The Nifty Foodie

This past week, I’ve been spending my afternoons prepping the gardens/weeding/planting annuals. Wasn’t it just Christmas? Man…can’t believe it’s almost April, y’all! With the weather starting to warm up over here, the colder the beverages, the better. I started making iced coffees a couple of weeks ago, and now, I just can’t get enough of smoothies/shakes.

As far as this shake goes, peanut butter and jelly is a favorite of mine. Move over ham sandwiches…if you offer me a PB&J, I’m going for it! I wanted to try these flavors in a shake, and while I used frozen fruit instead of jelly, the flavors (strawberry/peanut butter) work beautifully together. This was so refreshing, and filling (thanks to the protein powder). It’s definitely a goodie!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Protein Shake
Source: an original

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ice
• 1 cup water
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 1/2 tbsp. peanut butter

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend on high until everything is smooth (about 2 minutes).

My husband is a protein shake nut. He makes them for breakfast every day, and this stubborn gal thought…there’s no way a shake would make me feel full. No way. I need food…the chewing kind,  you know? Well, one day, my husband introduced me to a protein based smoothie at a local smoothie place. The medium was apparently only 270 calories, according to their nutrition facts, so I wasn’t expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised that the texture wasn’t gritty, it tasted great and I got full halfway through drinking the thing. Whoa…that was the first time a smoothie from there made me feel full. The difference between my normal muscle punch and this? The protein powder.

I was hooked on those smoothies for a while, until I they changed their menu. The smoothie I quickly fell in love with was calculated wrong (calorie wise). Instead of being 270 calories, the menu suddenly said 300-680 calories (depending on fruit you chose). WHAT???! So, I emailed the company, and asked what my smoothie REALLY was (telling them the fruit that I usually choose).

510 calories.

What.the.heck??!

I mean, I knew there was SOME variation from one fruit to another, but what I didn’t know is that some of their fruits sit in sugar juice. No WONDER it was so tasty. I was drinking 1/3 of my daily calories! Needless to say, I quit going to that smoothie place and decided it was time to make my own. I could save money and have complete control over the calories & ingredients.

This idea came to me after I saw this recipe. Banana and Biscoff? Sounded awesome, so I decided to try it in a smoothie. OMG…it was like dessert and it was the perfect treat after a work-out.

Just a note: When it comes to protein powder, I use this. I chose this protein powder based on recommendations from friends and a few of y’all. It has a pretty mellow flavor (perfect for blending in other fruits and flavors), and it’s not gritty at all.

Banana Biscoff Protein Shake
an original

Ingredients:

• 1 medium frozen banana (cut in slices before freezing)
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 tbsp. biscoff cookie spread
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup ice

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in the blender, and blend together until all of the ingredients are well-blended.

Man, what a year it has been! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season with their friends and family.

Most years, I feel like time has flown by, but for some reason, it feels like last January was truly a year ago. So many great things have happened to us this year (as well as some really crappy events).  

Some highlights and not so highlights:

• It was our first full year in our new house, which has been such a blessing. It’s just awesome to finally have friendly neighbors, who don’t throw their trash in our backyard or play loud music at 2am (side-eye to the neighbors at the old house).
• My husband and I have both decided to live healthier. Between us, we’ve lost over 150 lbs. this year. (I’m sure my husband is rolling his eyes at me sharing this, but seriously..I’m gonna brag here!) That’s just amazing to me. I’m so proud of us.
• Another weight loss highlight. I fit into a clothes size that I haven’t been able to wear since 10th grade. That was 12 years ago. OMG!
• A not so highlight. Hurricane Isaac…don’t want to go into too much detail with that one, but yeah, hurricanes suck. Oh, and for the record, labradors don’t care if the winds are 50 mph outside. If there’s rain/water, it’s playtime! (ugh)
• I think I’m making some good progress on my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list.

And of course, it’s been another fun year blogging. I really appreciate all of y’all taking the time to read my tiny corner of the Internet. Thank you for your sweet comments, emails and tweets. In January, it’s gonna be this blog’s 5th anniversary, and I’m just amazed by all of the friends I’ve made and people I’ve “met”  through this blog. You guys are the best!

Just to round up the year, I wanted to share with y’all your top 10 most read posts from 2012.

10. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Buttercream - These whoopie pies were made for a work fundraiser, and they were a huge success. Great pumpkin/spicy flavor, and the salted caramel buttercream just makes them super indulgent. Pumpkin + caramel is a wonderful combination!

9. Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - I love anything red velvet. This bundt cake is a fun change from a regular cake, and it was pretty easy to throw together and bake!

8. Baked Oatmeal - My breakfast has been forever changed by this. This oatmeal is not soggy at all (which I hate about cooked oats), and it’s very sweet with the addition of bananas.

7. Peanut Butter Cookies - Just simple, classic peanut butter cookies. Very good!

6. Candy Corn Oreo Truffles - Oreo truffles are insanely good, and it was fun to make these with seasonal flavors. Always a favorite when I bring these truffles to work!

5. Fresh Strawberry Pie - I’m SO glad strawberry season is back. I need to make this pie again…it’s not rich at all, and since it involves no cooking (except for the crust), it tastes so fresh!

4. Snickers Cupcakes - Oh, I totally need to make these again. If you love Snickers, you will LOVE these!

3. Homemade Strawberry Lemonade - Meyer lemon season + strawberry season? Um…guess I need to make this too and ASAP!

2. Red Velvet Swirl Brownies - These were just delicious, and so pretty too! Perfect for Valentine’s Day!

1. Spinach, Strawberry, Pecan and Feta Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette - This is a huge favorite of y’alls. I think Pinterest made this a popular one, and it is VERY easy to throw together! This is a salad you want to make for your next party…it’s an awesome combination!

