Healthy No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites

My husband and I are the kind of people that would rather eat the cookie dough than wait for the cookies to bake. 

This tasty healthy treat is perfect for anyone who feels the same way. Plus they are healthy so we can still enjoy them on our healthy eating plan! 

You gotta try this one. You will love it! 

Ingredients:

-2/3 Cup Raw Cashews

-1/3 Cup Oats

-2 Tbsp Agave Syrup

-1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

-1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

-¼ Cup Sweet Cacao Nibs 

Directions:

-Combine oats and cashews in a food processor and grind into a flour-like consistency.

-Add agave, maple syrup, and vanilla, and blend again until smooth.

-Transfer your dough into a mixing bowl and stir in cacao nibs by hand.

-Roll the dough into approximately 12 chocolate truffle-sized balls. 

-Eat immediately or store in the fridge for later.

Enjoy! 

Whole-Wheat Oatmeal Bread

This is super yummy and healthy bread. It has a sweet flavor and a dense texture. It is the perfect side for any meal! 

Ingredients:

-1 Cup Warm Water

-1 Package Active Dry Yeast

-1/4 Tsp Sugar

-1/4 Cup Honey 

-2 Tbsp Organic Butter

-1/2 Cup Old-Fashioned Oats

-1/2 Tbsp Sea Salt

-2 Cups Whole-Wheat Flout

-1 Egg White

-About 1 1/4 Cups Organic All-Purpose Flour

Directions:

-In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of warm water, yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Let stand for 15 minutes.

-Stir in honey, butter, oats, salt and 1 cup of whole-wheat flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in the egg white. Gradually stir in the remaining 1 cup of whole-wheat flour. Then 1 cup of the organic all-purpose flour. 

-Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth but slightly sticky. It should take about 7 minutes. Work in enough of the remaining 1/4 cup organic all-purpose flour just to keep the dough from sticking. 

-Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl, turning dough to grease the top. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

-Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Grease a cookie sheet. 

-Shape the dough into an oval and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. 

-Preheat oven to 350 F. With a knife cut five 1/4 inch deep slashes across the top of the loaf. Lightly cover the top of the loaf in a little butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. Bake until loaves sound hollow when you light tap on the bottom. About 35 - 40 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool. 

Enjoy! 

Move Of The Day - Extended Triangle Pose

I started P90X3 on Sunday. Today was Yoga X3. I love Yoga so I was excited for todays workout and lets just say I was not disappointed. In honor of my workout today the move of the day is extended triangle pose. 

Here is how you do it. 

Step or lightly jump your feet 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and reach them actively out to the sides, shoulder blades wide, palms down.

Turn your left foot in slightly to the right and your right foot out to the right 90 degrees. Align the right heel with the left heel. Firm your thighs and turn your right thigh outward, so that the center of the right knee cap is in line with the center of the right ankle.

Exhale and extend your torso to the right directly over the plane of the right leg, bending from the hip joint, not the waist. Anchor this movement by strengthening the left leg and pressing the outer heel firmly to the floor. Rotate the torso to the left, keeping the two sides equally long. Let the left hip come slightly forward and lengthen the tailbone toward the back heel.

Rest your right hand on your shin, ankle, or the floor outside your right foot, whatever is possible without distorting the sides of the torso. Stretch your left arm toward the ceiling, in line with the tops of your shoulders. Keep your head in a neutral position or turn it to the left, eyes gazing softly at the left thumb.

Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Inhale to come up, strongly pressing the back heel into the floor and reaching the top arm toward the ceiling. Reverse the feet and repeat for the same length of time to the left.

Benefits
-Stretches and strengthens the thighs, knees, and ankles

-Stretches the hips, groins, hamstrings, and calves; shoulders, chest, and spine

-Stimulates the abdominal 

-Helps relieve stress

-Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause

-Relieves backache

Enjoy! 

How To Build The Perfect Healthy Smoothie

I was talking to my Grandparents today and my Grandma mentioned they needed some new recipes for their new NutriBullet they got for Christmas. 

