Brownie Batter Overnight Protein Oatmeal

I am totally in love with overnight oats. And brownies. And most batters of sweet origin. I got a thing for protein, too. Winning.....

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Unsweetened almond milk (or low fat milk of choice) 
• 1/2 cup Plain low fat Greek yogurt (or mashed banana, or pumpkin) 
• 2 tbs Unsweetened cocoa powder (or more, to taste) 
• 1/8 tsp Salt 
• 2 tbs Baking stevia or 1/4 cup sweetener that measures like sugar 
• 1 cup Old fashioned oats 
• 1/4 cup Protein powder or Chocolate Shakeology

Mix all the ingredients together and divide into two mason jars or bowls with lids. Let sit in the refrigerator over night and enjoy cold in the morning, or microwave for 30-60 seconds to warm.

Eggs-n-Oats

The foundation of a healthy clean eating breakfast is a wholesome carb paired with a protein. I'm sure most of you can relate when I say I just don't have the time to cook oatmeal and eggs and then proceed to sit down and eat said oats and eggs!! So here's a little combo dish. Its as easy as microwaved oatmeal but it includes the eggs right in the same bowl. Don't be weirded out, its totally awesome and you don't taste the eggs!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C quick oats
• 1 C water
• 1/2 C egg whites from a carton or 3 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Stevia to taste (optional), I used one packet of Truvia
• optional: 1/2 chopped apple, maple syrup (if you don't use stevia), chopped walnuts

Pour the oats, water, egg whites, cinnamon and stevia in a bowl. Microwave for one minute. Add the apple if you are using it and stir. Microwave another minute. Stir again. Continue to microwave in 30 second spurts, stirring in between until the desired fluffiness is achieved. (I usually go 2 rounds of 30 seconds). Add additional toppings now, and feel free to get creative (above I used pomegranate seeds)!

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

I can't hide my desires for a quick and easy dinner. I'm pretty much in love with my crockpot...anytime I can  throw food in to a bowl and make a delicious meal out of it, I'm a happy girl. :) It's the simple things....

Another freezing cold day in Western New York. I think I saw a high of 9 degrees. Sounds like a perfect day for some warm and comforting Mexican food!

I got this recipe from Budgetbites.com. It's a warm your belly kind of food! It can be eaten over rice, quinoa (my choice!) or used as a taco or burrito filling. Top with a little low fat cheese and sour cream if you'd like!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 (16 oz) jar of salsa 
• 1 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 lb (8oz) of frozen corn 
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 Tbsp cumin
• 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• black pepper to taste

I halved the recipe and it made enough for at least 4 meals. :)

Place chicken breasts on bottom of lightly sprayed crockpot.

Add all other ingredients plus 1/4 C of water to the crockpot and cook covered on low for 8 hours, or on high for 3 hours.

Here's the final product over quinoa! Even my 3 year old liked it!!

Chocolate Chip Monster Cookies

Having a little kiddo that LOVES sweets has forced me to find healthy ways to let him indulge. I would never eliminate sugar from his diet or deprive him of the fun of baking and enjoying cookies, but I DO believe in swapping out ingredients and throwing in some healthy additions to make sure he is getting SOMETHING beneficial from the treats he does have.

We are still milking the "Polar Vortex" that slammed Western New York yesterday and have stayed in our jammies all day. The power ended up shutting off for a few hours so in order to keep the house warm, I figured baking cookies was pretty much a necessity. I mean, clearly! Otherwise we would have froze.... ;)

Thank goodness for my gas oven because these cookies were not only warm, but they were delicious! Since we threw so many random ingredients in there we called them "Monster Cookies," and what 3 year old boy wouldn't love that?! These cookies are not low calorie, so treat yourself to one or two and throw the rest in the freezer!

Ingredients:

• 1 c Succinate sugar
• 1/2 c stevia baking sugar (or whatever the equivalent to 3/4 c of white sugar is for your brand...)
• 1/2 c applesauce
• 1/4 c coconut oil, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp chia seeds mixed with 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c natural peanut butter
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3 c quick oats
• 1/2 c mix of nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, etc. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together the sugars, applesauce and oil until smooth. Add eggs and chia seed mixture and beat until blended. Add vanilla and peanut butter and beat on low until incorporated. In a small bowl, whisk together the glower, salt and baking soda. Add this to the peanut butter mixture and beat until mixed. Now add oats and add-ins and with a very strong wooden spoon, stir together until well mixed (this takes some muscle!).  Place 1/3c sized dough balls on a parchment covered baking pan and cook for 11-13 minutes. This makes about 24 cookies, but we did eat a lot of the dough before we got a chance to bake it, so it might yield you more. ;)

Crock Pot Chili

It's 5 degrees today, with a windchill of -20!!! It honestly looks like the Tundra out there! In all my years in Western New York, I can't remember it being quite this frigid. Even my dog refuses to go outside to do her business. Can't blame her!!

