Game Day Goodies

Today I have such an amazing recipe to share with you.

This snack is healthy, simple, and so delicious! It's perfect for parties, picnics, family gatherings, tailgates, game-days, or whenever you want a tasty morsel.

I made this snack yesterday and it was gone in about 5 minutes! You'll probably want to make a double batch so they last a bit longer. :)

If you ever read my post "10 Healthy Snack Ideas," then you'll remember I shared a recipe for vegan goldfish crackers. I made those for my brother's birthday in June, and everyone loved them. The other day, I was thinking about those delicious crackers, and decided to adjust the recipe a bit, and create my own design. The inspiration for these crackers came from the lovely Taralynn. She is having a Game Day Recipe Contest, so that was my motivation for making these. ;)

FOOTBALL CRACKERS:

• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp. yeast
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. turmeric (slightly rounded)
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 5 tbsp. oil
• 3 tbsp. water

You will be making this in your food processor (a blender should work), so gather your ingredients and let's begin! First off, pour all of your dry ingredients into the food processor. Then secure the lid and turn on your processor. Allow the dry ingredients to mix well before stopping.

Next, add in your 5 tbsp. of oil. We were low on olive oil so I used Canola oil. However, you can use whatever oil you like, I don't think it will alter the result. Now pulse the dry ingredients with the oil about 15x or until crumbly. Then add the water and pulse until the mixture just comes together.

Lightly flour your surface, and place the dough there. I never use a rolling pin, but if you  prefer to, then by all means use one. With your hands (or rolling pin) spread out the dough. I like my crackers to be thin and crispy. If you like your crackers a bit thicker, then don't press out the dough too much. Press it out according to your desired thickness.

Once the dough is pressed out, it's time to cut out our shapes. I didn't have a football cookie cutter, so at first my footballs didn't really look like footballs. However, my very clever sister came to the rescue and cut out a football shape from a stiff bookmark.

We pressed the cut-out onto the dough and traced it with a sharp knife. We then drew a line down the middle and about five little slashes through it to make it look like a football.

Once we finished cutting out the crackers, we popped these in the oven for about 15 minutes. You will want to bake these at 350 degrees. Once they are crispy and slightly browned, pull these out and let them cool. That's all there is to it! You now have some cute and crispy crackers to crunch on.

While these are cooling, you can make this next delicious recipe!

WHITE BEAN HUMMUS

• 1 can cannellini beans (or 2 cups)
• 1 handful fresh basil (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice (or one lemon)
• 1 large tablespoon (like for eating) tahini

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

This hummus is perfect for veggie dipping! Slice up some peppers, carrots, celery, zucchini... all your favorite vegetables, and enjoy this amazing snack! Now if you are going to make this for a game-day gathering, make the cute football crackers and serve them with this dip. It will definitely be a crowd-pleaser. It is oh-so-good. You will definitely be making this recipe again and again. [WARNING: May be addicting.]

Words cannot describe how absolutely fantastic these crackers & hummus are. They are a taste sensation. We added a bit more garlic to the hummus, and it had such wonderful flavor. We also added fresh basil, which really makes the flavor pop. Yummy goodness, that's what this is. Do yourself a favor and go make this amazing snack now.

Please let me know when you try it. I am so eager to hear how you like the crackers and hummus. If you make this for a game day get-together, please share your success stories, I would love to hear them! Thank you so much for reading! I hope you love these as much as my family does.

God bless you today and always! Have a marvelous day filled with the joy of the Lord.

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Thursday Nibbles

Well, it's Tuesday, and I promised you a post on Thursday.
I guess better late than never, but I am truly sorry for taking so long to share this post with you. Here are a few pictures and some quick descriptions to give you an idea of a low-carb, clean-eating day.

Breakfast was amazing! I had Banana Bliss Pancakes (as I have come to call them.)
They were soooo good, and I will definitely be making them again.

For lunch I had a plate full of greens! :)
I had a bit of salad, some green beans with garlic, and cucumber salad.

Shortly afterward, I was ready for my snack, so I had 2 tbsp. of raisins, 12 almonds, and a steaming cup of green tea.

Then, about an hour before we headed to soccer practice, I had 1 tsp. of peanut butter, a banana, and a cup of milk. 

I never got a picture of my dinner, but I had more cucumber salad, and about 3/4 can of tuna.

It was a simple day of eating, but very satisfying and rewarding. I felt wonderful filling up on healthy foods and limiting my carb intake.

Well, thank you for reading this long-overdue post. :)

If you want to see more posts like this, let me know. I would be happy to share with you some meal plans for a clean-eating day, low-carb days, or any such things. Just comment below to let me know!