This one is for you Grandma and Grandpa! <3

First chose fruit, liquid and veggies. Then go through and chose if you want to add any of the other categories in.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Of Fruit - Chose any fruit you like - The fruit can be fresh or frozen. I like to use frozen so I do not have to add ice. 
-Blueberries 
-Strawberries
-Mangoes
-Bananas
-Apples
-Pineapples

1 Cup Of Liquid - Chose any liquid you like
-Water
-Coconut water 
-Low fat coconut milk
-Low fat dairy milk
-Almond milk
-Flax milk
-100% juices
-Iced coffee
-Iced green tea

1/2 Cup Of Veggies - Chose any veggies you like
-Spinach
-Kale
-Romaine lettuce

1/4 Cup Make It Creamy - Optional 
-Non fat greek yogurt
-Frozen sliced bananas
-Fresh avocado

1/2 Tsp Make It Sweet - Optional
-Raw honey
-Raw maple syrup 

1/2 Tsp Healthy Flavor - Optional
-Ginger
-Cinnamon
-Cayenne pepper
-Cocoa powder
-Vanilla

1 Serving Energy Boost - Optional
-Chia seeds
-Flax seeds
-Pb2 powder
-Ground Oats
-Ground nuts

Instructions:

Add fruit,liquid, and veggies to your blender. Pick what you all want in your smoothie and add it all in. Add some ice if desired and blend on high

My favorite smoothie is with blueberries, flax milk, spinach, nonfat greek yogurt, honey, cinnamon and either flaxseed or ground oats. 

Enjoy! 

Finishing Up The Girl On The Train & Starting To Kill a Mockingbird

Today is our last day with The Girl On The Train. I have a couple question for you guys and cannot wait to hear what you thought about the book

I absolutely loved it!! I have to say I did not expect it to end the way it did. It kept me engaged the entire time and I did not want to put it down till I figured the mystery out. It is a must read! 

End Of Book Questions 

1.How does Paula Hawkins withhold information from the reader to build suspense? Did you feel tricked? Did you figure out "whodunit" before the end of the novel? What clues gave it away?

2.Do you people watch the way Rachel does? Do you ever concoct elaborate stories about people you see everyday? Would you ever want to meet these people and truly get to know them?

3.Critics have called this book "the next Gone Girl." What does The Girl on the Train have in common with Gone Girl? How are the books different?

4.Who would you cast to play the major roles in a film version of the book?

The next book on our list is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. We will start it today Sunday January 24th and end on Sunday February 7th. 

Synopsis From Goodreads:Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior—to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature

Hope you will all join me again for the next book! 

Lets Get Reading! 

Move Of The Day - Side Leg Circles

This is a great move to work your core and inner and outer thighs. It is super simple and does not require any equipment. 

Start by lying on your right side with your right upper arm on the floor and your head resting on your right hand. With knees straight, bend at your hips so your legs and torso form a slight angle. 

Raise your left leg 6 to 8 inches and make 8 small forward circles from the hip, raising the leg higher with each one. 

From the highest point, make 8 more small circles in the other direction as you lower the leg to start. 

That's 1 rep. Do 5 and then repeat on the other side.

Here is a tip when circling your leg, remember to engage your core to prevent your body from rocking at all.

Feel The Burn! Enjoy! 

My Favorite Protein Powder - Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard

I am going to let you in on a secret today. My favorite protein powder! I have tried a ton of different protein powders and wasted a lot of money on expensive protein powder that tastes awful and are not nearly as nutritious as this one. 

I came across Optimum Nutrition products when we moved to Belgium. It is one of the only protein powders that they sell at the PX. So I thought what the heck and tried it. Gotta say it was a great decision! 

This protein powder tastes amazing! Not to mention they offer 24 different flavors! My favorites are double rich chocolate, caramel toffee fudge and rocky road. Yum! 

It is also very nutritious with only 120 calories and packs 24 grams of 100% per whey protein per serving. Also 5.5 grams of naturally occurring branched chain amino acids which are prized by athletes for their muscle building qualities. To make it even better there is only 1 gram of fat and 1 gram of sugar per serving! And only 3 grams of carbs. WHAT! Does not get much better than that. 

Also, I love how you do not have to use a blender. I just use my Blender Bottle and put about 8oz of unsweetened flax milk and a scoop of Optimum Nutrition and I am good to go!

To get the best deal on Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard I recommend buying it off of Amazon and buying the 5 lb container. 

Here is the link to where I buy mine Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard.

Enjoy!! :)