Dr. Oz Brownies

I call these "Dr. Oz Brownies" because they were a food prop in my segment of The Dr. Oz Show. Some of my mom friends said that they make brownies by taking a boxed mix and adding a can of pumpkin to it and half a bag of chocolate chips. Since I LOVE peanut butter, I changed it a little to my exclude the chocolate chips but add some yummy peanut butter. When I told the producers how I like to make them, they decided to use it as part of the show (which was later cut out, unfortunately). I don't doubt there are a thousand different versions of these online, but here is how I make the super simple brownies.

These are extremely dense and fudge-like--not cakey at all. And they're rich! Which is why I love them :)

Dr. Oz Brownies
1 box of brownie mix (I use the Betty Crocker family size one)
1 (15 oz.) can of pure pumpkin
3 Tbsp. peanut butter

Just combine the brownie mix and pumpkin in a bowl (nothing else). It takes a while to mix, and the batter will be very thick, but don't add anything else to it. Spread it in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan. In a small bowl, melt the peanut butter in the microwave (about 30 seconds). Drizzle it on top of the brownie batter (and swirl it around to make it pretty, if you like). Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Let them cool completely before cutting (if they are warm, there is a strong pumpkin taste... once they cool, you don't taste the pumpkin). Cut it into 24 pieces (the pieces will be small, but because it is so rich, a small piece is satisfying).

Infamous Glazed Carrots

My family hated these, but I happen to love them! You can read the story of how these became "infamous" on my blog.  You can make glazed carrots with pretty much anything that contains sugar. When you heat it, some of the liquid evaporates and it reduces down into a syrup-like glaze.

The first time I made these, I used frozen carrots. I've also made them with canned carrots. I'm sure I'd like them with fresh carrots as well. Just make sure that the carrots are cooked until fork-tender before you add them to the glaze.

Infamous Glazed Carrots
1 can sliced carrots, drained (or fresh or frozen, but make sure you cook them first)
1 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries (Craisins)

In a skillet, combine the orange juice concentrate, the butter, the cranberries, and the maple syrup, and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes until thick and syrupy. Add the carrots and brown sugar and toss to coat, keeping over the heat until the carrots are heated through. 

Makes 4 side-dish servings (approximately 1/3 cup each)

(Nutrition info calculated with Sparkpeople.com's Recipe Calculator)

Protein Shakes/Smoothies (part 2)

(You can find Protein Shakes/Smoothies part 1 here)

I just had surgery a few days ago, and my doctor wants me to get a LOT of protein while I'm healing. So I'm going to be having lots of protein shakes again!  (These recipes were inspired by some Herbalife recipes).

Protein Powder: I've discovered that I have a sensitivity to whey protein powder, which is what I was using before. Lately, I've been using egg white protein powder, which is just as good. Use whatever kind you like. The only kind I've found to taste badly in these shakes is brown rice protein powder.

Gums: You'll also notice that I use xanthan gum and guar gum in my shakes. These are completely optional. I use them because it thickens the shake and makes it creamier; but not at all necessary. Just don't overdo the gums, because it'll be waaay too thick.

Milk: I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but you could use whatever kind of milk you like.

Yummy "extras": Finally, these shakes aren't super "healthy"--I use a lot of pudding mixes in them, which have sugar. But the pudding mixes make the shake taste so much better, and when you're having shakes every day, it's a great way to keep from getting bored.

Nutrition Facts: I'm not going to break down every one of these (you can do that at Sparkpeople.com if you want) but I'll list a general idea of the calories in each ingredient for you to figure out yourself:

protein powder- 110 calories
sugar free syrup/extracts- 0 calories
regular flavored syrups (1 Tbsp)- 40 calories
1 cup almond milk- 40 calories
1 Tbsp. pudding mix- 50 calories
1 Tbsp. nuts- 70 calories
1 Tbsp. chocolate chips- 70 calories
guar gum/xanthan gum-0

Here are the recipes for a few favorites... Just throw all the ingredients in the blender and let it rip. Each of these makes about 20-24 oz.

