FF- Week 2

Hello all!  It's Foodie Friday!  Yay!  I didn't take nearly as many photos as I would have liked... I had kind of a boring food week.  Not to mention, I totally grubbed out on pizza from Papa Murphy's on Halloween-- which solidified the fact that we absolutely *cannot* have pizza in the house!  I typically have amazing self control, but you get my around pizza and suddenly I'm SHOVELING it down my throat.

Do you have a food you can't resist?  (Please tell me you do!)

1.  Protein Power Bowl- Eggs, plain Chobani, oats, pumpkin- sweet and warm!

2. Metabolism Boosting Smoothie (recipe below

3. A delicious lunch that Garrett made for me!  Peppered Fish, mixed veggies and beans.

4. Okra- completely disgusting, beans, puled chicken on a homemade wheat bun.

5. Homemade Chicken Wild Rice Soup

6. Egg with spinach and chicken breast, melted Daiya on a homemade whole wheat bun

7.  Pumpkin Protein Coffee

8. My favorite- Grapenuts!  With almonds, raisins, chia seed and almond milk.

9. Chobani pancakes with apple rings- topped with peanut butter and cinnamon with a side of scrambled eggs with sweet potatoes.

Kind of a boring food week-- and super high in carbs!  Sheesh!  I wasn't aware of it until I started writing this post... definitely going to need to cut that carb count down next week!

I wanted to share this smoothie recipe with you because it does an amazing job and speeding up your metabolism-- plus it tastes *amazing*

:Ingredients:

1 banana (preferably frozen) sliced

Handful of Blueberries

1/4 of a Green Apple- diced

1  Tablespoon ginger (I zest it on a micro plane)

1 cup Pineapple Juice (can substitute this for Coconut Water)*

Half of a lemon- squeeze out juice

1 Tablespoon Chia Seed

4 Ice Cubes 

1 1/2 cups Spinach

Blend everything together and enjoy!  

*You may need to add additional juice if it's too thick and not blending properly.

It has an incredibly tart taste that will surely satisfy your sweet tooth!

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I also wanted to do another plug for Fit Friends!  There are only 2 more days to sign up to be linked up with a partner for November!  

FF - Week 1

Hey guys!  Today is the first week of "Foodie Friday."  I've received a ton of emails/comments asking what I eat during the week, so I've decided to post a few pictures of the things going in to my BELLY every Friday!  Weeeeeee!  I'm also going to be blogging 5 days a week -- instead of the 3 that I've been blogging!

I did also want to point out a few new tabs up top (see that!?)  I will be keeping track of all the Recipes I post in one little area *AND* the Fit Friends sign up will be up also!  ((Have you signed up yet?!))

1. Parmesan Crusted Tilapia (1 TBSP Earth Balance, 1 TBSP Earth Balance Vegan Mayo and 1 TBSP Vegan (or regular) Parmesan Cheese, broil the fish for about 6 minutes, flip over, add mixture and broil until browned), Kashi 7 Grain- Pilaf and Green Beans with a *huge* glass of water with lemon!

2.  Though it's not organic, I haven't been able to give up my favorite cereal: Grapenuts.  1/2 cup Grapenuts, 1TBSP sliced Almonds, 1/2 a banana, cinnamon and almond milk- YUM!

3. Spaghetti squash and sauteed spinach with chicken breast, slathered in Newman's Own Sockarooni with a ginger and lemon water.

4. Plain Chobani Yogurt with 1/5 of an apple- sliced, honey and cinnamon.

5. A skillet with left over spaghetti squash & pilaf, sweet potato, mixed vegetable, black bean and spinach with a homemade Ranch Sauce.

6. Veggie bowl: Green Beans, Corn, Carrots and Peas, with Morning Star Chicken and a "Detox" Protein Smoothie (1 scoop protein powder, mixed berries, grated ginger, lemon juice, pineapple juice.)

1. Parfait with plain Chobani yogurt sweetened with a few drops of Orange flavored Stevia liquid, chia seed and Bob's Red Mill granola.

