Low Carb/High Carb? What does it all mean?!

Hello lovely people. Today is day two of working 10 hours. I also decided to take today as my rest day. I haven’t taken a rest day in about a week and a half. Plus, Borderlands 2 comes out today and my boyfriend and I are planning a serious butt-kicking session tonight. We are such nerds, I love it J  I am also thinking that I need to add another rest day as well throughout the week. It is really important to rest to allow your muscles to recoup from training, especially if you are lifting weights. I need to start practicing this more. Plus, I really need to put on some weight so another rest day may be what I need to help add some lean muscle weight! I’ll give it a shot and see how it goes and of course keep you all updated. Also, a huge shout-out to one of the most lovely and amazing people I know: Enid (@beenid on Instagram)! Today is her birthday and she is one amazing little lady. Love you girl! <3

On to the topic of the day! Since today is my rest day, I am doing a low carb day. Every time I post about high or low carb days on my Instagram, I get questions regarding what it means and why I do it. I am going to take some time to explain what high/moderate/low carb days mean for me and why I believe they work. This is also known as carb cycling, and it works for a lot of people who are training to build muscle.

First thing I am going to explain is low carbohydrate days. Like I said above, since today is my rest day I am going low carb. Why, though? Why does carb intake have anything to do with rest days or lifting/active days? Well, carbohydrates are our bodies’ source of energy and fuel. If you are not training, there is really no reason why you need to eat a bunch of carbohydrates, at least not from grains. Now, when I say I go low carb on rest days, that doesn’t mean that I don’t have them at all! For example, vegetables, beans, and fruits have good carbs and are crucial in a healthy diet. I never skimp on those items, especially on low carb days. When I am talking about cutting down on carbs, I mean not eating oatmeal, breads, pastas, rice, ect. If I do need an energy boost the morning of a low carb day, I may have some oatmeal (whole grain rolled oats, not instant, or oat bran) so I am not super sluggish throughout my work day. An example of a breakfast that I eat on a low carb day is as follows:

This morning I had 4 egg whites, ½ tbsp hemp hearts, 1/3 of a roma tomato, scallions, kale, spinach, mild Italian turkey sausage, and some crushed red pepper flakes on a low carb high fiber tortilla from La Tortilla Factory. These tortillas have 10 grams of carbs, but 7 grams of dietary fiber leaving only 3 active carbs.

Eating a lot of protein in the morning and throughout the day on low carbohydrate days will help curb cravings and make you feel fuller longer. I also increase my amount of fat intake on low carb days to compensate. That means I eat more nuts, nut butter, and seeds. Avocado also has a high amount of healthy fat. Just a warning: On low carb days I always find myself hungrier than normal. I will eat, and then about 20-30 minutes later my stomach will be growling again. Just be aware that that may happen and to try not to overeat. If you need to eat more, eat more veggies or nuts.

Overall, the idea of low carb days may seem really difficult at first, but it isn’t once you find recipe substitutions that you can use on these days. Some of my favorite things to eat on low carb days are spaghetti squash, baked egg plant chicken parmesan, salads, chicken and broccoli with peanut sauce, veggie and lean meat stir-fries, egg scrambles, cauliflower rice, roasted veggies, tilapia with veggies, and cauliflower crust pizza. There are so many delicious low carb options out there. Look up some recipes and get ideas!

Moderate carb days are just what they sound like: You can have some carbs, but not going crazy. I try to stay around 150 grams on moderate days. Usually how I go about moderate days is I eat some oatmeal, French toast, or bread pudding in the morning and from then on my carbs will taper off throughout the day. I may have a sandwich or some brown rice for lunch. These days I would work biceps, chest, triceps, abs, glutes, or shoulders. Or even a combination of two of those groups. These muscle groups aren’t very major and don’t require me to use a whole lot of extra energy while lifting.

