Samoa Cookie Smoothie/Shake

So, my last post was focused on the lovely birthday cake that I made for my lovely, Samoa loving sister (link there). Bottom line? I seem to have been swallowed in a caramelly, chocolatey, coconutty phase. With the cake neatly polished off and not a single crumb in sight, I knew I was going to have to return to square one to satisfy my cravings (our neighborhood seems oddly devoid of door-to-door girl scouts. Where are they when you need them?)

And, since I am completely in love with smoothies that basically taste like milkshakes (oh, the magic of frozen bananas!) I thought, "It's time food a protein smoothies...samoa style."*

*I don't think I actually literally thought this. My mind went something more along the lines of "Ahhh, Hungry!! FEED ME!!" I get grumpy without my snacks.

It looks a lot more chocolatey than it actually is (I didn't want the chocolate flavor to overpower the caramel and coconut), but trust me on this: it's a keeper in my long smoothie line up. Psst... it's only 120 calories, too! You could probably only eat about 2 actual samosa for that amount, and feel a lot less satisfied!

SAMOA COOKIE SMOOTHIE

(this recipe could easily be double for a more hearty post-workout snack)

1/2 frozen banana

2 T. fat free cottage cheese

1/3 scoop vanilla whey

1/3 cup almond milk (add more for thinner)

5-6 ice cubes (add more for thicker)

1 tsp. cocoa powder

1 drop butter extract (optional)

2-3 drops coconut extract

1.5 T. Torani sugar free salted caramel syrup

Pinch Xantham gum

Blend everything but the gum until smooth. Add the gum to thicken it up and blend again until you reach desired consistency. You can always add more banana/ice/cottage cheese to make a larger volume/ thicker shake.

I topped it with coconut to make it look pretty :)

Are you hungry thirsty now?

Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie

Some days, you just need a refreshing glass of… cookies?
I tend to hate making recipes that I claim taste "just like" something else, because I never want to disappoint someone who is really craving the real thing. But this time, I'm confident enough to say that this smoothie is basically COOKIE IN LIQUID FORM!

Doesn't that look good?

I have been trying to eat more protein shakes lately because I'm trying to boost up my protein intake, so I thought I'd do a little bit of experimentation with my beloved blender. I wanted something thick, creamy, sweet, and of course, not chalky. If you like oatmeal cookies, I think you will love this, too.

*Note: I didn't really measure things before tossing them in the blender today, so these ingredients are just estimates! You can tweak as you like!

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE SHAKE

1 frozen banana, broken into chunks

2 T. rolled oats

2 tsp. raisins

1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese (you can't taste it, honest!)

1 scoop vanilla whey powder

1 packet stevia

Dash Cinnamon

1/2-1 cup almond milk

3 ice cubes (I used frozen almond milk so it doesn't dilute)

1/4 tsp. xantham gum (optional, for thicker shake)

Blend it all up until it's nice and thick and creamy! I topped mine with some more raisins and granola for a little bit of a crunch! Slurp it up and try not to get a brain freeze! This smoothie is full of muscle-building protein, healthy fiber, natural sweetness… and it's low-fat too!

Pumpkin Chocolate Protein Pancakes

There are certain people who think that pumpkin is a seasonal flavor.

I am not one of them. And, hopefully after these pancakes, you will not be either.
I mean, let's just talk about how great pumpkin puree is. First, it has amazing flavor, second, it can be used as a lower-fat alternative in baking for oil or eggs, third, it makes things super moist, and fourth, it's actually pretty cheap! So stock up, people, because you will want to make these! (Bonus: they're good for you, too!)

And then make them again. And again. And again.
Oh, and did I mention that this HUGE stack, with the whipped cream and chocolate topping, is under 300 calories? With about 20 grams of protein?

I knew you would come around.