Have a wonderful Tuesday! May God bless you exceedingly and abundantly today.

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Blissful Banana Pancakes

"It takes two to make a thing go right.... it takes two to make it out of sight!"

My friends, this is amazing! It is absolutely incredible! It takes two, only two ingredients to make this masterpiece. Is that not incredible? I was inexplicably delighted with the outcome of my experimentation! I have tried making banana egg pancakes before when I was introduced to them by Taralynn. However, until now all my efforts had failed. When I saw Cassey Ho tweet about her banana pancakes and saw how amazing they looked, I decided to make another attempt. How sweet is this success! Literally, it's very sweet.

I think this is my new favorite breakfast. Words cannot express how my heart thrilled upon tasting this delicacy. I am in a state of bliss at the moment - hence the name, "Blissful Banana Pancakes." These are perfect!

Mmmmm... there's no better way to start your morning than with a good breakfast.
And these pancakes are so healthy and light that I don't feel sluggish or "bad" about eating them. 

BANANA EGG PANCAKES

• 1 large banana
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. slivered almonds (optional)
• 1 tsp. honey (optional)

According to the directions of Cassey Ho from Blogilates.com, I sliced my banana and mashed it in a bowl.

 I used a fork, but you can use a whisk - as she did. Then I cracked in my two eggs, and whisked it them together with the banana.

In my previous attempts at making these, I always used a small pan. I would make one pancake at a time, but they never would cook right, and flipping them was disastrous!

However, Cassey makes her's on a skillet. Thankfully, I have one of those, and I used it this time - SUCCESS! :)

If you don't have one, perhaps these will still turn out well for you. Maybe it was just me, and small pans are perfectly fine. You can always try and see what happens. I'm just telling you what worked for me.

I will admit that these are thin pancakes. However, they stack nicely and make a lovely little pancake tower. I made these in two batches - four in each. My first batch came out okay, but the second batch was beautiful! See their little speckles? That is my second batch. In the picture below you can see that my first batch was a bit more smooth.

Anyway, I spread coconut oil over the skillet and then used a 1/4 c. measuring cup to pour the pancake batter. I didn't feel the cup all of the way, but you can if you prefer them wider or thicker. I'm not sure what the result would be.

On my second batch I sprayed my pan with Pam olive oil spray. As I said before, the second batch was awesome, but I don't know if using spray had anything to do with that. 

When my pancakes were all finished, I placed them in the center of my plate and sprinkled 1 tbsp. of slivered almonds over them. I then drizzled a bit of honey over the pile and sprinkled some cinnamon. They looked divine!

Now it is time to admire this culinary success!

They looked so beautiful that I ended up taking so many picture of these. Aren't they perfect? :)

Okay, I won't keep posting anymore banana pancake pictures. I hope you enjoy this recipe and love it as much as I do. Please let me know if you try these, and share your recipe success stories. Did you use a small pan? Did they turn out okay? I'd love to know, so please share! Also, if you want to send me some of your beautiful pancake pictures, I just might do a special post on all of your beautiful pancakes! 

Have a blessed day everyone! Check back later to see what my meals are for today. This is the last day of my "post every meal" project, so if you're interested, keep visiting the blog to see what I'm eating.

Lots of Love,

Mariah <3

Peanut Butter Banana Bites

I shared this recipe with you in my "What I Ate Wednesday" post, but I though that this recipe deserved it's own page. :) As I said last night, I was really craving a pb&j. However, since I had committed to two days of no wheat, I couldn't succumb to that desire. I decided to get creative, and find a way I could eat some peanut butter without going overboard, and without breaking my bread-free decision.

What immediately came to mind were frozen banana coins with peanut butter. Sadly, I had no frozen bananas, so that wasn't an option. The bananas in the fruit basket were still slightly green, but I needed something, so they had to work.

I peeled the banana, ate half, and sliced up the other half. Then I took a butter knife and spread a thin layer of peanut butter over four banana coins. On the other four (I had eight in total) I spread a bit of strawberry jam. Then I joined the two together and secured them with a toothpick.

My banana coins were very slippery - I think it had something to do with their being a bit green still - so it was a little difficult to spread the peanut butter and jelly. If you use a ripe banana, I don't think you will have any trouble.

Originally, I wasn't planning on adding the cottage cheese; but the plate looked a bit empty, and it needed a finishing touch. So, I spooned a heaping tablespoon of cottage cheese onto the center of the plate and sprinkled everything with cinnamon.

These were quick to make and very satisfying. They weren't sweet, but they took away my craving for a peanut butter sandwich, so that was wonderful. As I mentioned before, you could make these more like a dessert by adding some form of chocolate. It does seem like chocolate makes everything better. :)

Well, I hope you enjoy this little snack/treat. Please let me know if you try them, and what adjustments you made - if you make any. Have an awesome day and may God bless you!

