Foodie Friday: Carrot Cake Energy Bites {Recipe Redux}

Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes yesterday! It was a great [an delicious] day and I’m excited to continue the celebrations this weekend! To kick it off, I have a tasty treat for you. I’m sure by now you all know how I feel about my protein bites. I’ve made peanut butter powerballs, dark chocolate powerballs, blueberry lemon cookie dough bites, apple pie protein bites, dark chocolate berry protein bites.. I think you catch my drift. So I was really excited when I saw this month’s Recipe ReDux topic:

Bars & Bites for Brown Bags

Whether you pack your lunch in a bento box, a brown bag or a retro cartoon character lunch box, don’t forget the bars and bites. Small squares or round bites can pack nutrition into a sweet or savory taste. Show us your favorite way to jazz up any type of lunch box.

A reason to make another flavor of bites? Done!

Carrot Cake Energy Bites

Makes 48 bites

 

Ingredients
– 2 cups shredded carrots
– 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
– 3 tbsp almond meal [I used Bob’s Red Mill]
– 3 tbsp coconut flour
– 1 scoop protein powder [I used Vega Sport Vanilla]
– 1/3 cup nut butter [I used Peanut Butter & Co. Old-Fashioned Crunchy]
– 1/4 cup maple syrup
– 2 tsp cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp salt

Directions
Place carrots and coconut flakes in a food processor and pulse until chunky. Add the pulsed carrots, coconut, and the rest of the ingredients into a medium bowl. Mix everything until combined thoroughly. Using a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon, measure out and roll your bites. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 tbsp bite

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

I love using the chunky peanut butter in these.. it’s like a 2-for-1 rather than adding the nuts separately. Plus, the Old-Fashioned Crunchy is one of my favorites from PB & Co. because the only ingredients are peanuts and salt. These bites are not only great for a little pre-workout treat, they’re great to pack up and take with you on the go or in a lunch bag. They’re slightly sweet and the almond flour gives them an extra nuttiness. All this to say you should definitely make these bad boys!

If you really want to kick them up a notch, add some raisins and roll the bites in shredded coconut. Yum!

An InLinkz Link-up

Food for Thought

What’s your favorite dessert?

Foodie Friday: Crispy, Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders

It all started with a love for this quinoa crusted chicken strips recipe. I’ve said it before but Nathan is a huge fried chicken fan so anyway that I can find a healthier way to get him his fix [sort of..] is good in his book. I made these chicken strips once before and he loved them so he was more than happy to see them on the menu again this week. Well, all is well and good assuming you don’t forget to buy the right ingredients.. like quinoa.

I could have sworn I had a ton of quinoa in the pantry! I practically tore the place apart only to find that I used up the last of it. Ahhh yes, now I remember! Crap.

Well luckily for me, we did have a few ingredients I could use to substitute and make an equally crispity, crunchity [peanut-buttery? ;)] chicken tender. I whipped up the same BBQ honey mustard sauce, adjusted the breading ingredients, and went to town!

Crispy, Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders

Adapted from Quinoa Crusted Chicken Strips
Serves 4

Ingredients
BBQ Honey Mustard
– 1/3 cup dijon mustard
– 1/4 cup honey
– 3 tbsp your favorite bbq sauce
– 1/2 lime; juiced

Chicken Tenders
– 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast; sliced into tenders
– 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
– 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
– 1/2 cup steel cut oats
– 1/2 cup almond meal [can sub more panko or another flour]
– 1 tsp salt
– 1 tsp black pepper
– 1 tsp garlic powder

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and a cooling rack, sprayed with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for the BBQ honey mustard.

In another medium bowl, combine the buttermilk and 1/4 cup BBQ honey mustard. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add the chicken to the buttermilk mix, shake off excess liquid, and dredge in the panko mixture. Lay the pieces flat on the cooling rack and lightly spray the chicken.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, flip the chicken tenders, and spray the other side. Bake for another 8-10 minutes, then broil for 2-4 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with more BBQ honey mustard and devour!

