Power Crunch

A co-worker of mine introduced me to Power Crunch protein energy bars. They are pretty tastey! Each flavor contains about 14 grams of protein and 10 grams of carboydrates. I have tried 3 of the flavors- two I liked and one I didn't care for. The French Vanilla Creme and Peanut Butter were delish, but the Cookies & Creme wasn't so great.

I got my Power Crunch bars at Super Supplements here in town, but I am pretty sure you could find them at GNC or a smiliar store.

--Tasha

Healthy Diva You Bars

My "Healthy Diva" You Bars came yesterday!!!! They are super yummy- even Cam approved! I love the concept of being able to create your own custom energy/protein bar. They even let you name your bar and they add your name to the wrapper. The company also offers custom protein shake mixes and cookies. I might have to do some more creating! Check out their website at You Bars.

My very own protein bar!

How cool is this?!

Yum-OOOOOO!

I believe my 5 mile hill workout earned me a "Healthy Diva" bar

--Tasha

Coconut Cherry Protein Bars

These bars are the yummiest protein bars! It is hard to eat just one of them because they are so good!

Coconut Cherry Protein Bars

Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cup Oats (I used uncooked Quacker oatmel)
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut (I used sweetened)
1/2 Cup cherries (or date chunks, cranberries, craisins, dried mangoes cherries/apricots/etc. Any dried fruit will work)
1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips
1/4 Cup almonds, chopped


Optional Ingredients:
3 scoops Chocolate OR Vanilla protein powder
2 Tbsp Flax Seeds (I omitted)
2 Tbsp Chia Seeds  (I omitted)
1.5 Tsp Cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
1 Ripe Banana (mashed)
1/2 Cup Agave Syrup
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter (or any nut butter, i.e. almond, pecan, cashew, etc.)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions
Combine all DRY ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mash ripe banana, and add all wet ingredients.

Pour wet ingredients into dry, and mix well.

Spread mixture into 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish lined with plastic wrap or waxed paper. Press until flat.

Place dish in freezer for a few hours, or until firm. Remove from dish and carefully cut into 15 squares/bars or logs. For easy grab-and-go snacks, wrap bars individually in plastic wrap.

Store in fridge or freezer for up to a month. These bars soften quickly at room temperature.

Makes 15 protein/granola bars.

Nutrition Content
Fat 10.9 grams
Protein 8.0 grams
Carbs 26.3 grams
Calories 220.7

--Tasha

You had me @ coconut

Clif Bar is really beginning to "WOW" me. They have some new flavors out that are awesome. I recently tried the new Mojo bar flavor- Chocolate Almond Coconut. It is currently my new favorite. I love, love, love coconut! I found myself grabbing the bars by the handful while shopping at FM the other day, hopefully nobody else wanted to buy any.  Right now Clif Bars are only $0.98 at FM- I think that is a pretty good deal.

Mojo bars are slightly different than a regular Clif Bar. A Mojo bar contains nuts & pretzel chunks that add a crunchy sweet & salty taste. They are really good- especially if you like the sweet & salty taste. Clif Bar also creates other bars, such as: Luna, Builder Bars, Granola Crunch Bar, Z Bar (for kids), and much more.

Check out their website as they are always adding something new. Clif Bars

--Tasha

Banana Wanna Date?

This banana and date cookie is pretty darn good! Another quick and easy recipe that includes very few ingredients.

Banana & Date Cookies

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats (I used uncooked Quacker oatmeal)
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup veggie oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mash the bananas, stir in the oats, dates, oil, and vanilla. Mix well and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

Nutrition Content
Fat 2.4 grams
Protein 0.7 grams
Carbs 5.3 grams
Calories 44

--Tasha

I am in love....

...with the new coconut chocolate chip Clif Bar!!!! It is by far my favorite flavor and let me tell you, there are several that I really like. According to the Clif Bar facebook page, they have several new flavor combinations out right now. I might have to venture out and try some more new flavors this summer. It's always nice to switch up the treats every now and then.

--Tasha

Banana Bread--Made Over

I capped off my MDW in the kitchen by making banana bread. Who doesn't love a warm piece of banana bread? It is one of my favorite things to eat- it's great for breakfast, lunch, dessert or a snack. Typically a slice of banana bread is pretty high in calories- 1 slice has over 325 calories! I found a banana bread recipe in my Hungry Girl (love her!!) cookbook and decided to try it with my own modifications.

Banana Bread

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup splenda (I used Stevia in the Raw)
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup egg whites
1/2 cup applesauce with no sugar added
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Spray a loaf pan (about 9 by 5 inches) with nonstick spray (I used Pam). Pour banana bread mixture into loaf pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Ovens vary- I checked mine at 20 minutes and it was done.

