Food

Apr112014

Raspberry Crumb Bars with Lemon Glaze

I’m trying to make it a recurring theme to bring goodies to our weekly management meeting. It’s been going pretty well so far. It also reminds me to get in the kitchen–something I love to do, but don’t do nearly enough. For the past two years, I’ve been collecting recipes I want to try. This week’s treat was a good one, if I don’t say so myself! Raspberry crumb bars with a lemon glaze. Yes, it’s as it good as it sounds. Making a crumb bar was slightly intimidating for me, but it turned out to be fairly simple. I tweaked the original recipe that this is based on, including using whole-wheat flour to up the fiber!

Raspberry Crumb Bars with Lemon Glaze

2014-04-10 21:03:10

Yields 20

A delicious tart treat just over 100 calories

Write a review

Save Recipe

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

34 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

34 min

For the bars

1 2/3 cups whole-wheat flour
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp butter, at room temp
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsbp granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
2/3 cup raspberry jam

For the lemon glaze

2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
lemon zest

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and grease up a 8x8 baking pan or dish
Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in small bowl
In a larger bowl, mix butter and sugars until nice and smooth (you can use electric mixer if you want)
Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla and lemon zest until mixed through
Slowly add the flour mixture, pouring some of that water in between. It should resemble coarse crumbs
Spread 2/3 of the batter into your dish and then spread the raspberry jam as evenly as you can across the whole thing (this can be tough as the crumble wants to stick to the jam and roll with it)
Pour the rest of the batter on top of the jam layer
Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden on the top
While it bakes, make the glaze--just mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest
When the bars are done, let them cool for 10-15 minutes and then drizzle that delicious glaze! Allow it to set and you're done!

By Hungry and Fit

Adapted from Damn Delicious

hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/

Pretty simple, huh? And pretty DELICIOUS too! I’m pretty proud of achieving this one. You can play with the recipe as you want–change the flour, the jam, have fun with it! These will definitely go in my permanent recipe book…in my mind. Enjoy the recipe! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

SHE’S SO CUTE

Apr022014

Chocolate Spinach Brownies

The first thing my dad said when I told him I made spinach brownies was “Eeew!” almost exactly. And I don’t blame him. Spinach…and chocolate…? It sounds like a weird combo, but it works. I wanted to make some sort of healthy treat for our management meeting today, and I remembered a recipe that I had bookmarked from Brooklyn Farm Girl. Perfect! Plenty of chocolate without the guilt. Now, that is something I can get behind. Especially after the cleanse, I’m trying to be good and stick to my macros (post on that coming later this week).

Whisk that mixture!

The dry mixture you stir into the wet…

To put in the oven for 30-ish minutes

To come out like this

CHOMP

Things got a little weird in the kitchen…

Chocolate Spinach Brownies

2014-04-01 23:01:30

A healthy version of the traditional brownie

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

33 min
Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

33 min
Ingredients
1. 1/2 cup regular flour
2. 1/2 cup cocoa powder
3. 1 cup pureed spinach
4. 1/4 cup melted butter
5. 3/8 cup (little less than half) regular sugar
6. 3/8 cup brown sugar
7. 2 tsp vanilla
8. 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips
9. 1/3 cup chocolate chips
10. 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and grease up a 8x8 (or a cake tin) pan
2. Puree the spinach in a blender or food processor, using a few tablespoons of water
3. Mix the melted butter with the regular sugar and brown sugar
4. Melt the chocolate chips and mix into the butter/sugar mixture
5. Mix in the spinach puree and the vanilla extract into the buttery sugary mix
6. In a smaller bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, or cocoa powder
7. Slowly, add the dry mix to the wet until it's all in
8. Fold in the non-melted chocolate chips into the mixture
9. Put in the oven for 30-35 minutes and let cool
By Hungry and Fit

Adapted from Brooklyn Farm Girl

Adapted from Brooklyn Farm Girl

hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/

Mine didn’t turn out as fluffy as I had intended because first off, I didn’t have as much spinach as I needed and second, I accidentally omitted the baking powder. OOPS! Hey no worries, they still taste divine. They’re my little short adorable brownies and I love them. Play around with the recipe and have fun! Bake spinach brownies to stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Cuties

Apr012014

3-Day Kaeng Raeng Cleanse Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kaeng Raeng. All opinions are 100% mine.