Lots of Love,

Mariah

September Sale!

Celebrate September!

Throughout this month of September, Nutrisimo is selling Organic Sulfur at a $10 discount! An extra bonus is the free shipping on all orders within the continental United States. If you've seen my article on Organic Sulfur, then you know how amazing it is! If you haven't seen it, go read it here.

To redeem this awesome discount, get your Organic Sulfur today. Don't wait till the end of September! :)

BUY NOW!

This sale ends October 1, 2013. Take advantage of this super deal and get yourself some Organic Sulfur! I'll be posting some more articles on Organic Sulfur throughout this month, so keep checking back!

Blessings,

Mariah

What I Ate Wednesday

As I was sipping on my green tea, I thought it would be the perfect time to share with you what I have eaten today. Over these next few days, I shall be focusing more on consuming fruits, veggies, and protein. Please don't misunderstand me, carbs are wonderful and important for a healthy body. However, I have discovered that my body responds better to a more veggie-full diet. It has been my observation, that by eating mostly fruits/veggies and protein, I feel lighter/leaner, more energized, and definitely healthier.

Eating wholesome carbs (brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat bread) in balance is absolutely wonderful, and I am not recommending omitting them from your diet. Honestly, I love carbs... and maybe a bit too much. It's not hard too consume to many, and even if you are eating healthy, wholesome carbs, in needs to be in moderation. 

Personally, if my typical day was like this, I know I wouldn't feel too great. 

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Snack: Banana, 7 almonds

Lunch: Peanut butter & jelly sandwich, salad

Snack: Green tea, granola bar

Dinner: Baked sweet potato, 1c. broccoli, grilled chicken

Dessert: 2 tbsp. chocolate chips w/ popcorn

Eat-clean/Be-lean Day

Breakfast: Chai tea, banana pancakes, 1 c. mixed berries

Snack: Green tea, 10 almonds, 1 tbsp. raisins

Lunch: 2 hard boiled eggs, large salad

Snack: 1/2 c. cottage cheese, 1/4 c. applesauce

Dinner: Grilled chicken, 1/2 c. brown rice, 1 c. broccoli

Dessert: Low-fat frozen yogurt w/ berries

Anyway, I figured that sharing each meal/snack with you, would keep me accountable. I'll just be posting some picture with a brief description. If you want the recipe for anything, let me know. Otherwise, I do not intend to post these recipes.

So, here's my breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner, and treat!

8:30 A.M.

This morning I was rushing to get my breakfast. I had planned on having a veggie omelet, but with all the rushing I got confused and my omelet became a veggie scramble. First I sauteed my veggies. I had 1/2 onion, garlic, some corn, and mushrooms. Then in a sprayed pan I mixed 1 large egg with 1 tbsp. of salsa. I ate the eggs over the veggies, and then topped it off with another tablespoon of salsa, and a sprinkle of feta cheese as a garnish. :)

I forgot to snap a picture of the rest of my meal, but I had 12 almonds and 1 tbsp. of raisins. Then for lunch I had this fantastic salad. Oh my, beans are sooo good on salad.

They are a great source of protein for those times when you don't want eggs or meat.

12:00 P.M.

This salad was just so scrumptious! I put white beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans over my salad. I don't know how much salad I had, but I had about 1 cup of beans.

I ate this with my favorite balsamic dressing. Yum!

I started getting hungry at around 2:30, so I made myself some turkey tomato roll-ups, and a cup of green tea. It was a the perfect light snack to hold me over.

2:30 P.M.

I took four slices of turkey, and covered them with sliced tomato. Then I squirted some mustard over them and rolled them up. This snack was inspired by Cassey Ho at Blogilates.com.

Okay, here's the last one! For dinner I had another salad - no beans this time - and a little banana treat. Everyone was eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and I wanted one so badly! I didn't give in to the craving though, I found a way to satisfy my desire without the bread!

These peanut butter banana bites hit the spot! My pb&j craving vanished. It' so rewarding to create healthy alternatives. :) I didn't know what to call these babies. They are mini pb&j sandwiches on banana, with a cottage cheese and cinnamon dip. Anyway, they're delicious, so next time you're craving a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, try this!

Now let's all just admire how cute these are and how wonderfully these pictures came out!

I sliced one banana, ate half before, and used the other half for these sandwiches.

I didn't measure anything this time. I'd guess I used about 1 tbsp. of peanut butter and 
1 tbsp. of strawberry jam. I used a heaping tablespoon of cottage cheese for the center dip, and sprinkled them with cinnamon.

