#power snack

[botusbotus]

RBG’s Power Snack

Konnichiwa BOTUS readers! Here is another installment of our politician recipe series. Let us know if you try it out!

The RBG Power Snack:

Ingredients:

1.     1 cup of milk chocolate chips

2.   4 cups rice Chex cereal

3.   1 ¼ cups powdered sugar.

4.    1 cup peanut M&Ms in red, white, and blue

5.    1 cup whoppers candy

Directions:

1.     Line a large baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. Put the 4 cups of cereal in a large mixing bowl. Set both aside.

2.   Put the milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is fully melted.

3.   Use a large spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the cereal. Gently mix as you drizzle, making sure to coat the cereal evenly.

4.    Place the powdered sugar in a 1-gallon zip-top bag.

5.    Carefully scoop the chocolate-coated cereal into the bag with the powdered sugar. Seal the bag and shake it to cover the cereal with the powdered sugar.

6.    Let it sit for 1-2 minutes then spread it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Let dry for 1 hour.

7.   Put your cereal back in the large bowl and gently mix in the whoppers and M&Ms.

Ciao, Marlon!

[videojoeshows]

Energy Boosting Healthy Power Snack 

Energy boosting healthy power snack is what this DIY howto video is about. VideoJoe is working on a stubborn flooring project & now he needs a little energy snack to keep it going for the rest of the day. He's got some raw honey drizzled over this yogurt called Fage & then some chopped up peaches with some pecans over that & more raw honey mixed in. To top that off he will be drinking some stuff called Stinging Nettle. He can feel the power ooze back into his bones ready for more floor scraping! Making an energy power boosting snack is easy & healthy...when you know how. Watch & learn as VideoJoeShows you his energy boosting healthy power snack. Yum!

[3llieadams5]

My mum keeps bringing me snacks and tea to keep me revising what a babe

[spoonfuloffit-blog]

Pumpkin Surprise Protein Muffins

Twinkies, Ding Dongs, CupCakes, Ho Ho’s…What was it about these treats that were so appealing to us as children? I bet you all will say the same thing. THE CREAM FILLING! Yup. It’s pretty much an undeniable fact that an ordinary something can be pretty much the most amazing thing in the world with a little surprise in the center.

I mean, who doesn’t like surprises right? As a kid, I LOVED it when my mom would allow me to have a Twinkie or Hostess Cupcake for a treat. As did every other kid who grew up in the 90’s, I’m sure. Ha! Hostess was really on to something! ;)

Unfortunately, my indulgences of these little bad boys are history considering that they don’t exactly fit into my macros for the day. Yeah, not so much. But nonetheless, I’m still a lover of treats. And the little kid in me will always get pretty dang excited to eat something with a surprise center or filling. That surprise filling is what could take an ordinary treat to the next level and make it an EXPLOSION of FLAVOR and have allow you to have party with confetti and all with your taste buds. Can you tell this girl loves to enjoy her food?! Ha! No shame folks. Life is to be enjoyed. Enjoy the flavors you love. I love pumpkin. And what a coincidence, fall is just about here and I had a can or five, of pumpkin in my pantry just waiting to be put to good use.You know what else I had? An unopened container of fat free cream cheese. Put these two together and you know what you got?

PUMPKIN SURPRISE PROTEIN MUFFINS

SERVES: 12

INGREDIENTS:

For muffins:

~ 1 C oat oats (grounded into flour)

~ 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (I used Sun Warrior)

~ 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk

~ 1/4 C nonfat plain Greek yogurt

~ 1 C canned pumpkin

~ 3 egg whites

~ 4 small scoops Kal Stevia (6-8 packets Stevia)

~ 1/2 tsp baking powder

~ 1 tsp cinnamon

~ 1/2 tsp vanilla

~ 1/8 tsp pumpkin spice

~ 1/8 tsp all spice

~ pinch of salt

For cream filling:

~ 1/3 C fat free cream cheese

~ 1 scooper Kal Stevia or 1 packet Stevia

~ 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2.) Combine the ingredients for the cream filling and blend in a Magic Bullet or blender. Set aside.

