S’mores Oven Pancake Bake

Well the holidays are officially over (OR ARE THEY?!?! I mean it’s really not over until the tree comes down in February amiright? ;D) I enjoyed a long week of just relaxation. I didn’t let the pressure of Instagram or WordPress rule my holidays. If I wanted to post I did, if I didn’t well then I didn’t. This may be my last creation uploaded for about a week because tomorrow I am embarking on a ski trip with the Fam Bam! It will be a struggle with balancing healthy eating and enjoying family time; but the memories I am going to make are worth way more than macros or calories. Anyway, I bet your expecting detox green smoothies to pop up everywhere but not on Jordan’s blog! I’m recovering from the holidays with a delicious single serving s’mores oven pancake!

You can keep your kale smoothies I’ll Come back from the Christmas indulgence without being restricted to carrot sticks and cucumbers ;D I used flap jacked brand protein pancakes to make the recipe quick and easy then topped it with peanut butter chocolate sauce and marshmallow crème. All healthy of course! I really, really, really like dessert for breakfast if you haven’t noticed.

S’mores oven pancake bake

1 portion (56g) flapjacked brand buttermilk pancake mix

2tbs (15g) coconut flour

3tbs (46g) liquid egg whites

1/8tsp baking soda

1/8tsp baking powder

Dash vanilla extract

Drop sweet dough bakery emulsion ( or 1/8tsp lemon juice)

2tbs granulated stevia

1/3cup water (more if needed)

1tbs lilys chocolate chips

½ a s’mores quest bar chopped up

Method:

In a bowl combine all wet and dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips and quest bar chunks. Ad water until a thick and pourable consistency is achieved. Once everything is well incorporated, pour into two 4inch diameter baking rounds or one medium baking pan ( remember this is single serving!)

Sprinkle the tops with chocolate chips and quest chunks. Bake at 350deg F for 20-25 minutes. The middle should be set and not doughy.

Marshmallow frosting:

84g (1/4 a package) Mori nu silken firm lite tofu

1/2 tsp marshmallow stevia drops

Dash vanilla extract

-Combine all ingredients in a food processor until well combined.

Chocolate sauce:

2tbs (12g) chocolate pb2

1tbs (5g) coco powder

1tbs brewed coffee

Stevia drops and water as needed

– combine all ingredients in a small bowl adding stevia and water until reaching desired consistency.

P28 French Proast

As you may have noticed if you follow my Instagram (strong_steady) I recently received some of the fabled p28 foods to sample!! How absolutely spiffing! And what could be more spiffing than immediately making overnight eggnog protein French toast (French proast if you’re in the know ;)) ?? Nothing absolutely nothing. Especially when said overnight French toast is as fluffy as baby cherub buns and sweeter than santas sweat!! Each bite floated across my mouth with intoxicating spiced nogginess on puffs of angel feathers. Hold up, my head is on cloud nine… Lemme go grab it so I can share this stunning recipe!

Overnight egg nog French Proast *see bottom for recipe details Ingredients

1 slice p28 high protein bread (or 2sliccea bread of choice)

6tbs (92g) liquid eggwhites

1/4c Califia farms brand eggnog almond milk

1/8tsp each, nutmeg, cloves, allspice

1/2tsp vanilla extract

3-4drops eggnog stevia drops

1/4tsp butter ext *optional

dash rum extract

Eggnog cream

2tbs (10g) vanilla protein powder (I ised lean body for her brand)

1/4 (84g) package Mori nu silken firm lite tofu

1/4c Califia farms brand eggnog almond milk

2-3drops eggnog stevia drops

Dash nutmeg

Method:

For the toast simply whisk together all the wet ingredients and soak the bread in the mixture overnight to allow the flavors to marinate and spread throughout the bread.

For the cream:

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender and save in fridge overnight or; if making in the morning, use immediately. (I made mine the night before). Assembly: Finally, toast up the soaked bread on a greased griddle making sure all leftover marinade is drizzled on top of the pieces before flipping. Once cooked; layer the French proast with egg nog cream, bananas, peanut butter (duh) and mulberries!

Macros sans added toppings: 315cals 35g protein 6.8g fat 26g carb

*protein French toast is very simple to make and you can of course take this recipe and mix match it with thousands of ingredients and flavor combinations! Just make sure that if you wish to keep it lean and clean to stick with these basics: -high volume egg whites in the batter for protein -no refined sugers; stick with honey, pure maple syrup, agave or stevia etc -utilize those spices and extracts!! Vanilla, and maple are game changers -be conscious of your milks; 30cal vanilla almond adds a richness without the calories -and lastly stick to WHOLE GRAIN bread options! My favorite French toast bread is Ezekiel brand cinnamon raisin 🙂 Now go get French PROASTED

P28 Product Review

I had always seen and heard about these legendary “high protein” bread products but never had I been able to snatch a batch to try for myself! Luckily p28 delivered and sent me a trial pack to review! ( btw the trial packs are quite possibly the cutest thing known to man.. I mean the mini nutbutter jars.. Just adorable)

When these babies came In it meant  it was time to get to work..er EATING! 😉 alright here’s the inside scoop:

Macro wise these products are pretty friendly. They all boast around 14-28 (yes 28g O.O) of protein, 3-7g f and never more than 30g carb. The major set back I’ve found is the high calorie content. Just one wrap is 260 calories. Even though calories are not everything, that is still a lot considering you have to put stuff IN the wrap haha. What I found was that the breads and wraps are so large you can easily split them in half and still have a full sized meal! Making the calories manageable but still disappointing. You can check out the full nutrition for each product on the p28foods website.

