Crockpot Chili & 30 Minute Cornbread

There's nothing more satisfying than a bowl of homecooked chili and cornbread on a chilly fall night. Or maybe on a Sunday while you watch your favorite football team. Either way, it's a simple fact that it's one of those feel good meals! And now you don't have to feel guilty for eating it! 

What's even better, you can throw all the ingredients into the crockpot in the morning, and when you come home, dinner is ready! Or throw it all in Sunday morning, and meal prep is done for the week, all you have to do is divvi it out! 

So now that I have got you dreaming about a perfect fall mean on a chilly fall evening, why don't I give you the recipes...

Crockpot Chili 

(Serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 can diced tomatoes with juice 

1 can no salt added tomato sauce

1 4oz can diced green chiles

2 15oz cans of no salt added kidney beans drained and rinsed

1 15oz cans of no salt added cannellini beans drained and rinsed

1 green pepper diced

1 yellow onion diced

2 TBLSP and 1 tsp chili powder

1 TBLSP Italian seasoning

1 tsp hot sauce

Salt and pepper to taste 

Optional: 1 pound lean ground turkey 

Method:

1. If using ground turkey, brown it in a frying pan, then add to crockpot. 

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot and stir well.

3. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Cornbread

(Makes one 9x9 pan worth)

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal (try to use organic)

1 TBLSP baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs or 6 TBLSP egg whites**

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 

1 TBLSP apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup honey or maple syrup

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9x9 baking pan with a little bit of coconut oil.

2. Combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes.

3. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

4. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, honey, oil, and milk. Stir well.

5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry into the dry mixture and combine quickly, no more than 15 seconds. THE BATTER SHOULD LOOK LUMPY! Make sure you do not overmix the batter! 

6. Pour the batter into the pan and get it in the oven as soon as possible.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

**Note: for Vegan alternative use 2 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 3 TBLSP ground flax and 1 TBLSP water. Let it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes. Do this step when you do step 2!) 

#eatyourheartout

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding!

I know what you're thinking, there's no way pudding can be healthy! But there's a new pudding in town that is an energizing pick me up! That's right, chia seed pudding! 

Today I am featuring chocolate chia seed pudding as I have had a craving for chocolate lately, but if you don't like chocolate, the recipe is really easy to change! 

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 TBLSP Cocoa

1 1/2 TBLSP pure maple syrup

Method:

1. Pour chia seeds, almond milk, cocoa, and maple syrup into a mason jar.

2. Close the lid and make sure it's secure, then shake the mason jar to mix all the ingredients up. 

3. Put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best! 

Serve with some unsweetened shredded coconut and almonds, and enjoy! 

Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Tea time anyone?! Remember that amazing raspberry chia seed jam I posted the other day? Well say hello to its best friend; the cookie to its jam, the raspberry jam thumbprint cookie!

With oats, almond extract, coconut, and of course jam, these cookies are the perfect little (okay, they're kind of big) treat! Tea time has never been better!

Raspberry Chia Seed  Jam Thumprint Cookies

(Makes 12 rather large cookies)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup flour (I used spelt flour)

1 cup quick oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 TBLSP egg whites or 1 egg

1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract  

1/2 cup natural applesauce

2 TBLSP coconut oil

Unsweetened shredded coconut for rolling

Raspberry chia seed jam for topping*

Method:

1. In a food processor or blender, pulse the oats a few times.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt together.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and eggs together until creamed. Next add in the rest of the wet ingredients besides the jam, and stir well.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until they are fully combined. 

5. Cover the bowl with foil or cling wrap, and place in the fridge to harden for 45 minutes to an hour. 

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

7. In a bowl, pour about 1/3 of coconut shreds into it.

8. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll the dough into balls the size of a ping pong ball.

9. Roll the balls in the coconut shreds and place on an undressed cookie sheet.

10. With your thumb, make an imprint in the middle of the cookie.

11. Using a small spoon, spoon some of the chia jam into the imprint in the cookie.

12. Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until they become golden brown. 

Store these in the refrigerator in an air tight container as there are no preservatives in the jam! 

Enjoy!

*Note - You can use any jam you want! Strawberry or blackberry would be fantastic as well!

Raspberry Chia Seed Jam

Have you heard of chia seeds before? I am sure you have as they have become a health craze and been classified a superfood. Let me tell you some reasons why chia seeds are superfood and catching so much buzz in the health and fitness world.

