Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Mug Cake

A few weeks ago I got an email from BzzAgent asking if I'd be interested in reviewing some products from EAS. Since I always love me a good protein powder, I said yes! 

While I received these products for free, all the opinions are my own.

I as really excited when my box came in the mail, I was impressed buy the variety of products and the fun shaker bottle. It;s purple and I like purple. I received several packets of the protein powder and 2 of Lean 15 protein bars.

I immediately busted into the protein bars because chocolate and peanut butter. Yum...

The main ingredient is soy protein and since soy gives me an upset stomach, I only had 1 bite. Oh my, that one bite was ridiculous. 

Did you ever have a Whatchamacallit? If not, you should because they are AMAZING and this protein bar tastes just.like.them. The only thing missing is the caramel. But I can live without the caramel. It was really tasty and I gave the rest to Kev. He loved them too and used the other bar to refuel after a tennis match.

I wanted to do something a little different with the protein powder and decided to use it in my go-to late night snack, a protein mug cake.

The ingredients: 1 serving of protein powder, cocoa powder, PB2, Egg Whites, Almond Milk and Baking Soda (unpictured)

Dump the protein powder in a good sized mug, add 1 tablespoon of cocoa and one tablespoon of PB2, and 1/4 tsp of baking soda.

Then the wet, 3 tablespoons of egg whites, and enough almond milk to mix it into a cake-like batter. It's about 2 tablespoons but add more if needed.

Mix it all up and put in the microwave for 1 minute, You'll probably need to cook it a little longer but do it in 10 second increments. It can go from tasty to overcooked in a few seconds.

There's no way to take a good picture of a mug cake but trust me when I tell you that you have to make this. You can also add a dollop of peanut butter on top for added yum and protein.

With the EAS protein clocking in at 25 grams, the eggs at 5 and some in the PB2 this little treat will only cost you less than 200 calories but you gain 32ish grams of protein. AND it's tasty as can be.

Really, you need to make this as soon as possible,

Protein Powder Review and Faux- Mac and Cheese

This post is kind of a hodgepodge of things but hey, I'm pretty random too. 

Last week I got some pretty exciting KD news that I can't share quite yet but I'm super excited about it! Also I found out that I'm up for the Outstanding Greek Advisor award at NC State. The awards ceremony is October the 20th and even though I'm thrilled to be nominated, I still want to win. :)

A few weeks ago I received a tweet from Protein Milk Shake Bar asking if I would be interested in trying their protein powder. I'm always looking for a good protein source that doesn't bring sadness, and after I say it didn't have any soy, I was on board to give it a shot. There were a ton of delicious flavors like cupcake batter and ice cream sandwich. I decided to go with the Rocky Road.

I really liked that it didn't have any soy, the carb count was pretty low and it had a good bit of protein.

I mixed it with a cup and a half of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I took a sip and I was immediately struck buy how much it tasted like rocky road, I could definitely taste the marshmallow and the nutty goodness. The other thing was how sweet it was. I don't add sweetener to anything any more. I drink my coffee and tea black and only have unsweetened seltzer. I think that's part of the reason why it was so sweet to me. If you like a protein powder that tastes like candy, this is for you!

So, something completely different. A few weeks ago I made a cheesy spaghetti squash casserole recipe I found here. Hands down, this recipe changed my life. I'm not even exaggerating, and I am prone to exaggeration... This is stupid good and you have to buy one of the 5000 spaghetti squashes that are out there right now and make this.

Ingredients

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 2½ cups (1 lb., 450 grams) cooked spaghetti squash
• ½ plain Greek yogurt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a 1.5-quart baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
2. If you need to cook the spaghetti squash, follow instructions 1-5 here: spaghetti squash recipe.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake until browned, 40-45 minutes (it will smell wonderful!).
4. Allow to cool 10 minutes, then carefully cut into squares

Just eat it now.

That's all for me! I'm spending the day cruising around NYC, check out my Instagram for all the details!

Sunday Spotlight - The Best Protein Powder

Happy Sunday!

I know I missed last week's Spotlight Sunday. Sorry about that. That's what happens when you put off cleaning for company until the very last minute. But hey, it was clean!

Today's spotlight is on my very most favorite protein powder, Plant Fusion. Plant Fusion has no idea that I exist, I don't get anything for this but it's just too good not to share.

I have tried a lot, seriously, over 25 different kinds of protein powder and I've haven't found one that I like nearly as much as Plant Fusion. I want a protein powder that has at least 20 grams of protein, isn't full of junk, no HFCS, no soy, mixes well and can be used in baking. Yes, I have a lot of requirements and Plant Fusion meets all of these.

The nutritional stats are pretty good too. Being that it's plant based, the protein comes from peas, artichokes and non-GMO quinoa and amaranth. I am by no means a vegetarian or trying to eat a plant based diet, this just happens to be and it's delicious. On a side note, I saw a beef based protein powder at the store and it really freaked me out. Ewwww.... powdered beef.

One of my favorite things about this powder is that it bakes really well. Protein muffins, pancakes, you name it. The vanilla can be used in just about everything.

I made this Banana Protein Muffin recipe a few weeks ago using Plant Fusion and it was fantastic. Only 66 calories per muffin and 6 grams of protein apiece. I ate these for breakfast with a tablespoon of peanut butter smeared between the two. It kept me full for quite a while which is always a plus in my book. 

I'd share a picture but I ate them all. 

I get my Plant Fusion at Vitamin World but I'm sure you can order it on-line. If you're looking for a new protein powder, definitely check out Plant Fusion!