What you have all been waiting for, PIE! The great part about this is it doesn't have to be reserved for dessert, you can eat a slice of it for one of your daily snacks. I'll get right to the point.

CRUST:
1 1/2 cups oats (the instant ones are awesome for this)
2 Tablespoons Milk
2-4 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Combine ingredients - feather into pie pan - bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees

FILLING:
16 ounces Plain Greek yogurt
1/2cup - 1 cup Natural peanut butter

Combine ingredients - pour into pie pan - sprinkle with chopped nuts - chill - drizzle honey on top before eating.

Additional Information:
If you don't like the tartness of Plain Greek yogurt I would do the full cup of Peanut Butter as well as adding 2-3 Tablespoons of agave nectar or honey into the mixture.

OR

Simply use Vanilla greek yogurt instead of Plain Greek Yogurt

-I like to chill it in the fridge, then cut the slices and freeze. That way I can take one slice out at a time and not worry about it going bad before it can all be eaten. (The things you have to think of when there's only two of you in the house)

When I first started doing this eating healthy stuff, I figured my love of pancakes and waffles had to die out. I was wrong though! I have listed my favorite pancake/waffle recipe in the previous post. In addition to that I thought that maple syrup and jam high in sugar were my only options for toppings - the main reason my love of waffles/pancakes had to go. BUT through some experimenting I've come up with some toppings I like more than maple syrup!


Yogurt Topping:

• Yogurt
• Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries (any kind of berry)
• Chocolate whey protein

So...you may find me weird in this aspect, but I like goat yogurt, not so much plain, but I add a little bit of chocolate whey protein to it and it turns into a chocolate mousse tasting thing. I then spread this on my waffle and top with strawberries. Feel free to use whatever yogurt floats your boat though!

Blueberry Topping:

• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 1 Cup blueberries

1. In a saucepan heat blueberries and honey over medium heat, stirring occassionally.
2. Heat until sauce forms and the blueberries burst open

There you have it, a nice healthy fruit syrup.

I love waffles/pancakes, and this recipe rocks!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup egg whites or 3 eggs
• 1 Cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup oat flour - I grind my own with a little grinder. You could also substitute with whole wheat flour.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Place first 4 ingredients in bowl
2. In seperate bowl combine dry ingredients
3. Mix all Ingredients
4. Cook

Additional Information:
Sometimes I also add 1/2 a scoop of vanilla whey protein

This is originally a pancake recipe, but god did not give me the gift of browning pancakes, I ALWAYS burn them, even on low heat. So I cook these up as waffles with a waffle maker.

Possibly my favorite snack.

• One Tablespoon of Natural Peanut Butter
• One medium size apple.

Ok, there may be a little more than a tablespoon here, but can you blame me? I love peanut butter. I do apologize for the miss representation of peanut butter here. :)

Here is a Kim original - meaning I made this up, so if you don't like it, don't tell me! :)
My husband and I both like pizza, but what true American doesn't. We dig the stuffed crust pizza, but we'll have to reserve those pizzas for our cheat meals. This 'pizza' recipe however is pretty darn healthy so make it, eat it, and love it!

I know that after looking at this picture you are dying to know what's inside. So with no further ado I present the pita pizza recipe.

Simple recipe version: Makes 4 servings

• 4 small whole wheat pitas
• 4 teaspoons pesto
• 1 chicken breast - cut up
• 1/2 - 1 red pepper - cut
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 4 laughing cow cheese - original (I like the lite original version - fewer calories)
• Spices of your liking
• Water

Directions:

1. Cook chicken, red peppers, and mushrooms in a skillet with water - essentially sauteing it in water.
2. Add any spices you like once the water in the skillet has evaporated - I use cilantro, garlic, pepper
3. Cut 1/3 of the way around the pitas edge.
4. Place 1 Teaspoon pesto inside pita and spread on bottom.
5. Fill pita with chicken/pepper/mushroom mixture
6. Place laughing cow cheese on top of meat and veggies.
7. Broil until cheese is melted, top crust starts to turn brown and crisp

Additional information:
The pizza in the photo also contained green peppers and black beans - so once again, another recipe you can make to your liking.

I would ask you all to give me feedback on this recipe and its position on a scale of deliciousnous, but I know that you will all die over how good it tastes so I won't expect any comments on this one. And for that fact, I suppose I will have to find new followers and readers. hmmm......to post or not to post.

I love cadbury eggs, I think i'm pretty normal in that regard because who doesn't love cadbury eggs? If you dislike them you may need to see a therapist, cause clearly you are CRAZY! Here is a quick tip since the Easter Candy has already presented itself in the Grocery stores and none of us are crazy enough to let Easter go by without eating this pure awesomeness. Cadbury now sells small packages of cadbury eggs - 1.5 oz. package at 200 calories. Buy just one for yourself. I bought one for me and one for my husband. I put our names on them so I would be held accountable for only eating my package. If I hadn't done this I could see my self easily saying, "They are so deilicious, what's another package, he's not eating them so I will." Putting his name on them makes them his and not mine, therefore I cannot eat them. For me it's all about tricking my brain, atleast until I get into permenant healthy habits.

So, after I opened MY small package of cadbury eggs I put them in my dish rag drawer - one I don't open but 2-3 times a week. For me out of sight is out of mind - that way I don't eat the entire package in one week. When I open the drawer and see them - according to if I want one, I will only eat one or two at a time. Don't forget to savor the flavor!

This recipe is a veggie dip that cuts out the mass of fat and calories.

