RECIPE: Protein Shakes and Smoothies Recipes (Part 1)

I NEVER would have thought that I would have jumped on the protein shake bandwagon, but breaking my jaw opened a huge new world of breakfast and even lunch possibilities. I've come to love these shakes so much that I just don't want to give them up!  I buy the EAS 100% whey protein powder from Sam's Club (It's $27 for 76 servings).  They have chocolate and vanilla, and I bought both.  I also use almond milk in my recipes--it's only 40 calories per cup, and it makes the shake taste so much better than with just water. I buy the Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  And tons of frozen fruit (unsweetened)--cherries, blueberries, mixed fruit. I also freeze my bananas when they are ripe. I peel them, cut them into four chunks each and put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer.

If you really don't want to buy protein powder, you could probably substitute with Carnation Instant Breakfast.

Also, if you find yourself liking these as much as I do, you may want to invest in a good blender. I just spent $80 on a good blender that was WELL WORTH IT.

Some of you have asked for my recipes, so here are a few favorites:

Blueberry Muffin Shake  (My FAVORITE! Tastes just like a blueberry muffin)

1 cup almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp. pistachio pudding mix (I use regular, not the sugar free kind)
6 ice cubes

Combine all in a blender and blend until smooth. Makes one huge serving--about 20 oz or so.  260 calories.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Shake

1 cup almond milk
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 cup frozen sweet cherries (NOT sweetened cherries--just plain old cherries, the sweet variety)
1/4-1/2 tsp. almond extract
4 ice cubes

Blend until smooth. This ends up being about 24 oz. 260 calories.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shake

1 cup almond milk
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/2 frozen banana
2 Tbsp. PB2
6 ice cubes

Blend until smooth. 257 calories.  (Sometimes I add 1/4 cup of oats to this instead of the banana--it tastes kind of like a no-bake cookie)


Pineapple Upside Down Shake

1 cup almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3/4 cup frozen pineapple
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. imitation butter extract
1 tsp. cheesecake pudding mix

Blend until smooth. 253 calories.


Jamocha Banana Shake

1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup strong coffee (I make this and refrigerate it)
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/2 frozen banana
6 ice cubes

Blend until smooth.  193 calories.


Tropical Fruit Shake

1 cup almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup frozen mixed fruit (peaches, mangoes, pineapple, strawberries)
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 tsp. coconut extract
ice if you want, but it really doesn't need ice. You may need to add a little water to this shake, because it gets really thick.

Blend until smooth.  281 calories.

(To be continued in part two...)

Continue Reading...

RECIPE: Bacon Broccoli Breakfast Pizza

This is a very hearty breakfast pizza. I imagine it would be good with different meats and veggies. Ham and spinach would be good! Ham and broccoli. Bacon and Brussel sprouts. Endless combinations!

Click here for the printer-friendly PDF


Breakfast Pizza

1/2 recipe of whole wheat pizza crust (see that recipe here)
1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
3/4 cup of cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. chopped green bell pepper
6 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled (I used the Hormel Black Label bacon that is 70 cals for 4 slices)
onion powder, salt, and black pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp of each)

Spray a pie plate with cooking spray and sprinkle a little flour around the bottom. Spread the dough out along the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pie plate (adding flour if necessary to keep it from sticking). Spread the broccoli out on the crust, and top that with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Sprinkle the bacon and peppers on top of that. In a small bowl, beat the eggs, milk, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the whole thing, and then top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until eggs are just set (it took 35 minutes for me). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Continue Reading...

RECIPE: Chicken (or Mushroom) Paprikash

My all-time FAVORITE comfort food is my mom's chicken paprikash.  She makes the chicken by dredging it in flour and frying it, then makes these awesome dumplings (similar to gnocchi) and a paprika-sour cream gravy to go over everything. I always used to pick that for my birthday dinners!  Anyways, here is my "lighter" version of my favorite comfort meal.  It tastes better than it looks, I promise :)

Click here for the printer-friendly PDF

Chicken or Mushroom Paprikash

I've actually made this with whole button mushrooms before instead of the chicken, and it was DELICIOUS. Cook it the same way, only substitute mushrooms for the chicken breasts. You can use plain water or vegetable broth for the chicken broth, if you'd like.


Chicken Paprikash

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (whole or cut in chunks)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. paprika (Yes, Tablespoons--not a typo)
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream
8 oz. (dry) egg noodles

Start a pot of water to boil for the noodles, and cook according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add onions, and cook until the onions are soft and starting to caramelize. 

Add the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the paprika, chicken broth, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low, and add the sour cream. Keep over low heat until the sour cream is heated through (don't boil it because it will curdle). Serve over hot cooked egg noodles. Serves 4.

Continue Reading...

RECIPE: Warm Cinnamon Apples (in the Crock Pot)

These are SUPER EASY to make and they taste delicious!  They really good by themselves, but you can also spoon them over ice cream or top pancakes or waffles with them... plenty of ways to eat them! 

