Flourless Fudge Cookies (50 calories, dairy-free, gluten-free)

Hey all,

Ron and I were snowed in!!! Hurricane Nemo brought a foot and a half of snow…. and about 2 hours of shoveling.

While we were bundled up, I tried to find more fitness and health tips on Pinterest. I found  a cookie recipe and an in-home workout—How about Jillian Michaels 30 day shred? So fun!

I had a blast doing this video! It was a short 20 minute workout that really gave me a solid, quick workout. I also really liked Michaels energy. She is tough, informative, and fun. What an inspiration! Considering we were in the middle of a blizzard (and I had just finished a writing assignment), this was a healthy, fun distraction.

After my workout, I decided to make cookies. I found a Flourless Fudge Cookie recipe that consisted of only cocoa powder, egg whites, and confectioners sugar. The end result is a fudgey, rich cookie without the flour or fat. To lower the calories even more, I substituted half of the sugar for stevia, making the cookies 50 calories each and lower in sugar!  I also added cinnamon and a touch more instant espresso. The only cocoa powder I had on hand was Dark Chocolate, so they would have to be deep and dark in color and flavor. But could they be good? Let’s see….

Oh, yes. I am a big fan of these uber chocolatey cookies! They come out slightly crisp on the edges with a soft, fudgey middle. And my additions didn’t change the taste. I have a feeling we will be seeing alot more cookies in this household!

Flourless Fudge Cookies

• 1 and 1/8 cup stevia
• 1 and 1/8 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup dark cocoa powder, dutch process
• 2 tbsp instant coffee
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease one cookie sheet.  Blend all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Use a heaping tbsp for each cookie. Bake for 8 minutes, until tops of cookies are firm.

New Year, New You!

Hey all,

I know I am a little late on the New Year’s bandwagon, but I’ve been really excited about making recent changes to my lifestyle.  I have some new updates and fun tips for anyone trying to stay healthy on a budget! For this new year, I wanted to incorporate more wholesome food and exercise into my daily routine, and try to make my life more organized. Here are my 5 helpful gadgets and recipes that I’ve been using to help make me so excited about this new year!

1) Greens and Fruit Smoothies every morning. 

You read that correctly, folks. I now eat smoothies composed of only greens and fruit every single morning. Honestly, I am not a “let’s eat salad every day” sort of gal. These Green smoothies allow me to have greens and fruit in an easy, more palatable, on-the-go form. My smoothie usually contains lettuce, celery, frozen kale, pineapple, half a banana, avocado, and a squeeze of lemon juice. I was inspired by Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Green Smoothie recipe!

2) Sunny Folding Climbing Stepper

I don’t know about all of you, but I am not a naturally active person. When left to my own devices, I will cuddle on the couch with a good book or a movie. I also live 15 minutes away from my gym and in a neighborhood that isn’t very walkable. Overall, my lifestyle is just not conducive to outdoor exercise or hitting the gym often. To remedy this, I decided to invest in a $100 piece of gym equipment that I could have in my apartment. Why not, right? If I hated it, I could always return it.

Well, say hello to my new favorite toy: the Sunny Folding Climbing Stepper. For 100 bucks, I received a solid stepper that gives me almost the same results as the stair climber in the gym! I was even a little hesitant to how sturdy this equipment would be, but it works just fine. I watch my favorite shows at home while on my stepper–often including hand weights—and I can see and feel the results. Unlike a stationary bike, this stepper makes you stand and use your core. I love it!

3) MyFitnessPal

Yes, I have yet another free online calorie/exercise journal to tell you about. My mom recommended that I try MyFitnessPal because she read about it in a women’s magazine. I decided to give the site a go….and I love it! While I like WebMD’s food/exercise journal, MyFitnessPal functions as both a food/exercise journal and community. You can join groups, have “friends”, and you can message with other people. Fun, right?

4) Eat the same thing every day.

One thing I’ve noticed is that all the healthy people I know–including my parents–eat the same things on the same days every week. My mom, for example, always eats some kind of fruit in the morning, a salad and wheat bread at lunch, and a sensible protein-rich dinner. On the weekends, she will splurge with pizza and blended drinks. Sometimes she changes what’s in her salad, or the fruit in the morning, but she always eats some form of fruit and salad. Another health-conscious friend of mine, too, eats a whole grain waffle with fruit every morning and a salad at lunch. The person varies what’s in and on top of their waffle and salad, but it’s always the same kind of meals every day.

