Yummy Gluten Free Brownies

I had a few people ask me for the brownie recipie I made a couple of nights ago. I found the recipe on Pinterest and only made minor adjustments. I just used Gluten Free flour instead of regular and didn't add nuts.

Yummy Gluten Free Brownies

• 1/4 cup Unsweetend Applesauce
• 1 medium Banana, mashed (about 4.5 ounces)
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 1 overflowing tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup Zucchini, grated
• 1 cup All-Pourpose Gluten Free Flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray. Take a tablespoon of the GF flour and cover the pan. I had to use a brush to get the flour to spread.

3. In a large bowl, combine the banana and sugar. Beat until it is all combine and there are little to no banana chunks left.

4. Add sugar and mix.

5. Add vanilla and cocoa powder to mix. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to get all the dry ingredients mixed with the wet.

6. Add baking soda, salt, and zucchini and mis well. 

7. Add flour and mix until smooth.

8. Pour batter into pan and bake for 20 minutes. (If they're too moist, leave in for 5 minute incriments until it reaches your desired consistency.)

9. Take out of oven and cut into 10 pieces. Each piece will give you approximately 123 calories, 29g  carbs, less than 1g fat, 2g protein, 2g fiber.

The brownies were delicious while they were still warm! You could serve this with some fro-yo or eat it on its own. Just be sure not to eat the whole pan in one sitting! Enjoy!



Spinning Class and Spinning Clouds

Today is a great day, isn't it?! Here are two reasons why:

1.  I woke up in my bed, not in a field.

My area had some heavy storms last night full of funnel clouds, heavy winds, hail, rain, and all the potential for a tornado. Luckily, my area only experienced (to my knowledge) a thunderstorm.

2. A pair of "skinnier" pants fit! Yay!!

I put on a pair of pants this morning that I haven't been able to wear properly, let alone comfortably, for years. Even though they're the same size as the other pants that I've been able to wear, the cut is very different. So regardless of what the tag says, I know I'm smaller because they didn't fit 5 months ago! I'll take it!

Moving on...

Breakfast

Yesterday kicked off with a yummy cucumber green smoothie. I put in a scoop of Vanilla Bean PlantFusion protein powder, cucumber, celery, parsley, ginger, and banana with some Naked coconut water into my Ninja blender until it was well blended. It was very light and the cucumber was very prominent and delicious!

Lunch

Here's a shocker: chicken vegetable soup!

Snack

I got out of training (for a recent promotion) early and ate my snack when I got home. I had a medium sized apple with a packet of Justin's Honey Peanut Butter. Apparently I was so excited about eating my snack that I didn't bother to snap a picture.

Activity

According to my training plan, today I was supposed to do a treadmill run. Although my shins weren't as sore as they have been in the past (I'm going to thank KT Tape and my medical compression socks for that), I decided to go to a 6pm spin class at the MaxFitness on the NE side of town. I normally go to the NW location but I didn't want to wait until 7:30. After all, the storm was coming and I wanted to be home.

Apparently, other people were really concerned about the storm because I turned out to be the only person to show up. So I received a one-on-one class. Which could have been awkward, but wasn't because the spin instructor was very interactive.

Dinner

For dinner I made a quick and easy omelet using egg whites, tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions. I topped it off with a couple of tablespoons of salsa.

Shortly after dinner the storm started to roll in and then the tornado sirens started to go off. I kept a close eye on the storm for a while, looking for rotation, but I never saw anything. The watch expired around 9:15 and they stated that the rotation seemed to clear and reduced it to thunderstorm warning only -- accompanied by a flash flood warning of course!

On my way to work, I did see that one of the surrounding rivers had risen a considerable amount and heard on the radio that several streets were closed. I really hope that all the people affected by the floods a couple of weeks ago didn't get another dose of it last night.

Question: Do you keep or have you kept any of your "skinny" clothes to use as a goal?

Shin Splint Shopping Spree

Tuesday started off with a another green smoothie. I put some Naked coconut water, pineapple, strawberries, parsley, romaine lettuce, and a scoop of PlantFusion protein powder in my Ninja blender until it was smooth.

I had a bowl of chicken-vegetable soup for lunch while I caught up on some blogs, read some articles on various health magazine websites, did some pinning on Pinterest, and finally purchased a pair of compression socks from Zoot.com.

Aren't they cool?! I really had to restrain myself from buying another pair (in a different color, of course!) because these were $60! They are a little on the pricey side but if they're going to help, it's worth a shot right?

I had an afternoon snack of some Wholly Guacamole and almond nut-thins. They were out of the 100 calorie packs at my local Kroger, so we had to buy the regular package. The downside to this is that I have to measure it out and it starts turning brown by time I'm ready to eat it. Why do things have to turn brown? And I think whoever said lemon juice helps delay this process was off their rocker.

While looking over the Health & Fitness section of Pinterest, I came across some pins of KT Tape for shin splints. I have seen many runners using tape but I was never sure what the use was for it, so I decided to look into it. From their website:

Need support that will endure multiple lighter workouts? Then original KT TAPE is for you. It provides targeted pain relief and will stay in place through multiple workouts for up to 3 days, through daily showers, humidity, cold, even in the pool.

Each box comes with 20 precut strips of tape on a roll and a quick start guide with step-by-step instructions for the most common injuries.

It had a video on how to apply the tape for shin splints and posterior shin splints. I read some more information on their website and used their store locator and found out that a local Dick's Sporting Goods store sold it. I decided that since I will be waiting a few days for my compression socks that I would swing by Dick's and pick up some KT Tape.

I got home, taped up, and headed out to for my run/walk. Again, I made some slight changes to the plan for this week.

