Be happy-- add balance to your life every day!

That is the motto of The Protein Bakery and you can say that again! I have found that without balance when it comes to your daily eating habits it leads to deprivation and even more over-indulgences. The folks at The Protein Bakery have perfected a formula of healthy eating with divine sweetness.

I was sent an amazing sampler pack that first off was just beautiful. Each bakery item just looked fresh and like each cookie and brownie got special attention-- because it did! The Protein Bakery bakes up small batches EVERY DAY from scratch so what you order (or stop in at their boutique style bakery in Manhattan if you are lucky enough to live nearby or visiting) is always fresh.

The sampler pack included a chocolate & peanut butter brownie, a blondie and an assortment of cookies.

By the looks of these you have to understand how crazy my sweet tooth was acting when I opened this package! First I tried the Chocolate Chip Blondie and every single morsel just melted in my mouth-- it was just the right texture and rich as can be stuffed with high quality chocolate chips. Later on that evening my S.O. and myself split a colossal Chocolate Cherry Cookie. OMG. The cookie itself was a deep chocolate and was bursting with dried cherries-- we both agreed it was divine. I can not wait to try my other goodies! Some facts about these amazing guilt free treats:

• Trans-fat free
• preservative free
• wheat flour-free
• nutritionally balanced
• natural ingredients
• high in fiber
• low in gluten
• up to 5 times more protein than the average baked treat (protein makes you feel fuller faster and prevents blood sugar spikes)

So you think I am just bragging about these great cookies, brownies and blondies that I get to sink my teeth into? Nah-- they have offered up the same amazing pack to one of my readers! Will it be you? Well to try your hand at winning like The Protein Bakery on facebook, follow them on Twitter, follow my blog, like me on facebook and then email me to let me know you did all this. You have until Tuesday November 29th. Best of luck to you!

How am I just learning about this?

Steven at JK Gourmet asked me if I wanted to try their Almond Flour and pointed me towards a couple of recipes that use Almond Flour (here is the link to those). I checked it out and I was in. After getting the flour I looked at the ingredient (notice no "s") it was simply blanched (no skin) almonds perfectly ground up-- this must be a skill because if you go too far you will have almond butter and not enough you will not have the perfectly fine flour that was contained in my box. So what do you do with almond flour? After getting my box I popped on the internet (go figure) and was amazed at how versatile this is and how many people could benefit from using it since well it is almonds and they are great for your health but also those following a gluten free diet, low carb diet and many others. So what did I do with mine? Made some muffins. I saw dozens of recipes and modified my own to use what I had on hand and to try and keep them on the healthy side. Here is what I used:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large ripe mashed bananas
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• handful of crushed walnuts

Mixed, heated oven to 350 and they took about 15 minutes to be done.

Delicious almost guilt free muffins (any ideas on how to nix the sugar-- email me!). I realized just how many variations there could be on these simple muffins-- use applesauce instead of bananas then insert other fruits, nuts etc... I want to try ones using cocoa powder next to see if they will have a brownie effect since these turned out so moist. I would not attempt to make almond flour at home so luckily you can order yours up here

JK Gourmet also has other grain free products including granola bars (come in the cutest little boxes-- would make great gifts with a gift card strapped to them or as a stocking stuffer and they are delicious) and granola which shocked me that it was grain free-- its granola just how I like it no added fat and loaded with good stuff like fruit and nuts.

Check this out:
We guarantee that all of our products are:
• Made from whole, natural foods
• Grain-free (that’s no wheat, bran, oats, rice, spelt, barley, rye or corn)
• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free and lactose-free
• Soy-free
• Trans fat–free
• Sweetened only with honey
• Legal for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet
• A source of fibre and calcium
• Labeled accurately and include all ingredients
• Able to help lower LDL cholesterol
• Part of a healthy eating plan

If you are going to eat cookies—

Why not indulge in healthy ones? Ope’s cookies makes actual good for you cookies that you can appreciate the flavor and not feel guilty after eating. The secret to these cookies? Their vegan approach totally free of animal products and totally organic! Using such ingredients makes their cookies have no cholesterol, no trans fat, no refined carbs or sugar, no eggs, dairy or butter, kosher, low-calorie and deliciously yummy. My favorite was the Chocolate Walnut—with vegan chocolate chips, organic walnuts in a oatmeal dough.

Wake Up Muffins

Wake up and smell the………. MUFFINS!! Wake Up Muffins are made from scratch with a lot of love. These muffins are shipped fresh and ready to eat right out of the package. They have all of my favorite flavors to choose from like blueberry, strawberry, and morning glory. My favorite out of the three are the classic blueberry and the morning glories made with cinnamon, carrots (YUM), raisins, apples, walnuts, and coconuts. What a great way to jump start your busy day than with an all in one powerful morning glory muffin.

Healthy Baking Mixes?!

I know the idea of a healthy baking mix seems impossible but Among Friends has created just that! These mixes are focused on healthy, homemade, nutritious treats for your family. Each mix is made from very best ingredients - organic whole grains, unsulfured, unsweetened fruits and spices, and pure chocolate! Yum! They have a chocolate chip cookie mix, oatmeal raisin (pictured), chococrinkles, oats granola bars and fruit crisp mix! I made the oatmeal raisin-- it was simple and they turned out delicious! Check them out for yourself.

