Weekend Trip to Indy

Good morning cupcakes!

Yesterday my roommate and I made a trip to Indy. We called it our "self care" trip. It is easy to get burnt out on grad school, work, etc. so making time to do something fun is a must! We've been eyeing a place in Indy (Indiananpolis, IN) for quite some time. The place is called Rocket88 Doughnuts. This place caught my eye because they have vegan doughnuts. As most of you know, I am lactose intolerant which means I can't have regular doughnuts. Vegan doughnuts are made with out any dairy products, so of course I had to try it out. It's been ages since I've had a doughnut. If you would like to check out where some of their locations are or the menu at Rocket88, follow this link: {Rocket88 Doughnuts}

I ended up getting two doughnuts: Vegan Maple Pecan & Vegan Chai. I had the Maple Pecan while I was at the shop with some friends. 

Check out this {BEAUTY} though! It was to die for! I enjoyed every second of this. My roommate and I are starting another round of Whole30 Monday so we were joking that this was our last supper before going hard core without sugar. This doughnut was so light and fluffy. The combo of maple and pecan could make anyone drool. One tip, if you are going to get doughnuts from Rocket88, I suggest going in the morning if you want the full selection of choices. When we got to the store, there were only a select few left. We went around 12pm, and the store closes at 2pm. My suggestion, go early! Go when they open!

There is also a vegan doughnut shop in San Diego, CA that I am going to have my boyfriend take me to when I visit him for spring break. It's called Donut Panic. How cute is that name though? Here is the link to their site: {DONUT PANIC}.

I believe in {BALANCE} in life. 

I balanced out my doughnut with some green juice from Trader Joes. I knew I would need some nutrients in my body to make up for all that sugar in the doughnut. I also knew I wouldn't be eating a meal until I got back to my apartment later in the afternoon. We went grocery shopping at Trader Joes while we were in Indy. 

My roommate and I shopped for our first week of Whole30. Here are some things I bought while I was there:

-Mushrooms

-Zucchini

-Brussel Sprouts

-Baby Potatoes

-Purple, Red, and White Potatoes

-Bananas

-Greens for Salad

-Chile Lime Chicken Burgers

-No Salt Creamy Almond Butter

-Tea

-Eggs

-Almond Meal

-Green Juice

My meal plan went out the door when Trader Joes did not have acorn squash or cauliflower rice. So I threw stuff together for a meal plan with items that looked good in the store. I will post a full meal prep recap tomorrow, so stay tuned for that!

We also ate breakfast with my grandparents and cousins at a place called {Le Peep} in Indy. We knew we were getting doughnuts after breakfast, so we ordered sides. Katie got 2 scrambled eggs and sausage. I got 2 sunny side up eggs with lean ham. Everything tasted great & my family's meals looked bomb! Once again, life is about {BALANCE}. 

If you know you are going to indulge in something during the day, eat healthier the rest of the day! 

I hope you all are having a great weekend. I am excited to show you my meal prep for Whole30!

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."

Paleo Pancakes

Hello cupcakes!

I have a fun recipe to share with you. Is anyone else out there huge pancake and waffle fans? For some reason I think these two foods are just too fun. There are so many things you can top them with and they just always turn out so stinkin' cute. I decided to make some Paleo Pancakes using some of my favorite ingredients. 

I have used many of these products in previous blog posts, but I will list all the links here:

Date Lady Date Syrup

Nuzest Protein Powder- Vanilla {Use code: "ToriF" for 15% off}

Organic Gemini Tigernut Flour

Essentially Coconut- Sweet Almond Coconut Butter

Olivado- Extra Virgin Macadamia Nut Oil

Now a little about two new companies I haven't talked about before...

1) Essentially Coconut takes pride in not adding many ingredients to their butters. Which is hands down the best thing ever. There are no artificial ingredients used in their products. To read about Sophia's Story and how the company was created, follow this link: {Essentially Coconut's Story}. There are four different flavors to choose from: Creamy Cashew Coconut Butter, Honey Pecan Coconut Butter, Original Coconut Butter, & Sweet Almond Coconut Butter. Let me tell you... the Sweet Almond Coconut Butter is so smooth and creamy. It's also the perfect amount of sweet, meaning the sweetness is not overbearing. It worked perfectly as a topping for my pancakes. I will definitely be using this again soon!

