Banana Protein Cookies

So last week at work I caved and had a cookie from the cafe next door, it was a cool afternoon and I needed something to accompany me tea. Now usually I have a keen supply of home-made energy balls or protein bars for exactly these situations, but sadly on this tragic day I was lacking. So as stated, I caved and bought an oatmeal cookie. And it was not very good, truly; it was sickly sweet and didn’t have much other flavour. The chef later admitted to me that he uses pre-made cookie mix. I seriously can’t believe I put that crap stuff into my body; I NEVER eat pre-made or pre-packaged foods. Yuck! After the incident my co-worker and I got into a debate about “healthy cookies” which culminated in a challenge.

The Challenge:

My co-worker informed me that there is no such thing as a “healthy cookie”, that cookies are something that simply are un-healthy and that’s the fact of life. Challenge Accepted. Needless to say, my mind started racing with ideas and I took to pinterest to see if I could get some tips. There are plenty of “healthy cookie” recipes out there, but most of them still had some type of sugar or artificial sweetener, flour, ect. I really wanted something that I could be proud to eat before a work-out and feel no guilt about if I gave in to my cravings and had a couple.

On Saturday morning I woke up with a mission in mind, create these healthy cookies. And boy, was I happy with the outcome of my adventure. Not only are these cookies packed with protein and nutrients, they are soft, chewy and heavenly delicious!

Banana Protein Cookies

Time:

 Prep Time: 5 minutes// Cook time: 20 – 25 minutes// Makes around 14 cookies, depending how big you want them.

Ingredients:

1.       2 overly ripe bananas

2.       1 ½ cup rolled or steel-cut oats

3.       1/3 cups peanut butter, softened

4.       1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce

5.       1 scoop vanilla protein powder

6.       ½ tsp cinnamon

7.       ½ tsp vanilla extract

8.       1 cup chopped walnuts (or nut of choice)

9.       Optional: Chocolate chips to top

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350° and either a) grease a large cookie sheet (I use coconut oil) or b) cover in parchment paper

2.       In a large bowl mash bananas; add peanut butter, applesauce, vanilla extract and protein powder and stir until fully combined

3.       Add oats, cinnamon, walnuts and stir well

4.       Place about 1 TBSP of cookie dough/cookie and flatten with a

5.       Optional: this is where you would place your chocolate chips on the top, or you can stir into the batter for a chocolateier cookie. I put 5 chocolate chips on HALF the cookies for Sean, as I don’t like them on mine

6.       Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden and cooked through

7.       Let cool for 5 minutes on sheet before transferring to a wire rack

I love the chewy texture and hint of sweetness from the protein powder and apple sauce in these bad boys, I always eat one before my work out with a handful of toasted almonds.

Emily.xo

Mexican Quinoa, Bean and Yam Skillet

It was so sunny and warm for the past two weeks and just when I thought spring was here and I could put my winter sweaters and boots away, BAM, an overnight snow fall and the cold weather was back! And right in time for the Easter Long weekend, how are we going to do an Easter egg hunt now? Good thing I’m not a big fan of chocolate, eh? As we all know, with the long weekend come heavy meals, extra treats and more sitting around the living room, chatting with family and friends; thus it seemed the perfect time to try the Mexican quinoa recipe.

I got this dinner idea over at Damn Delicious, whose blog I simply adore! Chung-Ah always takes beautiful pictures that make you drool all over your key board. I’ve also noticed her taste is very similar to mine, although I prefer my food a bit lighter and cleaner. Therefore whenever she posts something so damn delicious I can’t resist, I immediately think of ways to lighten it up. This recipe was already pretty light, but I wanted to add a few more fresh veggies and that’s exactly what I did.

Mexican Quinoa, Bean and Yam Skillet

Time: Prep: 10 minutes Cook time: about 30 minutes

Packed with protein from the Quinoa and beans and chock-full of nutrients and flavour you’re sure to impress anyone at your table with this quick and easy dinner. And it comes together in around 30 minutes, perfect for those busy weeknights!

Ingredients

1.       1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

2.       1 1/3 cup vegetable broth

3.       1 19 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed

4.       ½ yam, diced

5.       1 cup canned corn

6.       1 large tomato, diced

7.       6 cloves garlic, minced

8.       1 jalapeño finely chopped

9.       1 TBSP grapeseed oil (or oil of your choice)

10.   1 TBSP cumin

11.   1 ½ - 2 TBSP Chili powder

12.   2 tsp garlic powder

13.   Salt and pepper to taste

14.   1 avocado, diced

15.   Juice of 1 lime or 1 TBSP bottled lime juice

Directions:

1.       Microwave yam for about 2 minutes to soften

2.       Heat oil over medium-high in a large pan, sauté garlic and jalapeño until translucent, about 2 minutes.

3.       Add yam, black beans, tomato, corn, quinoa, vegetable broth and spices to pan and stir to combine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes or until quinoa is fully cooked.

