Wednesday, March 13, 2013

This shit is bananas.

So, I realize that I haven't given you an update on some new recipes I've been trying. I've tried a few winners in the last few weeks. But, where there's a winner, there's always a loser. I'll be sharing those recipes, edits, and blunders too. Buckle up.

Bananas & PB

I got this idea from Pinterest & FitSugar, but I simplified the recipe significantly. What's all this about mashing bananas and yogurt together?

Nah.

I just scooped some all-natural (no oil or sugar added) peanut butter on a few cut up nanners and froze them.

I had about five of these bites for part of my breakfast this morning. Peanut butter gets crunchy when its frozen and the nanners were perfect. It was a delightful start to my day. I made more in about five minutes to replace the ones I scarfed.



Chocolate Banana Protein Bars

 
I obviously had a ton of bananas left over from last week.

This recipe turned out pretty good. I tweaked a few things, per usual. I only have two types of protein powder: SFH Chocolate Protein Powder and Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer. Both have pros and cons, which I can talk about later if anyone's interested, but I used SFH this time since Vega powder is green and I feel weird cooking with it.

Also, I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips instead of carob chips because I ain't no vegan (anymore...that's a story for a different day).

They are pretty good, but nothing mind blowing. I'll venture out and use Vega next time as an experiement. Stay tuned.  


Cauliflower Pizza

Mine didn't turn out quite as good as this recipe made me think it would. I probably didn't get ALL the moisture out, so the center wasn't crispy at all. But, it was pretty good. 

Bless the folks who have the patience for this. Honestly, pizza isn't a craving of mine, so it's just not worth the work for me.

Next time (if there is a next time) I'll probably just buy the pre-made gluten free crust if I'm feeling naughty.


Chocolate Raspberry Brownies


 This recipe hails from PaleOMG, although she made hers with cherries.

I had bought some raspberries, but knew we wouldn't eat them in time, so I made these for a girls night and was in a little bit of a rush. So, I didn't cook them as long as I should have and they were a leetle moist. 

And by a leetle, I mean a lot.

But I think they tasted great and I love them and will be making them again VERY soon.



Vanilla Coconut Pancakes

 I snagged this recipe from The Food Lovers Kitchen.

There aren't many ingredients, which I love. But, I did replace two of the eggs with (4) egg whites to cut the calories and they were EXTREMELY dry.

I don't know if cutting the yolks is what did it, but I wasn't crazy about these.

But, they look pretty, don't they? 

Tina's recipe is still my fave. With hers, I just use oat flour, almond milk, and honey instead of flour, soy, and sugar. They taste like the real thing.


Crack Dip


This was a ridiculous find on Pinterest and I just had to try it.


It was incredibly easy and delish, but there was no way mister right and I were eating all of that. So, I brought it to girls' night and it disappeared almost instantly.

Definitely make this for your next gathering. Seeing people's faces light up as you tell them there is liquid chocolate buried underneath those roasted marshmallows is probably the best feeling ever.

Well, besides the feeling you get when dip a graham cracker in this and stuff it in your mouth. So really, it's the second best feeling ever.


There you have it. Some new recipes for you to try. Let me know how these turn out. 

I'm sorry, but I have no photos of lunchtime eats to share. But, I can tell you that it's been a combination of leftovers and fresh salad mixins. Monday was a workout day, so I started the day with a pre-workout apple and a post-workout raspberry oatmeal.

1/3C oats+1/3C water+1/3C egg whites+raspberries=yum
Lunch on Monday was a combo of fresh salad ingredients and my leftover chinese food (steamed chicken & veggies). Not a good combo. Water chestnuts and cherry tomatoes don't work together. It was way weird. Yesterday, I used regular grilled chicken and fresh veggies and it was way better.



Monday night was the Bachelor Finale viewing party. There was wine, chocolate, roses, and drama.

In other words, the perfect girls night.

Can we talk about the Bachelor for a second? I can't BELIEVE Sean picked Catherine! I really don't get it! I don't like her at all.








 But, I'm glad I was right about Desiree being the next Bachelorette. She's going to kill it and I am without a doubt tuning in.



On the menu for dinner tonight: marinated flank steak with roasted veggies. If you want to keep up with my menu, follow me on Pinterest. I generally browse there and pin things that look good and easy.

Until next time, have fun being bad.

-t