2) Olivado has two lines of oils: The Extra Virgin Range & The Natural Range. To read about Olivado's Story & Philosophy, follow this link: {Olivado's Story}. Some things I love about this company: they come in dark glass bottles (keeps oxygen and light out to prevent oil from going rancid), cold pressed (minimal heat and no chemicals to retain key vitamins and minerals), taste & color (oils should look and taste like the fruit or vegetable they come from), stability (long shelf life), low acidity, avocado & macadamia oils can be used at high heat, many health benefits, price (good indicator of quality), & cost effective (buying oil in small quantities). Here is a list of all the oils available: natural organic omega oils, extra virgin avocado oil, extra virgin avocado lemon zest, extra virgin coconut oil, extra virgin macadamia nut oil, extra virgin peanut oil, extra virgin sesame seed oil, extra virgin sweet almond oil, & extra virgin olive oil. Here are a few others in The Natural Range: Avocado oil infused with Rosemary, Avocado oil infused with Basil, Avocado oil infused with Chili, Avocado oil infused with Lemon, Natural Avocado Balsamic Dressing, High Heat Cooking Oil. I really enjoyed using the Macadamia Oil for my pancakes. It gave them a different flavor than other oils I have used in the past. I always like to switch it up and this oil made the pancakes so light and fluffy. 

Now on to the recipe. 

Ingredients: 

Pancakes:

1/4 c Arrowroot Flour

1/4 c Cassava Flour

1/4 c Coconut Flour

1/4 c Tigernut Flour

1/2 c Almond Flour

2 eggs

1-1 1/4 c water

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 c Macadamia Nut oil 

1 tsp ground espresso beans

Topping:

Date Syrup

1 scoop Nuzest Vanilla Protein Powder

2 spoonfuls of Essentially Coconut Sweet Almond Coconut Butter

Bananas 

Blueberries

Directions: 

Mix dry ingredients for pancakes. 

Next, stir in the liquid ingredients for the pancakes. 

Heat a pan on medium to low heat. Spray with cooking spray or drizzle with oil of choice. Cook pancakes on each side until brown. 

While the pancakes are cooking, mix together the Nuzest protein powder and Sweet Almond Coconut Butter. I added 2 T of water to the mix. You can add more water until it reaches desired consistency. I added more than 2 T of water, but I did not measure the exact amount. You want the mixture to be able to be drizzle-able {totally made up that word I think, but you know what I mean}. 

I ended up getting 11 pancakes out of this recipe. You can top the pancakes with whatever else you would like. Here is the final product...

What are your favorite pancake toppings? 

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away." 

** I am not paid by these companies, I simply like to show you some of my favorite products to use in your own life. I like to give my readers healthy food options & I would never share any product I don't fully believe in or use myself.**

Full Meal Prep Details

Hello cupcakes,

Let me walk you through my meal prep for the week. Here is the plan:

Breakfast: 1/3 c quinoa, 2-3 scrambled eggs

Lunch: 1/3 c quinoa, steamed broccoli, 3 oz of chicken breast with homemade mayo

Dinner: kale chips, 1/3 c quinoa, 3 oz. lean ground beef, avocado

Snack: blueberries & if I am hungry then I will have some baked oatmeal with egg whites

Basically, meal prep takes me about 2-3 hours depending on the food I am making. This week, the meals are pretty simple and basic. I needed to use my qunioa before I start a round of Whole30 next week. 

I start off by baking my chicken in the oven. I cook 4-5 chicken breast in the oven at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. 

While the chicken is cooking, I cook some ground beef in a pan. I added Flavor God seasoning to both the chicken and ground beef. 

You can also scramble a big batch of eggs while you are cooking the beef {Multitasking at its finest}.

I cook the quinoa next{according to the package directions}. I used 2 cups of quinoa here. 

Next, steam 2 heads of broccoli in a pot of water until tender. 

Oil a baking pan for kale chips. You will need the oven at 375 degrees for this too. I peel the leaves off the stem and add them to the baking pan. Once I get a layer of kale, I sprinkle it with pink Himalayan salt. Bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes, then remove and stir. Return to the oven until the kale chips are crispy. You will need to carefully watch these because they will burn fast. 

That is basically all there is to my meal prep for this week. I have leftovers of the baked oatmeal from last week that I may eat if I get hungry. I used 1 avocado for all the dinners. The homemade mayo is just two eggs, light olive oil, pink Himalayan salt, and Dijon mustard. If you google "Whole30 mayo" you will find the recipe. 

