Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

It's finally Fall ya'll! You have no idea how happy I am about this! I could write an entire post about all the wonderful things about Fall but I will spare you and just simply say PUMPKIN! If you don't like pumpkin you're wrong. Pumpkin is delicious in everything. Including this delicious pumpkin pie oatmeal that I have been making all week for breakfast (and once for dinner). 

When it start getting chilly out oatmeal is the best breakfast. It sticks to your bones and warms you right up. And then when you add pumpkin it's like a home run. 

Ingredients:

1/3 Old Fashioned Oatmeal

1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/3 Cup Canned Pumpkin Puree 

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Packets of Splenda (Or 1 Tbs Sweetener of choice, like Agave or Honey )

1 Tbs Chopped Pecans

2 Tbs Fat Free Cool Whip

1. Pour almond milk and oatmeal in a sauce pan on medium heat.

2. When it starts to bubble add the pumpkin and stir it up. Let it bubble for another minute.

3. Add the vanilla extract, Splenda, and pumpkin pie spice. Let it sit on low heat for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally.

4. Take off the heat and allow it to rest for 2-3 minutes.

Top with Cool Whip and Pecans.
Enjoy!

I love to make this the night before and let it sit in the fridge to "marinate" over night.
Oh My Gosh!
Yum!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size (Recipe makes 1 serving)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 267 Calories from Fat 88

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9.8g 15%

Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 190mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates 36.3g 12%

Dietary Fiber 8.3g 33%

Sugars 5.6g

Protein 7.6g

Vitamin A 264% • Vitamin C 7% Calcium 51% • Iron 21%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

What's your favorite pumpkin food?

Green Pina Colada

Alright, so I did it again. I made another green smoothie. Had you told me last week that I would be making these things like crazy and loving them I would have told you to take your predictions somewhere else, you crazy psychic. 

With the weather being so amazing lately I was craving something tropical. I'm not normally a huge fan of Pina Coladas because I don't really like cream with my alcohol, but since there isn't any alcohol in this I loved it. 

When I was little we used to go to the Myrtle Beach every summer for the 4th of July. We had the same beach house every year that was right across the street from this resort that had a Tiki Bar on the beach. My mom would always get us Pina Coladas, mine was of course virgin. Tasting this drink reminded me of that. 

Here is my health-ified version of those amazing fruity beach drinks. 

Ingredients: 

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil -Softened (I like Trader Joe's brand because it has a subtle coconut flavor)

1 Cup Frozen Pineapple

2 Heaping Handfuls of Spinach

1/4 Cup Lite Thai Coconut Milk

About half a cup of ice

A couple splashes of water

This kind of coconut milk.

Throw everybody in the blender. 

I like my smoothies really liquefied so I ended up pressing the "smoothie" button twice. Of course if you like thicker smoothies you could probably only press it once. 

Side note: I don't know about regular blenders but the Blendtec has a specific button for smoothies.

I admit, it is a much more awesome color than a regular Pina Colada.

     

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 319 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 252 Calories from Fat 158

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17.5g 27%

Saturated Fat 14.9g 74%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 88mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 25.9g 9%

Dietary Fiber 4.2g 17%

Sugars 15.7g

Protein 4.2g

Vitamin A 171% • Vitamin C 166% Calcium 11% • Iron 18%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

What is your favorite tropical drink?

Green Goddess Smoothie

When I decided to make just green food this week for St. Patrick's Day I did not plan on making a whole bunch of green smoothies but this one is really good and I just had to post it. Not only is it good for you but  it's super delicious. It has easily become my new favorite breakfast.  

This smoothie has a whole bunch of really delicious, fresh ingredients that are really great for you. 

Spinach, is great for your skin but it also promotes healthy brain function. 

Broccoli, boosts your immune system and fights cold virus'. 

Kiwi, is high is fiber and antioxidants, has been found to protect against cancer. 

Pineapple, improves digestion and strengthens bones. 

Orange, is rich in vitamins and minerals, lowers cholesterol and high blood pressure as well and boosts immune system.

Ingredients:

1 Kiwi (peeled)

1/4 Cup Fresh Broccoli Florets 

1 Cup Frozen Pineapple

1 Navel Orange

~4 Cups Raw Baby Spinach

1/4 Cup Water

Blend all ingredients until liquefied. 

Pour into a festive glass and enjoy.

I love this smoothie because it tastes more like a tropical cocktail than a ultra healthy smoothie. If you don't think it's sweet enough you could add a small sweet apple, like a honey crisp, or more pineapple. 

