So I've ALWAYS had a sweet-tooth. Candy, cookies, cake, you name it are my weaknesses. Even the majority of my snacks now, with my healthy eating, are fruit, cause they're sweet! I have this issue, too, where I ALWAYS crave something sweet right after dinner. It's like dessert is embedded in my genetic code. Okay, that was super nerdy... ANYWAY. Y'all, I created a HEALTHY STRUDEL. I know... You're like WTF, why are you so pumped, Maude?! Cause they're amazing. like one of the best things I've ever created. And they're good for you. And they're fast. And they're cheap. I could go on... If you don't love these things after you make them... Well you're probably just a freak... :)
FRUIT STRUDEL WITH GREEK YOGURT "ICING"
*MAKES 4!
Ingredients:
-1 can IMMACULATE brand crescent rolls (THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT BECAUSE CRESCENT ROLLS BY ANY OTHER COMPANY SUCK AND ARE MADE FROM WHITE FLOUR AND TRANS FAT!!!)
-1 tsp. coconut oil
-2 c. Cherries & Blueberries (I used the organic frozen ones!) or Strawberries
-1 Banana (sliced into rounds)
-3/4 c. greek yogurt (plain or you can use vanilla/honey and not add the vanilla and honey!)
-3 tbsp. honey (1 1/2 if using flavored greek yogurt)
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
-1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
-1/4 c. walnuts or nuts of choice
-handful of flour
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat
3. Add coconut oil
4. Add berries of choice & banana
5. Stir for 1 minute
6. Add 1 1/2 tbsp. honey
7. Add cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
8. continue to sautee until has texture like jam or jelly
9. Unroll crescent rolls onto floured cutting board, using a floured rolling pin or makeshift rolling pin (can, wine bottle, etc.) flatten out the crescent rolls until big enough to handle a few tablespoons of fruit mixture in center
10. place a few tablespoons (or load em up full!) of the fruit mixture into the center of 4 of the crescent rolls
11. Place another roll on top and seal edges using a fork
12. Bake until golden brown (mine took about 8 minutes)
13. In a small mixing bowl, combine greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla
14. Use this mixture to spread over strudels when they are done baking
15. Sprinkle nuts over top
16. Make all the time because they're that good...
Smoothies can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Loaded with ENERGY dense produce, smoothies can be an amazing asset to your diet. But fill it up with chocolate, sweeteners and smoothie mixes and your 12 oz. smoothie could rack up 800 plus calories. I aim to keep my smoothies under 350 calories and I count them as one of my meals throughout the day. (Keep in mind I eat 6 small meals!!)
Commercially sold smoothies AKA Smoothie King, Smoothie Factory, etc. all use an additive called "turbinado" in the majority of their smoothie products. One of the most useful things I ever learned about these smoothie places is that turbinado is actually just cane sugar. They're tricky like that. You think you're getting this healthy smoothie that's amazingly sweet, but you're not, it's just sugar! Next time you hit up one of those stores just ask for them to hold the turbinado... Watch, they won't pump sugar water into your smoothie.
Green smoothies, though gross looking, are my favorite kind of smoothie. I can literally feel the energy I receive from them. They're loaded with chlorophyll, tons of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and all of the clean nutrients you need to be energized. Though the color and the ingredients may throw you off, give it a try, it may really surprise you.
Here's a guide to making your own green smoothie:
SERVES ONE
1 Cup of leafy greens of your choice:
-spinach **my favorite because it's sweet**
-kale **more bitter**
-romaine
-"spring mix" **arugula is pretty bitter**
*bare in mind that the bitterness of greens will be masked with the sweetness of fruit!!!*
1 1/2 Cup of fruit:
-banana
-pineapple *my fave cause it's super sweet*
-mango
-kiwi
-apple
-citrus
-berries
-peaches
-avocado **extra creamy**
1 Cup of liquid:
-100% juice
-almond milk
-coconut water
-water
MAGICAL INGREDIENT: ROASTED BEETS
*I include roasted beets in all of my smoothies, just a couple tablespoons or so. They give it a seriously purple color (a phytochemical with TONS of nutritive benefits that doesn't occur much in nature).