Chia seeds (ounce per ounce) have:

• 100% more potassium than bananas
• 200% more iron than spinach
• 100% more fiber than bran flakes 
• 500% more calcium than milk
• 700% more omega 3 than salmon
• 1400% more magnesium than broccoli 
• 500% more protein than kidney beans
• 800% more phosphorus than whole milk
• more folate than asparagus
• more antioxidants than blueberries

If those facts don't scream superfood qualities, I don't know what does! 

The best part of this little seed is everything you can do with it! Some of them include:

• Chia Eggs
• Adding them to smoothies
• Chia pudding (recipe coming later this week!)
• Homemade energy gel
• Use them for a thickener...

...Which leads me to today's recipe, Raspberry Chia Seed Jam! It is refined sugar free, easy to make, and the best part... DELICIOUS! If you aren't fond of raspberries, you can use any berry or grape you would prefer. 

Raspberry Chia Seed Jam

(makes about 1 cup of jam)

Ingredients:

2 cups of frozen or non-frozen raspberries (preferably organic) 

1/4 cup water

2 tbslp honey or maple syrup (3 tblsp if you want a sweeter jam)

2 tbslp chia seeds

Method:

1. If you are using frozen raspberries, allow them to defrost in the refrigerator first.

2. Add raspberries, water, and honey/maple syrup to a pot and bring to a boil.
3. While waiting for it to come to a boil, use a potato masher or fork to mash up the raspberries.

4. Once it is boiling, turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken.

5. Once it starts to thicken, turn off the heat and stir in the chia seeds.

6. Allow the mixture to cool down for 10-15 minutes, pour into a mason or canning jar, and place in the refrigerator overnight.

The jam will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Will last a shorter amount of time if using organic ingredients!

Enjoy! xo

Euro Trip - Prague

Ohhh Prague, how I love you! Such an amazing city! Below is a picture of of a little town on our train ride. That's how all the train rides have been, little towns everywhere, lots of green open land, a lot of beautiful amazingness.

We got a little lost finding our hostel in Prague, but eventually we found it. It was sooo busy in Prague. The celebration of the reunification of Berlin was Friday, so it was a holiday for everyone in Germany, which naturally meant they all went to Prague for the long weekend. The streets were packed, so we're the restaurants, bars, hotels, etc.

Once we checked in, we went to the old city of Prague. It was different than Dresden, but still so cool! There were performers in Old Town Square, and all of the restaurants had outside eating where you could drink, eat, watch the performers, and be merry. We ate at a Czech restaurant for dinner, Tyler got goulash, and I got baked duck. This was the best baked duck I have ever had, it came with dumplings and green and red cabbage; I ate it all. Tyler's phone died so I couldn't take a picture. :( 

At dinner was decided to go on a pub crawl that ended in a 5 story club. It was a great time. We met some people from New Zealand and South America, and partied with them all night.

But first let me take a selfie came on..

The next day we got up and headed to the Prague Castle. It looked like a castle out of a movie, up high on a hill, overlooking the rest of the city. It was absolutely gorgeous. We went to the cathedral there and the old castle as well. We also crossed the beautiful Charles Bridge to get there. 

When we got back, we ended up taking a nap, then going to dinner. We went to dinner at an old monastery that brews different beers, including IPAs. I got duck again, Tyler got rabbit, and we both got IPAs. This place was really far away, so we had quite a trek there and back, but the view was spectacular. I wish the camera would've captured it better. 

Prague is the most Americanized city we've been in so far. It's crazy how much you felt like you were in the Time Square of Prague when you were downtown. Everyone speaks English too. We have been lucky with that, but Prague was still the most Americanized. 

Every city is so different so it's hard to choose a favorite, but Prague certainly holds a special place in my heart.

Until the next city...

Peace & Love :)

Where Do You Get Your Protein?

Image from Food Network (http://foodnetwork.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/food/fullset/2007/12/7/1/IE0213_Red_Beans_and_Rice.jpg)

Did you know meat is not the only way to get your protein? Did you also know that eggs and dairy are not the only way to get your fill of protein either? While meat, eggs, and dairy are all complete proteins, there are other ways to fulfill our complete protein intake as well.

If anyone reading this is a Vegan, I'm sure they will all agree that the most commonly asked question they get about their diet is, "where do you get your protein?" When I was solely Vegan, I was asked this question daily, so I thought it would be fit to explain how other foods when combined can make a complete protein just like meat, eggs, or dairy.

