Trail Mix Cookies

 Last February I attended my first blogging conference and roomed with  my girl Chelsey over at Housewife to Hostess. We had some free time and so naturally, we headed over to stock up for the weekend at the local Trader Joes. As we were walking down the bread aisle, she turned to me and handed me a bag of cookies and said "You have got to try these!" I'm all for trying new things but unless it has an obscene amount of chocolate in it, I'm usually not interested. I could tell right away, that she was totally serious and a fan of these Trail Mix Cookies. After we got back to our hotel, I dove in, wondering how good can they really be, I mean....no chocolate??

Well, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised on how tasty they were. It was like trail mix...in a cookie (imagine that). However, after looking at the nutritional info I realized why they were so good.

Brown rice syrup (another name for straight up sugar)

So I recreated them, a bit healthier but just as delicious. And I have just saved myself a 45 minute drive each way to get my fix.

Trail Mix Cookies

1 cup honey

2 eggs

¾ coconut oil, softened

½ tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

2 ½ whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup peanuts, chopped

1 cup dried cranberries (I use the 50 % less sugar)

·      Preheat oven to 375 degrees

·      Cream together with electric mixer oil and honey in bowl. Add salt, vanilla and eggs

·      In separate bowl combine baking powder, flour and oats

·      Add dry ingredients into wet, slowly.

·      Stir in sunflower seeds, cranberries and peanuts

·      Scoop into balls and place on cookie sheet (I use a silpat mat)

·      Bake for 9 minutes

·      Cool on wire rack and enjoy

Guiltless Brownies and Ice Cream

If you think in order to lose weight, you have to deprive yourself of treats, you are wrong, my friend...very....very...very....wrong. I am a HUGE dessert lover. Actually I might have the biggest sweet tooth on planet earth....seriously. 

The trick is finding ingredients that contain low amounts of fat and sugar but with high amounts of protein. I have been making this ice cream for about 2 years. Actually I started making it around the time my local Red Mango closed down. It was actually one of the saddest days of my life. So not only did I start making it myself, but I recreated a MUCH healthier version. My family begs me to make this on Sunday evenings, because that is how much they love it.

Also it is nearly impossible to have a brownie without some ice cream. Am I right? The only special kitchen gadget you might need is an electric ice cream maker. I'm sure you could use a rock salt one, but trust me and electric ice cream maker is where its at. Twenty minutes later and BOOM! Pure magic. Ice cold magic. 

This is the link to my favorite Ice Cream Maker. Once you start making homemade ice cream you won't ever buy store bought again. Especially when it tastes this good. ENJOY!

Dark Chocolate Dream Brownies

1.5 cups dark chocolate chips

1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)

1 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

½ cup stevia in the raw

¾ cup oat flour (measure after blending oats)

·      Preheat oven to 350

·      Coat 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray. Set aside

·      Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second intervals. Stir in coconut oil

·      Mix in yogurt. Blend well

·      Stir in vanilla, salt, soda and stevia

·      Add oat flour to chocolate mixture. Spread in pan evenly

·      Bake for roughly 27 minutes

·      Allow to cool completely. Place in fridge until right before serving

Vanilla Greek Yogurt Ice Cream

 4 cups plain nonfat greek yogurt

Coconut or vanilla extract

Unsweetened Almond milk or water

1/2-3/4 cup Truvia baking blend

Real Vanilla Bean scraped (optional)

·      Mix the yogurt with the trivia in a medium bowl, add in extract to taste. If you have a vanilla bean, add the scrapings here.

·      Thin "ice cream" base out with either almond milk or water (should only take about 1/4 cup or so. you want the consistency to be that of a normal ice cream base)

·      Allow to site in fridge for at least an hour so that the stevia/sugar blend dissolves.

·      Place in ice cream maker until soft set, about 20 mins ( i like mind more on the harder side, it will melt fast as you serve it)

·      Store any remaining leftovers in freezer.

When thawing ice cream, it will take longer than regular ice cream sue to the high protein content

Meatless Monday

Spaghetti and meatballs just might be the ultimate comfort food.  The al dente noodles, rich tomato sauce and the savory meatballs to top it all off. Well, fear not, your family tradition can continue.

Here is a super healthy, meatless "Veggie Lisa" version of spaghetti and meatballs, minus tons of empty calories and fat. These meatballs are packed with not only nutrients but lots and lots of flavor!

Funny story: when I made these, I put the leftover meatballs in my fridge for lunch the next day. When I went to heat them up, they were no where to be found. Totally confused, I called my husband at work and asked him if he had seen my vegetarian meatballs.

He replied "Those were vegetarian? I got hungry late last night and ate them....all. They were good!"

Yes my complete carnivore of a husband ate my veggie balls. And loved them.

Vegetarian Italian Meatballs

1 egg, beaten

2 TBSP olive oil

3 cloves of garlic

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes (in package, not jar)

1/3 cup fresh basil, minced

1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 pinch red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

·      Turn oven on to 375

·      Heat large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 TBSP olive oil and garlic. Saute for 2 mins. Add to food processor. Set pan aside

·      Add to blender: bread crumbs, basil, tomatoes, cheese, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and 1 TBSP olive oil. Pulse until well blended

·      Add chickpeas and pulse until a dough forms, don’t over blend

·      Scoop out about 1 TBSP of dough and form into balls

·      Coat in an equal mixture of some additional cheese and breadcrumbs.

·      Reheat original pan used with some additional olive oil. Brown each ‘meatball’ for about 4-5 minutes, turning to cook evenly every few minutes.

·      Place on cookie sheet in oven and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Serve with a low sugar storebought(or homemade) marinara sauce and spaghetti squash for low carb pasta.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

1.     Wash outside of squash

2.     Cut off stem then slice in half length wise

3.     Scrape out seeds and throw in garbage

4.     Drizzle squash halves on cookie sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper

5.     Place open faced squash down and cook at 350 for 40-50 mins

6.     Remove from oven, allow to cool

7.     Turn squash over and scrape out strands