Healthy Protein Bars Recipe

We LOVE these healthy protein bars! My husband takes them to work and it gives him that extra mid-afternoon energy. This 9x13in dish of protein bars is packed with 120g of Protein.

Ingredients
* 1 cup instant Shaklee protein (Shaklee vanilla protein works too)
* 1 1/2 cups oats
* 1 cup almonds/walnuts, chopped
* 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
* 1/4 - 1/3 cup ground flax seed
* 1 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
* 2/3 cup raw honey
* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Heat honey on a stove until it starts to come to a boil. Remove from heat immediately so it doesn't burn and add peanut butter and vanilla extract. Stir until peanut butter is nice and smooth.

Add the peanut butter/honey mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir ingredients together until they stick. If mixture seems too dry, add extra peanut butter or honey.

Press mixture into a 9x13in glass dish. We like to melt some dark chocolate chips and spread the melted chocolate on top of the bars. Refrigerate and cool. Cut into squares and enjoy!

*Tip: If using peanut butter, make sure to use natural or organic as many brands add sugar, oil and preservatives.

Hope you enjoy this healthy, protein packed snack!

Hearty Minestrone Soup Recipe

I'm excited to share this tasty Minestrone soup recipe! This is one of my favorite winter time meals and is very easy to make. The great thing about this soup is that you can pretty much add whatever veggies you want. I used the basic ingredients for Minestrone soup, but you could also add french green beans, corn, cabbage or whatever you happen to have in your fridge.  

        Ingredients:

 

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15oz can white beans
• 1 15oz can kidney beans
• 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. red chili pepper (optional)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped 
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1.5 cups shell pasta, cooked al dente (I use organic quinoa pasta)
• parmesan cheese, garnish

In a pot, combine broth, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, beans, wine, herbs, salt and pepper. Let soup cook for 30-40 minutes before adding remaining ingredients. Add zucchini and spinach and simmer for 30 minutes. Add cooked pasta 10 minutes before serving. Remove rosemary sprig, bay leaves and add salt & pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Homemade Peppernuts Recipe

My family has the tradition of baking an assortment of delicious German Christmas cookies with my Oma (grandma). I remember as a young child looking forward to her coming over to our house for a full day of baking - I cherish those memories! This recipe has been slightly altered over the years to cut down on the sugar/fat content, without compromising on the taste. Enjoy!

Pfeffernusse (Peppernuts)

Ingredients:

- 3 1/3 cup flour 

- ¼ tsp salt                              

- 2 tsp baking powder

- ½ tsp allspice

- ½ tsp ground cloves

- 3/4 tsp cinnamon

- ¼ tsp ground Anis seed
- ½ cup sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla

- ½ cup pure maple syrup

- 1 cup chopped brazil nuts
- ½ cup strong coffee (1 rounded scoop ground coffee for 1/2 cup water), cooled off 

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, allspice, ground cloves, cinnamon and ground Anis seed. Add sugar, vanilla, maple syrup, brazil nuts and coffee. Mix ingredients to form a stiff dough. Shape the dough into a ball. (If time permits, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours to develop the flavor.) Cut off a little portion of the dough and roll between your hands and a lightly floured work surface to make slim, ropes about 1/2 inch thick. Cut ropes into 1/2 inch pieces using a sharp knife and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 8 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on a baking sheet. Cookies will seem a bit hard but will soften once stored in Tupperware for a few hours.  

Does your family have any Christmas baking traditions? 

Pumpkin Muffins

If you like pumpkin, you'll love these muffins! Our family loves baking these muffins several times during the holiday season. 

As with most things I bake, I substitute some of the flour in this recipe with Shaklee Instant Protein. This trades some of the carbs for protein and adds all 23 amino acids to these muffins. 

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili Crockpot Recipe (repost)

My family loves this delicious vegetarian chili recipe! It's packed with beans and lentils for some healthy protein. For those that are not a huge fan of veggies, I lightly sauté them before adding them to the chili. This makes them a bit softer in texture and diminished in size - blending in perfectly with the chili. This recipe is easy to make and perfect for those busy days when you need a meal that can be prepared ahead of time. 

