Chocolate Nut Butter Crunch Bars

Happy Friday! I am rushing around the house getting ready to take off again. I’ll be flying out of Portland early tomorrow morning and will hopefully be back with Blake by tomorrow evening. My fingers are crossed that it actually works out this time!

In preparation for my trip, I wanted to make some new snacks to take with. Because I don’t know how long I’ll be gone for, I tried to use up any perishable items that we had in the fridge and pantry. I was inspired to make a treat based of my childhood favorite, scotch-a-roo bars. I don’t even know if that’s the proper name? They are basically a peanut butter rice crispy treat with a chocolate butterscotch topping. My version omits the corn syrup, chocolate and butterscotch chips and replaces them with cocoa butter, raw cacoa powder, stevia and butterscotch extract. I should also add that this recipe makes a small serving size, so you can make up a batch and not have a huge tray sitting around on the counter.

Chocolate Nut Butter Crunch Bars

Makes 4 squares

3/4 cup gluten-free Rice Crispies cereal

2 Tablespoons nut butter (I used sunflower butter)

2 Tablespoons cocoa butter

1 Tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil

1 Tablespoon raw cacao powder

3 packets of stevia

1/4 teaspoon butterscotch extract

tiny pinch of salt

Heat the cocoa butter in a double boiler or in the microwave until melted. Stir in the nut butter until it is well combined. Then, stir in the coconut oil, cacao powder, stevia and butterscotch extract. Add the Rice Crispies and salt. Press into a small glass dish and place in the refrigerator. After about an hour remove the dish and slice into small squares.

I also made some homemade snack bars that Blake can take in the helicopter when he’s flying all day. One is cranberry goji berry, another is coconut macaroon and the last is chocolate cherry. I think that my homemade bars are better than any store bought brands, but let’s be honest – most of the time I just stock up on bars at Trader Joe’s.

My goal for today and tomorrow is to stay calm, relaxed and worry-free. Yesterday’s “Melt the Stress Away” post was a good reminder for me. I forgot to post a photo of my new favorite product: CALM. It’s a powdered magnesium that when mixed with water creates a bubbly concoction that is supposed to help you feel calm and sleepy. I like to take it about an hour before bedtime. You can serve it hot or cold and it comes in different flavors. I bought the Raspberry-Lemon and like the taste of it.

Am I the only person who didn’t realize the Trader Joe’s Black Bean and Veggie Enchiladas are actually Amy’s Brand of the same variety? I always waited for Amy’s frozen entrees to go on sale before buying them. Now, I don’t have to because Trader Joe’s sells them for $1.99. Thank you Mr. Joe! I had an enchilada with crumbled goat cheese over some romaine lettuce that somehow didn’t wilt in our fridge over the past week.

Look how cute my cupcake liners look stored in this Mason jar. I’d love to get a big glass jar to store my cupcake liners in. I’ll have to wait on that for now.

Blake and I don’t have cable, so I watched a ton of TV at his mom’s house (like all day last Saturaday!) Here are some of my thoughts on TV shows and current entertainment news:

“The Bachelor” stresses me out. Seriously! I always feel like I’m a girl on the show and he isn’t giving me enough attention. I actually had a hard time sleeping after watching a ridiculous episode.

It’s really sad that Whitney Houston passed away. I wasn’t too surprised when I heard the news, but it’s still very heartbreaking.

“Revenge” is one of the best ABC shows to come along in awhile.

“The Housewives of Beverly Hills” sometimes look pretty and sometimes look abnormal. I think all the “work” they’ve had done looks weird, but their hair, makeup and clothes look really good!

“Law & Order SVU” is still one of my favorite shows.

I was very surprised to find out that I love Coco (and Ice-T.) They are so cute together. I feel like my personality is very similar to Coco’s.

Watching television for a day straight is a nice luxury, but I think I’d rather read books and magazines with my free time. Oh, and commercials are really, really bad nowadays.

Wow! I feel so up-with-the-times now that I’ve had cable for the past week.

OK, I’m going to get a weights and cardio workout in, take Layla for a walk, load up my car and hit the road. Have a great day!!!

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Melt the Stress Away

Hi! Sorry that I didn’t check in with you yesterday. I was driving back home to Redmond because I needed to pick up some items before taking off to visit Blake in South Dakota. I have to admit that lately I’ve been feeling a little stressed about this trip. Over the years I have gotten so much better about relaxing and going with the flow, but the anxiety still creeps up now and again.

When I drove two and a half hours to Portland last Thursday, I honestly thought that I would be flying out to see Blake by the end of the weekend. I had made Layla her vet appointment and packed my bags for the trip. Well, it ended up that I needed to drive back to Redmond to pick up my passport, an extra suitcase of gear and some of Blake’s belongings. I’m here at home and it feels really nice to be back. It’s so nice and comforting that I’m starting to think about staying home and enjoying my nice, quiet little life that I have over here. However, I really, really want to see Blake. I think I’ll end up flying out this Friday, but I know not to hold my breath!

I stumbled across this video that I had filmed when I was in Nevada a few weeks ago. I thought that it was appropriate to share with you (and myself) today to remind us that we can become less stressed and more easy going with a little work on our part. Let me know if you have any suggestions for handling stress with ease.

To decompress and relax last night, I did a new Tone It Up workout. It’s the new Valentine’s Day one. I like how I can follow along with Karena and Katrina throughout the entire workout.

Then I took a bath and did some laundry. Notice the calm and serene candles that I lit!

My dinner was a random pizza made from items in the fridge: gluten-free brown rice tortilla, pizza sauce, Daya chese, 1 egg, scallion, minced garlic, shredded lettuce and Siratcha sauce. It tasted amazing after a long drive home.

I went to bed early because the night before, I was up past midnight! I had a really fun time going out for dinner and a movie with my friends and sister. I highly recommend “The Vow” to all of my girlie friends. It was a really good Valentine’s Day. I’m happy to report that everyone loved the gluten-free red velvet cupcakes that I made. Layla was my valentine and she was a really good one. She gave me lots of kisses, appreciated the Valentine’s treats I gave her and kept me company all day long.

I’m off to do my weights workout, write out a few new client nutrition plans and pack another suitcase for my (hopeful) trip to South Dakota. Have a great day!

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Sunday Favorites

Hi! I’m in Portland right now. It’s actually nice enough to sit outside as I type this at Starbucks.

I wanted to share a few of my new favorites with you. I’m warning you that they have two things in common: almonds and sugar. Since it’s Sunday and my favorite day of the week to treat myself to something special, I thought I’d share with you two “new-to-me gluten-free and dairy-free” treats.

Almond Dream Ice Cream

This tastes better than I imagined it would. Since almond milk is my go-to non-dairy milk and I saw this new ice cream on sale at Fred Meyers, I picked up a pint of the vanilla flavor. It’s delicious! It tastes sweet, rich and almost like regular ice cream. I highly suggest picking up a pint if you see one at the store.

Amaretti Italian Crunchy Almond Cookies

I saw these in the gluten-free bakery section at Whole Foods. They kinda reminded me of almond biscotti. Oh, how I miss my biscotti! I have to say that these cookies made out of almond paste, sugar and egg whites are like little, crunchy bites of heaven. Expect a recipe from me once I’m back in the kitchen!

As for my plans, I don’t have any definite travel dates set yet. It sounds like I’ll be gone a little longer than last time, so I’m glad that Layla will be with us. I’m all packed up and ready to take off when I get the call from Blake. He said it’s super cold where we’re heading, so I picked up a few more wool socks and and undershirts for the trip.

I’ll leave you with a new cooking video that I filmed. One of my goals is to start making more YouTube cooking videos. This was my first attempt. I know rice is easy to cook and that’s why I chose to do a video on black rice. Apparently black rice is being toted as a new “antioxidant” super-food. I’ve always liked ordering it at Thai restaurants because it’s fun to have different colored rice!

FitSugar posted this about black rice:

“Black rice, like brown rice, retains the bran cover that is removed to make white rice. That means the grain is packed with nutritional benefits, including being rich in iron and fiber. Want to know more about this “forbidden” rice, including how it stacks up against brown rice and other cancer-fighting foods? Read more after the break.

