Pumpkin Oats!

One of my favorite brekkies!


1/2 cup oats with brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice cooked in.
When done I stirred in protein powder and 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin. Normally I do 1/2 cup of pumpkin, but this was the end of the can and I'm going out of town, so I didn't want to open a new one.
Topped with toasted slivered almonds.

Getting ready to go to New Orleans tomorrow!!

Panera Bread Dinner

Went to Panera for a You Pick Two meal combo.
I tried the Lowfat Chicken Tortilla soup. Very tasty! Paired with a Cafe Classic Salad and an apple on the side.
Did not like the apple at all. It had soft spots and was too sweet for me.

Loribar - Chocolate Coconut

Yummiest Loribar yet!


This time I soaked the dates. I have noticed a big difference in dates as far as moisture content goes, so keep that in mind when you make these. I currently have Amport Foods Pitted Dates, and these are drier than say the Dole brand. I poured boiling water into a dish with some dates, and then let them sit for several hours. Then drained off the water.

Ingredients:
20 grams of dates (about 4)
13 grams of Designer Whey natural
28 grams of almond meal
15 grams of coconut flakes
6 grams Giardhelli cocoa powder

In a food processor, pulse the dates, almond meal and cocoa powder until well combined. It will ball up into the processor, then you will know it's mixed. Put into a bowl and add the protein powder. Mush thoroughly until well combined. Keep mixing - it will add in, even though it will seem dry at first.

Toast the coconut in a fry pan and allow to cool. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and roll into bars. Divide the coconut in half and roll each bar into the coconut - pressing to make it stick.

Voila - 2 yummy bars! These are almost like under done brownies. A bit chewy, chocolately and good. I really couldn't taste the dates in these at all with the cocoa.

Stats:

Approximately 175 calories, 10 grams of fat, 15 carbs, 3 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein per bar.

Roasted italian squash

I got this italian squash the other day, which looks suspiciously like a zucchini:



I cut it into sticks, rubbed with olive oil and S&P, then roasted in the toaster oven:


It had a very mild flavor, and was very soft - not crispy at all. I don't know as roasting is really the best cooking method for this veggie.

Home made Larabar

20 grams of dates (this is about 4 - no sugar added, just plain dates)
13 grams of protein powder (I used whey)
1/2 oz of cashews
35 grams (about 2 tbsp) reduced fat natural peanut butter. (I used Smuckers)

In a food processor, chop up the dates into small pieces. Remove and put in a bowl. Add the cashews to the processor and chop until they are tiny pieces. Add to the dates. Add the protein powder and mash the mixture together. I found it was easier just to use my hands to smoosh it all together to get an even mixture. Heat up the peanut butter for 20-30 seconds in the microwave so that is is more liquid. Add to the bowl and mix really well. This will still seem somewhat dry, but form into 2 bars by pressing the mixture hard and wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. As it sits, the protein powder hydrates more and the bar will stay together. Not quite as moist as a Larabar because of the protein powder, but very tasty! This tastes a lot like a peanut butter cookie!

Makes 2 bars

Stats per bar: 197 calories, 11.5 gram of fat, 16 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, 10.5 grams of protein.

Butternut squash soup and variation

Butternut squash soup

Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen butternut squash cubes
1/4 cup onions
1 tablespoon coconut oil
4 cups veggetable broth
S&P to taste

Saute the onions in the coconut oil. Add the butternut squash cubes and cook for a few minutes. Add the broth, and simmer for 20 minutes until the squash in tender. Puree with a stick blender. This is a thin, broth-like soup, great for a base.



Today I wanted something hot for lunch, and soup sounded good, but I wanted a heartier soup. So, I thought I would heat up a cup of my butternut squash soup and add 3 tablespoons of couscous. Then for protein I chopped up the end of the smoked ham from christmas and added it. It was so good! The soup thickened up nicely, and the ham added a great salty contrast to the sweet base.

Larabar Cashew Cookie

Instead of chocolate in my stocking, I was presented with some natural food bars, what fun! I hadn't ever tried a Larabar, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The stats are decent, but not a whole lot of protein. Then I actually looked at the ingredient list and there were 2 things: cashews and dates. And it's in bar form:


So, of course my mind is whirling thinking about how I could make this myself and add some protein powder. Might be getting some dates on the next shopping trip! This bar was quite tasty.