Cookie Monster

Hailed as the “Last Best Cookie” I had to give these Montana Monster Munchies a try. The ingredients are simple and start with Rolled Oats, meaning the highest concentration of the cookie is rolled oats. (You can always tell the bulk of the ingredients by the order listed). The other main all-natural ingredients include peanut butter and a sprinkling of chocolate chips, yum! The cookies come in a pack of two which spells danger for me. Of course they were so good that I could not resist having the other.

Stephanie’s Premium Bakery Cookies

Its usually nice to do-it-yourself when it comes to bakery items. Standard bakery items, even so called light items are loaded with ingredients that should not be consumed! It is very possible to make your own delicious baked goods while controlling exactly what goes in them. I did however like the look of Stephanie’s Premium NO SUGAR ADDED cookies. Handmade, no sugar added cookies like Oatmeal Raisin and Chocolate Chip or her 3-C’s cookies. She calls these cookies “Taste Sensations” and she is not kidding! They are truly a sensational taste and without the guilt. They have no sugar added which adds up to less calories than regular cookies. Instead of adding sugar, Stephanie’s Premium Bakery adds a substitute called Isomalt which is a natural derivative of beet sugar. It is found to not have side effects that most artificial sweeteners do and does not spike glucose levels (safe for diabetics). Check out her website she also has low fat, no sugar muffins too! Put those on my “must eat” list too!

You too can say Yes to Cookies!

For the full details on these cookies you will have to check out their website it is chock full of information on Fiber, Protein, Carbs, Absorption etc etc etc. The way they have made these cookies they contain tons of fiber, no starches, sugars and no gluten. They are even great for diabetics or if you are allergic to wheat even on a low carb diet. Yes to cookies has two ready to chow on flavors-- Cocoa-Licious or Strawberry-Banana Blitz. Ready to eat cookies contain: Cocoa-Licious flavor: Erythritol, Cereal Fiber Psyllium*, Butter, Egg, Whey Protein Isolate, Cocoa Powder, Psyllium Husk, Organic Gum Acacia, Natural Vanilla flavor, Spices, Cellulose HP-SA, Sodium Bicarbonate, Rebaudioside A (as a sweetner) and Salt. Of course I am eating the Cocoa-Licious flavor first since I am a hard-core chocolate addict.

I love them and especially love the ingredients. I already add psyllium husk to my diet and just love that these cookies are made with it, I think the health benefits of this fiber are great. When I make my own no-bake cookies I always add this to the mix. My first try of the cookies I ate them directly out of the container, next time I warmed them a bit and then I crushed them and froze them under a layer of my homemade ice cream for an ice cream pie! The last was my favorite!

Flax4life Muffins

Healthy and muffins in the same sentence without having to slave over the oven. Usually muffins are a very scary thing! They are packed with oils, flour, sugar and other naughty things to make them taste good. They are really glorified cakes but Flax4life makes ones that are nutritionally sound and taste wonderful. They pack omega 3's, 10 grams of fiber each (Promotes healthy digestion and weight control ) and lingnans which helps to maintain breast and prostate health). These goodies have No Preservatives, No Cholesterol, No Hydrogenated Fats and No Trans Fats. Each pack of muffins hold 4 and you get 4 packs to a case when you order online.The flavors are fabulous-- Faithful Carrot Raisin, Tantalizing Cranberry &Orange, Wild Blueberry (which is shown in the picture), Chunky Chocolate Chip and Hawaiian Pineapple & Coconut. They ship for free and you can freeze them if you do not plan on eating them right away (there are nopreservatives so this is necessary). I warmed mine in the microwave for about 30 seconds and had alongside some hot chocolate. Mmmmm!

More 5 star snacks!

Newman's makes a host of great foods. Here are some more of my favorites:
Hint O' Mint Chocolate creme filled cookies-

Enjoy with a glass of milk!

Salted Pretzel Sticks-- crispy crunchy goodness!

The Muffin Man

I have posted about a chocolate chip cookie I have had from the peeps at Gluten Free Life and boy was that ever good! But this muffin was even better. I know, it is hard to top oohey goohey chocolate chips but this apple pie muffin was so good with real pieces of apple, subtle spices and a real apple pie flavor. Visit their website to find out about their unique facility and baking ingredients.

Perfected: Deep Chocolate Brownie

So I have perfected the microwave protein brownie, now I can not stop myself from making these all day long! You have to try this.
2 scoops chocolate protein powder of choice
2 tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa powder
sweetner
just a little water to make a very thick batter

Microwave until it is cooked through. It tastes just like a fresh from the oven brownie. I am not kidding!

Mix Batter:

Another one bites the dust!