Like many other dark red, purple, or blue foods, black rice contains great levels of the antioxidant anthocyanin, which in addition to being a stand up cancer-fighter also plays a role in preventing heart disease and improving memory.

A study earlier this year found that a spoonful of black rice bran contains more anthorcyanin than blueberries but less sugar. In fact, this noir-colored food has a higher concentration of anthocyanins than any other food! In addition, the anthocyanin’s water-solubility means that antioxidants can reach more places in the body than the oil-soluble antioxidants in other foods like brown rice.” – FitSugar

I have a few spots left this month for the Valentine’s Day Special Coaching with Kilee. Feel free to email me to set up your sessions.

I’m meeting my parents for dinner tonight. Have a great night!

Evening Chat Session

Oops! I thought I had this post set to publish last night. Obviously, it didn’t get posted. We’ll just make it a Friday evening chat session :)

Hi! I thought that I’d start something new around here. I try to check in with everyone  in the morning, but realized that it might be fun to have evening chat sessions from my couch. I filmed this video last night. Let me know what you think!

Here’s my dinner perfection from last night:

Tortilla Pizza

Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Tortilla

Trader Joe’s Pizza sauce

Daya mozzerella cheese

Sliced portabello mushroom

Sliced spinach

clove of garlic, minced

Pecricano Ramona cheese

Preheat oven to 450ºf. Bake for 10 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil.

I was in heaven! I usually try to have a lean protein and veggie for dinner most nights, but a pizza was needed last night.

I also wanted to share a photo of my favorite candle with you guys. My mom makes homemade soy wax candles with vintage glasses. I love this one that I keep next to my kitchen sink. The great thing about these candles, is that they are refillable. How green!

Good night! I’ll see you tomorrow. I *might* just be leaving on a trip in the next few days. I’ll keep you posted.

- Kilee

***Don’t forget to sign up for my Valentine’s Day Coaching Special! Email me kilee (at) kileejohnson.com for setting up your sessions***

Grain-Free Pumpkin Brownies

Well hello! Are you excited about this grain-free dessert that I promised you. I almost wish I hadn’t  made a full batch of these brownies because every time I went into the kitchen yesterday, I had to sample a bite or two. I have been baking gluten-free desserts for four years now, but haven’t experimented much with grain-free baking. After seeing all of the delicious grain-free recipes over on Detoxinista’s and iheartwellness’ blogs, I was inspired to get started.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Brownies

Makes 16 brownies

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tablespoon vanilla

10 drops liquid vanilla stevia

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup semi-sweet, milk or white chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup toasted walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºf.

Place all of the wet ingredients in a blender and blend on medium speed. Once the wet ingredients are completely blended, add all of the dry ingredients besides the chocolate chips and walnuts. Blend on low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and incorporate them into the batter with a spatula.

Spray an 8″x 8″ or 9″x 9″ metal baking pan with non-stick cooking spray (make sure it does not contain flour.) Pour and spread your batter evenly into the pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the pan comes out clean. Once the brownies are baked, allow them to cool for about two hours before slicing and removing them from the pan. I found them a little hard to get out of the pan I used, but I think if you slice them with a sharp knife and then use a spatula to remove them from the pan, they should stay together better than mine did.

Do not try to bake them in a special triangle pan like I did, because they will be a royal pain to get out!

I was curious to see the nutrition stats on this new brownie recipe, so I calculated it out online:

Not too bad for a brownie, right? However, don’t get carried away “testing” these brownies, because half the tray will be gone by the time you know it!

Look at the beautiful sunrise I woke up to this morning:

It snowed a little bit here last night. I was really surprised to see snow when I took Layla potty outside last night. That little sleepyhead is snoring on the couch as I type this. She usually likes to sleep until around 9 or 10 and then get up to start her day. Haha!

I’m going to go doing my treadmill workout at the gym, run some errands in town that I forgot to do yesterday (sometimes I get flustered and sidetracked when I’m running errands only to end  back up at the house with only half of my items completed!) and work on some client nutrition plans at Starbucks.

Have a great day today!!!

Much love,

Kilee

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Protein Shake & Gluten-Free Cookie Review

Hi! How is everyone’s weekend going? Mine has been wonderful. I got a lot done around the house and blog yesterday. I added a new “Newsletter Sign-Up” over to the right in the side bar. You can also sign-up to receive my weekly newsletter *here*. It will be filled with gluten-free recipes, healthy lifestyle tips and ways to feel your best. Be sure to sign up and I’ll keep you up to date with my weekly tips and recipes.

Today is a treat type of day. It’s Sunday, the day that I’m most likely to bake some gluten-free cookies or make an elaborate dinner. However, today’s recipe and cookie review require almost no time in the kitchen. That’s right! You don’t have to bake your own gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. You can just pop into your local Trader Joe’s for a batch of their New Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies or you can blend up your own chocolate chip protein shake at home in your blender.

Chocolate Chip Protein Shake

Serves 1 girl (or guy) who’s craving a chocolate chip cookie, but needs to drink a protein shake

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (whey or brown rice)

1 heaping tablespoon oats (rolled or quick-cook)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon butter extract

1/2 – 1 frozen banana cut into chunks

3-4 ice cubes

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

pinch of sea salt

pinch of baking soda (optional, but it creates more of a cookie dough flavor)

1 tablespoon milk, semi or dark chocolate chips

Place all of the ingredients besides that chocolate chips in the blender and blend on high for one minute. Once the shake is well blended, add the chocolate chips and blend for about 15-20 seconds on medium speed. Enjoy your shake!

Product Review: Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have to start out this review by sharing that the cashier at Trader Joe’s informed me that these cookies are better than the regular flour chocolate chip cookies they sell. This made me happy to hear. I was also happy to read on the nutrition label that there are no weird ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate chips, rice flour, butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt, xantham gum & water. Those are the exact ingredients that I use in my chocolate chip cookie recipe! Now I can have the convenience of a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie without having to go in the kitchen and bake up a batch myself.

Because these have regular sugar and chocolate chips, I consider these more of a special treat than an everyday type of snack. The calorie content is pretty low: 70 calories per cookie. Seeing that I eat at least a cookie’s worth of batter plus a few baked cookies when I bake them, the 70 calories for one cookie is a bargain compared to the amount of calories consumed when baking cookies.

The cookies taste amazing! They are crispy and have the perfect amount of sweetness, saltiness and crunch. I usually prefer soft and cake-like cookies, but these are right up there with the Nestle Tollhouse gluten-free version I bake at home. The only downside to these cookies is that they are addicting (is that a downside?) and you might be inclined to go back for seconds or thirds. One thing that I like about the packaging is that there are two plastic trays with seven cookies each sealed in plastic wrap. This means that if you open one bag, the other bag of cookies stays sealed and fresh.

I highly recommend these gluten-free cookies from Trader Joes to anyone – gluten-free or not.

Has anyone tried these cookies? What do you think?

Don’t forget that I’m hosting a giveaway contest once my Facebook & Twitter accounts hit 100 followers each. If you follow me on either social media sites, leave a comment *here* and you’ll be entered to win a batch of gluten-free cookies, NuNaturals Stevia & Artisana Nut Butter, plus an assortment of my favorite gluten-free protein bars.

Have fun today whether you’re watching the Super Bowl or just hanging out!