Warm Cinnamon Apples

3 lbs. apples, peeled and sliced  (about 8 cups)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Minute Tapioca  (make sure you get the Minute tapioca)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all in a slow cooker, and toss to combine. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, depending on how soft you like the apples.

Makes 8 servings, a little over 1/2 cup each

Continue Reading...

RECIPE: Quick Bean Soup

This has become my new favorite lunch. It's so easy to throw together (just open a few cans), it's healthy, filling, and it tastes great.

Quick Bean Soup

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 can corn
1 can tomatoes
1 cups water
1 Tbsp. reduced sodium taco seasoning

Combine all in a pot and cook until heated through.  Makes 8 servings (about 1 cup each). I like to serve mine with a little bit of chopped avocado and/or baked Tostitos.

Continue Reading...

RECIPE: Breakfast Cookies

This is a recipe that I got from a book called "Lickity Split Meals" by Zonya Foco. Once in a while, I make a huge batch of these and keep them on hand in the freezer for a quick breakfast. They're cookies, but healthy enough to be called breakfast (don't expect them to taste like your average cookie, however--they're not nearly as sweet as regular oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies).

If you can't find the whole wheat pastry flour (I have no trouble finding it, but just in case...) then you can use half whole wheat flour and half white flour.

Breakfast Cookies

1 cup of oat bran (find this next to the oatmeal in the grocery store)
3/4 cup orange juice (I squeeze an orange or two for this after grating it for the orange zest)
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 cup + 1 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 cup honey
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup non-fat dry milk
3 cups old fashioned oats (quick cooking oats are fine, too)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375. Combine the oat bran and orange juice in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl (preferably a mixer) combine the applesauce, canola oil, honey, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and orange zest.

In a separate bowl, combine the pastry flour, baking powder and baking soda, then slowly add it to the mixer. Add the soaked oat bran, dry milk, oats, nuts, and raisins and mix or stir just to combine.

Drop by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. (I use a spring-loaded scoop--like an ice cream scoop, but it only holds a tablespoon--to scoop it, level it off, and then drop it onto the cookie sheets. It makes all the cookies very uniform in shape and size).

Bake for 12-14 minutes. By using a level tablespoon of dough for each cookie, I got 84 cookies out of one batch. (I put them in little baggies of 3 and throw them in the freezer--you can take out a bag whenever you want them and put them in the microwave for 10 seconds to thaw). Sometimes I'll make large cookies instead of small ones.

Nutrition info for 1 small cookie:
Calories: 65
Fat: 1 g
Fiber: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 12 g

Continue Reading...

RECIPE: Barbecue Chicken Pizza (single serving)

I was craving BBQ chicken pizza for the longest time, and the frozen lean cuisine one I tried was terrible. I played around with tortillas to make them seem more crust-like... and discovered that pre-baking them makes a fabulous pizza crust! Don't skip the pre-baking... it's what makes it more like a pizza instead of like a soggy tortilla with toppings ;)

The type of barbecue sauce you use can either make or break this recipe. Pick a sauce you love, otherwise you probably won't enjoy the pizza. I use Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory & Brown Sugar.

BBQ Chicken Pizza
1 tortilla or flat bread (shown in the picture is white lavash bread)
3 oz. cooked chicken, torn into chunks (I bought a bag of frozen chicken breast strips)
2 Tbsp. good barbecue sauce (I love Sweet Baby Ray's)
1-2 paper thin slices of red onion, roughly chopped
1 oz. cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375. (While it's preheating, I usually prep the other ingredients). When it's preheated, put the tortilla on a baking sheet (no oil or anything) and put it in the oven for 5 minutes. Flip it over, and heat for another 5 minutes. It'll be stiff and crispy, but still a little pliable. Meanwhile, combine the chicken, barbecue sauce, and onion in a small bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds just to heat it a little and soften the onion. 

When the tortilla is ready, spread the chicken mixture on the tortilla--it may seem skimpy, without enough sauce or something, but don't add more sauce. It'll be TOO saucy.  Top the whole thing with the cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted. Cut into quarters.

Continue Reading...

RECIPE: Garlic Green Beans with Parmesan Cheese

When I first started losing weight, I was not a very big vegetable eater. I started looking for ways to make them tastier so that I actually wanted to eat them. I made these one day, and my family was sold. They are SO good--if you like garlic and cheese, you will love these green beans. Even my husband, who is a complete "meat & potatoes" guy, told me to make these much more often.

Garlic Green Beans

1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 head garlic (yes, a whole head!)
2 cans green beans, drained
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and butter. Peel each clove of garlic (it takes some work, but trust me, it's worth it!) then slice into very thin slices. Add the garlic to the oil and sauté until the garlic is BARELY golden (you don't want to burn it, so keep the heat at medium/medium low). Add the green beans and stir to coat the beans with the oil/butter. Cook until the beans are heated through, just a couple minutes. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. parmesan cheese over each serving. Makes 4 servings.

Continue Reading...

