S’mores at Home

If you’ve been on social media lately, and you live in the United States, there has been a lot of negativity going around. Normally we have something to fall back on that can cheer us up, like the weather, but that certainly hasn’t given us any relief lately. Here in LA, we’ve had 20 degree temperature changes every few days for the past week. Whether it has been hurricane-level winds or blazing dry heat, we can’t really complain because others have it so much worse. I saw a video from the NYC subway that looked like a scene from Titanic.

Spring is supposed to be one of the loveliest seasons that just about anyone can enjoy. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing and it is warming up enough to start firing up the grill to make some family favorites. That, however, can be quite challenging with a blizzard (bad enough to close airports for days) outside.

We celebrated the Spring Equinox by building a fire in our cast-iron chiminea and making s’mores. It felt so good, and even though it might not be the healthiest treat out there (everyone gets a cheat meal, right?) it is bound to put a smile on your face and relieve some stress. Relaxation is important for finding that hungry and fit lifestyle! So, if you’re fortunate enough to have a gas stove (our ONLY three criteria for apartment hunting in LA is: parking, no carpet, gas stove) you can make s’mores right now!

Jul042016

Red, White, and Blue Cookies

Happy 4th of July! While you’re thinking of what to bring to that friend’s BBQ, consider wowing the crowd with a sweet treat–with festive colors, of course! This patriotic batch of cookies are easy to whip up and let me tell you, the batter is delicious. I tried to cut some of the fat and sugar down in this recipe so you don’t have to feel too guilty about them alongside your beers and hot dogs. I got this original recipe from Dani California Cooks and tweaked them into cookies. I love being creative with other people’s recipe to really make it my own. Enjoy!

Jun302016

The Urge to Treat

DK’s Donuts (in Los Angeles) is a dangerous place, but I’m sure you have something similar near you. Take a few seconds to scroll down and check the pictures out. At that point, you have a few choices. Keep reading, go out and get a sweet treat, or close this window out and try to purge the thought of delicious food from your short-term memory. Either way, we’re tempted every day by various things that make us want to break away from what we feel is the right thing to do.

Mar172016

Whole-Wheat Lemon “Cakes”

We’ve got another recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, A Feast of Ice and Fire. My last two (one from the Wall and one from the South) were great hits and this one brings us right to King’s Landing with a spin on Sansa’s favorite lemon cakes. However, my spin, as it usually is makes these a bit healthier. I used mostly whole-wheat flour to add some fiber and make it better for our blood sugar spiking as well as using a little less sugar and using mostly honey. These are delectable little bites of yum without all the guilt that normal lemon cakes would carry.

Feb142015

Last-Second Valentine’s Day [Healthy] Treat

You have a busy life, a busy schedule, or maybe you just forgot. Well, it’s Valentine’s Day today, so if there’s someone special in your life, you should make sure that they know you feel that way about them. If you didn’t get them anything (don’t fret, there’s still time)–or if you want to do a little something extra–you’re in good hands! I was inspired by Life with spices to make a healthy version of a “red velvet mug cake” just in time for V-Day. Even if you’re not romantic, this will put a smile on your partner’s face. Plus, even though it seems decadent and delicious, it actually has decent ingredients! Gotta love guilt-free baked goods. This takes, all in all, four minutes. No oven, just microwave. NO EXCUSES. Let’s hit it.

Dec272013

How to Make Beignets in Under 10 Minutes

Back in college, I did two service trips to New Orleans. That is where I discovered this magical things called beignets (French for “donuts”). There’s nothing like them really, and I always get overexcited when I get to eat them. Although there’s nothing like getting them fresh and hot from Cafe du Monde (original place in New Orleans), it’s still a treat to be able to have them from home. This isn’t going to be a complicated recipe. No, instead, I used the actual box mix that Cafe du Monde sells. Chris got me 3 boxes of them for Valentine’s Day last year. This product gets a full thumbs up.

Feast yer eyes

Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cooking Time: >1 minute

Ingredients

2 cups Cafe du Monde beignet box mix
7/8 cup water
flour for unsticking purposes
oil
powdered sugar

Directions

Stir together the 2 cups of the mix and the water until it is all bound together
Heat up a deep pot or skillet with an inch of oil in it. Turn up the heat!
Flour a cutting board and your rolling pin and roll out the mixture until it’s around 1/4 inch
Then go ahead and cut it into a little bigger than 2 square inch pieces. It was all a rough estimate for me.
As soon as your oil is hot (I don’t have a thermometer so I dropped water in to see if it would sizzle), drop those bad boys in. They shouldn’t need longer than 2 minutes
Take them out and dry them
Pour copious amounts of powdered sugar on them and then STUFF YOUR FACE!!