Finally, finally! I’ve found a cleanse that is actually enjoyable. I’ve been through enough research and self-experimentation to know that there are many not-so-pleasant cleanses out there. Whether they are fasts or just horrible poop-your-pants cleanses, they don’t make the process easy. Enter Kaeng Raeng, my new favorite cleanse of them all.

This cleanse is just three days of wonderful smoothies. There is no starvation, no unnatural ingredients, no caloric deficiency. I really appreciated that. For some cleanses, you aren’t exactly sure what’s in them. For Kaeng Raeng, it’s all freeze-dried fruit made into powder that you can mix into juice or blend for a smoothie. The scariest ingredient is probably the “L. Acidophilius blend,” but that’s just probiotics to make your gut happier! Plus, you get your full serving of all major vitamins while you drink the smoothies.

It actually tastes good. No, I’m not lying. How can fruit not taste good? Chris even liked it (he had a small sip)! There are some cleanses where I seriously struggled with. Some I had to try a million different ways just to get it down my throat. Not with this one. With Kaeng Raeng, I looked forward to each and every smoothie. And that’s how I made them: into smoothies. It was quick enough where I could just throw some frozen fruit, water, almond milk and the cleanse packet into the blender and drink it at home or on-the-go! So easy to make! It was so easy to make it into the smoothie I wanted without “cheating.”

“Joyful”

I feel like Kaeng Raeng is a cleanse for your everday person. Have you ever been around me when I’m hungry (more like hangry)? It’s not pretty. Kaeng Raeng cleanses allow you to eat any raw fruits or veggies in between your smoothies. I was a happy girl. It’s simply not realistic or sustainable for me to do a cleanse where I can’t eat close to my normal caloric intake. It’s not going to last and it’s going to leave a bad taste in my mouth….literally (I’ll be here all night)!

“Daybreak”

For me I usually had the “Daybreak” packet in the morning which includes mango, peach, and pineapple. Lunch was the “Joyful” packet containing strawberry, raspberry, and pineapple. And finally for dinner, I had the “Into the Blue” with banana and blueberry. Like I said earlier, these are yummy. Kinda like going to a smoothie place without all the unnatural ingredients. My favorite was probably the “Joyful” which was perfect because I had something to keep me going for the rest of the day.

There are a few different levels of this cleanse and if you are unsure of where you place at, just take this quiz to find out. Another big plus about this cleanse is that they are so animal-friendly that a portion of each sale goes to animal protection organizations. As animal lovers, that is a big plus. You can buy Kaeng Raeng on Amazon for a very reasonable price. If you leave a review on Amazon, you can get 15% off your next order! The cleanse can also be found at select Whole Foods Markets as well, so call your local store to find out. Kaeng Raeng will definitely be my go-to cleanse from now on, and I urge you to try it. After the third day, I no longer had my normal cravings which was really really nice.

“Into the Blue”

Lucky for you, we are hosting a giveaway! We’re giving away one swag bag to a reader. Just comment why YOU want to try a vegan cleanse. For an optional entry, Like Kaeng Raeng on Facebook.Can’t wait? You can use the code “KRCleanseMT10” for 10% off your order at Kaeng Raeng. This code expires on 4/25/14. Use Kaeng Raeng cleanses to stay hungry and fit!

Mar312014

Our Weekend in Pictures

Spring is here!!

Noke’s first puppy social…

Me doing a great cleanse

Yummy Trader Joe’s dinners

Cuteness

Workouts

More cuteness

More workouts

Awesome ModMarket gives you your macros!

Noke is learning every day!

