Girl on the go…and food to go with her

I have to thank my friend T for this amazing recipe: grain-free granola bars. I am a girl on the go; and always want a bar to stash in my purse/bag to tide me over in between meals.

T and I were discussing foods that fall into the gluten-free category the other day, and she mentioned this recipe. Naturally, it’s pinned on her ‘gluten free foodie board’ so I grabbed it and and went on a quest to find all the ingredients. My regular grocery store did not have the pumpkin seeds or almond flour.

The jury is still way out on whether I need to omit or simply decrease this ingredient from my life, if at all, so I am in the process of experimenting to see where I fall along that continuum by taking it out altogether.  If this recipe is any indicator of GF foods, I’m in on taking it out!

Enjoy the recipe and if you wish to try, a printable version is included, along with a link to the book where other recipes by the same person can be found.

If you do not need to worry about gluten/wheat, just use  a 1/2 cup of regular all purpose flour

The chocolate was my idea [briliant, yes?] it’s not in the actual recipe.

Assemble the following in your food processor

per serving:  Calories: 139 | carbohydrates: 13g  |  protein: 4g  |   fat: 11g

Print the recipe:  Grain free protein balls

Recipe is orginally from Hallie Klecker’s book, The Pure Kitchen:
Clear the Clutter from Your Cooking with 100 Glute-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes

Enjoy!

Oh Lighten Up, part 2

A few weeks ago, I talked about my quest to lighten up and shared an awesome savory french toast breakfast sandwich recipe  { p.s. update on that recipe below }.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had that between now and then. Is a light food still light when you eat it all the time? Hmmmm. I guess that’s better than eating Cheez-Its all the time, which by the way, since we are talking about Cheez-Its, it’s been 24 days. Ha! 24 days!  I beat the 21 day rule. And you want to know what I say now about the { bleep } Cheez-Its?  WHAT Cheez-Its? They have lost their power on me!  YEAH!!  I suppose those human behavior experts might have something after all.

So, my quest to lighten up continues; last time it was breakfast, today, we are moving on to part 2 – my new favorite snack. Should we do lunch next? It’s easy, it’s quick, it feels like dessert and it’s packed with healthy goodness.

Let me introduce you to Apple Cinnamon Yogurt.

4 simple ingredients:  Nonfat vanilla greek yogurt; an apple, cinnamon and ground flax seed.

Start with 1 cup of non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt. Any kind will do; I usually use Chobani, but I was “sickity sick” this week { thanks Gwen, over at The Bold Abode, I cannot get that out of my head! } and Trader Joes is across the street from where I pick up my drugs, uh I mean, my miracle medicine.  Thank goodness for antibiotics. I mean really.

Add in 1 small apple.  I like the Pink Lady apples, but you can use a gala, fuji or any kind you choose!  Sweet and crisp is key.

Dice up that apple into small bits.  This is the hardest part of this recipe, but if you have one of these slicers — the best thing since sliced bread { ha, like that? }  – it cuts the job in half.  And, I’ll be honest,  it’s  just plain fun to use.

How do you like them apples?  Pour the yogurt into one of your favorite bowls. Then place the diced apples on top of the yogurt.

Sprinkle 1/2 to 1  teaspoon { depending on how much you like }  of ground flax seed over the top of the yogurt and apple mixture. And just read how healthy this stuff is…I feel stronger, faster, better, lighter, already!

Finish it off with a 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Add a little extra if you really love cinnamon…it’s got just about 0 calories, and did you know how good cinnamon is for you? This tasty spice is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin K and Iron, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Calcium and Manganese. In fact, studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol. One study even found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.  { Would it be wrong to carry around a little pouch of cinnamon…? } And it’s already yummy; it’s not like trying to convince yourself to eat brussell sprouts, or for me, egg plant.

{  Stir it up…grab a book, a blog or just relax…. and enjoy!  }

And, for the number savvy among us…this all adds up to about 240 calories. That’s it!
{ 22g protein, 38g carb; 4g fiber, 0g cholesterol, 1g fat/0g sat. fat }

Update on the french toast recipe…Becc over at TrueBlog! had a great idea if you don’t like jam/preserves – use honey instead! Brilliant.