I can tell you brownies can not just sit in my house. I was dying to try Lenny & Larry's original chocolate fudge brownie. With the first ingredient being a high quality protein blend it is easy to justify enjoying a brownie any time of the day! If you are not a huge brownie fan that you can quickly exit my site-- just kidding but still go see Lenny & Larry because they make high protein cookies, muffins and other baked goodies to satisfy your sweet tooth safely. This flavor was my favorite so far (but I still have one to go peanut butter) so I am not giving away the award just yet.

Cinnamon-ey Snacks for everyone!

I have been on a cinnamon kick. Cinnamon has been shown to have so many health benefits including raising your metabolism-- gotta love that. I add it to so many things- morning pancakes (recipes and pictures coming soon), muffins, vanilla protein cakes, coffee drinks etc etc etc! I have found a few cinnamon snacks to hold you over until you can whip up your very own cinnamon creations.


Barry's Bakery French Twists

There are many flavors that Barry's Bakery dishes out but lets stick to the original with its sweet cinnamon flavor. It is a puffed pastry that will not puff up your waistline! The very first ingredient* is High Protein Wheat Flour. Do you know any other pastries that have those bragging rights? Each crisp is only 30 calories and contains no trans fats, dairy, butter, cholesterol, eggs or yeast-- and is low sodium! Barry's was kind enough to put WW points values and everything right there on their label.
*ingredients are listed with the most prevalent ingredient first

Medora Snacks has done it again with their new all natural Cinnamon Streusel crisps. They are multi-grain and sweet -- with a cinnamon kick. They were soooo yummy and the whole bag only set me back 180 good quality calories. Take a look for yourself.

Coming soon-- cinnamon raisin bagels, homemade cinnamon pancakes and more!

Happy Sunday!

What else says Happy Sunday like a sprinkled donut and the morning paper?

Looks like a sin doesn't it? Nope! Its by Holey Donuts of course. The best thing about these donuts is that you can keep them in your freezer and just let it thaw or microwave for about 20 seconds for a wonderful treat.

Lenny & Larry’s Muscle Brownie

Okay, I had to let the picture make the introduction. This “muscle” brownie was nothing short of a gourmet, fudgy treat. Dense, chewy and chocolately just like a brownie should be. The icing was creamy and delicious giving it just a little extra yumminess. See the nutrition facts, I would choose this any day for a protein TREAT.


Serving size: 2 per big bar / package

Calories: 170

Fat: 5 grams

Protein: 10 grams

Now—let me note that these brownies are great. If you think you are going to eat half a brownie, save half of it for later you are fooling yourself. Build in room for the whole thing with your daily allowance because you will not stop!

Think Lenny and Larry only have cookies and cream brownies? Think again! And watch my blog for my reviews of the chocolate peanut butter and original muscle brownies. In the meantime, click around this site to check out Lenny and Larry’s hair do’s as well as their great products!

Nutridel Pecan COOKIES

If you see me crying its because my Nutridel cookies are all gone! Get this—two huge cookies (about 3.5 inches in diameter) come in these Nutridel packs for only 59 calories each! Those stats were way too good for me, they all went down the hatch. I tried so hard to capture the texture of these cookies for you but no picture could possibly do my cookie favorites justice. I am on the quest to find more and begging my local stores to hook up with the folks over at Nutridel so I can easily get my cookie fix. Here are the only ingredients: WW flour, wheat bran, amaranth, pecans, molasses, sunflower oil and natural pecan essence. All those ingredients together= taste bud heaven.

Go here and get your hands on some of these cookies, you won’t be sorry. They come in more flavors too-- there is Pecan, Oatmeal, Flaxseed and Almond. There is a sampler pack that you can order to try all varities.

Holey Donuts!

These mouthwatering delights were waiting for me when I arrived home yesterday.

I could not spare one minute before biting into one. I saw the nutritional pamplet and thought it was too good to be true! A low-fat, low-calorie donut?! No way! But yes, its true and they are generous sized and taste supurb. The only difference between the bakery and these is that they are much healthier and they don't leave a greasy film on your fingers. They are boxed so cute and have all different fillings, drippings, sprinkles -- something for everyone! The first one I had was the Boston Creme Pie.

It was light and fluffy with a rich cream on the inside. Topped with vanilla flavored crumb topping for a light boston finish! But I did not stop there, I sampled many of the cute little donut holes! Three heavenly varities and all were delicious. Check out these flavors-- Raspberry Vanilla Truffle, Boston Creme and Lemon Vanilla. There are even more flavors on their website! Oh and just wait for more product reviews of the other flavors and Cinnamon BUNS! Thought you could never eat donuts again??? If you have any sort of sweet tooth order these now people.

Cyto-Sport Muscle Milk Protein Brownie

1 packet

Then add an 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder (not soda), couple packets of sweetner and enough water to make a thick paste. Place in microwave for about 45 seconds, check it and see if the mixture has turned into a brownie like texture, if not stick back in for another 15-30 seconds til done. I like mine a little on the wet side for an oozy chocolate treat. This is my favorite mid-morning snack here at work. I feel more satisfied when I eat something versus just drinking a protein shake. I might be the only person with a full set of measuring spoons, cups, baking powder, cocoa powder etc etc etc in my drawers!