Easy Non-Dairy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Did I just find yet another recipe on Pinterest that my family loves? 

Why, yes! I did!

Seriously, Pinterest is the best thing for Mom's since someone decided to invent earplugs.

I found this recipe on The Knotty Knitters Blog. I'm not sure who actually created it though.

So this super easy recipe is great for when you are short on time and need a fall treat for your kid's class, or to take to a work party, or any occasion really! Want to know why? There are only 3 ingredients! Doesn't get any easier than that.

So here's what you'll need:

1 oz can of Pumpkin

1 box Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix

and

1 bag your favorite Non-Dairy Chocolate Chips

(I like Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet)
*optional* I added an extra tsp of cinnamon because I just love me some cinnamon :)

You just mix all the ingredients together in a big mixing bowl (you do not need the ingredients that the cake mix calls for, only the 3 listed above) and scoop them out into small mounds (about 1 tbsp each, a cookie scoop would be best) onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Cook them at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Seriously, that's it. Start to finish, less than an hour.

This recipe yielded appx 36 cookies when I used my cookie scoop. According to my calculations that's 105 calories per cookie. A little much for my dietary plan, but it's nice to indulge every once in a while.

Flaxseeds and Flaxseed Tea

These are beautiful, Golden Flaxseeds. 

Before I was introduced to the health benefits of flaxseeds and before I personally experienced their healing power, I thought, "Flaxseeds? Really? Gross." True, they are not as pleasant to eat on their own as say, Sunflower Seeds, but they do make a delicious tea and the benefits for your body makes it worth the time to brew it.

I have had personal experience with the amazingness (yes, I just said "amazingness" lol) of flaxseed tea. 

I suffer from Gall Bladder attacks almost every month. They usually happen at night, and my sweet, sweet husband always gets up and makes me some FlaxTea when I'm hugging the toilet bowl and groaning from the burning pain. I sip it slowly and it usually always helps my body to calm down. It is some amazing stuff. I don't know how I would get through my attacks without it!

This is how you brew Flaxseed tea. 

You just put a hand full of seeds into a medium sized pot that has a small amount of water (more than enough to fill your tea cup, but not too much. About 1-1.5 inches over the handfull of seeds) Some seeds will float to the top, don't worry about it. You brew it on low heat until it starts to thicken. It's thicker than most other teas that are normally the consistency of water. The water does not need to boil. 

Once it has thickened use something like this^, something that will let the tea through, but not the seeds, and fill up your tea cup. It tastes pretty bland, but add about a tsp of Honey and oh sweet tastebuds it's good ...mmm...

These are some of the incredible reasons to use flaxseeds in your cooking and drink the tea. Or just the eat the seeds if that floats your boat ;-)

Flaxseed may aid in:

Lowering Cholesterol

Stabilizing Blood Sugar

Fighting Bone Loss

Promoting Weight Loss

Increasing Immunity

and Fighting Cancer

Flaxseed is high in:

Most of the B vitamins, Magnesium, and Manganese

Fiber, both soluble and insoluble

Phytochemicals, including power antioxidants such as lignans.

Omega3 fatty acids

I got my information from this website. You may go here to read in more detail about the health properties of Flaxseeds.

Smoothie Day

I've been in kind of a rut lately and have been unable to lose my last 8 lbs. Seriously, I get on the scale week after week and the number remains the same. It's very discouraging! Especially since I gave up any and ALL sugary treats last week. No more candy, no more baked goods, weight watchers treats, soy ice cream, not even fruit juice. Strictly water and regular food.

Last night I decided that I wanted to do an experiment with my body. I was going to eat only fruit all day long and see if that helped me at all. When I actually sat down to plan it out I discovered that I don't have a wide enough variety of fresh fruit at home to make a fruit day doable so I decided a smoothie day would be a great alternative. I have 3 big bags of frozen organic fruit down stairs that on the bag say things like "Just as healthy as fresh fruit" and "Nutritious Immunity Blend" on them. Perfect!!

So this blog post is going to be all about what I ate all day long (with recipes), the products I used and how many calories each meal/snack had. I will also blog my feelings along the way in hopes that if this experiment actually works to jump start my body and get me out of this weight loss plateau, that others who read my blog can take the information and help themselves as well! I will also blog my workout for today just because I feel really awesome that I made it through the whole thing! lol

In order to do a smoothie day I had to have a couple of additives, but don't worry, they're healthy additives and there are only three. (When I say additives I mean things besides fruit. Asterix denotes non-fruit additives)

I also plan on drinking tons of water throughout the day, at the least about 3 liters, more than likely more.

BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE (7:45am, 105 cals)
Taken with two superfood capsules, a B vitamin complex, 2 comfortone capsules, 2 cinnamon capsules, a joint support supplement, a calcium magnesium potassium supplement, and a vitamin C.

1 cup organic frozen Mango and Pineapple chunks (70 calories)

*1/2 cup light original organic Soymilk (35 calories)

*1 pkt Stevia in the Raw® (0 calories)
Blended all together in my Ninja Blender (my new favorite kitchen gadget) for about a minute and enjoyed in a glass.

After this smoothie I was feeling pretty good, so I went to the gym and it sustained me through my workout. I made sure to drink plenty of water and added my Slique Essence® to my water bottle before I started my workout.

WORKOUT (Burned 400 calories)
10 forward lunges (each side) holding a 10 lb dumbell in each hand
10 plie jumps (click to see what these are)
10 reverse lunges (each side) holding a 10 lb dumbell in each hand
10 squat jumps (click to see what these are)
10 step ups (each side), step should be at least 1 foot off the ground
10 standing front leg lifts (each side)
10 single leg bridges (click to see what these are)
10 standing side leg lifts (each side)
10x10 wall sit (100 seconds, 1:40)
Rest one minute then repeat this cycle one time.

10 pushups (feet elevated)
24 biceps burners, 8 full curls-8 half curls-8 full curls, with 8 lb dumbells
15 overhead shoulder presses, with 8 lb dumbells
10 pushups (feet elevated)
15 tricep dips
15 bent over back rows, with 10 lb dumbells
15 lateral raises (arms fully strait and extend up/out to the side to shoulder height)
10 pushups (feet elevated)
15 tricep kick backs, with 5 lb dumbells
20 tricep pulses (stand leaning slightly forward, arms strait and pulse arms back)
Rest one minute and repeat this cycle one time. The second time I did this my feet were not elevated on the pushups.

Run 2 miles in intervals of 2 minutes. 2 minutes at 3.5, 2 minutes at 6.5, repeat till desired mile marker is reached.

I was completely exhausted after this as you can imagine, so I picked up my kids from the gym daycare and went home to make another smoothie.

POST WORKOUT SMOOTHIE (10:30am, 275 cals)
Taken with 2 superfood capsules.
*1 cup light original organic soymilk (70 calories)
2/3 cup frozen mango chunks (60 calories)
1/2 cup frozen strawberry slices (25 calories)
*2 pkts Stevia in the Raw® (0 calories)
*1 scoop Vanilla protein powder (120 calories)

This smoothie was delicious and totally filled me. I'm feeling pretty good at this point even though I've had no gluten or filler foods all day (like I normally do) and it's 11am right now. I'm going to shower and clean my house and see how I feel around lunch.

LUNCH (1pm, 155 cals)
Taken with 2 superfood capsules.
1 cup frozen strawberries (50 calories)
3/4 cup light original organic soymilk (53 calories)
1/2 of a banana ( 52 calories)

Delicious, of course, as usual! Enjoyed it outside while my kid's played on their tire swing and mini trampoline. They kept sneaking sips from me, too. Little stinkers :)

I had to have a snack after a few hours because I knew I wouldn't make it to dinner without feeling very hungry.

SNACK (3:30pm, 126 cals)
1 apple, sliced, with peel (126 calories)
The other half of the Strawberry Banana Smoothie's Banana
(52 calories)

This is where it got hard! I made breakfast for dinner, consisting of bacon, eggs, and biscuits. I did this so that it wouldn't be too tempting for me to steer away from my diet of the day. Ya, that didn't happen! I was very tempted to grab a plate full of eggs and scarf them down, but I held steadfast and didn't have a single bite. Makes me feel very proud of my ability to control myself.

DINNER (6pm,  about 225 cals)
Taken with two superfood capsules.
Homemade Strawberry sorbet made by and shared with my husband, yes be jealous!
2.5 cups frozen mixed fruit (175 calories)
1.5 cups light vanilla organic soymilk (120 calories)
3 pkts of Stevia in the Raw® (0 calories)
1/3 of a banana (35 calories)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (120 calories)
Mix all together for several minutes in your blender, spoon into a bowl and enjoy. Makes two full bowl servings.

