Mocha Pumpkin “Pudding” (vegan, high protein, fiber)

Hey all,

Yay, I’ve actually been sticking to my new healthy eating plan, everyone! I’m so excited! I’ve been trying to avoid processed foods and fake sugar, and I’ve creeped into losing about 6-7 pounds now, wooooo! And this is without significant exercise. I’m not going to lie, I am still eating some of the same processed stuff (like yesterday, when I bought a small coffee and used one packet of raw sugar and one packet of Splenda), but I’m trying to limit the amounts of the processed/fake foods and eat lots of healthy, homemade meals that contains lots of vegetables and produce. One morning I even made what I’d call “virgin” fruit cake oatmeal: oats, almond milk, carrots, dates, dried cranberries, nuts, and spices. It was so good, and I felt great about eating it! I’m trying to make small, healthy changes that I enjoy eating, so I can make this new lifestyle stick.

Speaking of yummy dishes, I had some sweet fun in the kitchen this morning! First, I found another fun healthy blog to tell everyone about: Oh She Glows. Angela (the author of Oh She Glows) is dedicated to making healthy and fun vegan eats. Even though I’m not vegan, I love some of her healthy recipes! She takes some familiar comfort foods and makes them vegan friendly and healthy! One recipe I spotted that seemed easy-to-make was a Chocolate Carob Pudding. Angela uses pumpkin as a base to make a healthy “pudding” flavored with protein powder and other things. I’ve been loving having something sweet in the morning to temper my sweet tooth. A bowl of fibrous pumpkin, high anti-oxidant dark cocoa powder, and protein powder with only a little honey seems like a filling, healthy breakfast idea, right?

I didn’t have all of her required ingredients, though (like chocolate protein powder and carob powder). I did have cocoa powder and vanilla protein powder, along with instant coffee. How about making this a Mocha Pumpkin “Pudding” that could be eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or even to squash a chocolate craving?

I bet you would never guess the base of this is pumpkin!

Ok, granted, this healthy of an item will never taste like a creamy, high fat, heavy cream-based pudding. But for a healthy alternative, I sure loved this recipe! I felt like I was having a rich, filling breakfast item (so much fiber!) and the pudding itself is real chocolatey with only a hint of the pumpkin–I won’t crave sweets today, that’s for sure! My recipe is a mixture of pumpkin, vanilla protein powder, cocoa powder, almond milk, instant coffee, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.  Protein powder and instant coffee may sound like unnecessary ingredients to carry in your household all the time, but I’ve found that I use them both quite often! Protein keeps me feeling fuller for longer, and I love the taste of coffee with chocolate and tend to add it to all of my sweet recipes. Happy eats, everyone! Here is my recipe with new ingredients (adapted from Angela’s original).

Mocha Pumpkin Pudding (high protein and fiber)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup vanilla protein powder

3 tbsp dark cocoa powder

2 tbsp honey

1/4 cup stevia

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp instant coffee

3/4 cup almond milk (with your instant coffee already mixed and dissolved into the milk!)

a tiny sprinkle of salt!

cinnamon, to taste

Optional: dried coconut, cherries, fruit, chocolate chips

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (protein powder, salt, cinnamon, stevia, cocoa powder). Now, dissolve your instant coffee into your almond milk, and add your “coffee” almond milk to the bowl. Stir together, making sure you eliminate all the lumps, and then set aside.

In a medium bowl, add the pumpkin, vanilla extract, and honey, and mix together. Now, incorporate your small (coffee milk and dry ingredient) bowl into the medium bowl full of pumpkin, and give it a good stir.

Now, build a yummy parfait or dessert with the mixture. I made a breakfast “dessert” pudding by adding dried coconut and cherries on top. I’m off to hang pictures in our new apartment. Enjoy! Hope you all have a sweet Saturday!

Day Spa Apple-Cinnamon Water

DIY Home: Apple-Cinnamon Water

Want something low in calories, cool and refreshing, and that’s as easy to make as cutting up an apple? Try this Day Spa Apple-Cinnamon Water by Audrey at Lose Weight By Eating! Ok, I have to admit, I did NOT think this would work. Could an apple and a cinnamon stick really flavor an entire jug of water? Come on!

But everyone, I’m the one eating crow (US slang for eating my words) because this cold water really did taste strongly of apples and cinnamon! I love it! This drink only had to infuse for a few minutes and already the flavors were pronounced! I really recommend making this for yourself or your family. This Apple-Cinnamon Water is low in calories, uses some of her “metabolism-boosting” foods, and is really refreshing. This might be yet another kitchen staple of mine!

Day Spa Apple Cinnamon Water by Audrey at Lose Weight by Eating!

Ingredients:

1 pitcher

1 thinly sliced apple

1 cinnamon stick

water

Directions:

Simply fill one large pitcher with water and add one cinnamon stick and one thinly-sliced apple. You can refill your pitcher three times before you need to switch out your old produce and spice for new.

Protein Pumpkin Bars by Jamie Eason

I think we have all gathered by now that I am not a fitness guru or a health nut. I try to live a healthy-ish life, but I do have my vices (sweets being one of them). As of recently though, I’ve started trying to go to the gym. I gained alot of weight and experienced alot of stress during some big exams I took during my PhD program, and now I’d like to get a little more healthy and de-stress. (I’d also like to think of some of this as happy weight gain though, considering I’ve been now dating my current boyfriend for over a year, and we are two peas in a pod (two foodies in the kitchen?) who love good food. Which means we make alot of it. And then I eat alot of it. Groan. (Laughing.))