I decided to take a tip from the people I know and love, and eat relatively the same thing every day. I now have some variation of my fruits and greens smoothie for breakfast along with coffee. At lunch, I’ve been having a vegetable soup with wheat bread or an egg and toast. And then I end the day with a sensible dinner! I’ve realized my friends and family knew what they were doing. I now never worry about getting enough greens in my day because I always have a smoothie in the morning. I also never worry about having too much or too little food because I know soup and bread and a sensible dinner is the right amount. There’s something so comforting and easy about consistency! Try it, and I bet you will agree.

5) Always include a healthy dessert! (Oatmeal Cookies and warmed milk)

I am a sugaraholic. Sugar, I just can’t quit you! However, I’ve noticed that I’ve gained alot of weight in grad school due to my sugar binges–alcohol and cooking-baking and cupcake-buying nights, to be exact. I decided I needed to cut these things out of my diet temporarily because it is damn near IMPOSSIBLE for me to say no to them. I don’t want to feel deprived, though. This Sweets-lover needs something sugary at the end of her day! I decided to make Oatmeal cookies that are chock full of fiber to keep me full. They are made from oat flour, white flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oat bran. I also included half brown sugar, half stevia and a whole chopped apple into the recipe to keep things sweet but healthy. The results? The best cookie ever! (I will post them later.) I now eat one of these low sugar cookies every night with almond milk that I’ve warmed with vanilla, and I feel so satisfied!

Free Online Food Journaling at WebMD

Hey all,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I have a number of things to report! First, I made treat bags for all of my friends in my department! The treat bags included these bad boys:

I made these delicious chocolate chip cookies last night. This recipe is my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. The cookies come out soft in the middle and crunchy, sweet on the outside.  Mmmmm!

I also am happy to report, everyone, that I am down 6 pounds since I started to journal my food online! Kind of great, right? It’s amazing how many calories we can absentmindedly consume! I started journaling and exercising more because I was/am still feeling symptoms of a sluggish thyroid. (I hope losing weight will alleviate some of my symptoms, maybe?) I decided journaling my food would hold me accountable and keep me on track.

Because of my mini success, I highly recommend trying out the online food  journal provided by WebMD. (Just search for “food planner” on the site and you will find it.) They offer a food and exercise journal for free!  What’s great, too, is that they provide a searchable, easy to use database that helps you find the food you ate (like an egg) or even the exercise you did (running for 20 minutes) and log it with calories, fat, etc. already pre-calculated.  They also calculate how many calories you need per day based on the profile you give them (age, sex, etc.), and they prompt you to record your weight once a week. If you search the site more, you’ll also find they have a lot of healthy, yummy-looking recipes. WebMD is a really helpful site for the average person with little money trying to have a healthy lifestyle! And it’s a nice alternative to a paid journaling service, like Weight Watchers.

A Few of My Favorite Things (and happy holidays!)

Hey all,

Happy holidays! Tis the season for decorations galore and chilly, rainy mornings here in New England.

I’ve been on a long hiatus from bloggin, y’all, but it’s because I was just too dang busy! Ron’s best friends came into town, and then my best friend (of 14 years!) came to stay with us for a week! (In fact, my best friend came for Thanksgiving, and we made a feast fit for Queens!) You can imagine my exhaustion. I am just now finally getting back into my daily routine.

Fave thing #1: Protein Powder

Speaking of my daily routine, as you all know, I am trying to experiment to see which foods make me feel “good” and which foods make me feel “bad.” This usually includes a lot of Paleo-friendly food. However, my latest discovery is that half of, or a full, protein shake the day I work out works WONDERS on my body. (Protein powder is processed, and therefore, not Paleo). I’ve been regularly sore since I’ve been working out, but it doesn’t feel like the type of soreness I used to feel. My soreness feels more severe and long-lasting. One day, out of the blue, I decided to have a protein powder shake after working out. I’ve had protein powder before (clearly, because I own this), but it’s been awhile.

Whooooa, everyone. My body felt ALOT better. I’ve noticed that, overall, the days I have a protein shake are the days my body feels better. Even if I eat a regular, protein-filled meal after a workout, I still don’t feel quite as great as after having a protein shake. (To put this in better context for you, too, I take a multi-vitamin for women every day and eat lean meat at almost every meal. I also have some minor auto-immune issues. My body is always attacking itself (my thyroid) and repairing itself, which means I need extra everything for maintenance!

I suspect my body is loving a little protein powder because my particular brand of gluten-free, low-sugar, Designer Whey Protein Powder contains L-Glutamine, which is an essential amino acid that plays a role in protein synthesis. Some studies show that more anxious people–like myself!—don’t produce enough of L Glutamine, which then affects your overall wellness. Also, I’ve begun doing some resistance-training at the gym, and L Glutamine helps in muscle tissue repair.  Either way, folks, I’ve decided to try and incorporate a little protein powder on days I hit the gym. I usually make shakes with only half the amount of powder, a tsp of sunbutter, and a banana.

