Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bark

Sometimes my sweet tooth tends to take over in the kitchen. Where some people might see that as a bad thing, I see it as a challenge. It’s a challenge for me to figure out how I can tame my tooth without going on sugar overload.

Not only did I put together a sweet treat that I’m pleased with, but Nathan also likes it and he’s not much of a protein powder guy. I may have done a little St. Patty’s Day-inspired jig when he said he liked it. Don’t judge.

Ingredients
– 3 tbsp coconut oil
– 3 tbsp Perfect Fit Protein
– 3 1/2 tbsp dark chocolate cocoa powder
– 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
– 15-20 drops liquid stevia or 2-3 packets powdered stevia
– 3 tbsp peanut butter; divided [I used Peanut Butter & Co. Crunch Time]
– 1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
– Pinch of sea salt [Optional]

Additional Optional Toppings
– Chocolate chips
– Peanut butter chips
– Nuts
– Dried fruit
– Sunflower seeds or pepitas

Directions
Cover a small 8″x6″ pan with aluminum foil.

Scoop coconut oil into a small bowl and microwave about 15 seconds until liquified. Mix in protein powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, stevia, and 2 tbsp peanut butter until everything is well combined. Adjust sweetness to taste.

Pour the mixture onto the pan. Scoop the remaining 1 tbsp of peanut butter into a small bowl and microwave 15 seconds until liquified. Pour on top of the chocolate mixture and swirl with a knife. Sprinkle the top with shredded coconut and a little sea salt.

Store this in an air tight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Nutritional Information
For 1/12th of the recipe [This is difficult to measure as they break up into uneven sized pieces]

60 Calories  /  5g Fat  /  2g Carbs  /  1g Fiber  /  0g Sugar  /  3g Protein

Food for Thought

How do you tackle your sweet tooth? Do you have a favorite go-to recipe?

Minty Irish Powerballs

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, I had to take advantage and make something green. And because my original powerballs were such a hit [read: gone in an instant], why not play with that recipe? These new “Irish” powerballs are fun and delicious.

Makes 15 balls

Ingredients
– 1/3 cup homemade cashew butter [I chose cashew butter over other nut butters because of the lighter flavor, but any nut butter will work!]
– 1 tbsp coconut oil*
– 1/3 cup rolled oats
– 3 tbsp Perfect Fit Protein
– 1 tbsp ground flax*
– 1 tbsp chia seed*
– 1 tbsp hemp seed*
– 2 tbsp cacao nibs
– 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
– 1/4 tsp mint extract [adjust according to taste]
– 30 drops green food coloring

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

Directions
Scoop cashew butter and coconut oil into a medium bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Add your green food coloring to this mixture and mix until fully incorporated. 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 tbsp per ball and roll to shape. Store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer and hide from everyone else in the house 😉

Nutritional Information
Per 1 tbsp powerball

117 Calories  /  9g Fat  /  6g Carbs  /  2g Fiber  /  1g Sugar  /  4g Protein

Food for Thought

Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Do you have any favorite St. Patty’s Day foods?

Roasted Banana Berry Chocolate Cups

With Valentine’s Day being on a Thursday, I knew I wanted to be able to whip up a quick and easy dessert. [Nathan was in charge of dinner!] Even though we had a great idea to make homemade dim sum together, we knew that it would have to wait for a weekend. When I saw Tone It Up’s post of Valentine’s Day desserts, I knew I had something to play with.

Makes 10 cups
Adapted from Tone It Up

Ingredients
– 10 squares from 6.8 oz dark chocolate bar
– 1 medium banana
– 3/4 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt
– 1 cup berries; sliced if using strawberries
– 1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut; toasted
– Ground cinnamon [optional, for garnish]

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Microwave the chocolate chunks in 30 second increments until smooth. Spray 10 mini cupcake liners lightly with non-stick spray and paint the melted chocolate on each of the liners to about 1/4″ thickness. Place the cups in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until hard.

While the cups are in the freezer, place the banana on a cookie sheet and into the oven, still in its skin. Roast for 15-20 minutes until very brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. After the banana has cooled, mash it up and mix it into the greek yogurt.

Remove the chocolate cups from the freezer and peel out of the liners. Spoon some roasted banana yogurt into each cup, top with a few berries, some toasted coconut, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Serve immediately.. they won’t last long! 😉

Nutritional Information
Per cup

97 Calories  /  5g Fat  /  13g Carbs  /  2g Fiber  /  9g Sugar  /  3g Protein

Food for Thought

Did you treat yourself to a Valentine’s Day dessert? Did you make something special or order out?

