Sometimes Ya Just Gotta...

Have some chocolate! Especially for women sometimes,there is no option to ignore this craving-that was today for me! So in an effort to keep today relatively diet-friendly, I ate my normal meals all day and splurged on this:
P.rotein M.andm S.lop(Protein Ice Cream)

• 1 scoop pea protein(I use Olympian Labs)
• 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 Tbs. cocoa
• sweetener to taste
• 1/2 c. almond milk(I freeze mine into cubes when I know I’ll be making this)
• 1/2 c. cold water
• M+M type candy(they have some in the bulk bin at my health food store)

Blend all ingredients together in blender or food processor. Save some candy to garnish!

30 Day Shred Level 3

Although I have been doing “The Shred” since September,I never had the gumption to try level 3. I usually do pretty tough workouts most days,so I did levels 1 and 2 as easy workouts. Well, I think I burned myself out on Burn Fat and Boost Metabolism- I have been doing it almost everyday and was getting really bored of it-so I decided to try level 3.
Two things-super impressed and went by really quick! I really didn’t expect it to be so difficult! I like how a lot of the same moves from BFABM were in there just more intense-I LOVE those planks where you go up and down(what are those called?),but I never thought to switch the arms before-now I will incorporate that into BFABM too. I also love using the weights with the cardio-the lightest weights I have are 5 lbs though, and I think those are a tad too heavy for that.
The workout flew by too! Probably because it is something new-but I thought that was a nice added bonus =)
I definitely give this workout two thumbs up-do you have any modification suggestions for the move in the last circuit with the row and leg lift though-that hurt my hand like a mutha!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake For Muscles!

I didn’t take a picture because it was very unphotogenic,but don’t hold it against this lovely treat!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake For Muscles

• 1/2 c. Silk Live Yogurt-Plain
• 5 oz. fresh pineapple chunks
• 1 heaping tsp. vanilla protein powder(I used Nutribiotic Rice Protein)

Mix together thoroughly and enjoy! I highly suggest FRESH pineapple-I don’t think canned would be nearly as great. If you are not super worried about calories(I unfortunately am right now),a little brown sugar or a few crumbles of granola would make it even better!

Greek Isles Quinoa Toss

I have been trying to think outside the box for dinner-rather than doing a straight up protein like beans,tofu,tempeh or veggie burger type things. I decided quinoa dishes would be perfect- I have been serving it up all ways-like pasta with tomato sauce(I feel much better about eating that than a straight up carb fest!)-and I’ve also been making little “tosses” with them. This one in particular was really yummy and you can also serve it cold on these steamy summer nights:
Greek Isles Quinoa:

• 1 cup quinoa -rinsed
• handful of olives(whatever you have would be fine-kalamata for authenticity lol)-chopped
• large tomato-seeded and chopped
• summer squash-diced

Stir together quinoa and 2 cups of water in saucepan and bring to boil. Lower to a simmer and cover-cook until water is absorbed(usually takes about 20 minutes). You will be able to tell when it is close because you will start to see little pits forming on the surface of the quinoa. While that is working is a great time to chop your veggies:

and make your dressing-you will need:

• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 heaping tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together thouroughly.
Stir veggies into hot quinoa:
and stir in dressing. It may seem like a lot but once it cools it will soak it all up. Remember to fluff the quinoa with a fork and not stir it around too much or it could get gummy.
I served it cold with some steamed spinach and a salad. It would also be nice with some white beans stirred in. OPAH!

Monster Garlic!

Sorry for lack of posting-I have been working on getting my etsy shop up and running! Excuses only satisfy those who make them-so I will move on....

One thing that I always used to do is but one of those HUGE jars of minced garlic-I can't really remember how I got into that habit but I just never thought about it-I just did it. Well in a quest to save money,when my last jar ran out I started buying heads of fresh garlic again. It must be in season because they have the HUGEST cloves I have ever seen on them! One example:

 It was so big! I would say at least 3 times the size of normal cloves.Anyways, I used about half to make my roasted veggies(that is oil and balsamic in the bowl-YUMMY!) and threw the rest on the sheet pan to roast. I will not deny that I ate it all by itself-it was delicious too, like candy. And yes I could still taste in my mouth the next morning :o.
Speaking of those veggies:

 There is nothing better. Except for super hot pink toes for summer:

 That is Sinful Colors 24/7 that you can get at Walgreens. The only weird thing is that it comes out kind of matte,so I put a sparkly topcoat over it.

P.uppy M.isreable S.yndrome Part Deux

And so another week of bloaty,cranky fun begins! I'm treating myself to kicking up my heels and watching some tv when stupidly I turned it on the Cooking Channel-even worse I turned it to the Cooking Channel where they feature Justins Nut Butter. It was all twirling around in the hopper and I was mesmerized :). When he was talking about eating so much PB that he felt it in his neck, I was like "dude-I've totally done that too!". Now I don't feel so bad. And the new packaging is so cute it makes my emotional self almost cry!

Vegan Rice Krispie Treats!

So I'll bet that if you are vegan you get a craving for these succulent babies from time to time. Rice Krispie Treats were one of my favorite desserts ever-I even remember making them in Home Ec class in middle school to sell during lunch-we were in different teams in class and had to come up with little businesses to run-ours was insanely popular! I mean what's not to like? Crispy cereal, vanilla-ey gooey goodness-YUM.

I tried the boxed Glenny's Organic Marshmallow Treats over and over again-trying to make myself like them-but I never really did. They are expensive,small and not gooey enough for me. I also didn't want to spend $6 on a bag of vegan marshmallows every time I had a craving. So after much research I found this recipe and went for it!
Classic Rice Crispy Treats(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

    1 cup light corn syrup
    1/2 cup sugar(I used Wholesome Sweeteners Raw Cane)
    2 tablespoon soy margarine
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    6 cups puffed rice cereal

Directions:

In addition to the above ingredients you'll need a heat resistant spatula, a small pot, a very large bowl and a 9x13" pan to press the treats into.

Begin by heating the syrup in the pot over medium heat then add the sugar to the pot. Stir continuously for a few minutes, you might start to notice it bubbling at the bottom, if it starts to become frothy turn down the temperature some. When it starts to look like its boiling add the margarine (I used earth balance) stir till evenly mixed, then add the vanilla, still stirring. If you notice that the syrup/sugar mixture does not boil you can turn up the heat, or just add the margarine and the rest of the ingredients after a few minutes it will still work fine, just make sure to spend a few minutes stirring the syrup and sugar before adding the other ingredients).

As the syrup and sugar are on the stove in the very large bowl measure out about 5 cups of the cereal.
Pour the heated mixture over the syrup and began stirring with the spatula making sure to evenly combine the ingredients. You might want to add another cup or more of the cereal, depending on the amount of saturation your looking for (I find about 6 cups of cereal allows all the cereal to be covered in syrup but not too gooey:  still crispy.)
I greased a large pan with more margarine and pressed it into that-press down hard so it sticks together.

I found that the treats stick together better when covered and refrigerated.

I cut mine into 16 squares and estimated them to be around 150 calories apiece.

Preparation time: 15 prep, 1 hour to cool

I think they turned out delicious. Ryan said they taste just like the Glenny's, but I believe the fresh margarine and very crispy cereal made them taste WAY better. Not to mention that the price for a whole pan is negligible. I think a batch of these in a cute pan and tied with a ribbon would make a really cute gift too.

Next time I make them I think i am going to whip the syrup and sugar mixture up in my Kitchenaid and see if i can make them gooeyer.