Healthy Banana Choc Chip Muffins

It's been a while, but we are back on it ready for summer! I found these delicious muffins on Running on real food and tried them out. They are sooooo good. I ate about 4 at once and didn't even feel bad because they have pure goodness in them, although eating 4 probably defeats the object. Butttt it's better than 4 Mars bars so I'm still winning..... Just.

They took hardly any time and don't need any special mixtures/processors which I've found a lot of recipes do, and I don't have the space or money for good ones. I also put them in fairy cake cases instead of muffins so I get more (clever). Left a couple of things out/used substitutes:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used wholemeal)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 
• 1 mashed banana
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbs flax seeds mixed with 2 tbs water
• 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• Almond/peanut butter

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix dry ingredients, mash banana, mix wet, add them to dry, mix altogether. Put dollop on cases, put dollop of almond/peanut butter on top, put another dollop on to cover it. Shove in oven for 15 mins, eat as soon as they come out cos you're greedy and can't wait and burn mouth.

Our Top 10 Favourite Yummy-And-Good-For-You Snacks!

We both have loads of yummy snacks we love, so we thought we would compile them into a list!

Our top 10 tried and tested, which we have usually between breakfast and lunch and then lunch and dinner.


1. Fruity Protein Bars. 
The absolute fave. Try not to eat them all at once. 
1/2 cup almond butter, 1/2 cup of honey, 2 scoops protein powder (I use choc). 1 1/4 ish cups of oats, half cup of dried apricots, cranberries and sliced almonds. Mix altogether, sprinkle a few mixed seeds in and put in a baking tray and squish down with a fork, put in fridge until a bit set. Wrap them up individually in foil and keep in fridge. Usually makes about 12.

2. Apple Slices with Almond Butter. 
Easy to prepare and tastes sooo good: 
Yum yum.

3. Protein Powder Peanut Butter Balls. 
Very Moreish!
Makes about 12. 2 cups almond butter, 2 scoops of protein powder (again I use choc,) 2 ripe bananas mashed, 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds. Makes walnut sized balls, place in container, put in fridge, wrap individually once a bit set.

4. Graze Box
This is a bit cheating but you don't have to prepare them and they are delicious. Order a graze box,  it's relatively cheap and you have 4 snacks prepared for you straight away! Our favourites are flapjack, chocolate pudding, and chocolate brownie.

5. Turkey Muffins

Don’t forget, like I did, that they are meat based and not just muffins and leave them out of the fridge for days.... Go to eat one and find it’s extremely sweaty and nearly makes you sick... Results in a lot of wasted muffins. Woopps.

I left out chipotle pepper spice (I had no clue what it was)

Celery (I didn’t have any and don’t like it)

Added 1 tsp of mustard for extra flavour.

Also will get you boyfriend points (if you don’t give them gone off ones...)

6. Tone It Up Protein Bars
So yummy and a good way to use protein powder other than having a shake.
(see post on top 5 ways to use protein powder)

7. Greek Yoghurt Pancakes

Make lots, eat cold.

Add honey/almond butter/fruit/nutella for extra yuminess.

8. Greek Yoghurt with Honey and Fruit
(I like strawberries best) - so simple but very delicious.

9. Frozen Nutty Banana Nibblers
These are AMAZING. Such a good snack and one serving allows 7 which is actually really generous and you feel very satisfied afterwards. However I didn't put the 2 halves on top of each other, I kept them separate and topped them all with the mixture.

10. Cottage Cheese with Pepper and Cucumber or Reduced Fat Hummus with Cucumber and Grapes. 
I've tried a couple of different cottage cheeses and found that the plain one is definitely the best, but there are a few to try out there if you don't like one, don't be put off!

If all else fails and you don’t like any of those, then these really-not-good-for-you-but-so-good-and-ok-for-a-treat cookies are THE best cookies in the world. Loads of people have said so. Got the recipe from Tanya Burr (beauty you tuber/blogger/lots of other things. Check her out). She got it from Anna's cookie blog post and Anna got the recipe from here (I def can’t get sued.)  Just don’t eat them all at once.... you may be sick and will definitely get fat. Makes 12...

• 200g unsalted butter.