2.  Spinach salad with craisins, grilled chicken, cashews with vinegar & oil with a side of baked sweet potatoes.

3.  Iced Protein Coffee-- similar to this recipe but substituted original almond milk.

4. A big ol' bowl of Edamme!

5.  I was feeling like "bar food" so we had Buffalo Cauliflower* that I adapted from this recipe (I substituted buttermilk with almond milk, all purpose flour with whole wheat flour and butter for earth balance) with a whole wheat quesadilla (stuffed with cheddar Daiya, black beans, red onion, spinach and sweet potatoes.)

6. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Protein Bars-- the recipe is right below!

*The cauliflower was freaking SPICY.  Delicious, but spicy!  I'll maybe use a milder sauce next time because the initial bite gave me the hiccups!

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And, a new protein bar recipe for the chocolate and peanut butter lovers out there!  (I seriously need to take a break from peanut butter soon!  Our entire household over does it a bit!)  These bars are approved by my 4 year old-- who is the pickiest eater on the planet-- so trust me when I say they are DELICIOUS!  I would reccommend these as a recovery snack after a workout or a mid afternoon snack!

 

:Ingredients:

-1/2 Cup Natural Peanut Butter

-1/2 Cup Almond Milk 

(I used Dark Chocolate but you can use any milk you'd like.)

-1/4 Cup Honey

-2 Scoops Protein Powder

(I used Vanilla Icecream Syntha-6)

-2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

-1 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats

-1/2 cup Peanuts

-1/2 Cup Grapenuts

(or you can omit this all together and use additional Peanuts)

-1/4 cup Chia Seed

For "Frosting" (optional)

-2 Large Tablespoons Natural Peanut Butter

-1 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa

:Directions:

Mix peanut butter, almond milk and honey together.  Add the protein and cocoa powders and mix thoroughly.  Next add the rolled oats, peanuts, grapenuts and chia seed-- mix well.  Pour mixture into a 9x11 baking dish-- the bars will be about half an inch thick.  It worked best for me to use clean hands, moistened with water to push the batter down (it's very sticky!)

Next, mix up the peanut butter and cocoa and spread evenly over the top of the bars.

Refrigerate the bars for at least 4 hours- and enjoy!  I store them in the fridge as well.

Matcha Heaven

Have you guys heard of Matcha?  Well, if you haven't-- I am here to tell you all about it!  Matcha is a green tea that is grown exclusively in Japan:

Over a thousand years ago, matcha came to Japan as an aid to meditation practice. During long hours of sitting, monks would drink matcha to remain alert yet calm. Modern science has recently confirmed the lessons of centuries of tradition. Matcha is rich in L-Theanine, a rare amino acid that actually promotes a state of relaxation and well-being by acting upon the brains functioning. While stress can induce beta wavesan excited, more agitated stateL-Theanine creates alpha waves, which lead to a state of relaxed alertness. And while L-Theanine is common in all tea, matcha may contain up to five times more of this amino acid than common black and green teas. As an additional benefit, L-Theanine may help memory and learning and ability all the while inhibiting any possible side-effects from caffeine, a natural component of green tea. Therefore, a bowl of matcha promotes concentration and clarity of mind without any of the nervous energy found in coffee. 

It's as amazing as it sounds.  I have been drinking it everyday-- and I am in love with it.  It's one of those things that invigorates your body... I feel my senses heighten when it enters my systema and I feel better when I'm done with it.  Matcha also:

• Is packed with antioxidantsincluding the powerful EGCg
• Boosts metabolism and burns calories
• Detoxifies effectively and naturally
• Calms and relaxes
• Enhances mood and aids in concentration
• Provides vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium
• Fights against viruses and bacteria
• Is rich in fiber
• Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar
• Does not raise insulin levels

You can use Matcha powder in many ways-- traditionally the ground powder is whisked into a few ounces of warm water and drank as a warm tea.  I've been drinking the Morning Matcha this way.

You can also use Matcha in cooking, beverages and smoothies.  Today, I wanted to share with you guys a few drinks that I've been using the Gotcha Matcha in-- you will *love* them!

Perfect for a cold day, morning pick me up, or afternoon boost!

:Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Gotcha Matcha

1/4 cup hot water

1 cup steamed almond milk (Or milk of your choice)

:Directions:

Sift 1Tbsp. Gotcha Matcha into a mug filled with 1/4 cup hot water.  Whisk until thoroughly blended.

