PB&J Pie Parfait {Recipe ReDux}

Oh, hiiiii there! Long, loooong time, no talk. I knew I’d make it back here one of these days. It’s been an interesting and exciting past month around these parts. I’ve happily started to find a groove with my schedule, had a great trip home, spent some time with my favorite little girl [.. and the rest of my family], and spent some QT with the hubs.

Playing piano with my girl.

Learning colors.

Happy to go to an Orioles game with 3 of my favorite people!

During Nathan and my 8 mile hike on Nimitz Trail.

One of my favorite things to do with Nathan is take a walk to the farmers’ market every Saturday. The fruit we’ve been getting lately has been out of this world and I knew I had to put some of it to good use for this month’s Recipe ReDux.

Tucked in a crust, nothing says love from the oven like pie. Whether it’s a twist on the all-American apple pie or a traditional recipe from your home country, give a healthy makeover to your favorite savory or sweet pie recipe.

This dessert came together in just a matter of minutes and is the perfect single-serving size. And the best part? Aside from the peanut butter, of course, is the secret ingredient, chia seeds. They serve as a thickener for the filling and are also a great source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids, protein, nutrients that help support bone health, such as calcium and magnesium. Happy dessert-ing!

Single Serving PB&J Pie Parfait

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 5 mini or 1 1/2 regular Reese’s Oreos
• 3/4 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk
• 1 tbsp chia seed
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 strawberries; sliced

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine the cashew milk, chia seed, and peanut butter. Set aside in a small bowl for 1-2 hours and allow to thicken.
2. After the peanut butter mix has thickened, place the Oreos and coconut oil in a food processor and blend until they come together.
3. Press 1/3 of the mix into a small glass and top with 1/2 of the peanut butter mixture and 1/2 of the strawberry slices.
4. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the Oreo mix on top with the other 1/2 of the peanut butter mixture and the other sliced strawberry.
5. Sprinkle the remaining Oreo mix on top and dig in!

Nutritional Information
270 Calories / 18g Fat / 21g Carbs / 7g Fiber / 7g Sugar / 9g Protein

Food for Thought

What is your favorite pie?

Almond Butter STUFFED Brownie Bites {Recipe ReDux}

Happy Mother’s Day!

I have a chocolate-y treat for you today that you won’t want to pass up. They’re gluten-free, paleo, and sweetened with fruit! Dried plums, to be specific. But don’t go running!

When was the last time you tried a dried plum? They’re delicious! A little sweet, a little tart, and chewy like candy. Not to mention, each serving is just 100 calories, provides 3g of fiber, 293mg of potassium, 16mg of magnesium, and more vitamin K than any other fresh or dried fruit. And in honor of May’s National Osteoporosis Month, why not give them a try?

Almond Butter STUFFED Brownie Bites

Makes 16 brownie bites

Ingredients

• 3oz. California Dried Plums [about 12-15 dried plums]
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp milk [I used cashew milk]
• 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp coconut oil; melted
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp almomd butter; divided
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Frosting

• 1/4 cup chocolate nut butter*
• 2-4 tbsp milk

*If you don’t have chocolate nut butter, you can sub regular nut butter and add cocoa powder. You will need to increase the amount of milk if you do this.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place the dried plums in a food processor and process into a paste. You may need to stop and scrape the sides down a few times.
3. Add the vanilla, milk, applesauce, coconut oil, and 1/4 cup almond butter to the bowl and process until smooth.
4. Add in the egg and pulse a few times until just incorporated.
5. Add the remaining dry ingredients to the bowl, pulse a few times to get it started, and finish incorporating completely by hand.
6. Using a 1/2 tbsp, scoop the mix into 16 mini muffin tins.
7. With a 1/2 tsp, scoop almond butter on top of the brownie bite base.
8. Finish off with another 1/2 tbsp of the mix to cover the almond butter and place in the oven for 8-9 minutes.
9. While baking, make your frosting. Add the ingredients to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir together until smooth.
10. Remove the bites from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.

Nutritional Information
75 Calories / 5g Fat / 6g Carbs / 2g Fiber / 3g Sugar / 2g Protein

Now who wouldn’t want to snack on that today?! And because I can’t make these for my mom today, you should!

Don’t miss out an all of the California Dried Plum recipes from all of the other ReDux-ers!