Foodie Friday: Peanut Butter Wonderful Powerballs

Have you entered my Peanut Butter & Co. giveaway yet?

Unfortunately, these are not the kinds of powerballs that will win you money. They are, however, delicious and nutritious! And rather addicting..

I knew I was going to have to come up with some fun recipes with my Peanut Butter & Co. treats, so why not make something that packs a little extra protein punch?

Peanut Butter Wonderful Powerballs

Makes 11 balls

Ingredients
– 1/4 cup White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter
– 1 tbsp coconut oil*
– 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp rolled oats
– 3 tbsp Perfect Fit Protein
– 1 tbsp ground flax*
– 1 tbsp chia seed*
– 1 tbsp hemp seed*
– 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut; toasted
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Optional Mix-ins
– Dried fruit [raisins, cranberries, cherries, chopped apricots, etc.]
– Chocolate chips
– Peanut butter chips

*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 tbsp per ball and roll to shape. Store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer until ready to snack devour.

Nutritional Information
Per 1 tbsp powerball, without any mix-ins

83 Calories  /  6g Fat  /  5g Carbs  /  1g Fiber  /  1g Sugar  /  4g Protein

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway so you can make these treats!

Food for Thought

What is your favorite way to eat peanut butter?

Foodie Friday: Toasted Coconut Vanilla Overnight Oats

Recently I discovered a new favorite Greek yogurt from my favorite Greek yogurt brand. Have you ever seen Oikos Toasted Coconut Vanilla? If you’ve seen it, try it immediately. If you haven’t seen it yet, find it immediately!

I don’t typically go for the full-fat flavors, but sometimes it’s necessary. This is one of those times. This flavor is incredible and I knew I would have to try an overnight oats recipe as soon as possible. And the results? This breakfast kept me full for hours and I’ll definitely be incorporating this into my routine more often!

P.S. did you know that January is National Oatmeal Month? It couldn’t be more perfect!

Toasted Coconut Vanilla Overnight Oats

Serves 1

Ingredients
– 1 container Oikos Toasted Coconut Vanilla Greek Yogurt
– 1/2 cup rolled oats
– 1 tbsp chia seeds
– 1/3 cup almond milk [I use Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Coconut]
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional Toppings
– Unsweetened shredded coconut
– Nut butter [Earth Balance Crunchy Coconut Peanut Spread is highly recommended!]
– Ground cinnamon

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a tupperware container and mix well. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with your preferred toppings and enjoy!

I prefer my oats hot so I pop em in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes. If you do this, you may need to add another splash of milk to get it to the right consistency.

Nutritional Information
Per serving, without toppings

286 Calories  /  11g Fat  /  34g Carbs  /  7g Fiber  /  17g Sugar  /  15g Protein

Food for Thought

What is your favorite flavor of Greek yogurt? Have you ever tried making overnight oats with that flavor?

Foodie Friday: Dark Chocolate Cherry Protein Pancake

I’d like to introduce you to my new love.

I’m not sure what came over me, but one night as I was thinking about what to make for breakfast the next morning (what, don’t you think about your breakfast immediately after finishing dinner?) and it hit me; dark chocolate and cherries. Duh! Why hadn’t I done this before?!

I took a mental inventory of my pantry and the next morning, I made my dream a reality. And it’s so very dreamy.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Protein Pancake

Serves 1

Ingredients
3 egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Hot Cereal [you can sub ground flax]
2 tbsp chocolate protein powder [I used PlantFusion]
2 packets stevia
1 tbsp dark chocolate cocoa powder [I used Hershey’s]
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp dried cherries [you can sub other dried fruits like raisins, goji berries, cranberries, etc]
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional Toppings
Banana slices
Peanut fluff [2 tbsp peanut flour, 1 packet stevia, & water to reach desired consistency]
Unsweetened shredded coconut
Sliced almonds
Dark chocolate chips
Dried fruit

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

Directions
Heat a small 8″ pan over medium-low heat. Mix all of your ingredients together and grease your pan. Pour your batter in and let cook about 5-6 minutes on the first side, or until it is sturdy enough to flip. After flipping, finish cooking about 2 minutes on the other side.

Nutritional Stats
Per serving without toppings

245 Calories  /  5g Fat  /  29g Carbs  /  7g Fiber  /  11g Sugar  /  26g Protein

Food for Thought

What is your favorite protein pancake you’ve ever made? Do you go towards a sweeter preparation or a simple, plain pancake?

