Blueberry Protein Pancakes

A few weeks ago Kev picked a bunch of blueberries off our bush. One of the big things I'll miss about our house is the 12 ft tall and 3x as wide blueberry bush in the back yard. Damn I love that blueberry bush. We didn't even know it was there until the back door neighbors told us about it, Every year it's a battle to get the blueberries before the birds and deer but when we do, it's soooo worth it.

The blueberries were staring at me and I decided that it would be awesome to make some protein pancakes. I went to Pinterest for some inspiration and with a little bit of tweaking, came up with a recipe that I think is pretty awesome.

Blueberry Protein Muffins

2 Scoops of vanilla Protein Powder (I use Plant Fusion)

2/3 Cup Cottage Cheese

2 Large eggs

1/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (I use Trader Joe's brand)

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup blueberries

Mix it all up in the blender (except the berries) until the cottage cheese chunks are gone, I have a Ninja blender and it's the bomb. Fold in the blueberries and cook them on a griddle with a little bit of coconut oil. I made 13 small pancakes out of this.

6 Protein, 2 Fat and 3 Carbs. Not too shabby!

Enjoy!

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,

Low Carb Pancakes and a non-eventful Weekend

Back to the grind for another week of work. Thankfully I really like my job, even though I have to write reviews this week. Oh the joys of review time. Right now I'm trying to blog with a cat on my lap and one curled up next to me. They have no sense of personal space. Everything is their space.

My exercise was pretty non-existent this week and I'm OK with that. I had a busy few days and the evenings I had free, I didn't feel like adding another thing to my day. Sometimes you just have to make peace with it and just accept that you can't do all the things.

Instead I tried to catch up on some blogging and KD stuff. I mostly succeeded. :)

Friday night Kev and I went out to dinner. We tried to go to Vinnie's for steak but didn't have a reservation, which was no bueno. Instead we went to Couquette which was super disappointing, I ordered the steak tartare which I always get and it was gross. They added WAY too much mustard and it was over powering, I sent it back and the chef said, "too bad, that's the way we make it". Seriously? I've eaten it there before as well as at may other French restaurants and it never tasted like that. Ewwww.... I remember working in restaurants and dealing with cocky chefs, they're a pain but it really put a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the meal. We won't be back.

Saturday morning I had an acupuncture appointment and when I got home I sat on my butt most of the day and worked on my cross stitch. I can't stop and I want it finished. The end is in sight and I already bought the frame to hang it in my bathroom. Let me tell you, my fat cat loves nothing more that to sit awkwardly on my lap and bat at the string as I'm working. It's the only exercise he gets aside from stuffing his face and beating on doors, so I guess it's a good thing.

I also made these killer low carb pancakes that are really really close to the real thing.They even look like real pancakes!

Kev had to leave early Sunday morning so it was just me and the animals all day. I went grocery shopping, bought the dog some treats and me some new running sunglasses.

Headed out for my run around 130 and I think I did 3.5 miles. My Garmin wasn't charged and I used my Nike+ app. I ran the trail and I KNOW that from the start of the trail to the bathroom it's 1.87 miles. That's what my Garmin always says. The app said it was 1.75 miles and that my pace was 12:35. No, it wasn't. Add in the extra distance and I'm faster. 

Can I just take a minute to again comment on the ridiculous people on the Greenway? The last 2 weeks there have been tons of people on their kids, which great for them. Let the kids get out and get some fresh air. However,  I will push your 4 year old out of my way when they dart in front of my running self. I'm not falling on the trail because your kid is swinging a stick. 

AND what is up with the people feeding the seagulls at the lake??? Don't feed them an entire loaf of bread, they are poop machines and will dive bomb runners. Running through a flock of seagulls (heh heh) is never awesome and I swear if one of them poops on me I'll wipe it on your bread bag.

It was almost 60 degrees when I finished my run which is ridiculous in January. Just plain crazy, I didn't need a long sleeved shirt.

After I got home and showered I took Cleo to the dog park and she wanted to leave almost immediately. Why? because I gave her a new chewy treat before going on my run and she obsesses over them. She's convinced that the cats are going to steal them. Sigh....

Low-Carb Awesome Pancakes!

1 cup cottage cheese

1/3 cup Quest Nutrition Baking Mix

4 eggs

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 Tsp Coconut flour

2 tsp sugar or 2 tsp Truvia Baking mix

Blend until smooth in a food processor. Spread sum butter on the griddle and go to town! Add a few blueberries for a little added sweetness.

That's my weekend! Did you do anything exciting???

Linking Up withBLoved Boston!

and

Banana Protein Muffins

After nearly a month of eating all the carbs it's time to get back on the wagon, Thankfully I have plenty of cute skirts and to tide me over until I'm happy with my pants again. I digress but why do we need to even wear pants? Seriously I know that wearing pants was part of the women's rights movement and totally necessary to bring us out of the kitchen. But really, I think those ladies were on to something. Dresses are so much more comfortable than pants and everyone thinks you're so much more dressed up than usual.

When I put on a dress Kev feel like he has to wear a suit. Nope, just don't wanna wear pants.

