Grilled PB&J and Chocolate Coffee Protein Shake

Happy Sunday Funday! I’m milling around on some blogs before popping my Buffalo chicken wing dip in the oven and heading over to a friend’s house for a Super Bowl party. I tend to hate football and I really don’t care about the game- I’m just looking forward to food and friends.

Oven Ready

I don’t really have any super interesting topics to blog about, besides some of the delicious food I’ve eaten this weekend. None of which are recipes I 100% made up, but worth sharing nonetheless.

Yesterday after the gym was craving a caffeinated beverage (I didn’t sleep well on Friday). I knew I should get some protein in to let my muscles recover from the hardcore intense strength training    super lame elliptical workout I have to resort to because of my back.

Here’s what I popped in the blender:

1 cup almond milk

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

1 packet of Folger’s instant coffee crystals

1/4 cup coffee (left over from the morning- it was cold!)

4-5 ice cubes

Serves 1: 130 calories!

Yum! It tasted like a mocha iced coffee.

 

Also, I have been meaning try try grilled PB&J  ever since I saw it on Clean Eating Veggie Girl a couple of weeks ago. Today was the day! So worth it! Delicious.

Just take two slices of bread and ‘butter’ them with coconut oil or butter. (You could use real butter but I thought coconut oil would give it a sweeter taste).

Put on peanut butter and jelly of choice and grill on both sides. I used my pancake griddle.

 

 

Drooooool! So creamy and delicious! Must make again soon!

 

 

Are you going to any Super Bowl parties? What are you making?

Weekday Protein Pancakes: Two Ways

Pancakes on a weekday!?!? Way too good to be true. I usually don’t get up any where near early enough to make pancakes, but this week we were hit with some winter weather that had me getting up earlier than normal.

I don’t know why my brain works this way, but I figured since I was already getting up early because my normal 40 minute commute turned into an hour commute, I might as well get up even EARLIER so I could make pancakes.

I didn’t want super sweet indulgent pancakes. I have been struggling with feeling full and snacking so I wanted something with protein that would hold me over. Cereal has been making an appearance in my breakfast and I never feel full and satisfied and want to just KEEP EATING it because it’s so good.

After perusing a lot of the protein pancake recipes on the web and not really finding anything that fit the bill, I decided to wing it. The result: delicious, satisfying and surprisingly low cal.

They were so good on Wednesday that I made a variation of them on Thursday.

Protein Pancakes: Two ways

Makes 1 serving: 200 calories (not including toppings)

1/4 cup cottage cheese

1/4 cup oats

2 egg whites

1/2 scoop designer whey vanilla protein powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Blend all ingredients in a blender and cook on a pancake griddle at approx. 350 degrees for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Almost took a bite without taking a pic!

Texture: thin, dense and filling (not your traditional fluffy and light pancakes but delicious and filling).

Variation- Peanut Butter Chocolate Pancakes

Add 1 tsp cocoa powder (omit cinnamon)

Replace vanilla protein powder with chocolate

Add a few chocolate chips (add after blending)

Top with peanut butter or PB2!

Equally as mouthwatering! Can’t wait to make more tomorrow!

Almond Joy Protein Pudding

There are a couple of go-to items that I reach for when it comes to ‘midnight’ or late night snacks. One of the old standbys has always been wheat toast with peanut butter sprinkled with ground flax seeds. I also have this with a cup of sleepy tea, and it has become a ritual for me as well as something that helps me relax from a long, hectic day.

Some of my other favorites include recipes floating around in the blog world like:

 

– faux banana ‘ice cream’ (this is truly amazing; if you haven’t tried it GO NOW. I actually didn’t believe it would work until I tried)

Source: Tastespotting

–Peanut butter protein cheesecake from Dashing Dish (one of my favorite websites)

 

Source: Dashing Dish

– One minute chocolate cake in a mug <<< My favorite!!!!! I have perfected this recipe and it comes out with very little calories using applesauce for oil and coconut flour.

Source: Chocolate Covered Katie<<<<awesome website!

Tonight I whipped up a new recipe that I made up, and it ended up being delicious! I have been trying to cut back on calories by eating food that makes me feel full. I would rather have this filling protein before bed than carbs that my body won’t be burning off anytime soon. This is what I came up with:

Almond Joy Protein Pudding

serves 1/prep time 5 mins

Heaping 1/2 cup of non fat cottage cheese

1/2 scoop of chocolate protein powder

1 packet of stevia

1/2 tbsp coconut flakes

1/2 tbsp slivered almonds

A few chocolate chips!

Place the first three ingredients in the food processor until the cottage cheese becomes light and fluffy. Scoop out with a spatula and top with toppings!

If the cottage cheese grosses you out you could always use plain greek yogurt.

You could also modify this recipe adding banana, peanut butter, or any other yummy toppings!

Enjoy!

Question: What are your go-to midnight snacks? Any suggestions for low calorie options?

Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Shake

I drink a lot of delicious protein shakes, but none of them are really original enough to call my own recipe. This one I had for a snack yesterday I think qualifies.

Okay, so it doesn’t look the best but….

It was so good! Here’s what I threw in the blender:

1/2 cup cottage cheese (I know it sounds gross but it’s a must!)

1/2 water

5-6 ice cubes

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

2 drops peppermint extract

sweetener optional** I don’t use it!

Be careful with the extract- a little goes a long way!

Most of my protein shakes I’ve adapted from Dashing Dish and they have all ended up being delicious!

Cake Batter

Banana Split

My go-to favorite is chocolate peanut butter banana!  If the shake has more than 250-300 calories I generally have it as a meal replacement. If the shake has less than 250 I have it as a snack. The protein powder I uses has 100 calories per scoop. It’s called Designer Whey.

What are you favorite protein shakes? Protein powders?

 

This would be a perfect snack to have after the full body rep-based workout I completed today:

Burpees do not exist in the Iphone’s mind…..

The plank to push’s were brutal. Hate those!!! MC stands for mountain climbers by the way. If you don’t know what any of the moves are, feel free to just Google them. Just remember- I’m not a fitness expert- I just do what works for me!

Have a good rest of your Monday!

Quinoa Breakfast bowl & Winter Workout

Today I wanted a workout that would be quick and effective to do in the gym, because I had to work out at the school gym. I knew I would be working out amongst my students, so I wanted to limit the awkwardness and get in and get out. I find switching on and off from cardio to strength ensures my heart rate stays up during the whole workout. I tried decreasing weight reps and increasing weights as well in order to challenge myself. My favorite kind of work outs are ones that go by fast and keep me working hard so the next thing I know the workout is over and I’m covered in sweat! This one did the trick.

 

I also completed more of my 2012 Closeout Challenge Work Out:

73/503 Burpees

88/503 Lunges

88/503 Mountain Climbers

74/503 Push Ups

 

It’s been a rough week, so happy tomorrow is Friday! The other day I tried something new for breakfast….Quinoa breakfast bowl:

In the bowl:

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder

1/4 cup quinoa

1/2 of a banana

sweetener

A few chocolate chips!

I mixed the protein powder and sweetener with the yogurt in the bottom of the bowl then added everything else. I was kind of on the fence about quinoa as a sweet breakfast item. I think I prefer it savory. Everything else in the bowl was quite yummy though. And it definitely gives you plenty of protein to start your day.

Question: Do you prefer your quinoa savory or sweet? And also- I really need some strategies that people use for washing quinoa. It is such a PITA for me because I don’t have a sieve. And you definitely need to wash it because it has a bitter taste. How do you wash quinoa???