Thanks so much for reading this blog, and I hope everyone has a Happy New Year! Time to get used to writing/typing “2013″.

As the summer is starting to rear it’s ugly head around here, I can’t help but think of all of the ways that we cool off around here. The pool, ice cold watermelon, NOLA style snowballs, air conditioning….those are a few that come to mind. I also think about fun, light (adult) beverages to enjoy when it heats up around here. Beer is the usual thing that comes to mind for a lot of people, but y’all….beer really isn’t my thing. Wine isn’t my thing either actually. Don’t freak out….I’m learning. My friends are trying to teach me. Haha! I can drink a riesling or moscato, but I’m no expert at all. For example, I found myself texting my best friend when a pot roast recipe called for a red wine. Uh yeah, when a whole WALL is nothing but red wines, it can be overwhelming.

I’m so glad I’m getting this off of my chest, y’all.

While I’m not a fan of the ever-so-popular beer, I am a fan of another bottled beverage: hard cider. Back in college, I remember going to a pizza joint with friends where they were known for having 3908490396 things on draft, give or take a few. It was then that one of the gals I went with ordered a hard cider. I had to find out about this drink, since this gal swore up and down that this particular drink tasted nothing like beer. It tasted like carbonated apple awesomeness. Uhm, WHAT??! So yeah, I had to order one for myself. Yeah…I was pretty much hooked, y’all!

So, when I heard that Michelob was coming out with their own lightened version of a hard cider, I was very excited. Since I’m currently calorie counting, I find that often times I have to say “no” to adult beverages since alcohol tends to hog the calories. A bottle of this is only 120 calories, which is about 1/3 less calories than the average hard ciders out there.

Here’s a little bit of information about Michelob ULTRA Light Cider:

Anheuser-Busch’s Michelob ULTRA announced the newest addition to its portfolio, Michelob ULTRA Light Cider, a naturally sweetened and gluten-free cider made from crisp apples. Featuring one-third fewer calories (120) and a more mellowed sweetness than traditional ciders, Michelob ULTRA Light Cider is ideal for year-round enjoyment and provides a light, refreshing alternative to white wine, champagne and heavier ciders.

“As more people continue to discover cider, we’ve found that many view traditional ciders as either too heavy, too sweet or both,”" said Ryan Moore, vice president of premium lights, Anheuser-Busch. “”This perception has often times limited ciders to a seasonal beverage during fall and winter, but we saw an untapped potential to expand the category as a year-round option. Michelob ULTRA Light Cider fills this void with a lower calorie cider with a milder, but distinct, sweetness that can be enjoyed straight or over ice.”"

Now, it’s been a while since I’ve had a drink like this, but after trying it, I have to say this one is my new favorite. I’m used to drinking a pretty sweet hard cider, which in the Summer, just isn’t that appealing. It was refreshing to drink Michelob ULTRA’s Light Cider since it had a much more mellow sweetness (due to it being naturally sweetened) and just had a great, crisp apple flavor (since it’s made from hand picked apples). With the weather warming up like crazy around here, I really like that I can enjoy this with a ton of ice to keep it cold outside or of course, just drink it straight out of the bottle. Another plus? This drink is gluten-free!

Since the summer is here, I really would love to know which favorite summer meal or activity do you think would go best with Michelob ULTRA Cider?

Personally, I think this would be the perfect drink to enjoy after taking care of the garden and just relaxing on the patio with a super cold bottle of this in hand.

Check out the sponsor’s site or the Michelob ULTRA Light Cider page on BlogHer.com for more information. They’re available NOW nationwide (excluding CO, UT, WY and OK) in six-packs of 12 oz. clear glass bottles.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a six pack of Michelob ULTRA Light Cider, as well as compensation, in exchange for an honest review.

The first time I ever tried Strawberry Lemonade was at Chilis. I went to dinner once with friends, and in the many times we went there as college students, I never noticed the drink before until the waitress mentioned it. I really thought it would be a disgusting Hi-C drink, but when the waitress bought it out, it contained strawberry puree. I was in love. I’m sure it had 900 calories a glass, but it was just SO good and sweet! Now, I don’t go to Chilis as much anymore, but whenever I end up there, I have to have it! I’m sure some of y’all are judging me for liking something at Chilis, but just give me a little slack here. I think the last time we ate at Chilis was several months ago…it’s definitely not a place we frequent.

A while back, I saw this recipe for homemade strawberry lemonade. I waited until strawberry season came around, bought a bag of lemons, and made a pitcher of the stuff. Let’s just say I had three glasses of this in a row that evening. This stuff is GOOD and super easy to make!

Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
Source: My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups of water, divided
• 1 pint fresh strawberries
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 8-9 small lemons)
• 4-6 cups cold water (I used 5 cups)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Make a simple syrup by heating and occasionally stirring the mixture on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Allow the mixture to fully cool before doing the other steps.
2. Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor with 1/2 cup of water.
3. In a large pitcher, add the strawberry puree, cooled simple syrup and lemon juice. Stir the mixture until everything is well-mixed.
4. Add 4 cups of cold water and taste. If you feel the lemonade needs more water, add it a cup at a time until the lemonade tastes great to you!
5. Stir the lemonade really well and serve it over ice.

Note: It lasted about 2 days in the fridge (since I finished the pitcher by then), but it may last longer.