4.       Remove from heat; stir in lime juice and avocado.

*you could top this with cilantro or parsley if you prefer.

Emily.xo

Lightened up Chicken & Turkey burgers

Friday night always seems to be our date night, the only night that we always seem to be at home together. What with Sean’s hockey coaching, hockey games, our ball practices and all the other things that creep up it can be hard to find a nice, quiet evening together. So that’s what we do on Fridays. We make a nice dinner, go for an evening walk and then curl up with Hobbes and watch the latest episode of Hannibal. Such a creepy show, but so interesting and it really keeps you hooked in!

Sean and I are burger lovers. We could eat burgers every night of the week and STILL want them on the weekends, I don’t know why. Although Sean loves meat, I’m not a big fan myself. Especially not of red meat (unless it’s a steak, but that’s another story) but when it comes to burgers I am just smitten. But all that heavy, greasy meat can really put a damper on the healthy living regime. So I decided I would try something new, and boy, was it successful!

These burgers are made with a mix of lean ground turkey and lean ground chicken, topped with creamy, garlicky guacamole and banana peppers for a little kick! You’ll be back for seconds, and feeling good about yourself, when eating these flavourful, juicy burgers!

Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey

1 lb ground chicken

1 small onion, diced

2 TBSP finely chopped pickled jalapenos

1 egg, beaten

6 cloves garlic

1 tsp cumin powder

1 TBSP garlic powder

Salt & pepper to taste

2 TBSP grape seed oil

Directions:

1.       Mix all ingredients, except grape seed oil, in a large bowl and form into patties

2.       Heat oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium – high heat

3.       Fry patties until fully cooked through, flipping once

4.       Serve on toasted buns with Guacamole and your toppings of choice (I used feta, lettuce and banana peppers and non-fat Greek yogurt.)

-Toppings: Feta, tomato, lettuce, pickle, non-fat Greek yogurt, cucumber, banana pepper, anything you prefer

Guacamole

4 ripe avocados

¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt

Juice of 1 lemon

6 cloves garlic

2 tsp cumin powder

Directions

1. add garlic to blender and pulse a few times until its chopped up

2. add rest of ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy

Emily.xo

                                               

Hi-Low Grey Strips with Emerald Blazer

I am so tired of boots. And bulky coats. And knit tights. And.. ect, ect. .. Basically.. WINTER CLOTHES!! So you can imagine my joy at an entire 5 days of warm sunshine and cool spring breezes. It seems that spring has finally landed in Calgary (although I’m surely expecting another snowfall!!) and I’ve been lucky enough to get in TWO spring dresses this week.  I am revelling in the warmth of the sunshine and the cool breeze on my skin; it’s wonderful to be able to enjoy a walk on my lunch break without being wrapped from head to toe. Seriously, it’s been a cold winter. But that’s all behind me now, bring on the sunshine!

  

Today I opted for a more business-casual look, it was a bit cooler then the past week and I wanted to be sure I had a light jacket. I love this grey-striped Hi-Low dress, I've had it for a couple years (it was a steal of a deal from Winners for a whopping $16.99) and I've been able to be creative and pair it with many different shoes, jackets, sweaters and jewellery. Today I went simple with my favourite Emerald Green blazer (from Suzy Shier) for a sleek office look.

I always find a pop of colour on a plain outfit can really brighten up your look, and it’s very keeping with the change of season. I decided to go simple with me jewellery for this outfit. I wore my sparkly black hoops earrings (from Walmart) that Sean bought me for our anniversary, and a long necklace. Also, I did wear a pair of simple black heels, but didn't snap a picture! Sorry! I hope you are inspired to add a pop of colour to your next outfit; I know as well as the next girl that it can be hard to break away from black.. but a pop of colour will brighten your day!