Cinnamon Roll Protein Shake

Cinnamon Roll Protein Shake

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 Tbsp. Oreo pudding mix
1 Tbsp. butterscotch pudding mix
1 Tbsp. Torani sugar-free caramel syrup
1 Tbsp. pecans
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each guar gum and xanthan gum (optional)
1 cup ice cubes (I use 10 cubes)


Triple Chocolate Protein Shake

Triple Chocolate Protein Shake

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 serving chocolate protein powder
1 Tbsp. Oreo pudding mix
1 Tbsp. chocolate fudge pudding mix
1 Tbsp. chocolate chips
1/4 tsp. each guar gum and xanthan gum (optional)
1 cup ice cubes (I use 10 cubes)





Cake Batter Protein Shake (this really does taste like cake batter!)

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 Tbsp. Torani sugar-free french vanilla syrup
1 Tbsp. cheesecake pudding mix
1 Tbsp. white chocolate pudding mix
1/4 tsp. each guar gum and xanthan gum (optional)
1 cup ice cubes (I use 10 cubes)


Butterfinger Protein Shake

Butterfinger Protein Shake

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 serving chocolate protein powder
1 Tbsp. Oreo pudding mix
1 heaping Tbsp. PB2
1 Tbsp. butterscotch pudding mix
2 tsp. chocolate chips
1/4 tsp. each guar gum and xanthan gum (optional)
1 cup ice cubes (I use 10 cubes)




Butter Pecan Protein Shake

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 Tbsp. cheesecake pudding mix
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. butter flavored extract
2 Tbsp. pecans
1/4 tsp. each guar gum and xanthan gum (optional)
1 cup ice cubes (I use 10 cubes)

Oatmeal love!

I've talked about my love for oatmeal numerous times in my blog, but I've never actually made a post of all my favorite ways to eat it. So I'll do that here!

I eat oatmeal hot or cold, depending on my mood. So first I'll talk about hot oatmeal:

I never prepare oatmeal with just water. It turns too mushy and it has no flavor. I use almond milk to cook my oatmeal. Sometimes I cook it on the stove and sometimes I cook it in the microwave. Sometimes it boils over in the microwave, so here I'll write about cooking it on the stove.

In every bowl of oatmeal, I use:  40 grams of Old-Fashioned Oats (scant 1/2 cup); 3/4-1 cup almond milk, depending on how liquidy you like it).

Then I choose add-ins, whatever I'm in the mood for. Here are some favorite combos that you just throw right into the pot with the oats and almond milk:
*raisins, cinnamon, pure maple syrup (top with walnuts)
*mashed banana, PB2
*cocoa powder, PB2, pure maple syrup (to sweeten)
*1 Tbsp. brownie mix(!!!), PB2
*pumpkin, cinnamon, raisins, pure maple syrup (top with walnuts)
*chopped prunes, PB2, pure maple syrup
*stir in chocolate chips and coconut when done cooking the oatmeal
*chia seeds, mashed banana, cinnamon
*mashed banana (top with mixed dried tropical fruit (chopped) and coconut)

Steel cut oats topped with dark chocolate peanut butter

Oats with chia seeds, banana, cinnamon, and maple syrup

Oatmeal with dark chocolate chips and coconut

Oatmeal with banana, raisins, cinnamon, chia seeds, and maple syrup

Oatmeal with pumpkin, raisins, cinnamon, and maple syrup

Steel cut oats with apples. raisins, and brown sugar

Oatmeal topped with mixed dried tropical fruit

Oatmeal topped with Barney Butter

While I love hot oatmeal, eating cold oatmeal is the BEST. Sometimes I eat it out of an almost-empty nut butter jar or a peanut butter bowl (see below), or sometimes I just eat it out of a bowl.