This made over banana bread is absolutely amazing. One piece just wasn't enough- I could have eaten 2 or 3 easily. :-)

Nutrition Content
1/8th of a slice:
Fat 0.5 grams
Protein 5.0 grams
Carbs 31.0 grams
Calories 140

--Tasha

Think Thin

Last week I googled "high protein & low carb bars" and Think Thin came up. I had never heard of Think Thin bars before, but the reviews were favorable. FM carries them so I decided to get a couple of the flavors just to try. I was pretty impressed. The bars have 0 sugar and are gluten free. My chunky peanut bar had 22 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein. That is a pretty good ratio. They have several different flavors and types of bars. Check them out: Think Thin Bars

--Tasha

Orgain

Orgain is another product that ordinarily I never would have purchased on my own, BUT after trying one I am hooked. It is an organic high protein drink. They come in several flavors at Super Supplements, but I prefer the chocolate flavor. It contains 255 calories and 16 grams of protein. It also contains an equivalent of 10 servings of fruits & veggies. I believe that it comes in different flavors besides chocolate.

--Tasha

Betty Lou's Nut Butter Balls

I was texting Amy about how fabulous the 22 Days bars were and she mentioned that she had never heard of them, but had recently eaten a Betty Lou's Butter Ball. I kind of wondered what it was, but got preoccupied and never asked her what exactly she was referring to.

While I was shopping around my new favorite store, Super Supplements, I came across a display of Betty Lou's. At first glance I saw "coconut macadamia" and said SOLD! I got several flavors for a taste test, knowing that I would more than likely be back to purchase more of these delicious sounding snacks.

As I am leaving the parking lot on my way to pilates class I decided that I really needed a snack. I decided to try the coconut macadamia first. OMG! It was to die for! I couldn't get over how amazing it tasted, how filling it was, and how it was gluten free! It was the perfect size for a snack. The further I got away from Super Supplements the more I was wishing that I had purchased more Betty Lou's. I will be back, very soon!

A more interesting thing about Betty Lou's is that they are made in McMinnville, OR. Who would have thought?  I did some searching around their website and it looks like they have several more tasty treat offerings. I might have to do some online shopping now! Here is their website: Betty Lou's

My to die for oh so yummy afternoon snack

--Tasha

22 Days

I am usually game to try most foods, but throw the word "vegan" into the mix and I cringe. Being raised on a dairy farm and consuming vegan products don't really go hand in hand.

While in Olympia this last weekend, Cam's aunt had me try these vegan energy bars called 22 Days. I figured why not just take a small bite, it might actually be good. Not only was the first bite good, but I inhaled the whole bar and was craving to try the other flavors. The bar was ah-mazing!!! Cam might not have the same opinion, but he is still a work in progress....

Last night I went to Super Supplements because I was curious about what flavors of 22 Days they carried (plus, I was hungry and needed my snack). I bought the "Cherry Chocolate Bliss", "Daily Mocha Mantra", and the "Enlightened Pumpkinseed". All 3 of the bars were very good (I just had a bite of each, I promise!). My favorite was the "Daily Mocha Mantra". It is so rich and delicious that it is hard to believe that it is vegan and gluten free. Isn't that stuff supposed to taste like crap?! The mocha and cherry bars could be used as a snack or even dessert because they are that yummy. The pumpkinseed bar would be great for a snack or for breakfast because it isn't as rich.

I felt proud of myself for taking the initiative to try something new and finding out that vegan/gluten free can actually be quite tasty. It feels good to branch out and try something new for a change.

--Tasha

How cool is this?!

Today after class, Amy brought us treats. She made a customized Skinny Jeans Fitness Bar from You Bars. It was amazing! She is beyond awesome.

I was so excited about her bar, that I looked up the website to make bars for myself. The website is pretty neat, how come I didn't think of this genius idea to let people create their own energy bars? Not only can you create energy bars, but you can also create your own custom shakes, trail mix, and cereal. Wow!

You can order 3 different sizes of bars; small, medium, and large. The medium bars come in a box of 13 for $38.87. That equates to about $2.99 per bar. A little pricey, but I think they are totally worth it. The website walks you through the process of selecting your ingredients. There are tons of options to choose from. The website tells you what the most popular ingredients and ingredients that they recommend. After selecting your ingredients you can see the nutrition label for your bar and adjust if necessary. After that you can name your bar. They even guarantee that each bar will be delicious. Seriously, how cool is that?!

You Bars Website

--Tasha

Fage Greek Yogurt w/ Strawberries & Honey

I am starting to get excited now that fruit is coming into season. I love fresh fruit! Cam brought some strawberries home the other night and they were amazing. I had to go to Costco and buy more.