DESSERT (7pm, about 52 cals)
1 Lg handfull frozen grapes (about 52 calories)

I went to bed without feeling hungry or run down, and that really surprised me. I had thoughts in my head of how it would feel to live on fruit and soymilk for a day, and I was thinking it would be a lot harder than it was. With the exception of dinner, it was actually pretty easy and enjoyable.

I consumed about 980 calories today (give or take 10-15 or so), which is well below the recommended amount that you should take in daily to live (and below what I normally eat which is around 1300-1500), but I'm perfectly fine and wasn't hungry. I got all the nutrients I needed to live, workout, play with my kids and do all the other things I did that day.

Side effects? There was only one that I can think of and, at the risk of over-sharing I will let you know that I was in the bathroom peeing about every 20-30 minutes. It was ridiculous. Besides that, there wasn't anything else that wasn't great about doing this.

The next morning I got up and stepped on the scale after going to the bathroom, crossing my fingers that I'd had some positive results from all my hard work. 2.6 pounds down people!! In one day!! What a success! My heart was soaring and I was very pleased with how things went. The fact that I got to go to the gym soon after that and do my all time favorite workout (Viva La Zumba!) made it seem so much better. What a great morning!!

In addition to my smoothie only day I decided to go gluten free today (the day after the smoothie day) just to see if that would help keep the pounds off after I started eating regular food again. I also plan on lowering my normal gluten intake for good, and trying to make better snacking decisions from now on.

If ANYONE has any questions or comments I would love to hear your feedback or help if I can.

*As a side note I would just like to add that only drinking smoothies or eating fruit for a full day is not for everyone. I would not recommend this diet for pregnant or nursing women or men who labor at work and workout heavily during the day. If you suffer from a chronic disease such a diabetes or a problem like hypoglycemia I would do some research on the effects that this would have on those types of conditions, or consult with your doctor before starting. It might also be a good idea to research the vitamins you take as well. I take/mentioned what is right for my body and you should do the same for yours.

Summer Sand Dessert

The original recipe for this comes from my beautiful and creative cook of a sister-in-law, Shalane. It's is the most fun and easy summer dessert out there that allergic to dairy or not, your family will enjoy over and over again. Only 4 ingredients. Let's get started.

___________________________________________________

 ^First you wanna make the actual sand part of the dessert.  All you need for this is 1 whole box of Vanilla Wafers and 3 Oreo cookies. Throw them in your blender or chopper and chop them up and store them in a bowl till you're ready. 

*I must gloat for a minute... My mom bought me a ninja for my birthday. No, not a little asian karate guy or a kawasaki ninja bike, the most awesome blender/chopper system ever. It's amazing. I made this consistency of sand in the Ninja chopper in 2 seconds. I kid you not, I put the lid on and pressed it down for about 2 seconds and this is how it came out! I was amazed.

*

^Next you're going to want to make your pudding.  Jello brand regular puddings have no dairy and if you make them with Soymilk you're safe. So you need 3 cups milk of your choice, 1 box of Jello brand Vanilla instant pudding, and 1 box chocolate instant pudding. (Not the cook and serve like pictured, another lesson i learned from trial and error.) The first time I tried to make the pudding I thought it would be easier to mix them together in the same bowl. Not so easy. It would NOT thicken! It was exasperating and ruined so I learned through trial and error to mix the puddings separately then combine once they've thickened. I also decreased the milk in both from 2 cups to 1.5 cups.

*

^Once your pudding and cookie crumbs are done, layer them in a large bowl like so. My bowl was a little too big so I only layered it twice then I ran out of ingredients. A really cute idea from Shalane was to layer it inside a sand pail. How cute is that?

*

Last but certainly not least, adorn it with fun summer stuff to make this dessert sure fire family fun to enjoy. The only summer things I had laying around the house were a sand shovel and a leigh so I did the best I could with what I had. Next time though, I'm totally doing the pail idea. Love that and you'd have way more layers.

Enjoy!

3 Ingredient Yummy Fruit Dip

WARNING! THIS RECIPE DOES CONTAIN DAIRY, lots of it. I usually post recipes that are completely dairy free as all in my family, but myself are allergic. For this post, that's not the case. This dip is a treat for me and I am NOT in the mood to share ;-) 

So moms, put on your greedy shoes and get ready to hoard this delectable dip in large quantities. IT'S JUST THAT GOOD! AND you only need 3 ingredients. Doesn't get better than that right?