Ingredients: (makes about 6-7 servings)                                                            

- 1 small onion, finely chopped                                                                 

- 3 celery stalks, finely chopped

- 3 large garlic cloves, chopped

- 1 red bell pepper, diced

- 2 15oz cans kidney beans

- 2 15oz cans Cannellini (white) beans

- 1 15oz can black beans

- 2 15oz cans diced tomatoes

- 1 15oz can tomato sauce

- 1/4 cup red wine

- 1 cup vegetable broth (or more depending on how thick you like it)

- 2 Tbsp chili powder (or more to taste)

- 1 Tbsp oregano

- 1 Tbsp dried parsley

- 1 Tbsp dried basil

- 3 bay leaves

- 1 Tsp paprika

- 1 Tsp ground coriander 

- 1 Tsp ground cumin

- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

- salt to taste (optional - I add a bit of salt as I use a low sodium vegetable broth)

- diced avocado, garnish

- shredded cheddar cheese, garnish

In a non-stick pan, add a bit of butter or oil to sauté chopped onions and celery for a couple minutes on medium heat. Add chopped garlic and peppers and continue to sauté, stirring, until soft for about 3 minutes.

In a crockpot, add veggie mixture and combine remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Garnish chili with diced avocados and shredded cheddar cheese. This chili goes great with homemade cornbread muffins. Enjoy!

Do you cook with a crockpot? If so, what's your favorite meal to prepare? 

Healthy Protein Shake Recipes

A number of people have been asking me lately for some recipes for protein shakes. We LOVE making protein shakes and drink them almost everyday. 

We recommend using Shaklee 180 Smoothie Mix. If you use the Shaklee 180 Protein Mix as directed (2 scoops), it can be a complete low glycemic meal replacement with 6 grams of fiber and 24 grams of protein per serving. I love that it is powered by Leucine to preserve muscle which helps regulate your metabolism. And of course, like any Shaklee product, there are NO artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors or GMO ingredients. 

We also use Energizing Protein which helps ward off hunger and maintain energy for hours. Here are a few delicious recipes...enjoy!

Strawberry Banana

• 8 oz non-fat milk or almond milk (we use both)
• 1-2 scoops Shaklee 180 Vanilla Energizing Protein
• 5 large frozen strawberries
• 1 banana
• (optional) 4 ice cubes

      Blend until creamy. If the shake is a bit too thick, add extra milk.

Pumpkin Spice Shake Recipe

• 2 scoops Shaklee 180 Vanilla Energizing Protein
• 8 oz non-fat milk or low fat soy milk
• 2 tbsp canned organic pumpkin
• ½ tsp pumpkin spice
• Dash of vanilla extract
• Dash of cinnamon
• 4 – 6 ice cubes

     Blend until creamy.

Vanilla Latte

• 8 oz nonfat milk 
• 1-2 scoops Shaklee 180 Vanilla Energizing Protein
• 1/2 tsp. instant coffee
• 4 ice cubes

      Blend until creamy.

Berry Delicious (our favorite!!)

• 8 oz. nonfat milk or almond milk
• 1 scoop Shaklee 180 Vanilla Energizing Protein
• 1 scoop Shaklee 180 Strawberry Energizing Protein
• 5 large frozen Strawberries
• 1/4 cup frozen Blueberries
• dash of cinnamon
• (optional) 4 ice cubes

      Blend until creamy. Use fresh strawberries/blueberries when in season. You can also use 2 scoops of Vanilla protein instead of using the strawberry protein.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

• 8 oz nonfat milk
• 1 scoop Shaklee 180 Chocolate Energizing Protein
• 1 Tbsp. natural, creamy peanut butter
• 4 ice cubes

      Blend until creamy. 