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN PROTEIN PANCAKES

(Original recipe here)

1/3 cup rolled oats, ground into a flour

1/4 cup Pure Pumpkin

1/2 scoop Vanilla Whey Powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp Butter extract

1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

1/3 cup Liquid Egg Whites

1-2 Tbsp Almond Milk

1 Stevia Packet

Chocolate Layer: (technically optional, but who are we kidding)

1 Tbsp PB2/Powdered Peanut Butter

1/2 Tbsp Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder

1 packet Stevia

2 Tablespoons Cool Whip Free (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients for pancakes and mix well until everything is incorporated.

2. Spoon batter onto heated griddle and cook as you would any other pancakes (I made four medium-sized)

3. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for the chocolate layer. When pancakes are done, spread chocolate layer between each pancake, then top with cool whip. Yummy!!

Nutritional breakdown:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 202 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  255 Calories from Fat  58

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  6.4g 10%

Saturated Fat  4.1g 21%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  22mg 7%

Sodium  163mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates  30.3g 10%

Dietary Fiber  8.6g 34%

Sugars  4.1g

Protein  20.8g

Vitamin A 191% • Vitamin C 5% Calcium 18% • Iron 17%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Brownie Protein Waffles with Chocolate PB Sauce

Do you like Pinterest?
It seems that whenever I go on, I'm finding new things that I add to my mental checklist of "Must Try". Then when I look up, two hours have flown by and I have nothing to show for it! Anyway, in the past I've pinned probably hundreds of protein pancake recipes, but actually only made very few of them. I guess I'm just really picky about what goes into my foods (something I'm still working on freeing myself from). The pancakes would have tons of protein, but no whole grains. Or plenty of healthy carbohydrates, but only a measly amount of protein. Or they would just turn out gooey and tasteless when I made them.
So I decided to try my own thing. And I am beyond excited about it.
I can't say enough great things about this morning's creation. I couldn't stop smiling as I was eating them, and for a girl recovering from an eating disorder, that says quite a bit about their awesomeness. (Yes it's a word. Because I say it is.)
These have everything you want in a healthy, well-rounded breakfast: whole grains, protein, fruit…And all within a reasonable nutritional profile as well! Plus, they are fairly simple to make and are absolutely delicious!
Behold…

Chocolate Brownie Protein Waffles!

 Yes, siree, you get about 30 grams of high-quality protein in these babies, as well as 5 grams of fiber, and 25 grams of whole grain! And they're naturally gluten free! These are the perfect breakfast for anyone with a love of chocolate and healthy eating!

INGREDIENTS

For Waffles

1/4 cup oat flour (made by grinding up 1 packet instant oatmeal in a coffee grinder)

1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder (about 1/4 cup)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 packet stevia

1/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp imitation butter extract

For PB Fudge Sauce

1 T. chocolate PB2 (powdered peanut butter)

1 packet stevia

1/2 T. dark chocolate cocoa powder

Water

DIRECTIONS

1. Start heating up your waffle iron, and make sure to spray it well so the waffles don't stick
2. Mix together dry ingredients (as I said, if you don't have oat flour on hand, just grind up a packet of oatmeal. That's what I did!). Then add wet, and mix well until all lumps are gone.
3. Pour half the batter into your waffle iron and close the lid. Cook 3-4 minutes or until done (I didn't actually time it, so I'm not sure). DON'T OPEN THE LID UNTIL THE WAFFLE IS READY!
4. While waffle is cooking, prepare your fudge sauce. Simply stir together dry ingredients, then add water, about 1/2 T. at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. I like mine pretty thick, but if you want the sauce to be more "saucy" instead of a spread, add more water. Alternatively, use almond milk instead of water.
5. Top your waffles with fudge sauce and enjoy their amazingness!

**For meal plans, one whole recipe (YUP. THE WHOLE THING) is 1 starch, 1 fruit, and 3 proteins.

You can round it out by serving with a nice glass of milk, and if needed use regular peanut butter instead of the PB2 in the sauce, but you may need to adjust the amount of water.