• 300g caster sugar

• 1 large egg (protein... they must be quite good for you then.....!)

• 275g self raising flour

• 75g cocoa powder

• 2 big bars of chocolate (one milk, one white, or whatever you like best)

• Splash of milk if mixture too dry.

Put the butter in a bowl and mix to make soft. Mix in the sugar until creamy.Crack the egg and mix that in. Throw in the dry ingredients. If dry add few drops of milk. Line 2 baking trays. Scoop mix into 12ish balls (about a handful). Place far apart on tray 200 degrees centigrade in the oven for only 10 mins.... they will look super sloppy but after half an hour will be at the perfect consistency to eat! I suggest inviting some friends round as soon as you get them out of the oven, or there is a massive chance you may devour them all in one go.

CW. CP. x

Refreshing green smoothie and a bit of meal prep

After have a little (massive) slip up food-wise at the weekend, I think both CW and I dropped the ball a bit with our food planning, prepping and eating. Normally we would plan our food for the week on a Sunday but that defo did not happen since we were both hungover messes!
It's been a bit more of a struggle without everything ready to eat with work during the week but I caught up this evening and somehow created a yummy green smoothie that is really refreshing and filling too! Although I may have drunk a bit too much and now I feel sick...

Berry Nice Green Smoothie (see what I did there?)
I didn't use any measuring apparatus since I am a lazy fart so everything is approximated:


1 big handful of spinach
6 inch piece of cucumber
3 satsumas
1 large glug of almond milk
4 small strawberries
1 small handful of blueberries
1 tablespoon of flaxseeds

You could probably add some kale into this smoothie to make it even greener. I decided not to since I've one off kale following a bad smoothie that tasted like cumin when I didn't clean my blender out properly (whoops)!

Here are a couple of shots of the meal prep I managed to do this evening too

Chicken | cucumber and bell pepper / spinach and red pepper | baked sweet potato

Greek yogurt, strawberry, blueberry, cinnamon and flaxseeds | Berry nice green smoothie

I love the feeling of finishing off my meal prep for the week and that I don't need to think about cooking for a few days! Yay! I have been watching meal prep videos on YouTube and for some reason they are mesmerizing! I ended up watching about 5 of them back to back in bed last night at 11pm... I need a life! You can get some really good tips from them on shortening the amount of time you have to spend fannying around in the kitchen which is always a bonus!

----

CP

Amazing peanut butter protein powder bar!

As we are always on the hunt for new, yummy things, I have just discovered this absolutely amazing protein bar! It was from pinterest http://pinterest.com/pin/514325219915290144/ I think it has rivalled the tone it up protein bar!
It is so nice I'm not sure I can control myself and may end up eating the whole thing in one go, which would not be clever! I changed it slightly from the recipe I found and added in some protein powder:

mix together...

• 1/2 cup of  almond butter/peanut butter

  

  There was a bit more than that but I got excited and ate some!

• 1/2 cup of honey
• 1 1/4 cups of oats
• 2 scoops of protein powder (I used chocolate)
• Half a cup (ish) of chopped up dried apricots, dried cranberries and sliced almonds
• sprinkle until it looks enough - mixed seeds (I used sunflower, pumpkin and pine in a mixed packet I had lurking around.)

Line a tin with baking paper, it doesn't really matter what size tin as the mixture is stiff and won't run. Push it down with a fork or whatever, and put in fridge until you can't wait any longer! OHM. 

CW x

Breakfast Bonanza!

Sometimes it’s hard to begin the day eating well because you just can’t think of different things to have, so you end up having the same sugary cereals every day. CP and I have put together some breakfast options that we often have. We try to change what we have most days so we still get excited about getting out of bed (the only reason to get out of bed...food!)