3.) Measure out and combine oat flour, protein powder, Stevia, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, all spice, and salt into a large mixing bowl.

4.) Measure out and add almond milk, Greek yogurt, egg whites, canned pumpkin, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix until it is all combined and forms a batter.

5.) Fill each spot in a muffin tin half way with the batter.

6.) Using a spoon, scoop a spoonful of cream filling on top.

7.) Fill the rest of the muffin slots the rest of the way with batter, covering the cream.

8.) Stick them in the oven for about 18-22 minutes, or until they are cooked through.

NUTRITION PER MUFFIN: 63 calories, 8 g carbs, 1 g fat, 6 g protein, 2 g sugar

These make a perfect snack, pre or post workout meal, breakfast, dessert, pretty much whatever you like ‘em to be! They are guaranteed to get you in the Fall spirit for sure!

Before I let you all go, I just wanted to express again my sincere love and gratitude for each and every one of you who follows my blog, Facebook page, and Instagram. The support you all show me only inspires me more to keep the motivation coming. I have a lot of exciting things in store that have stemmed from me stepping out with my love for fitness. Stay tuned for some big announcements coming up! But really, I love you all!!! So thank you!! :)

Peace, Love, and Muscle,

Crystal xo

[spoonfuloffit-blog]

Sweet Potato Protein Muffins

When browsing through the recipes I have shared with you all so far, I realized that I didn’t have a single recipe for protein muffins/bars. What a travesty! How could I let that happen?!? Good thing I spent a bit of time in the kitchen past weekend getting a few recipes together. I don’t always like to rely on protein muffins for meals, but they have quite a few benefits that I feel make them worth making and having around:

1. They provide multiple small meals from one batch. Protein bars are great for bulk  cooking. You whip up a batch and they can last you in the fridge all week.

2. Convenience. They are great grab-n-go snacks that are portable and you can eat anywhere from the car to the movie theaters. Yes, you better believe I am one of THOSE people who sneaks in my clean eats to the movies with me. I believe there is some sort of unwritten rule that states you can’t watch a move in a theater without some munchies. I mean, who does that?? I got my “movie purse” for my movie trips, yup! Don’t even act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, I know you have one too! Ha.

3.They satisfy the sweet tooth. To me, they always feel like a cheat even though they’re clean treats.

4. If the recipe is constructed right, they provide the perfect protein to carb ratio to satisfy the basic requirements of a clean and filling meal.

Being that I follow a gluten free diet, sweet potatoes are a staple in my diet. I love them! They can be made sweet, savory, whipped, mashed, baked, boiled, or…made into protein muffins!  I know there are some recipes out there for sweet potato protein muffins, but I the ones I had tried would deflate or be too mushy because the protein powder wasn’t enough to soak up the moisture from the sweet potatoes and balance out the texture. I didn’t want to add oat flour or another starchy flour to it, so I turned to my trusted and INDESPENSIBLE coconut flour to do the trick. It worked it’s magic. BAM!

SWEET POTATO PROTEIN MUFFINS

MAKES: 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

~ 2  sweet potatos/yams cooked with skin

~ 2 tbsp coconut flour

~ 3 scoops Vanilla Sun Warrior protein powder (or any vanilla protein powder of your choice

~ 1 heaping tsp baking powder

~ 1 tsp cinnamon

~ 1 tsp vanilla extract

~ 2 mini scoopers of Kal Stevia (or ¼ C sweetener or your choice, or 5-6 packets of Stevia/sweetener) This is just an estimate. It really all depends on your sweet tooth. For some, the sweetness of the sweet potatoes may be enough, but I like my stuff SWEET! ;)

~ 3 egg whites

~ 2 tsp almond milk

DIRECTIONS:

1.)    Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.)    Whip up sweet potatoes in a blender, Magic Bullet, or food processor.

3.)    Measure dry ingredients and pour into a large mixing bowl.

4.)    Add yams and the rest of the wet ingredients.

5.)    Stir really well until all ingredients are mixed together.

6.)    Pour batter into a muffin tin and bake for about 18-22 minutes. It will vary depending on your oven. Enjoy!

