Banana Peanut Butter Protein Bars

First order of business- I owe you guys an apology! I have been grossly neglecting my blog over the last couple weeks and I'm sorry! Life gets so busy, I get lazy and well...ya know I neglect. I hope this little jewel of a recipe is enough to give forgiveness!
I found the original recipe online while doing some surfing around. I will post it..and the nutritional content. THEN I will post MY "cleaned up" version. I didn't try it the original way and I can assure you that, yes, it will probably be better than my version BUT my version is pretty darn tasty so I don't feel any urge to try the other way... especially when I look at the breakdown, so check it out:



Original Recipe
No bake banana peanut butter fudge bars

• 1 large banana
• 2/3 cup butter or margarine
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

I would give you the directions BUT I really don't want you to make it this way so.. I think I will pass.
Here is the nutritional breakdown:
Serving 10 (which is what I have mine set to serve)
1serving(1 bar)
515 calories
47g carbs
33g fat
15g sat fat
26g sugar
12g protein
4g fiber
Can you say HEART ATTACK????

So here is MY version:
 Here is what you'll need-

• 1 large banana
• 2 4 oz. unsweetened applesauce packs
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup loose brown sugar
• 2 servings dark chocolate chips (or grain sweetened)
• 2 servings naturally more peanut butter
• 1 serving dark chocolate dreams peanut butter
• 3 scoops french vanilla creme protein powder

Directions:

• Warm olive oil in a large skillet and add applesauce, stirring to warm and combine
• Combine the oats and protein with the sugar and then stir into the applesauce mix, stirring for 5 minutes (you want it to mix and get kind of clumpy and sticky)
• spoon out 3/4 cup (or so) of the mix
• take the remaining and press into a 9x9 pan until its even and flat
• slice the banana and arrange on top (slice thin)
• melt the peanut butters with the chocolate chips in a sauce pan, constantly stirring
• pour and spread over the banana
• take the reserved oat mix and arrange on top and press down slightly until flat and spread out evenly
• Chill for 2 hours to set and cut into 10 bars
• store in the fridge

Check out the nutrition facts:

Calories 199 (hey its under 200 :D)
Fat 7g
Sat fat 2g
Carbs 24
Sugar 10g
Fiber 3g
Protein 13g

And they look pretty too:

Eat and be HAPPY! :D

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Mexican Nachos!

I'm hungry... but for what??? Ugh.. the agitating feeling of hunger with no idea of what for! Off I go to look and see what I have... how did I even come up with this??

I don't remember the last time I had nachos, the whole time I was making these I actually was thinking of my dad (bless his heart- I love you!). He would make them and devour them when I was younger, and that's my last nacho memory, so.. maybe 10 years? It's funny though... in my 10 year hiatus from nachos I sure didn't forget how to make them.

Here's what you'll need:

• generous 1/2 serving (yes that is only a generous half serving-weighed! 18g) of mutligrain Garden of Eatin' chips
• 2-3 oz. cooked chicken, shredded
• 2 tbsp salsa
• 1 serving shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 pack of 100 calorie pack guacamole

1. layer your chips on your plate
2. mix the chicken with the salsa
3. top chips with chicken mix
4. top chicken with cheese
5. Microwave until hot and cheese is melted
6. top with guacamole
7. Enjoy nachos reinvented!

Apples to Applesauce-in 10 Minutes FLAT!

Going to grab one of my wonderful pre-measured 4 oz. unsweetened applesauce containers and realizing I was (Gasp!) OUT is what has prompted today's post. I cook with applesauce literally everyday. I use it instead of butter or oil in nearly every baking situation and sometimes when I cook so it's rare that I don't have any on hand. So.. the wheels start turning and Google starts running. How do I make Applesauce?? Well.. let's just say the posts that I came up with kind of scared me with all these fancy jarring tools and long lists of equipment I don't have...or know what they are. So off of Google to my kitchen I go. I am pretty sure I can do this without ya this time, Google, sorry. And... I did:

I promise no weird tools, canning techniques, or even having to use your stove. Check it out:

Here is What You'll Need:

• 3 medium sized sweet apples (I used 3 from a bag of apples I had that I was going to be throwing out in a couple days I feel...)
• 1/4 cup water

1. cut your apples into wedges and peel. Then chop into small pieces.
2. in a microwave safe bowl with a lid (preferably-or you can use plastic wrap) add the water and the apples
3. microwave for 4 minutes
4. pull out of microwave and drain off a LITTLE bit of the excess water (or to taste, you want thick then drain it all off)
5. take a potato masher and mash like your working on potatoes to mash them
6. mash until the apples are at a "applesauce" consistency or to your taste
7. I left mine at this stage and I loved the way it tasted. However, you can add cinnamon or another spice here if you like.

After you get it mashed to your desired consistency, put in a container and keep in the fridge for up to 10 days! EASY A.

Tuna Melt!

Originally this was a "Thow it together, eat it and shut up" kind of dish (thanks Jolene for the saying!). But when my exchange student, Jonas, came back the next night requesting the same thing for dinner... and then proceeded to clean his plate with a fork afterwards it made me think I may be on to something...

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 (or 4 if your using homemade bread and the slices aren't very big, which is what happened here) slices of whole grain (preferably Ezekiel) bread.
• 1 albacore tuna packet, drained (I use low sodium packet)
• 2 servings Hellman's light Mayo (Light-get the one with no high fructose syrup)
• 1/8 cup diced onion
• tomato, sliced to your taste
• 1 slice mozzarella cheese (should be 3g sat fat)

1. combine the tuna, onion and mayo together in bowl and mix until well combined
2. take your bread and lay out on the counter
3. top with mozzarella cheese, top that with tuna mix and then top that with the tomato
4. top with the bread and grill on a preheated skillet mozzarella cheese side down first, 3 to 4 minutes and then flip (which is not as easy as it sounds)
5. cook the other side for a few minutes and serve!