If you're a nut butter fan, when you jar is almost empty, you can make your oatmeal right inside the jar and eat it that way. If you're like me and aren't patient enough to wait for the jar, you can make a peanut butter bowl--just take a blob of peanut butter (or other nut butter) and smear it around the bottom and up the sides of a bowl. Then put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, and it will look like this:

To make cold oatmeal, you can prepare it the night before or you can prepare it the morning of. I never think far enough ahead to prepare it the night before, so I use chia seeds to thicken it--it only takes about 10 minutes that way. If you don't use chia seeds, you can either reduce the liquid by about half, or you can let it sit overnight to soak up the liquid.

For cold oats, I combine in a bowl:  40 grams (about 1/2 cup) old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1 Tbsp. chia seeds, and a teaspoon of maple syrup.  (If you are soaking the oats overnight, you can leave out the chia seeds). Then add one of the following (or your own ideas!):


*cocoa powder  (tastes best in a peanut butter jar/bowl)
*cinnamon and raisins  (tastes best in an almond butter jar/bowl)
*any kind of dried fruit  (no nut butter needed)
*cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and coconut  (no nut butter needed)

Stir well, and then pour it into the nut butter jar or the peanut butter bowl. Set it in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes until the chia seeds do their thing and thicken it up. (If you don't use chia seeds, you'll have to soak it a lot longer to absorb the liquid).

These are actually hot oats in a jar... I like cold better

Barney butter jar, raisins, cinnamon, chia seeds

Barney butter jar, cocoa powder, chia seeds, maple syrup

Barney butter jar, raisins, chia seeds, cinnamon, coconut

Peanut butter jar, cocoa powder, chia seeds

Peanut butter bowl, cocoa powder, chia seeds

In addition to hot and cold oatmeal, I've also been in love with this baked oatmeal, these oatmeal bars, this granola, and these oatmeal cookies.

Flourless Monster Cookies

Baked oatmeal

Granola

ENJOY YOUR OATMEAL!

Snickers Protein Shake

Since I'm getting surgery next week, my doctor wants me to get a LOT of protein. This protein shake tastes JUST like a Snickers bar. It's a yummy treat!

Snickers Protein Shake

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or whatever milk you'd like)
1 serving of chocolate protein powder (I used EAS brand whey protein powder)
1 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 Tbsp. instant cookies & cream pudding mix
1 Tbsp. peanuts
1 Tbsp. Torani sugar-free caramel syrup
1 cup ice cubes

Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Makes 1 (2 cup) serving.

Pumpkin Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

This baked oatmeal combines all the best flavors of Fall! Pumpkin, cranberries, apples, and cinnamon--a delicious combination!  Original recipe can be found here. I just made a few modifications, which I've typed below.

Pumpkin Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup Craisins (dried cranberries)
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. canned pumpkin
3 Tbsp. egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup chopped pecans (or other nuts), divided

Preheat oven to 375. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, egg whites, pumpkin, almond milk, and vanilla. Add the oats, wheat germ, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder, and mix well. Fold in the Craisins, apples, and half of the nuts. Pour into prepared baking dish and top with the rest of the pecans. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before cutting. It will be soft-set (not firm like oatmeal bars). Cut into 6 pieces. Top with warm milk and brown sugar.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

I decided to post this recipe just in case any of you are falling short on sugar in your diets. I want to make it clear that this recipe is in no way HEALTHY by any stretch of the word. However, when I mentioned them on Runs for Cookies, so many of you asked for the recipe, I just decided to post it. It's your heart attack, not mine, so here you go! ;)  They are totally worth the calories and fat, I promise!

This recipe is from the Taste of Home Winning Recipes book.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars, and 1/4 cup of the peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide into 24 pieces, and flatten each piece into a 3-inch circle.

In a bowl, blend confectioners' sugar with remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter until smooth. Roll into 24 balls, 1 inch each. Place one peanut butter ball on each circle; bring edges over to completely cover it (Dough may crack; reshape cookies as needed). Place cookies with seam side down on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar (I just flattened them with my hands and skipped the sugar--not that it matters!)

Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes 2 dozen.

Calories per serving:  Calories? What calories?

Indian Lentil Soup

Dede, a reader of Runs for Cookies, e-mailed this recipe to me when she learned I like lentils. She said she got it from the newspaper years ago and made a couple of changes. And then, because I can never leave a recipe alone, I made a change or two myself. ;)  I've been eating it every day for lunch, because it is delicious! Here is the recipe, with my changes:

Indian Lentil Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of red lentils
4 cups of broth (I used chicken broth)
1 (15 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
1 medium potato (about 6 oz), peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. turmeric
dash (1/8 tsp) of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a soup pot over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Cook the onion for a few minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the broth, lentils, tomatoes, and spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially-cover it with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the carrots and potato, and simmer, covered, until veggies are just tender, about 20 minutes.  Makes 4 servings, about 1-2/3 cups each.

Homemade Chocolate Vitatops

One of my favorite snacks is a chocolate Vitatop with fat free Cool Whip. The Vitatops are so good, but SO expensive. So after buying a muffin top baking sheet at a garage sale, I decided to create my own Vitatops. You can find the original recipe here. I altered it to my liking.

Homemade Chocolate Vitatops

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Dash of salt

2 egg whites (or 3 Tbsp of liquid egg whites)

1/4 cup baby food prunes (you could use applesauce, but the baby food prunes are richer, sweeter, and have more fiber)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

A few chocolate chips to sprinkle on top (optional--I chose not to use them)

Combine all the wet ingredients in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into a muffin-top pan (if you don't have a muffin top pan, you could probably make these in a regular muffin pan or just pour the batter into 1/4 cup mounds on a baking sheet).  Top with a sprinkle of chocolate chips, if you're using them. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let them cool. Wrap individually and freeze. When you're ready to eat one, just unwrap it and nuke it in the microwave for 20 seconds. I love these topped with Cool Whip!

I got 9 1/2 muffins by using a full 1/4 cup. You could stretch it to 10 muffins if you use just barely shy of 1/4 cup of batter.

 

Pumpkin Craisin Walnut Bread

What could taste more fall-like than pumpkin, cranberries, and walnuts? I love to eat this spread with a little lot of peanut butter ;)

Pumpkin Craisin Walnut Bread

1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin
1-1/3 cups of sugar
1/3 cup of canola oil
1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg beaters (or egg whites)
2 whole eggs, beaten
3 cups of flour (I used white--normally I use whole wheat pastry flour in baked goods, but sometimes I just want bad-for-you flour)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 oz. walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup of Craisins (dried cranberries)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients until smooth. Add the dry ingredients (except nuts and craisins) and stir just until combined. Fold in the nuts and craisins. Divide the batter into two loaf pans (sprayed with cooking spray). Bake at 350 for about 1 hour, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  If you cut each loaf into 12 servings, nutrition info per serving is:

Southwest Chicken & Beans

This is a favorite slow cooker meal among a lot of my mom-friends. It's so easy to throw together in the morning and then have a healthy, hearty meal to eat for dinner. I like to serve this over rice, and with cheese on top if I have the calories to allow for it. However, it's also good on its own.

Southwest Chicken & Beans

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (no need to thaw first!)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 cup of salsa

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on high for about 3-4 hours, or low for 6-8 hours. Using two forks, shred the chicken and stir to combine all ingredients. Serve over rice and topped with cheese. (Nutrition info is without rice or cheese)

Gobby's Noodle Cream Cheese Casserole

Gobby is an affectionate name given to my maternal grandmother, who passed away in 1999. After she died, my aunt made a cookbook out of Gobby's recipes and passed the books out to the women in the family. I love the book--some of the recipes are more modern, and some are very old. This recipe is my favorite! The cream cheese and sour cream mixed together is a great combo.