Week 3

Tuesday 6/11 - Thursday 6/13

• 2 minute warm up
• 2 minute run x 1 minute walk. Repeat 9 times.
• 1 minute cool down

Saturday 6/15 - 4 miles

My friend, Erika, joined me for my run. Here we are pre-run.

We did our run on the Rivergreenway. It was 83 degrees out but it didn't feel as humid as it normally does and I actually thought it felt more like the high 70's. Erika disagrees but she is always hot, so what does she know?... KIDDING!

I was really pleased with these splits. I sadly had to leave Erika a little bit behind as she is still nursing a bruised/swollen/popping foot and has asthma. I hate doing that but she encourages me to move on. (I think she secretly likes the view. ;) )

It seemed that we finished our run just in time as it seemed that a storm was rolling in. I heard some thunder and saw some lightening in the distance.

We did some stretches and I headed home shortly after. My legs were on fire. I'm not sure if it was because I was running faster than I have in the past or what. So when I got home I did some more stretches, and then rolled out my shins and calves. I wanted to leave the KT Tape on as long as I could (their website says you can leave it on for up to three days) to help with recovery.

I had also read that compression socks aid in recovery helping remove the lactic acid from your muscles. Some of the websites I had checked out actually sold a compression sock just for recovery. I was just going to put on some softball socks to cover the tape and keep my calves warm but then a light bulb went off! I remembered that I had medical compression socks from when I had surgery two years ago. I figured that these were just the same, if not better, than a sport recovery compression sock - plus, they are full leg compression socks and covered my quads too!

After I relaxed a for a few minutes, I cooked up some chicken fajitas made with chicken, peppers and onions. I served it with a scoop of rice, lettuce, salsa, and corn tortillas. It was delicious!

And then for dessert, I tried a "healthy" brownie recipe which turned out WAY better than I had expected! Look out for the recipe and directions in the future!

Question: What kind of "healthy" treats/desserts do you make and enjoy? Leave your comments below! :)

Quick 'n' Easy Monday

I started yesterday off with a green smoothie. I put some Naked pure coconut water, blueberries, parsley, and romaine lettuce in my Ninja blender until it was well blended. When it was done, I poured it into travel cup and headed to work.

I added two tablespoons of some PlantFusion plant protein so I wouldn't be starving in a couple of hours. I was running a little behind schedule and forgot to snap a picture of the finished product. Just so you know, it looked delicious and it was delicious.

For lunch I had a bowl of homemade vegetable soup. I generally make a large batch of one thing to pack for lunches. It makes the prep pretty easy and then when it's all done, I divide it into tupperware containers so it is ready to grab on my way out the door. This keeps me in control of what I consume and keeps the cost low.

Later I snacked on a rice cake covered in Justin's Honey Peanut Butter and a banana. I was really excited when I found Justin's because they're pre-portioned squeeze packs. They also sell jars but the packs are perfect because there is no prep, it's just grab and go. I believe they also have a regular Almond Butter, Maple Almond Butter, and a Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. They're all good but my favorites are the Maple Almond Butter and the Honey Peanut Butter.

After work, I headed to The Fitness Studio for some Zumba action. My shins are still a hot mess and we had a sub that tends to have a lot of jumping/bouncing, so I focused on making it low-impact.

I headed home and made some Turkey Tostadas made with ground turkey, black beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and then topped with salsa. I served it with two toasted corn tortillas. You could serve it without the tortillas if you wanted and just have it as a salad. Either way, they're easy to make and delicious!

As you can tell, I like things that are quick and easy. Working a full time job and working out after doesn't leave too many night-time hours to spend creating masterpieces in the kitchen. Plus, by time I'm done working out I want to eat. Not in an hour but immediately. By having healthy and easy meals planned it lessens the chances of me snacking on things I shouldn't snack on.

Question: What are some of your go-to meals/snacks?

Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes

I was going through my e-mails on Thursday and stumbled upon a bunch of recipes for cupcakes. They all looked so delicious and I saved [almost] all of them to my Plan to Eat account. After spending all that time looking at the deliciousness, I decided I really wanted cupcakes. Instead of using one of the recipes I found, I kind of made up my own - all because I wanted to fill them. So, after a discussion with my friend Heather, I decided I would make Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana cupcakes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes

Cupcake

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour 

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup milk

Makes 22-26

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

- In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add peanut butter; beat until combined. Gradually add brown sugar and granulated sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat for 2 minutes more or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

- Fill prepared muffin cups about two-thirds full. 

- Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

- Use an apple corer or a cupcake corer to remove the centers.

Filling

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar 

1/4 cup flour 

1/2 cup milk  

5 tablespoons butter 

2 ripe but firm bananas, mashed 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 Tablespoons Lemon juice  

- Combine confectioners' sugar, flour, and milk in a saucepan; cook, stirring, until smooth. Continue cooking until mixture thickens; transfer to mixing bowl, cover, and chill (approx. 5 minutes).

- Beat butter and bananas into the chilled mixture

- Place a plastic bag and fold the seal around a cup to make transferring the filling easier. 

- Cut the corner of the bag and fill the cupcakes.

Frosting

1 8 ounce package cream cheese

4 ounces milk chocolate, melted 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

6 cups powdered sugar  

Milk (if needed)

- Mix cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and mix. Add one up of powdered sugar at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add melted milk chocolate and mix well. Add a teaspoon of milk at a time to thin it if needed.

- Place icing in a piping bag or a plastic bag and frost cupcakes.

(I'm still working on my frosting technique.) 

I actually made two batches of these cupcakes. I made a regular batch on Thursday night, ate one and took the rest to work to share! I then made the gluten free cupcakes on Saturday night for my friend Kelly. I ate one of those too.. yeah, they're not healthy but they were delicious! 

Enjoy!!