Healthier Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

So still trying to climb out of the Polar Vortex we seem to be stuck in, but kids went back to school today after 2 snow days and 1- 2 hour delay day so now things are beginning to get back t normal.  Im still trying all sorts of things for our party on sunday.  Yesterday I wanted to try out a bar so I decided to make a Peanut Butter cookie into a bar of sorts.  What I came pup with is so good, it just melts in your mouth!!!  It is LOWER in Carbs.  Not great but a HUGE difference between this recipe and regular Peanut Butter Cookie recipes.  I used all natural peanut butter and Splenda, along with a combination of low carb flours to cut the carb count.  I think I did pretty good and this will definitely be a recipe I will be making for Sunday as well!

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

1 Stick Greek Yogurt Butter ( I found this in the regular grocery store next to the butter.  Its great!)

1/2 Cup Splenda

1/2 Cup Splenda Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Natural Peanut Butter

1 Egg

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 Cup Unbleached Flour (The Bad thing in the recipe)

1/2 Cup Coconut Flour

1/4 Cup Almond Flour

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Cup Quick cook Oatmeal (Good for Fiber content)

1 Cup Butterscotch Chips

Topping (Optional)

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 Tablespoon Natural Peanut butter

1-2Tablespoons Cream

Cream butters and sugars together then add egg and vanilla.  Combine all flours in bowl with salt and baking soda mix together then add oatmeal.  Combine dry ingredients with the creamed mixture and mix on high til combined.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Wet your hands to press the dough into the pan evenly.  It is a thick cookie dough type consistency   Sprinkle chips on top of batter and bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. When edges are brown its done....mix topping if desired and spread on top of warm bars.  I only did that on half of the bars.  Kendall or others might want the added sweetness but then that takes away from all the good we did by making them healthier!  Dig in, but be warned you can't stop eating them!!

Enjoy!!

Protein Cookies

I got my new protein powder yesterday!! So excited to try a bunch of different things.  So yesterday I tried a batch of cookies.  I had to do a lot of changing and trying but I finally came up with one that was pretty amazing.  I also tired it in some yogurt...NO it is not good at all in the yogurt but it is definitely  good as a protein drink with a little coffee to make a Mocha Frap!!  Plus the nutrition in it is unbelievable!!I tired both the chocolate and vanilla powders in the cookies and this is what I came up with that everyone liked, including Kendall!  you could definitely use this recipe with any protein powder even the Airbonne one.  The other amazing thing about this powder is that it only requires 1 Scoop for a serving to get all the protein and only having 80 calories!!  That is unbelievable!!

Protein Cookies

1 Scoop Vanilla Perfect Fit Protein powder

1 Cup Flax Seed Meal

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Egg White

1/2 Cup Walden Farms Pancake Syrup

2Teapoons Honey (optional)

1/4 Cup water

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 Cup Chopped Pecans

1/4 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips or Carob Chips

Mix all ingredients together and drop by teaspoonful's onto lined or greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degree oven for 15 min.  These need to be baked longer, you want them brown.  The more done they were the better they were.  This is very versatile, you could add a handful of dried cranberries, raisins, omit the chips, the possibilities are endless.  This is really good for a snack or for breakfast on the go.  4 cookies would equal a serving, plus you would need a little boost of protein to go with it.  Maybe have a few cookies with a protein drink on your way out the door. 

Enjoy!!

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

This weekend I made the most amazing side dish!!  It was cheesy, gooey, and so delish!!  It is made with Greek Yogurt and it fairly healthy.  It is zero carb but you just have to watch the calorie count, but it definitely curbs the craving for some good old fashioned comfort food.  That is something I miss on this diet.  

Cauliflower Mac N Cheese

1 Head of Cauliflower Chopped in chunks

1 Container Plain Greek Yogurt

1 Cup Cheddar Cheese

1 Cup Pepper Jack cheese

2 Tablespoons Garlic

1 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3/4 Cup Chicken Broth

Salt and Pepper

Red papper Flakes (Optional)

Cook Cauliflower till almost done, careful not to over cook it, it will cook more in the oven.  Drain and set aside.  In a small sauce pan combine garlic and olive oil and cook on low til browned, add yogurt, chicken broth and spices.  Cook til incorporated, then add cheeses.  Cook til melted and combined on LOW heat.  Add cauliflower and mix well,  transfer into a casserole dish, sprinkle with a little cheese on top and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 mins or until top is browed and cauliflower is done.  YUM-O

Enjoy!!!!

