Make Your Own Almond Butter

September 14, 2013September 14, 2013Leave a comment

Yesterday I went to Trader Joe’s with one mission – get some almond butter. I love snacking on almond butter and celery. This is like a little guilty pleasure for me. It’s creamy, crunchy and way better for you than chips or ice cream.

However, Trader Joe’s was out of almond butter! Travesty of travesties! Well, not really – because I decided that I might be able to make my own at home. And, y’all – I did – it was awesome and so, so simple.

All you need is 2 cups of almonds and a food processor.

First, pour 2 cups of almonds out on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven at 375 for about 5 minutes. (This will create that smoky taste.) Next – after you take them out of the oven, place these nuts into the food processor.

Turn it on and blend away! After the first couple minutes, it will turn into a powder. You are not done at this point. Be patient. Keep blending – this will take about 10 minutes. But, you will see the almonds starting to get moist and a paste will form.

Empty your homemade almond butter in a Tupperware container. You are done – and will never buy store bought almond butter again.

10 Starbucks Drinks That Won’t Blow Your Diet

September 13, 2013Leave a comment

I, like most women in America, love Starbucks drinks. I trick myself into just liking black coffee. But, c’mon who I am a fooling?

The pumpkin spice latte with whipped cream is not bad. It’s delightful. That rich gingerbread latte at Christmas fills my senses with such a childlike aroma. It’s incredible. And that peppermint mocha – heaven!

However, as good as they taste, I know they are not good for my body. They add heaping extra calories and really too much sugar. They leave me feeling sluggish and bloated. Not really the ideal feeling for a health conscious person.

I found this chart on Sisterhood of The Shrinking Jeans – it’s wonderful. Now, you can enjoy your favorite Starbucks drinks, but really choose the ones that are best for your diet. Don’t blow your diet on a sugary drink – especially when there are healthy options out there.

This is just 10 choices. I bet you could also create more. Be creative. Skip the sugar and fatty cream. You will end up feeling better about yourself and your body.

Pumpkin Spice Shake

September 12, 2013September 12, 20133 Comments

Something about pumpkins just warms my heart. It is almost fall – and Starbucks has reintroduced its Pumpkin Spice Latte for the season. This makes me jump for joy.

I am a strong advocate for living a little. So, by all means, don’t deprive yourself of this sugary drink (drink in moderation).

However, if you are looking for a breakfast drink (minus all the sugar) – just as tasty as the Starbucks latte, I found the one for you!

This Pumpkin Shake is perfect for breakfast. It’s like a morning sunrise hug! Pumpkin is high in fiber and low in calories, so it will keep you feeling fuller longer!

You will need: ¼ cup pumpkin puree, ¾ cup skim milk or coconut milk, 4 ice cubes, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. nutmeg, 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, 1 tsp. chia seeds, ½ cup water

This shake is made in the blender – and it is simple. Just add all the ingredients in – one at a time. And then mix on high for about a few minutes.

Pour the icy mixture into a pretty cup and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. Viola! You are done. Sip away!

This drink will also help your complexion. Pumpkin is filled with vitamins C, E, and A, as well as powerful enzymes that help to cleanse the skin. This is also gluten free!

Meals For a Man – Stuffed Bell Peppers

September 11, 2013September 11, 2013Leave a comment

Attention all men! Here is a dish just for you. Well, the ladies love it too – but sometimes it’s hard to please our men when cooking healthy (can I get an amen!?)

Here is a simple stuffed bell pepper recipe that will do the trick. It is low-fat, gluten free and low calorie and is sure to fill you up. I only ate one – and have left overs for tonight!

You will need: 4 green bell peppers, 1 package of ground turkey meat, ½ cup ketchup, 2 tbsp. garlic powder, ½ cup chopped onions, 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper.

The first thing I did was cut the tops of the bell peppers. Here is a simple guide that can instruct you to cut the tops off perfectly. I ran some water in the middle – just to wash out the seeds. I brought a pot of water to boil on the stove and dropped the peppers in there for about 3-5 minutes. Just to get them moist and warm.