At least, that’s what I did. I couldn’t even finish them and Chris wouldn’t help me because he wasn’t hungry that early. I had tried making these before and failed horribly. It’s taken me awhile to try again and I’m glad I did because they came out pretty darn good. Not as good as Cafe du Monde, but that was never a goal. Go ahead and treat yourself with a box of this magic. We found it at World Market near us, but look it up! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria taking a selfie

Oct212013

Baileys Brownies!

Okay I know it’s not close to St. Patrick’s Day, but we still have Baileys left-over from that event and I’ve always wanted to give that a try. We aren’t super big into alcohol (although I do like my red wine), but we both can agree on some Baileys when it comes up. So these are normal, darker brownies with some Baileys in it for a kick! I got the recipe here. It was kind of rushed on my part because I made them right before we went to a friend’s, but they still turned out alright!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Baking: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup white flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp butter
1/2 bar dark chocolate
2 eggs
1/3 cup Baileys
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
First of all, chop up that dark chocolate into little bits
Then, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda
Melt the butter and dark chocolate over low heat in a pot
Now into the pot (once the dark chocolate is melted), whisk in the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and Baileys

Add the flour mixture and whisk until it’s all combined
Pour the mixture into a foil-lined plan (go for a 8×8, I wasn’t so lucky) and bake for 20 minutes!
When they are all ready, go ahead and sprinkle some powdered sugar on top

It’s pretty simple and doesn’t take much time at all. Mine were a little dry for my liking (although, Chris liked them), so I would make them a bit thicker next time. You can definitely taste the Baileys in it, so be prepared! Suitable for all ages though…the 5-year-old I made them for loved them! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Aug032013

Healthy Greek Yogurt Mini-Cheesecake Recipe

I’ve been wanting to make these for a loooong time. First, the problem was I couldn’t find one ingredient anywhere. Then, it was that I was prepping for the contest, so I stayed away from dairy. Finally FINALLY, both those problems are over. I found the ingredient (Green Mountain Farms Greek Cream Cheese) at Wal-Mart (unfortunately) and this past Monday, my contest was complete!

I can hear you saying, HEALTHY cheesecake?! Give me a break! Sure, it may not be better for you than a protein shake, but hear me out. This magical ingredient cuts half the normal fat of a cheesecake and deals twice the protein. Can you say SERVE ME ANOTHER?! I thought so. I got this recipe from here and cut it in half. It was very easy and so so good. Creamy, delicious, and light—and it doesn’t leave you feeling like you have a bowling ball in the tummy, which I appreciate. This is a recipe I will often go back to as Chris and I love cheesecake. You could do it with or without the lemon twist (we happen to like it).

You pretty thang

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Macros

Serves: 6 (you can always double it for a bigger party)
Calories: 182
Fat: 8.9g
Carbs: 19g
Protein: 6.8g

^_^

Ingredients

3 cinnamon graham crackers
1 tbsp butter
¼ cup sugar
zest of ½ lemon
1 egg
1 8-ounce package of Green Mountain Farms Greek Cream Cheese & Greek Yogurt
1/8 cup heavy whipping cream
½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners (I used ones that were waaaaaaay too big)
Ground your graham crackers finely—I used the bottom of a glass and a bowl…and eventually my fingers

Mix in the butter with the graham cracker crumble
Put the crumble at the bottom of each cupcake liner, try to make it even

Bake for about 5 minutes and let cool
Grate some lemon zest
The recipe asks for a stand mixer, but we don’t have one of those. So I used a whisk! Mix all the rest of the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Make it smooth.

Pour into muffin liners about 2/3rds full. Mine definitely were not all even. Do what you can.

Put in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Mine were good at 23. A little cracked, but after refrigeration, they smoothed out.

Make sure to let them cool. Then pop them into the refrigerator for about 3 hours before you serve.

Oh so goooood

That’s it! You can garnish it if you’re feeling fancy, but I like ’em plain. These are just so good and mini…it’s perfect. And the macros don’t leave you feeling bad. It’s easy to make, easy to eat–what’s better than that? Use this delicious recipe to stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

A hot Sajah just chillin’

Jul112013

Birdsall’s: The Best Ice Cream in the West

I find it pretty funny that I’m writing this post after discussing clean eating, but who cares when you’re talking about BIRDSALL’S! We’re talking homemade, home-churned, quality ice cream from the mid-west. Yes, I’m making a big statement by saying an ice cream joint in Mason City, Iowa has the best ice cream in the West, but there it is. Many of you will never try this place because who plans a trip to Mason City? Well, we do as that’s where my dad is from and where my grandparents and other relatives live. It’s our family reunion spot and we hit Birdsall’s at least twice every day we’re there (not kidding).

Chris should be sponsored by Birdsall’s because he’s always the one demanding we go again and again…don’t mind if I do!