Oh, Lighten up

It’s a constant effort – the whole balance between what I want to eat and what I should eat to keep things in check. It’s even gotten to the point of a self-imposed 21-day moratorium on Cheez-its. Frankly, all of cracker-kind are subject to this new rule. As we know, experts in human behavior say that new habits form after 21 days of doing the same thing; so I figure 21 days with no Cheez-its and they will fall off my radar.  Right? Right!  Hm-mmm. That’s worked so well, I’ve restarted twice. I know, sad.   What is it with  those {bleep} Cheez-its? I’m quite convinced they contain something illegal…

So, I don’t know about you, but I never feel like this when I get on a scale

and I try to do a lot of this

so that this stays in control.

I don’t play golf, but I totally get how you win with a lower number. But, it remains a constant effort.  Sigh.  This isn’t about the summer bikini. Wait, a what?  That word is not in my vocab!  It’s just a matter of keeping things in check and with the hibernation season officially coming to a close – at least according to the calendar if not for the weather forecast – it’s time to get serious. To tell those Cheez-its where they can go.  So, I’ve been scouting for a few new recipes to help me get back on track and shall we say, oh, lighten up a bit?   Breakfast is one of mychallenges; I’d skip it if it were up to me, but apparently it’s the most important meal of the day. Figures!  So, I found this recipe for a super easy yummo Savory French Toast.  Of all b-fast foods…that would be my favorite, but before you get too excited, no butter, powdered sugar or syrup found here. We will just have to get over that together.

So, here we go. Here is what you will need

1/8 tsp Herbs de Provence  |  2 tsp apricot jam/preserves  |  2 slices light whole wheat bread   |   1 TBS goat cheese   |  1/4 cup liquid egg substitute   |   1 TBSP snipped fresh chives   |   1/2 tsp unsalted butter   |   1/2 cup grape tomatoes   |   1/8 tsp salt*

First step, spread the goat cheese and apricot jam on the bread.  Easy.

Then, put the two pieces together;  like a sandwich.  Resist temptation to eat this now. Trust me on this.  Just set it aside, and walk away.  Not easy.

Then,  get the egg mixture ready. You could use a whole egg, but this recipe called for egg whites.  Pour the 1/4 cup of egg whites in a bowl, with the snipped up chives.

Then take that ‘sandwich’ for a quick dip in the pool

And then over to the hot tub. Uh, frying pan.  I swear, this is not about bathing suits.

It’s a quick few minutes on each side, just to give it that crispy outer crunch.  And to get the goat cheese and apricot jam all warm and melty.

See, I told you to trust me and wait.  Now, put the french toast ‘sandwich’ off to the side. Yes, I am asking you to wait. Again. Don’t hate me.

Now you will need to get your  tomatoes ready.  Cut in half, lenghth wise, a 1/2 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes.

You will need a dash of salt, and the kind I used deserves a special mention. I received this as part of set from my friend BCW as a kitchen warming gift when ours got a much needed and long overdue face lift.  It’s counterparts are equally cool; one is black salt and the other is a red salt and come with a salt dish with three small sections and three itty bitty little salt spoons. Coolest ever and you can find them at artisansalt.com

The tomatoes go in the pan with the tiniest bit of olive oil, the salt and the Herbs de Provence  - and they are in the pan for a quick minute

And, there you have breakfast.  An easy, quick, healthy and delicious way to start the day.

After eating this, I didn’t even think of Cheez-its.  And, I am on round 2, day 9, in case you are wondering. I got to day 11 on round 1.  Go ahead, place your bets.  Leave me a comment with your favorite bad-habit food/snack.

If you are a label checker -here are the stats:

230 cal   |   14g protein   |   30g carb   |   8g total fat   5g sat fat   |  8g fiber

{ go find something yummy. It just better not be Cheez-its. }

Morning Buzz

No, not that kind of buzz!

I have never been one for breakfast; I’d rather sleep every last minute and grab something on the go.  When I was young, my family was all about the big breakfast; pancakes, waffles, omelets, eggs any way you can imagine, and oh yes, bacon. Can’t forget the bacon!  I didn’t appreciate it then, but my mom was a great cook [oh the things I wish I had taken the time to learn from her!].  She was a stay at home mama and every day she offered to make a hot breakfast for my brother and I before school.  Looking back I have nothing but sheer admiration and appreciation for her, but at the time, breakfast was never high on my list. As I got older, and the flying-out-the-door-at-the-last- minute started, the hot breakfast gave way to something I could grab and go, and the beginning of a {bad} lifelong habit was formed.

I wish I had purchased stock in the Luna Bar company; though I would surely be embarrassed if there was an actual number I could come up with to indicate how many I have consumed over the years since they entered the market years ago.  I don’t leave home in the morning without one for my breakfast on the go. Everyday.