In a separate bowl, I emptied out the package of thawed ground turkey meat – and added in first the garlic, Italian seasoning, onions, salt and pepper. With my hands, I rolled all this into the meat mixture. And then took the combo to the skillet. I lightly browned the meat. And then dumped the ketchup on top and mixed it in slowly.

Preheat the oven to 350 – and fill a separate pan with just a line of water at the bottom (enough for the pepper to lightly sit in while baking.) Fill up the hollow peppers with your meat mixture – and then set them in the oven for about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, I topped my bell peppers with a bit of Parmesan and a light squirt of ketchup. It gives it a little meatloaf taste. Viola! Serve – everyone, including your man, will love these!

Cucumber Crab Vacation Salad

September 6, 2013September 6, 2013Leave a comment

When you take a break from work – and go on a nice vacation, it’s sometimes easy to just spoil your healthy eating plan because you think ‘hey, I am on vacation! I deserve this!’

Doritos look enticing at the grocery store – and that bag of cookies truly is tempting. But, believe me – your body will not thank you after your little trip from reality.

It’s easy to eat healthy on vacation. You can make it fun and indulge some days – but follow a great healthy eating plan on others (and still feel like you are having a little treat). I made this healthy cucumber crab salad for lunch one day – it was wonderful.

I, not only, felt like I was eating something decadent – but good for me too!

This is what I put in my salad: ½ of a fresh cucumber, ½ avocado, handful of sharp cheddar cheese, 10 walnuts, ice burg lettuce, a handful of fresh crab meat (do not use imitation – that is not gluten free) and a dash of Newman’s own Italian salad dressing.

This is a good salad recipe to try on a beach vacation. You will treat yourself with some crab pieces – but still enjoy something good and refreshing for your body. And score – it’s gluten free!

Restaurant Review: Chickpea (NYC)

August 31, 2013August 31, 2013Leave a comment

Sara Smiles wrote a nice little review on ‘Chickpea’, here

Traveling and healthy food never really go together. However, while waiting to catch the train in Penn Station Friday night, I was tasked to find some sort of healthy food.

This is really a feat – especially in a train station. I passed Dunkin’ Donuts, Fridays – and many more tempting options. However, my eye was caught by a restaurant named, “Chickpea.”

I automatically thought of hummus and was snagged. Upon looking over the menu, I realized they provided a lot of gluten free options! Hallelujah! Seriously – look at the menu here.

Ended up ordering a hummus plate with chicken – it was delicious. They give you a choice of having pita with it (passed on this because I am GF). But, it is just as tasty when you eat it with just a work. You cannot go wrong with a mixture of hummus, chicken and mixed vegetables. Also, this Texas girl added extra jalapenos for that little spice kick.

If you ever find yourself in New York (even Penn Station) and you love Mediterranean food, eat here. You will not be disappointed. And big bonus – you don’t break your healthy diet or infuse your body with traces of gluten! Check out the locations in NYC.

Now, how can I start an effort to bring this to the Washington, DC area?

Sweet Deviled Eggs

August 31, 2013August 31, 20131 Comment

Want to make the perfect deviled egg for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter? Or maybe just as a post workout snack? Well, you are in luck; this recipe will make you look like a cooking star!

You will need: ¼ cup Hellmann’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise, ¼ cup yellow traditional mustard, 2 tbsp. pickle relish (sweet or dill), 6 eggs

First – boil a pot of water on the stove. Wait until you see the water bubbling. Then use a spoon (you don’t want them to crack!) to carefully place all 6 eggs in the pot. Let them boil for about 20 minutes – or until they can float on the top of the water!

Once your eggs have cooled, shell them – and cut them half in two. Carefully spoon out the yolks and place all the yellow into a soup bowl. Put eggs white on a plate or a cool egg platter.