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Gluten-Free Superfood No-Bake Cookies + Giveaway Announcement

Welcome to Superbowl Weekend! Since I am not one bit interested in the Superbowl, I will be doing what a lot girls like to do when football games are on TV – reading magazines! I have never been a big sports fan and eating a bunch of chips and dip does not set well with my stomach anyway. So, I’ll be laying low, indulging in some girlie magazines and maybe cooking something in the kitchen. Speaking of cooking, I finally went to the grocery store today and stocked up on some much needed fresh produce. I feel like the only vegetables I ate over the past two weeks were either iceberg lettuce or steamed vegetables with dinner. I’m envisioning lots of green smoothies and salads in my future :)

I was excited to get back in the kitchen and whip up a healthy treat to share with you. Has anyone tried those Brookside dark chocolate pomegranate candies that they sell at Costco? I think I’ve seen them at Trader Joe’s too? Anyways, I wanted to combine them with some gluten-free Rice Crispies that I picked up at the store today. Here is your super-easy, quick gluten-free treat recipe:

Gluten-Free Superfood No-Bake Cookies

Makes 8 cookies

1 cup gluten-free Rice Crispies cereal

2 Tablespoons chopped dried cherries

2 Tablespoons sliced almonds

2 Tablespoons brown rice syrup

1 Tablespoon honey (or brown rice syrup. I just like the flavor and the health benefits of honey)

1/4 cup almond butter (or your favorite nut butter)

2 Tablespoons organic brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 Brookside dark chocolate pomegranate or acai candies or Trader Joe’s Superfruit candies

Pinch of sea salt

In a medium size bowl, mix the Rice Crispies, dried cherries and sliced almonds.

I am the only one who thought Rice Crispies were already gluten-free? I guess there is malt extract in the regular variety? These new ones are made with brown rice too!

In a small saucepan or microwave-safe dish, combine the brown rice syrup, honey and almond butter. Heat over medium heat until it starts to bubble or microwave on high for roughly 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, vanilla and salt and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture over the contents of the bowl and use a spatula or your hands to combine. Roll into 8 small balls and set on a piece of parchment paper. Push a chocolate covered candy into the center of each cookie. Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week, but they might harden over time.

Okay, well I’m off to take Layla for her walk and get together with one of my friends here in Redmond. Have a great day and let me know if you try the new cookie recipe. It’s super easy and takes maybe 5-10 minutes!

*** Giveaway Alert ***

As you may know, I have Facebook and Twitter accounts set up for the blog. Once each account hits 100 followers, I will draw a number and send a gluten-free gift pack to the winner. It will include a batch of gluten-free cookies, NuNaturals Stevia, Artisiana nut butter and an assortment of my favorite gluten-free protein bars. I’ll even throw Layla in there too! Haha – that would never happen!!! All you have to do is *like* my Facebook and/or Twitter accounts and leave a comment below stating that you did so. Feel free to leave two comments if you follow both accounts. I’ll announce the winner here on the blog, Twitter and Facebook once the drawing takes place. Any questions, just ask!

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Blueberry Crisp Protein Smoothie

Hi from Reno, Nevada! I’m typing this post as we lay in bed with news about the presidential candidates on the television. I am not political at all, but am making an effort to learn about the current candidates and their views. I’ve been taking a few photos with my iPhone since I flew in here and will post some of the fun ones once I’m home in a few days. For now, I’ll leave you with a delicious post-workout smoothie that I made a few days ago.

Blueberry Crisp Protein Smoothie

Serves 1 post-workout woman (or man)

1/2 cup frozen blueberries (try to find organic ones if possible)

1/2 frozen banana, broken into pieces

2 ice cubes

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed

1 Tablespoon oats (rolled or quick cook)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon maple extract

pinch of stevia

1 cup non-dairy milk (I used a unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

Place all of the ingredients in the blender and blend for about a minute. Enjoy!

I’ve been having fun making all different types of dessert smoothies lately. I might not be baking much, but I’m sure enjoying my “dessert flavored” protein smoothies.

Have a great day,

Kilee

Cleanse-Friendly Cookies

Hi! How is week 3 of the cleanse going for you? I hope that you are feeling energized and healthy. Today I wanted to share a new cleanse-friendly cookie recipe with you. I know that there are times when you just need a cookie or two. I came up with this recipe to satisfy your (and my) sweet tooth while still cutting out refined sugar, gluten and dairy products. The banana and maple syrup sweeten the cookies while the protein powder helps to keep your blood sugar levels from spiking. The only questionable ingredient in this recipe is the chocolate chips. Feel free to chop up an unsweetened chocolate baking bar or try out some of the “healthy” chocolate chips on the market by:

Enjoy Life Foods mini chocolate chips – dairy, gluten, nut & soy free

Dagoba Chocodrops – Fair trade organic chocolate

Chocolate Dream chocolate chips – dairy & gluten free

Some purists might argue that there is no room for a little chocolate on a cleanse. I disagree. This is a month long program and there is a tiny bit of room for a chocolate chip or too. Just keep your hand out of the bag while you’re adding the chocolate chips into the batter.

Cleanse-Friendly Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

Makes 12-16 cookies

1/2 cup gluten-free flour (I used Pamela’s brand)

1/2 cup vanilla brown rice protein powder (I used Sun Warrior brand)

1/2 cup gluten-free oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mashed banana

1/4 cup creamy almond butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375ºF. In a large mixing bowl stir the ground flaxseed, mashed banana, almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla together until completely mixed. In a medium mixing bowl stir the flour, protein powder, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined. Gently add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and add the chocolate chips. Stir until just combined.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment paper lined baking sheets. Push down with a spatula to lightly flatten each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the pan and then transfer to a wire baking rack.

Enjoy with glass of unsweetened almond or coconut milk. I will make these cookies even when I’m not on a cleanse!

Take care,

Kilee

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Orange Mango Green Smoothie

Hi! I just wanted to quickly share my new favorite post-workout green smoothie recipe with you.

Orange Mango Green Smoothie

Serves 1

1/2 scoop Sun Warrior Warrior Protein Powder

1/4 cup orange juice

1 large handful of spinach

1/2 a lemon or lime, peeled or unpeeled

1/2 green apple, diced

1/2 cup frozen mango chunks (I buy these at Trader Joe’s)

2-4 ice cubes

1/4 cup (give or take) filtered water

Place all of your ingredients in the blender in the order shown and blend on high for about a minute.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Smoothie

Happy New Year’s Eve! What are your plans for tonight? I can’t believe it, but we are actually going out down town Portland tonight. I’m more of a stay-at-home and make a bunch of good food on New Year’s Eve type of girl. However, Blake doesn’t get to see his friends from high school very much and a bunch of them are getting together in Portland tonight. It will be fun to go out and we’re going to go watch a girl from our high school’s band preform down town. I already picked out my sequin minidress to wear. I call it my “New Year’s” dress because it’s the only night of the year that I’d actually wear it.

I wanted to share my new favorite breakfast smoothie recipe with you. I swear it tastes exactly like a oatmeal raisin cookie is a smoothie form!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Smoothie

Serves 1

1 scoop vanilla protein powder of choice

1 frozen banana

few dashes of cinnamon

2 Tablespoons oats (quick cook or whole, it doesn’t matter)

1 Tablespoon raisins

1/2 – 1 Tablespoon nut butter (I used Artisiana Cashew Butter)

4 drops vanilla stevia (I used NuNaturals brand)

1-2 ice cubes

6-8 ounces unsweetened vanilla almond milk

drop or two of butter extract (optional)

Place all of the ingredients in a high powered blender and blend for about a minute.

I really liked Mastin’s post today on thedailylove.com. As much as I think it’s important to plan ahead and envision an amazing year full of goals and achievements, I think it’s equally important to reflect back on how much you’ve grown and learned this past year. Please take a moment to read his post and think about how far you’ve come this year.

I recognize that this year I have become little more understanding and forgiving of myself and others. I began to accept my weaknesses. I have shifted from a more fearful mindset into a more loving way of looking at my life. I have learned to have faith and trust that everything WILL work out the way that it’s supposed to, even if it seems scary. I am grateful for my health, my relationships with others and my opportunity to connect with others in person and through this blog.

This blog has been a space for me to preform some personal growth and hopefully offer inspiration and support to others trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. There is no ONE perfect way to live a healthy, balanced life, but rather a journey of learning what works and doesn’t work for each one of us. I’m thankful that I have had the opportunity to write out my thoughts, goals and passions here on this blog. I’m thankful to each reader who has taken the time to read what I write or to try out one of my recipes.

I believe that 2012 will be a year of huge personal and societal growth. Let’s reflect back on 2011 and think about how to make 2012 an even better, more exciting year filled with love.

Have fun tonight and please remember to be safe. Do not get behind the wheel if you have been drinking or get in a vehicle with a driver who has been drinking. Let’s celebrate responsibly.