Nutritional Information
For 1/4 recipe of chicken without extra sauce

200 Calories / 6g Fat / 13g Carbs / 1g Fiber / 0g Sugar / 18g Protein

This will definitely be a recipe I’ll be creating again in the future. Love when the substitutions work out! And if you’re ever looking to shake it up in the kitchen, I couldn’t recommend Half Baked Harvest more. Tieghan’s recipes are amazing and never fail to impress!

Food for Thought

What’s your go-to blog for recipes?
Any fun plans for the weekend?

Link Love #44

Have you entered my Bob’s Red Mill giveaway?

It’s only Tuesday but I’m already glad we had such a low key weekend. I can tell this week is going to be crazy nuts so I’m trying to make the most of every free second I have. I’m not usually one for making lunches the night before but I’m so glad I have been this week.. helloooooo extra sleep! Even if it is only 30 minutes extra.. Take what you can get, right? Now if I had a post below about how imperative sleep is, that would be a perfect transition. But I don’t. So here ya go 😉

Health

Should You Count Calories to Lose Weight? – Trainer Paige

Should You Count Calories to Lose Weight? – Trainer Paige
Orthorexia: The Fine Line Between Eating Clean & Eating Disorder – To Live & Diet in L.A.
4 Tips for Taking Citicism Without Falling Apart – Carla Birnberg
4 Reasons to Eat Fermented Food – Mommy Run Faster
Tips for Overcoming Excuses & Getting the Best Out of Exercise – Zen and Spice

Fitness

Hydration and Race Day Tactics – Cotter Crunch

Hydration and Race Day Tactics – Cotter Crunch
The Women’s Guide To Increasing Strength Without Increasing Bulk – Lifting Revolution
Secrets to Success: Arm Strengthening – Tina Muir
High Intensity Workout in 12 Minutes – Fit2Flex
Fit Friday: Top 4 Back Exercises for Women – Monica Nelson via Eating Bird Food

Food

Roasted Vegetable Tacos with Cumin Cashew Crema – The Roasted Root via Hummusapien

Roasted Vegetable Tacos with Cumin Cashew Crema – The Roasted Root via The Hummusapien
Grilled Cherry Milkshakes – Edible Perspective
Salmon Fig Pesto Pizza {Gluten Free} – Health, Love, & Chocolate
100-Calorie Peanut Butter Swirl Buckwheat Brownies – Fit Foodie Finds
Toasted Walnut Pesto and Caramelized Nectarine Pizza w/ Spicy Balsamic Drizzle – Half Baked Harvest

Food for Thought

What was one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Quiet Around These Parts

Have you entered my Bob’s Red Mill giveaway?

It was a pretty quiet one this past weekend although it did kick off with a rather amazing picture message from my brother that made my day.

Please, no pictures. I’m sunning.

If only we could all be so fabulous..

With all of the going out we’ve done over the past few, we decided to lay low a bit. Saturday I was working in the morning and when I got home we hit the road to check out Grocery Outlet [think Aldi but with name-brands]. We really had our bargain-hunting pants on this weekend! It ended up being a pretty successful trip knowing that we’d still be going to Berkeley Bowl on Sunday. But all in all, I’d say we got some good deals!

Yesterday I got up early for a quick run before Nathan and I went for a hike. There are still so many place we haven’t seen yet and Joaquin Miller Park is right around the corner from us.

Such a pretty view right from the start.

How cool are these trees?

We hike with coffee. And pastries.

Crazy fog made for some fun pictures.

The fog was pretty heavy when we first got there but it really burned off within about an hour. We tried to stop at a lookout point on our way up the mountain but you couldn’t see 5 feet in front of you! We were able stop on the way back down and could actually see the fog moving out. Pretty cool! It was a really nice area and a great place to check out.

Later in the day we lucked out and got to watch our Orioles since the game was on ESPN.

Orioles Magic!

I don’t mind the game being rained out at all.. an O’s win after 5 innings? I’ll take it! We’re in first and it feels so good!

And while the game was going, this baby was roasting for an awesome Sunday dinner.

Nathan roasts a mean chicken!

Sweet potato for me..

..and Nathan’s fancy hasselback potato!

Such a great way to end the weekend.