I am totally obsessing over these RX Bars. If you have not had one of these before, they are great emergency snacks & I can have them as emergency snacks during Whole30. Whoop!

Today, I made some kale chips to snack on. 

I also made some green waffles. The recipe for these is on my Instagram page: @toriswholelife_bbg. 

Yes... they are green. No.., they do not taste bad. They are only green because of the spirulina I used to make them. Spirulina is full of healthy nutrients. The sauce beside the waffle strips is protein dip. 

I hope you all enjoyed this meal prep post. Stay tuned... next weekend I will be prepping for my third round of Whole30. I have some awesome recipes I am looking forward to using!

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."

Wedo Banana Flour Brownies

Good morning cupcakes,

I am going to a girls game night tonight, and these will be perfect to take to share with everyone. These are healthy brownies which I made with some of my favorite products: Wedo Banana Flour, Date Lady, & Nuzest. 

I haven't posted about WEDO Banana Flour yet, so here is a little bit about the company:

-Banana Flour is a resistant starch

-Resistant starch resists breaking down into sugars, resulting in lower blood sugar levels

-Helps you stay full and burn more fat

-Lowers pH levels in your colon

-Resistant starch is a prebiotic 

Here is a link to the story about how the company started: WEDO's Story

Another really cool thing about the company: "With our BUY ONE-Feed ONE program, every time you purchase one WEDO Gluten Free product, you provide a meal for one hungry child in need via the World Food Program USA."

So far, I have loved baking with banana flour. The texture of baked products is close to the same as using regular flour. This flour is perfect for people who cannot have gluten as well as people who consume a Paleo, vegan, or vegetarian diet. 

Above is all the ingredients you will need for this recipe. 

Step 1: Combine 1 avocado, 2 eggs, and 1/3 c of Date Syrup in a food processor. Process until smooth. Below is what it should look like. 

Step 2: Add 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 serving of Nuzest Chocolate protein powder, 3 heaping Tablespoons of cocoa powder, & 1/4 c of Wedo Banana Flour. Process in the food processor until smooth and combined. You may have to scrape the sides of the bowl down and processes a second time. 

Step 3: Scoop batter into a greased or parchment paper lined baking pan. I used a small baking pan (smaller than 8X8) because I wanted my brownies to be thick. Place the pan in the oven (preheated to 350) and bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Step 4: While the brownies are baking, add 1 serving of Nuzest protein powder to a cup or bowl. I decided to use Nuzest Cappuccino Protein Powder. Add 3 T of water and stir until combined. If the "frosting" is too thick, add 1 T of water at a time until it reaches the consistency of frosting. Below is what it should look like.

Step 5: Once the brownies are done, let them cool for 20 minutes. Once cool, top with frosting. 

Here is the finished product...

The brownies are so moist and delicious!

Let me know if you create this recipe for yourself. I would love to see your creations. If you post to social media, use  #torishealthybrownies so I can see all of them!

My Five Tips on how to stay healthy during the winter:

1) Make exercise fun. Get a group of friends to workout together. Make a fun playlist on your phone. Sign up for a group fitness class. Do something active with your children. 

2) Make healthy treats to share with your family and friends. I have lots of great recipes on my blog for things such as cookies, hot chocolate, brownies, cinnamon rolls, etc.

3) Drink a cup of water when you first wake up in the morning as well as before each meal and snack. It is so important to stay hydrated.

4) Drink tea. I am obsessed with tea when it is cold out. My favorite tea right now is mint chamomile from Meijer. What is your favorite tea?

5) Do some form of exercise while watching TV, Netflix, or movies. There are so many exercises you can do: crunches, planks, push-ups, leg raises, donkey kick backs, etc. 

Later Taters 

Have a great weekend

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away." 

Here are the link ups for today's post:  Momfessionals , A Little Bit of Everything , Grace and Love , A. Liz Adventures ,  & September F A R M . If you haven't checked these blogs out, you really should! They have some awesome content!

Meal Prep and Recap

Hello cupcakes,

It has been a busy start to my second to last semester of grad school {Oh that feels so good to say!}.

I wanted to share with you some meal prep I did this past weekend.

Check out this lovely apple "stuff" I made. I was trying to come up with a clever name for the recipe, but my creative juices are lacking today. Anyways, the recipe is super easy and helps with cravings. 