High carb days are the best! My favorite. I am totally a carb junky. On these days I will eat 150 grams plus. You will need a lot of energy for the muscle groups you are working on high carb days. Typically high carb days are my leg days and days where I work my back paired with other muscle groups like shoulders and biceps. I go hard on these days. Also, if you are going to have a scheduled cheat, leg day is one of the best to do them I have found. I try to do my cheat right after I leave the gym so that the window of time where your muscles absorb the sugar and carbs you intake is perfectly timed. However, remember that cheats do not mean binges! Cheat meals, not cheat days. Try to stick to the appetizer, main course, dessert format of a cheat and eat healthy up to and after the cheat meal. Some people cheat once a week, I opt to cheat once or twice a month. I just really feel no desire to cheat most of the time because I enjoy the foods I eat. But, when the urge strikes me I will allow it, but I time it to be on a heavy lifting day. Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

Carbs are also essential components to pre and post workout meals. On moderate and high carb days, make sure to ingest some fast absorbing carbs paired with protein about an hour before you workout. A good example would be some protein pancakes, a rice cake with banana and Greek yogurt with protein powder mixed in, and egg white oats with nut butter. Post workout should be something like a whey protein shake, greek yourt with protein powder mixed in with some granola, sweet potato with greek yogurt and protein powder, a Quest bar, a banana with a rice cake and fat free cottage cheese, ect. Both pre and post should include protein and carbs to help feed and restore muscles. I try to stay away from eating fats in post-workout meals.

My Ideal Macros:

Low: 20% carbs, 30% fat, 50% protein

Moderate: 35% carbs, 25% fat, 40% protein

High:  50% carbs, 20% fat, 30% protein

Above are the percentages that I strive for in my macronutrients. They are never right on, so there is always wiggle room. These are just what my percentages would be if they were right on for those days. Not everyone has the same needs, so please pay attention to your bodies and figure out what works for you. Another factor to keep in mind is to be aware of your artificial sugar and sodium intakes. These also affect your body more than you may think. If I eat too much sodium, I bloat and my abs are less visible. If I eat too much sugar, my veins pop out and I will also have some bloating. Your food is very important; it is also your fuel. So feed your body right and indulge in small amounts, TREAT YO SELF once in a while ;) Keep it fun and never stop trying new things!

Since beginning to pay more attention to my carb intake, I have noticed more definition in my muscles. I have read many sources, as well as seeing a lot of people, that say the carb cycling method has really worked well for them. Once you get used to it, it really isn’t difficult. Just remember to eat clean and healthy and make time for the gym no matter what you have to do. You will reach your health and fitness goals as long as you do not give up and slack off. We are in this together as a big fitness and health family. Love you guys and hope that this post was helpful and somewhat informative.

Huge Recipe Update!

Hey guys! Happy Monday. I am so sorry that I have been slacking in the updates department again. It is so hard for me to find time to type up everything and then I get a bunch of backlogged recipes where I have to post a bunch in one post! I hope you all understand. I do work full time and go to the gym after work and then once I go home I pretty much spend the rest of the evening cooking and prepping for the next day. In total, I probably only relax 2 hours a night with my boyfriend. But, I will still update when I have time. I also need to update the recipe page pretty bad! Haha I am so behind!

Let’s start with my hearty fall-inspired Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes!

What you need:

1 small-medium sweet potato cooked and skin removed and mashed

1-2 tablespoons of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1 scoop vanilla whey protein

Ground cinnamon to taste, I used about ½ a teaspoon

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

3 egg whites

Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately before mixing them together. I added the mashed sweet potato in last and made sure to really mix it well. Depending on the size of your sweet potato you may need to add more or less unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Cook on a stovetop with coconut oil or non-stick spray. My recipe made 4 delicious and filling pancakes that I topped with Walden Farm’s zero calorie pancake syrup.

My second recipe for you guys was inspired by the lovely @fitkitten on Instagram. Spicy Corn, Black Bean, and Red Pepper Pulled Chicken 

 What you’ll need:

1 ½ lbs (I used 2 ½ breasts) boneless skinless chicken breast

1 jar of Corn, Black Bean, And Red Pepper salsa from Desert Pepper Trading Company

1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cup of water

Put all ingredients into a Crockpot set to high heat. Mix all the ingredients well and let it cook for about 3-4 hours. I usually pull the chicken apart at hour 3 and allow it to cook for another hour or so. Make sure to periodically check on it and stir it around, if you need to add more water for moisture do so! Don’t want dry chicken.

I love this recipe because you can leave it cook while you prep other food and then you have a delicious side or main course to combine with other meals. I like to use this chicken on tacos/burritos, on cauliflower or brown rice, or you can even make a Mexican inspired pizza! Try with your favorite jar of all natural salsa. I also made it with Newman’s Pineapple salsa and it tastes amazing!

The third recipe is one that I am really proud of. It is high in protein and carbs and great for a pre or post workout meal! Chocolate Protein Bread Pudding!