Anyway, my best friend (who I will talk about in detail at some point.. she is a kick-butt state lawyer) called me to tell me about this “amazing” pumpkin bar recipe I had to try. She was raving about it. She hates “health” food, but she recently lost 35 pounds for health and wellness reasons and is always looking for healthier options. She found a Pumpkin protein recipe by a body builder (Jamie Eason) she wanted me to try. I ignored her accolades about these pumpkin bars for awhile, but then one day I decided to give the bars a try. Why not? I think the best bakers and cooks are actually those that can make yummy food from healthy ingredients (because it’s pretty easy to make something taste great with butter and chocolate, right?). And I want a snack for after the gym that tastes like pumpkin pie! Yum! (My friend also eats this as a dessert and for breakfast! She added chocolate chips to her last batch to make them more dessert like.)

Pumpkin Protein bar with greek yogurt

I made a few changes to the recipe, which are in the recipe below—I used real milk instead of almond milk, I used stevia as my sugar substitute, I added a bit of honey, a touch more cinnamon, and sprinkled the top with pumpkin pie spice, and I used a different type of protein powder that I had on hand (it’s a vanilla protein powder that’s actually unsweetened and not whey).

The results…great! This tastes like a more bready (but still moist) version of the inside of a pumpkin pie! These bars are definitely worth it: low in sugar, high in fiber, high in protein, and vegetarian friendly. These are, overall, a really great healthy snack, breakfast, or even dessert that clocks in at less than 100 calories (around 70 calories).  I might tinker this recipe some more, but this is a definite winner!  I’m eating a bar right now with low fat milk. Mmmmm!

On-the-Go: Peanut Butter and Banana Granola (with greek yogurt in a jar)

Hey all,

Today is a writing day–which is perfect for me– because it’s also a rainy day.

Caillebotte, Rainy Day 1876

I LOVE rainy days! Maybe it’s my nostalgia for northern California and San Francisco, or maybe it’s because I hate hot weather (give me sweater-weather, please), but either way, I love staying inside and feeling cozy on rainy days.

Speaking of cozy, I decided I needed to save money on greek yogurt by buying it in bulk (via the larger tubs) and making DIY on-the-go yogurts. Greek yogurt is an expensive food addiction of mine, and I need to cut corners where I can. I thought about how to make the bulk sizes more convenient and in individual portions (and individual flavors!) that I can still take for a quick snack or meal…….and ah ha! Greek yogurt and fruit in jars with granola to-go!

My cozy little yogurt and granola jar!

Bacon-Wrapped Dates (stuffed with Goat Cheese)

Hey all,

Unfortunately, I’m going to be posting a little less because it’s the end of the semester here (final meetings with students, searching for the perfect rental, finishing my own work). Soon, it will be summer!

(from BezingA)

(Okay, maybe my summer won’t quite look like this, but mentally, this is how I will feel!)

Since I hold my discussion with my students this Wednesday, I decided to do a mini class party with them. We are all bringing a treat for the fiesta! I decided to bring Bacon-Wrapped Dates.

Dates are my new favorite food. When Ron and I brought Bacon-Wrapped Dates (stuffed with goat cheese) to our friend’s Easter dinner, we received rave reviews (and we were given back an empty plate). Of course, anything wrapped with bacon tastes delicious, but this appetizer was really easy to make and particularly good. And who doesn’t love the mix of smoky, sweet, and salty of a Bacon-Wrapped Date?

Bacon-Wrapped Dates stuffed with goat cheese, mmmmm!

Banana Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies

Every on-the-go lady or gentleman needs a good travel snack, right? How about (healthy) Banana Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies? I am using (and changing a bit) blogger Georgia’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola bar recipe from her handy cooking cite, the Comfort of Cooking. (Photo of Georgia’s sweet idea: homemade granola bars.)

I adapted Georgia’s recipe into Banana Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies, substituting her pumpkin for a mashed banana (that’s what I had on hand!), cutting down the sugar (because bananas sweeten more than pumpkin), adding natural peanut butter for more protein, and pressing the granola into the bottoms of a muffin tin for a more cookie-like shape (I was too lazy to cut them into bars, whoops).  These are delicious enough (and healthy enough) to be eaten as a snack or dessert. And you know how I love my dessert. You can also leave out the chocolate for simply Peanut Butter and Banana Granola bars. That would be a healthy fix!

My Banana Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies, yum!

(Light) Cinnamon Mocha Greek Yogurt

You may have noticed that I love sweets. I want my oatmeal to taste like pumpkin pie, I like to mix my savory flavors with sweets, and I’ve even fashioned myself as a (burlesque) baker. In fact, when I was a young girl, I tended to eat lots of cake and would on occasion get my hands in it (without permission). (Myself in a pretty white frock rudely eating someone else’s cake with my hands.)

This morning I wanted to drink my morning coffee with something indulgent for breakfast that’s like a dessert or rich snack, but still light and healthy. Why not Cinnamon Mocha Yogurt? This yogurt has hearty, protein-rich greek yogurt, cocoa powder that has a ton of anti-oxidants, cinnamon (which has medicinal properties, like regulating insulin), and fresh-brewed coffee for a rich taste and even more antioxidants. (Picture from Leaner and Greener.)