And, of course, happy mother’s day to my mom! I wish I could be with you today to celebrate how awesome you’ve always been and always are for me. But hey, if you want to come out here again, I have some brownie bites waiting for you!

Food for Thought

Are you a dried plum fan?
How are you celebrating your mother’s day?

Disclosure: I received free samples of California Dried Plums mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Dried Plum Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Foodie Friday: White Chocolate Peppermint Peanut Butter Cups {Giveaway}

Every year for the holidays, I make my “famous” peanut butter cups. It all started when my mom found a recipe 100 years ago [ok, maybe 20 years ago.. holy crap, has it been that long?!] and we decided to try them out for Thanksgiving. I mean, come on. It’s chocolate and peanut butter.. what could be bad? Over the years, I’ve continued to make them for Thanksgiving, New Years, and sometimes other occasions too.

My peanut butter cups have become more and more refined. I’ve tried adding a bit of sea salt and cinnamon to the tops, some extra chocolate and PB chips, I’ve swapped out the milk chocolate for dark, and the list goes on. When Peanut Butter & Co. contacted me about creating a recipe with their peanut butter and some candy canes, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

White Chocolate Peppermint Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 12 cups

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp white chocolate chips
• 3 candy canes
• 3-4 tbsp Peanut Butter & Co. White Chocolate Wonderful

Will also need 12 mini muffin cups.

Directions

1. Place your candy canes into a blender or food processor and blend until they’re in very small pieces—almost dust!
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, add 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and microwave for 30 seconds. Give it a mix and microwave for another 10-15 seconds. Mix again and add additional 2 tbsp of white chocolate chips and about 1/3 of the crushed candy canes. Mix well until all of the chips are melted.
3. Spoon about 1/2 tbsp of the white chocolate peppermint mix into the bottom of each of the cups. Shake to flatten and place in the freezer to setup.
4. While the first layer is cooler, in another small microwave-safe bowl, add 2 tbsp White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter and microwave 10-15 seconds until the peanut butter is melty.
5. Take the cups out of the freezer and carefully spoon on layer of peanut butter on top, doing your best to not let it touch any edges! Place the cups back in the freezer.
6. Once the peanut butter sets up, repeat with another layer of peanut butter, sprinkle with a pinch of your peppermint dust, and place back in the freezer.
7. Melt your remaining white chocolate and add in another 1/3 of the peppermint dust.
8. Spoon your white chocolate peppermint mix on top of the peanut butter layers and sprinkle with even more peppermint. Place back in the freezer and let the cups setup completely.

To store, keep the cups in the fridge so they don’t get too soft. When you’re ready to serve, remove the cups from the fridge and let them warm up for about 5 minutes. I promise you, these peanut butter cups won’t last long!

Giveaway Time!

Want to win a jar of the White Chocolate Wonderful AND the Old Fashioned Crunchy? Click here to enter the giveaway today!

Food for Thought

What would you make with the 2 jars of peanut butter?

Full Body Resistance Band Workout + Pumpkin Protein Mug Cake

It’s Friday! And it’s ALCS game 1 day! It’s unfortunate that I’m not at all excited about the Orioles 😉

Yesterday was a fun one. It started out slowly [no complaints here!]; I took my time getting ready for the gym, only to decide to pack it in after 20 minutes on the elliptical. I was just not feeling it so I went home and snuggled up with a bowl of oatmeal on the couch. It was a good trade, I’d say. I also had lunch with this gal..

If you don’t know Danica, get with it! She just moved to the bay area a few weeks ago and it was great to finally meet in person. Hooray for transplants! Haha 🙂

Onto the big Friday fun.. Usually I’ll stick with Fitness Friday or Foodie Friday but since I have a couple goodies for you, I decided to pack it all into one post. Boom!

I put this workout together for my client today; one of my biggest challenges with her is creating lots of workouts that she can do at home with little or no equipment. Because I’m a big fan of using weights in a gym, rather than doing body weight workouts at home, this is a bit out of the norm for me. That said, I’m really happy to have this workout now because not only is it great for small spaces [hellooo watching the O’s game in my tiny apartment!], but it’ll be a great workout for when we head home next month too. Pack your bags and get to sweatin’!

Start out with the push ups and make your way around the circle doing 12-15 reps per exercise. Once you get back to the push ups, do a round of the cardio burst. Complete 3 rounds total for a 30-40 minute heart-pounding, sweaty workout.