In a protein there are 20 different amino acidsthat can make a protein, 9 of which the body is unable to make itself. These 9 amino acids are also called essential amino acids. In order for food to be consider a complete protein, it must contain all of the 9 essential amino acids. Reason being, since our bodies can make up the other amino acids needed to make it a complete protein, the essential amino acids need to be present in what we eat so that the proteins can be completed. If one of the 9 essential amino acids are missing, our bodies cannot make it, so the protein chain will be incomplete.

Some foods other than meat, eggs, and dairy are considered complete proteins on their own. The foods that are complete proteins on their own are:
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Soy
Hemp Seeds
Chia Seeds

There are other foods that when combined together, our bodies are able to make a complete protein from their amino acids. These combinations are:
Beans and Whole Grains - Ex Beans & Brown Rice
Nuts/Seeds and Whole Grains - Ex Almond Butter & Whole Grain Toast
Beans and Seeds - Ex Hummus

Ezekiel Bread, which I have been a fan of forever, is also a complete protein! They make it easy for us! :)

Since I have talked about combined proteins to form a complete protein, let me also talk about the myth that is associated with it. It was believed that in order for these combinations to work and form a complete protein, you needed to eat them together during the same meal. This is no longer the belief, as it is now believed that if you eat any of the above combinations within 24 hours (give or take) from each other, your body will still form the complete protein from the combination. So if you have whole grain toast for breakfast, and black bean soup for dinner, you will still be getting the essential amino acids that your body needs.

Web MD suggests the following protein intakes:

• Babies need about 10 grams a day.
• School-age kids need 19-34 grams a day.
• Teenage boys need up to 52 grams a day.
• Teenage girls need 46 grams a day.
• Adult men need about 56 grams a day.
• Adult women need about 46 grams a day (71 grams, if pregnant or breastfeeding)

So keep in mind when you or your family are getting bored of chicken, or eggs, there are other food sources that will help you achieve your protein intake daily.

:)

Pumpkin Pie Protein Waffles!

Today is a happy a day! Fall is upon us soon! All things pumpkin are coming our way! If you know me, you know I am a sucker for ALL things pumpkin. Plus, Fall is my birthday season, so it's kind of a win-win for me!

It's a crazy week for A Fat Kid At Heart; a lot of big things are happening! I am so excited to share them with you when the time is right, but for now I will keep you anticipating!

In honor of Fall starting soon, I thought I would share with you my pumpkin pie protein waffles! So easy, so delicious (as usual), and healthy! Also, for those of you that love pumpkin creations as much as I do, I scored organic cans of pumpkin purée that are BPA Free too at Costco last year! (I'm hoping they'll have them again!)

Here's What You'll Need:

1/3 cup egg whites or two eggs

1/4 cup pumpkin purée

1 scoop protein powder (I use Sunwarrior Classic Vanilla!) 

1/2 TBLSP almond milk

1-2 tsp pumpkin spice or cinnamon if you don't have pumpkin spice

Almond butter

Pure maple syrup

A waffle maker (duh! :)

Nonstick spray

Method:

1. Plug in the waffle maker to heat it up.

2. Mix together eggs, pumpkin, protein powder, milk and pumpkin spice.

3. Pour it into the waffle maker, but make sure you don't pour too much or it will overflow! 

4. Cook for about 6-7 minutes, or until golden brown and firm.

5. Top with a little almond butter and maple syrup.

So good! Enjoy!

Vegan Zucchini Bread!

Today I bring you vegan zucchini bread! Yep, it's delicious and hard to stop consuming! 

This recipe is lower in fat, has protein and is fiber rich, does not contain ANY refined sugar, and is simply delicious! 

What You Will Need:

(1 loaf of bread or 10-12 muffins)

1 flax or chia egg (1 TBLSP ground flax or chia seed and 3 TBLSP water. Combine and refrigerate for 10 minutes before adding to the wet ingredients.)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3/4 cup blended dates (Soak the dates in water for at least an hour, save the water but drain the water out into a bowl or plastic container, using a food processor or blender, purée the dates into a paste, adding a TBLSP or two of the date water. **You can save the extra date paste in the fridge and use it later on!)

1/4 cup no sugar added applesauce 

1/4 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

1 cup grated zucchini 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional: 1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or raisins.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a bread loaf pan.

3. Whisk together flax/chia egg, maple syrup, date purée, applesauce, coconut oil, zucchini, and vanilla extract.

4. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.

5. Pour the wet batter into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon until fully combined.

6. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 35 minutes, after 35 minutes, place foil lightly over the top of the loaf and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Let it cool for about an hour (IF you can wait that long) and serve!