If you are joining me in the January Cleanse/Weight Loss program, don’t forget to check out tomorrow’s guidelines here.

Cheers to a New Year,

Kilee

Workout Lesson Learned

Happy Friday! Anyone have any fun plans for the last full weekend before Christmas? I know what I will not be doing – shopping. I really dislike the crowds. I’m finishing up my Christmas shopping in my workout clothes in front of the computer. I try to make most of my Christmas gifts each year, but my crafty gifts don’t fit all the people on my list (like my Dad.)

Today I wanted to share a little bit about a recent experience I had regarding my workout routine. Because I’m still on my YouTube video kick, I sat down before this mornings workout to share a recent lesson I learned:

And, since I am continuing the theme of listing to my body and doing what it wants, I listened to my craving for funfetti cake (no, I’m not going to have the actual cake because of the gluten) and made myself a Funfetti Protein Shake to enjoy after my workout.

Funfetti Protein Shake

Serves 1 sweaty girl

1 frozen banana cut into 4-5 peices

2-3 ice cubes

3/4 – 1 cup non dairy milk (I used a mix of unsweetened almond & coconut milk)

1 scoop protein powder of chioce (I used vanilla whey)

tiny bit of almond extract

tiny bit of butter extract

pinch of salt

4-5 drops of stevia

1 teaspoon rainbow sprinkles

Place all of the ingredients in the blender except the sprinkles. Blend until well combined. Once it’s completely blended, add the sprinkles for fun and pour into a big glass. Enjoy!

I hope that this video resonated with you if you are in a position where you’re not enjoying your workouts. My challenge for you is to switch up your routine and start doing workouts that are fun for you!

Have a great day and please share if you’ve had a similar experience in the comments below.

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Peppermint Bark

Hi! After seeing Katie’s recipe for peppermint bark this morning, I ran to my kitchen to make my own. I made a few changes to her recipe and came up with this:

Peppermint Bark

Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

1/2 cup coconut butter (I used Artisiana brand)

1/4 cup cacao butter chips (I used Mountain Rose Herbs)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil (I used Artisiana brand)

2 Tablespoons agave

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Toppings: I used crushed mint M&M’s and sprinkles

Line a baking dish with tin foil (any size will do.) In a double broiler or microwave safe bowl, gently heat the coconut butter, cacao butter and coconut oil until melted. Stir in the agave and peppermint extract. Spread the mixture in your baking dish with a spatula. Sprinkle with toppings of your choice. Place in the freezer and allow to harden for approximately two hours. Break into smaller pieces and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

These are perfect to share with family and friends. They don’t even have to know that they’re healthy! They taste good enough to be consitered “normal” holiday treats.

I’m off to work on some projects. Have a great day,

Kilee

Green Smoothie Recipe

Hi! How is your weekend going so far? Mine has been wonderful. I had a friend over for dinner last night and we had lots of fun catching up. This morning has been nice and relaxing so far. Layla’s asleep on the couch and I have been playing Celine Dion’s Christmas album and sitting by the tree.

Today I wanted to share with you my guidelines for making a green smoothie. There are endless variations of how to make a green smoothie. I started making these green drinks a few years back after seeing them on blogs. I was reintroduced to them by Robyn Openshaw (the Green Smoothie Girl) at one of her workshops and when I read Kimberly Snyder’s book, The Beauty Detox Solution. Each of these women have a plethera of green smoothie information and recipes.

Onto my green smoothies. The basis of green smoothies is that you take a bunch of leafy greens, vegetables, a little fruit, some ice and water and blend it all together. You can mix and match difference vegetables and fruits depending on your taste buds and what you have on hand. There is no “one” recipe. Each day’s smoothie will and should be a little different. Yesterday I used spinach, cucumber, cilantro, lime and apple and today I used spinach, kale, cilantro, grapefruit, lime and banana. It’s important to vary and rotate the types of greens, vegetable and fruits that you use so your body has a chance to absorb different nutrients each day. If you continue to eat the exact same type of food day in and day out, your body is more likely to develop a sensitivity to it over time. Remember to use a wide variety of vegetables and fruits and to try out new combinations daily.

It is advised to drink at least one green smoothie a day. I go through periods of time where I have a large green smoothie each day, and they I’ll go a few weeks without having one. This past week I started to crave my green smoothies again, so they are back into my daily routine. One big thing that I notice when I drink them regularly, is that my skin looks more vibrant and has less acne. I also feel like I have more energy and my digestion feels better. Wait, why did I stop drinking these? Anyway, please play around with different recipes and find a green smoothie that rocks your world. You can start off with more fruit and taper down on the fruit as your taste buds adapt to the bitter greens.

This is just a guideline. I never use a “set” recipe and will often test the smoothie and then add more of whatever ingredient it may need.

Green Smoothie Recipe

Serves 1

2 handfuls spinach – or leafy green of choice

1-2 kale leaves

1/2 lime (peeled or with peel) – or lemon

1/4 cup cilantro – or fresh herb of choice

1/2 a peeled grapefruit – of 1/2 cup fruit of choice

1/4 frozen banana – this helps with the creaminess and sweetness

handful of ice

4-6 oz filtered water

few drops of stevia – if you need it sweeter

sprinkle of cinnamon (helps to slow the absorption of sugar)

Place all of your ingredients besides the ice in a blender. Blend until the vegetables and fruit are “juice-like.” Add the ice and any additional ingredients and blend.

While drinking the smoothie, try to let each sip sit in your mouth and “chew” it a bit.

“Chewing actually starts the digestive process using enzymes in the mouth.  Chewing also triggers the stomach to recognize that food is coming and to start preparing the acids and enzymes it needs for digestion. Breaking the veggies down also allows for the release of many of the phytonutrients and antioxidants they contain without the digestive system having to work so hard.  With these nutrients more easily available, the body can start its rebuilding and repair projects quicker and easier.” — from “Green Smoothies: Pros & Cons.

What are your favorite green smoothie combinations? I love green apple, lime, cucumber and basil. I’m going to go take Layla for her walk and have a relaxing afternoon.

Have a great day!

Kilee

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Funfetti Protein Mug Cake

Things just got a little more exciting around here! I’m not sure about you, but gluten-free, low-sugar, high-protein microwaved mug cakes get me pretty excited. Lately, I have been lifting heavier weights and trying to build lean muscles. This means upping my protein intake and decreasing my sugary, gluten-free baked goods. Well, I was getting bored. I can only go so many days without “treating” myself, so I made up a new recipe to share with you. Of course, I really had your best interest in mind while creating this little gem. I wasn’t dying to make something healthy that tasted like a funfetti cupcake or anything like that. Haha! You know me too well ;)

If you only want to eat a 100-calorie treat, just make the cake and forgo the frosting. If you need a serious sweet-tooth kicking dessert, I highly recommend the frosting. Just be careful, if you frost the cake before it cools, you are going to have melted frosting. Without further ado, here’s the recipe that made my night:

Funfetti Protein Mug Cake

Based off of this recipe on Run. Eat. Repeat.

Serves 1

1 scoop vanilla Sun Warrior brown rice protein powder

2 Tablespoons egg whites

2 Tablespoons pumpkin

1 Tablespoon unsweetened almond milk

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 packet stevia

dash of salt, baking powder, baking soda

1 teaspoon sprinkles

Spray the inside of a mug with non-stick cooking spray. Mix all of your ingredients in the mug with a fork until well combined. Microwave on high for 1:30-2:00 minutes or until fully cooked. Run a knife around the edge of the mug and invert onto a plate or paper towel. Allow to cool. Frost with protein frosting, if desired.

Frosting:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon cashew butter (optional)

2-3 teaspoons vanilla Sun Warrior brown rice protein powder

dash of salt

In a separate bowl, combine the frosting ingredients until they resemble frosting. Once the cake has cooled, top with the frosting. This makes the perfect high-protein, low-sugar treat!

Let me know if you try it. I am trying to resist the urge to make one right this very second. Have a great day!

Much love,

Kilee

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Tasty Tuesday: Single Serving Pumpkin Pudding

Hi! How are you doing this morning? I’m happy and healthy up here in Fairbanks. I managed to run around the lake without falling on the ice yesterday. Layla ran with me the whole way. She loves going on runs, but only if I stop a million times for her to sniff random leaves.