Add 1 cup steamed almond milk and mix together.  Shake a bit of Gotcha Matcha on top.

Drink up!

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If you like ice cold, not overly sweetened beverages- this is perfect for you.  This beverage is incredibly refreshing!  A great afternoon-evening pick-me-up.

:Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Gotcha Matcha

1/4 cup hot water

1/2 dropper of NuNaturals Lemon Stevia

6-8 Ice Cubes

Cold Water

:Directions:

Blend Tbsp. of Gotcha Matcha with 1/4 cup of hot water.  Add 1/2 dropper of NuNaturals Lemon Stevia.  Mix well.  Add ice cubes to mixture and then top with cold water, blending well.

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Similar to the Matcha Latte-- but sweetened and iced!

:Ingredients:

+ 1/4 cup of hot water

+6-8 Ice Cubes

:Directions:

Mix 1 Tbsp. Gotcha Matcha with a 1/4 cup of hot water.  Whisk until blended thoroughly.  Add 1/2 dropper of Vanilla Stevia.  Top with 6-8 ice cubes and add Almond Coconut Milk (or your choice of milk.)

I've found that the vanilla and coconut flavors really compliment the full-bodied, nutty flavor of the Matcha.  This drink is absolutely satisfying!

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The Matcha Monster Smoothie is a total powerhouse of good, body fueling energy!

:Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Gotcha Matcha

4 Ice Cubes

1 Frozen Banana- sliced

1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Almond Milk

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups of Spinach

:Directions:

To a blender, add all ingredients but the spinach.  Top the blender off with spinach so that it's completely full (but not packed down.)  Blend thoroughly and enjoy!

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Do any of you drink Matcha?  What's your favorite recipe?

Bob's Red Mill Giveaway!

One of my favorite companies is Bob's Red Mill.  They have an extensive collection of delicious, nutritional goods.  You can never go wrong when you pick up a bag of theirs.

Recently, I received this awesome package with a few of my favorite goodies:

I absolutely adore their Honey Almond Granola-- we put it on everything in our house, but especially love it over Greek yogurt, with bananas, honey and chia seed:

Their Gluten Free Brownie Mix is second to none!  We also make ours vegan by not using any dairy or egg.  They are the most moist brownies you will ever taste.  Eva doesn't like nuts- so we always make half plain for her and the other plum full with salted cashews!

Have you ever used Quinoa flour?  It is absolutely amazing.  You can use it in baked goods, or my personal favorite; breading:

I also frequently make Quinoa Biscuits:

(Not Pictured)

.:Recipe for Quinoa Biscuits:.

Ingredients:

2 cups Quinoa Flour

4 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 Cup Cold, Earth Balance (or butter of your choice)

1 Cup Almond Milk (or milk of your choice)

Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix well with a whisk or fork.

Cut butter into pea-sized pieces- mix them into dry ingredients. 

Use the fork to mash the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs and then pour milk in and mix together.

Knead dough with your hands.

Bake at 450 degree for 10-12 minutes.

*I drop spoonfuls of the batter into a cupcake tin and it yields 12 biscuits.*

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And guess what!?  Bob's Red Mill is going to send a lucky reader the same package!

((Who wants to try these awesome products?!))

This giveaway is open only to those who Follow Mama's Belly Blog on Google.

(See that over there on the left hand side?  Sign up!)

You have 3 chances to enter:

-If you are a Google follower (new or old!) leave a comment saying you are

-If you are a Google follower, leave a comment telling me whether or not you've had any Bob's Red Mill products

-If you are a Google follower, leave a comment telling me which of these 3 products you'd be most excited to try

Good luck to all those who enter!  The drawing is open until Thursday at Midnight (central time zone) and is open to residents of the US and Canada only.

Winner will be announced on Friday!

Mama's Protein Muffins

In honor of the Chobani Giveaway (Have you entered yet?!) that I'm hosting-- I thought I'd share my personal muffin recipe (that uses Chobani!) with you all!

The muffin's I'm sharing today are Apple and Fig.  A few weeks ago, I posted about the health benefits of apples-- they are high in fiber, help you digest your food and full of vitamins and antioxidants!  Yay!

