Chocolate Sauce in a Pinch

Have you ever had a craving for sweets but there is no chocolate to be seen anywhere in the house?  OMG.. like major despair right! No worries.. I'm here to rescue the day!  Check out how to make this rich sinful chocolate sauce on the fly. Great for drizzling over ice cream or crepes! Just like this:

Chocolate Sauce
2 TB Cocoa Powder
2 TB sugar
1/4 cup water

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together until sugar and cocoa is disolved. Microware 1-2 mins. Mixture will bubble. Stir when you remove from the micro and let set for appx 5 mins. The chocolate will become thicker as it sits.
Special note: Use a BIG bowl because it will boil all over your microwave.  I miiiiight be mentioning from experience! ;p

Goo & Protein Bars

Looks gross right? Haven't you learned to not judge a book by it's cover? ;-)  This is a recipe I got last spring at a Figure Building/Body Building contest I attended with my friend Tasha. She did awesome btw! It will satisfy your sweet tooth but isn't empty calories like most sweets.

Beverly Goo
2 scoops protein powder
1/4 cup Peanut Butter (natural or almond butter)
1/4 cup Honey
Handful of candy pieces. (opt)

Mix all of the above ingredients together. I usually have to add water. Just enough to help it mix properly.  I eat it with a spoon right outta the bowl, as I crave something sweet!



I also sampled a similar recipe recently from my friend who is an Arbonne Consultant. This one is a larger quantity but the same basic concept. With the addition of the oatmeal you can ideally cut these into protein bars.

Protein Bars
2 cups or 1 16-oz jar natural peanut butter
1 3/4 cups honey
2 1/4 cups protein powder
3 cups dry uncooked oatmeal

In a microwave safe bowl combine PB and  honey. Heat in micro until it easily stirs.
Add protein powder and oatmeal and mix thoroughly. It will be very thick. Press it into a 9x13" pan. Refridgerate for 1 hour or until solid enough to cut into bars. Wrap each bar in foil or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
For extra fiber use 1/4 cup fiber and 2 cups protein powder.

Makes 24 servings.

Goo recipe originally from Beverly International.
Please visit Renee's Arbonne page if you'd like to order anything!

Shake Creations 101

Hey guys! This is another one of my thrown together shakes. Just sharing the base details in case your mind is in a rut! Don't worry about the brown flecks in the shake, those are just the almond butter goodness! :)

Ingredients: (this will make a large serving, you can half them if needed)
1 scoop vanilla whey protein
1 heaping teaspoon of almond butter
1/2 frozen banana
8 oz skim milk
2 scoops Energy Booster

Place all in blender and push "blend".

Appx:
*using 1 scoop energy booster for small, 2 scoops for large size.
Large Serving: 380 cals
Half Serving (small): 191 cals

Eggs-celent!

This post is a dedication to a friend whom wishes to know some of the easy meals I make on the fly. This one is a stand-by for me!

First you will need fresh eggs. Use whatever number your little heart desires! I usually use 3 egg whites and one whole egg to keep some of the fat, and hence flavor! You will also need some non-stick cooking spray and some sort of seasoning. I am infatuated with Tastefully Simple seasonings! My fav is the Spinach n' Herb.  I also sometimes use southwestern flavors if I want something with a little kick. If you want to get crazy you can chop up some fresh veggies and herbs but this will take more time and ingredients of course.

Here is a larger view of the some of the seasonings I use.

Next, place your egg whites or eggs in a bowl. Add desired amount of seasoning. Whisk with a fork (or you can use a whisk if you own one). *I do not use milk in these because I am not a fan of scrambled eggs. It is an alternative method though.

Heat your frying pan to medium heat. Spray with non-stick pan spray. I do this even though my pan is non-stick. I know, I'm odd lol. Place eggs in the pan and begin to cook. Remove from heat and eat when eggs are done to your liking.
You will notice in the pics, I was lazy the last time I made these. (oops!) I placed the eggs directly in the pan and stirred them with a bamboo spatula. Once they were mixed up a little I sprinkled on the seasoning and continued chopping with spatula until mixed thoroughly.

Appx Nutritional Facts (varies on the actual size of your egg)
Per egg white (egg size large): 17 cals, 0 Fat, 4 grams protein
Per whole egg (egg size large): 70 cals, 5 g Fat, 6 grams protein

Smart Tip: Check out Calorie King for nutritional information on just about everything!

Shake Shake Shake.. Shake that bootay!

Here's a very quick (and clean) way to make instant pudding!  Put all your ingredients in a shaker cup. If you don't already have one you can purchase them at most nutritional stores or online. They have easy guide measurements on the side of the cup, so no need for dirtying additional tools like measuring cups. (The less dirty dishes the better right!) Follow the directions on the box for ingredient amounts. Once the milk and pudding powder are in the cup screw the lid on. Make sure the drink spout is closed tightly and shake your way to a dessert delight!  Toss it in the fridge until it's set. That's it!  Cool huh!

A Batch from Scratch-- Chai!

A touch of chill is in the air as the Midwest summer starts creeping into fall. Soothe those shivers away with a big mug of hot Chai!! One easy way to make Chai is from the dry powder mixes that are available in stores. I myself prefer to simmer up a batch from scratch!

I won't promise this recipe taste like the Chai you will find in the homes of those who know it best. But after carefully noting the favorite ingredients of a few cooks and a little experimenting in my kitchen, I think I've come up with something pretty yummy.  Let me know what you think! :)

Also.. this is much like the recipes you acquire from your favorite aunt or grandmother.. a little of this.. a little of that.. and a pinch of something else. In other words, this is one recipe you can wing it a little bit and not worry too much that it will be ruined!

Heather's Homemade Milk Chai

2/3 rds cup water (ish)
1 cup milk
5 seeds green cardamon
4 cloves
Smidge of vanilla extract (I think I dumped appx. 1/2 tsp from the bottle)
Appx. 3 Tbsp. sugar -- feel free to add more if you like.
1 cinnamon stick
1 tea bag (I have the yellow label Lipton brand)

Put all ingredients, except the milk, into a sauce pan. Heat on high until it boils. Stir mixture occasionally. When mixture comes to a boil add the milk. Stir consistently to keep the milk from scorching. When the mixture comes to a boil again, remove from heat immediately and let sit for 5 mins until the flavors mingle. Pour into a big mug and enjoy!

Special Notes:
* I use real vanilla extract. When using imitation vanilla my grandma taught me to double the amount the recipe calls for. Old habits are hard to break so yes I do this even if it says double strength on the bottle! lol

*I bought my Lipton tea at the Indian grocery. I learned previously with coffee that a certain brand's coffee is not the same in each country. I don't know if this applies to tea, but why chance that authentic taste!

*As for sugar you can add the amount that you desire. I had a friend tell me that when he was served Chai from the Jordanians they used a large amount of sugar. He believed it to be almost 3/4 cup! I have to wonder if they were making larger batches? Another fun fact he told me was that they served it in what looked like a double size shot glass.

*If you want to add more Cardamon or Cloves go for it! No one is over your shoulder counting ;p