Mar222014

Boulder’s Hidden Gem: Tibet Kitchen

I’m appalled we haven’t written a post about this wonderful wonderful food place in Boulder. Anyone who has visited so far should know about this place: Tibet Kitchen. This place was our spot when we first got to Boulder. It had free wifi and $5 lunch specials. It really can’t be beat. It is absolutely one of my top five spots here in Boulder and it doesn’t get nearly enough attention. Cheap, quality big portions. Is there really much else you would ever need?

Momos!

Tibet Kitchen is a perfect place for a wholesome, healing meal. Whenever I meet Chris for lunch in Boulder, we usually go here. It makes us feel good and keeps us happy. It’s healthy–full of vegetables and well-cooked and seasoned meat. It leaves you feeling very satisfied without a hole in your wallet. Lunch specials run as low as $4.95–no joke! It is incredibly affordable. The most expensive item on the menu is probably $8.75. Yeah it’s that cheap.

The staff is all of the same Tibetan family and they are so accommodating–you will always be offered a cup of their free chai. And that chai is the only chai Hungry will drink. It’s pretty darn good. And boy are they generous with portions. I always have to take something home and it’s a great place for Chris. He can easily get filled up for under ten bucks. I’m telling you, this place is a gem!

MORE MOMOS

I’m sure not many people have had Tibetan food, after all, it’s a pretty small country with not a lot of recognition–especially food-wise. It is similar to Nepali food if you’ve had that. If you haven’t, I would say it’s a cross between Indian food and Chinese food with its own distinct flavor. It’s all made with wholesome ingredients, there’s basically no way to be unhealthy here. The flavors are warm and savory and some dishes have some spice. One of my favorite parts of the Tibetan cuisine is the ting-mo. It’s a Tibetan bread roll, basically dough folded time and time again to make a fist-sized ball of delicious steamed dough. I will eat tons and tons of them. I have a problem. Another star of Tibetan cuisine are the momos. These are dumplings filled with vegetables or meat. Tibet Kitchen makes them from scratch to order every time with fresh ingredients. They are so delicious and so filling. Otherwise, there are plenty of curries and such too.

From top to bottom….momos, ting-mos, and a main dish

If you’re in Boulder, please do yourself a favor and go to Tibet Kitchen. It’s affordable, filling, delicious, and healing. The people are wonderful and the atmosphere warm. I always leave happy. The only negative is that the parking lot is tiny, but can’t blame them too much for that. Eat at Tibet Kitchen to stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria being a ball of cuteness

Mar102014

Our Weekend in Pictures

Friday lunch at Oskar Blues…

Friday dinner at Oskar Blues….

Chris’ plate

Lots of drinks!

Huge brownie sundae

Morning walk

Green Smoothie Breakfast

Our favorite local donut shop (really healthy here)

Video games with Nymeria of course

Sunday morning banana pancakes

Frisbee golf! beautiful day

happy for warm weather

cutie girl

Mar082014

Silk Helps us Stay Hungry and Fit!

Every single day we are growing. Growing into the people we want to be, growing into an ideal, or simply just growing. Sometimes people grow in an opposite direction of what they intended. And what’s relevant to me in this story is fitness. Some people grow into bodies that don’t feel like theirs. They are unhealthy, sluggish, and ultimately unhappy. This is quite the opposite of blooming into the person you want to be. It’s not always easy to bloom by yourself, so it’s nice to have tools and products that help you do so.

People are shocked when they hear that Hungry and I can get into slumps, especially around fitness and eating. People see us as fit people. And we are…but it’s hard to stay on track 24/7. I’ve always been into athletics and fitness, but it hasn’t always been my central passion. In the first two years of college, you’re surrounded by food you usually aren’t. My family meals at home usually consisted of a protein, a carb, and lots of greens. We were always healthy. But at the college cafeteria, you could get pizza, french fries, french toast sticks, and the list goes on. So of course, (as my roommate and I cringe at this memory), we shovel all that stuff down. Now, of course, it wasn’t like that every day, and we did still eat relatively healthy and workout, but it was getting to me. Not necessarily just in weight or anything, but also the way I felt. I felt sluggish and blah and it certainly didn’t help my mood.