In the soup bowl with the egg yolks, add your mayo, mustard and pickle relish (pick sweet or dill depending on if you like them with more of a sugar taste or pickle!) Use a fork and mash all the ingredients together!

Take a spoon and fill each egg white pocket with the yolk mixture. Sprinkle with paprika or add a sprig of parsley for decoration! You are done – you just made fabulous deviled eggs.

Enjoy – this is a gluten-free meal. What a bonus.

Chocolate Banana Gluten Free, Flourless Muffins

August 30, 2013August 30, 2013Leave a comment

In the mood for a little chocolate, but you don’t want all the fat and carbs that come along with it? Well, I have the just the muffin for you! It has the creaminess of bananas, as well, as that richness of your favorite chocolate treat.

Not to mention, it is loaded with flax and chia seeds! This will make you feel full longer. The simple addition of flax and chia will add fiber, fight belly fat and stabilize your blood sugar. Check out some awesome health benefits of chia seeds here.

Now, let’s getting baking this scrumptious, low-fat, high protein dessert or even chocolate breakfast treat! I really like eliminating flour (even gluten free flour) from recipes. I feel better substituting whey protein powder – for energy!

You will need: 2 bananas (I used 2 really ripe ones – that I was about to throw away), 1 cap full vanilla extract, 2 scoops whey protein powder, 2 cage free eggs, 1 tbsp. ground flax seed, 1 tbsp. chia seeds, 1 heaping tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tbsp. baking powder, 1 tbsp. baking soda.

I put the 2 bananas in the food processor just to make them like a paste – then poured this mixture into a bowl. Add in the eggs, flax, chia seeds, baking soda, baking and cocoa powder and that cap full of vanilla. Mix up this yummy chocolate paste. Taste for perfection.

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a cupcake tin with liners. Fill the liners with your good mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Guiltless, Gluten Free & Low-Fat Ice Cream

August 28, 2013August 28, 2013Leave a comment

You scream. I scream. We all scream for ice cream – but the healthy kind of course. This ice cream treat has zero milk in it – and is way low-fat.

I know, almost too good to be true. But, it’s true. So, now you can sit on your couch, in your pajamas, and watch a Lifetime movie with a bowl of ice cream and not feel like a glutton.

This is easy as pie to make. All you will need is: 3 frozen bananas (chopped in pieces), 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 cap full of vanilla extract.

Pull out the food processor – and add in those 3 frozen bananas. I would only freeze them for about a day – you really don’t want them too hard.

Blend in these bananas – it will take a while – until you form a paste. [Taste this – it is so good!] Add in your honey, vanilla and cocoa powder – then blend again. Make sure the paste is creamy.

You are done. It was that simple. Then serve in a cute, little bowl. It tastes really good. You will want to make a bowl every night.

Grab-in-Go Gluten Free Breakfast Muffins

August 27, 2013August 27, 2013Leave a comment

I made these sweet little pumpkin protein muffins for breakfasts this week. They are gluten free and packed with fiber and protein.

Not to mention, pumpkins keep eyesight sharp, aid in weight loss, may reduce cancer risks, protects the skin, boots your mood and helps beef up your immune system.

This is a neat side show of the health benefits of pumpkins!

Breakfast is an easy meal to skip. However, it’s actually detrimental to skip it. Make about 10 of these little muffins and set them in the fridge. In the morning, grab 2 – and eat them on your morning commute with to-go coffee. Yum.

You will need: ½ regular sized can pumpkin puree, 3 tbsp. ground flax seed, 3 tbsp. chia seeds, 2 tbsps. sweet leaf (or any natural sweetener), 1/2 tbsp. baking powder, 1/2 tbsp. baking soda, 2 scoops whey protein powder, & 1 cap full vanilla extract.

Preheat the oven to 350 and bake these in muffin tins for about 20 – 25 minutes. My recipe yielded about 8 muffins. I would suggest using muffin liners as well. Easy to store and easy to grab in the morning.