Pumpkin Protein Power!

I love Pumpkin Pie
I discovered I love Pumpkin Smoothies too!
YOu can just tell by looking at the bright orange when you open that can that it is super good for you.
Not only is pumpkin loaded with vitamin A and antioxidant Beta carotene (anti inflammatory agent)
It is also a good source of vitamin C, K and E as well as loaded with minerals including magnesium potassium and iron.
This drink will actually help you build muscle, strengthen your immune system (shielding you from cancer causing agents), slow the aging process, improve bone density and much much more!
wow that is a lot to be great full for !

Ingredients:
1-2 Cups Ice
1/2 Banana
1 Cup Water or Milk
1/2 Cup Pumpkin puree (be sure to buy 100% pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling loaded with sugar!)
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein powder
1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg (OR 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice)
2 tsp peanut butter or almond butter
1 -2 tsp fat free butterscotch Jello pudding mix

Method:
Ice Cubes into blender...crush ice
next add the rest of the goodies and puree till smoooooth
Enjoy
Happy Thanksgiving everyone !

P.S.
Of course I made real pumpkin pie too !

http://ashiegirl.blogspot.com/

Crispy Chewy Choc Chip Cookies:

Health Food Blog....yes yes I know I know
WHy would I tempt you with a cookie recipe....well there is a Very good reason
because people love cookies
Food is wonderful
Cookies are Wonderful!
We just can't eat them and eat them and eat them
and have a six pack too
so this is my reason for posting a cookie recipe
my trick 
My SOn loves cookies and because they are wonderful ....
I do too
(although I  would much rather a chewy oatmeal raisin with lots of cinnamon)
If they are in my house I might just eat them.

This Recipe is perfect for making your batter, rolling into cute little balls then flash freezing on a cookie sheet in your freezer.  When they are very frozen transfer to a ziplock bag.
Now you can make only a few cookies when you need them for Juniors lunches or maybe just when YoU NEED a Cookie

Ingredients:

Dry:
2 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp salt
Wet:
3/4 Cup Melted Butter
1 Cup Packed Brown sugar
1/2 Cup white sugar

2 Tsp Vanilla
1 Egg yolk and 1 Egg
2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Method:
Mix Dry ingredients in a Large Bowl
In another Bowl mix butter and sugar till smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla mix till smooth again.
Add Dry ingredients to wet just till combined.  Add Choc chips.
Roll into balls and place on un greased cookie sheet
(OR onto your cookie sheet and into the freezer ;)   )
Bake for 15-17 minutes
If you freeze your cookie balls
simply heat your oven as usual transfer your frozen cookie balls to cookie sheet and bake the same way
only increase cooking time a little more like 20 -25 mins.

Healthy Zucchini Bread

The Apple sauce and the Yogurt as well as the Zucchini make this bread moist without all the oil 

Apple sauce also adds the sweetness making for a bread with much less sugar.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cup Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Powder 

1 tsp Cinnamon 

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1 Egg

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil 

1/3 Cup Apple Sauce (unsweetened)

2 Tbsp Plain Yogurt

1/2 Cup Sugar 

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Cup grated (and squeezed) Zucchini 

1/3 Cup Walnut pieces 

Method: 

Preheat Oven to 325 Spray an 8 Inch Loaf pan with natural Cooking Spray an set aside

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.  In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, oil, apple sauce, yogurt, sugar and vanilla.  Add flour mixture and stir just until combined (Very important!).
Fold in zucchini and walnuts then transfer batter to prepared pan.  Bake in oven till a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool in pan for 30 mins then remove bread from own and continue to cool on rack.

Bodee Ants On a Log

Mom I wanna blog too!
not to mention an extreme weekness for PB
Yummy snack give them a try !

Crispy Cheese Sticks:

These cheesy goodies are not so great for a figure gal menu...but they are a super hit for the kiddos
They are SO easy to make
Even BETTER the kiddos can help
AND you might never find yourself paying a buck per cheese stick at the store for your kids lunch
EvER AgAiN!

Combine until mealy:      
1/3 Cup Unsifted Flour
2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 Cup shortening

Add to dough:
1 Cup Shredded sharp cheese
3/4 Cup milk (use just enough milk for soft dough)


Knead dough onto lightly floured board.  Recipe sez it should yield about 20 sticks but I like to make mine a bit bigger.  So I like to make about 12 balls to roll into sticks.
BAKE on ungreased baking pan @ 450 for 10 minutes (I bake my bigger sticks for about 15 mins)
Cool and serve :)