. My mom's did, too. She also told me that every time she sees him, she wants to give him something. Anything. Food, drinks, clothes, money... Even $0.50 could make a difference when living that type of lifestyle, you know? She told me, even if she only had $1 left, she would give it to him and feel good about herself. I agreed.

Seeing people like that, who don't even seem to be miserable, totally give me a more accepting and different perspective on life. It makes me realize how much more appreciative I should be. (Not that I'm not already! I promise I am! Haha.) Yeah, we all have our problems... But are they really as bad as we make them seem? Everything is only as bad as you make it out to be.

Don't ever take anything (or anyone) for granted... Not even that $1 you have in your wallet. Be happy you even HAVE that $1! Don't let little things get you down so easily anymore. Remember all the little things that you can be happy about in the long-run.

(Source.)

Imagine living in his shoes... Would you be as smiley and nice as he was?

What I Ate Wednesday #11 - I Really Like French Toast Edition

Like I said in my previous WIAW... My blog titles don't lie! I've become a stuffed French toast addict.
Hey, at least it's healthy stuffed French toast! (AKA it actually does have quite a lot of nutritious value!)

Oh, and I'm still the same Insanity addict as I was last week. Tsk, tsk...
ANYWAAAAAAAYS! I can't believe it's Wednesday already again... W h o a. I guess that means it's time to list some eats (and exercises), eh? It is "what I ate Wednesday" overall!


{Thanks to the beautiful Jenn for hosting this lovely event as always!}

7/12/12 - WORKOUT! Insanity Max Interval Sports Training + a 6:14 plank.

7/12/12 - Breakfast: s'mores stuffed protein French toast with my usual side.

This creation is what started the addiction...

7/12/12 - Lunch: Thursday was my cousin's 19th birthday, and I got to hangout with her the entire day for the first time in a LONG time! With my aunt, we went to Freehold Mall (which is pretty far from us, so it was great to go), and out to lunch. Instead of picking a "safe food" off the menu at P.F. Changs (this was my first time going there, too, btw), I picked exactly what I wanted. And not only that, but 1. I didn't stress over it, 2. I don't and didn't  regret it, and 3. I ate exactly what I wanted, and how much I wanted. This is such progress for me! I didn't even restrict at all prior, or the rest of the day! (Even after finding out the nutritional info!)

Our appetizer were these DELICIOUS chicken lettuce wraps... I only had one, to save my appetite for my lunch. I also had some super yummy salad alongside my main dish, which was sesame chicken with vegetables and brown rice... It was literally so, so good... Despite the horrid amount of sauce. Bleh! Too much sauce or dressing = no bueno!

Intuitive eating and recovery win! Go me!

7/13/12 - Breakfast: flour-less pumpkin cheesecake pancakes, layered with chocolate banana protein “frosting” + apple slices + cinnamon + granola + a drizzle of melted natural peanut butter and light maple syrup! (And my usual side...)

7/14/12 - Breakfast: exactly what I was craving that morning; a small plain greek yogurt ~parfait with banana slices + apple slices + honey almond flax granola + Trix cereal (hehe) + cinnamon + a tiny spoonful of natural peanut butter, and a 1 egg + added egg white scramble alongside.

7/15/12 - WORKOUT! Insanity Max Cardio Conditioning + a 6:02 plank!

7/15/12 - Breakfast: banana split stuffed protein French toast with my usual side (aside from spinach, because I had none)... Mmmmmm!

7/16/12 - WORKOUT! Insanity Max Interval Plyo + a 6:04 plank.

7/16/12 - Breakfast: another healthy stuffed French toast... This time it was blueberry cheesecake stuffed french toast (also containing banana and natural peanut butter), with my usual side.

Just look at it. So pretty. So. Delicious.

7/17/12 - WORKOUT! Sometimes, I underestimate how tough the first month of Insanity's workouts really are... Then they go and kick my ass! Haha. Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance + a 6:07 plank!

7/17/12 - Breakfast: yes, stuffed French toast again.

Apple pie stuffed French toast with my usual side.

As delicious as it sounds...

And looks.

(It's okay to drool over a picture. Really. I won't tell anyone if you don't!)