Foodie Friday: A Sarah Fit Breakfast

Something very strange has happened in my house this week. We’ve gone out for dinner almost every night! And suddenly I realized I didn’t have an awesome recipe to share for my Foodie Friday post.

I turned to my trusty friend, Pinterest, for an awesome breakfast idea (since I’m also out of all of my breakfast staples) and came across this bad boy. Breakfast quinoa? Carrot cake? Done.

It was a great decision. Such a fast prep and so tasty, I’m glad I have extra shredded carrots and quinoa ready for breakfast tomorrow too! I even went ahead and figured out the nutritional info so hopefully you’ll feel even more inclined to make this right away! And then head on over to SarahFit.com and thank Sarah for her delicious creation 🙂

Nutritional Stats
Per serving

280 Calories  /  8g Fat  /  46g Carbs  /  6g Fiber  /  11g Sugar  /  8g Protein

Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Jennifer Shaw on winning a case of tortilla popchips! Please email me at Brittany@BarrAndTable.com with your address so I can forward it over to the wonderful people at popchips!

Jennifer Shaw says : September 28, 2012 at 2:14 pm
I love pop chips! I can’t wait to try tortilla, looks yummy!

And finally, a huge thanks to popchips for being an incredible FitBloggin’ sponsor and a great company to work with for this giveaway!

*Winner has until 11:59pm EST on Sunday, 10/7/12, to respond. If I don’t hear back from you, I will be choosing a new winner.

Chocolate Pudding and Giveaway Winners!

I have a serious sweet tooth so I’m always looking for ways to satisfy that without going calorie-overboard. I’ve seen tons of chocolate avocado pudding recipes all over Pinterest, so with some wonderfully ripe avocados sitting in my fridge, I figured now is the best time to try my hand at my own creation. And I have to say, I was quite pleased with the results.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Makes 3, 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients
1 medium avocado
1 medium banana
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I use Blue Diamond Almond Breeze)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp agave
2 tbsp semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions
Put all ingredients, except chocolate chips, into a food processor and process until smooth. Scoop into a bowl and stir chocolate chips in. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes until chilled and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions
Unsweetened shredded coconut
Sliced almonds
Whipped Cream

Nutritional Stats
Per 1/2 cup serving

232 Calories  /  14g Fat  /  37g Carbs  /  8g Fiber  /  18g Sugar  /  4g Protein

Giveaway Winners!

I chose my 5 lucky Premier Protein giveaway winners using random.org.

Kate says : September 5, 2012 at 5:27 pm
i’m starving right now so chocolate pb sounds faaaaaantastic

fromicecreamtoamarathon says : September 5, 2012 at 3:36 pm
I want to try the chocolate peanut butter protein bar!!

runningeater September 7, 2012 at 7:42 am
I followed you

Shannon (@caloah) September 7, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Hello.. my name is Shannon and Im a Protein Baraholic. (Seriously not even joking tho!) The Chocolate Peanut Butter sound right down my alley! Would love to try it out. 🙂
This one cracked me up! I can totally relate.

alw6ys September 8, 2012 at 2:42 am
Yogurt Peanut Butter Crunch protein bar!

Congrats to all five winners! Please contact me at brittany.barr@gmail.com with your address so I can send the info on over to the wonderful people at Premier Protein!

Finally, a big thanks to Premier Protein for sponsoring such a great giveaway!

*Winners have until 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, 9/11/12, to respond. If I don’t hear back from you, I will be choosing a new winner.

Foodie Friday: Chocolate Protein Oats

I already have my breakfast planned for tomorrow.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and while this week I’ve been on a protein pancake kick, I’m ready to start the weekend with my favorite breakfast; chocolate protein oats.

More specifically, Coach’s Oats. I’ve recently been introduced to these little lovely bites and don’t ever want to go back to regular oats again. These oats aren’t rolled, but they aren’t steel cut either. They do, however, have that same texture and bite as steel cut oats, which is my favorite, but cook in no time like rolled oats!

Coach’s Oats are prepared in an entirely new way. The groats are toasted to bring the natural sugars to the surface of the oat, then cracked into small pieces. This patented Cracked n’ Toasted™ process means that Coach’s Oats are never mushy, always naturally delicious and cook in just 3 to 5 minutes on a stovetop or in the microwave.

Chocolate Protein Oats

Serves 1

Ingredients
3 egg whites
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup almond milk (Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla is my favorite!)
1/2 banana, mashed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup oats (Coach’s Oats are my favorite, of course!)