I am so pleased with how these came out! They look so gourmet! Wow! Please try these and let me know how you like them. They are a perfect snack or a nice little treat for your sweet tooth. Of course you can make these even more like a desert by adding chocolate shavings, chocolate sauce, or maybe chocolate chips. If you have any other ideas on how to make these a healthy dessert, please comment below and share your thoughts.

Well, goodnight! I hope that your Wednesday was wonderful and filled with all the blessings of our Lord. :) Check back tomorrow for more healthy recipes! I will be sharing my Thursday meals with all of you. Also, I am going to my brother's soccer practice tomorrow, and will share with ya'll the exercises I'll be doing with my sis. :)

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Eat Clean Breakfast

Good morning fit2bees!
(Yesterday my sister said something about me being a fitter2be-r.)
 What do you think? Want to be a fit2bee? :)

Anyway, enough silliness. ;P
I never got to post my breakfast pictures yesterday. I guess that means you'll get two breakfast recipes today! Woohoo!

Okay, yesterday I had a bowl of oatmeal with 2 tbsp. raisins, cinnamon, and 1 tbsp. sliced almonds. It was missing something, so I poured some of my chai tea into it. It was really good! It tasted like chai tea- which is wonderful in my opinion. Yum!

I also had 2 egg whites and half a banana. I saved my yolks for a hair treatment I'll do this weekend. 

This breakfast was delicious, healthy, and filling. It was also really quick to make. Less than ten minutes! If you make your eggs while your oatmeal is cooking, then they should both be ready at the same time.

I felt like this was just the perfect healthy, clean eating meal.

What do you think? What is your favorite eat clean breakfast? Let me know in the comments section. I'm always looking for easy, healthy and delicious breakfast ideas!

Thanks! Have an incredible Wednesday and may God bless you! :)

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Hazelnut Caramel Iced Coffee

It may be September, but the heat is still here.

Anyway, no matter what the temperature, this amazing drink is meant to be enjoyed at all times! It is especially perfect for those hot summer days when you need something to energize, sweeten, and refresh you. :)

If you like ice cream, milkshakes, or coffee, then you're going to LOVE this.

Have you ever tried a McCafe Caramel Frappe? They are really good. Aren't they so delicious and refreshing?

Sadly they are also full of unhealthy ingredients.

The McCafe Caramel Frappe is full of High Fructose Corn Syrup. That's a big no-no right there. Do you know how many calories are in a small caramel frappe? A small has 450 calories! That's just a small! If you get a large you are getting close to 700 calories.

If you want to see more nutrition information on the McCafe Caramel Frappe you can view that here.

Since my family loves coffee and delicious drinks, we make our own iced coffees. They are much healthier, just as delicious, and a lot cheaper! "It's a win win!" (Quote from "Letters to Juliet.")

HAZELNUT CARAMEL ICED COFFEE

• 1 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/4 c. liquid hazelnut coffee creamer
• 4 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. instant coffee
• 1 squirt caramel syrup
• 2 c. ice cubes

Servings: 3

Calories: 138 (without toppings) 178 (with toppings)

Add all the ingredients into your blender and blend together. Pour into a large glass and top with whipped cream and caramel syrup. Now enjoy this heavenly goodness! :)

You can probably use freshly brewed coffee if you prefer not to use instant. I'm sure it will still taste great, but you can experiment with it a bit. Also, if you have a hazelnut syrup, you could probably use that in replacement of hazelnut creamer. If you don't have any hazelnut flavor whatsoever, you can use whatever creamer you like, or none at all. It's completely up to you.

We use skim milk to make these low-fat, but if you like your's rich, you could use 2% or whole milk. However, if you are lactose-intolerant, use almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, goat milk... whatever you like. Create your own masterpiece! Have fun with this recipe and customize it. This can be an amazing guilt-free treat.

 By making your own iced coffee with healthy ingredients, you save yourself from all the unnecessary sugars, extra calories, chemicals, and other unknown, un-pronouncable ingredients. And on top of all of that... you save money! 

This iced coffee is so good, so refreshing, so easy to make, and so affordable! Please, do yourself a favor and go make one. Once you've tried this recipe, you'll never want another McCafe frappe. Now for those of you who have never had a McCafe frappe, once you try this, you'll have even more reason to never waste your money on one!

I am so eager for you to try this; so go make one, come back, and let me know how you liked it! Are you going to make any changes to this recipe? Do you have your own amazing iced coffee recipe that you want to share? What are your thoughts on the McCafe frappes? Questions, comments, suggestions, opinions... let me know! I love hearing from you guys, so please share your favorite recipes or submit pictures of your success with this recipe.

Have an awesome day and may God bless you!

Lots of Love,

Mariah