I ventured out to Freddies last night because the roads were safe enough for me to drive on and I had a craving for something sweet. I purposefully did not buy any candy corn or sweets when I stocked up on groceries last time. My justification for indulging last night’s craving was that you needed a new low-calorie dessert recipe here on the blog. I stuck with the pumpkin theme that pops up everywhere this time of the year. Here is your single-serving (so you don’t over-indulge) pumpkin pudding.

Single Serving Pumpkin Pudding

serves 1 sweet tooth

1/4 cup vanilla goat yogurt (or whatever type of yogurt you prefer)

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 Tablespoon instant vanilla pudding mix (you can use the FF/SF, but it won’t taste as good)

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 Tablespoons Truwhip + more for garnish

Mix the yogurt, pumpkin and instant pudding together with a fork in a small dish or mug. Stir in the pumpkin pie spice. Gently fold in the Truwhip and add a drop on top for garnish. Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon and you have a 130 calorie treat for the night!

I couldn’t help but share this pic of Layla in her jammies. It’s too cold to leave her in the car for long, so I put these on before we left for the store.

Have a great day!

Kilee

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“Tasty” Tuesday

Good morning! How is your week going so far? Mine has been nice and relaxing. Layla and I went for our walk, I worked on my lap top most of the day, did my workout and cooked dinner. My time spent up here in Alaska has been the perfect opportunity to work on my personal growth and focus on how I can create my best life. Helping others learn to feel good about themselves and inspiring them to live their best life are two aspects of my consulting business that I make me proud of the work that I do.

From now on, Tuesday’s posts will feature all sorts of info related to healthy foods, recipes and nutrition. Since I’ve been having a serious baking withdrawal l want to share my super-healthy, gluten-free, no-sugar-added cookies that I made a few weeks back.

Quinoa Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

1/2 cup Ancient Harvest quinoa flakes

1 scoop Sun Warrior vanilla brown rice protein powder

1 Tablespoon ground flax seed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 packets of stevia (I use Trader Joe’s brand)

pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup cage-free egg whites

1 Tablespoon almond butter (I used raw, unsalted creamy)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 square of Baker’s chocolate ( I used the semi-sweet, but use whatever kind you prefer)

2 Tablespoons dried cranberries

Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites, almond butter and vanilla. Set aside. In a medium bowl, stir the quinoa flakes, protein powder, ground flax seed, cinnamon, stevia and sea salt until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the liquid is absorbed. The dough will be slightly crumbly. Chop the chocolate square and dried cranberries. Add them to the cookie dough. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before eating.

* I calculated the calorie count for these cookies and it came to roughly 50 cal/cookie!*

I’m warning you though; if you are craving a Nestle Tollhouse cookie, these are not going to satisfy your craving. However, if you are following a reduced calorie diet and need a sweet, healthy treat, these should fill the void.

My mom’s friend shared an innovative recipe blog with me that has me drooling at my computer screen. Check out http://gojee.com. They have a cool feature where you type an ingredient that you have on hand and they’ll show you multiple recipes that call for that ingredient. I haven’t tried any of their recipes yet, but they all look amazing!

Let me know if you try out these low-calorie cookies or visit the gojee.com website. Have a great day!

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Cilantro Lime Chicken Wrap

Hi! I’m sharing a recipe that I frequently make for lunch or a filling afternoon snack. It’s naturally gluten-free and tastes refreshing thanks to the lime juice.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Wrap

2 whole collard green leaves with the tough part of the stems removed

3 1/2 ounces grilled chicken breast (I like to season mine with Caribbean Mrs. Dash seasoning)

1/4 cup shredded carrots

6 grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1/4 avocado, sliced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 fresh lime wedges

pinch of sea salt, optional

Divide all of your wrap fillings between the two collard green leaves. Squeeze the limes over the fillings. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Wrap up like a burrito and dig in!

This is a quick and simple recipe once you have prepped all of your ingredients. You can even double the recipe when prepping your ingredients and leave them in the refrigerator for a super-quick lunch the following day.

What are some of your favorite lunchtime wrap combinations? I love turkey breast with chevre & cranberry sauce as well as hummus with shredded carrots and Sriracha sauce.

Have a great day!

Baked Gluten-Free Falafel Wrap

Hi! I hope that you are having a lovely day so far :) I was able to sneak in a long walk with Layla this morning and one of my favorite workout DVDs, Tone It Up’s Tone & Sculpt. I blended up a cherry lime whey protein smoothie afterwards. It was super refreshing!

I wanted to share one of my favorite lunch recipes with you today. I like to bake a batch of the falafels on Sunday and use them throughout the week.

Baked Gluten-Free Falafel Wrap

Baked Falafels

Gluten-Free Vegan Cheesey Kale Salad

Hi everyone! I’m happy to report that after a day home from work and spent in bed with Layla, I’m back to feeling good. Sometimes I think that exercise can pull you out of feeling sick. (Not always. Listen to your body. My body said “no exercise” the past two days, so I didn’t, but today was another story.) This morning Layla and I went on our morning walk and then after work I took her on a 25-minute run and then I did a 20-minute yoga podcast off of iTunes. She did not participate in the yoga session because she’d rather fling her bones around and run up and down the stairs.

I finished my yoga with a chakra-meditation and I have to say that I am feeling quite energized. I’ve read a bit about balancing one’s chakras, but have never fully practiced it until now. Don’t worry; I’m not going to get too “woo-woo” as Blake would say. I’m just working on my meditation and spiritulaity practices.

Onto my recipe of the day. I created this salad because I love kale salads and wanted to make one with a cheesey flavor. Nutritional yeast is great for vegans or people like me who mostly avoid dairy products. Make sure that you actually massage the kale or it won’t taste as good!

Gluten-Free Vegan Cheesey Kale Salad

Serves 2-4

1 bunch kale (I don’t know the exact variety I used, but it was green and firm)

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Dressing:

1/4 cup Veganaise (or organic mayo if you choose)

3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

Juice of 1/2 a lime

1 Tablespoon filtered water

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (I always use Braggs brand)

1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Chipolte blend

1/4 teaspoon coarse red sea salt

1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

Wash and dry the kale leaves. Remove the tough stems from the kale. Slice the kale leaves into 1/4″ slices. Place them in a salad bowl.

To make the salad dressing: place all of your ingredients in your Magic Bullet, blender or food processor. Blend until well combined. Pour the salad dressing over the kale. Now, it’s time to roll up your sleves and get a little messy. Begin to massage the kale until it starts to lose some of it’s firmness (about a minute or two.) Add the shredded carrots and sliced tomatoes and toss. Refridgerate until ready to serve. This salad makes about two meal-sized salads or four side salads.

I have copied many of New Season’s Market’s salad recipes. Let’s see if I can get them to copy this one of mine ;)  And, I will end this post by showing that even healthy chefs like myself, will sometimes randomly throw items together and call it dinner. Tonight I enjoyed my cheesey kale salad with a brown rice tortilla filled with sliced turkey, Trader Joe’s masala lentil dip and whole seed mustard. Random, but tasty. Tip: I always heat my brown rice tortillas in a skillet before eating them because it gives them a softer texture than straight out of the bag.

Let me know if you try the salad out. I promise that it’s a keeper. Have a great day today!

Take care,

Kilee

Gluten-Free Vegan Mocha Ice Cream

Hey hey! How are you doing? I’m feeling just a little under the weather tonight, so I’m going to lay low the rest of the evening. Before heading to bed to read, I decided that I needed a sweet treat that was cold and did not involve driving to the nearest fro-yo shop. (We have 3 within a 1-mile radius.) My mind wandered back to last summer, when I made banana soft-serve just about every night. My banana soft serve is loosely based off of Averie’s. She always comes up with such good flavor combos!

