Protein Snacks

Went out to the track this afternoon..these snacks came in handy when we were finished with our C25K and interval training.

Everyone seems to have a recipe for Protein balls, bars, snacks, etc... This recipe came from Bodyrockers.tv They have some really great workouts, recipes, community following, so check them out if your into fitness. I stumbled across them through a suggestion on a forum post and I'm glad I did!

I couldn't resist trying out their recipe for protein balls (you will have a laugh at their description of them). What I love about this recipe is it's a quick, easy and nutritious snack. If I'm on the go I can grab one out of the fridge, if it's after a workout I can get in some extra protein and a pick me up. They are convenient, basic and healthy..what more could I ask for! :)

The basic ingredients...


I've experimented with the recipe, adding or removing ingredients, but the three basic ingredients stay the same (peanut butter, coconut and protein powder).

In this batch...

Here are some idea's of what you could add to your batch:

+Natural almond extract
+Natural mint extract
+Pumpkin puree
+Different spices (Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, etc...)
+Dried cranberries, dried peaches
+Chocolate protein powder
+Plant based protein powder
+Spriulina powder for extra nutrition (took some getting used too! lol)
+Cacao nibs! (YUM!)

Thinking about adding your favorite dried fruits, nuts, extracts and spices can really make this recipe your own little favorite!

Enjoy! :)

What's your favorite ingredients to add to a protein snack?

I love you day ♥

What's your Valentine's story?

This morning I woke up to post-it notes all over the kitchen, bathroom, living room and everywhere else I looked. Each one had a sweet message written to me about why I was loved ♥ It eventually led me to a card and Valentine's hedgehog stuffie holding a heart! I felt very special and loved today ♥

For my boys I decided to make some raw chocolates, which I have not made in quite some time. You can find the recipe I used for the chocolate here. The chocolate really works well in the molds and it does not take long before they are done setting. This time around I wanted to do something a little different, so I decided to try out different fillings.



~Chocolate Strawberry Smooches
~Chocolate Almond Kissables
~Chocolate Peanut Butter Love Bites


I basically poured a little bit of chocolate into each plastic mold, covering the sides and then threw it in the freezer. Once the chocolate hardened I spooned in a bit of whatever filling and back into the freezer it went. After a few minutes I pulled the chocolates out of the freezer and poured more chocolate on top of the filling to eventually fill the mold.

<---Here is the Chocolate Peanut Butter Love Bites ready for more chocolate to be poured on top! Each chocolate surrounds a whole natural raw almond
Chocolate covering a strawberry puree filling (To make the filling whip 4-5 strawberries in a food processor till they are a saucy consistency)
Chocolate cups with a natural raw peanut butter filling

You may have noticed the Coconut, almond and date mix in the ingredients photo, this was used for the truffles. I couldn't resist making truffles...rich, soft and delicious!


This recipe is basically the same as the one above, I just add about 1/2 cup more cacao powder. This seems to give it a thicker consistency, perfect for rolling out truffles.
Step 1: Tablespoon of Truffle Mix
Step 2: Almond Filling
Step 3: Roll into a Truffle
Step 4: Cover in a Coconut, Almond and Date Mix
The finale, a few pieces of each in a heart shape container for my sweethearts ♥

Donut Bits

As a parent of a 3 year old, I find I am often showing, teaching, explaining and learning right alongside my lil guy. He is always willing to explore and discover what he can do. There is never a time where he doesn't want to make a big, fun mess, whether it be with his toys, blankets, books, crayons or with food. The best part about making a mess is showing him how to clean up a mess. It's fun seeing him learn and grow up into a little person. The other great thing about making a mess is that it can create some of the most memorable crafts, foods and memories.

This recipe is for when you want to have a bunch of messy, fun in the kitchen with you little ones.

"The C Donut Trio"

From left to right is coconut, cacao, and chia :)

The overall census was that coconut and chia were the favorites.




This recipe was inspired from two Ani Phyo's recipes(Donut holes & Lemon coconut bars). I made adjustments and voila here we are...

Donut Bits
2 cups almonds
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1 vanilla bean or tsp of vanilla extract
2 cups dates
1/4 cup shredded coconut
zest of 1 lemon

1. In a food processor, mix the almonds, salt, and vanilla. Once its processed into a fine powder, then slowly add you dates. Mix it up! I let my lil guy measure the ingredients here. Be sure to supervise the processing part, sharp blades and all.

2. Place mixture into a bowl. Mix the coconut and lemon zest into mixture.
This is a fun part for the kids, let them mix in the coconut and lemon zest with their fingers. Using their hands they get to feel the sticky texture and have a lot of fun. After it's mixed, feel free to lick your fingers clean!

3. You can use an ice cream scoop or just use your fingers to grab blobs of dough.

Let your kids roll and form little donut bits.

4. Choose any toppings you might have to roll your donut bits in. We used shredded coconut, cacao powder and chia seeds. This makes about 20-25 donut bits, depending on the size you roll :) I placed each of the donut bits on a cookie sheet and stored them in the fridge. They keep for about a week in the fridge.

Let your child be creative with the toppings. I asked my lil guy which he topping he wanted to roll his donut bit in, cacao or coconut and he replied "Both!" The result was delicious! I never would have thought of it either. Leave it to his imagination :)

Other Variations

You can also make these into cookies by forming them into a ball and making a thumb print in the middle of the ball. Add some raisins or carob chips for toppings.

I used two coconut donut bits as pancakes the next morning. Just flatten the dough with your fingers and top it with some banana slices and berry compote.

You could also use the dough as a pie crust. If you don't want the lemon and/or coconut taste then omit the second step in this recipe :)

Have fun and make a mess!

~~~

Free Give-Aways!

Fresh Local and Best is giving away an all-clad 12-inch stainless steel frying pan!

What Runs Lori is having a blogirthday celebration giveaway!

Rawfully Tempting is giving away Medicine Flower Vanilla Extract!
~Maggie