**IF you are making muffins, preheat oven to 425 degrees, let the muffins cool for 5 minutes and then turn them down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for about 12-13 minutes.

Oodles Of Zoodles! How To Make Zoodles 3 Different Ways!

If you haven't heard, Zoodles are all the rage! Zoodles are noodles made out of zucchini. It's funny because when I was raw back in 2011, my boyfriend at the time made raw Zoodles and I thought he was out of his mind. What I didn't realize was flash forward a year later and I would be using zucchini as a noodle all the time. Flash forward three years and there would actually be a spiralizer for all your zoodle needs!

This veggie instead of pasta option is great because it is low carb, tons of vitamins and nutrients, and it is pretty easy to make. You can eat it raw or cool it. Below are the nutritional facts for zucchini, pasta, and whole wheat pasta, in that order.

This is comparing one medium zucchini to one whole serving of pasta or whole wheat pasta. 

Now I do have to say, 2 zucchinis is enough Zoodles to feed Tyler and me. Sometimes we use 3 zucchini but it is not often. Tonight I am making homemade tofu crumbles (making a new recipe) that I hope will be delicious. Top all of it with a little marinara and it will be an amazing meal! You can make it with turkey meatballs as pictured above, turkey meat sauce, or sauté it in garlic and olive oil. Those are just some of the possibilities but there are a ton more.

Today the main purpose of this blog is to show you 3 different ways Zoodles can be made!

First, you can do it by hand, julienning the zucchini with a knife. 

1. Clean the zucchini and cut the ends off both sides. 

2. Slice the zucchini length wise into slivers, as show below. 

3. Cut down the zucchini to julienne the zucchini. (Shown in the second picture below.)

Second, you can use a julienne peeler to achieve your Zoodles.

1. Clean the zucchini and cut the ends off both sides. 

2. Cut the zucchini in half.

3. Place the julienne peeler at the top of the zucchini, pressing into the zucchini and pull. (Show in second picture below.)

3. Repeat this until you get down to the end of the zucchini.

Third way to make Zoodles is by using a spiralizer. I got this contraption off Amazon for about $40.00 with PRIME Shipping. (I love PRIME!) It is easy to use, takes one minute to make a full zucchini into noodles, and takes 2 minutes to clean. If you think you will be zoodling a lot, this might be a good buy for you. If not, I would try one of the other ways first! If you end up loving them, you can always buy a spiralizer! 

1. Clean the zucchini and cut the ends off both sides. 

2. Stick the head of the zucchini in the steal metal circle, and shove the butt of the zucchini in the prongs and lock into position. Make sure there is a bowl at the spout of the spiralizer for the Zoodles to fall into. (Shown in the first picture below.)

3. Start turning the handle clockwise and the noodles will start forming.

4. To clean up, remove what is left of the zucchini and discard. Take the blade out and wash it, be careful it is super sharp! Next take the handle piece out and wash it. Then finally wash the rest of the body of the spiralizer.

The different Zoodles you end up with are picture below. From left to right, the first using a julienne peeler, second using a knife, third using a spiralizer.

If you are interested in buying a spiralizer, click on the link below to check it out!

Paderno World Cuisine Spiralizer

Have a great time zoodling!!!

Taco Tuesday On Hump Day!

The fiancé kept telling me he wanted taco salad, and naturally I kept putting him off. Just kidding! Honestly it has been so hot here in Northern CA, that I thought it would be perfect and refreshing too! 

I knew I wanted it to be easy, light, healthy (obviously) but I also didn't want it to take too much time to prepare. I actually prepped everything earlier in the day, went for a walk and finished it in 10 minutes. (I wasn't sad about that!) 

Since the recipe I made is for 4, we had it two nights in a row and both nights were equally as delicious! Below is a picture of my salad from the first night, when it is all mixed together! 

This recipe is very versatile for people's eating needs. It can be made for meat eaters, vegans, vegetarians, it is gluten free, and it is easy to make any of the variations! All the variations will be discussed below.

Taco Salad 

4-5 Servings

1/2 lb ground turkey/chicken/soy crumbles 

1 can of beans (I used kidney)

2 avocados 

2/3 cup chunky salsa

1/2 lime or small lemon

1/4 cup onion

1/2 TBLSP cumin

1/2 TBLSP chili powder

1/2 TBLSP + 1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

3-4 corn tortillas

olive oil

1/4 cup diced green onion

2 stalks romaine hearts

1/2 cup cooked corn (optional)

**Note: If you don't want to use beans in the recipe, use 1lb ground turkey/chicken/soy crumbles

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Cut corn tortillas in half and then each half into thirds to make triangles.
3. Place them on a baking sheet, brush them with a tiny bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.
4. Bake tortillas for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
5. Take them out of the oven and let them cool.

