Delicious Black Bean Brownies

So I was really bored today after having cleaned the whole house and done some laundry. Aubree and I have been outside almost everyday so I figured it would be nice to take a day of break and just spend the day in the lovely air conditioned house. So I went on Pinterest and decided to look for some new recipes. I came across this recipe for black bean brownies. I've seen these recipes on there all the time but I've never thought about trying it. I actually had some black beans though for once. So I thought hey what the heck. If I don't like them I know Aubree will eat them. She eats just about pretty much anything. But I really loved them! They are so yummy and they are so much healthier than regular brownies. 

Here's the recipe :)

1 can of rinsed and drained black beans

2-3 tbsp of peanut butter depending on how much you want in it

2 eggs

4 tbsp coconut oil

4 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350.

Put the black beans in a blender or food processor and blend until they are smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until thoroughly mixed. Put it in a 9 inch cake pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. 

Josh even liked them and he isn't the type to try new things. I don't know if I will ever make brownies from a box again now that I know this recipe.

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Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

This is seriously THE best ice cream I have ever had! And it's not even real ice cream! I would've given some to Aubree but I never remembered about it until she was asleep.

Anyways, freeze a couple bananas. It only takes about 10 minutes for them to freeze depending on your freezer. When they are frozen out them into a food processor or blender and blend until it is smooth and creamy. Then add however much peanut butter you want to. I put about 1 1/2 tbsp. I also added my body fortress chocolate peanut butter protein powder in it to make it a great post workout snack. You blend it all together. Put it in a freezer safe container and you are done! :)

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Super Healthy Banana Pancakes YUM!

These were so easy to make which is perfect for me as Aubree never sits still. She is always on the move!

All they are is 1 banana and 2 eggs. Mash the banana then mix it with the egg. I added cinnamon sugar to Aubree's and my body fortress chocolate peanut butter protein powder to mine. You just cook them on the skillet for a few minutes, making sure to turn them over.

And there is it! A super easy and healthy breakfast. It 's the perfect way to sneak in a fruit serving into a kid's meal. Especially if it is hard to get them to eat them in the first place :)

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Month 1 of My Diet

Ok, so I have been on my diet for exactly a month now. And I am very pleased to say that I have lost 10lbs. It might sound like much but I am using the Lose It app for my Iphone and according to it I will reach my goal by my birthday if I lose just 2lbs. a week. And I've lost more then was expected for the first month. 

Me and Aubree went to the grocery store today and everything I put into the cart was healthy. With the exception of teddy grahams and such for her. I have had temptations sitting around the house. Right now there are mini cupcakes sitting in the fridge that I bought for Aubree. I keep thinking ehhhh it won't hurt just to eat one. But I keep resisting the urge. 

I let myself have one bad day a week. And only for one meal. I normally go out to cookout or get chicken tenders from my work. So its really not that bad I still have all that protein in the chicken, its the sides I get with it that are bad like the macaroni and cheese and the fries lol. 

I'm really proud of myself for sticking on this diet so far. Normally I don't make it this far. But I am determined to keep this up because I don't want Aubree to have the fat mom that can't run around and play with her.

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Lemon Garlic Chicken with Red Potatoes and Green Beans

Trying to make this with 2 dogs running around the kitchen and Aubree screaming for my attention in her play pen turned out to make this recipe take almost 2 hours for me to make. I had to run back and forth to the living room to give aubree her pacifier and toys. I had cookies baking in the oven that I had to keep checking on. It was a crazy couple of hours.

2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced and 1 juiced

6 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 lb trimmed green beans

8 small red potatoes, quartered

4 chicken breasts

1. Preheat the oven to 450F. Coat a large baking dish with 1tbsp of olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish.

2. In a large bowl, mix the remaining oil, salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice. Add the green beans and toss to coat; use tongs or a slotted spoon and layer them over the lemon slices. Put the quartered potatoes in the bowl and coat them too. Arrange them around the edge of the dish. Place the chicken in the bowl and coat them and arrange them in the center of the dish.

3. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken and place the dish bake in the oven for about 10 more minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

4. Serve and enjoy :)

picture credit to http://samantha-greg.blogspot.com as I completely forgot to take a picture of mine.

It was just me and I was so full, so I gave away a big chunk of it to my sister to take home lol. Make some biscuits with it and you have a great dinner planned. :)

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Diet Week #2

I really need to get my butt exercising more. I've lost the required amount of weight to reach my goal by my birthday but I haven't been working out. I know if I start working out everyday I will lose more then what I need to. And that is exactly what I want. I want to exceed my goals and everyone's expectations. I don't even think some people think I can do it. 

I made this amazing dinner last night and it was pretty healthy :)

I even made some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and resisted the urge to eat them all lol. I only have 3 yesterday and they weren't that many calories.

When I get paid next week, I am getting a gym membership so I hope that I will be able to go at least once a day 5 days a week.

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Diet Week Numero Uno

This is the end of the very first week of my new diet. It has been so incredibly easy for me to stay on target. And I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it has something to do with being a new year and all. Anyways, I've been eating super healthy and working out almost everyday of the week. I've lost 5lbs this week and even though it does not seem like alot, I am so stoked that I've lost it. I never plan on being this big ever again. I'm not sure how I really got this big without creating some concern in my head. If you have a hickory tavern near you, I suggest you go there and get the fiesta salad. It is sooo yummy. I went Friday and Saturday to eat it. lol. I work out at home for the most part playing zumba videos that I've found on Youtube.com. I have a treadmill at home but it doesnt work most of the time or it'll cut off 2 minutes in. I need to buy a gym membership to Planet Fitness so I can go while Aubree is taking a nap or after I put her to bed at night.

I really hope that soon I can begin to start posting pictures of me skinnier. That would make me the happiest person in the world :)

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Homemade Zucchini Fry Recipe

These taste so good and are such a great alternative to french fries!

Ingredients:

Italian Style Panko Bread Crumbs

2 eggs

3 zucchinis

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a cookie sheet with foil.

First cut the ends of the zucchini off and cut it in half long ways. Stand half up and cut them in half again the same direction as the first cut. Lay them flat and cut them into strips.

Whisk together the 2 eggs in a shallow dish. Dip the zucchini in the egg then roll it in the bread crumbs. Place them on the cookie sheet and bake them for 10-12 minutes pull them out of the oven and flip them. Then bake them for another 10-12 minutes or until the bread crumbs are browned.

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Healthy & Delicious Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

These are some of the best oatmeal cookies I have ever had. And I'm not a big oatmeal cookie eater. We always have them around Christmas time but I never eat them. But these I might make and start as a tradition in my home for the holidays. :)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup coconut

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 cup almond meal

1/2 cup almonds finely chopped (or whatever nut you prefer)

1 cup raisins(you can do other dried fruit too)

3 bananas mashed

1/4 canola oil

1tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine rolled oats, coconut, almonds, and almond meal in a large bowl. Add in cinnamon and allspice. Add in fruit and mix until evenly distributed.

In another bowl mix the bananas, canola oil and vanilla. Pour into dry mix bowl and mix thoroughly.

Drop onto cookie sheet in tablespoons and press it down with the back of the spoon.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until they start to brown on the edges.

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Healthy Cookies and Cream Milkshake Recipe

This does not taste like it is healthy at all!

Ingredients:

1 cup low fat or skim milk

2 1/2 reduced fat oreos

1 tbsp dry vanilla pudding mix

1tsp vanilla

1 package splenda or equal

1 1/2 ice cubes

Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until mixed. If the shake isn't thick enough add a few more ice cubes. Serve immediately

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How To Make Homemade Apple Chips

Apple chips are so good but they are kind of on the expensive side. The homemade ones tastes just as good and even better then the store bought ones. You can use whatever kind of apples you like!

Ingredients:

1 large apple

2tbsp light brown sugar

1tbsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Thinly slice the apple carefully. If you have a mandolin use that but I'm just using a knife since I dont own one.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip the apple slices in the cinnamon mix just to lightly coat the chips.