ALL YOU NEED IS:

1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk

1 - 8 oz tub light cream cheese

AND

1 - tub light whipped cream

This recipe is normally made with full fat everything, but as I made an entire recipe to eat all to myself, I decided to curb the guilt a little by making it low fat. 

All you do is soften the cream cheese in a glass bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds and mix everything together in a medium mixing bowl. You can eat the dip strait out of the bowl or refrigerate it for a half hour then enjoy it so it has a chance to chill more. It keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks so don't worry about the recipe being too large for one person. Or share with your family who, if they don't have a dairy allergy will enjoy it as well.

The yummiest fruits to have this dip with (in my personal opinion) are:

STRAWBERRIES #1 for sure!

and

Bananas finish a close second!

Apple Slices would probably taste pretty dang yummy as well. And probably most fruits would taste good with this... Like I said, it's just that good.

Priceless

Do you guys remember those old credit card commercials where they gave you the price of a bunch of different stuff and the cost of the last one was always "priceless"? Well, here's my version for the day.

Breakfast: 185 calories.

Midmorning Snack: 246 calories.

Lunch: 397 calories.

Afternoon Snack: 48 calories.

Dinner: 301 calories.


Dessert: 120 calories.

Staying on track, eating healthy, burning over 600 calories in my workout this morning, and having an active and fun day: PRICELESS.

Happy Summer people! 

Make it a healthy and active one by checking out some of the great non-dairy recipes and smoothie/shake recipes on my blog.

"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds, cannot change anything."

~George Bernard Shaw

Dr. Oz's Just Ten Challenge

Since most of us are always striving to cook healthier for our families and live better lives, and since most of these rules and tips have to deal with eating habits, I thought it would be best to post this challenge on this blog. For al the sweets I consume I should be doing this too!!

Rule #1:

Cut Out Soda

Cut soda from your diet, Period. Soda is full of caffeine and high fructose corn syrup. In addition to contributing to weight gain, soda increases your risk of diabetes, bone weakening and tooth decay.


Rule #2:

Stop Eating at Least 3 Hours Before Bed

The kitchen closes 3 hours before bedtime. Schedule your dinners and eat at the table where you can be conscious of what, and how much, you’re eating.


Rule #3:

Move for 10 Minutes Each Day

Studies indicate that moving just 10 minutes a day can improve your cardiovascular fitness and your heart health; it’s also true that you can drop 10 pounds by exercising just 10 minutes a day.


Rule #4:

Exercise Portion Control

You must exercise portion control in order to drop those 10 pounds. Instead of eating straight from the bag or box, a habit that makes it difficult to track how much you're eating, portion your favorite snacks into small bowls or plastic bags. Follow this  rule of thumb: Don't eat any snacks larger than the size of you fist.


Rule #5:

Weigh Yourself Every Day

Each day, pull out the scale, step on and be courageous, because knowing what you weigh will enable the change. Research shows that, if you track your progress and stay accountable, you will lose weight.


Tips & Tasks #1:

Take a Vitamin B Complex Every Day

Vitamin B Complex metabolizes carbohydrates, proteins and and fatty acids in the body giving you the energy to exercise.


Tips & Task #2:

Take Your Vitamins

Each day, take the following: Calcium (600 mg, plus 600 mg from food) and Magnesium (400 mg) – it supports bone strength and prevents fractures. Vitamin D3 (1,000 IU taken with DHA) can help prevent memory loss and heart disease. DHA (900 mg) supports memory and vision while decreasing heart attacks and stroke. Probiotics taken in spore form can help decrease infections and inflammations. Finally, a daily multivitamin will help counteract a less than perfect diet of nutrients.


Tips & Tasks #3:

Recipe Reinvention

Celebrity chef Art Smith shared this chicken stir fry recipe with Dr. Oz for the Just 10 Challenge kick-off. It's low in calories, low in cost and can be ready in just 10 minutes. 