Fave Thing #2: Almond, Cashew, Hazelnut Blend Milk

If you’re a smoothie or coffee person looking for a non-dairy, or even a lower calorie option than cow’s milk like myself, I really recommend trying my new favorite milk: Dream Blends Almond, Cashew, and Hazelnut Milk.

I used to be an unsweetened Almond Milk kind of gal, but this milk takes the cake! At just 50 calories, less than a gram of sugar, and 3 grams of fiber per cup, this milk is a sure-fire winner in the kitchen. It has a thicker consistency than the more watery almond milk, and I like that it has fiber to fill you up. I grabbed this fave thing at Whole Foods!

Fave Thing #3: Cinnamon Tempest Tea and Pumpkin Rooibos Tea 

It’s winter time here, and who doesn’t love a piping hot cup of tea in the afternoon or evening? I’ve always been a fan of Trader Joe’s, and during a recent trip there I found two of my favorite new teas!

Both of these teas are holiday-friendly hot drinks. The caffeinated, Cinnamon Tempest tea–while sounding strong–is a delightful sweet black tea with a hint of cinnamon. The Pumpkin Spice Rooibos is caffeine-free, which makes this a perfect after dinner tea. I don’t know about you all, but I tend to want snacks galore at night. Keeping myself satiated (and busy) with a hot cup of tea and milk does the trick.

The Mini-Workout

I’ve been busy becoming thoroughly spooked because of Halloween, y’all. No, really. I’ve been glued to the television, watching my favorite spooky procedurals: Grimm, Elementary, and Castle. I also cannot stop reading the feminist blog Jezebel’s annual Halloween Fright Night short stories. Every year, readers write in their favorite ghost stories. Some of these stories are so intense, everyone! Read if you’re a fan of ghost stories, or if you want to have trouble sleeping at night….

A spooked Lillian Wells!

I also am happy to report I’ve been busy stretching and biking my cute little butt off at home. Ron and I bought a stationary bike on Amazon for 129 bucks, and I bought a sky blue Cynthia Rowley yoga mat at Homegoods for 15 dollars!! Happy early Christmas to us!!

Our new exercise corner! Our little apartment has become so cute, right?

Believe it or not, Ron and I use this bike almost every day. We love it! We carry/use weights while we’re cycling, which makes this an even more difficult workout. And who doesn’t love exercising while watching tv? I also do various stretches, situps, and plank exercises on my yoga mat. In fact, I am right now loving this “The Mini-Workout” I spotted on Pinterest. The workout set was featured on the cute blog Tales of a Domestic Mama, and it’s a quick, killer of a workout. I never thought an indoor, resistance-training workout (that requires no equipment) could get my heart rate going and get my body pumping….But I was definitely wrong. This kicked my butt! Try this at home, y’all. You will be sweating and panting, I promise!

Peppermint Cocoa Energy Bars (adapted from Oh She Glows)

Hey all,

Yes, Ron and I are STILL on the east coast and eagerly awaiting our return to the Best Coast. (Are we there yet? No offense, New Englanders.) We also just finished our summer jobs and have been celebrating by going on a major tv and movie binge: Vampire Diaries! Bones! The Lucky One! In between dissertation work and jobs, we haven’t had much time to break in our new tv and sofa that we bought to outfit our new apartment. As you can see, we now have been firmly planted on our couch for days, and it’s been….glorious. Of course, the lack of exercise isn’t so glorious, and I’ve been trying to eat a little bit healthier after all this sitting (and after a major food fest at a great Italian restaurant for my friend’s birthday!).

This morning I saw that the lovely vegan blogger Angela from Oh She Glows recently posted a No-bake Peppermint Patty Energy Bar made with dates. Considering I had an entire bag of dates to eat before we leave, I became excited! Chocolate mint bars made from healthy, light ingredients? Of course I’m intrigued! Could they be good? Well, in the immortal words of Ron (who snuck a bar when I wasn’t looking), “Mmmmm, these taste like a chewier Mint Chocolate Clif bar!”