To roast beets:
**BEWARE!! THEY STAIN LIKE CRAZY!!!**
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2) Beets usually come in packs of 3 roots, cut off stalks and rinse well
3) Wrap in foil
4) Bake/Roast for 30 minutes or until soft when punctured with knife
5) Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes
6) By rubbing a dry paper towel over the outside of the beets, remove and discard the skin
7) Chop into 1' cubes
8) Store in fridge for up to 10 days or freeze
Optional additives:
-protein (whey is best!)
-chia seed **awesome source of antioxidants, fiber, and OMEGA 3's!**
-flax seed **great for digestion!**
-honey **honey contains antibacterial properties and can actually heal you from the inside out!!**
-NATURAL zero calorie sweeteners **ex: Truvia, my fave**
OR
Instead of using leafy greens at all, you can purchase a product like this one:
Which is available online for about $20 for 30 portions, which is a pretty good deal. This stuff can get really expensive!! Some different varieties are available in the health food aisle at HEB, as well as local health food stores Cornucopia and The Little Shoppe of Health.
Greens powder is like the coolest thing ever created. It's basically all of the nutrients in leafy greens (antioxidants, chlorophyll, fiber, vitamins, minerals, proteins, etc.), just condensed into powder form. One serving of this stuff is SEVEN servings of fruit and veggies! Most of us don't eat enough fresh produce and this could help you meet your daily quota!
TIPS:
-always use RIPE fruits, unripened fruits will just add bitterness and gritty texture to your smoothie
-always use a half a banana per serving of smoothie. They're full of the GOOD kind of fat and energy! They also make smoothies creamy!!
-try rinsing, cutting up, and freezing your fruits for storage at their ripest point. This preserves them at their perfect state and the frozen fruit replaces ice!
-avoiding added sugars is ALWAYS your best bet :)
-when choosing tropical fruits at the grocery store, always SMELL them, if they're super fragrant then they're ready!
-coconut water is actually more hydrating than water! They sell all kinds of naturally flavored coconut waters at HEB, they're amazing!
-watch out when you're adding protein, you may think you're doing yourself good, but unless you're very active, you could just be adding a ton of unnecessary calories to your smoothie
-when buying honey, though it's a little more pricey, check out the LOCAL honey. Bees use the flowers from our local area to make this honey, meaning you may gain a some immunity to some of the different types pollen in the air that you may have had allergies with before... Awesome, huh?
-I buy my protein powder in the bulk health food section at HEB, it's cheaper and I get the unflavored kind
EVERYONE knows a liquid meal digests faster than a solid one, meaning you get the nutrients quicker than anything solid you may eat, making this a GREAT pre or post workout meal or breakfast.
Drink on,
Maude
Hi,
My name is Maude and I'm a chocoholic.
I. Love. You. Chocolate.
Ya'll, chocolate doesn't have to be a horrible thing. It's all the stuff they put with chocolate these days that will get ya. Every now and then.... Okay every day... I get these intense cravings for sweetness. I just want something sweet so bad. I crave candy, mostly Trolli Sour Worms :(, but I've had to learn how to control myself. Well not really control myself so much as just modify which kind of sweets I gorge myself on. And thus I have found the most amazing sweetness concoction that will never leave you feeling guilty and will give you tons of energy.
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites
Wow that sure is a mouthful...
What you need:
-Tooth picks
-Parchment paper
-Small tray or large plate
-4 bananas (frozen for about a day before)
-1/2 c. peanut butter
-1 package dark chocolate chips (for melting)
**optional toppings of your choice: -heath
-nuts
-unsweetened coconut
-sprinkles
-chia seed
Instructions:
1. Cut frozen bananas into about 1/2 inch circles
2. Spread parchment paper over plate or tray
3. Spread peanut butter one one banana circle and create "sandwiches" using another banana circle
4. Spear with toothpicks
5. Place these on the parchment paper
6. Melt the chocolate **in microwave use microwaveable bowl, using 30 second increments on high power, melt the chocolate to even consistency** 7. Using a fork or spoon, drizzle chocolate over peanut butter banana sandwiches
8. Sprinkle with toppings of your choice
9. Store in the freezer
10. Indulge
11. Love yourself
Enjoy! You are beautiful!!!
Maude