 What you’ll need:

3 slices whole grain bread (I use Nature’s Own whole grain and no sugar, 50 calories a slice)

4 large egg whites

1 whole egg

2 packets of raw stevia (add more if you want more sweetness)

1 scoop chocolate whey protein

½ cup of unsweetened almond milk

Mix the eggs, stevia, protein, and almond milk together in a bowl. Mix it well; we all know how protein can be fussy and chunk together, especially with eggs. Rip up 3 slices of whole grain bread or bread of choice. Allow the bread to soak in the liquid for about 10 minutes. Spread in a baking pan greased with coconut oil or non-stick baking spray. Spread mixture evenly into the pan and allow to bake for 15-25 minutes at 325 degrees. Check on it periodically, I notice my oven seems to cook really quickly.

I made this the night before I needed it for a quick breakfast and added chocolate PB2, banana slices, and some Walden Farm’s zero cal pancake syrup. It was heavenly. I love desert for breakfast!

If you follow my Instagram, you may have noticed I have a pretty mean sweet tooth. One night before bed I really was craving chocolate cake but I also wanted my casein as well! So I created this Layered Chocolate Cookies and Cream Casein Microwave Cake

 What you’ll need:

For the cake:

½ a small banana mashed

1 egg white

 ¼ tsp baking powder

1 tablespoon Dark Chocolate Dream Peanut Butter from Peanut Butter and Co

½ tbsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1 ½ tbsp coconut flour

About 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk

Mix all the above ingredients together in a mug and microwave for about 2 minutes keeping an eye on it to be sure it doesn’t overflow. If It need to cook further just add 30 second increments. Allow to cool for a few minutes and remove from the mug. Cut it in half and fill with the following:

For the filling:

6 oz plain non-fat Chobani

½  a scoop of Cookies and Cream Optimum Nutrition Casein

(If I was to make this again, I would include some xanthan gum to thicken up the casein a bit)

Topped all of that with another dollop of Dark Chocolate Dream. This was so delicious and really satisfied my craving for cake. The mug cake was pretty delicious on its own too.

Another creation I whipped up and was really happy with was Mini Coconut Flour Muffins. I made these one morning for breakfast when I wanted something filling, low carb, and savory. 

 What you’ll need:

3 tablespoons coconut flour

1 tbsp unsweetened natural apple sauce

1 packet raw stevia

½ tsp baking powder

1 egg white

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

A couple drops of caramel flavoring essence

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separate before combining. In a baking pan greased with coconut oil or non-stick spray evenly disperse the batter into the 6 compartments and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. I topped these flaky savory mini-muffins with some peanut flour butter. I loved these. They would even make a nice low-crab alternative to dinner rolls.

One side I threw together and really enjoyed the outcome was Cinnamon Stevia Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes. They are high in protein and healthy carbs!

 What you’ll need:

1 medium sweet potato

1 can of low sodium chickpeas, rinsed

About 1 tbsp ground cinnamon (or more if you like)

4-6 packets of raw steiva

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Open your can of chick peas, drain and rinse. Throw them into a pot on the stovetop with a tablespoon of coconut oil and allow them to cook for about 5-8 minutes. Stirring to make sure all the chickpeas get covered in coconut oil as well as precooked evenly. While those are cooking, chop up a medium sweet potato into small cubes. Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil or non-stick spray. Add the sweet potato in with the beans and stir them together allowing them to also get coated in some coconut oil. Add cinnamon and stevia. Remove from heat and evenly spread the mixture onto the greased baking sheet. I allowed them to cook for 10 minutes, took them out and stirred it up, placed it back into the oven for another 5-10. Super easy and delicious! I added some baked chicken breast for a post-workout and it was an awesome combination of protein and carbs that had a nice sweetness. Definitely will be making this again as a side, or even a main course with the baked chicken breast.  Again, my oven seemed to cook this really quickly, so times may vary.

I also made some Low-Carb Falafel Balls for snacking, sides, lunch, or a dinner if I choose. I love falafel. I think the flavors are so delicious together, especially paired with some Cucumber Sauce! I have been craving falafel lately, but since I have really been keeping an eye on carb intake, I was kind-of worried about the high carb amount. I got to thinking and realized I had riced cauliflower in my fridge that I needed to use up. So I got to creating.