I also attended my first Wedding Show, my bad Bridal Show.  My sister and I went and it was so much fun!!  We saw lots of cool things , lots of great ideas!

I love this cake...how amazing is this??

This was an amazing bouquet we saw...Notice the bling!!!

We tasted lots of cake...YUM!!

And Amazing table settings.  I got lots of ideas and lots of things to look forward too....We set the date!!!!!  December 5, 2015!!

Jalapeño Poppers

Still digging out here.  It is up to a whopping zero degrees right now.  But thats ok...Kids are home from school again, fire in fire place and Im doing a bunch of cooking and I love it!  Ok So as I have been doing ALOT of experimenting and cooking the past 4 days, I have got the absolute BEST snack for you to make for any event even, say, oh, maybe a Super Bowl Game that is coming up??  I know its hard for me to find things to eat at parties like that with a bunch of "Snacky type" foods but these are legal for you to eat and they are AMAZING!!!!!  Tuck this recipe away and make more than you will need, because believe me, they will ALL be gone!!

Read to go into the oven 

Jalapeño Poppers

6 Jalapeño Peppers cut in half lengthwise. (Keep the stems on them if possible)

4 oz (1/2 brick) Cream Cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

12 Slices of Bacon ( I used Center Cut for a leaner Cut)

2Tablespoons Walden Farms BBQ Sauce

Cut peppers in half lengthwise and take out seeds and membranes.  Put on rack on top of cookie sheet to catch bacon drippings.  Mix cheeses together and stuff each pepper half with the cream cheese mixture.  Now wrap a piece of bacon around each Jalapeño trying to cover as much of the pepper as possible but not stretching the bacon too much.  Place on rack and brush with BBQ sauce.  Bake at 275 degree oven for about an hour then turn up to 300 degrees for another 15 minutes or until bacon is sizzling and done.    These are sooooo good!!!  Carb free but they do have calories, so be careful not to eat them all yourself!  Also make sure you make double what you think you will need, Yes they are That good!!

Enjoy!!

Turkey Veggie Soup and The Year in Review

Happy New Year!!!

I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year!  We did.  We went to a the Hilton and stayed there.  Had a great dinner and danced in the new year.  It was a blast.  The perfect ending to a perfect year!  What a year it was!  Looking back on it I think the most exciting thing (beside the obvious of getting engaged) was the weight loss.  I know there shouldn't be so much focus on weight but sometimes it just can't be helped.  I mean I thought I felt good, and I thought I was healthy.  After all I had already lost 89 pounds and I was content.  Content....I am so glad I didn't stay content.  Im glad I decided I wanted more, and I wanted to further my weight loss and actually get down to a HEALTHY weight and get smaller than I ever dreamed I could get.  Wear a smaller size than I EVER dreamed I would be.  I always said as long as I'm a 9 I will be happy.  Not only did I achieve that goal but I went further.  I went to a 8, then to a 6 and Now there are times that I can actually fit into a 4!!!  Yes, a 4!!!!!!  A solid 27 waist and most times I can fit into a 26.  I am amazed at that fact alone!  So along with getting engaged, losing 60 pounds,starting my blog back, getting a house in Tennessee I am so blessed to have a caring family and a group of friends that I can call on anytime I need something.  Plus I love doing these emails and hopefully helping some of you in your goals.  It can be done, Im proof of it!

             

                 Last year New Years Eve and This Year.

                    Wow What a difference a year makes!!            

We started going to hockey games this past year....you can follow my weight loss through the photos we took each time we went!

 The first game we went to in February 

Next game

The game in April

Midway

Finally this is the game we went to in November...What a difference a year makes!!  Harry has crazy eyes! 

Here is a GREAT soup recipe that is greet for dinner and even better for lunch as a leftovers.  Veggie soup.