Gluten-Free Vegan Mocha Ice Cream

Serves 1-2

1 cup cut-up frozen bananas

1/3 cup vanilla coconut milk (The kind sold in the refrigerated section nowadays. You might need more or less depending on the consistency that you desire)

2 Tablespoons raw cacao powder

1/2 of a Starbucks Via Decaf Italian Roast packet

Stevia to taste or your favorite sweetener

Put all of your ingredients into a high-powered blender. Slowly turn it to high speed for roughly 30 seconds. You may need to stop the blender and use a spoon to stir the bananas or use your tamper while blending. After the “ice cream” has fully blended, transfer it into a serving dish or two and place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes until it is the consistency that you prefer. You can pretend that you are at your favorite fro-yo shop and top it with fun toppings. I topped mine with some sweetened raw cacao nibs. Delish!

So, I’m going to call it a night. My friend lent me Mona Lisa Schultz’s, “The New Feminine Brain” and I can’t wait to start reading it.

Readers: Have you tried banana soft-serve before? What’s your favorite flavor?

Trader Joe’s Loot

Hi! I hope that you are thoroughly enjoying your week this week. I have to admit that I’ve been feeling pretty sleepy after last weekend. This afternoon at work I started to think about things that I really enjoy doing and make me feel like “me.” Cooking dinner came to mind. I’m not sure about your summer cooking regime, but mine includes throwing a salad together or heating up random ingredients in a skillet. Tonight was going to be different. I decided to find a recipe that looked tasty, go grocery shopping for the ingredients, put my comfy clothes on, pour a glass of red wine and cook a real meal.

Luckily, Megan at Healthy Hoggin posted a delicious sounding broccoli soup recipe here. I headed to Trader Joe’s with my shopping list in hand and loaded up the basket. I tend to always grab the little hand basket and about half-way through my shopping trip wish that I had taken a shopping cart instead! Here were all of my ingredients and impulse purchases:

Zico Chololate Coconut Water (my friend, Gina, raved about this and I have yet to try it,) Charles Shaw Cabernet Savonion, Organic Broccoli Slaw, Organic Broccoli Florets, Crunchy Curls Lentil & Potato Chips, Graprefruit, Lemon, Lime, Bananas, Orgainic Eggs, Cafe-free Egg Whites, Mix of Chopped Onion, Carrots & Celery, Hummus Dressing, Mandala Lentil Dip, Organic Blueberries, Organic Grape Tomatoes, Oragnic Greek Yogurt, Raw Goat’s Milk Cheddar, Nitrate-free Turkey Breast, Brown Rice Wraps (refridgerate these – mine started to mold when left out on the counter,) Greek Salad & most importantly, Layla’s bones.

Isn’t it fun to see what other people buy at the grocery store? My sister rolled her eyes as I took the photo of my Trader Joe’s loot. Okay, back to dinner. I followed Megan’s recipe as closely as I can follow a recipe (I like the bend the rules, alot) and it still turned out delicious.

My mug of soup was topped with a little freshly group white pepper, a pinch of Hawaiian Red Sea Salt and a drizzle of Organic Garlic Olive Oil. I added a side salad with my new hummus dressing. I urge you to try this healthy, brocolli soup recipe when you have about an hour’s time to cook dinnner.

Let’s take a little T.V. break. I DVR most of the shows that I watch, so I’m probably not caught up with you. But, here are the shows I’m loving this summer: The Voice (I’m not done, so don’t spoil who wins,) The Bachelorette (Ben’s my favorite) & The Kardashians (classic.) What are you favorite shows this summer?

Edited to show Layla’s contribution to dinner clean-up:

Healthy No-Bake Cookies

Happy “almost the weekend” day! I had a jam-packed day yesterday. Layla and I were up and on our run by 6:30 am. Then I worked all day, used a groupon to for a mani-pedi, stopped at Target for my last minute weekend trip necessities, made some dinner, packed my bags and made up a new recipe.

Sometimes I get asked how I come up with new recipes. There are three ways that I usually develop new recipes:

a. I obsessively search google images for the type of recipe that I want to make. I then choose the three recipes that look the best and morph them into my own new recipe.

b. A lot of the time I get inspired by a fellow blogger’s recipe, or one out of Bon Appetite or the Oregonian FoodDay section. Because I have a really hard time following a recipe, I usually make changes to it as I prepare the dish.

c. I get an urge to bake something sweet, look in the pantry at what I have on hand, mix something up and cross my fingers that it turns out.

They all sound so sophisticated and scientific, right? Not so much. Sometimes the recipes turn out, sometimes they go in the garbage. I have fun in the kitchen and that’s all that really counts. Which leads me to today’s kitchen experiment, No-Bake Cookies.

I needed to make some “easy to pack” cookies that did not involve the oven because it’s hot (85 degrees) in Portland today. For today’s new recipe I used all three methods mentioned above. First I googled “healthy no bake cookies” and came across Angela’s recipe. From there, I opened up my cupboard to see what I had to work with. This girl does not like driving to the store for baking ingredients, so I try to keep a well-stocked pantry. I’m pleased with how they turned out, but they aren’t perfect. Give me two more attempts and they will be. Third times a charm when it comes to my recipes.

Healthy No-Bake Cookies

Adapted from Oh She Glows

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats

1 cup Enjoy Life Perkey’s Flax Crunch Cereal

1 cup trail mix

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Your choice: 2 Tablespoons chia seeds, 2 Tablespoons buckwheat, 2 Tablespoons raw sunflower seeds, 2 Tablespoons goji berries, etc.

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup almond butter

1 large banana, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of espresso powder

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan, over low heat, melt the chocolate chips with almond butter, stirring occasionally.

Once the chocolate has melted, add the mashed banana, vanilla and espresso powder.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Drop by tablespoons onto the cookie sheet.

Place the cookies in the freezer for an hour or two. Enjoy them straight from the freezer or let them thaw for 20 minutes first.

Let me know if you try them. I want to play around with this recipe a little more.

I’ll be MIA this weekend. I’m headed to Black Butte to celebrate my friend’s bachelorette weekend. I’m super excited to go and spend time with my girl friends. I hope that you have a great weekend and don’t forget to enter my Purebar Giveaway!!!

Purebar Giveaway

Hi everyone! How was your 4th of July weekend? I hope that you had a fun and safe 4th and used some of my tips for staying healthy over the holiday weekend. I was a party-pooper this weekend. I worked Saturday and Sunday and by the time that I got home Sunday afternoon, I knew that I would be better off staying home and relaxing than battling the traffic to rush to the coast and then rush home for work Tuesday morning. So, I took a whole 24 hours to hang out with Layla.

There were lots of walks:

Hours spent on the couch watching the Cooking Channel, E! & Bravo:

And a little time spent doing chores around the house:

I did however, show my patriotism through my snacks yesterday:

I was chuckling to myself as I made my deviled eggs the other night because I was using Veganaise to make them. Has anyone seen the Eggies infomercial? It instantly made me crave deviled eggs!

With the 3 day weekend wrapping up and having to head back to work today, I thought that this would be the perfect day for a giveaway. A lovely friend of mine, who works with Purebar, was kind enough to send me a whole box of Purebars and Promax bars. I love how natural the ingredient list is:

All of the bars are gluten-free & vegan and half of them are certified organic. The two chocolate flavors are my favorite (surprize) and are such a welcomed treat for snacktime. She also sent two samples of the stevia-sweetenend Promax bar. I wish I could say that I was a fan of these bars, but they had a funny texture and taste. Have any of you tried them? What did you think?

That brings us to the giveaway. One lucky reader will receive this box of Purebars and Promax bars and a batch of healthy cookies baked by moi. All that you have to do is leave a comment in the comment box below and tell me what your favorite type of “bar” is. I will randomly select a winner on Sunday, July 10th at 9 p.m. Pacific time. Everyone may leave one comment entry below unless you want a bonus entry. You may submit bonus entries by:

(a) posting a link to the giveaway on your Facebook wall

(b) tweeting about the giveaway on your Twitter or

(c) sending out an email about the giveaway to at least 5 of your friends.

You may add one bonus entry per method mentioned above.

For those who have Twitter, I have recently joined. You can follow me here.

Have a great day and don’t forget to enter the Purebar giveaway!!!