Healthy Apple Skillet

Ingredients:

• Apples, sliced
• Cinnamon
• Coconut oil
• Raisins
• Pumpkin seeds

Directions,

In a skillet, heat coconut oil. Once the pan is heated, add the apple slices (I used four apples) and cinnamon to your preference. I like a lot of cinnamon on my apples. I just sprinkled it on, so I am sorry if you like exact measurements. Once the apples have started to get soft (make sure to stir frequently), add the raisins and pumpkin seeds. Cook until the apples are tender. 

Another thing I prepped was EGGS! Who else LOVES eggs? I used my new Flavor God Extra Spicy seasoning and let me tell you what... it was amazing. I don't know if I will be able to make eggs without it!

I also prepped some white sweet potatoes. I used my Chosen Foods Avocado oil and Flavor God Everything seasoning. I just cut the potatoes up and place them in cold water. Drain the potatoes, and add to a baking sheet with oil of choice (I prefer coconut or avocado oil for cooking). I bake the potatoes at 400 degrees and stir after about 15-20 minutes. Then continue to cook until potatoes are tender.



I also made some with this seasoning.



I used some Apple Chicken Sausage (whole30 approved) to make some salads. These salads had tigernuts, trail mix (fruit and nut mix), homemade whole30 approved dressing, & baby kale.



As many of you know, I have been trying to get workouts in even while I am on crutches. This is a picture of one of my workouts in my apartment gym. My roommate and I like to go bright and early in the morning around 5:45 am. It feels great to still workout during my recovery process. I hope I can bounce back quicker than my surgery on my other foot.



One morning last week I brought my eggs to work with me. Who else lives out of their tupperware during the week?



I am in love with the frozen (plain) stir fry veggies! Here was one of my sides for dinner {with Flavor God seasoning of course}

Monday we got snow here in Indiana. My roommate and I decided to do BBG arms and abs in our bedrooms instead of braving the cold to walk to our gym. 

I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday. I will have some recipes coming your way this weekend!

Later Taters 

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."

Who LOVES chocolate?

Hello cupcakes,

With Valentines Day fast approaching, I wanted to share a cute idea with you!

{ENDORFIN FOODS} is an awesome company that makes allergy friendly chocolates. Many of you know I cannot have dairy products, so I was extremely excited to get my hands on some of this chocolate. {Click on the link to find out more about the company}

Here is a quote from their story: 

"My spark for chocolate began when I had my first sample of raw cacao beans - the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree and the botanical source of all things chocolate. A subtle euphoria gently washed over me, awakening my mind & enlivening me from within. I quickly realized that the “chocolate” I’d had most of my life was so over-processed and diluted with refined sugar & milk that it barely resembled the original food crop it was derived from."

If you are a chocolate lover, a chocolate subscription may be right up your alley. The picture below is an example of a monthly chocolate subscription package. Here is the link to get yourself a monthly subscription (there are three different sizes to choose from & this is the smallest).

Here is one of the chocolate bars. It seriously tasted like a thin mint girl scout cookie! I love this flavor in the winter. 

The second kind of chocolate I received was Heirloom Nibs and Salt. It was fantastic as well. The chocolate is so smooth and melts in your mouth. Once you have high quality chocolate, you won't be able to have anything else. 

Here is the packaging of the peppermint chocolate I mentioned previously. 

The last thing I received was this cookie looking chocolate. I am not too sure what the flavor is exactly, but it tasted like it had some pistachios or something. It was so good, but I liked the other two chocolate flavors just a tad bit more. 

Endorfin Foods also has {GIFTS} and a {SHOP} on their website. If you get a chance, swing on over to their page and check out all the amazing things they have to offer. Also, don't forget to read their full {STORY}

Peace out!

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away." 

Friday Favorites

Hey cupcakes,

I haven't posted a Friday Favorites Post in awhile. I am dedicating this Friday Favorites to my new favorite recipes.

#1

Here is the link for the recipe: Healthy Apple Crisp

#2

Here is the link for this allergy free recipe: Gluten Free/ Dairy Free Cinnamon Rolls

#3

Here is the link for this recipe: Protein Cookies

#4

Here is the link for this Paleo recipe: Healthy Breakfast Sandwich

#5

Here is the link for the recipe: Paleo Biscuits & Gravy

#6

Here is the link to the recipe: Paleo Waffles

Here are the link ups for today's post: Momfessionals , A Little Bit of Everything , Grace and Love , A. Liz Adventures ,  & September F A R M . If you get a chance, check out their blogs!