Even though it's like the Arctic outside, there is something very comforting and peaceful here at home. The doors are tightly shut, the heat is up high, and with a driving ban in effect for the county, there isn't any pressure to run errands. There is something about being forced to slow down and stay inside that makes you reflect on all the comforts you have right in your own home. Comfy clothes, warm blankets, heat, food in the fridge and most importantly, family. It is actually a welcome day of rest and coziness. :)

We were lucky to know the bad weather was coming so when I planned out my meals for the week I purposely put crock pot chili on the menu for today. I thought the warm smell would fill the house and make it feel even cozier, and sure enough, it did!

When it comes to chili, I make mine meat-free by habit, but ground turkey, beef or chicken can definitely be substituted for my Boca crumbles. I happen to love beans so I always include them, but you could substitute frozen corn or veggies for the beans without any problem!

Ingredients:

• 1 package Boca crumbles (or any ground beef substitute)
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, I went for the mild since my son will be eating this too
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2-1 c water, depending on how thick you want the chili

In about 1-2 tbsp of water, sauté the peppers and onions over medium heat to soften. Add all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low 4-5 hours. You can crank it to high and cook it for closer to 3 hours if you are like me and sometimes forget about dinner until closer towards the evening. This is delicious topped with a dollop of greek yogurt sprinkled with a little 2% cheddar cheese.  Its awesome eaten straight out of the bowl, over baked tortilla chips, wrapped in a burrito, or even over pasta for chili-mac. Left overs store great in the freezer!

3 Ingredient Protein Pancakes

These are the easiest and healthiest pancakes I have ever made! They are my go-to when just plain old eggs don't sound appealing. Sometimes I have a hard time eating the protein I need in the morning because that usually means something heavy, and honestly, that doesn't always sound appetizing. These are perfect to satisfy your sweet tooth but are guilt free and super easy to make! :)

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 small ripe banana
• 1 TBSP flax meal (not the seeds, make sure its the meal so the seeds are broken down!)
• Optional: 1/2 tsp vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice

First mash up the banana in a bowl. Next, add the eggs to the bowl and whip together. Finally add the flax meal and let sit while your pan heats up. I like to use coconut oil to grease the pan. Add a small amount of the oil to the pan once it's warm and pour the batter into whatever size pancakes you would like. The batter will be thinner than normal pancakes.

Don't undo all the good you just did by pouring on syrup and slathering on butter!! I like to sprinkle berries on the pancakes, the sweetness is just right!

Breakfast Oatmeal Bake

We are having a lazy morning here! Fridays are our day to relax together and we usually stay in our jammies until the afternoon! I was in the mood to do some baking and since I haven't gone shopping in awhile, I was left with frozen food and pantry staples to work with. I've been eyeing this baked oatmeal recipe for awhile and luckily I could use all frozen fruits!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of old fashioned oats
• 1/4 c chopped walnuts, divided
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (use the real stuff!!)
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp melted and slightly cooled butter (I used Earth Balance)
• 2-3 bananas (mine were frozen since I peel and freeze all my ripe bananas that I won't eat in time, and they worked just great!)
• 1 cup of frozen berries, I used blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 1 1/2 or 2 qt baking dish.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl (cute mini helper optional). Then combine the wet ingredients in a large measuring cup. Line the bottom of the baking dish with the bananas and sprinkle with half the berries.

Next, layer on half the nuts and the dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture over the dry.

Finally, sprinkle on the remaining berries and walnuts. Bake for 25-30 minutes, although mine took 35 minutes since I used a 1 1/2 qt baking dish. Makes 6 servings. And it is AWESOME!! This recipe came from sohowsittaste.com.

No-Bake Shakeology Cookies

These cookies are really good. Like really, really good. Don't say you weren't warned. ;)

• 1 cup of raw nut butter
• 1 cup of oatmeal (quick or old fashioned works)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup of honey
• 1 cup of Chocolate Shakeology, (you can scale this down to 1/2 C, still delicious but not as nutritious)
• Combine in bowl and mix well. Roll into balls.
• Optional: Roll balls in crushed nuts or unsweetened coconut flakes.
• Store them in a closed container in the fridge. Or just eat them all in 24 hours like I did. Whoops. 