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

• 8 oz. nonfat milk or almond milk
• 1 scoop Shaklee 180 Chocolate Energizing Protein
• 1 scoop Shaklee 180 Vanilla Energizing Protein
• 5 large Strawberries
• 4 ice cubes

      Blend until creamy. 

Piña Colada

• 8 oz. nonfat milk
• 2 scoops Shaklee 180 Vanilla Energizing Protein
• 2 oz. pineapple juice (or 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks) 
• 1/4 tsp coconut extract
• Ice as desired

     Mix all ingredients together in a blender until frothy. 

Mocha Latte

• 8 oz. nonfat milk
• 1 scoop Shaklee 180 Chocolate Energizing Protein
• 1 scoop Shaklee 180 Cafe Latte Energizing Protein
• 1/2 tsp instant coffee
• Ice as desired

     Mix all ingredients together in a blender until frothy.

Strawberry Lemonade

• 8 oz. nonfat milk
• 2 scoops Shaklee 180 Strawberry Energizing Protein
• 2 oz. natural lemonade
• Ice as desired

     Mix all ingredients together in a blender until frothy. 

You can pretty much add whatever you want...so be creative! These shakes are easy to make and super healthy!

What's your favorite protein shake recipe? 

Homemade Fruit Popsicles

The weather has been really hot here this past week, so I was on the hunt for a refreshing and healthy snack! I was pretty disappointed when I read the ingredients for store bought popsicles. Since most brands had added sugars and artificial ingredients, I decided to make my own! These are super easy to make and you can add whatever combination of fruit you prefer. I added a bit of Shaklee Performance, a natural pure hydration drink which hydrates better than water! They were a huge hit with my family and are super refreshing! 

Ingredients:

- Half of a watermelon, pureed
- Performance Pure Hydration Drink, Lemon Lime
- Assorted sliced fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, kiwi)
- Juice of 1 lime

Puree half of a watermelon, a handful of strawberries and the juice of 1 lime. Add 6 teaspoons of Performance (1 tsp per popsicle) and mix well. 

Pour mixture into popsicle molds until half full and add sliced fruit. 

Freeze for at least 6 hours and enjoy this healthy refreshing treat!

Quinoa Patties Recipe

We love these little quinoa patties! They are perfect for lunch or together with a side of veggies. The best part is, you can be creative and use whatever toppings you prefer. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature

- 3 eggs, beaten

- 1/2 tsp salt (or more depending on taste)

- 1 tsp pepper

- 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives (or cilantro)

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 1/3 cup cheddar cheese (you can experiment with different types of cheese)

- 4 large garlic cloves, crushed

- 1 cup panko break crumbs (plus more if needed)

- water, if needed

- olive oil

1.  Combine cooked quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir in chives, onion, cheese, and garlic.  Add the bread crumbs and allow to sit for a minute, to absorb some of the moisture. Err on the moist side, so you don't get an overly dry patty. Add more bread crumbs or water at this point as needed.  

2.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, cooking patties 7-10 minutes. Gently flatten patties with a spatula and cook until the bottoms are deeply browned. Carefully flip the patties with spatula and cook until golden. 

3.  Top quinoa patties with salsa or hot sauce, spinach, sliced tomatoes and avocado. 

Be creative and add different types of cheese, herbs and toppings. Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe

Our family loves these delicious banana chocolate chip muffins! I recently revised this recipe to make it healthier yet still taste good :) Enjoy!  

Ingredients: 

- 1 cup unbleached flour
- 1/2 cup Shaklee Instant Protein (all natural & non-GMO)*
- 1 cup oats
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup organic ground flaxseed
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. oil
- 2 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. milk
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- dark chocolate chips (optional)


Combine flour, protein, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and flaxseed. In a large bowl, beat egg, oil, sugar, milk and mashed bananas. Gradually add dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Mix in desired amount of dark chocolate chips. 


Line muffin tins with large baking cups. I use "If you Care" unbleached, chorine & toxin free baking cups. I found them at my local Whole Foods and Sprouts supermarket and they are amazing! You don't need to use any extra oil and the muffins peel right off without sticking!  