7/17/12 - Snack: perks of working at an ice cream and homemade fudge shop: FUUUUUDGE OF ALL KINDS! (And 20% off!)

I bought my family this box yesterday because, well, I'm just that nice.  Chocolate peanut butter, s'mores, mint chocolate swirl, cookies and cream, and my favorite; peanut butter explosion.

I treated myself to a small piece of PB explosion after dinner... And I feel absolutely no guilt. I feel proud and happy, actually... This is a huge step for me, too, so bear with me! Haha.

Intuitive eating and recovery win (#2)!

7/18/12 - WORKOUT! The hardest of them all... Insanity Max Interval Circuit! Followed by a 6:09 plank.

7/18/12 - Breakfast: yes, French toast again. No regrets.

Natural peanut butter, banana, and chocolate stuffed {protein!} French toast with my usual side.

My mom has gotten me in the mood for French toast lately... She loves it, and has been absolutely loving my healthier alternatives (she's been trying to lose weight and get healthier), so that's why I've been making them so often! But, I'm definitely not complaining... I've also been loving them, too. 

Whoever said eating healthy was boring has obviously never tried cooking for themselves!

Happy WIAW! 5 days until I'm 17! Ahhhhhh!!

S'mores Stuffed Sandwich (Thins)... French Toast Style!

This morning, post-workout, I decided to try another new breakfast out.

Nope, not pancakes...
Not oatmeal either...

Yep, I had French toast! But, I made it using multi-grain sandwich thins!

But, not just any French toast... Healthy s'mores stuffed protein French toast. Yes.
{Inspiration source.}

Pre-cooking... I spy banana!

Mid-cooking...

Post-cooking deliciousness!

Look. At. That.

So. Perfect.

Definitely one of my all-time favorite breakfasts thus far.

I can't wait to experiment with sandwich thins some more!

What I Ate Wednesday #10 - Insanity Fanatic

The title doesn't lie... I am a total Insanity fanatic!

Just like last week's WIAW, all my workouts since have been, of course, Insanity! Shaun T. just has this way of motivating me and leaving me actually looking forward to working out.
The thing with me is, if I don't find it fun... I won't want to do it. And I probably won't do it in the end. So, being a complete lover of Insanity, it's easy to motivate myself to do it 5 days a week!

But, now I shall move on to some recent eats and detailed workouts in the past week! Thank you, Jenn, for always hosting this lovely, lovely event! 

7/5/12 - WORKOUT! One of my all-time FAVORITES; Insanity Max Interval Sports Training!

7/5/12 - Breakfast: incredibly delicious pumpkin apple pie oat/whole wheat pancakes with my usual egg white scramble on the side. I made this all in a wok.Yes, a wok. Our skillet broke, and I found out we had a wok... So, I compromised! 

7/5/12 - Snack: posted all about this beauty here!

7/6/12 - Breakfast: whoever says you can't have cake for breakfast, has obviously never had cake for breakfast!  This was leftover deliciously moist banana (with natural peanut butter) on top of plain Greek yogurt with banana & apple slices + cinnamon + granola, alongside an egg/egg white scramble! This cake taste even better the second day, and I'm happy and proud to have changed up my breakfast!

7/6/12 - Lunch pt. 2: (please, ignore the super gross close up of my happy and proud face! Haha.) My mom ordered pizza from a pizza place we had never had pizza from before (we've had salad from there though), and I REALLY wanted to try it... My mind was telling me "no", but I ignored it proudly. Why? Well, aside from the fact I rarely eat actual pizza anymore (I know, I'm so lame...), I knew how much I wanted it, even though I already ate lunch (a savory stuffed sweet potato & steamed veggies with plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder, of course). It was a mini slice, and it satisfied me. I always make my own pita or wrap "pizza" on Fridays, hence why I didn't wanna wait till dinnertime to try it! Plus, I have a 4.5 hour work shift (without a scheduled break!) by myself starting in a few minutes, so I needed the extra fuel!  Btw, that pizza was just as delicious as it looks... And so completely worth every bite. (My puppy ate my crust, though. Hehe.) Everything is perfectly OKAY in moderation, and I'm glad I'm finally starting to realize that. Intuitive eating ftw!