NUTRITION:48 calories, 5 g protein, 1 g fat, 5 g carbs, 2 g sugar

Now go and enjoy your Friday and......

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love, and Muscle Forever,

Crystal xo

[spoonfuloffit-blog]

Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie Dough

I woke up this morning feeling refreshed. This whole week has been a struggle for me. From work being stressful to my personal life kind of taking a toll on me, I was drained by yesterday to say the least. Starting up my devotional section of the blog though, really helped. I surrendered a lot of the burden as I wrote out my feelings and thoughts, so THANK YOU ALL for being so supportive of my post and my feelings behind it. Those who take the time to write me, message me, and let me know that what I am doing is making a difference means more to me than you know!

Luckily, today is my Friday off of work. I was able to actually get a solid eight hours of rest last night after having my "quiet time", where I read the Word, pray and reflect on my life. I can't tell you HOW MUCH of a difference life can be when it is centered and balanced on the right things. Things can be raging all around me, problems and trials, but I lean on the things that make me strong: God, my family and friends, and fitness.

I started my morning off later than on a usual work day. It's so funny, when I walked into the gym at 7:30 am instead of my usual time at 5:00 am, the girl who always works opening/morning shift said, "Well you're a little late!" I explained it was my day off so I got to sleep in. And boy it felt good to sleep in, but I was juiced and ready to start my workout. I am still so sore from leg day, but today I did back/bi's so I hit it hard.

Have you ever done the Smith Machine row? It's such a great exercise for your back. I always make it my goal to lift as heavy as possible and the smith machine allows me to go heavy and still use proper form. Thumbs up!

I did walking on incline for my cardio. I wanted to keep it lower intensity because I had just done legs, but boy I tell you, it still makes you drenched at the end!

After my treadmill cardio, my workout was complete.

I stopped in the bathroom real quick to snap this shot though. What?? Don't tell me you don't do mirror photoshoots at the gym, I know we all do..yup. No shame in that. It's how to track progress! I know it helps me see how far I've come and progressed. But anyway, I feel like lower body is responding pretty well to the incline walking I've been incorporating. It's hard work for some women to really perk up and build ya know!

I came home and had my protein pancakes for post workout fuel and then got ready for the day.

I brought back the curls. It had been a while since I've been all natural. But I'm just really into just being "ME" lately. I kinda missed them as crazy and wild as they can be!

I have no real plans this weekend. And that feels good actually. I want to spend time just enjoying the simple things and relaxing a bit. I am spending the afternoon with my littlest brother. He is growing up so fast. I can't believe he is already 15 years old! We haven't spend one-on-one time in a while, so I'm looking forward to it.

Before he and I go off on our little adventure though, I am going to get another meal in my tummy to fuel me for the afternoon. Remember my infamous cookie doughs? I have so far posted a chocolate version and a birthday cake version. Well, I just recently created this version as well that I think you all will simply love!

CHOCOLATE CHIP PROTEIN COOKIE DOUGH

Serves: 1

INGREDIENTS:

~ 1/4 C oats (grounded into a flour consistency)

~ 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (as always, I used and recommend Sunwarrior)

~ 1 tbsp coconut flour

~ 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

~ 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (depending on the consistency you want and density of the protein powder you're using)

~ 1/4 tsp almond extract

~ 1/4 tsp butter extract (can sub for vanilla if you want)

~ 1-2 packets of Stevia (I use the powder Kal Stevia, so I just use one small scooper full. I buy it on Amazon.)

~ 1/2 tbsp of carob chips (I also added two chopped almonds just for added texture)

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Just as with other cookie dough recipes, measure out dry ingredients and pour into bowl.

2.) Add wet ingredients and stir well.

3.) Stick in fridge for about 30 minutes or so, or in freezer for about 10 minutes if you like it cold like I do. :)

4.) Chow down and enjoy!

I am pretty convinced you will be as addicted as I am. I don't think a day is complete without one of my healthy cookie dough recipes as a meal. It makes my body and my sweet tooth smile. :D

NUTRITION: 188 calories, 26 g carbs, 4 g fat, 13 g protein, 9 g sugar

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love, and Muscle Forever,

Crystal xo

[spoonfuloffit-blog]

It's A Celebration!!