Weekly Meal Plan

Sunday – Roast chicken, sweet/hasselback potatoes, and side salad
Monday – Feta chicken kabobs with roasted brussels sprouts [this one didn’t happen last week so I’m making up for it now!]
Tuesday – Black rice salad bowls with chipotle orange chicken, cashews, & feta
Wednesday – Leftovers
Thursday – Green chile turkey burgers and side salad
Friday – Out!
Saturday – Leftovers

Food for Thought

What fun things did you do over the weekend?

Foodie Friday: Bob’s Red Mill Giveaway!

It’s always nice when you find a product that you love and the company turns out to be just as good as the product. Bob’s Red Mill is definitely one of my top favorite companies out there; their customer service is top notch and they have such a huge variety of products that I use on a daily basis.

The new go-to pancake around here.

PB&J Yogurt Parfait

These guys didn’t last long!

A little twist on my morning oats.

This didn’t stand a chance here either.

I think you get where I’m going with this.. so you’ll be pleased to know that I have yet another giveaway from my wonderful friends at Bob’s Red Mill!

I really enjoyed changing up my oatmeal with these Scottish oats; they have a finer texture than rolled so it gave the oatmeal a much creamier consistency. I also really loved both of the granolas, but I think the honey oat was the favorite here. Sometimes simpler is better! And I always love when there are big and little chunks in my granola 😉

Want a chance to win your own package of oatmeal and granola?

Click here to enter!

Easy peasy 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend!

Food for Thought

Which of these products are you most excited to try?

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary shipment of these Bob’s Red Mill products. All thoughts and opinions of the product are my own.

Foodie Friday: Coco-Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes

Have you entered my Pure Via giveaway yet?

Some might say I have a peanut butter problem. Personally, I think it adds character 😉

I don’t know the first place I saw this, and I’m sure you’ve seen it before, but it’s so true! I’m always looking to add more peanut butter into my diet and have been loving coconut flour pancakes.. coconut and peanut butter? The perfect pair.

Coco-Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes

Makes 1 serving of 4-5 pancakes

Ingredients
– 4 egg whites
– 2 tbsp coconut flour* [I use Bob’s Red Mill]
– 2 tbsp peanut flour* [I use Protein Plus]
– 1/4 cup coconut almond milk [I use Califia Farms]
– 1/2 tbsp baking powder
– 1 tsp cinnamon
– Pinch of salt

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

Directions
Place a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Mix all ingredients together and use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to evenly distribute batter into 4 or 5 pancakes. Cook on one side until they start to bubble, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook another 2-3 minutes until cooked through.

Plate up with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

I like to put a few slices of banana and peanut fluff [2 tbsp peanut flour + water + stevia] in between each layer and then drizzles the leftover peanut fluff on top.

Nutritional Information
Per stack without toppings

182 Calories  /  5g Fat  /  8g Carbs  /  2g Fiber  /  5g Sugar  /  26g Protein

Talk about protein-packed! I hope you enjoy them as much I am. I even made an extra batch yesterday to eat on the way to the airport this morning. Speaking of airport.. Baltimore, here we come!!

Food for Thought

What is your favorite kind of pancake?
Any big plans for the weekend?

 

What I Ate Wednesday #92: Breaking the Plan

We’re usually pretty good about sticking to our weekly meal plan even if we do swap a few days every now and then. I’m kind of a stickler for eating at home during the week, but when Nathan walked in after work yesterday asking if I wanted to grab a cocktail, I couldn’t say no. It had already been a long week and it was only Tuesday! It was an impromptu date night and it was just so nice.

[Breakfast]

I’ve been loving a new protein pancake recipe this week—I’m calling them coco-peanut butter pancakes. I’m still adjusting ratios a bit for the perfect texture but I will definitely be sharing the recipe soon.

[Morning Snack]

And because I haven’t had enough peanut butter, this PB&J yogurt “parfait” is hitting the spot!