Spoon muffin batter into prepared muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes (or until lightly golden brown). Makes about 14-16 muffins.


*  I replace 1/2 cup flour with Shaklee's all natural Instant Protein, which adds 64g of healthy protein and cuts down on carbohydrates. If you wish to omit the protein, use 1 1/2 cups flour. 

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Fresh Apple Cake Recipe

Happy New Year!! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the holiday season with family and friends. I am so excited for this new year and have some exciting topics, recipes and specials to share with you over the next few months! If you are wanting to lose some inches this year, I have some INCREDIBLE specials you won't want to miss!! I'll be sharing my natural Inch Loss special with you later this week, so be sure to come back and check it out!

I've been trying out some new recipes over the holidays and wanted to start off this new year with a fresh apple cake recipe. This cake is packed with apples and 32g of natural, non-GMO protein. I like making this apple cake when I'm craving something sweet but on the healthier side.

Fresh Apple Cake Ingredients:
- 4 cups diced (peeled) apples
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
- 1/4 cup Shaklee Instant Protein
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- sliced almonds
- optional - 1/4 cup chopped nuts

Sprinkle diced apples with 2 Tablespoons of the measured sugar and set aside. Mix flour, instant protein, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Beat eggs, then mix in applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Pour batter into 8x10 baking dish. Cover dough with diced apples, pressing them lightly into batter. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and bake at 350 degrees for roughly 30 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked into center of cake).  Enjoy!

Homemade Crêpes Recipe

Growing up, it was a Saturday morning tradition to make breakfast Crêpes together with my family. We would stuff them with cinnamon apples, homemade apple sauce, fresh strawberries and blueberries and top them off with pure Canadian maple syrup. I use Shaklee's Instant Protein Mix to substitute a bit of the flour. This reduces the calories but also adds 32g of IPP certified non-GMO protein! 
You do not need a special crêpe pan for these to turn out. A small (8 inch) non-stick frying pan will do. This time, we rolled the crêpes with cinnamon apples and of course some maple syrup :) You can be creative as the possibilities for fillings are almost endless.


Crêpe batter
- 1 cup organic unbleached flour
- 1/4 cup Instant Protein Mix
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. Organic Agave (or raw honey)
- 1 1/2 cups non fat milk or Almond milk
- 1 Tbsp. oil
(makes about 7-8 crêpes)

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, protein, salt, oil and egg. Gradually add in milk, stirring to combine until smooth. It's important for the batter to reach the right consistency - similar to that of heavy whipping cream. Use the first crêpe as practice, so don't be discouraged if it takes a couple times to get the hang of it :) Crêpes are supposed to be very thin. If the first crêpe turns out too thick, either use less batter or whisk in a bit of extra milk to the remaining batter. 

Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto hot pan for each crêpe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter thinly coats the surface evenly. 

Cook crêpe about 1 minute until the bottom is lightly brown and the edges start to curl slightly. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side briefly - about 30 seconds.

Scoop your choice of fillings on one side of the crêpe, roll it up and enjoy! 

Pumpkin Latte

I absolutely love this time of year! Can you tell by my fall blog header? :) Here's a recipe for a healthy version of a Pumpkin Latte that you can buy at Starbucks. Thank you Shaklee family member Carol Cash for sharing this recipe! The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte has 380 calories, 120 of which come from FAT!  Plus it costs about $4.00!  This version has 10 – 20 grams of protein, around 200 calories and less than 25 fat calories – plus it is made with real pumpkin, not pumpkin flavored syrup, so there is WAY less sugar too!

Try this recipe and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Healthy Pumpkin Latte:

• 1/2 cup non-fat milk
• 2 Tablespoons canned pumpkin
• Heat gently, then stir in 1 scoop Vanilla Cinch protein
• Add mixture to 1/2 cup hot brewed coffee
• Mix in a dash of vanilla extract
• Top with whipped cream, cinnamon, pumpkin spice or nutmeg, if desired