Healthy Grad Caps

     Are you looking for some fun and healthy Grad party offerings!?  I whipped together some no sugar added treats that will be a fan favorite.  And, if you love a craft project, these will be right up your alley...errr...kitchen.  Each of these diploma worthy wonders are only 94 calories, 2g net carbs, 2g protein and 6g fat.  Macros don't include Button or Tassel garnishments.  Time to let your creativity reign supreme.  Let your inner Picasso shine!  :)

Ingredients for 8 Caps~
3 Tablespoons Lily's Stevia Sweetened Dark Chocolate Chips
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter Powder
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Water
8 wooden Skewers, trimmed to desired length
Lily's Stevia Sweetened Dark Chocolate Premium Baking Bar

Optional Garnishments~
Frosting
M&M's
Licorice

     Melt Chips and Oil in microwave safe bowl, stir til thoroughly combined.  Add 1 teaspoon of melted Chocolate to each of  8 mini peanut butter cup SILICONE molds, reserve the melted Chocolate left in bowl and set aside.  Meanwhile, mix PB Fit and Water til stiff dough forms, break into 8 equal portions, should be 1/8th ounce each, use food scale to weigh.  Roll each portion into a ball and press into melted Chocolate til completely covered by Chocolate, insert wooden skewer in center and set in fridge to set.  Unwrap Baking Bar, run the blade of a very sharp knife under very hot water, and carefully cut Bar into 8 equal squares using scoring marks.  I made one cut, then re heated the knife and SLOWLY let the knife melt the score mark, and gently press thru the Chocolate.  When mini PB Cups are set, press the bottom of Silicone mold to push out each mini PB Cup, dip top of PB Cup in reserved melted Chocolate remnants and attach to one square of Baking Bar Chocolate square, let dry and set in fridge.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.  If desired, garnish tops with Frosting Button, or M&M Button and add a Licorice Tassel, use melted Chocolate to glue Licorice and M&M's to Baking Chocolate Square, or use Frosting to pipe a Button and Tassel.  Add finished product to a floral foam filled vase, or use as a Cupcake topper, or serve alone on a tray.  Enjoy  :)

Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes

     When you are in the mood for a little chocolate and a little cheesecake, then you invent Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes.  These have just the right amount of everything...even macros.  Each of the 12 are only 105 calories, 2.3g net carbs, 5g protein and 8g fat.  Hankering for a little sumthin sumthin...I think these will do the trick nicely!

Ingredients for 12 servings~
2 Tablespoons Butter, melted
1/2 cup Almond Flour
2 Tablespoons Lakanto Monk Fruit~use code Paige20 at checkout for discount
Dash Cinnamon
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6oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
7oz 2% Fage Greek Yogurt
2 Extra Large Eggs
1/2 cup Lakanto Monk Fruit~use code Paige20 for discount at checkout
6 Tablespoons Hersheys Special Dark Cocoa Powder (sub with regular Cocoa Powder)
1 teaspoon Neilsen Massey Mexican Vanilla
Dash Cinnamon
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Whipped Topping as garnish, optional (not included in macros)

     Mix first set of ingredients til thoroughly combined.  Line 12 cupcake tins with Silicone cupcake liners or paper cupcake liners that have been sprayed with cooking spray, add 1 Tablespoon mixture to each bottom and press down til firm.  Mix second set of ingredients til thoroughly combined and divide equally among 12 cups, should be about 3 slightly rounded Tablespoons per cupcake.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, store leftovers in fridge.  Enjoy  :)

Simple Seared Scallops

     This is hands down one of my favorite creations.  Talk about simple, talk about savory, talk about dinner tonight!  AND, lets talk about nutrition, for a HALF POUND serving it is only 236 calories, 5g carbs, 38g protein and 6g fat...and you can take it to the bank I will be eating my ENTIRE half pound...and then licking my fingers clean.  Add this to your must try list...immediately!  :)

Ingredients for two servings~
1 teaspoon Butter
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 pound large Scallops

     Heat a skillet on the burner til very hot, add Butter and Oil, allow the Oil mixture to heat up, add Scallops to pan and let them sizzle in place without turning.  After 2-3 minutes, check the bottom of one Scallop, see if it has browned by peeking underneath by gently lifting an edge with a fork, if so then flip, if not, allow to continue to brown.  The bigger the Scallop, the longer this process will take.  Once browned, flip and let brown til desired color.  Enjoy  :)