Bake for 1 hour. Take out and flip them over. Then bake for another hour.

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Super Healthy Chocolate Milkshake Recipe

This milkshake is so amazing! I drank the first one and then made a second one since it is only 50 calories. :)

Ingredients:

1 heaping tbsp of peanut butter

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp maple syrup/sugar/sweetener

2 frozen bananas pre-sliced

1 cup milk

I used Truvia sweetener so it was even healthy then if i used the sugar or maple syrup

Blend all the ingredients together and enjoy :)

It's great to give to the kids because they don't know that its healthy lol.



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Berry Mean Smoothie

This is a variation I created of all those smoothies that have the spinach in them. I tried it this morning and I thought it tasted so good, I'm making myself one every morning from now on.

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of baby spinach

1 cup frozen mixed berries

1 banana

1 cup milk

1 cup of yogurt

1 cup pineapple

Put it all in the blender and mix it well.

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Quinoa Mac & Cheese Recipe

This is a healthy side dish that would go great with any type of meat.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained

veggie of your choice(optional)

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

2 cloves of minced garlic

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

panko bread crumbs to sprinkle on top

First, sautee the veggies that you want in the recipe.

Cook the quinoa to the packages directions.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13x9 casserole dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and the milk.

Mix the quinoa and the rest of the ingredients into the egg mixture. Combined it well allowing some of the cheese to start melting.

Transfer the mix into the 13x9 dish and sprinkle panko bread crumbs on top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the bread crumbs are browned.



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How to Make Panko Crusted Tilapia

Ingredients:

Tilapia- as many fillets as you want

panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

In a bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.

Put the panko bread crumbs into a zip lock bag.

Take a tilapia fillet and stick it in the bag of bread crumbs and shake it up.

Now pour a little bit of olive oil into a saucepan. And put the stove to medium heat.

Take the tilapia and lay it in the pan. And fry it til it is cooked thru.

I served it with quinoa mac and cheese and it tasted amazing and was a healthy dinner. :)



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Lean Green Smoothie

This smoothie looks kinda gross but it tastes really good and you can't taste the spinach at all. :)

Ingredients:

2 bananas

1 cup pineapple chunks

2 handfuls of baby spinach

1 cup any flavor yogurt

1 cup water

Blend it all together and drink the whole thing daily and it'll help you lose weight :)

(along with a healthy diet and exercise)



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Dried Strawberry Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pint fresh strawberries

truvia for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 210 degrees.

Spread the strawberries out on a cookie sheet.

Sprinkle truvia onto them just for taste.

Put them in the oven and bake them for 3 1/2 hours.

They taste yummy and they are negative calories so they are super healthy :)



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Cinnamon Sugar Almonds Recipe

This gives almonds a nice sweet taste so you don't get stuck just eating bland almonds.

Ingredients:

3cups almonds

1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1 cup sugar

1/4 water.

In a skillet, mix the water, cinnamon and sugar.

Then add the almonds, and mix them around to coat them all until the sugar crystallizes.

When the sugar is crystallized, spread the almonds on some parchment paper and let them dry.

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Homemade Guacamole Recipe

Ingredients:
2 ripe Avocados, peeled and pitted
juice of 1 Lime
1/4 Cup minced Red Onion
2 Tablespoons minced Cilantro
1 small clove Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt or 1/2 teaspoon Table Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper

First, halve and pit the avocados. Then in a small bowl use a fork to mash them up.

Mix the rest of the ingredients into the avocado.

Serve immediately, or you can chill it for up to 3 hours.

This would taste great with the pita chips that I posted the recipe for on here as well. Enjoy :)



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Pita Chips Recipe

All you need for this is some pita bread and some olive oil.

First, cut the pita bread into 8 triangles and pull the halves apart.

Then spread them out on a cookie sheet and brush olive oil onto them.

Preheat the oven to 400. Then bake the pita chips for 7mins. Be sure to watch them as the pita bread will burn quickly.



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