Chocolate Protein Shake

I went for a goo 3.5 mile run this morning outside, pushing my 26 pound daughter in her 15 pound stroller, uphill half of the way. It was SO hard and I was craving some serious protein when we got back to the house. So I decided to do a little experiment. 

I am currently out of protein powder, and I do not like the taste of the protein my husband buys, but it's all we had. SO I experimented.

Usually my experiments don't turn out, but God was smiling on me today because I came up with a winner!!! So I'm going to share this delicious protein shake with all of you so you can enjoy it as well. I have posted the nutritional information at the bottom of this post for those of you who are interested :)

In your blender mix all of the following:

1/2 C Light Original SoyMilk

(You don't have to use SoyMilk, it's all I buy because of my family's allergies to dairy, regular cow's milk works just as well, but the nutritional information will vary by what kind of milk you use)

1/2 a Banana, broken into pieces

1 Scoop Chocolate Whey Protein powder, I used Muscle Milk

1 T Natural Peanut Butter, I used Skippy Brand

1 Packet Stevia in the Raw, optional (I only used this to combat the bitter taste I get from the protein powder)

Blend well till you see no chunks of banana or peanut butter floating around. All you have to do from here is add about 5-6 ice cubes at a time until you get a consistency you like. I like my shakes REALLY thick.

And there you have it! One of the world's yummiest chocolate protein shakes ever. Enjoy one today!
This recipe makes 2 servings. A great idea with this is to drink half and freeze half for another day.

Nutritional information is per serving

Serving Size 11 oz, Makes 2 servings

Calories                        166

Fat                                  7g 

Protein                     11.75g

Net Carbs                   18.5g 

Sugar                         10.5g

Non-Dairy Chocolate Banana Cream Trifle

I made this dessert for the first time on Thanksgiving and I was really excited about it. I was a little nervous about how the non-dairy substitutions would make it taste, but it did not disappoint! So here's my non-dairy version of a yummy Chocolate Banana Cream Trifle.

*Side note* If you are making this dessert for a gathering and are worried about someone being allergic to bananas (like my brother is) then leave them out and it still makes a yummy dessert. I was also thinking about slicing strawberries and trying a Chocolate Strawberry Cream Trifle. Yum, huh? For a gluten free alternative try crushed brown sugar almonds in place of the graham crackers. That might be tasty :)

For this trifle you will need:

18 whole Honey Graham Crackers, crushed

1 cup vanilla Soy Milk

1 - 3.4 oz box Jell-O Brand French Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix

1 & 1/4 cup Ghirardelli Semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 containers SoyaToo Extra Heavy Whipped Cream

4 Lg Bananas, peeled and sliced

2 Tbsp 100% Lemon Juice

^1st, break up your graham crackers and crush them as best you can. Set aside.

^Next make your cream. Mix the Jell-O mix, the soy milk, and all but 1 cup of your whipped topping in a bowl and whisk together till smooth.

^For your ganache, microwave your chocolate chips in a glass bowl till smooth and add in that last cup of whipped cream.

^Peel and slice your bananas. It's best to use bananas that are ripe for eating, but not to ripe so they are not as soft as a fully ripe banana. Place the slices in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice. THis keeps your bananas from browning. Set aside 12 slices for garnish.

^Next you start with your layers. Place half the graham crackers on the bottoms of the dish you will be serving from. I used a Trifle Dish, purchased for $6.97 at Walmart. Arrange a single layer of bananas on top of the crackers. I only had 3 bananas so my layer is thin, plus my hubby is not a big banana fan. You don't have to go so thin if you had all 4 bananas.

^Next, spread 1/3 of the chocolate ganache over the bananas and over the ganache spread half of the pudding filling. Repeat Layers. On top, decorate with the remaining ganache in a criss cross pattern, and sprinkle with the remaining graham cracker crumbs. Arrange the bananas you set aside in a circle for the garnish.

^Cover and chill for 2 hrs so your fillings can thicken and set. Serve cold and keep refrigerated.

Enjoy!