Eggs and Pancakes

     You call it breakfast, I call it dinner...or lunch...or afternoon snack.  With stats like 273 calories, 16g net carbs, 28g protein and 9g fat, you can call it anything you want...just make sure you call it.  This is another favorite mini meal that I am loving lately.  Sweet and salty speaks to all my excited taste buds, Eggs and Pancakes never tasted so good.  :)

Ingredients~
1/2 cup Fiber One Cereal
1/3 cup Egg Whites
1/3 cup low fat Cottage Cheese
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Dash Cinnamon
Dash Vanilla
1 jumbo Egg
No Calorie Spray Butter
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Syrup
Salt
Pepper

     Add Cereal to Magic Bullet or blender and grind to powder, add Egg, Cottage Cheese, Baking Power, Cinnamon and Vanilla, continue to blend til thoroughly combined.  Heat skillet and coat with cooking spray, add batter to hot skillet til cooked thru on one side, then flip and finish cooking the other side.  Remove Pancake from skillet, re coat with cooking spray, add jumbo Egg, season with Salt and Pepper if desired, add lid to assist in cooking til whites are solid.  Spray Pancake with Butter, top with Egg, and drizzle with Syrup.  Enjoy  :)

Apple Cheese Crunch

     When I tell you I look forward to this big bowl of goodness every afternoon, it's no exaggeration.  I literally start salivating for it between 2 and 3 o'clock on the daily!  With only 4 simple ingredients, it's quick and easy... and brings a smile to my face and a song in my belly.  Even better, it's only 294 calories, 37g net carbs, 24g protein and 5g fat.  This is one you need to work into your routine...if you know what's good for you!  :)

Ingredients~
1/2 cup low fat Cottage Cheese
6oz container Kroger Carbmasters Cherry Yogurt (sub with favorite flavor)
Diced lunchbox size (approx 5-5.5oz cored) Fuji Apple
1/2 cup Fiber One Cereal

     Add ingredients in order to bowl and crunch the day away!  Enjoy  :)  PS.  here's a hot tip for you...after you add the Yogurt to your bowl, use the empty container to measure your cereal, the empty container measures approximately 1/2 cup of cereal.

Quest Granola

     I'm on a "Quest"... a quest for healthy 300 calorie meals...and I've just come up with an idea.  Pairing things I love, being portable friendly and shelf stable, I created Quest Granola.  With a little preparation, you can have a sweet salty savory snack any time of day.  All for 292 calories, 6g net carbs, 23g protein and 17g fat.  Looking for small healthy meals...!?  Look no further, I've got you  covered!  This is one of my favorite non guilty pleasures every afternoon, ...lucky me!  #questgranola

Ingredients~

1 Quest Rocky Road Protein Bar, diced

1/2 oz/12 Almonds

Baggie

Dice Quest Bar into small bite size pieces (sub with your favorite flavor), add to baggie along with measured Almonds.  Toss to mix well together.  Relax and Enjoy immediately or on the run!!!  :) 

300 Calorie Portable Lunch

     I have really been exerting additional effort lately to get my eating habits under better control.  I have noticed in the past year that my body is starting to change, and I need to be more diligent in paying closer attention to what goes in my mouth.  My current regimen is 5 300 calorie meals a day, approximately 3 hours apart (I add an additional 100 calories/25g of carbs on the days I lift, with in an hour post exercise).  Did I say it's easy to be so regimented with a hectic schedule!?  No.  Is it doable!?  Yes.  Does it just take a little planning and preparation!?  Absolutely.  That being said, take a peek at my on the go lunch I took with me on a day I knew I wouldn't be anywhere to stop for a bite.  Did I end up having a successful day!?  Why yes, yes I did!  305 calories, 13g net carbs, 40g protein and 9g fat later, I declare my self a winner!  With a little bit of effort, you can be a winner too!  ;)

Tuna and Chips Lunch~
3oz drained water packed Tuna
Waldens Farm Mayo, desired amount
Mustard, desired amount
Diced Celery, desired amount
2 Midget Sweet Pickles, diced
1/2 slice of Joseph's Lavish Bread~ sub with Joseph's Pita Bread (josephsbakery.com)
1 bag of Quest Potato Chips

     Mix first 5 ingredients together, divide 1/2 slice of Lavish Bread in half, spread each piece with half the Tuna and roll up, add to portable container.  Enjoy with Quest Chips.  Cheers to beating a busy schedule and still remaining healthy and sticking to your goals!  In good health, paige  :)