At the beginning of junior year in college, I decided to go vegetarian (or weird-a-tarian, I’ll only eat hunted or wild caught meat/fish) and take back my fitness. Sure, in the first two years I still did workouts and intramural sports, but I never dedicated enough time to it. It was time to take my life back to a healthy place and bloom! It’s funny because I specifically remember starting to use Silk milk in my morning cold and hot cereal. I would always go for the “blue” (as we would call it, it’s actually called Silk Vanilla Soymilk) Silk soymilk and it would leave me feeling good and refreshed. It wasn’t too thick so I didn’t feel tied down. From that point on, I have been in control of my fitness, my body, and my mind (because a healthy body is important for a healthy mind). Quite simply, Silk has helped me bloom into my role of “Fit.”

Mixing Silk Vanilla Unsweetened Almondmilk is way too delicious with cereal

Continually working on my pull-ups

Nowadays, I like to stick to the Silk Unsweetened Almondmilk. I love the taste of it, the amount of calories, grams of sugar, and the silky lightness to it. I used to drink regular dairy milk, but now there is always a Silk Almondmilk in our fridge because that’s my go-to. Don’t tell Hungry, but sometimes I will drink it out of the carton (naughty girl! I can hear my mum saying)! It has become a staple in my recipes and in my life and I appreciate it every day I can glug down a glass or two without any guilt. Look below for some killer recipes that use Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk.

Recipes using Silk Unsweetened Almondmilk

Those recipes are delicious and with using that Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk, they are nutritious too. Phew, I love not having to worry about that. Using Silk products like this really helps me bloom into the person I am today. I can still eat and drink what I want while keeping a Spartan-like physique (just kidding, but that’s my eventual goal). I am thankful Silk has played a positive role in my life. Now it’s YOUR turn.

Sign-up for Silk’s newsletter and you can get a $0.75 coupon on your next Silk half-gallon product. On registering, you have monthly chances of winning a year’s supply of Silk milk, Silk sweepstakes and promotions, and more. Just sign up here. Share your thoughts below! And share your Silk story with us! Use Silk to help you bloom into a hungry and fit beast!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine. Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

Feb272014

Mum’s Famous Banana Cake

Okay, so maybe it’s only famous among my friends and family because it’s the only cake they ever got at my birthday parties. It’s the only cake I would eat growing up, and I haven’t branched out much still (but I will take down a cheesecake or carrot cake nowadays). I don’t know, I’m just not a huge fan of cakes. But my mum’s banana cake, ooooh YES! It’s incredibly easy to make and you will want to eat piece after piece (I personally can literally eat endless amounts of this). It came from the same place that she took her scone recipe.

Banana Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 34-40 minutes

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 stick butter
6 oz sugar (.85 cup sugar)
8 oz regular flour (1.8 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
2-3 bananas
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp milk

Directions

Get out a box/rectangular/circle pan and line it with wax paper. Tip a little flour in and spread it around. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
Mix the baking powder and flour in a smaller bowl
Cream the butter and sugar together in your main big bowl
Add in an egg, mix it, and then add the other egg in.

Now mash your bananas into smithereens and slowly mix them in too
Now in a pot on the stove, put the milk in and get to a boil. Now you have to be quick at this. Quickly, stir in the baking soda. It will come up into a fluff that smells amazing. Mix that immediately into the rest of the wet ingredients.

Always fascinated me growing up…still does

Finally, mix in the flour mixture. Do it nice and slowly, so that it mixes evenly. Now that you have your batter, slowly pour evenly into your wax-papered-pan

Wish I had used 3 bananas in this batch

Put in the oven for 34 minutes. Weird number. The normal number is 40 minutes, but my mum advised me to check it at 34 and it was ready and done! Take it out and let it sit for a few minutes before putting it on a rack or another cool pan

Now just needs the icing!