Health, weight, nutrition and fitness are important to me and I know that eating a good breakfast goes along with a healthy lifestyle. Still, I somehow cannot manage a full breakfast in the mornings. Now, breakfast for dinner? Definitely. But breakfast for breakfast? Not so much. So, you can imagine how glad I was to come across a recipe recently for  breakfast/energy/snack bars called Morning Buzz.  An easy, quick, recipe  with just a few healthy ingredients, most of which I already had. Oh, and no cooking required. Well, you do have to boil something. Does that still qualify as a recipe?

The recipe is for morning breakfast bars that actually have coffee in them!  Here is what you need:  cinnamon {1/2 tsp}, raisin bran cereal {4 cups}, honey {3/4 cup}, finely ground coffee {2Tbsp}, slivered almonds {1/2 cup} and almond butter {1/2 cup}.  Easy, right? I bet you have most of that in your kitchen and pantry right at this very moment.  All I needed were the almonds and cereal.

All the fixings needed for a little morning buzz

The first step is to toast the slivered almonds. I like to do mine on the stove top, so I can watch them closely.  You can also toast in the oven or toaster oven, but every time I use one of those methods, I forget about them and they quickly become charbroiled instead of toasted. Soooo not the same effect!

Toast the almonds

Keep a close eye on them – it’s tempting to toss them and turn away, but I warn you, don’t do it. Stand there for a minute, enjoy a moment of standing still, review your list of things to do, sing a song, count from 100 to 1 backwards, whatever it takes, but I beg of you, don’t walk away from the almonds. You’re welcome.   Lightly toss/stir until they are nice and golden brown.  Oh, and yeah,  my stove is messy. What? Yours isn’t?

Perfectly toasted

The next step, and I thought this was fun. I have never cooked or boiled honey before, and it smelled delicious.  Starting with just the honey, put it in a medium size pot on high and stir gently during the whole cooking time.  Let it come to a boil and then once the honey comes to a full boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.  Oh, and do you know this trick? When measuring out sticky ingredients like honey, wait until the last minute to measure it out; lightly spray your measuring cup with cooking spray – then load in the honey.  When you go to pour into your pan, the cooking spray helps it slide out much easier and you get more/most of the ingredient out of the measuring cup and into your recipe

Boil the honey

sweet!

Sorry, I got mesmerized by the honey while it was boiling.  After the 5 minute simmer, turn off the heat and then add in the almond butter and stir until mixed.  Next, add in the ground coffee and cinnamon. With the coffee, it will look gritty, but it all mixes in just fine in the end.  Be sure to use very finely ground/espresso setting coffee for best results. No instant coffee. Don’t even consider it!

This is where the buzz comes in

Now, add in the raisin bran cereal and the toasted slivered almonds.  For my gluten free friends, you could easily substitute a GF cereal to take the place of the raisin bran; just be sure it’s a crispy/crunchy cereal.  Have a favorite or one to recommend? Leave a note in the comments below.

Here comes the crunch

Stir everything together until thoroughly mixed and all the cereal and almonds are coated evenly.  Prepare a 9×13 baking pan – with wax paper or a little shot of Pam/cooking spray and then transfer the mixture to the baking pan.  Using a spatula or wax paper, press the mix evenly into the pan, adding pressure to get an even layer throughout.

Almost done

Next, let the pan sit for a while to cool. Once it’s cooled down, cut into 10 bars [down the middle and 5 across - yes, I had to think about it!].  I loaded mine on a plate with some fresh fruit and a glass of orange juice. Now, that’s my kind of breakfast!

Yum!

Great way to start your morning!

Store the bars in an airtight container; they will last for about a week [unless you eat them all before that!]. I tried freezing one and it came out ‘ok’. It was a little chewy, but I wanted to see if I could double the recipe and store some for upcoming weeks.  It would work, but  I think they are better fresh. If you are curious, here is the breakdown on the nutritional info.  Each bar contains 263 calories, 5 g protein, 10 g total fat, 42 g carbohydrate,  4 g fiber, 28 g sugar, 0 mg cholesterol, 108 mg sodium.

If you have  GF cereal suggestions, please leave a comment for others who might want to try. This is an equal opportunity recipe; we all need a little morning buzz to start our day off right!   Thanks for stopping by and if you try these, I hope you enjoy!

{buzz}