What you’ll need:

1 can organic chickpeas/garbanzo beans (low sodium)

dash of sea salt

juice from ½ a lemon

1 cup of “riced” cauliflower

2 tablespoons coconut flour

4-5 sprigs of fresh parsley

3-4 cloves fresh garlic

½ a red onion

Fresh ground black pepper

2 egg whites 

(I liked the way this recipe turned out, but it did end up a bit drier than I would have liked due to the coconut flour and cauliflower. I think when I make them again that I will add more egg and/or coconut oil to the mixture to give it some more moisture.)

Open the can of chickpeas and rinse them well. Rinsing beans is important because it helps to get excess salt off of them. Reducing sodium is always something I try to think about since it causes me bloating. Throw the beans into a food processor and blend until they are chopped up roughly. Remove and place into a large bowl. Cut ½ a red onion, peel 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, and your parsley and put that into the food processor next. Let it go until it is fine. The boyfriend doesn’t like large chunks of onion so I am always sure to make them diced up really well. Add that to the bowl with the ground chickpeas. Next, cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice from half into the mixture. Next add a dash of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. I already had the cauliflower riced in the fridge, so I measured out a cup and added that to the party. Next, add the 2 tablespoons of coconut flour and finally 2 whites from large eggs. Mix all of the ingredients together well and form into balls. My batch made 22 balls. I baked them for 10 minutes, then took them out and flipped them; put them back in to bake for another 10-15. While they were baking I made the cucumber sauce:

1/3 of a large cucumber

6 ounces of nonfat plain Chobani Greek yogurt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

A dash of sea salt

1/2 tsp xanthan gum (to give it a little thickness)

Mix these ingredients well in the food processor (after you cleaned it from making the falafel).

For one ball, my nutritional facts came out to be: 26.3 calories, 0.2 g of fat, 56.7 mg sodium, 4.1 g carbs, 1.3 g dietary fiber, 1.5 g protein

For dinner tonight I made some amazing Eggplant Chicken Parm:

What you'll need:

1 small eggplant

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1 egg white

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 a pre-cooked chicken breast

1/4 cup organic traditional tomato sauce

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut up your eggplant into slices that are about 1 inch in thickness. Combine the coconut flour and red pepper flakes together and put the egg white in a separate bowl for dipping. Dip the eggplant first into the egg, then into the flour and red pepper mixture. I didn't want a really thick breading, but if you do you can use more egg and coconut flour. Put the breaded  slices onto a baking sheet with coconut oil or non-stick cooking spay. Put into the oven for 15 minutes, then take out the eggplant, flip them, turn off the oven and put them back in for about 10 minutes. Allow enough time for both sides of the eggplant to brown a little bit. Top the eggplant with chicken breast that has already been baked. I finished off the dish with 1/4 cup organic traditional tomato sauce, italian spices, and a bit more crushed red pepper flakes. Then, chow down! I love this recipe so much and it is low-carb!

PHEW! That was a lot of recipes! I really should keep up so that I don’t have to do these massive posts. Haha. I hope you guys enjoy and please let me know if you decide to use any and how they turned out. As always, I am megameows on Instagram, so tag me and let me see what your lovely creations are! <3 x

Fall Reflection with Personal Pumkin Pie Baked Oats

Hey everyone! I hope you are having a great Thursday. If you are like me and work Monday-Friday I bet you are as excited as me for tomorrow to be Friday. This weeks sped by and I can not believe that people are back in school and there is only one more day left in August. It really seems like as you get older, the time starts to speed by. I noticed this especially since I graduated college and work full time.

How many of you are excited for fall? After years of mulling over the question of which season is my favorite, I think that I would choose Autumn. Mild weather is so fantastic. I love being able to wear shorts and a hooded sweatshirt or a t-shirt and jeans and be comfortable. I also love the way that the air smells, dewy cool mornings, warm colorful leaves, and pumpkins, apples, and more fall foods. This will be my first fall of healthy clean eating and I am so excited to see what new seasonal veggies and dishes I can try.