Anniversary

I (obviously) made changes to the design of my blog... what do you think? I love the font, but is it hard to read? I was in a binge-mood last night, so I wanted to distract myself by messing around with the blog. And it worked--no binges!  I wish I knew more about Photoshop, though. It took forever to make the title banner for my page. Do you like the pic of my Garmin? ;)

Yesterday morning, I decided to get up at 6:30 when Jerry got home from work, and go for a run outside before the kids woke up. I only had a 3-mile easy run on the schedule, and the weather was a PERFECT 60 degrees. I left the iPod at home (I rarely run with it anymore) and enjoyed the weather. I was trying to keep my pace at about a 10:45/mi. It was really hard to do! I started too fast, and then when I tried to slow down, I was going TOO slow. It was kind of annoying to look down at the Garmin constantly. Maybe I'll set the alert function to let me know when I'm not in the right "zone".

Speaking of the Garmin, I had an idea that I wanted to run by my readers. Many of you have expressed interest in buying a Garmin, but you weren't sure if you wanted to spend the money. I actually have TWO--a 205 model and a 305. They are the same except the 205 doesn't have the heart rate function. You use it to see how far you're going (running/walking or biking), your pace, average pace, calories burned, etc.

So here is my idea: What if I were to get a list of readers that are interested in trying it out for a couple of weeks, and make that happen? I could mail it to someone, let them use it for, say, 2 weeks, and then I will give them the address of the next person, and they can pass it along. Continue doing this until everyone who wants to try it out has done so, and eventually, it would make it's way back to me. This would all be on the honor system, and hopefully nobody would take advantage of that. Right now, the Garmin is just collecting dust, because I've been using the 305.

Is this something that would interest any of you? Let me know and maybe we can make it happen :)

So anyways, yesterday was mine and Jerry's 8th wedding anniversary. We had no plans whatsoever, which is fine with me. He had to go to work at 5 pm, so we didn't get to go out. I think I'll consider our trip to Madison our anniversary celebration. We just ended up playing cards and drinking coffee before he had to leave for work. After he left, I felt lonely and just wanted to EAT. So I spent pretty much the whole evening making changes to the design of my blog.

Continue Reading...

Going that extra mile

Despite the gorgeous weather yesterday, I did my run on the dreadmill. Jerry is back to working midnights, so he was sleeping all morning, and I didn't want to wait and run mid-afternoon when it could be super hot outside, so I just sucked it up and hopped on the dreadmill. Again, I set the speed at 5.6 and left it there to keep my heart rate in the "easy" zone. I ran 5 miles, feeling really great. When I got off and went to mark my running schedule (I keep it on the wall so that I can highlight the runs I've completed), I noticed I was only supposed to run 4 miles. Oh well, better to do an extra one than not enough.

I started the intermediate 10k training program yesterday, because the 10k that I'm registered for is 8 weeks away. I had to switch the days around so that I am doing my long runs on Mondays instead of Sundays. It'll be easier that way when the kids are in school. I really want to focus on doing it "right" this time--going very easy on my "easy runs" and "long runs" and then busting my ass on the speed work. I'm also going to do the strength training and cross-training that he recommends. My last 10k race time was 55:05, so I'm hoping to finish in under 55:00, but I'd love to finish in under 54:00.

Remember how I made an appointment with a plastic surgeon for the end of August? Well, it's a week from Friday already! I'm super nervous. Jerry called the insurance company again yesterday to ask about the coverage, and the person he spoke with said that if it's for a medical reason (which it is), it is very likely that the tummy tuck will be covered. She said there is a much better chance it'll be covered since I lost the weight without surgery (I'm not sure why that matters).

She just said I need to create a paper trail with my doctors about the medical issues I'm having from the excess skin. I can't believe that this is a real possibility--when I made the appointment, I was very doubtful about the insurance covering the surgery, but it sounds like they will. If not, then I won't be getting it. There is no way we can afford it. I would LOVE to be able to run pain-free without my flabby stomach bouncing up and down.

You can see in this picture below where I've tucked the loose skin into my running capris:

I have an appointment for a physical with my general practitioner on Thursday. I'm dreading that, because the last time I was there was when I was at my lowest weight of 128. I need to just look at the positive, that I've managed to keep off 100+ pounds for over a year now. I'm also going to be doing my first once-per-month weigh in this week (on Friday). I don't FEEL like I've lost anything from last time. Maybe because I'm not running as much as I used to? I don't want to worry about it until I see the number on Friday.

I can't wait until my kids are back in school and it will be easy to establish a routine! I will be able to get them ready for school and put them on the bus, and then I can do my run or bike ride in the morning. Take a shower, clean up my house, run errands or whatever needs to be done, and get the kids off the bus in the afternoon. I love routines, and I am a much happier person when I have a routine. It's going to feel weird having both of the kids in school full-time though!

---

Do you dread going to the doctor? Does your weight play a part in whether you dread it or not? I ALWAYS hate going when my weight is up from the last time. My OB appointments were the worst. I gained 70 and 90 pounds during my pregnancies!

Continue Reading...