What about figs?  Figs are full of amazing things for your body!  This recipe calls for dried figs:

Dried figs are excellent source minerals like calcium, copper, potassium, manganese, iron, selenium and zinc. 100 g of dried figs contain 640 mg of potassium, 162 mg of calcium, 2.03 mg of iron and 232 mg of potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Iron is required for red blood cell formation as well for cellular oxidation.

Awesome!

Here's the recipe:

:Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour

2 Scoops Vanila Protein Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Stevia

1 TBSP Flaxseed

1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce

3/4 cup Original (or Vanilla) Chobani

1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Almond Milk*

1 Chopped Apple**

9 Dried Figs (chopped)**

:Directions:

Whisk together dry ingredients.

Add applesauce, Chobani and almond milk- mix well.

Add apple and figs and mix thoroughly.

Cook in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

This batter yields 12 smaller muffins or 6 large muffins.

I like the single serving muffins- so I cook 12 at a time.

I like them warm with a little bit of Earth Balance and drizzled with a bit of Agave Nectar.

*You can substitute Dark Chocolate Almond Milk for any milk of your choice (soy, cows, coconut, etc-- it will be an equal measurement if you substitute). 

This morning we used Original Almond Milk when we made blueberry muffins.

**To substitute fig and apple- you can use 1 1/2 cups of your choice of fruit (or nuts!) 

We made blueberry this morning because they are Eva's favorite! 

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I hope you guys enjoy the recipe!  With 44 grams of protein in the 2 scoops, as well as the 14 grams of protein from the Chobani- you are looking at 5 grams of protein per muffin!  (10 grams if you make only 6 muffins!)  This a perfect breakfast or afternoon snack!

Treat your body right!

Eggplant Marinara + DAIYA Giveaway!

It's Friday!  Woohoo!  Did you guys check out the guest post from Katie @ From Icecream to Marathon?  She shared some great tips for those looking to start running.  She's running a half-marathon tomorrow and I just want to take this time to say- GOOD LUCK, KATIE!  Can't wait to hear all about it!

One of my monthly goals is to eat 1 vegan meal a week.  What is a vegan?  A vegan is a person who consumes absolutely no animal products.  (No, not even dairy!)  I used to be a vegetarian and, do plan on going back to the lifestyle at the start of the new year- but I am a cheese fanatic.  Giving up cheese (dairy- not so much, we don't drink cows milk in our house- the thought of milking an animal for their breast milk just grosses me out!) seemed impossible.

Until I discovered Daiya.  What is Daiya?  I'll whip out my favorite vegan cookbook- Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook and let it tell you:

"Daiya is a plant-based, soy-free cheese that could hardly be considered an "alternative."  It comes in block or shredded cheddar and Italian blends that melt like chocolate in 110-degree heat.  Besides being loaded with vitamins B and B12, Daiya has gained the vegan blessing with no artificial ingredients, preservatives, or cholesterol.  Did I mention it's low in fat?"

 It's as amazing as it sounds!  Trust me!  Here is a recipe I *love* using Daiya's Mozzarella style shreds.

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Spaghetti Squash and Eggplant Marinara

:Ingredients:

1 Medium to large spaghetti squash

1 large eggplant

3 cups of your favorite marinara sauce

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

1 bag of Daiya Mozzarella style shreds

:Directions:

Split the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seed.  Bake it on a cookie sheet (cut side down) in the oven at 350-degrees until tender.  (About 25 minutes.)  Let cool.

Get a skillet very hot and add about 4 Tablespoons of olive oil.

Wash your eggplant and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Place slices into skillet and let fry until browned on both sides and drain on paper towels.

*The eggplant really soaks up the oil, so you may need to add a bit more each time you flip them.*

Scoop out the stringy squash flesh into a casserole dish.  Salt and pepper the squash and add about a cup of marinara sauce and 1/4 of the bag of Daiya.

Place the fried eggplant slices on top of the squash-- overlapping as necessary.  

Salt and pepper, cover with the remaining marinara  sauce and Daiya.

Bake in a 350-degree oven until hot and bubbly.

(About 30 minutes)

YUM!  Enjoy!  It is such a yummy meal!

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Guess what?!  The makers of Daiya have provided me with the opportunity to offer a lucky reader the chance to win some free products!

(How neat is that!?)

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**You have 5 chances to win!**

-Leave a comment telling me whether or not you have tried Daiya.