Breakfast

• 2 boiled eggs on soya and linseed toast (or poached or scrambled, hard boiled is the best though). I also like to have marmite on my toast underneath the egg that I squish on... try it, it’s amaze.
• Overnight porridge (www.laurenconrad.com ) I like to add sliced almonds and dried cranberries on mine. Also sometimes if I’m feeling a bit crazy, almond butter mixed in too.
• Overnight chocolate porridge www.greatist.com (similar but with chocolate protein powder mixed in.)
• Granola, low fat greek yoghurt, fruit and flax seeds.
• Smoothie (see top 5 smoothies post...... http://healthandlurking.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/top-5-super-scrumptious-sexy-sometimes.html )
• Quinoa breakfast (I can’t remember where I got it from so sorry internet person that will be angry I stole their recipe):
• ½ a cup of cooked quinoa
• 1 tablespoon of sliced almonds
•  ¼ cup of raisins
• ½ banana mashed
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 cup almond  milk
•  1 table spoon maple syrup

• Almond butter on soya and linseed toast.
• Omelette, spinach, ham, mushroom, anything you can find.
• Yoghurt pancakes (from pinterest.) Makes 4 big/8small. Mix altogether, fry like pancake (surprisingly..)
• 6oz greek yoghurt (low fat)
• 1 egg
•   ½ cup of flour
•  1 tsp baking powder

• Chocolate peanut butter protein shake and hard boiled egg (separately...)  from www.muffintopless.com           
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 table spoon almond butter
• 1-2 stevia packets... (Think this is weird American uncalorifc sugar... That’s what I decided anyway so randomly added a bit of truvia (sounds the same so....)
•  4 ice cubes.

Also, my minimising hangover strategies did not take place this weekend for many reasons, so I’ll definitely do it this weekend on my next fancy dress outing... and hope it helps... watch this space.

Lunch and dinner options coming soon.....

CW. x

Top 5 Super Scrumptious Sexy (sometimes smelly) Smoothies

I LOVE a smoothie.  Especially in the morning as it is easy to take with you, which means more time in bed.  I always get 10 minutes extra on a smoothie morning, which is definitely worth it.... They are always packed with loads of fruit and/or veg which means you don't have to worry as much about getting your 5 a day as most of them are probably in your smoothie.

CP and I have tried a few and find that the recipe often makes 2 and then because it’s so yummy we often drink all of it, which I don’t think you’re supposed to do... So I halve the recipes so I can’t drink the world in smoothie. Also, depending on how thick/sloppy etc you like it, I always make it how it says then work out what I can do next time to make it nicer, eg add a few more oats for a more oaty/thicker texture. (Don’t forget to write it down otherwise you will probably forget, if you have a fish brain like me).

1. Almond Butter Smoothie (This is for 1glass)

Half a banana

3 ice cubes

74 mls (my stupid measuring jug is in US fluid ounces.... bought by my mum... I bet it was the cheapest. If it is, 2.5 US fluid ounces)

2 desert spoons of low fat greek yoghurt

About ½ cup of oats (I just pour it out of the packet until it looks right... not sure how accurate that is..)

Squirt of honey for sweetness

Half a table spoon of almond butter (myrotein.com)

Shove it all in and blend. Yum. It is also quite filling which is pleasing.

2. Kale and Spinach Smoothie.

It sounds disgusting but it is sooooo delicious! You can literally hardly even taste the veg, but it looks good because it’s green and is reallllly refreshing. If you are going out that night, have one. It’s so good for you it will practically counteract the alcohol...

Again this is for 1 glass:

1 cup of spinach

1 and a half cups of kale

½ cup strawberries (I use frozen ones so you can keep them for ages in the freezer)

½ cup of orange juice (I use Tropicana... maybe use an actual orange if you want to be super healthy)

½ cup of low fat greek yog.

I cup of ice.

I cut the stalks off the kale as you don’t want gross stalky bits floating around in your mouth.

3. Apple and Cinnamon Smoothie

(from pinterest, see post below...)

This is really delicious, think it may be CP’s fave.

4. Get Well Smoothie (www.toneitup.com)

Another one of CP’s favourite.

4 clementines

1 banana

1 cup of spinach

1 cup of kale (think CP leaves the kale out)

1/3 cup almond milk.

Similar to the other one (which I prefer).

5. Banana and Strawberry (Bawberry... Strawbana...) Smoothie

This one is from laurenconrad.com

Quite sweet and very fruity.

Half cup of ice (I use 3 ice cubes...)

½ cup of frozen strawberries

½ cup low fat greek yog

1 banana

½ cup oats

1 table spoon honey.

NB If there is a p missed out in any words it is because my silly computer has decided to not like the p key today...

Go and try a different one every day!

CW.