 

Ingredients:

• Ranch Packet
• Plain Greek Yogurt

Directions:

1. Add as much seasoning as you like to your yogurt
2. Dip vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and cucumbers

My favorite part about this recipe is that the ranch seasoning diminishes the tartness of plain greek yogurt - therefore I can actually stand to eat it!

This is a simple quick lunch, if you can boil water you can make this! I made it today in 10 minutes. It is so versatile, you can make it to fit your own liking. The essential ingredients are simply spinach, tortellini, and salad dressing.

Today I used 1/2 cup whole wheat tortellini (YES, you can have pasta if you are trying to lose weight) filled with ricotta cheese, spinach, mushrooms, black beans, feta cheese and salad dressing (fat free wasabi dijon - only 40 calories). For this one there really is no set recipe, do what you want with it! For example last time I made this I used spinach, feta cheese, pesto filled tortelinni,mushrooms, chicken, and a salad dressing - please just don't use creamy dressings like ranch, ceasar, blue cheese. Use vinegar/oil based dressings!

So this week I have discovered the most delicious treat that tricks my brain into thinking i'm eating Ice Cream! A delicious Banana covered in yogurt and rolled in nuts! YUM! This is all you need:

•  Bananas - as many as you want to make
• Greek Yogurt - I use Vanilla flavor because I just can't quite stomach the plain stuff yet, but you die hard healthy folk can use your plain greek yogurt!
• Nuts - I use a mixture of almonds and walnuts
• Low sugar jam - they also make jam with splenda if you are solely concerned with calories, but this low sugar jam only has 25 calories for a tablespoon.
• Popsicle sticks-or other stick-I used skewers because that's all I had
• Wax paper - parchment paper etc...

Directions:

1. Spoon some Low sugar jam into your yogurt and stir
2. Peel bananas and insert stick
3. Chop nuts
4. Line a small baking dish or plate with wax paper
5. Coat bananas with yogurt/jam mixture
6. Roll in nuts
7. Place on dish and freeze atleast 45 minutes
8. Eat it!

Today is International Women's Day, and since I graduated College with a minor in Women and Gender Studies I would feel guilty if I didn't give the day a little shout out. So, this is what I suggest. Make an appointment today! Whether it be for a massage, pedicure, manicure, hair cut, buy a new shirt, or make time for your favorite hobby etc.. Do something for YOURSELF today. I am! I've had an appointment for over a week coincidentally, I'm getting my hair cut and colored (which I've only done one other time in my life, hope all goes well). This is the reward of one of my mini weight loss goals - to lose 10 lbs. So there you have it.

Happy International Women's Day!

1 ½ Cup oats
2 big scoops of whey protein powder
4 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
½ cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup pecan pieces
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1/4-1/2 cup dried fruit- I like to use a variety of cherries, blueberries, and cranberries 
2 Tablespoons Honey
1/3 cup of your favorite nut butter (I used almond butter)
½ - 1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup almond milk

Mix protein powder, cinnamon, sunflower seeds and oats in a bowl

Toast almonds in a saucepan on the stove

In another saucepan warm honey over medium heat – once warm add the nut butter and almond milk

Once the nut butter has softened add oat mixture to sauce pan and stir

Line a small 8” baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put mixture into baking sheet and spread evenly

Place in the fridge at least 45 minutes to harden.

Cut into rectangle squares, place in snack size baggy and freeze for later.

Protein is essential to muscle health. Proteins help rebuild your muscles. It also helps you stay/feel full. There is a science behind all of this, but I just want to give you the basic knowledge. Protein also helps you curb cravings. So go out and buy some Whey Protein (make sure it has less than 5g of sugar - optimally 2.5g or less) It's simple, you don't have to be a gym rat to eat the stuff. I always thought that was the case, boy was I wrong. I do work out 5 days a week, but I definitly don't use Whey Protein as a meal supplement or anything like hard core weight lifters. I simply add a half scoop of Whey Protein to 1/3 cup of oatmeal for breakfast - Breakfast should contain Carbs (oatmeal) and proteins (whey). You can also make a protein shake for a mid day snack also. But snacks are a whole other post, so we'll get to that later. Right now i'm trying out several different Whey protein brands, but so far my favorite is muscle milk - although the calories from fat are higher than I would like - but then again, that is probably why it tastes to good!

Comes in different flavors

If you love peanut butter, as I do, you will love me for sharing this little secret with you! They make natural peanut butter! I know, you can't believe it, but it is true! The ingredients are simply, peanuts. No sugars added. For this reason you should be excited, some good natural clean protein you can add to your diet. I know you are excited and all, but I have even more great news (must be your lucky day). They make almond butter, sunflower butter, and all sorts of other kinds of nut butters. They are easy to find, they're in the peanut butter section.

Good for you

So you're now thinking, duh, what is this dumb girl talking about, of course natural peanut butter is in the peanut butter aisle. Well, I simply want to make a point that this stuff exists! I mean, I have lived for 23 years and never knew about this stuff. I've scanned the peanut butter selections many a time, but I never knew the facts about this stuff, as a lot of peanut butters say natural, but aren't really natural. Take for example the photo below. It claims to be natural, but the ingredients include more than just peanuts. It has sugar and all sorts of other nasty things no one can pronounce. My advice, read labels! Also, another quick tip, if sugar is listed as one of the first four ingredients on the label, it is probably best to shy away from it. Ingredients are listed by the weight of the ingredient in the food - so if sugar is listed first, it's probably going to have more sugar than anything else in it.

Not so good for you