Optional Toppings
1/2 tbsp nut butter (I love Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Spread)
Fruit – figs, banana, strawberries, blueberries, etc
1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
Sprinkling of ground cinnamon

Directions
Heat a small pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add your 3 egg whites and cook through, mashing into small pieces. Once cooked, put the egg whites in a bowl off to the side.

Turn heat to high and add water, almond milk, mashed banana, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and oats to the pot. Stir to incorporate everything and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the head to low and stir until everything has just about come together. For the last minute of cooking, add your egg whites back in and stir well.

Pour everything into a bowl and top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

I immediately top mine with peanut butter.. I truly believe melty peanut butter is the best thing in the world.

Speak Up!

What are your favorite oatmeal toppings? Do you change them up or always reach for the same thing?

What I Ate Wednesday #12 – Baltimore Restaurant Week

Baltimore Restaurant Week is one of my favorite weeks of summer. I guess winter too, but someone summer just seems better!

I absolutely love trying new restaurants and this is the time to do it. You get to taste 3 courses for $30, and if you choose the right place, you’re really getting a steal! Often, the restaurants on the list serve entrees ranging from $20-$40, so to add an appetizer and dessert to that makes it all worth it.

This time around, we decided to check out Salt. It’s a trendy little restaurant that we’ve been to before, but it’s been years. And while we usually use restaurant week as an excuse to try something new, we just couldn’t pass up the incredible menu.

Being that we went out on a Friday, the first part of my day is uber normal. Aka not so exciting. Except for this awesome pancake!

[Breakfast]

Chocolate coconut protein pancake topped with Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Spread, coconut, and cinnamon plus Bombshell Spell with ZICO. I’m absolutely obsessed with the coconut peanut spread. It’s like a little taste of heaven melted over chocolatey goodness!

[Snack]

(not pictured)
Apple

[Lunch]

(not pictured)
Mixed green salad with cucumber, tomatoes, onions, green bell pepper, carrots, zucchini, diced avocado, & chili sesame tofu. This tofu recipe is divine and so simple. I’ll be sharing it soon!

[Snack]

(not pictured)
thinkThin Creamy Peanut Butter Blizzard + a few pieces Almond Maple Pecan Snackle Mouth. The blizzard was a fun way to mix up my usual protein bar and the little chunks at the very bottom were so tasty! And the Snackle Mouth is really something special.. I was lucky enough to win a couple boxes and I hope to be featuring these (or some new products soon to launch!) in a giveaway very soon!

[Dinner]

The most exciting part of the day. Everything on the menu sounded absolutely phenomenal and we couldn’t make any decisions without asking for recommendations (of course!)

Primaterra Pinot Noir • Roasted Red Pepper Tapinade with freshly baked bread

Cool Vichyssoise Soup
Dungeness crab, pommes frites, chive oil

Country Pork Terrine (not pictured)
Pistachios, figs, dijon mustard

I went for the soup, Nathan for the terrine. We were both equally pleased with our choices and it was something new for each of us to try.

Grilled Swordfish with Charred Gazpacho Vegetables
Lemon and olive quinoa, avocado puree

Crispy Creek Stone Farms Beef Belly Confit
Ginger glaze, white kimchi with asian pears, spicy sriracha creamed corn

The swordfish had been recommended to me by a friend and the side dishes sold me. It was delicious and I savored every last bite. But Nathan totally won. The beef belly confit was rich and savory with a slight sweetness from the creamed corn, which wasn’t all mush, as some would assume. If I went back the next day, I’d get the beef belly confit, hands down!

Key Lime Tart
Coconut meringue, blue berry coulis

Goat Cheese Donuts
Lavender honey, vanilla sea salt, coffee ice cream

Finally, the best way to end a wonderful meal; with an even more wonderful dessert. I opted for the tart while Nathan chose the donuts. Really, he’d choose anything fried, but drizzled with honey and ice cream on the side? He couldn’t say no! They were fantastic, but I definitely preferred my key lime tart. It was light, sweet, and tart, and just the perfect ending to the meal.

[Summer Staples]
Fresh fruits and veggies. Not a day goes by that I don’t get my fill of all of the freshness that summer has to offer and Salt definitely feels the same way. All of my favorite restaurants are those that take advantage of the freshest ingredients available and plan their menus around that. Why offer farm-raised tilapia when rockfish are jumping?

Speak Up!

What would you have ordered? Are you a meat-and-potatoes kinda person or a sea-foodie?