As Healthy As a Cookie Could Be

Another part of our festivities today involved making peanut butter cookies.  M requested them, and I just couldn't say no, especially when she was so cooperative at the doctor's appointment.  However, knowing that peanut butter cookies are one of my absolute favorites, I didn't want to kill my eating for today either, so we found a healthy(er) alternative.  They turned out much lighter than a normal peanut butter cookie, but still had a great flavor. 


She was looking at her reflection in the bowl, had no idea I was watching



Princess Cookie Helper

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt (I used sea salt)

1 c. peanut butter

1 c. maple syrup (I used sugar free because that is all we had)

1/6 c. olive oil + 1/6 c. unsweetened applesauce (I ran out of olive oil so filled the 1/3 cup half with oil, half with applesauce)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

 

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350. 

2.  Mix together dry ingredients, put aside.

3.  Mix wet ingredients until well blended.

4.  Refrigerate for about a half hour.

5.  Place by rounded spoonfuls on cookie sheet (I used nonstick and did not have to spray the pan).

6.  Use fork to create crisscross pattern on cookie (this was M's job)

7.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

8.  Enjoy!

 

Nutritional Information (per cookie)

102 calories

6.5 g fat

0 mg cholesterol

126 mg sodium

9 g carbohydrates

1 g sugar

1.5 g fiber

3 g protein

These cookies were much lighter and more cake like than traditional peanut butter cookies.  Because you are dealing with peanut butter, it is a little hard to cut the calories, fat and sodium....but at least this is better for you than a traditional cookie!

Day Home = M & Mommy Time!

For the past few days I've been listening to my poor daughter hack away.  This cough of hers disappeared for a little, but came back last week with a venegence.  The poor girl is barely sleeping because she is coughing so much, even with the humidifier running.  So I decided it was time to go to the doctor.  Because of the timing of the appointment (and the fact that she wouldn't be going to school) I decided to stay home with her.  This meant a day full of fun for both of us! 

After making the blanket fort and watching a movie, and playing princess for a good hour, M said she wanted to exercise.  I think some of my incessant talk about healthy living has rubbed off a bit, as every day she insists on doing "her exercises."  Today she chose yoga.  I love doing yoga, especially when I incorporate my daughter.  She has always shown an interest in it, and at two years old had perfected the downward dog. 

We have tried several different yoga videos made for kids, but by far are those put out by Cosmic Kids.  These videos incorporate the yoga moves into a kid friendly story that also tends to focus on different character traits as well.

M's favorite video is "Squish the Fish"

It's a great video that focuses on being brave, especially when we aren't around our parents (like when kids are at school or daycare).  It incorporates yoga in a short, 15 minute story that M can practically recite by heart now.

M loves the story because it is about a fish and you get to pretend to swim (her other favorite activity)

At our house, we've had nights when all three of us do a video together, always an interesting thing when Tim is involved.

Although it stunk that M had a cold and couldn't go to school, I was happy that she was well enough for us to have an enjoyable day together!

Dreaded Weigh-In Monday!

So Monday morning has become my least favorite morning of the week.  Not only is the weekend over, but for some unknown reason I decided it would by my weigh in day.  I think my original idea was that it would keep me honest over the weekend, knowing that it would impact the scale on Monday morning.  Instead, I enjoy myself on the weekend, and kick myself for it Monday morning. 

The past two Mondays have not gone well for me.  First, I gained and then maintained.  For two weeks I was stuck at 149.2.   I've been working my butt off at the gym, so it was very hard for me to be okay with no change.

Yesterday my mom had turkey dinner, which is normally a huge downfall for me.  This time, I tried extremely hard to not overeat, only to succumb to the apple pie.  Needless to say, I was not looking forward to this morning.

So the moment of truth came, and I lost!  Down 2.1 pounds to be exact.  Plus, I was down another inch.  It was so nice to finally see some movement.  So now I'm feeling great and ready for another awesome week!

Pumpkin Protein Muffins

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a weird obsession with pumpkin.  I just can't get enough of the stuff!  I, for one, hate the fact that pumpkin is only deemed "appropriate" during the months of October and November.  I keep it handy at all times, because you never know when a craving might hit!

Needless to say I was ecstatic when my mom asked us to dinner on Sunday and informed me we were having turkey dinner.  What better reason to pull out the pumpkin than to make a tasty dessert?  My parents and my brother have also been trying to get healthier, so I took it as a challenge to find a use for pumpkin to create a somewhat healthy dessert. 

Thanks to Pinterest, I had a wealth of information to work with.  I finally found a few muffin recipes that seemed to fit the bill, and decided to work from there.  What I came up with was tastey, low calorie, low sugar, high protein muffin.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure these will make it until dinner tomorrow, I've already had two! 

I figured I couldn't be the only one this excited, and decided to share.

Ingredients
1 15oz can of pumpkin
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 egg whites
6 tablespoons protein powder (mine was vanilla flavored)
1 1/2 cups oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 packets of Stevia (equivalent to 1/4 cup regular sugar)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray muffin tin with cooking spray or use liners (I normally spray my liners as well.)
Mix all the wet ingredients.  Slowly add each of the dry ingredients individually.
Scoop into muffin tin using 1/4 cup.  I sprinkled the tops of mine with a bit of cane sugar and left over oats.
Bake fo 30-35 minutes until browned.

Because of the lack of sugar in these muffins, they are not overly sweet.  Instead, you get more of the spice flavor from the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.  My husband really liked them with a little butter.  A lot of the recipes I looked at had a hard time getting the protein powder to replace the flour.  Mine were fine, but it may depend of the kind of protein powder you are using.

Nutritional Information (per muffin)
85 calories
1 g fat
0 mg cholesterol
295 mg sodium
13 g carbohydrates
2 g fiber
3 g sugar
7 g protein

Chicken Lettuce Wraps - The Healthy Way

Years ago, when I was in North Carolina visiting my sister, I had my first taste of P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps.  I fell in love, until I saw the nutritional information.  Those things are terrible for you!  Since then, I have been on he quest to find something similar, without all the terrible-for-you-ness. 

Tonight I tried my hand at making some healtier lettuce wraps.  Although they weren't as good as the ones at P.F. Chang's I will say, I was pretty impressed. 

Ingredients
1 lb. ground chicken or turkey (I used chicken)
8 scallions - both white and green parts, finely chopped
1 can (5oz) water chestnust - rinsed and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper - finely chopped
1/4 reduced sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon ginger - mine came from a jar, but you can use fresh
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons seasame oil
1 clove garlic
1 large head butter lettuce - washed, dried with leaves seperated

Directions
1.  Brown the ground chicken or turkey, break up any large pieces.  When finished, drain using a collander and then put back in the pan.

2.  Add all remaining ingredients except lettuce.  Cook until peppers are soft.

3.  Assemble each wrap by placing about 2 oz. of the mixture into a lettuce leaf and then rolling, kinda like a burrito.

4.  Enjoy!

Nutrition Information (Per Wrap)
77 calories
4 g fat
30 mg cholesterol
286 mg sodium
6 g carbohydrates
1 g fiber
3 g sugar
9 g protein