And at what age do zippers and buttons become a clothing requirement?? Kids clothes don't have zippers, just elastic and maybe a snap. It's all a conspiracy. #Ihatepants

After all the carbs, I need some protein. I know it's especially important after a work out but Like most people I struggle to eat enough protein in a day. I know that Greek yogurt is a great source of protein but the texture makes me want to vom. That's why I was super excited to find great  recipe that's packed with protein-y goodness.

I took this one and made a few tweaks.

It all started when I found THIS at GNC. Each scoop is about half a cup, 100 calories and 24 grams of protein. Awesome.

Banana Protein Muffins
1 cup mashed banana
3/4 cup egg whites
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I used Trader Joe's non-fat unflavored)
1/2 cup oat flour
1 scoop Quest Baking Mix
1 Scoop Plant Fusion Vanilla Bean Protein Powder (You could use the Quest and keep it all in the family)
4 packets Sugar in the Raw (I don't eat artificial sweeteners but you can use Stevia instead)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking Powder

Mix it all up and divide into 12 muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 18ish minutes or until they're done.

They're seriously delish and the stats are pretty good too. 76 cal per muffin, 1 fat, 10 carbs and 7 protein

If you see the Quest Baking mix out there, definitely grab one! I can't wait to experiment and try some new recipes!

Fun fact, while spell checking this post I misspelled seriously every time. I also over-use the word seriously.

Greek Yogurt, are you on the train or do you hate it too?

Muffins or cupcakes?

Linking up with the super awesome Rebecca for the first ever Thankful Thursday! I already wrote this post and it wasn't exactly thankful, but I guess I can be thankful that I found a way to eat Greek Yogurt that doesn't make me gag.

Any who, stop by and give her some love!

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!

Scenes From the Weekend and Some Cake!!

Wow! The weekend really went quickly! With starting the new job Monday I'm just now getting around to recapping the weekend. I don't know, is this a terrible blogger faux pas? For some reason I don't think my 11 followers would be terribly upset. You're cool with it, right? Yay.

 

And because it's wednesday, I'm linking up with Vodka and Soda! I just love her snark, definitely head over there and check her out!

 

 

Alright, on to the weekend. I did a bit of baking, a bit of cooking and a crap-ton of laundry. I'm really starting to hate laundry. It's my Sunday evening nemesis. At least I get to watch whatever TLC awfulness is currently playing. Yep, it's been me and Sister Wives for the last few Sundays.

First up, I decided to make some Paleo Brownies. I used the recipe here with a few exceptions. I removed about a third of the coconut flour and added coco PB2 instead. I thought it would give it a nice peanut buttery undertone, which it did. I also only used about 1/3 cup of honey and added some Enjoy Life chocolate chips. 

The weren't bad. Definitely had that coconut flour taste but the PB2 helped.

After the baking session, I had to head to PetSmart, then it was time for the pool. I was kinda hungry and decided to make a smoothie. I received some coupons from Influenster to test the new Jamba Juice at Home Smoothies and decided to try the Green Fusion Smoothie. I'm going to do a full review on what I received but I have to say, this one was pretty tasty!

I took that, some water and a can of seltzer to the pool while Kev played tennis. I needed to work on the horrible farmer's tan I'm still sporting.

That evening we headed to the Angus Barn for dinner and I was 2 cosmos in when my food came. Sorry, no pictures. We split a giant Prime Rib and some vegetables. It was delish.

Sunday came pretty quickly and one of the things on my agenda was to try out a new to me gym. My new job is in a different part of town than my old one and I'm a little worried about my ability to get to my old gym in time for my classes. I wanted to see if there was anything closer and I stumbled across Lifetime Fitness. It turns out they're a little more out of the way than I thought but damn, it was a nice gym. They have a rock climbing wall, 2 studios for classes, a spin studio with 80+ bikes and a crazy awesome pool and cabana.

I tried to get a lower rate in exchange for promoting them on my blog and social media. They weren't impressed by my tens of followers. 

Instead I went to a Cardio kick boxing class that was taught by a young Billy Blanks.

Anyone else remember Tae-Bo?

Every time I go to kickboxing, I remember how much I love it. I used to LOVE Body Combat classes and sadly the gym I was going to changed the schedule and no more combat. I need to find a gym that offers it regularly or I need to become an instructor myself. 

In the mean time, I'll have to stick with the classes. I started off with 10 minutes on the treadmill and then an hour class.

Not too shabby.

When I got home, Kev was asking for strawberry shortcake and instead of buying biscuits or one one those awful store angel food cakes, I decided to make one from scratch. It was surprisingly easy and a whole lot tastier (and healthier) than the store version.

Angel Food Cake:
12 egg whites
1 1/3 cup of sugar
1 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup cake flour

1. Separate the eggs and bring them to room temperature. Cook up the egg yolks and feed them to the dogs (we're pet sitting). Or you could read the entire recipe before buying ingredients and just get a carton of egg whites.
2. Mix eggs and cream of tartar for a few minutes (like 2). Start adding the sugar verrrrry slowly and whip them up until stiff peaks form (5-7 minutes)
3. Fold in the salt, flour and baking soda mixture.
4. Pour it all into one of those bundt pans, make sure it's sprayed with no stick stuff.
5. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes until it's slightly browned.

Add some strawberries and whipped cream and you're good to go!

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What's your favorite summer treat??