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."

Nuzest

Hello cupcakes! 

I hope you all are having a great week. Hopefully I can make your week even better by giving you the recipe to this delicious and nutritious Healthy Apple Crisp pictured above. 

First I want to start this blog post by telling you about one of my favorite protein powders. It's called Nuzest. Many of you already know I have food intolerance and stomach problems. This is one of the few protein powders that does not upset my stomach. It's dairy free, gluten free, soy free, nut free, egg free, sugar free, and free of artificial ingredients. The protein base is made from golden peas, so it is also a great protein choices for vegetarians or vegans.  This protein also contains all the 9 essential amino acids to aid in energy, recovery , & repair. Theses flavors of Nuzest mix well and are very versatile. I've drank them as smoothies, protein shakes, and I have also baked with them. 

Nuzest has 5 flavor options: vanilla, chocolate, cappuccino, strawberry, and natural.

Here is the Cappuccino flavor:

What I like about this flavor is I get my coffee flavor and also my protein. When I have this in the mornings, I don't miss my morning coffee. This flavor is smooth and delicious. If you are a coffee lover, this flavor is for you. I mixed mine with unsweetened almond milk. 

The next flavor is Strawberry: 

What I really like about this flavor is there is no red dye used to make this a pink color. I had the strawberry flavor mixed with unsweetened almond milk as well, but I think this flavor would be so good mixed with a frozen banana in a blender for some homemade banana ice cream. 

The next flavor is Chocolate:

I mixed one chocolate Nuzest packet with 1 banana, 1-2 T Justin's Maple Almond Butter, ice, and water in a blender. This is the perfect way to get in fats, protein, and carbs. I would even throw in some spinach if I had it on hand. It is also a great way to curb cravings.

The last flavor I am reviewing is the Vanilla:

I love how you can use vanilla for so many things. This flavor tastes great just as a protein shake. I think there is the perfect combination of vanilla to make it satisfying and light. This flavor would also be great to use for protein pancakes or waffles. I used this flavor for baking. I used it for my frosting for my healthy cinnamon rolls (recipe here: Gluten Free/Dairy Free Cinnamon Rolls) and I also used it to make this Healthy Apple Crisp below. 

Healthy Apple Crisp

Ingredients: 

Apples:

• 4 apples
• 1 T cinnamon
• 2 T chosen blend oil (or oil of your choice)

Crust

• 1 c. Organic Gemini Tigernut Flour
• 1/4 c coconut oil
• 1/8 c egg whites

Topping

• 1/2 c Tigernut Flour
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1/3 c pumpkin seeds
• 1 T egg whites
• 1 t Flavor God Pumpkin Pie Flavor

Glaze

• 1 container of So Delicious Coconut Vanilla Yogurt
• 2 scoops Nuzest Vanilla Protein Powder
• 1/2 t Flavor God Pumpkin Pie Flavor
• Date Lady Caramel Date Syrup

Directions:

Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add the oil for the apples. Slice the apples into thin slices and add to pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon & cook until apples are tender. Stir frequently.

Grease a small pan with cooking spray. I used Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Here are some of the ingredients:

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the crust. Below is what the mixture will look like. Once completely combined, add the dough to the greased pan. You may have to use your fingers to spread out the crust. Place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes.

\

While the crust is baking, you can make your glaze and topping. Combine the coconut yogurt, pumpkin pie flavoring, and protein powder in a bowl. It will be kind of thick. If you want it sweeter, you can add date syrup. For the topping, combine all ingredients in a bowl & stir until combined and crumbly. 

Here is what the crust looks like after it is baked. 

Top the crust with the cooked apples. 

Top the apples with the crumble topping. Next, place the dish back into the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the crumble starts to turn a golden color.

Once you remove the dish from the oven, drizzle with Date Lady Syrup. I used the Caramel one. 

Here is what the apple crisp should look like:

Now this part does not make the apple crisp look as pretty, but it does increase the protein in the dish. I also think it adds another dimension of texture to the dish that I find very satisfying. 

What do you guys think of this recipe? I had some for breakfast this morning!

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away." 

YUM!

*If you would like to buy any of the products mentioned in this blog post, there are links on the side of my blog for some of them. For the others, follow the links below:

Flavor God Pumpkin Pie