Apple Pie Overnight Oats

Apple Pie Overnight Oats

It is no secret I'm in love with my Creamy Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oatmeal. I've been eating it every morning for months, but every now and then it's good to change things up. Fall fruits are my favorite to mix with oats...pumpkin, apples, raisins, cinnamon...its like having dessert for breakfast. I even joked with a friend today that I wake up every morning looking forward to breakfast...like skip the snooze button to get to the fridge and heat up my breakfast look forward to it. Plus, its little gift from heaven when the peanut butter gets all melty and gooey over the top of the oatmeal. Trust me, its amazing. I hope you love these as much as I do. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 large apple, any variety (I prefer Jazz or Fuji)

2 tbsp reduced sugar Craisins or raisins

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 packet of Stevia

¼ tbsp apple pie spice

2/3 cup old fashioned oats, not instant or 5-min oats

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 scoop of Whey protein, vanilla or cinnamon flavor

3/4 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

½ cup cottage cheese, 2 or 4% but not fat-free

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp cinnamon

2-3 tbsp real maple syrup

2 tbsp natural peanut butter or almond butter

*2 servings

Method: 

1   1. Clean and chop apple into small pieces, approximately 1/2 inch cubes .  Warm coconut oil over medium heat and add chopped apple, craisins/ raisins, apple pie spice and stevia.  Cook until apples are softened, but not mushy. Remove from heat and set aside.

2   2. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well.

3   3.  Divide oat mixture between two air-tight containers, such as mason jars.

4   4.  Top each jar with ½ the cooled apple mixture and refrigerate overnight.

5   5.  In the morning, warm oats for 1 minute and stir well. Microwave for an additional 20-30 seconds and stir again. Top with 1 tbsp of almond butter or peanut butter and enjoy.

Creamy Lentil and Potato Stew

For the longest time my idea of protein meant one thing... meat. I definitely grew up in a meat and potatoes household. Chicken, ground turkey, ground beef or the occasional steak: one of these was almost always the shining star on our dinner plates. Letting go of that traditional notion of what makes a "meal" is pretty liberating. I rarely set out to plan meatless meals, but they have slowly crept into our dinner rotation and have become some of my very favorites.

This creamy lentil stew has become one of my go-to recipes during this exceptionally snowy winter. It's filled with veggies and packs a protein punch with green lentils and great northern white beans. It is thick, creamy, warm-your-bones comfort food. This stew also works perfectly for meal prep. I like to make this and serve it to my family for dinner, then use the leftovers for lunches or busy weeknights. I hope you love it!

Creamy Lentil Stew:
Begin by warming 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add your finely chopped yellow onion, carrots, celery and garlic and saute for 6-7 minutes until onions are translucent and carrots and celery begin to soften. Season well with salt and pepper.

Next add your chopped potatoes and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.

Next add chicken broth, herbs, beans, lentils and water to your soup pot and bring to a rolling boil. Continue cooking at a low rolling boil for 10-15 minutes to soften potatoes and lentils.

I like to let the stew simmer for as long as possible --an hour or two-- to let the flavors develop, but if you are short on time, it really only needs to boil/simmer until the veggies and lentils are soft. After potatoes and lentils have softened, remove 2 cups of the soup and transfer it to a blender. **Let the soup cool for several minutes before blending- boiling hot soup will cause excessive steam and could cause your blender lid to fly off your blender and cause a huge mess** Blend the soup until smooth.

Return the blended stew to the pot and stir to combine. This is when your stew will really thicken and become creamy---transforming it from a soup to a stew. I like to continue to simmer the soup for a little while after this point, but you are ready to eat at this point. 

This stew reheats really well and like most stews and soup, I think it tastes even better the second day. I usually garnish mine with dry chili flakes for a little heat. It would also be great garnished with fresh avocado or some crispy crackers. Enjoy and stay warm!

Creamy Lentil Stew

Ingredient List:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 med onion, chopped

4 ribs of celery, chopped

1.5 cups carrots, chopped

3 large or 4 medium red new potatoes, cubbed

2 tbsp or 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 cups or 32oz of Organic vegetable stock

1 cup water

1 15oz can of Great Northern Beans

1 cup lentils

1.5 tbsp dry parstly

1 tsp dry basil

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 - 1 tsp Salt, or more to taste

1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or more to taste

The answer to my Junior Mint addiction: Choco-Mint Mini Truffles

When I decided to get more serious about being healthy and eating clean I knew there would be things I would miss. And by things, I mean junk food. If you had looked in my freezer a year ago there would have undoubtedly been a stash of Junior Mints or Peppermint Patties. I love those cold, minty little treasures. Even now when I think about them, I want one...er, some, or a movie theater-size box.