It is great to combine some fresh fruit, Fage Greek yogurt, & a touch of honey for a meal, snack, or dessert. It is simple to put together and tastes delicious. I have only used strawberries, but I am sure that any fruit would work.

Strawberries, Honey, & Greek yogurt

1 cup Fage Greek yogurt (I bought this at Costco)
1 cup strawberries (slice & dice however you wish)
1 TBSP honey

Mix the honey and Greek yogurt together and then add the strawberries.

Nutritional Content
Carbs 31.22 grams
Protein 6.08 grams
Calories 233

--Tasha

Biggest Loser Vanilla Cupcakes

I am a huge fan of the television show, the Biggest Loser. I have been a religious viewer of the show since Season 1. Curtis Stone, a celebrity chef, has recently been appearing on the show and teaching the contestants how to turn ordinary meals into healthier versions. Eventually, I am going to attempt to re-create all of the meals that he has had on the show. The first recipe, and only recipe, that I have made is the Vanilla Cupcakes. I love cupcakes and I love baking so I thought it would be the best recipe to experiment with first.

I thought the cupcakes turned out okay. They weren't my favorite, but they weren't awful either. I think the next time I make them I will add more batter to each cupcake to make them a little larger. They were very light and fluffy and made a great after dinner snack. I also would add the raspberries to the frosting, the banana and cream cheese frosting was on the bland side. I ended up eating most of the cupcakes without the frosting.

Biggest Loser Vanilla Cupcakes, by Curtis Stone

5 egg whites
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

For the frosting
1 cup nonfat cream cheese
1/2 ripe banana

For raspberry frosting as seen on the show:
1 cup nonfat cream cheese, at room temp
1 cup fresh raspberries
Fresh raspberries to garnish

Preheat the oven to 325F

Place the egg whites in a large bowl and using a handheld mixer whip the whites on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until the whites begin to lighten up and hold their shape.

Increase speed to high and whip in the salt and honey until the whites hold a soft peak, then add the vanilla extract.

Fold in the yogurt.

In a separate medium mixing bowl combine the flour and baking powder and mix well.

Sift the dry ingredients into the egg whites a little at a time, gently folding them in with a rubber spatula.

Once fully incorporated, scoop the batter into cupcake tins lined with cupcake papers.

Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes or until they have colored and gently spring back when pushed with a finger.

Remove from the oven and cool the cupcakes at room temp.

Mix the cream cheese and the banana in a medium mixing bowl until well incorporated, leaving small chunks of banana throughout the frosting.

Once cool, spread a little of the banana frosting over the cupcakes and (top each with a raspberry?) serve.

For raspberry frosting:

While the cupcakes are baking, puree the raspberries in a blender until smooth.

Pass through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepot and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until the puree reduces slightly.

Cool completely.

Place the cream cheese into a medium mixing bowl and fold the puree into the cream cheese until fully mixed.

Once cupcakes are cool, spread a little of the berry frosting over the cupcakes, garnish each with one raspberry and serve.

Nutritional Content (per cupcake)
Carbs 10.0 grams
Protein 5.0 grams
Calories 60

--Tasha

Red Velvet Angel Food Cake

This has to be the best dessert I have made in a long time. It is delicious! The recipe says that it is difficult to make so beware. I thought it was easy, but everyone else that has attempted to make it hasn't had the same feelings.

I have thought about using this recipe to make some cupcakes, but haven't had the moment to do some experimentation. I will keep you posted.

Red Velvet Angel Food Cake

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup water, boiling
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp food colouring, red
1/4 tsp table salt
1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 cup cake flour (I used regular all purpose flour and it worked just fine)
16 large egg whites, about 2 cups (I used the liquid egg whites because I didn't feel like cracking 16 eggs)
2 tsp white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a medium bowl, combine unsweetened cocoa, boiling water, vanilla and food coloring; whisk and set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine salt, 3/4 cup of sugar and cake flour; mix well and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add vinegar; continue to beat until soft peaks form. With electric mixer running on slow speed, gradually add remaining cup of sugar; increase to high speed and beat until stiff peaks form.

Remove a heaping cup of egg whites and add it to chocolate mixture; gently combine and set aside.

Sift flour mixture over egg whites, a little at a time, and fold after each addition to incorporate. Add chocolate mixture and gently fold into egg whites. When just combined, turn batter into a two-piece 10-inch angel food cake pan with feet; smooth top into an even layer.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and invert pan onto its feet so the inverted cake can cool properly (the cake will not fall out of the pan). If your pan does not have feet, invert it over the neck of a wine bottle or a glass soda bottle.