I adapted Angela’s Bars by adding a ton more cocoa, peppermint, and almond milk (double the amounts!), using less nuts with a combination of cashew and almond butter instead of walnuts and almonds, implementing plastic wrap instead of parchment paper, and blending vanilla protein powder with fiber powder instead of unflavored protein powder. Considering this recipe has no added sugar, these bars are delicious and guilt-free, friends! They are chewy, chocolatey, and minty–perfect for an after-dinner treat or post workout snack. I love the chocolate chips, too. They make these bars very rich and decadent. To store, wrap each bar with a little plastic wrap, and place all bars into a zip-lock bag into the freezer. (That way, they’re even more cool and minty fresh!) Thank you, Angela, for another delicious treat!

Mini Apple Bucklecakes (light, high protein)

Hey all,

My weight loss is moving a little more slowly than I’d like, and I’ve decided to kick things up a notch and be a little better about my sweets intake. How about I start making more fruit-based recipes and lower my chocolate and caramel intake? I want to find recipes that feel indulgent (without all the sugar and maybe with some fruit!). I had some apples going ripe–how about an apple bread? Or an apple cake? Here’s what I came up with!

These little beauties I adapted from Jamie Eason’s Apple Cinnamon Protein Bars. I used oat flour instead of almond flour and greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese. If you don’t have oat flour, you can make it yourself at home by simply processing oats in a food processor until fine. I also chopped my apple (instead of grating it), and added a touch of molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and a tbsp of oats into the batter. These bucklecakes are only 70 calories! Great, right?  I’m thinking of having these as a dessert or snack with greek yogurt. They’re hearty and taste like a naughty treat! (But are oh-so angelic.)

And if you’re still on the fence about buying protein powder…I vote you go and buy some! I’m no doctor (okay, well, technically I will be a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in a couple of years!) but I do know that extra protein keeps me feeling fuller longer. I also found a number of great-tasting, low sugar protein powders that contain stevia, a naturally occurring root that tastes sweet,  instead of aspartame. And protein powder is so versatile! You can throw it in smoothies, syrups, puddings, and even in cookies or cakes to boost flavor and sweetness. What’s not to like? Enjoy!

Mini Apple Bucklecakes (light, high protein, adapted from Jamie Eason)

Ingredients:

• 4 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1 tbsp oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp molasses
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup stevia
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1  1/2 apples, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 12 serving muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners and spray each liner with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine protein powder, oat flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk together and set aside.

In a smaller bowl, combine egg whites, stevia, greek yogurt, molasses, and vanilla. Whisk until well incorporated and then add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix again.

Fold in chopped apple and mix until combined.

Pour batter into the prepared cupcake tins and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. let cool and serve!

Guest Post: Jim Rollince from Gym Source

Hey all,

I wanted to introduce my guest blogger, writer and exercise guru Jim Rollince of Gym Source. As head of creative writing at Gym Source, Jim has been featured on blogs such as Fit Perez (yes, Perez Hilton for all of you Celebrity Gossip lovers out there!) to help spread the word on the importance of exercise–both inside and outside our homes–and its effects on our health and well-being. Thank you, Jim, for your unique contribution! (BB loves exercise and fitness.) Enjoy!

Exercise: Get Outside and Feel Great

By: Jim Rollince

Researchers have always been studying the effects of regular, consistent exercise. While many suspected that exercise had a positive impact on exercisers’ overall health and well-being, few predicted that the results would be as dramatic as they are. Exercise, according to research, has a significant impact on many aspects of one’s health. Some researchers predicted that exercise could help strengthen the heart and reduce the incidence of heart disease, but few predicted the anti-cancer benefits that exercise provides.

For those who wish to spend more time outdoors, exercise provides a valuable means to accomplish this goal. The best way to start, for most, is to simply go for a walk. Exercise need not be nearly as strenuous as many imagine in order to have a beneficial effect on one’s health. As long as the heart rate is elevated slightly, the exercise is effective. Many also come to enjoy walks for their relaxing nature, and the symbiotic impact of walking and enjoying scenery has a wonderful affect on one’s mental health as well.

Those who wish for a more demanding exercise can give running a shot. Beginning runners often have trouble imagining what their more experienced running friends are talking about when they discuss how much they love to run, but the rewards eventually begin to add up. Further, running is conducive to goals, and those who strive to constantly improve themselves will find that their steady progress makes running worthwhile.

Others prefer water activities, and there are wide ranges of exercises one can accomplish in a pool, in a lake or at the beach. Swimming is a great exercise that gets the heart pumping quickly. It is considered to be great exercises for those with asthma; the humidity of water helps keep asthma symptoms at bay. Running primarily uses lower body muscles while swimming provides more of a full body workout. Those who have a pool can enjoy swimming a few laps at any time of day. For those in warmer locations, swimming can be especially relaxing.

