Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies

20 August

I am a chocolate chip cookie freak.  They are definitely one of my favorite foods and I have to say that there is nothing I love more than eating them fresh out of the oven.  So incredibly good!   I have blogged about my tried and true chocolate chip cookie recipe here and still use this as my go to.  If you haven’t tried it you must – they are foolproof and incredibly delicious.  Oh and you don’t need to bust out a mixer – this one can be done completely by hand. 🙂

So since I am madly in love with chocolate chip cookies I am always eager to come up with a way to make them healthier.  I have combined numerous recipes to come up with my Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies that I think are pretty tasty.  My two boys even thought they were good and didn’t complain when eating them asking what was wrong with them and why they tasted funny.   A couple of things to keep in mind – I used coconut oil as the fat, however if you chose to use melted butter that would work as well and would probably taste even more like chocolate chip cookies.  As for flour – I chose a combination of equal parts all-purpose white flour, whole wheat flour and coconut flour.  As long as you use 1 1/2 cups of flour you will be golden.  Just keep in mind that the flour you choose will affect the taste and texture.  By using the three I listed above they didn’t have a heavy wheat taste and were very soft.

I hope you try these out and let me know what you think.  They are my new favorite skinny cookie and when I am trying to be good, I will whip up a batch of these instead of my full fat version.

Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies


Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour of choice (you can use all whole wheat or AP flour – I used a combination of coconut, whole wheat and AP flour)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. organic coconut oil, melted or 1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. dark chocolate chips (more anti-oxidants!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In another bowl mix together coconut oil (or butter – whatever you choose), applesauce, sugars, egg, and vanilla.  Once combined, add flour mixture and stir just until incorporated.  Add chocolate chips.

If you have time, put the dough in the fridge for about an hour, if not put the dough in the fridge in between batches that are baking.  Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet and bake for about 9-10 minutes.  Let cool.

Make approximately 36 cookies depending on the size of themm

An Important Year and CalNaturale Svelte Shakes

23 May
I am headed towards a milestone.  I just had a birthday and turned 39, which means that 40 is coming up in May 2015.   I told my husband that I want to be in the best shape of my life next May and I need to start now, not 3 months before my birthday or January 1st, but now.   I am working on getting fit, exercising more frequently, lifting some weights and the most important part – eating better.   Although I am pretty healthy today and am at a good weight, I want to focus on toning up and getting some sort of booty.  I suffer from “white girl booty syndrome” aka I don’t have much of an ass.   In any event, a lot of posts will likely be centered around being healthier, healthier recipes, age defying products and things like that.
Sooooo….I am on the lookout for fabulous foods that will help me glow and feel amazing when this caught my eye while going through Whole Foods:
In my world a compliment can go far,  just ask my boys.  These little protein shakes made by CalNaturale had me at “Hello Beautiful” and “Looking Good”.  Seriously though – how flipping cute is the packaging?  Anyways, I bought a vanilla and chocolate flavor and parked them in my pantry for a couple of days before putting them in the frig.  I think I will keep the packages when I am done just so I can have a positive affirmation when I enter the pantry.   Anyways, back to the shakes – here is the skinny on them.  They have a soy base and are packed with vitamins and have a healthy amount of protein.  Each package holds about 16 oz.  Here is the nutrition information from the back:
These shakes are also tasty.  Now I am not one to sugarcoat the taste and say, “these taste just like a milkshake!”  No, that this not the case.  I do enjoy drinking mine over ice or putting the shake in the blender with ice for a refreshing treat.   These also make a great addition to my coffee.  I especially like adding the chocolate to my morning coffee for a mocha.  Another fab part of this product is that they have a cap where you can drink a little bit now and a save it for later if you don’t want to down the whole thing in one sitting.   I didn’t think these were cheap though.  They were on special at Whole Foods for 2/$7.00.
The verdict on these is go get some.  The packaging is awesome, they make me smile whenever I see them (I love anything that makes me feel happy), they taste yummy, are healthy and they are somewhat economical since they have a screw top.
Does anyone have any yummy shakes they like that are worth trying?

Asian Chopped Salad with Low-Fat Spicy Thai Vinaigrette

17 May

I have been hearing about Wendy’s Asian Chicken Salad with Spicy Thai Vinaigrette and how yummy it is.  Although I have never tried this salad, after hearing so much about this delicious concoction I developed an undeniable craving and decided to make my own version.  