Ingredients
– 1/2 cup greek yogurt [I use 2% Fage]
– 2 tbsp peanut flour
– 1 squeeze Pure Via [the vanilla is my favorite!]
– Splash of coconut almond milk
– A couple of your favorite berries [strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are my fave!]
– A few Toasted Coconut and Blueberry Almond Breeze almonds
– 1 tbsp granola [I use Bob’s Red Mill Honey Almond]

Directions
Mix your greek yogurt, peanut flour, stevia, and coconut almond milk together until smooth. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

[Lunch]

I was loving the smoothies at work for lunch but recently I’ve been in more of a salad mood. Especially with the delicious leftover brussels and sweet potato we’ve had!

[Afternoon Snack]

I pretty much could have eaten a horse yesterday. This was snack #2 after a lemon vanilla Luna protein bar. The gelato is pretty amazing and I’ll be posting a real review soon!

[Happy Hour]

Prizefighter is known for their cocktails. I’ve only been there once before but Nathan never had before and it was such a gorgeous night; perfect for a drink outside! My drink was the Tennessee Rye – rye, orange bitters, lemon, and soda. His was the Reconquista – mezcal, punt e mes, and aperol. They were both perfectly balanced and hit the spot. We’ll be back for sure!

[Dinner]

Dinner was an early one at Jasmine Blossom. They have an awesome happy hour—$3 drinks and $5-7 appetizers.

I got the fresh roll filled with beets, carrots, vermicelli noodles, mint, and lettuce and served with the most delicious peanut sauce I’ve ever tasted! Because clearly there’s never enough peanut butter in my life. I might have been nice enough to share the roll with Nathan too. I also got the ginger chicken salad which I love—it’s light and super flavorful. Nathan ordered the chicken pad kee mao which is essentially drunken noodles and again, delicious.

[Midnight Snack]
Dinner actually kept me full longer than I expected but my stomach was grumbling before bed so I grabbed a spoon, a jar of PB, and a little granola. Mmmmmmm.

And now it’s just a few more days till we’re headed home 🙂

Food for Thought

Do you stick to eating at home during the week or do you go out?

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary shipment of Toasted Coconut and Blueberry Almonds from BlueDiamondTasteMakers.com. All thoughts and opinions of the product are my own.

What I Ate Wednesday #91: Berrylicious

I love this time of year. The kitchen is almost always stocked with fresh fruits and veggies but right now everything is at its peak. We’ve been seriously stocking the fridge with lots of fruit; it’s hard not to when everything is so good!

It’s usually not until I sit down and look at my meals for the day as a whole that I see some sort of theme going on. Yesterday’s theme was berries. I wouldn’t mind having that theme happen more often either.

Breakfast

Quite possibly the ugliest oatmeal ever, right? Blueberries really have a way.. I just swapped my usual 1/2 banana in my oatmeal for 1/2 cup blueberries. It was pretty wonderful if you can get past they bowl of gray.

Lunch

I have a thing for hot lunches these days and zucchini noodles are such a fast fix. I also have a serious cheese craving going on so I got Laughing Cow White Cheddar wedges the other day. I threw one of those into the mix with chipotle cherry sauce, ground turkey, shredded carrots, and zucchini noodles. I topped it off with avocado and BAM! Delicious lunch.

Snack

It’s been a while since I’ve had a Balance bar, but honestly, I was running out the door hungry and it was the first one I saw. The caramel nut blast is pretty darn tasty!

And since I felt the need for something sweet and berrylicious when I got home, I grabbed some almonds I just got from Blue Diamond—toasted coconut and blueberry—and threw them in a bowl with some raspberries and dark chocolate pretzels. I swear, Nathan was trying to hide those pretzels from me! Also, the blueberry almonds are not something I would typically buy myself, but they were much better than I expected!

Dinner

You guys. This chicken. I’m in love with the marinade! I ended up making extra to go on the side because it’s so good. I used this feta chicken kabob recipe and toasted pecan and blueberry couscous salad on the side. I ended up cutting the amount of couscous in half and adding some leftover quinoa that I had. The whole dinner was so good and I’m glad I made a bunch for leftovers!

Snack

An apple and a little more homemade sourdough. We’re still riding the struggle bus when it comes to making bread but we’re getting closer. Maybe one day soon we’ll be successful.. here’s to hoping!