Exercisers who live near a lake can buy or rent a canoe, kayak or rowboat to exercise while enjoying the outdoor scenery. These small, manually powered boats are relatively cheap and provide a lifetime of access to beautiful natural spots. Additionally, they are great vehicles to develop an exercise program as relaxing or as strenuous as one desires. They are also great for social activities, and it is easier to get friends to come along on a canoeing or rowing trip than it is to get them to come along on a jog.

The beach provides a wide range of great exercising opportunities. When the water is relatively flat, boats function well in the ocean. If waves are present, surfing provides good cardiovascular exercise. Those who would prefer to stay dry can instead play beach volleyball or other beach sports. Beach sand provides a cushion that actually makes exercise more strenuous; runners will find themselves tiring more quickly than they would if they were running on a hard surface.

Not everyone has access to natural scenery throughout the entire year. People living in the Northeast and Midwest United States may find it simple too cold to exercise during winter months. Fortunately, home gym equipment and other exercises tools allow them to maintain a full exercise program no matter how cold it is. Cardiovascular exercise equipment, such as treadmills and ellipticals, allow those who wish to exercise to do so while watching television. These machines are just as effective as running outdoors, and many find that their convenience helps them maintain their workout programs.

The most important part of successfully exercising is to keep up the effort on a consistent basis. While periodic exercise is better than no exercise at all, light, consistent workouts are more effective than sporadic, inconsistent workouts. If running three times a week is not maintainable for someone, he or she will be better off simply walking three times a week instead.

Frozen Cherries ‘n’ Yogurt Treats

Hey Burlesquers,

So, I’ve been working out, y’all. And, as I’ve mentioned before, when I work out, I WORK OUT. This isn’t a tea party. By the end of 40 minutes, my face is beet red and I’m feeling tired. Right now I’ve just been hopping on the treadmill and staying on there for a solid 45 minutes. Because my body is getting used to working out again, I’m actually going every other day to the gym (to avoid injuries.) My three workouts, thus far, have been 45 minutes intervals of fast walking on a tall incline and running (faster than a slow jog) with an average of 3.75 miles per workout (wooooooo!).  I ran 4 miles the first day, when I wasn’t feeling tired from consecutive workouts yet! (Ugh, yesterday it was like pulling teeth just to make it to 3.5 miles…. my body was tired! In my head, I kept pumping myself up and thinking, “You still got it! You go, girl!”)

Anyway, with all of this working out, I’ve been hungry and needing quick post-workout snacks. Today, while on Pinterest, I spotted a plain yogurt-covered blueberries recipe that involved dipping blueberries (on toothpicks) into plain yogurt. I don’t have blueberries or toothpicks, but I have cherries and greek yogurt. Time for a fun treat!

I added almond extract and cinnamon to my plain greek yogurt. I then dipped my cherries into the flavored-yogurt mixture and set the covered fruit down one inch apart on a plate.

I froze these little beauties, and…….. woo! They are delightful!

I really like these as a snack. I wasn’t sure how flavorful the yogurt would taste after being frozen, but the little cinnamon and extract go a long way! Yum! (I may or may not have been snacking away on these while I shot the pictures….) Of course, cherries are a little more cumbersome than blueberries because of the darn pit, but who doesn’t love the rich flavor of cherries and almonds? And the stem acts as a built-in toothpick. You could even do one more layer to these frozen beauties by dipping them into diced nuts or chocolate, mmmmm! Enjoy!

Frozen Cherries ‘n’ Yogurt Treats

Ingredients:

1 cup of clean, rinsed cherries (with stems)

1 cup of plain greek yogurt (or a non-cow’s milk yogurt)

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp honey

Directions:

Mix together yogurt, extract, and cinnamon. Dip cherries into yogurt, making sure you cover the entire piece of fruit. Place one inch apart on a plate and put in your freezer for one hour. Take out of freezer and let defrost for 3 minutes. Then enjoy!

Workout Music to Write Home About: The Fratellis

While some days I don’t love getting out of my warm bed to exercise, I do like being able to listen to some of my favorite music while working out. This includes mainly dance and pop music; however, the Scottish band The Fratellis, a rocking garage band, I also love! I absolutely adore this band.

The lead singer Jon Fratelli (Jon Lawler) has a speech impediment, which lends itself to the uniqueness of their sound.

He is also married to a curvy Scottish burlesque dancer, which of course I love.

from the Sun (UK)

 

In fact, many of their videos include pin-ups and burlesque themes. Here’s a video sampling! Enjoy! (And I recommend you download some of their sexy rock songs for your workouts!)