-Follow me on Google and leave a comment saying you did so.

-Follow Mama's Got A Big Belly on Facebook- leave a message saying that you did so.

-Follow Mama's Got A Big Belly on Twitter - leave a message saying that you did so.

-Tweet about this giveaway by copy/pasting this:

Enter to win FREE @daiyacheese on @MamasBellyBlog http://mamasgottabigbelly.blogspot.com #Daiya #Giveaway #Free #BellyBlog

and leaving a comment saying that you did so.

**For more than one entry you  must leave a comment for EACH entry.  Each comment will count as 1 entry.  Winner will be announced next Friday morning!**

I'm so excited for the winner to try this AWESOME product!

Recipes : 2 Protein Packed Bars

Good Mornin' everyone!  It is *Fall* today in Minnesota and I couldn't be happier!  I love the crisp, cool air that comes with the season.  It's so refreshing!

Today I want to share two of my recipes for protein bars.  One is a chewy granola bar (similar to a Cliff bar with TONS more flavor!) and the other is a bar that tastes like cake but contains SPINACH!   I know- craziness, right?!

I don't know about the rest of you- but some days I get a serious sweet tooth.  I think it's really important to have healthy options around the house to fulfill those cravings.  Added bonus- Not only are you satisfied- but your body gets the nutrients it needs!

I prefer to make my bars at home rather than buying them in the store.  Have you looked at some of the ingredients on your favorite bars?  Half of them I can't pronounce!  Why would I want to put something into my body if I don't know what it is?  Making my bars at home gives me total control- plus it is FUN!

These chewy granola bars are *no bake* and super easy to make!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Honey

1/2 Cup Natural Peanut Butter (or your favorite nut butter)

1/4 Cup Organic Maple Syrup

1/4 Cup Original Almond Milk

2 Scoops Vanilla Protein (Syntha-6 is my favorite!)

2 TBSP Ground Flax

1 TBSP Cinnamon

1 1/4 Cup Rolled Oats

1/4 Cup Grapenuts (Or any crunchy cereal)

2 TBSP Craisins (Or any dried fruit!)

2 TBSP Sliced Almonds

2 TBSP Chia Seeds

Directions:

Add the wet ingredients to your bowl first.  Mix thoroughly.

Next add your protein, flax and cinnamon.  Mix again.

Lastly, add the oats, cereal, dried fruit, sliced almonds and chia seeds.  Mix well.

Press mixture into an 8x8 pan, cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

Slice bars.

Depending on how many bars you cut- I cut 8- will depend on how much protein is in each bar.  You are looking at around 6-7 grams of lean protein!  Awesome!

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This next bar is something I've wanted to do for awhile. 

Ingredients:

2 Cups Spinach

1 Banana (sliced)

1/4 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce

1/2 Cup Almond Milk

3 Scoops Vanilla Protein (I prefer Syntha-6)

1/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 TBSP Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Stevia

1 Cup Slivered Almonds

Directions:

To a blender or food processor, add spinach, banana, applesauce and almond milk.  Blend until smooth.  

Add to a mixing bowl.

Mix in protein, flour, cinnamon and Stevia.

Lastly, add slivered almonds.

(Coconut would also be a great addition or substitution)

In  a 350 degree oven, bake for 25 minutes. 

I used a 9x11 pan- but this recipe is to your discretion- something smaller will give you thicker bars.

These bars taste like cake!  But, they are packed with tons of healthy stuff!  You are adding 66 grams of lean protein to the batter when mixing in the 3 scoops of protein.

This takes healthy snacking to a new level!

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I hope you guys enjoy these recipes!  I plan on sharing more in the future!  If you have a recipe that you think I would like- I would LOVE to hear about it!  Shoot me an email at:

azia (dot) archer (at) gmail (dot) com

Reminder- Mama's Got A Big Belly is hosting it's first *Giveaway* Yay!  You can enter until Sunday night.  If you'd like to try Advocare Spark-  head over here and enter to win!

Apple-Cinnamon Water

For those in the States, how was your long Labor Day weekend?  Hope you all had time to enjoy the weather, friends, family and all that other good stuff.

I enjoyed all of the above and had a calorie filled weekend.  I tried to be mindful in my eating, but we were at a family gathering on Saturday that resulted in all sorts of frivolity.