Food for Thought

What’s the best recipe you’ve tried lately?
What’s your favorite berry?

Foodie Friday: Apple Pie Protein Bites

Since making Lindsay’s PB coconut trail mix healthy bites a while back, I’ve loved keeping them in the freezer and popping a couple in the morning before my workout or throughout the day if I need a little something sweet. I’m not a fan of eating a full breakfast before a workout; something light does the trick when my stomach is grumbling! And even though they lasted a while, I recently ran out. The worst.

I loved them so much that I decided I’d try my own take on the recipe with some different ingredients I had in my pantry this time around. Musselman’s big cups and apple walnut granola? Boom. These babies were born!

Apple Pie Protein Bites

Makes 32 bites
Adapted from Peanut Butter Coconut Trail Mix Healthy Bites

Ingredients
– 1/3 cup coconut flour* [I used Bob’s Red Mill]
– 1/3 cup almond meal*
– 1 scoop vanilla protein powder* [I used About Time Whey]
– 1/3 cup nut butter [I used PB&Co.’s The Bees Knees]
– 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce [I used Musselman’s]
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp sea salt
– 1/4 cup Love Grown Foods Apple Walnut Delight granola

Directions
In a large bowl, add all ingredients except the granola. Mix until everything is almost full incorporated and then add the granola. Continue mixing until the granola is evenly distributed throughout. Depending on the protein powder and nut butter you use, you may want to add a little more applesauce as you’re mixing.

Using a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon, measure out your bites and roll into balls. Place in an airtight container in the freezer.

*Note: you can use all coconut flour or almond meal but start with 1/4 cup applesauce and add more slowly. I wouldn’t use 100% protein powder as the texture will be off.

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

 

Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 tbsp bite

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

You should also note that Nathan not only told me he like these bites but thought they were “really tasty!” To which I said “great! Now that you like them, I’ll let you know there’s protein powder in ’em.” Ha. Got him! 😉

Food for Thought

What is your favorite flavor combination?

What I Ate Wednesday #90: Homemades

There have been a lot of delicious things going down in the kitchen lately. Protein bites, more nut butter, and some bread [that needs a little work] to name a few. I also have a recipe for a new chia pudding for you today; it was the perfect snack. You know, between all of the almond butter I had.

Pre-Workout
Apple pie protein bite. It’s my latest bite creation and I will definitely be sharing the recipe soon!

Breakfast

I’m back on the oatmeal train! I used up the rest of my coconut cashew butter with this batch of oats but while they were cooking, I also whipped up my first batch of almond butter. It came out pretty darn perfectly!

Morning Snack

This is pretty how it goes down after every new batch of nut butter. I wouldn’t want a drop to go to waste so the Vitamix comes to the computer with me as I figure out how to get every last bit out of there. Without cutting my fingers 😉

Lunch

I also have a problem when I make a new nut butter that I need to eat it multiple times that first day. Actually, it’s not a problem at all. This kabocha and tuna with almond sriracha sauce was perfect.

Afternoon Snack

Chocolate almond chia pudding. It finally occurred to me that while I’m not a fan of the texture of chia pudding, using milled chia might be more favorable. Success!

Ingredients
– 2 tbsp milled chia seed
– 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
– 1 tbsp almond butter
– 1 tbsp cocoa powder
– 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
– 7 drops liquid stevia

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until everything is fully incorporated. Let set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Top with your favorite fruit, granola, or more nut butter! I used Love Grown Foods Apple Walnut Delight.

We also had some baking adventures yesterday. We’re still learning and this was our second roll of the night. It definitely turned out better than the first but still very dense.

Kierston is my bread inspiration so I might be calling on her soon for tips!

Dinner

I adjusted Lindsay’s honey ginger tofu stir fry to make it with chicken instead since I have a non-tofu eater over here. I had a couple leftover cauliflower rolls so I crumbled one up in the bottom of the bowl and used it as rice. It came out great and we have lots of leftovers. Always a good thing!

Dessert

I told you. Multiple times a day. I couldn’t not have more almond butter with my apple!

Food for Thought

Are you a fan of chia pudding?