SWEET STUFF!

Do you want something that is sweet, easy to make, cool for the summer, and super healthy? 

Ahhh, me too. And I want it to actually fill me up, unlike an ice pop or bowl of Arctic Zero whey-protein ice cream (although that stuff is good).

Introducing the perfect summer sammy: The Strawberry Sandwich!

My client loved these, and when they were cut out of her meal plan last week, she coughed that she would like the strawberry sammies brought back, please. Once she is back from her trip, it will be strawberry sandwich heaven- maybe peach and other kinds too!

But first. Here they are:

I know you want to make them now! You will need:

• Two slices of plain (or honey) whole wheat bread

• Plain Greek yogurt

• Vanilla extract

• Truvia/Stevia (or white sugar)

• FRESH mint leaves

• Chia seeds

• Strawberries

In a bowl, cream the plain Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of vanilla extract and enough stevia to take away the sourness of the plain yogurt. For me, that's about a teaspoon and a half. Stir it up until it's smooth.

Toast your bread until it's just the way you like it, and spread the yogurt on. Slice up your strawberries thinly so they're easy to bite into. Sprinkle the toast with chia seeds and fresh mint, and layer your strawberries.

Try to just eat two of these open face little slices of summer. Or three. They're healthy!

Post Workout Snacks!

This week at work, I included a post-workout snack in the menu since my client regularly hits the gym. Well, really, I've been to the gym with her- she kicks MAJOR butt in the gym. Box squats with 20 pound weights, holding planks for 90 seconds at a time... Whew. That being said, she definitely needs to recharge with some protein after a gym session.

Behold! The post-workout pudding parfait!

I made this delicious treat with the following ingredients.

For the "chocolate" layer:
-1 avocado
-1 T coconut sugar
-2 T pure ground cacao powder

Mash the avocado with the sugar and cacao for, like, six minutes straight until it has a pudding like texture.

For the "vanilla" layer:
-1 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
-1 t vanilla extract
-1 T truvia powder

Stir all of that together until it's creamy.



I layered chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, and then repeated this until I was out of ingredients. I suggested she eat half the first day within 30-90 minutes after working out with a piece of wheat toast, and eat the rest another day.

Cashew curry & other winning dishes

 Recently, I started cooking on a professional level. I am a personal chef for this great woman in downtown Austin. She was a client of Scott's for his health & weight loss firm (more on that later) and I stepped in to cook lunches and dinners for her. So far it has been amazing! Working on the menus is very challenging, but it has turned out to be my favorite part of the process. I love coming up with healthy, interesting meals.

Here are some of my favorite dishes I've prepared so far.

1. A turkey burger with red bell pepper, blue cheese mustard, butter lettuce, and carmelized onions. Served with sweet potato bites.

2. Sprouted corn tacos with avocado, garlic kidney beans, kale, and cilantro. Topped with sour cream!

3. Zucchini noodles!! These are my obsession. I wish it didn't take so long to peel one zucchini into a serving of noodles, or I would eat this every day. Served with garlic, olive oil, Locatelli romano cheese, and cherry tomatoes.

4. Roasted brussel sprouts. Salty, crunchy, and perfect to dip in hummus.

5. Cashew ginger curry! With chicken, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yellow squash, garlic, onion... An MVP meal right here (Maximum veggie potential! Scroll a few posts back!)


Now that I'm inspired, it's time to work on this week's menu... Have a great day!

Cookie Mania

I keep buying cans of organic pumpkin puree even though it is so far past pumpkin season. I end up using it if I have it, baking and mixing it into my oatmeal.

This week I made a cookie recipe that Scott has been wanting me to make since it really was pumpkin season! I made dark chocolate cookies with pumpkin on top. They're a recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie, which is my favorite dessert blog. This is her recipe, except I didn't do them inside out...

I didn't really like them, since they were too cocoa-y for me. I prefer things cinnamon sugary, smores-y, maple brown sugary. Scott, however, loved them and ate almost 20 cookies in a week. I packed them in his lunch in an old peanut butter jar I washed out. He left two behind, and only because he was too tired to eat them after work!

THEN I made these: the best chocolate chip cookies. They tasted like salted caramel, and I added coconut shreds and white chocolate chips. Scott loved them, and so did I. We ate so many that we swore off cookies forever. And with the smell of fresh baked cookies in the house, that did not last long. So, we've been eating way too many cookies lately, even though I do make things as clean, whole wheat, and healthy as possible.

Here are some suggestions on what to do the day after you go too hard on sweets:

• For me, I use coffee creamer in my coffee, so on a morning after cookies, I would stick to only one cup & go easy on the International Delight.

• Make some Curried cauliflower bites. These are flavorful and yummy, and their taste doesn't really cooperate with salted caramel cookies.

-These are super easy. Cut up a head of cauliflower, toss in a bowl with olive oil and curry powder, and roast at 400 degrees until they look crispy!

• Make yourself a green smoothie with almond milk, kale, spinach, cinnamon, and agave nectar

• Cut up an apple and sprinkle it with a little stevia

• Brew a mug of green tea

• Have a snack of hummus & celery sticks

• Drink a lot of water!

But most of all, don't worry. If you're eating healthy, whole foods, don't worry about it! Don't guilt yourself or wonder how many calories that must have been. You're human and enjoying cookies like those above is a good part of life.