• Upright Row
• Pull Aparts
• Overhead Press
• Band Curls
• Triceps Kickbacks
• Squat with Abduction
• Plank Jack Jumps – on every 5th plank jack, jump your feet in
• Scissor Kicks
• Leg Lift –> Toe Touches
• Mountain Climbers

If the resistance band isn’t feeling quite tough enough for you, there are a couple of options to make it more difficult. First, you can cross the bands in front of you so they make an “X”. If you still want more resistance, step your feet apart a bit. Make sure you feel the burn!

And if you’re hungry after that workout [which you will be!], make yourself a little snack.

Pumpkin Protein Mug Cake

Serves 1

Ingredients
– 2 tbsp vanilla protein powder [I used Vega Vanilla Performance Protein]
– 2 tbsp pumpkin spice peanut flour [I used MyOatmeal PB Lean but you can sub regular peanut flour]
– 2 egg whites
– 2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
– 1 tbsp canned pumpkin [Not pumpkin pie filling!]
– 1/2 tsp baking powder
– 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
– Pinch of salt

Directions
Spray a microwave safe mug with cooking spray. Mix all of your ingredients together and microwave for 2 – 2 1/2 minutes, until the cake is just set. Top with your favorite toppings [like nut butters] and enjoy!

Nutritional Information
Per mug cake, without toppings

169 Calories  /  1g Fat  /  11g Carbs  /  1g Fiber  /  8g Sugar  /  24g Protein

Now that I’ve jam-packed some sweat and tasty treats for ya, get your booty movin’ and enjoy your weekend!

Food for Thought

Do you prefer body weight workouts or sweating it out with some weights?
Any fun plans for the weekend?

Choco-cado Peanut Butter Pudding

Chocolate is a girl’s best friend. Or wait, that’s diamonds. I vote both.. and wine. Just so happens, this pudding would go great with a glass of red wine. Diamonds just go with everything.

But honestly, I’ve seen tons of recipes floating around the interwebs using avocado in desserts for the extra creaminess that you can often get from, well, cream or butter. Plus the health benefits of avocados are undeniable. I figured I’d give it a spin <– get it? Because I made it in the Vitamix… I’m on a roll today!

Makes four 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients
– 1 medium avocado
– 1/4 cup Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams
– 1/2 cup almond milk [I use Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla]
– 3 pitted dates [if they’re tough, soak them in warm water for an hour first]
– 2 tbsp maple syrup
– 3 tbsp cocoa powder [I use Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate]
– 2 tsp vanilla extract
– Pinch of salt

Directions
Put all ingredients into a high-powered blender or food processor and blend away until smooth. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 cup serving

243 Calories  /  13g Fat  /  33g Carbs  /  5g Fiber  /  22g Sugar  /  4g Protein

Food for Thought

Have you ever made a dessert with avocado?

Foodie Friday: Bourbon Banana Cheesecake

Planning a Valentine’s Day dessert is always a struggle for me. Everything I see is always chocolate, understandably, but Nathan is more of a fruit dessert kinda guy. I don’t discriminate. Any kind of sweet is good by me! I played with a few different ideas over the past few years; chocolate raspberry truffles, blackberry cobbler, chocolate strawberry cups.. they were all good, but I wanted to do something different this year. I’m also a fan of doing something a little healthier. That way I don’t feel so bad when I eat all of it 😉

I’d seen a few cheesecake recipes floating around the interwebs and thought that might be fun, but I wanted to make it a little more special than just a regular cheesecake. One of Nathan’s favorite recipes is bananas foster [if you recall our wedding cake] so I played around and had a little fun [read: broke out the alcohol!].

Bourbon Banana Cheesecake

Serves 9
Adapted from Skinnytaste Skinny Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Ingredients
– 2 medium bananas; mashed
– 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp raw sugar; divided
– 1-2 oz. bourbon
– 2/3 cup crushed cinnamon graham crackers
– 1 tbsp coconut oil
– 8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese; softened
– 6 oz. fat free Greek yogurt
– 2 large egg whites
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 tbsp all purpose flour

Optional Toppings
– 1 can full fat coconut milk; refrigerated
– 1-2 oz. bourbon
– 1 tbsp maple syrup
– Dark chocolate bar [for shavings]

Directions
Place a small pot over medium heat and add the mashed bananas and 1 tbsp raw sugar. When the sugar has dissolved and the bananas are smooth, take the pot off of the heat and add in the bourbon. I say 1-2 oz. so you can do to your taste. Let cool completely.