I was really craving pumpkin last night, so I cracked open a can of Libbys canned pumpkin and made this for my breakfast this morning. My very own bowl of Pumpkin Pie (Baked Oats)

For this dish you will need:

1/4 a cup of pure pumpkin puree (I use Libbys)
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons of almond meal/flour
2 tablespoons milled/ground flax seed
1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) oat bran
1/4 cup of whole grain rolled oats (not instant)
pumpkin pie spice
ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 packets of raw all natural stevia
5 drops vanilla creme liquid stevia (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees while preparing your oats. I used about 1/2 a cup of water and cooked my oat bran and rolled oats together on the stove top first. Once cooked, I added in my egg white while continuously stirring the mixture. This ensures you won't have giant pieces of egg white sitting in your oats. I then added in one packet of raw stevia and mixed that in. Once cooked to your liking, take the egg white oats off the stove. In a separate glass baking dish or bowl, scoop out 1/4 (4 tablespoons) of pumpkin. Here is where I added the vanilla creme stevia and vanilla extract, but if you don't have it you can always omit it or use more plain stevia or sweetener of choice. I also added about 1/4 a teaspoon of pumpkin spice and ground cinnamon and mixed this all together. Then, I added the cooked egg white oats to the party with some more pumpkin spice and ground cinnamon (I love thoses spices so much!). Mixed all ingredients together well. Next, I mixed together the almond flour and ground flax seed together with another packet of raw stevia. I poured this mixture on top of the pumpkin oats like a crust. You may have some left over depending on how big your bowl is and how thick you want the crust to be on top. Throw it in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.

I let mine cool down and threw them in the fridge to keep until morning. I ate my personal pumpkin pie out of the fridge because I like cool pumpkin pie, but you can warm it in the microwave, toaster oven, or regular oven if you have more time than I did this morning. You can also top it with some light cool whip, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, protein frosting, peanut butter, whatever your heart desires! I topped mine with some Walden Farms zero calorie pancake syrup and that was all she wrote. I was very satisfied this morning but it left me craving Autumn even more than before.

Oatmeal always helps keep me more full for longer periods of time because it is so hearty. If you eat carbs in the morning, you will have more energy and it will help curb hunger (unless you're me and will be hungry again by 9 a.m.). Carbs are an important part of a healthy diet, just make sure you are getting the right carbs! Whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and beans. Carbs are an energy source, so having them is not a bad thing! What you want to stay away from is processed crap carbs like white bread and pasta. Your food is your fuel, people! If you eat crap, you will feel like crap.


Here I am sitting at work typing this entry up and trying to make time go fast. So, I figure a lot of people who look at this are also interested in exercise and fitness. I am going to try to start posting more of my workouts so that you guys can see what routines I come up with. I like to think that my plans have been doing a good job building muscle, so here is my triceps and calves workout I am doing after work.


Exercise                                                     sets x reps

Tricp Kickbacks                                            3 x 15
Hanging Dips                                                3 x 12
Bench Dips                                                    4 x 12
Dumbbell Tricep Extension (one arm)          3 x 12
Skull Crushers                                               4 x 12
Tricep Extension (both arms)                        4 x 12
Lying Tricep Extension                                 3 x 12
Reverse Bench Press (palms face you)         4 x 10

Standing Calf Raise w/ Barbell
              toes in                                             3 x 15
              toes out                                           3 x 15
              toes parallel                                    3 x 15
Seated Calf Press (machine)                        3 x 12
Barbell Seated Calf Raise                            4 x 15


I have been trying to increase the amount of HIIT I have been doing to help shed that last bit of fat over my abs. Since my legs and glutes are still sore, and I did HIIT yesterday, I am just lifting today. I also have to do some moving tonight, so I am trying to keep my routine "light" so I don't burn myself out. More about HIIT will be on another entry at some point.



What are your feelings about Autumn?
What is your favorite seasonal produce for fall?

Apple Crumble Eggs, Dark Cocoa Peanut Spread, and More Goodies!

Hey there guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Been busy with life things as I am sure you all can relate to. I have been working on a couple of recipes for you guys, but I want to wait until I think they are perfect before posting them. These are my first recipes from scratch so I really want them to be amazing and knock the ball out of the park!

I am seriously dying for fall to get here. I can not wait for cool and dewy mornings, beautiful colored leaves, hoodies and jeans, and fall foods. I have been finding myself craving more apples and pumpkins and warm savory foods.

The day I had been inspired by Laura's (Sprint 2 the Table) photo on instagram which contained eggs and apples. I thought it looked fabulous and I had been wanting to try the whole egg and apple mixture. So, craving fall, I decided to make a slice of Apple Crumble Eggs.