Lemon Icing

Prep Time: 3-5 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
juice of 2 mini lemons (or 1/4 cup)
zest of lemon
2 tbsp butter

Directions

Pretty basic, just melt the butter in a bowl and then mix everything else in (the zest, lemon juice, and suuugarrrr)
Slowly start to ice the cake, using a spoon and then draping it over. It can be runny which is why it is best to do it slow so it starts to solidify

Looks like a little piece but I had at least 4…

And then you shove as many pieces as you can in your mouth! Just kidding…but seriously. This cake is so delicious and, for me, reminds me of home. What better combination? It was a hit at work, a little something everybody can enjoy. The subtle banana flavor with the lemon is a great combo. You gotta try this recipe! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Feb262014

P.F. Chang’s is Going Light!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of P.F. Chang’s. All opinions are 100% mine.

For this Winter Seasonal Menu, P.F. Chang’s is serving up a light and scrumptious menu. Most places put heavy items on their menu during the winter menu. I have beef with that because I don’t need more of a reason not move! I know you guys feel me there. So I was glad to find a restaurant that really suited my needs in the Winter time. Here are some new items on their menu:

Orange Ginger Beet Salad—Sliced red and gold beets mixed with fresh oranges and tossed with honey-ginger dressing, finished with crumbled goat cheese, candied walnuts and daikon sprouts. (Wine Pairing: Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc)
Shanghai Waldorf Salad—Fresh chopped kale, endive, radicchio, crisp apples, grapes, celery, grape tomatoes and candied walnuts tossed in a light miso-lime vinaigrette. (Wine Pairing: Estancia Pinot Grigio)
Chili Shrimp Bao—Asian-inspired “sliders.” Warm, pillowy bao buns filled with Bibb lettuce, chili-marinated shrimp, pickled daikon, carrots and cucumber topped with tamarind-chili sauce. (Wine Pairing: Mer Soleil “Silver” Chardonnay)
Firecracker Chicken—Savory and spicy hoisin-glazed chicken breast, wok-fired with pineapple, Chinese broccoli, Asian mushrooms, Fresno peppers and dried chilies. (Wine Pairing: S.A. Prum “Essence” Riesling)
Red Wine and Pepper Braised Beef—Red wine and black pepper sauce wok-tossed with marinated flank steak, sliced potatoes, broccolini, Napa cabbage, grape tomatoes and Fresno peppers. (Wine Pairing: Alamos Malbec)
Miso Glazed Salmon—Broiled and served with grilled baby bok choy and cool julienne daikon radish in a warm savory broth. (Wine Pairing: Tozai “Living Jewel” Junmai Sake)

The restaurant is also introducing two new desserts and beverages (two categories I can’t get enough of):

Chocolate Raspberry Wontons—Handmade, crispy wontons with a creamy chocolate-raspberry filling, dusted with powdered sugar, served with chocolate and raspberry sauces, fresh raspberries and mint.
Sweet Vanilla Cream Wontons—Handmade, warm and crispy wontons filled with vanilla cream cheese, dusted with powdered sugar, served with vanilla and raspberry sauces and fresh mint.
Crimson Spritzer—Plymouth Gin and Luxardo Cherry Liqueur with marasca cherries, fresh lime juice and muddled kaffir lime leaves, topped with Mumm Napa Brut.
Red Goose Martini—Grey Goose Vodka shaken with POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, Thai basil leaves, fresh ginger and lime juice.

I am thrilled with this new menu. P.F. Chang’s always reminds me of getting together with other families when I was younger and sharing all the dishes. It was so fun for me as a child (and now an adult!) to try all these new foods. Gotta love family style. With this new Winter menu, if you want to stay on the lighter side, there are plenty of options. For me, the two highlights of this menu has to be the Orange Ginger Beet Salad and the Shanghai Waldorf Salad. I know, I know, they are both salads, but just listen to what’s in them! Beets mixed with goat cheese?! That combination can never fail. And I simply will always love Waldorf salads (Fawlty Towers, anyone?) and the miso dressing is going to be mouth-watering.