While the bananas are cooling, preheat the oven to 350°F and spray an 8×8 pan with non-stick spray.

Crush the graham crackers [I used my food processor to make sure they were really crushed!] and mix with coconut oil. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, 1/4 cup raw sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add in the Greek yogurt, egg whites, and flour. Finally, mix in the bananas until just thoroughly combined. You don’t want to overmix. Pour the mixture over the crust.

Bake 30-40 minutes until the center is just set. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for a few hours before slicing. When you’re ready to serve, slice into 9 equal squares and top however you like!

I served ours with bourbon coconut cream.. it was really supposed to be whipped cream, but the coconut milk just didn’t want to whip.. whoops! That didn’t make it any less tasty though. I also used my zester and to add some dark chocolate shavings over top.

Nutritional Information
Per square, without toppings

183 Calories  /  7g Fat  /  21g Carbs  /  14g Sugar  /  1g Fiber  /  7g Protein

Not too shabby for a rather decadent dessert, huh? 😉

Food for Thought

What is your favorite dessert?

Foodie Friday: Dark Chocolate Dreamy Powerballs [Giveaway!]

Last week I got a really fun package in the mail. If you know me, you know how deep my love runs for peanut butter. Swirl it with dark chocolate and now we’re really talkin!

By the spoonful!

One of my favorite things about all of PB&Co.’s peanut butter is the short list of ingredients.

Not only was I lucky enough to get a copy of this cookbook and a huge jar of Dark Chocolate Dreams, but they’re also offering a copy of the cookbook and a 28 oz. jar to one of you lucky ducks! Wanna get in on it? Click here to enter!You’ll definitely need a jar to make my new powerballs!

Dark Chocolate Dreamy Powerballs

Makes 21 bites
Based off of the original Peanut Butter Wonderful Powerballs

Ingredients
– 1/4 cup Dark Chocolate Dreams
– 1 tbsp coconut oil*
– 1/3 cup rolled oats
– 1/4 cup Perfect Fit Protein
– 1 tbsp ground flax*
– 1 tbsp chia seed*
– 1 tbsp hemp seed*
– 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

*These ingredients can be found on iHerb.com. Use code ZAF482 to receive $5 off of your first order.

Directions
Scoop peanut butter and coconut oil into a medium bowl and microwave for 20 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until combined.

Refrigerate the mix for 10-15 minutes until it hardens up a bit. This will make it easier to roll the balls. After refrigerating, measure out 1/2 tbsp per ball and roll to shape. Store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer and try not to eat them all in one sitting 😉

Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 tbsp ball

45 Calories  /  3g Fat  /  3g Carbs  /  1g Fiber  /  1g Sugar  /  2g Protein

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!But don’t worry, if you don’t win, you can still get your own copy and jar here.

Food for Thought

What would you do with a jar of Dark Chocolate Dreams?

Disclaimer: As part of Peanut Butter & Co.’s Yum Squad food blog group, I received the cookbook and a jar of Dark Chocolate Dreams in return for a blog post promoting the products. All opinions expressed are my own.

Pin Ups

It’s time again for another Pin It Party hosted by the wonderful Lean Green Bean, herself! I love these posts because not only do I get to share some of my more recent favorite recipes, but I get to see so many other awesome pinnable posts from other bloggers in the link up. Don’t forget to make your way over there to check it out!

You can also see my first 2 Pin It Party posts here:
Pin It Party #1
Pin It Party #2

Breakfast

One of my favorite breakfasts. How can you say no to oats,
nut butter, and a perfectly runny yolk?

Entree

Another yolk! In case you’re feeling a little breakfasty for dinner.

Sweets & Treats

Mini snickerdoodle biscotti are great for any occasion! Maybe this should be under breakfast too 😉

This would be a great snack for the Superbowl. It’s nice a light and not too sweet.

Some dark chocolate fudge with a glass of red wine? Match made in heaven!

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did! Now go ahead and start pinning 🙂

Food for Thought

Are you a big pinner?

What I Ate Wednesday #71: In the Kitchen [Recipe]

Since having more time to play in the kitchen, I’ve tried some pretty out-of-control recipes. I’ve also found that it’s nice to not have to rely on my packed salad or snack if I’m feeling something different when my stomach starts grumbling! In true WIAW fashion, I want to share yesterday’s eats and a fun recipe!