My favorite thing about these products was how they actually tasted like the real deal! I mean I knew they’d be good but I thought they might be too chewy or have a bad after taste etc.. But for the most part that wasn’t the case! The only sample with minor flaws was the sandwich bread; although perfect in texture, I wasn’t a completely won over with the flavor. Those wraps on the other hand: HO MAH LORDY! Fluffy, grainy, tasty and massive! A fit foodies dream wrap made real 😀

Overall p28 delivered a delicious and game-changing line up of high-protein breads with amazing versatility! Keep your eyes peeled for p28 recipes to pop up! I had a lot of tasty fun in the kitchen 🙂
I would order from these guys again in a heart beat, no doubt about it!

I’ll Be Home For Christmas

( My friend and I catching up with a day in Dallas )

Hi I’m alive! I promise! I know I kind of let my game slip on this new blog the past couple weeks and if you are still with me you have my gratitude. Ending a school semester is tough, and yes I could chalk up my absence and bad mood to the monstrosity that is college finals but in my case that is not the whole truth. I want my blog to be an open book, laying the truth bare for all my followers to see. Who I am and what I endure. So there shall be no sugar coating except for when it comes to cookies and donuts!

My first semester at college was incredibly grueling and challenging. I was not only battling a collage level chemistry course (math is not my strong point. Needless to say that was no picnic) but also one of my worst bouts of depression since before my eating disorder. I had decided to live off campus in order to prevent any relapse and be able to cook my own meals; in the beginning I could not see any fault in this plan. I was blind to the extreme isolation and loneliness I would be choosing by not living in a dorm. I was caught between a rock and a hard place. Yes I was healthy, I was eating and doing my school work, But I was heart wrenchingly unhappy.

The few times I visited home I left in tears because I could not bear the thought of returning to that dark lonely apartment. Every day was spent dragging myself through the motions, eat, workout, cook, go to school, repeat. Pushing myself to just keep going. It was the second hardest mental storm I have ever weathered; and now here I stand with a monumental weight lifted from my shoulders enjoying every day with my family. Sucking in the memories, love and fellowship like a drowning child starved of oxygen.

The storm taught me a lot about myself I thought I knew before I left. It opened my eyes to what my eating disorder was still continuing to rob me of. It showed me the lengths to which earthly desires held onto my priorities. I became aware of my unhealthy attachment with the gym, How obsessive I still was about my food, and most damning of all my twisted self-hate fueled body image. I feel ashamed at how I view my body some days, first of all God is hurt every time I think those things and second how vain am I to base a day’s attitude on my reflection? There is no way on earth I would repeat this past semester but I am humbled by what I was able to take away from it.

Now that I have returned home I wish with all my heart I could live in the moment forever and postpone returning. However I know that is childish and improbable. I cannot hide from the world. I am scared of another semester like the last one but I cannot let doubt set in before it has even begun. I will be in a new major with no chemistry; I have a second chance to get involved on campus! I need to attack this new semester with renewed zeal! It is an opportunity not a punishment.

My thoughts for those in high school still battling there mental demons is to really consider what you will be missing out on in college. I have forged ahead and found out the hard truths for you so please, listen to me and do not allow the same mistakes to disrupt what should be an amazing journey. Take chances, vanquish your inner monsters now and come to college with a free mind and spirit. Accept any opportunity given to you with courage and remember to relax and just be an average college student.  Have a very merry monster free Christmas and a fresh exhilarating new year. God bless ❤

Peppermint Cake Bars

 Peppermint season is here! Full of mint chocolate kisses and white mocha wishes! Wow I’m cheesy sorry XD I can’t help it! I adore the soft sweetness of candy cane with a ribbon of warmth running through it; the sensation of melting into the chill flavor of red and white oblivion. To swim through rivers of vanilla spiked with a biting mint sensation! A truly spectacular peppermint treat! I lost myself in these candy land ventures to distract from the stress of life; it’s the only thing keeping me from the coo coo club recently. My kitchen has become my winter wonderland and each creation a little bite of holiday paradise.

Today’s triumphs are peppermint cake bars! They aren’t necessarily a cake nor a blondie hence the creation of cake bars 🙂 I was actually surprised by their airy texture as I was aiming for a thicker mouthful but honestly these are better! Lite and buttery with the perfect hint of peppermint chill.

Dunking in coffee is a MUST and they are even healthy enough for breakfast!

Peppermint Cake Bars
Ingredients
2/3 can drained and rinsed garbanzo beans (170g)
2tbs coconut flour (15g)
1 scoop (42g) vanilla protein powder*
1/4c sugar free peppermint mocha syrup*
1/4tsp baking powder
1/4tsp baking soda
1tsp vanilla extract
3tbs egg whites (46g)
1tbs granulated stevia (optional for extra sweetness)
Drop peppermint extract
Drop butter extract
2tbs peppermint m&ms

Method:
Combine all ingredients except for the m&ms in a food processor and process till smooth. Pour the batter evenly into the bottom of a well-greased 4 by 9 loaf pan (or other pan of choice). Bake at 350deg F for 20min, now remove from oven and carefully poke the m&ms onto the top. Return to oven and bake for 5-10min or until golden brown and cooked through.

Macros per 1/4 of recipe (without m&ms):
105 calories, 11.5g carb, 10.5g protein, 1.8g fat

*notes: I used lean body for her vanilla whey which baked very well! Feel free to experiment with your own protein powder but the nutrition info will change! I also used skinny syrups peppermint mocha sugar free syrup however since not everyone has these a possible substitution could be lite maple syrup with added mint extract.