At P.F. Chang’s, they enjoy toasting to the New Year. I think there is always something to celebrate. Our toast is to health and happiness (and puppies)! May 2014 be the year we all achieve our goals!

So get your tushie over to P.F. Chang’s today and enjoy their light menu for this Winter season before it ends! Also, for a limited time, visit pfchangs.com/winter to receive an offer of $10 off a $40 purchase. Gotta love them discounts. Enjoy P.F. Chang’s new menu to stay hungry and fit! Follow @pfchangs and Follow P.F. Chang’s on Pinterest.

*Question of the Day: Which new dish are you most excited to try?

Feb202014

Top 5 Healthy Restaurants in Vegas

Guest post from Peter Wise

We all know how difficult it can be to stay healthy when you’re on holiday, surrounded by exotic cuisine and relying on fast food to keep you going. Just because Las Vegas is synonymous with long buffet lines of overweight Americans and hideous burger joints doesn’t mean you can’t find a sumptuous and healthy spread.

Spago – 3500 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109

Wolfgang Puck’s “Seasonal American” restaurant was at the forefront of cuisine in Las Vegas, and has been a success since its opening in 1992. The Californian cuisine style menu boasts organic produce with daily changes to the offerings, depending on current organic produce. In terms of health food, the Spago has a vegetarian tasting menu and many seafood options for a healthier alternative to a high-class meal, easily located outside of the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.

(http://www.bestofvegas.com/Restaurants/Canyon-Ranch-Cafe-Venetian-Las-Vegas-SpaClub/)

Canyon Ranch Cafe – 3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109

Between 7am and 6pm daily, the cafe in the Canyon Ranch Spa serves a host of healthy foods at comparatively moderate prices, for the Strip. They have smoothies, healthy teas, organic produce and healthy alternatives to main meals like turkey meatloaf, although they do have some awfully tempting-looking Mexican food, wraps and burgers. It’s an excellent opportunity to get away from the neon lights and crowds for a little while.

Go Raw Cafe – 2381 East Windmill Lane #18, Las Vegas, NV 89123 or 2910 Lake East Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89117

If only vegetarian and vegan will do, try out one of the locations of Go Raw, either on the East of the city at the Smiths Shopping Centre, or out West at the Lakes Centre, where the cafe overlooks Lake Sahara. The salad bar looks incredible and they always have fresh and organic fruit; the main downside is that it’s a little further out of the Strip, so it might be an idea to visit an online casino on your phone while out there soaking up some sunlight and sipping tasty veggie juices and healthy smoothies.

(http://raw-radiance.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/go-raw-cafe-las-vegas.html)

Cypress Street Marketplace – Caesars Palace Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89109

A remarkable adaptation of a food court, casual dining takes place here underneath the cypress trees inside Caesars Palace, and is based on the theme of a “picnic in the park”. As you might expect there is a huge range of speciality food cuisines, all of which are value-oriented, but the most healthy options include the much loved Romaine Course which allows you to build your own vegetarian garden salad and Ah So, which sells healthy noodle soups, sushi and wok dishes.

(http://www.caesarspalace.com/restaurants/cypress-street-market-place.html#.UwNbQ4XKg7A)

B&B Ristorante – 3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109

An authentic experience, the B&B Ristorante is owned by the renowned celebrity chef Mario Batalio and imports its organic items from Italy – whether that’s a good or a bad thing is up to you. There are plenty of healthy meat and seafood dishes on the menu, as well as a few options for a salad if you treated yourself to a fast food burger earlier on.

It’s very rare nowadays to find a restaurant that doesn’t at least have a vegetarian option, which is always a handy fail-safe if you want to eat healthily. But the next time you’re in Las Vegas, try out one of these options for a guaranteed delicious experience that won’t send you to the gym out of guilt.