Turkey Veggie Soup

2 lbs Ground Turkey

1 Can diced tomatos

3 Cups beef broth

1-2 cups water (desired Thickness)

Broccoli, cauliflower, celery, asparagus, zucchini beans any combination of legal veggies on the diet. Let your imagination run wild.

2-3 Cloves Mined Garlic

Salt and Pepper

1-2 Teaspoons Red Hot Pepper Flakes

Brown turkey and garlic and drain.  Add broth, water,tomatoes and veggies and spices.  Let simmer for at least 2 hours.  The longer the better.  this can also be put together and put in the crockpot in the morning and let cook all day.  I have added a half a head of cabbage a half hour before serving also.  It gives it great flavor!  This is perfect for a cold day!  Enjoy!!

Happy New Year

Hi Everyone and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas, we sure did.  It was a wonderful holiday and I look forward to getting back on schedule witheverything starting the new year off right.  I indulged a bit this holiday season, and its not even over yet!  But I admit it, I gained 6 pounds during the holidays and I started back yesterday (the 26th) with trying to get back on track and staying away from the carbs and sugars.  It is hard!  Its funny, I think my body processed the bad things better but it sure is craving it again since I have let my diet take a backseat to my hunger and getting the cravings kicked is going to be a struggle again.  But I am committed to doing it!  We have plans to go to Naperville for New Years Eve.  We go every year and spend it in a hotel there and they have a fabulous dinner and a few different rooms for dancing and listening to different bands.  Im not going to go crazy on my eating on that night.  I really want to lose these 6 pounds I gained in about 10 days I hope.  In the past I know once I get back on the water and start the higher protein and cut out the carbs I can lose pretty fast and get back down to where I was and beyond.  I am not beating myself up though.  I believe in enjoying the holidays, and I did. I know it cannot be a lifestyle though because I will climb aback up to where I was ...and beyond!  So I let myself enjoy it, ate pretty much whatever I wanted and now, I know its time to get back on track.  But I am happy to get on track again, because while I enjoyed eating the cookies and drinking the kaluha, I have not felt as good as I did when the carbs where less.  Im tired, my energy level has dropped and I just don't feel 100 percent.  But I can tell a huge difference in just these past 2 days of getting back on track and I seriously am feeling better!  Its amazing how what we pt into our body affects us in every aspect!  I do have a great recipe to share, We made this great Chicken salad using the Walden Farms Mayo and it was DELISH!!!  I hope you enjoy it and I promise, as soon as the New Year hits, regular emails and recipes will be coming your way again!  Hang in there and get back on track as soon as you can, and forgive yourself for everything you ate and feel good about it.

Happy New Year!!!  Heres to a great 2014!!!!

Chicken Salad

2-3 Chicken Breasts Cooked and Cubed

2-3 Dill or Garlic Pickles Chopped

1 onion (small) Chopped

1 Teaspoon Deli Mustard

1 Teaspoon Worcheshire Sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Tablespoon chopped Pecans (optional)

2-3 Tablespoons Walden Farms Mayonaise

Mix all ingredients together and serve on Lettuce leaves or wrap in Lettuce leaves for a lettuce wrap.  

Yum-O

Banana Milkshake

I have to admit the one thing one this diet that i really miss is my fruit!  Especially bananas.  Well last night I was craving bad so I came up with a great substitute!  Banana Protein Milk shake!!  It curbed my fruit taste craving and really felt like I was indulging in something decadent!

Banana Milkshake

1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (optional.  You dont have to put this in if you don't have it, but the vanilla flavor is Honestly just as good as the chocolate!)

1/2 Packet of Sugar Free Banana Pudding Mix 

1/2 Small container of Plain Greek Yogurt (you can use the whole container especially if your NOT using the protein powder(

1 Packet Stevia

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Ice

Put all ingredients into blender and add Ice last.  Add just a little at a time until you get the consistency you are looking for.  Top with JUST A TEASPOON of Sugar Free Cool Whip or Fat Free whipped Topping(zero Carbs and Sugar) and it is soooo good!!  You could also use this as a breakfast or lunch meal replacement.  The protein part of the meal anyway.  Breakfast, its good the way it is, if you substitute for Lunch you need to add  a side of veggies and your salad.

Enjoy!!!