Luckily, I didn't gain a pound.  But, I also didn't lose anything either.  So, I'm still sitting here at 144 pounds.  Losing 5 pounds by the end of this month is starting to seem like a pretty far and away goal-- but I'm going to do everything in my power to get there!  (Yay for positive thinking!)

After a weekend like the one I had- I feel almost hypersensitive to what I'm putting into my body.  I want to flush out any of the bad stuff that could be lingering.

Water is crucial to that process.  According to Mayo Clinic:

Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.

Every morning when I get up-- I put out my pitcher of Apple-Cinnamon water.  It is a small, half gallon pitcher and I refill it twice a day.  (Unless Garrett is home or I have company- then we are looking at at least 4 to 5 refills.)  

Apples are high in fiber and full of antioxidants and enzymes that help you digest your food faster.  Apples do not last long in our household.  And, I am getting so excited for the fall-- I love visiting the apple orchards!  And, don't even get me started on cinnamon!  CinnamonWeightLoss.Com is full of information:

When it comes to weight loss, cinnamon is a great ally.  First, it helps control the insulin and cholesterol of the body at healthy levels.  These two are essential in gaining a fit and healthier body.  It helps controls how the body metabolizes fats and carbohydrates.  As such, it helps control the creation of fat and ultimately its deposit into the body.  Furthermore, cinnamon decreases the Low Density Lipoprotein or the “bad cholesterol” while increasing the high density lipoproteins  or “good cholesterol” in the body.

We put cinnamon in and on a ton of different things... I take it in my coffee, sprinkle it on toast, use it in my cereal or oatmeal, on fruit, add it to smoothies- the list goes on an on!

For this particular water, I use:

-1 Apple cut into wedges (Don't spend time removing the core or the seeds: I throw the entire thing in there!)  

-1 Cinnamon Stick

-Cold Water

Let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to let the flavors set in.  I leave my pitcher on the counter all day with a glass placed in front of it as a reminder to drink up!  Any apple will work, but I've produced the best flavor results with Fuji and Braeburn.  Also, the apples will be good for about 2-3 days!  So you can reuse the same ingredients multiple times.  Just be sure to fill the pitcher up at night and place in the refrigerator until the next day.

Happy Drinking!

Not Your Average Shake

Okay, I don't know about you guys-- but the thought of a meal replacement shake is absolutely *disgusting* to me!  (Can I get a "Hell Yeah" ?  "HELL YEAH!")  But... seriously, if I'm hungry.  I'm hungry.  No liquid diet is going to cure that.

BUT.  (There is alllllways a big fat "but" (or in my case- belly!) right?!) 

What if you could drink something absolutely DELICIOUS that will both fulfill a craving and fill you up?  Well... I'm here to share with you TWO of my absolute FAVORITE drinks with you!  

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Do you like coffee?  Then you will absolutely *love*love*LOVE* this drink!

-2 Spoonfuls of instant coffee

-1/2 Cup hot water (to dissolve the coffee)

-1 Scoop vanilla protein powder

-1 Cup dark chocolate almond milk

-Top with ice

It tastes just like your favorite iced-coffee drink but you are packing in protein!
*You could also totally blend this together for a Frappe!*

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One of my favorite treats is a dreamsicle. (You know, Popsicle on the outside and ice cream on the inside.)  Well, this drink tastes just like that!  *Delicious!*

-1/2 Cup orange juice 

-1/2 Cup original almond milk

-1/2 cup water

-1 Scoop vanilla protein powder

-Shake it up and top with ice

(We love Almond Milk in our house- it has completely replaced cow's milk for us-- but if you are a drinker of cows milk, I'm sure you could substitute them in these recipes and get the same scrumptious flavors!)

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The protein we use in our house is Vanilla Ice cream Syntha-6.  It is by far the *best* protein powder that I've ever used.  It does not taste chalky or leave a bad taste in your mouth.  It is also a whey protein base as opposed to a soy protein- which is huge for us because too much soy in your diet can cause a whole slew of issues.

I've been able to put the protein into other items as well-- including cupcakes!  (Yes, I will share that recipe sometime!)  The results have been fantastic.

Do you guys have a favorite "protein" drink that you make at home?