Tips & Tasks #4:

Know Your Serving Sizes

Each day, you get a total of 10 servings of the food you love, but the key is portion size. Here's your guide:


Proteins and Fats 4 Servings
1 serving of chicken = 1 breast (skinless)
1 serving of meat and fish = no larger than the palm of your hand
1 serving of beans = 1 cup 
1 serving of cheese = the size of 2 dice
1 serving of olive oil = the size of a poker chip

Complex Carbohydrates 3 Servings
1 serving of spaghetti = the diameter of a quarter (measure dry)
1 serving of grains (like cous cous, rice and quinoa) = 1/2 cup uncooked; 1 cup cooked

Fruit 3 Servings
Whole fruits = the size of 1 scoop of ice cream
Berries = 1 cup

Vegetables Unlimited Servings
You should never be hungry during the Just 10 Challenge. Fill up on the fiber and nutrients found in your favorite vegetables.

Additionally, you can have dessert every other day. However, that dessert can be no bigger than the size of your hand.


Tips & Tasks #5:

Conquer Your Cravings

Never Go Hungry

Once you’ve passed the point of starving, you’re more likely to give in to your cravings and turn to less healthy food choices. Preempt your cravings by making sure to eat well-balanced meals that will help you stay fuller longer. Look for foods that are high in fiber and lean protein. Snacking in between meals helps – just make sure it's healthy. Try fresh fruit and nuts. 

Eliminate and Replace Addictive Foods

Out of sight, out of mind. If you can’t see the diet destroyers, you simply can’t reach for them and indulge in mindless eating once you do. Eliminate temptation and replace reliance on food with a more constructive behavior. Engage in conversation with friends, and turn to messages of encouragement and support to stave off cravings and reinforce healthy eating habits.

Tips & Tasks #6:

Survive the Holidays

Survival Tip #1: Party Smart

Don’t go to a party starving. Have a pre-party snack. Try a small bag of nuts and low-fat string cheese to load up on protein so you don’t overindulge at the big event.

Avoid the food pile-up at the holiday buffet. Choose the smallest plate, do not stack your food, and make sure there is space between each food item. You must be able to see everything on your plate clearly.

Skip the eggnog – it can be up to 450 calories a glass. Try these 100-calorie cocktails instead: 1 vodka on the rocks, 1 glass of wine, or 2 wine spritzers.

Survival Tip #2: Defeat the Sweets

If you need to bring dessert to a party, buy something on the way to the event. Don’t bake it ahead of time, as this can lead to snacking.

Choose only 1 dessert. Take it all in visually and make your best choice. One dessert is fine – all of the desserts and you’re facing a dieting disaster.

Survival Tip #3: Eat Then Shop

Do your holiday shopping after eating a full breakfast, lunch or dinner. You’ll be less tempted to grab something convenient and unhealthy in the food court. If you must eat at the mall, share 1 slice of pizza and a side salad with a friend.

Pack snacks like a dried fruit and nut trail mix, and dark chocolate to hold you over until you can get back to a source of healthy food.

Survival Tip #4: Weigh Yourself Twice a Week

Don’t wait until New Year’s Day to weigh yourself. Keep track of everything you eat and what you weigh throughout the holiday season to keep yourself accountable to the promise you made to follow the Just 10 Challenge.

Tips & Tasks #7:

Keep the Weight Off

Just 10 Challenge Rule: Stop Eating at Least 3 Hours Before Bed

Maintenance Secret #1: Only Eat at the Kitchen Table

Avoid mindless eating! Stay away from the TV or other distractions while you eat. Make the dinner table the only place you eat.

Just 10 Challenge Rule: Don't Eat Snacks Larger Than Your Fist

Maintenance Secret #2: Eat Snacks With 3 Grams of Fiber

Keep exercising the same portion control measures, but make sure your snacks provide at least 3 grams of fiber. Try things like popcorn, high-fiber cereal or apples.

Just 10 Challenge Rule: Move for 10 Minutes Each Day

Maintenance Secret #3: Add in 10 Minutes of Strength Training

Do 10 minutes of cardio, plus 10 minutes of strength training every day. This will help you get past a weight-loss plateau.

Just 10 Challenge Rule: Weigh Yourself Daily

Maintenance Secret #4: Enlist a Friend to Start the Just 10 Challenge

Coach your friend through the challenge. Doing so will keep the steps of the challenge fresh for you, and allow you to track your weight loss and progress together.

Just 10 Challenge Rule: Cut Out Soda

Maintenance Secret #5: Avoid Eating Sugary Foods

Do not eat anything where sugar is listed within the first 5 ingredients. Sugary drinks and foods will sabotage your weight loss goals. Be smart and identify sugar by all its names: high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, molasses, sucrose, corn sugar and dextrose.

For more information, recipes, and the entire challenge, visit Dr. Oz's show website by clicking here.