4th of July Menu

Happy 4th of July Weekend! I hope that you are having a fabulous weekend so far. I started off my Friday with a 6 mile run after work and then headed to my friend, McKenzie’s house for a delicious gluten-free dinner. She made gluten-free pasta with grape tomatoes, broccoli and chicken sausage and served it with a spinach salad and some yummy wine. To top it all off, she baked strawberry shortcake with Pamela’s baking mix, fresh strawberries from the farm near her house and homemade whipped cream. It was an amazing, relaxing, fun and much-needed girlie evening. Love you Kenze!

This 4th of July, I will not be cooking or baking anything, but I have a little menu planned for what I would have made if I were to be hosting a party. Here’s what my party menu would include:

Spinach and Strawberry Salad by Whole Foods

Caramelized Onion Stuffed Turkey Burger with Guacamole, Fresh Spinach & Feta by Broke & Healthy

My Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Vegetarian Maple Baked Beans by GF-zing

Summer Berry Trifle by Unconventional Kitchen

Don’t all of these recipes sound delicious? I have a nice, fun-filled weekend planned. After I finish up with work tomorrow, I’m dropping Layla off at the doggie hotel and headed home to Gearhart, OR for the 4th. I’ll be following some of my tips while celebrating this patriotic holiday. I hope that you have a happy & safe 4th of July.

Reader: What are your plans for the weekend?

Summer Quinoa Salad

Hi! How is your week going so far? I have been happy knowing that at the end of this week, we get to celebrate the 4th of July with a 3-day weekend. Layla will be staying at a doggie hotel for two whole nights while I get a little break back at the coast.

(source: Portland Ground: Pictures of Portland Oregon)

I started getting back into running recently and have been having a blast running with my friend, Tonya. We started tonight’s trail run at Sellwood park. It got a little dangerous when we took a closed-off hazardous trail that included a dirt cliff and us hopping a fence and crossing some train tracks. We survived – haha!

I wanted to share a new salad recipe with you today. I will forever credit Jennie Brouse for introducing me to her quinoa salads. There were a a few quinoa salads that I had tried in the past, but nothing like hers. Today’s recipe is an adaptation of her classic quinoa salad.

Summer Quinoa Salad

I cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1 cooked beet, chopped

1 cup raw zucchini, chopped

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup cooked corn kernals

1 cup fresh asparagus, cut into 1/2″ peices

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Soak the quinoa is hot water for 10 minutes. Drain in fine mesh sieve. Add the quinoa to two cups of boiling water in a medium size sauce pan. Cover and cook at a medium simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest with the cover for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool to room temperature.

2. Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with the vinegar and olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

I love to pack this as a quick lunch or snack on a smaller portion of it. You can also substitute any of the ingredients with other types of vegetables. For example, I don’t really care for beets, but I try to make myself eat them because they are so healthy. If I’m really not feeling like beets, I would just use more zuchini in place of the beets. Or, if you prefer feta to goat cheese, go for it. The mixing and matching of ingredients is a fun way to make their salad your own!

My salads all packed up for the week.

I then pre-pack my salads for the week and I am ready to easily grab one from the fridge and take with to work each day. See how time-efficient you can be by doing your grocery shopping and meal prep on the weekends? I’m off to go play with Layla. She has been begging to play and chew on her bones.

Carrot Poppy Seed Salad

Hi! How is everything going today? We are just breezing through the week already. I had such a good time after work today. I met up with an old friend (who happens to be dating my cousin) and went for trail run over in SW Portland. If any of you are runners out there, you know how good an early summer run around 6pm feels. There were lots of hills and the scenery was straight out of the movie Twilight. For all you Twilight fans out there, Blake’s sister got married at The View Point Inn last summer. This was where Bella & Edward’s prom was filmed. Her wedding was absolutely beautiful!

Anyway, back to the kitchen! This past Sunday I prepped all of my salads and snacks for the week. It was so much fun to take all my fresh produce and create enough salads to last me through the work week. I even packaged them in individual container so that they would easy to grab on my way out the door in the morning.

Here’s the first one based off of a salad from the New Season’s deli case.

Carrot Poppy Seed Salad

2 cups shredded carrots (you can buy the bags of pre-shredded one or shred the carrots yourself)

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

1/2 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Dressing:

3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (or substitute lemon juice)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon Penzey’s Sate seasoning (or 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt with a pinch of garlic powder)

1/2 teaspoon Mountain Rose Herb’s West Indes Rub (or 1/4 teaspoon powdered garlic, teaspoon black pepper, with a pinch of powdered ginger)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

In a small bowl or magic bullet, combine the lime juice, olive oil, spices and salt. Place the carrots, garbanzo beans and cilantro in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds. You can store this is the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

I’m off to read the newest issue of “Whole Living” magazine. Does anyone else get that one? Have a great day!

Raw French Macarons

Hi! How did eveyone’s weekend go? Mine has been wonderful. I got to see most of my family Saturday afternoon for my cousin’s college graduation party. Congrats Alee!!! The party was hosted at Bluehour in the pearl district. Appetizers and drinks were served. I wasn’t very hungry, but my cousin said that the food was good.

I made Alee some raw french macarons as a present. I had some Living Intentions Raw Superflour blend to use up and I’ve had french macarons on my mind ever since my friend, Laura’s bridal shower. (More on that to come later this week.)

The "Real McCoy" French Macarons

So, I played around in the kitchen Friday afternoon. Here’s what I came up with:

Raw French Macarons

Makes about 18 macarons

2 1/2 cups unsweetened, dried coconut  (or) 1 cup jarred coconut butter

1 cup unsweetened, dried coconut

1 1/4 cups Living Intentions Sprouted Super Flour

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Filling:

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil

3 Tablespoons agave nectar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

To make the cookies:

In a high powered blender, blend the 2 1/2 cups shredded coconut on low to medium speed until the consistency is that of coconut butter. Or, place your cup of jarred coconut butter in the blender. Add all of the remaining ingredients besides the filling to the blender. Blend on low to medium speed until all of the ingredients are well combined.

Roll the dough with a rolling pin until it is 3/8″ thick. Use a circular cookie cutter the size of a quarter to cut out the cookies. I used the cap to a vitamin jar and it worked perfectly. Transfer the cookies to your mesh-lined dehydrator tray. Dehydrate for about 18 hours; until the edges of the cookies are crisp.

To make the filling:

Using an electric blender and a chilled bowl, blend all of the filling ingredients at medium to high speed. Once the filling is fluffy, put it in a pastry bag or zip-lock bag. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

To assemble the macarons:

Remove the filling from the refrigerator about two hours before you want to use it and allow it to come to room temperature. If you are somewhere very warm, you might want check the filling every half hour to make sure that it isn’t melting. If using a zip-lock bag, cut the tip off a bottom corner of the bag. Pipe about a teaspoon worth of filling onto a cookie. Top it with another cookie and gently press them together. Once you have filled the macarons, place them back in the refrigerator to set. Serve at room temperature. These should last for about a week in the fridge, but I honestly doubt that someone could just let them sit in there that long ;)

I tried one of these and it was delish! My sister and her friend both agreed, so I thought that I’d share them with you. I recommend using a Vita-mix blender and an Excalibur dehydrator for this recipe.

Gluten-Free Pizza Guide

Hi! Are you all feeling inspired after my inspiration board post? Today I wanted to share some of my favorite ways to satisfy a pizza craving while still avoiding gluten. As you might already know, pizza crust is made with wheat flour, which contains gluten. Sometimes I miss eating regular pizza, but like every other type of glutinous food craving that I get, I find a way to fulfill it.

Frozen Pizza

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Luckily, we have many gluten-free pizza options. If I need a frozen pizza, Amy’s gluten-free pizzas have a rice flour crust and come in both dairy cheese and dairy-free cheese varieties. I especially like the spinach & tomato one.

I’m kind of ashamed to say that it’s the only brand of frozen pizza that I have tried, but most gluten-free pizzas are expensive and if I already know that I like Amy’s, why should I risk it?

Homemade Pizza

(source: glutenfreemommy.com)

Now, if you are feeling a little more gourmet and in the mood to make your own gluten-free pizza dough from scratch, Gluten-Free Mommy has a good recipe posted here.