7/7/12 - Breakfast: funny thing about this breakfast... It was completely a last minute option and breakfast. After quite a frustrating morning in the kitchen (2 or 3 failed pancake batches… GAH), I ended up with leftover plain Greek yogurt with chopped banana + apple + grapes, granola, organic cereal, a few cinnamon squares, cinnamon and a sprinkle of milk chocolate protein powder. Alongside was my usual 1 egg white + added liquid egg substitute protein + veggie scramble, and half a whole wheat pita (which I only ate half of... I only added it because this was a pretty low calorie meal. There’s only about 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt in the container)! Quite delicious for a last minute random breakfast, though! I'd have it again!

7/7/12 - Lunch: mozzarella, tomato, spinach and turkey grilled cheese (on a super yummy looking multi-grain sandwich thin!), steamed fresh veggies with plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder, pickles and some extra lean turkey for protein!

I love grilled cheeses more than I love a lot of things.

7/8/12 - WORKOUT! Insanity Max Interval Plyo + 6:02 plank.

7/8/12 - Breakfast: DELICIOUS (and healthy!) cinnamon raisin French toast, and my usual side.

7/9/12 - WORKOUT! Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit + 6:04 plank.

I always underestimate this workout before I do it! I forget how hard it is.

7/9/12 - Breakfast: same thing as yesterday! Healthy cinnamon raisin French toast with my usual side. Cannot get enough of this!

7/9/12 - OOTD! I don't do these too often, but today was my senior picture day! I honestly can't believe I'm going into my last year of high school... It's a scary and unbelievable thought! Haha. But, I felt pretty here, and I got this beautiful blue dress for only $14... So, I thought it was worth sharing!

7/9/12 - Snack: I got genuinely hungry 40 minutes after lunch, so, instead of ignoring my hunger and cravings like I would’ve before... I decided to treat myself to a SUPER delicious oatmeal raisin cookie. Seriously, this thing was SO delicious! Haha. And there's absolutely no regrets here! I’m very, very proud to say that, too.

Honestly, you’re not living a healthy lifestyle if you don’t practice moderation and balance. It’s not all about "healthy" foods, or even exercising everyday. It’s about enjoying the little things and doing your best along the way... And cookies are definitely one of those “little things” that should always be appreciated! (Btw, there weren’t any nutrition facts on the container, either... Which would’ve completely stopped me from eating them in the past... So, YAY! MORE PROGRESS!)

P.S. Please, Ignore how dumb I look smiling with a cookie shoved in my mouth…

7/10/12 - WORKOUT! The hardest Insanity of them all... Insanity Max Interval Circuit + 6:05 plank.

Seriously... I can't believe I survived this workout again! I did the best I could and I was literally drenched in sweat afterward. It was a good and accomplishing feeling.

7/10/12 - Breakfast: cinnamon oat/whole wheat pancakes topped with warm cinnamon sugar apple slices, and my usual side, of course.

7/10/12 - Snack: again, instead of ignoring my hunger cravings between lunch and dinner like I would've in the past (especially after having extra sweet potato with my lunch, making it a larger-ish lunch than usual!)... I accepted them and had a super yummy apple after going swimming for a little bit with my little sister (and after tanning with my mom)!

7/11/12 - WORKOUT! A sweaty early morning Insanity Pure Cardio session, followed by a 6:07 plank.

7/11/12 - Breakfast: literally the best thing ever: OATS IN A JAR!

Milk chocolate protein oatmeal with plain Greek yogurt, egg white, banana slices, granola, random cereals (only a few pieces, but they're in there!), cinnamon, shredded coconut, and part of a mini chocolate covered pretzel... All inside a nearly-empty natural peanut butter jar... That contained more peanut butter than I expected... But, I ain't complainin'!

This totally made my morning ten times better. (I was having a bit of a rough one.)

Lunch today wasn't really lunch... I had two mini grilled chicken tenders while at work, then when I got home  (7 hours later...) I happily inhaled a big homemade taco salad for dinner!

This morning sucked, but the day progressively got better. Positivity really is key.