    Makes One Large Glass.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 557 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 244 Calories from Fat 12

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1.4g 2%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 105mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 58.6g 20%

Dietary Fiber 12.1g 48%

Sugars 40.2g

Protein 7.5g

Vitamin A 238% • Vitamin C 494% Calcium 24% • Iron 24%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

                 What is the best smoothie you've ever had?

Take a hike with Garlic Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas

Typically, I spend my Saturdays out shopping. This past weekend, in and effort to be more active, my mom and I decided to go for a hike. Don't get me wrong, shopping is my favorite cardio but we wanted to do something that's a higher calorie burner. Plus, I got to take the puppy!

Bella loves going for hikes.

What's a hike without a great healthy snack? We brought along a few apples and oranges and I also made Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan Chickpeas. They were delicious! I was a little apprehensive when I first heard of Oven Roasted Chickpeas. I just didn't think they could turn out very well but I was happily surprised when they came out of the oven and absolutely rocked.

Ingredients: 

1 Can of Garbanzo Beans (AKA Chickpeas)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tsp Parmesan Cheese

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

Salt & Pepper

Rinse the garbanzo beans and let them dry a bit. While they are drying, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Drizzle the Olive Oil over the Garbanzo Beans and shake to make sure they are all evenly coated.

Throw on the Parmesan, Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper. Toss again to evenly coat all the Chickpeas.

Pour the seasoned Chickpeas on a baking sheet and place in a the preheated oven. 

Bake for about 15 minutes then toss them and bake for an additional 15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven once they are crisp and golden. To make them extra crunchy turn on the broiler for 3-5 minutes but watch them like a hawk to avoid burning.

    Servings Per 1/2 Cup

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 129 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 152                    Calories from Fat 52

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5.8g 9%

Saturated Fat 0.7g 4%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 1mg 0%

Sodium 380mg 16%

Total Carbohydrates 18.6g 6%

Dietary Fiber 5.2g 21%

Sugars 1.5g

Protein 6.8g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 10% • Iron 9%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

What do ya'll like to bring with you on a hike? 

Click here for the Printable Recipe

Saving Money with Homemade Freezer Food

I've been trying my hardest to save money lately. I have an addiction to weekly retail therapy and I love going out to lunch. But since I am going to Italy in May! (I'm so freakin' excited!!) I really need to buckle down and save as much as I can. I thought what a better way to save than to start bringing my lunch from home everyday. I began this mission last week and the only thing I could think of bringing for lunch was Lean Cuisines and Progresso Soup, that is until I was totally sick of it and ended up getting Chick Fil A because I couldn't stomach eating one more Lean Cuisine.

Then I thought about making freezer burritos. Less calories than the ones at the store and less mysterious. It seemed easy enough and I do love burritos.

The ingredients were simple, too. Just flour tortillas, shredded Mexican cheese, black beans, Target's Cilantro lime rice (it's in the freezer section and it's just like Chipotle's  rice but with corn in it) and shredded chicken.

The chicken I made ahead of time by throwing it in the crock pot for 8 hours on low with a little taco seasoning and hot sauce. 

Prepare the cilantro lime rice as instructed on the bag and added the can of black beans. 

Take a heaping scoop of the rice and beans and plop it on the tortilla.

then add the chicken.

(Brian wanted to add more spices and hot sauce to his burrito) then sprinkle on the cheese.

roll the tortilla up as tightly as possible.

Then individually wrap each burrito in saran wrap before throwing them in a large zip-lock and putting them all in the freezer.

Whenever your ready to eat one just take it out, remove the saran wrap and microwave for a minute. It's a really quick and cheap work lunch alternative and it's pretty healthy.

The next thing I decided to try was pancakes. I make pancakes almost every Saturday morning. I LOVE PANCAKES. But, I always have left overs and never end up finishing them all. I don't know why I never thought about freezing them before.

First off, I cheated and just made a double batch of Bisquick blueberry pancakes. (I am on the hunt for a low calorie healthy alternative that doesn't call for crazy ingredients that I would never normally have on hand. I'll keep ya posted if I ever find one.)

After stuffing my face, I began stacking the pancakes with wax paper in between each one.

and then I just stuck them all in a Freezer Ziploc Bag. 

When you're ready to eat them, take out as many as you want and nuke them in the microwave for about 45 seconds to a minute. 

Time & money saving deliciousness!