[Pre-Workout Snack]

Perfect snack before my workout!

FlapJacked sent me some samples of their protein pancake mix. I tried the Banana Hazelnut pancakes on their own, but decided to play with the Buttermilk mix and one of their recipes that they sent along for muffin tops. I give you my Banana Nut Protein Muffin Tops! I don’t know about you, I can’t stand going to the gym hungry and this little bite [only 45 calories!] was perfect.

[Breakfast]

Sliced almonds > whole almonds in granola. Dang. Good thing for nut butters!

My favorite, as always. Oatmeal with banana, my homemade coconut cashew butter, honey vanilla-bourbon peanut butter, and crunchy quinoa granola. I always look forward to this breakfast during my workout.. whatever pushes me to finish sooner, right? 😉

[Lunch]

GIMME ALL YOUR VEGGIES!

I’ve been feeling the pizza thing lately so I decided to try STUFTmama’s No Grain Flatbread. While that was baking, I was sauteed up some mushrooms, kale, edamame, roasted corn, & a salmon patty [Trader Joe’s is the best]. I spread some of Nathan’s homemade tomato sauce on the flatbread, piled my veggies and salmon on top, and added some avocado. Delish!

[Dinner]

Totally lived up to its hype!

So many people have been raving about the Paleo Spaghetti Squash Casserole that I had to give it a try. Nathan cooked with me last night and we whipped up something pretty fabulous! We used 1/4 lb beef chorizo and 3/4 lb turkey.. tons of flavor! We also added a bunch of extra veggies and it ended up making 8 servings.. although there are only 5 left haha! This is definitely a recipe you might see on the blog in the future.. we’re going to have some fun with it next time.

And as usual, I finished my day with an apple.. but I’m pretty sure you know what that looks like 😉 Now onto the fun stuff..

Banana Nut Protein Muffin Tops

Makes 26 muffin tops

Ingredients
– 1 cup FlapJacked Buttermilk Protein Pancake Mix
– 2 medium bananas; mashed
– 2 egg whites
– 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk [I use Almond Breeze]
– 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
– 1/4 cup roasted macadamia nuts; chopped
– 1/4 cup raisins
– 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients. Using a tablespoon, drop the batter onto the baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes until golden brown.

I love that these little guys are so light and fluffy from the pancake mix!

Nutritional Information
Per 1 muffin top

45 Calories  /  1g Fat  /  7g Carbs  /  3g Sugar  /  1g Fiber  /  2g Protein

Food for Thought

Have you tried any of these recipes from the other bloggers?
Have you ever baked using a pancake or waffle mix?

Fudge Ems!

It’s certainly no secret that I’ve been loving my Vitamix. I’ve been searching for recipes to try and also trying to come up with fun little bites too. I’ve been craving little chocolatey bites at night these days, you know, to go with red wine, and I am always looking for ways to make something healthier.

At this point, I’m sure everyone has seen variations on black bean fudge or brownies so I tried my hand at my own variation and I love the way they came out! They’re creamy, chocolatey, and have a little crunch from the cacao nibs. And each square is only 69 calories.. it’s a win-win!

Makes 18 squares

Ingredients
– 1 can reduced sodium black beans; drained and rinsed
– 1/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
– 1/4 cup Peanut Butter & Co. Mighty Maple
– 1/4 cup maple syrup
– 2 tbsp coconut oil
– 2 tbsp brewed coffee [I used pumpkin coconut!]
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1/2 – 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
– Pinch of salt
– 2 tbsp cacao nibs [Can substitute chocolate chips]

Directions
In a high-power blender or food processor, add everything except the cacao nibs. Blend until very smooth and scoop into a bowl. Stir in the cacao nibs until evenly distributed. Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and pour the fudge mixture into the pan. Spread it out evenly and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours.

Remove the pan from the freezer and, using the foil or parchment paper, lift the fudge out of the pan. Cut into 18 equal squares and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Store in the freezer. Or eat all of them immediately.. your choice 😉

Nutritional Information
Per square

69 Calories / 4g Fat / 2g Protein / 11g Carbs / 2g Fiber / 4g Sugar

Food for Thought

Have you ever tried making sweets using beans?