Protein Cinnamon Swirl Bars

I love Jamie Eason recipes. 

They are made with simple natural ingredients, 

very adaptable to your personal taste, and of course, delicious. 

These bars are one of them. 

This is truly a dish one may easily devour half of without even thinking.

 Be warned. 

These bars are a perfect after treat to enjoy with some coffee or tea.

These will also make your house smell like cinnamon bliss. 

Not a bad thing at all. 

I did adapt the recipe to the ingredients I had on hand, (you can find the original recipe here), and these are definitely something I plan to keep stocked in my freezer when in need of a sweet treat.

Ingredients:
Swirl mixture: 
 1/4  cup truvia ( or 1/4 cup sugar or sugar sweetener of choice)
 2 tsp cinnamon
Batter
1 1/2 cups oat flour
2 scoops protein powder ( I used this one)
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6-7pks truvia  ( 1/4 cup sugar or sugar sweetener of choice)
2 egg whites
1 cup almond milk
1/3 cup applesauce, unsweetened.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray and 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray.
Mix ingredients for swirl mixture together and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients first, then fold in the wet until  all the ingredients are blended well together.

Pour approx. 1/4 batter into the prepared baking dish.
Lightly coat that layer with 1/2 the swirl mixture.
Then pour the rest of the batter mixture on top of that,
and then rest of the swirl mixture on top of that layer.

Gently poke a knife into the poured layers and draw swirls throughout it, creating a marble affect.

Bake for 25-30 min, until a knife comes out clean.
*About 20 min in, I covered the dish with some aluminum foil to keep the top  from burning.

Let cool for 10 min,

ENJOY!

Protein Packed Granola

Granola goes good with so many things: Yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, smoothies, etc.

Oh and by itself, by the handful.

So why not make it even better and add some protein to it.

Seriously, it's amazing. 

Made with only 5 natural ingredients it's sweet, crunchy, and good for you. 

What could be better?

So next time you want a little protein pop make this!

Ingredients: 
1 rounded scoop, vanilla protein powder ( I used this kind)
3 cups rolled oats, uncooked
4tbs honey
1/2 cup apple sauce, unsweetened
3 tsp cinnamon

Directions.
Preheat oven 325
Thoroughly mix everything together in a bowl.
Spread mixture on to a silpat lined, or a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 20 min then flip mixture on the pan.
Bake for  another 15 min, flip mixture
Bake again for 10-15 or until mixture is crunchy and a golden brown.

Let cool for 10 min.

Grab a handful and throw it on some yogurt!

Nutritional Information:

~1/4 cup

110 Calories * 21 carbs * 2g fat * 5g protein * 3g fiber 

Protein Pumpkin Muffins

Yes it's the start of fall so of course I am going to post something with pumpkin in it.

However, I've been making these for the past few months and it just dawned on me that I have yet to blog about these amazing muffins that I devour weekly.

Pumpkin has ~Vitamin A 2650 IU that, my friends, is a A LOT of Vitamin A.
Why does this matter?
Well because Vitamin A has a multitude of health benefits for the body including, eye health, skin health, teeth and bone health, and is made from the powerful antioxidant beta-carotene which in current studies has helped fight cancer.

So eat up my friends.

Oh did I mention each muffin is ~64 calories, 8 carbs, 4g protein, and 2g fiber? Yup.


Enjoy.

Makes ~18 muffins
Ingredients
1 15oz can of pumpkin
2 cups oat flour
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 large egg whites (~9tbs)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

*Optional: a handful chopped walnuts


Directions:
Preheat oven 350 F. 
Mix everything in a large bowl.
Scoop about 1/4 cup into each muffin tin compartment.

Bake for 15-18 min, until toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

p.s. Serving size is ~3 muffins.

Zucchini Tots

Another great snack. 

Seriously. 

These were delicious!

If you like tater-tots, I am sure you will like zucchini tots. 

Tons of flavor and much healthier.

My only regret, not making more. I ate all of them.

So double this baby and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Curious Country Cook
Ingredients:
1 large zucchini
1 egg
1/4 cup  bread crumbs, any flavor/season/type
1/4 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese, grated ( I used kraft)
1/4 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: 
Preheat oven 400 F.
Non-stick a mini muffin tin.
Grate zucchini into a cup. Place in a clean dish towel or paper towels and pat dry (helps crisp tots).
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Spoon approx 1 tbs into each mini muffin tin compartment.
Spray tops with a little cooking spray --I used my misto filled with olive oil.

Bake for 15-20 min until mini tots are golden brown all a round.

 

Serve with some marinara sauce or salsa.

ENJOY!!!!

Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing

Ranch is not my favorite salad dressing, BUT I sure did love it as dip for many many other foods. However, along with many other foods during my healthy lifestyle change, ranch was almost eliminated. 

BUT NOT NOW!!!!!

Thank goodness for the wonderful person who posted this recipe and also that person who pinned it on Pinterest. 

Using my all time favorite healthy food: Greek Yogurt, how can I not love this. 

With only 2 ingredients and 200x more healthy for you, you can't go wrong.

                                  So make some and dip your veggies in it!

Ingredients:
1 packet ranch "DIPS" mix (NOT the salad dressing mix)
1 cup of Plain greek yogurt
*optional: 1/2 cup of milk (makes it more liquid-y, perfect for salad dressing, but if you want a thick dip omit)

Directions:
Mix it all together in a small bowl. 
Serve with your favorite veggies, or drizzle over a salad. 

Gahhh so good. 

ENJOY!!!!

No Sweets Week

Alright. 

This is my second attempt at no sweets for

 one whole week. 

This is not just no candy or dessert (which I normally help myself to every night...don't worry it's within my calorie count) this is a "no food that doesn't have natural sugar built in it" week. 

THIS IS HARD

 You have to constantly read labels and think outside the box but....

THIS IS REWARDING. 

The last time I did no sweets week it was the week of  

Valentine's Day. 

Talk about temptation week.

 Cookies, cupcakes, and chocolates galore were being thrown at me from every angle.

 But you know what....

I used self discipline, said no thank you, and by the end of the week I was 2lbs lighter!!!!

 (A HUGE LEAP FROM MY NO WEIGHT LOSS IN OVER A MONTH, PLATEAU STRUGGLE)

After that I was sold. 

I figure it must have been just enough of a change to kick my plateau in the bottom, 

change my digestive system and get the ball rolling on my final steps towards my weight goal  

(which I reached a month later!!! 133lbs from 180lbs) 

So why do it again? 

Well, since being married I picked up a few of those pounds, 

seriously not in a bad way,

 but I did find myself giving into the sweets a little too much. 

So No Sweets Week it is!

Also, I found last time that by not having sugar for a week I didn't crave it as much afterward.

(I'm not giving up sweets for ever, trust me!)

So give it a try and let me know your results. 

As ALWAYS, you know your body; you know your limits, so please be healthy about making a change in your diet. See your doctor if you have major medical concerns. 

NEVER STARVE YOURSELF or ABUSE YOUR BODY

Your Beautiful, Strong, and AWESOME.

Happy Healthy Living  My Friends,

~Felisha