When cake is completely cool to the touch, loosen edges with a sharp knife and remove cake from pan. Slice into 16 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Nutritional Content (per slice)
Fat 0.37 grams
Carbs 29.08 grams
Protein 4.47 grams
Calories 135

**This would also be really yummy with a touch of fat free cool whip**

--Tasha

Greek Yogurt

You may find yourself asking the question, "What is Greek yogurt?" I was thinking the same question myself a little over a month ago. I finally decided to try it and found out that I absolutely love it! I will more than likely never purchase regular yogurt again. I like how Greek yogurt is rich and creamy, but has zero fat. It also has twice the amount of protein than regular yogurt and is fairly low in carbs.

Greek yogurt is not only great for breakfast or for a snack, but it is extremely versatile in the kitchen. I have used the plain flavor to make vanilla cupcakes, salad dressings, and for a sour cream substituition. I have been collecting more recipes using Greek yogurt so I will be sharing them at some point.

Check out this website about the benefits of Greek yogurt:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/86488-benefits-greek-yogurt/

I have tried several brands and flavors of Greek yogurt and found some that I like and some not so much. I wouldn't recommend buying the Fred Meyer brand. It has a very grainy texture and I didn't care for the taste. The brands that I have tried and like are Chobani, Yoplait, and Dannon.

Chobani is my favorite, but also the most expensive. Go figure! I really like the peach and strawberry, but the vanilla flavor tasted kind of bland to me.
Website: Chobani Greek Yogurt

I have only tried the yoplait plain for cooking or the honey/vanilla flavor. I haven't tried their fruit flavors yet. The honey/vanilla flavor is good, but you really have to mix it up to taste the vanilla in it.
Website: Yoplait Greek Yogurt

In my opinion Dannon is just as good as Chobani, but a lot more affordable. Their vanilla is really good and packed with tons of flavor.
Website: Dannon Greek Yogurt

Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing

1/2 container of plain Greek yogurt
2-3 TBSP of salsa (I used mango & peach, but you could use any kind that you want)

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 container of plain Greek yogurt and the salsa. Mix in with your salad and enjoy!

Nutritional Content (This is with the Mango & Peach salsa)
Carbs 12.0 grams
Protein 16.0 grams
Calories 130

--Tasha

Trail Pop

Need a delish and light snack? This is perfect snack to take with you on the go. I made up a batch the other night so I could have some at work and leave some at home. It takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish to make.

Trail Pop

4 Cups popcorn (I used
1/2 Cup Quacker Oatmeal Squares
1/2 Cup dried fruit (I used cherries)
2 TBSP mini chocolate chips
4 Zip-Loc sandwich bags

**Makes 4 Servings**

Using the zip-loc bags place 1 cup of popcorn in each. Put 2 TBSP of quacker oatmeal squares, 2 TBSP of dried fruit, and 1/2 TBSP of mini chocolate chips into each bag as well. Seal the zip-loc bag, shake up & enjoy!

Nutritional Content
Fat 3.0 grams
Carbs 29.0 grams
Protein 3.0 grams
Calories 152

--Tasha

Cherry Truffles

This recipe is fantastic! It was easy to both prep and make; it involves absolutely no baking. Start to finish I was done in about 15 minutes.

Chocolate Cherry Truffles

1/4 Cup dried cherries
1/4 Cup + 2 TBSP old fashioned oats
1 1/2 TBSP sugar/fat free hot fudge
1 TBSP + 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Small cupcake papers

Using a food processor, finely chop the dried cherries. In a mixing bowl combine the dried cherries, oats, hot fudge, and 1 TBSP cocoa powder. Mix the ingredients together.

Place the 2 tsp cocoa powder into a separate dish. Scoop out 1 TBSP of the mixture and form into a small ball, roll each ball in the cocoa powder until it is well coated. Place in a small cupcake paper.  Repeat until you have used all of your mixture.

**Recipe only makes 6 truffles so I doubled it.**
**Make sure to shake off the excess cocoa powder from the truffles so they aren't bitter**

Nutritional Content
Carbs 11.0 grams
Protein 2.0 grams
Calories 56

--Tasha

Jello Snacks

Have you ever noticed how expensive Jello snacks are at the grocery store? They are around $3! I would always buy them when they were on sale, but I would find myself eventually buying them when they weren't on sale.

I finally came up with a smart solution, make my own Jello snacks. It's super cheap, doesn't take long to make, and one batch will last a week. They are great for lunches or dessert. The sugar free flavors only have 10 calories per serving and have 0 carbs. You could mix them up and add fruit to them if desired or a touch of fat free cool whip on top for dessert.

--Tasha