(source: glutenhatesme.com)

Or, if you want to make a super-quick pizza, take a brown rice tortilla, spread some pizza sauce, sprinkle your favorite cheese (low-moisture mozzarella or mozzarella Daiya non-dairy cheese work well,) and load up on lots of vegetables (mushrooms, spinach, onion, olives, sweet potato slices, broccoli, etc.) Bake at 400º for 10-12 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Simple and satisfying!

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Or, if you want to go completely vegetable crazy, remove the stems from whole portobello mushrooms. Coat the mushroom caps with a little olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme and balsamic vinegar. Pre-heat the oven to 350º. Place the mushroom caps with the gills-side down on a lightly oiled pan and bake for 15 minutes.Remove from the oven and turn the caps over and top with pizza sauce, veggies and cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Eating Out

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Sometimes you just want to go out for a slice of (or whole) pizza! If that’s the case, and you don’t know where to go, then google it. I usually just type in, “gluten-free pizza” plus whatever town I’m in. Up pops a list of pizzerias serving gluten-free pizza. If you happen to live in the Portland area, Bellagio’s has my favorite personal size gluten-free pizzas. Or, check out glutenfreeportland.org’s list of pizza spots around Portland.

More and more national pizza chains are starting to offer gluten-free crust. I know that Garlic Jim’s gluten-free pizzas are really popular.

If you are trying to watch your waistline while enjoying some pizza, here are three tips to slash some calories:

1. Avoid fattening meat toppings. Pepperoni, sausage and meatballs are loaded with extra fat and sodium.

2. Ask for half the cheese. Trust me, you will not even miss it. Then next time you order pizza, try it without any cheese and see how you like it. Well, this may be taking a little too much of the fun out of pizza, but it’s a great option for vegans and people with a dairy-intollerance.

3. Have 1 slice of pizza along with a large green salad. This way, you get to enjoy some pizza and fill up your stomach with lots of fresh vegetables. Just be sure not to drown your salad in creamy dressing. Try to add a little vinaigrette instead.

If none of there pizza options are available to you, here is another pizza-flavored meal that I love, pizza salad. I made this the other night when I went to grab a brown rice tortilla and it was moldy – eww!

Pizza Salad

2 cups mixed greens

1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato

5 Kalamata olives, sliced

1/4 cup sliced mushrooms (baby bellas work great)

2 tablespoons grated cheese (parmesan, pecorino romano, mozzarella, etc.)

1/4 cup pizza sauce

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 fresh basil leaves, sliced

sea salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a large salad bowl. Toss and serve. This seriously satisfied my pizza craving the other night!

I hope that these gluten-free pizza tips with help you find a new way to indulge your pizza cravings. Does anyone have any amazing gluten-free pizza suggestions? I’m all ears :)

Wednesday Meals

Hi! How is your day going so far? Mine has been wonderful; partly because I realized we were already half way through the week. Gotta love Monday holidays! I thought that it might be fun to show you my meals today because I just happen to have my camera sitting on the kitchen table all day. These are all one-dish meals that I threw together in 15 minutes or less.

Breakfast: Breakfast Burrito Scramble

I cooked organic scrambled eggs, cut-up brown rice tortilla, veggies with Mexican blend Mrs. Dash and topped it with some pico de gallo. A very healthy and filling way to start my day!

Lunch: Salad

Arugula and mixed greens with chickpeas and my new tahini-lemon dressing recipe.

Dinner: Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

Organic chicken breast with veggies and a little oriental orange sauce that I mixed up.

I spent a total of less than an hour in the kitchen today and enjoyed three homemade meals. As you can see, eating healthy, gluten-free meals can be easy, quick and oh so good!

Tonight I want to feature some of my favorite websites that inspire me to be my best each day. I think that I’ve mentioned some of these in the past, but they are each so fabulous, that I want to remind everyone to check them out!

The Daily Love

I subscribe to their daily newsletter and it truly is one of the best parts of my day. Mastin Kipp writes amazing and inspirational advice and I love the quotes section of the newsletter. This is one to check out a.s.a.p. and sign up for the daily newseltter. I promise that it will add joy and happiness to your day!

Tone It Up

These are my favorite celebrity trainers! I wish that I could work out with them everyday. Karena and Katrina are so positive and fun to listen to. They have awesome workout videos that are set on the California beach. One day, I’m going to go visit their studio and work out with the ToneItUp team!

I Heart Wellness

Kris Britton has a lovely blog dedicated to allergy-free recipes and inspiration to follow your passion. She is always coming up with new yummy, allergy-free recipes. She also offers a lot of advice for following your passion and living your dream. And, she sells her gluten-free cookies on Etsy. She is one busy girl!

What are some of your favorite websites? I’d love to hear what ones you check out regularly. I’m off to clean up the house for a little get-together that we’re hosting tomorrow night. Have a great evening!

How to Make a Recipe Gluten-Free

Layla joined me on a fun little nature hike this weekend

It was so "Twilight-esque"

Hi! I hope that you had a chance to relax and kick back a little this past weekend. Having one extra day to finish up the weekend to-do list, lounge around and get out and enjoy the semi-nice weather was great! More importantly, I want to give thanks to the veterans, soldiers and their amazing families. I am humbly grateful for your service and sacrifice.

As you know, I love to cook and am constantly browsing through cookbooks, Bon Appetite and food blogs looking for new recipes to try. Often times, a recipe that looks delicious contains gluten. There are a few quick and easy ingredient swaps that I use the first time that I try a new recipe. Sometimes the recipe turns out fantastic, other times it needs a little more work. Here are some of my go-to ways to turn a glutinous recipe into a gluten-free one.

How to Make a Recipe Gluten-Free

1. Flour - If a sauce or soup call for a little flour, I’ll substitute half the amount called for with corn starch. If it’s a major ingredient in the recipe (muffin or cookie) I’ll use my favorite brand of gluten-free flour, Better Batter. Another blend that I mix myself is:  1 ¼ cup brown rice flour, 1 ¼ cup white rice flour, 1 cup sweet rice flour, 1 cup tapioca flour, 2 teaspoon xantham gum.

2. Pasta – This is an easy one! Tinkyada brand brown rice pasta comes a variety of pasta shapes. The brown rice pasta from Trader Joe’s is excellent too. I have a feeling that it’s actually the Tinkyada one repackaged ;) Play around with the cooking times because I find that gluten-free pasta takes a little longer to cook than regular pasta.

3. Bread Crumbs – There are gluten-free bread crumbs available for purchase, but I have never bought them before. I like to crush either corn flakes or gluten-free crackers in a zip-loc bag with a rolling pin.

4. Soy Sauce – Regular soy sauce contains wheat. My favorite substitute is wheat-free tamari. Tamari is also made from fermented soybeans and tastes very similar to soy sauce. Always start with less tamari than the amount of soy sauce that is called for. You can always add more if you need to.

These are some of my regular ingredient swaps. Sometimes I have to get a little more creative than others, but it’s always fun to try new recipes out! Let me know some of your favorite ways to make a recipe gluten-free?

Go Gluten-Free Guide

Happy Memorial Day! I am very pleased to announce my new gluten-free program that I am offering my readers:

Go Gluten-Free Guide

After spending the last three and a half years trying out gluten-free foods, creating delicious gluten-free recipes and learning all about hidden sources of gluten, I have prepared a full guide completely devoted to transitioning into a gluten-free lifestyle. This program gives you the tools that you need to painlessly and deliciously eat gluten-free without missing all of the foods that you used to eat.

I have prepared a list of foods that are naturally gluten-free and a list of foods to avoid at all costs. I typed up a gluten-free grocery shopping list, meal ideas and included some of my favorite gluten-free recipes. Because I want to personally help you make this transition as easy as possible, the program includes a (50-min) phone consultation to address your gluten-free needs and email correspondence for questions that arise on your program. As a bonus, I am including a complimentary restaurant ordering guide that will help you avoid gluten while you are eating out.

Please feel free to check out the program details here and ask any questions using the comment box.

Have a great weekend and I’ll be back with more gluten-free posts later tomorrow.

Take care, Kilee