Gobby's Noodle Cream Cheese Casserole

8 oz (dry) Smart Taste elbow or rotini pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 (15 oz) can of tomato sauce
8 oz. light cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 cup fat-free sour cream
8 oz. 90/10 ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 cup 2% milk cheddar cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Cook the onions and beef in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray until beef is browned. Drain, and add the tomato sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream and cream cheese until smooth. To assemble casserole:  first layer half of the pasta, then half of the cream cheese mixture, then half of the beef mixture. Repeat layers. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until hot and cheese is melted.

Chick Pea Curry

This is a recipe I found on Sparkpeople. I only made a couple of changes to it. The original recipe can be found on Sparkpeople here.

Chick Pea Curry
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cumin
5 cloves of garlic, minced
5 tsp. of curry powder
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. oregano
salt & pepper to taste
2/3 cup of water

In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook onion until soft. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder, and stir for a minute. Add water, tomatoes, chick peas, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover pan and simmer 5-10 minutes. If you want it thicker, then remove the lid while simmering. Serve over rice or quinoa.

Green Monster (original)

I got this recipe from Angela at Green Monster Movement. There are many, many variations, but my heart lies with the original. Sometimes I add blueberries, too.  Trust me when I say that this tastes NOTHING like the way it looks! I was completely skeptical, but pleasantly surprised when I first tried it.

Green Monster

1 Tbsp. flax seed meal
1 cup (packed) spinach
1 cup almond milk
1 banana, peeled (duh)
6 ice cubes

Put the ingredients (except for the ice) into a blender in the following order: flax seed, spinach, banana, almond milk. Let it rip on high until it's blended well, then add the ice and blend until smooth. I promise you that this tastes just like a banana shake, without a trace of spinach!  Serves 1.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

This tastes like Fall! I love to make this when the air is crisp and the leaves start to turn.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

28 g. oats (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup skim milk (or whatever milk you'd like)
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
10 g. raisins
dash of salt
dash of maple extract
a whole lotta cinnamon (about 1/2 tsp)
dash of pumpkin pie spice (about 1/8 tsp)
1/3 cup canned pumpkin

Combine all (except pumpkin) in a small pot on the stove and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer while stirring for a couple of minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and heat through. This is delicious topped with walnuts, too.
Calories: 215  Fat: 2 g. Fiber: 7 g. Carbs: 46 g. Protein: 9 g.

Chili Dog Pizza

Holy smokes, was this ever good! I don't know why I never thought to do this sooner.

Chili Dog Pizza

1 pizza crust (homemade, store bought, pre-cooked, whatever!)
1 can hot dog chili (found with the canned chili, it's usually in a smaller can--14 oz?)
4-6 hot dogs (I used 8 skinny fat free dogs, but it seemed like a little too much, so I'd go with 5 maybe)
cheddar cheese
onions, chopped fine
mustard

I'm not being specific with the amounts of everything used, or the nutrition content (because it completely depends on the products you use). Just pre-bake your crust a little, top with the chili sauce, cheese, and hot dogs. Bake until the cheese is melted and dogs are starting to brown. Then top with raw onions and mustard. Beware--it's very messy! ;)

Kielbasa & Corn Hash

I found this unusual recipe on allrecipes.com and gave it a try. It's fantastic!! This is a great way to use up veggies.

Kielbasa & Corn Hash

20 oz. potatoes, peeled and diced
14 oz. package smoked turkey sausage (about 90 calories/serving)
1 cup of pepper and onion stir-fry blend (frozen)
1 can corn, drained
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt & pepper, to taste
4 eggs, cooked over-easy, to top the hash with

In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, cook potatoes and kielbasa until potatoes are nearly tender, about 10 minutes (add a little water if they start to stick).  Add the frozen pepper mix and corn. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot and potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes more. Portion out hash and top with an egg.

Chili

This is my original, plain ol', simple chili recipe. Sometimes you just need to go back to the basics, no?

Chili

1 lb. lean ground turkey or beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

In a medium pot sprayed with cooking spray, brown ground beef with onions and garlic. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, and cumin. Simmer for about 1 hour, adding beans after 45 minutes.