While the corn chips are baking:
1. Drain and rinse the kidney beans and set to the side to let dry.
2. Mash two avocados in a bowl, add 2/3 chunky salsa and mix together, then add the juice of half a lime or lemon, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, and a bit of salt and pepper, mix well, cover, and put in the refrigerator.
3. Chop the romaine hearts, put them in a strainer and rinse them well. Pat them dry with a paper towel, and put the strainer back in the fridge.
4. Next wipe down a nonstick pan with coconut oil or olive oil, or spray with Trader Joes' cooking spray. Heat the pan to a medium temperature.
5. Start by sautéing the onions for about 2 minutes. At this time add the ground turkey/chicken/soy crumbles and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Stir the meat/crumbles and then add the cumin, chili powder, the rest of the garlic powder (1/2 TBLSP), a dash of salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Next add the beans to the meat/crumbles and keep stirring every 1-2 minutes until meat/crumbles are browned and beans are cooked.

To Assemble:
1. Take a portion of the lettuce, top it with 1/4 or 1/5 of the beans and meat/crumbles mixture, green onions, 3 to 4 tortilla chips broken up, a couple tablespoons of corn, and guacamole for the dressing. Toss together and enjoy!

Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Protein Bites, Oh My!

I don't know about you, but I love anything that has peanut butter, I love anything that has chocolate, and anything that has both... Well, I REALLY LOVE!!! These peanut butter protein bites can be made in a variety of different ways to meet everyone's food and allergy needs. (Vegan, Gluten Free, Nut Allergies)

Some other things that I enjoy in life are: working out, cooking, music, dancing, singing, laughing, traveling. These bites incorporate a lot of what I love into my day when I make them. Today, I came home from working out, (these bites are an awesome post workout pick me up!) put some music on, and started to cook (assemble really) these amazing treats. Oh, and I definitely danced and sang the whole time!

Peanut Butter Protein Bites - Serving Size 2 Bites

To make these bites you'll need:

1 cup oats

1/2 cup natural peanut butter/almond butter/seed butter 

1/2 cup toasted coconut

1/4 cup ground wheat germ or ground flax seed

1/4 cup protein powder (I used Sunwarrior vanilla brown rice protein)

1/3 cup honey or pure maple syrup 

1/4 cup non dairy chocolate chips/cacao nibs/carob chips

Method:

1. Toast coconut in a nonstick pan. It toasts quickly, so make sure you are continually stirring it to get an even browning. 

2. When the coconut is toasted, pour it in a bowl to cool a bit.

3. If you are using flax seeds or wheat germ that is not already ground, grind flax seeds or wheat germ in a blender until it is like a flour/meal.

4. In a separate mixing bowl (if you have a standing mixer use that bowl), combine oats, ground flax seed or wheat germ, and protein powder and stir.

5. Add in toasted coconut and give it a stir, followed by the butter of choice and honey or maple syrup.

6. Combine all ingredients well. If you have a standing mixer or hand mixer, you can use it on a low to medium setting. 

7. Once it is fully combined, put it to the side to sit for a few minutes, while you prepare the chocolate. 

8. If you are using cacao nibs, you do not need to prepare anything, but if you are using chocolate or carob chips, put 1/4 cup of chocolate/carob chips in a baggy and seal it, making sure all the air is out of it. With a meat pounder, pound the chocolate/carob chips until they resemble nibs.

9. Add the chocolate/carob chips or cacao nibs into the mixture and combine well. 

10. Roll the mixture into 14 - 1 1/2 inch balls, place them in a plastic container, and put in the refrigerator. 

11. Eat cold and keep stored in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Vegan

If you are a vegan that does not eat honey, use maple syrup instead of honey. Make sure that if you are using chocolate chips, there is no dairy in them. You can also use carob chips instead. The protein powder used should be plant based protein instead of casein or whey protein.

Gluten Free

If you are gluten free, make sure your oats are certified gluten free. In addition, make sure that you use ground flax seed instead of wheat germ. You will also want to check to make sure your nut/seed butter is gluten free. (I used Skippy's natural peanut butter and it stated it was gluten free!)

Nut Allergies

If you are allergic to nuts, there are seed butters now that you can use instead of nut butters. Make sure you use a seed butter for this recipe if you make it!