 I dice fresh greens, green cabbage, red peppers, edamame, scallions, carrots, cashews and mix them with my own version of a low-fat spicy thai vinaigrette.  I think the next time I will add some chicken and turn this into a meal.
This is the perfect salad to take to potlucks since there is no mayo.  Give this a try and let me know what you think….
Asian Chopped Salad with Low-Fat Spicy Thai Vinaigrette
Salad Ingredients (Wendy’s Salad Dupe)
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, washed and cut into bite size pieces
  • 1/2 head cabbage, shredded in food processor
  • 2 large carrots, shredded in food processor
  • 1 red pepper, cut into small dice
  • 4 scallions, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup edamame, shelled (I buy these at Trader Joe’s)
  • 1/3 cup whole cashews (I measure these out and then give them a rough chop)
Dressing Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Ramen flavor packet (take this from a pack of Ramen noodles)
  • 1/3 cup thai chili sauce
  • 2 T. Sriracha
Directions

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.  In a jar, combine all of the salad dressing ingredients and shake well.  Pour dressing over salad and enjoy, it is soooo good!!!

 

Rainbow Banana Chocolate Muffins

16 March
I have a go to banana muffin recipe that my boys adore.  I have it down to a science and can have a batch of these whipped up in about five minutes.  I often add chocolate to make these even yummier, however I was recently out of chocolate chips and only had some mini M&M’s.  I added those and with the colors bleeding, the batter became whimsical and colorful.

Try these out – you won’t be disappointed.


Rainbow Banana Chocolate Muffins
(makes 18 muffins)
Ingedients
1/2 c. canola oil
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
3 very ripe bananas, medium size
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 c. flour
3/4 c. mini M&M chocolate candies

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor bowl add the oil, sugar, vanilla and bananas.  Pulse until smooth.   Next add the baking soda and salt.  Pulse 2-3 times.  Add the flour and pulse 2-3 times, just until combined and then add the chocolate candies.  Again, pulse just 1-2 times to distribute them evenly.

Scoop the batter into muffin tins and bake for about 20-25 minutes depending on your oven.

Egg White French Toast – A Super Healthy Breakfast for 200 Calories & 10 Grams of Protein

21 February

I have a confession…sometimes I skip breakfast.  Another confession…I hate wasting calories on food I don’t love.

OK, OK, so I know skipping breakfast isn’t healthy and there are numerous reasons why breakfast should never be missed but there are times I just simply forget or don’t have time.  This brings me to my second confession regarding wasting calories…
Sometimes I just don’t want to eat something that I am not looking forward to.  As a girl that is in a constant battle between fitting into my skinny jeans and my love of food it just isn’t worth it to me.  However, my egg white french toast is both a great item to eat for breakfast and it will keep you in your skinny jeans.   The recipe can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes and it is soooooo delicious!  I try to keep this recipe extra healthy by using Ekekiel Bread which is 100% flour less and made of organic sprouted whole grains.  The bread also has 6 grams of dietary fiber per slice and no sugar!  The calorie content may change slightly depending on the type of bread and toppings you use, however the below recipe is for how I like to eat mine.

I hope you have a chance to try this out for yourself.  Please let me know what you think!

Egg White French Toast
Ingredients
1 slice of Ezekiel Bread
1/4 cup egg whites (I buy the egg whites in a container for ease)
dash cinnamon
non-stick cooking spray
1 teaspoon light butter (I like Land of Lakes)
1 T. Pure Maple Syrup

Directions
Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat.   Meanwhile, pour egg whites in a shallow dish and sprinkle in a dash of cinnamon.   Soak break in egg white mixture for about 15 seconds and then flip over and soak the other side of the bread.  Spray the skillet and put the french toast in – cook 1-2 minutes per side and serve.  I like to enjoy mine with some light butter and maple syrup but this would be great with fresh berries or jam as well.

Here is the egg white and cinnamon mixture:
Soak the bread:
Flip over and soak the other side (see how much the bread absorbs):
Cook in a skillet with your non stick spray for a couple of minutes per side and here is what you get:
I like to enjoy mine with light butter and maple syrup:
YUM!