Quinoa Veggie Burgers

I grew up a vegetarian so I wasn't exposed to beef until I was in my twenties. I found it to be delicious, but it just never sat with my stomach. So although I don't have anything against beef (raised humanely), I personally don't eat it.  Veggie burgers have come a long way in the past 20 years, but unfortunately like most convenience foods, they are filled with chemicals and garbage that just isn't necessary to consume. So I've been on a mission to find an easy to make veggie burger and this guy is my winner! It's quick, easy, nutritious, filling, and kid friendly!! I stumbled across it on Pinterest and it was linked to eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com.

Mix together in a bowl:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa 
• 1/2 cup mashed cooked chickpeas 
• 2 Tbsp water + 2 Tbsp ground chia seeds or egg replacer or 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce OR Bragg's Liquid Aminos 
• 1 tsp dried basil leaf 
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf 
• 1/2 tsp gr cumin seed 
• 1 tsp gr coriander seed 
• 1/2 tsp paprika 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 4 Tbsp tapioca flour OR wheat flour 
• Salt & pepper to taste

Form patties by hand. Spray frying pan with oil and cook on medium heat until browned on both sides. I like my burgers on an Ezekiel bun with avocado, tomato, lettuce and onion or chopped up in a salad!

Pumpkin Protein Bars

These are my favorite homemade protein bars yet! They turned out fluffy, just sweet enough, and the BEST part....my three year old loved them!! I found the original recipe at melaniemitro.com, but I made a few changes based on what I had on hand.

Mix the following in a bowl:

• ½ C. Succinate (any natural sugar will do, but Succinate can be found in the natural foods section of most grocery stores)
• 1/4 C. applesauce
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. ground clove

(I didn't have cloves or ginger on hand so I used 1 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice in place of the spices above and it turned out great)

• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 - 15 oz. can of raw pumpkin
• 2 C. oat or whole wheat flour
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• ½ cup almond milk
• ½ C. chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan with oil. Pour mixture into greased pan and bar for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. If you'd like to add chocolate chips, it would probably be delicious! To keep it lower calorie, I would sprinkle on a handful of mini chips just before baking. Makes 24 squares. Perfect for an afternoon snack with coffee. :)

Overnight Oats

This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes. It was given to me by a fellow Beachbody Coach and I'm totally hooked on it. It's so easy to throw together and the ingredients are inexpensive!

In a bowl or jar with a lid, combine:

• 1/2 C. Old fashion oats
• 1/2 C. Almond, soy, etc milk

Let this sit overnight in your fridge.

In the morning when you are ready to eat, add to the mix:

• 1/2 C. Cottage cheese
• A big handful of fruit or berries
• 1/2-1 tsp natural sweetener (agave, honey, sugar) to taste
• Optional: sprinkle with chopped nuts for some extra crunch and a dash of cinnamon for some spice

I know, the cottage cheese is a bit of a surprise, right? But it's delicious in there! And it's a necessity to make this a complete meal with carbs AND protein. I don't always have time to cook eggs in the morning so this is a perfect way to get everything you need in one bowl.
I usually prep these at night in ball jars with some extra room, then in the morning I throw the rest of the ingredients in the jar and take my breakfast to go! I hope you enjoy this fast and easy breakfast as much as I do!

Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt

This is one of my go to recipes when I'm craving something sweet, especially after dinner. It's a clean version of cookie dough that will leave you feeling satisfied and GUILTLESS!  I found this recipe at melaniemitro.blogspot.com :)

Combine the following in a bowl:

• 6 oz plain Greek yogurt (yes plain! Vanilla has added sugar, avoid it!)
• 1 Tbsp nut butter (have you tried cashew butter yet!? It's my personal favorite! But peanut or almond butter works just as well). The ingredients in your nut butter should only be the nuts and salt. No added sugar!
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp honey
• Small pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

Enjoy this awesome treat, and lick that spoon clean!! ;)

Pumpkin Protein Pancake

Here's a perfect high protein breakfast for chilly fall days! Recipe from Undressed Skeleton.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup Pumpkin puree
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together well. Lightly spray pan with coconut oil spray and cook pancakes over medium heat until middle bubbles and edges lighten. Flip quickly and cook until both sides are lightly browned! Top with berries or real maple syrup!