Something had to be done, so I set out to fill the void in my heart left by those little babies. I came up with this concoction by starting with the regular base for my energy bars and put a chocolate/ mint spin on it. This recipe is rather small because **CONFESSION** last time I made these I ate the entire batch in one sitting. I think it would be fine to double it, but be warned: These are addictive. As it stands, this recipe makes about 15-20 mini-truffles about the diameter of a nickel.

Start by combining all the ingredients, except the water and peppermint extract in a food processor. **Note** Do not forget to pit your dates. Pulse the ingredients to combine for about 10 seconds at a time for a total of 30 or 40 seconds.  As the ingredients come together, it will be powdery. Next add the water and extract and continue pulsing. The mixture will begin to come together and get more sticky.

After the almonds are finely chopped enough for your liking, remove the lid and blade from your food processor and dump the contents into a bowl and chill for 5-10 minutes. After the mix has chilled, roll the dough into balls about the diameter of a nickle and return the mini truffles to the fridge for 5 minutes.

Melt the dark chocolate chips in a glass dish in the microwave for about 20 seconds, stir and continue heating if needed.

Lastly dip the bottom half of each truffle into the dark chocolate and allow to harden. Store in the fridge in a ziploc or tupperware.

Now...restrain yourself from eating all of them...or don't. I don't judge.

Recipe:
6 Madjool Dates, pitted
1/2c almonds
1/4c old fashioned oats
1/4c ground flax
1/8c unsweetened cocoa
2 packets of stevia
1/2tsp pure peppermint extract
1/8c water
2tbsp dark chocolate chips, melted

Apricot Blueberry Vanilla Mug Cake

Who wants cake? This girl! I  threw this together in about 5 minutes this morning and split it with my daughter. It turned out a lot bigger than I was expecting, so it was plenty for both of us. I topped it with blood orange Chobani but any flavor would work, I think. Now...go have cake for breakfast!

3 tbsp coconut flour

3tbsp egg white sub

3tbsp almond milk

2tbsp plain Greek yogurt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 scoop vanilla whey

1/2 tsp orange extract

1 tbsp apricot jam

15 blueberries

Chobani Blood Orange Greek yogurt for topping

Combined ingredients, Stir 5 berries into mix, spray mug, microwave approximately 2:15, cool a 1 min and dump out on a plate, top with blood orange yogurt and berries. Enjoy!

If your cake starts to overflow the mug just stop the microwave, let cake settle and then continue microwaving for full time. Microwaves vary. You may need to adjust cook time. You cake will also cook more evenly if all the berries aren't clumped at the bottom of the mug. It will taste good, regardless.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles

Something about the word "truffle"...sounds...well, delicious. And so much tastier than Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls. Call them whatever you want. These are good.




Step 1:

Add all the ingredients, except for water and chocolate chips to the food processor bowl. Use the pulse button to combine. The mixture will be dry. Add about 1/4 cup of water and continue to pulse. The mix should begin to come together. The dates will hold all the ingredients together, but depending on the moisture level of the dates and the absorbancy of your oats and protein powder, you may need to add more water. My batch needed about a 1/2 cup total. You don't want to it to be runny. It should be very sticky and thick. **A note about Madjool dates. They have pits that you must remove! If you forget your food processor will not thank you, either will your teeth should you bite into one**

Step 2:
Remove the dough into a bowl and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. It will make it easier to roll into your truffles.

Step 3:
Roll dough into 20 golf ball sized truffles. I only got 18 out of mine, but that is because I ate the dough right out of the food processor.

Step 4:
Refrigerate your rolled truffles for 10-15 more minutes. While your truffles are chilling, melt about 1/3c of dark chocolate chips in a glass bowl. I prefer to melt them in the microwave because it the easiest. Just put them in for 20 seconds at a time until smooth. It took 40 seconds total.

Step 5:
Dip the bottom half of each truffle into the melted chocolate.

Step 6:
Once the chocolate hardens they are ready to enjoy. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Peanut Butter Cookie Truffles

12 pitted Medjool dates
1 c Old Fashioned Oats

1/4 c PB2 or natural peanut butter
1 c almonds
1/3 c unsweetened dried coconut flakes
1.5 scoops vanilla whey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c water (Approx- maybe more or less) added gradually

1/3 c dark choc chips, melted (optional)