What you will need for this easy recipe:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 a Macintosh apple
• Ground cinnamon
• 1/3 scoop of vanilla whey protein
• 2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk
• Walden Farms calorie-free syrup
• 2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter/peanut flour/PB2
• some natural sweetener to your taste

Coconut crumble on top:

• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
•  1-1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 a packet of raw stevia 
• a dash of ground cinnamon

First, crack and mix 4 egg whites with 1/3 scoop vanilla whey protein, 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, and some natural sweetener. Mix well and set to the side.

Cut up 1/2 your apple and put it into a skillet heated with non-stick spray or coconut oil. I had my stove set to medium-low. Start browning the eggs with some ground cinnamon. After I let them cook for a couple minutes, I poured on some Walden Farms calorie-free pancake syrup and let them cook in that for a bit. Then, I added the egg and protein mixture.

 

Let the eggs cook up while stirring occasionally. Basically, you are making scrambled eggs. While this is cooking, whip up your peanut butter mixture for on top. You can use regular peanut butter, too. I like to use powdered peanut butter/peanut flour because it is high in protein, low carb, and full of healthy fat. Your egg/apple mixture should eventually look like this:

 Add some more natural sweetener and ground cinnamon if you like. I plated my apple and egg mixture and then mixed up my crumble and added it on. Then, I topped mine with some more cinnamon and powdered peanut butter. This would also go great with some cottage cheese or Greek yogurt! This was awesome and very good for pre or post workout because it is high in protein and has carbs in the apple. Delicious.

I was super excited yesterday when I came home from work and my package from iHerb was on my step!

I love love love my new goodies. The almond flour is wonderful and the peanut flour is better than I expected. I like it because apparently it is just PB2/Powdered Peanut Butter. But, you can get a larger amount of it as peanut flour and it's cheaper that way! Both Almond and Peanut flour are better alternatives to flour. Low-carb and high protein, which is what I like to hear! I also ordered some Miracle Noodles to try. I already ordered 3 more bags of almond flour and also a smaller container of peanut flour. I want to make sure I am stocked up on these babies!

To try out my peanut flour yesterday I made a Dark Cocoa Peanut Spread. It turned out amazing!

I used 1 teaspoon of Dark Chocolate Dream from Peanut Butter & Co, 1 large tablespoon of peanut flour, 1/2 a tsp of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, raw stevia to taste, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk. So light and yummy. Also, you get a good amount for about 90-100 calories. I smeared mine on a toasted high fiber low carb tortilla that I had toasted.


Last night I went to have my casein dessert, before bed and I remembered an awesome site that my friend Enid had shown me Chocolate Covered Katie's Funfetti Cookie Dough Balls. I didn't feel like baking them after making test runs of my new recipes, so I decided to alter it to make a basic cookie casein dough!

What you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons of coconut flour (almond flour also works awesome)
•  2 tablespoons unsweetened natural apple sauce
•  3 tablespoons cookies and cream casein (I use Optimum Nutrition)
• 1 packet of raw stevia
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk
•  
•  Mix well until a doughy consistency. Topped with some of the Dark Cocoa Peanut Spread from earlier and some rainbow sprinkles! Put in the freezer for a half an hour or so. Consume! 

I have been going crazy trying new recipes for the peanut flour. I wanted to make some more peanut chicken that I had made before, so I perfected the recipe a bit with peanut flour for dinner tonight!

The Peanut Sauce I used is pretty basic, but tastes amazing! 2 tablespoons of peanut flour mixed with 2 tablespoons of water. Add 1/3 packet of raw stevia, a little cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. I also tried mixing in a teaspoon of Sriracha in the sauce for my wrap tomorrow to make it more spicy!

The chicken is pre-cooked. I like to prep a good bit of chicken every 4 days or so to use for meals. Chicken is my favorite protein, so I keep a lot of it around for quick and easy meals. I put the chicken in a skillet with non-stick spray. I also cut up a green hot pepper and sauteed the chicken with the pepper. I added the peanut sauce on top after the chicken and pepper cooked a bit. Allowed it to cook over medium-low heat while I steamed 1 cup of broccoli. I saved a little bit of sauce to drizzle on top once plated.

With meals like this, I really see no point in going out and spending money on Chinese food that is probably loaded with grease and will make me feel sick. Simple, clean, and delicious. Few ingredients. Exactly how I like it!

I hope you guys enjoy these if you go to try them. I will work on perfecting these recipes I created so you guys can enjoy them as well.

xo Meg