Emily.xo

Mango Raspberry Overnight Oats

Mango-Raspberry overnight oats

My mornings are often so hectic, what with the first task of trying to wrench myself out of bed to the sound of my alarm, to Hobbes requiring morning cuddles, to attempting to look acceptable for the day; breakfast often gets shoved to the side. There is a pleasant little cafe next door to my office with great breakfasts but grabbing eggs and toast every morning adds up. So I’ve made a deal with myself to take breakfast with me every day, and the easiest way to do this is preparing the night before. But my nights are busy too! I try to work-out for 45 minutes when I get home and then it’s straight to the kitchen to cook us a healthy, delicious dinner.. so what can I prepare that’s quick, easy, delicious AND nutritious for on-the-go mornings. And then as I was scavenging Pinterest, I found something interesting. Multiple posts about Overnight Oats.. so I decided to take to the kitchen and experiment.

So far this one is my favourite, although really any berry/fruit mixture is delicious. Feel free to substitute any fruits that you want or sounds delicious. I use the same base for all my overnight oats, and just switch up the fruits.. if I get more creative, I'll let you know!

Mango-Raspberry Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

½ cup quick oats (I’ve seen lots of recipes call for steel cut, I just have quick on hand)

½  cup milk (I often use almond milk, but you can use any type you want)

pinch of cinnamon (you can adjust to your taste here)

½ tsp vanilla extracts

1 TSBP non-fat Greek yogurt (I use Liberte because it’s so creamy)

½ a mango, cubed

¼ cup raspberries (I actually used frozen organic raspberries here!)

Directions:

1.       Add all your ingredients, except fruit to a mason jar, or any glass jar you have with a secure lid.

2.       Stir well

3.       Top with fruit

4.       Put in fridge overnight

5.       Grab a spoon, run out the door and enjoy your healthy, delicious breakfast while scoffing at everyone paying for over-priced eggs and toast!

Options: when I make these oats for Sean I skip the yogurt and add an extra 1 TBSP of the milk  because he can not eat yogurt, it's just as creamy. He gobbles them up at work

       Also, as you can see, I like to add an extra scoop of yogurt on top.. I just love yogurt and find it super delicious! The options are pretty endless, try whatever seems right to you until you find your perfect Overnight Oats!

      Emily.xo

Spring Dress

Well the weather is finally getting warmer here in Calgary after a tremendously long and cold winter. It's only my first winter here, but all the long-term residents are telling me that this is the coldest they've had in a long time, lucky me eh? My first taste of Winter and it's abysmal, ah well, at least I know I can tough it out!

The thing about me is that I don't love the hot weather, I actually don't really like anything over +23(celsius); it's simply to hot for me. So when this newest Chinook rolled in with a pleasent +10 yesterday I decided it was the perfect time to ditch the dress pants and put on my favorite Spring work dress.

I love this dress because its light, airy and hi-low; I just adore hi-low dresses I think they are flattering, fun, flirty and all around gorgeous! I got this dress over at Bohme.com last season and I find it time-less. The light grey-purple colour makes it wearable during any season and it accents wonderful with bright colours, mellow tones or darker shades. It's versatile! I've enjoyed so many different styles with it already. I paired it with my nude peep-toe heels and a dark Guess denim jacket (sorry, no pic!) Needless to say I was feeling comfortable and pretty in my first Spring outfit!

Emily.xo

*sorry about the awful picture quality, I'll get better ones soon! Promise :)

Pink 'n Delicious Morning Smoothie!

So last month for my birthday Sean got me a Magic Bullet, and I'm here to tell you that little machine is super handy in my morning routine! I've used it every day! And it is so versatile, I can use it for smoothies, dressings, sauces, making oat flour, I could go on and on!.. but I won't. But seriously, I love this little guy so much, I don't know how I got along without him!

My favourite way to start the day is with a fresh, fruity smoothie, but I often find that it doesn't give me the protein that I need to get that "start-the-day" boost.. so I've been experimenting. And I'm happy to say, I've found something I love! the Strawberry-Banana-Coconut-Oatmeal smoothie. Wow, that's a mouthful to say.. and this beauty if a mouthful to drink/eat. The oatmeal gives it enough volume to be a meal worthy of mornings and the natural sugars in the fruit help wake me up. Plus I add no-fat Greek yogurt for added protein. I pop it on the base, and 15 seconds later I have my breakfast of champions. Then I have to rush out the door because I'm usually late for the bus!

Protein Packed 'Pink n Delicious' Morning Smoothie

Ingredients:

1/3 cup oats

1 TBSP shredded un-sweetened coconut

1/2 banana

2 TBSP no-fat Greek yogurt(I used liberte here)

frozen strawberries

coconut milk

Directions:

1. add coconut and oats to the Bullet cup and blend until a fine powder (about 8 seconds)
2. add 1/3 cup almond milk and stir with a spoon to smooth it out

3. add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and fill up with coconut milk

4. blend to smooth, creamy perfection and enjoy!

Emily.xo