As you can see in the sign, Birdsall’s has been around for a long time. My brother and I (who you will see below) grew up in Mason City, Iowa every year as our parents would ship us off to our grandparents for the summer. Birdsall’s has always and will always be a highlight of our days there. What do you do in Iowa? People think it boring, but I know it’s tons of fun: movies, games, swimming, ping pong (lots of ping pong), delicious homemade food, and...ICE CREAM! Once Chris became a part of this reunion, he made Birdsall’s a priority and nobody in the family argued against him. Birdsall’s gets tons of business when we come into town. Chris even got a $13 turtle (basically a hot fudge sundae)–a quart-sized ice cream. It was as big as my brother’s head (and he has a big head!).

QUART-SIZED TURTLE. He ate the whole thing. Wow

QUART-SIZED TURTLE as big as my brother’s head. He ate the whole thing. Wow

Ping pong all day err day

Now you may think it’s expensive based on the $13 I say, but remember that’s an entire quart. Their ice cream is wonderfully-priced (perks of Iowa) and it does not match the quality of the ice cream (they should really charge more). If we were there a month or so later, we would be served with delicious, home-made, fresh peach ice cream. With real peaches in it fresh from that season. You know it’s quality when they have seasonal flavors.

Dad action shot

My last name is Powell and we all say “it’s the Powell gene” when we over-eat ice cream…every night. Sorry, can’t help it, it’s in my genetics. And although I did frequent Birdsall’s while during contest, I pretty much stuck to my macros, but still didn’t do great things for me unless you count…HAPPINESS. Some of our favorites from Birdsall’s include the Frosty Malt–basically a Wendy’s Frosty but real. Like with real ice cream and real malt. It’s so refreshing and usually my go-to.

Frosty Malt

Mum chowing down

Other great flavors include peach (duh), chippermint, pecan, and raspberry chocolate truffle. I’m drooling as I write this. I’d have to say the all-time favorite with the most overall votes from the group would have to be the turtle: vanilla ice cream with hot fudge, caramel, and nuts. Now this may sound like a typical ice cream sundae–but it’s not. We have never been able to replicate this or find this anywhere else. People may offer it or they might even custom-order for us, but nowhere can you find this amazing quality-filled turtle where the hot fudge doesn’t harden. Every other place, even beloved Glacier, hardens. It’s amazing. And the turtle was what Chris ate quart-sized.

Turtle

Don’t mind if I do!

If you’re travelling cross-country or even across the mid-west, do yourself a favor and stop at Birdsall’s in Mason City, Iowa. It’s hard to find ice cream that high-quality and the turtles and peach ice cream cannot be beat. Sorry if you’re on a strict diet right now (like I am), but hey if it hits your macros, go grab some ice cream! I cannot recommend this place enough and the joy it brings. There’s something for everyone. Birdsall’s is perfect for staying hungry and fit!

Black and White Milkshake

a version of a Blizzard

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Jul072013

The Perfect July 4th Treat: Stuffed Strawberries

Now that I think about it, it doesn’t need to be July 4th…it can be any nation’s pride day who has red white and blue. And you aren’t limited just to July 4th either because it’s a healthy and delicious treat! I may have served these on July 5th, but that’s only because we already had rhubarb pies made by my grandma. This special dish involves fruit, dairy, and happiness and doesn’t take longer than 15-20 minutes to make! I got it from here and added a bit of lemon into it and took out some sugar.

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: …non-existent

Ingredients

a tin of strawberries (I just usually get the regular pound at the grocery)
a tin of blueberries (same thing)
5 oz marscapone
juice of a lemon
lemon zest
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Wash the fruit and pat dry all of it

Beautiful sight

Take the strawberries and cut the green ends off and also a little portion of the tip so they can stand upright on a platter
Take a melon baller and ball out of the bottom, creating a crevasse.

Once your strawberries are all “pitted” and plated, let’s turn to the filling. Put 5 ounces of marscapone cheese and put it in a small-medium bowl

I would next do the lemon juice. Cut the lemon in half and squeeeeeze all that juice out.
Next, grind the lemon on a grater and get a good amount of zest (people say 1 tsp, but I eyeball it)
Then, throw the powdered sugar and vanilla in and stir! Mix it all up really well

Hard not to eat it all

Now comes the most difficult part: take the marscapone mixture and put it into a re-sealable bag and snip a corner off. Use this contraption to fill the pits in the strawberries up with the mixture

Once all the strawberries are filled to perfection, place the blueberries on top of the cream in the strawberries. And that’s it!

Yum yum yum

This is an easy, healthy treat you can substitute for pie or something else you’d like to stay away from on those holiday food feasts. Fresh fruit and sweet cheese. How could it go wrong? It’s easy to do, pretty to the eye, and delicious enough to impress. Make this recipe if you’re looking to stay hungry and fit!