I am so overwhelmed with the love and support I've received from you all lately on the Spoonful of Fit Facebook page. We hit 1,000 likes in exactly one month! I can't believe I just started the page one month ago today. Spoonful of Fit was just the first step I took in following my passion for fitness. I can't wait until I am able to get my certification so that I can help others reach their fitness goals. I am definitely ALL IN on this fitness lifestyle. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

As you all know, I LOVE spending time in the kitchen creating clean and tasty recipes. Both the kitchen and the gym do the same thing for me. They are my therapy. They are the environments in which I can let me passion out 100% and be free to just be me, spending time doing what it is I am in love with. Thank you for allowing me to share that with you. Sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I was hoping we would reach 1,000 fans today so that I could keep my word and post the new recipe. I started off the day with an early 5 a.m gym sesh, doing James Wilson's Week 17 Day 2 workout. It was legs and a bit of shoulders. These are my two FAVORITE body parts to work. So, I had a feeling from the get-go that it would be a good day.

WOW! I was on fire at the end! Love a good burn! Then my day at work wasn't so bad. But when I was on my lunch, I saw that we had hit 1,000 likes on the SOF Facebook page, and it got much better from there! I just couldn't wait to get home to get on my computer so that I could type up this blog and share with you a delicious summer treat that I've been raving about on the page. :)

So, I'll keep this short and sweet and get right to it! First, here's my philosophy on clean eating as a way of life:

EXACTLY! Because what fun is it living so restricted? My idea is to take clean food ingredients and make delicious creations out of them to make food enjoyable. Have a habit to eat clean recipes that you enjoy and you won't feel restricted. It is my goal to try and help provide that for you by sharing my recipes.

So once upon a time, while browsing on Pinterest (another obsession of mine), I came across this recipe:

I was like, "WOW!" They look SO YUM right??! Like, I think I even drooled just a bit when I saw them (don't judge). But then I clicked on the recipe to see the ingredients list and the ingredients looked a little something like: butter, sugar, cake mix, more sugar,etc, etc etc. Yeah, I don't think that fits into my allotted sugars and macros for the day. Ha! So, I did what any woman with a craving who loves to bake does. Yep. I created my own version. A high protein, low sugar, healthy kind of version.

So FINALLY here is what I call:

BIRTHDAY CAKE PROTEIN ICE CREAM BITES

INGREDIENTS:

Look at how easy this is! You take the exact same ingredients you use to make the Birthday Cake Protein Cookie Dough, only you use ALL oat flour. :)

For the dough bites:

~ 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I use Sunwarrior)

~ 1/4 C oat flour

~ 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce

~ 1 T unsweetened almond milk

~ 2 Stevia packets

~ 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

~ 1/2 tsp almond extract

~ sprinkles

For protein frosting ice cream coating:

~ 1 single serving size cup (4 - 6 oz) of plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage Plain Greek yogurt)

~ 2 packets of Stevia

DIRECTIONS:

1) Make the cake batter cookie dough the same as you would with the original recipe. Which you can find here: http://tmblr.co/Zelj4vOlRxUX

Place in freezer for at least 20 minutes so it hardens, making them easier to form into bites that will stick together.

2) Scoop the yogurt into a bowl and pour the Stevia packets into yogurt. Mix it well.

3) Roll by hand as many bites as you can out of the dough.

4) Roll each dough in the yogurt, one by one, and place on a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Be prepared for your hands to get a little messy. ;)

5) Sprinkle the top of each ice cream dough bite with sprinkles and then place in the freezer for up to an hour, until the yogurt forms a hard shell.

6) Take out about 10 minutes before you want to eat to thaw a bit so it's the perfect consistency to enjoy!

SERIOUSLY!! These were SO good, I did a happy dance when I did the first taste test. It was the perfect cold treat for a hot, summer day. Who says clean eating can't be sweet and delicious??

NUTRITION: 

I managed to make 8 bites out of mine, so per bite the stats would be:

42 calories, 5 g carbs, 0 g fat, 5 g protein, 2 g sugar

Until next time! Peace, Love, and Muscle Forever,

Crystal xo