Just Call Me Miss Popularity

Posted on July 13, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

You guys are the best!

Thank you all SO much for the sweet comments on yesterday’s Cake Batter Protein Pudding recipe! I was so excited/surprised with how well it came out that I couldn’t wait to share it with you!

Now go whip some up and try it for yourself!

AFTER you read this post…I promise there’s a little somethin’ somethin’ in it for you at the end!

But first, I want to show you guys the awesomeness that has been happening lately. It’s not every day that I get a chance to brag on myself…

I hope you guys don’t mind 😉

Yummly featured my Banana S’mores Pancakes on their Perfect Pancakes for an Extraordinary Breakfast post:

And not only did Fox News highlight both

The Banana S’mores Pancakes AND…

My Lemon Blueberry Coconut Pancakes…

But the amazing food editor, Ericka, is now working on a piece that will also feature some of my protein packed recipes!

In the last TWO weeks, the KMB Facebook page has gotten more than
DOUBLE the likes!

A big THANK YOU goes out to all of my likers…both new and old!

<3 I’m totally blowing kisses right now! <3

And finally, Foodgwaker accepted THREE of my submissions…on the first try!

I don’t know why, but it’s a HUGE deal to me whenever they accept/decline my pictures…kinda like the equivalent to a sports fan’s favorite time winning or losing a game…yeah, just call me crazy!

Now I’m just waiting to see if the Protein French Toast and Cake Batter Protein Pudding make the cut!

*fingers crossed*

Now, how about we get to that little somethin’ somethin’ I mentioned earlier, huh?

Remember my review last week on the GoodBelly probiotic drinks?

Well, thanks to their generosity they are giving one lucky reader a chance to take the
12 Day Goodbelly Challenge for

FREE!

And you have THREE ways to enter!

1. Head on over to Twitter and give them a follow.

2. While you’re there, follow me if you don’t already! 😉

3. Tweet the following message: “I want to win FREE @GoodBellyDrink from @kissmybroccoli http://kissmybroccoliblog.com/2012/07/13/just-call-me-miss-popularity/ #giveaway”

Leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry for it to be counted!

Details:
Only open to US residents
Enter quickly because the giveaway will end on Tuesday night at 10pm CST!

Winner will be announced on my next What I Ate Wednesday post!

“GOOD” luck! 😉

Posted in Giveaway, Photography, Product Review | Tagged facebook, features, twitter | 42 Comments

Cake Batter Protein Pudding

Posted on July 12, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Hey guys!

Woo hoo, it’s Thursday…which is actually my Friday…
or wait, maybe it’s my Saturday?…

I don’t know, I got off at 8am this morning and I haven’t had much sleep! 😉

All I know is that there are MORE than a few of you out there chomping at the bit for some Cake Batter Protein Pudding!

You mean that you want…

Some of this??

Maybe just a bite?

Or maybe you want to just dive head first into a whole serving?

And run your finger around the rim…

And then lick it clean…

Don’t worry, we don’t just here at KMB 😉

Do as you wish m’dears because here…it…is!

Cake Batter Protein Pudding

by Heather Powers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: N/A

Keywords: blender snack dessert high protein bananas cottage cheese almond milk sprinkles summer

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 frozen banana, chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
5-7 drops NuNaturals vanilla liquid stevia
1/8 xanthan gum

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
2. Top with sprinkles and grab a spoon!
3.Then, make another one for tomorrow, omitting the xanthan gum, and pop it in the freezer…you’ll thank me later!

Nutritional info: 158 calories, 2g fat, 18g carbs, 14g protein.

Wait, frozen you say?

Oh yes…frozen indeed! 🙂

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better…

I went and turned it into…

Cake Batter Protein ICE CREAM!!!

You’re welcome!

Posted in Snacks, Sugar-free/No Sugar Added, Vegetarian | Tagged almond milk, banana, cottage cheese, ice cream, protein, recipe, sprinkles | 63 Comments

Pumped Up…Stepped Up…Sweaty

Posted on July 10, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Hey guys!

Who’s ready to party?!

I’m here to celebrate another week of what is quickly becoming my favorite WIAW theme yet…

Fun, Food & Fitness!

Be sure to click on over to see Jenn at Peas & Crayons and thank her for delivering yet ANOTHER fun-filled theme for our weekly shenanigans!

As of today, I am making it through my third night shift week…and let me tell you, those ER docs are handing me my you-know-what! I keep thinking I should invest in a pedometer just to see how many steps I take each night to and from the department… WHILE pushing wheelchairs and stretchers!

When I got off this morning, it was everything I could do not to just rip open a bag of cereal and pour it directly into my mouth…

Somehow I managed to get it into a bowl, threw on some toppings and catch a quick pic before it was drenched in almond milk and demolished in about 3.875 minutes!

FYI, this cereal rocks my breakfast-lovin’ world!

Then it was off to beddy-by for me…only to wake up less than six hours later (ugh, still trying to find my rhythm with this whole nocturnal thing).

I crypt-keeper shuffled my way to the life force machine…aka the coffee pot. Moments later, the sweet aroma of freshly ground gold was wafting through the kitchen giving me just enough motivation to try one last time to perfect my
Protein French Toast.

I bet you thought I forgot about it, didn’t you?

On the contrary, I’ve been plugging in different ratios for OVER a week now trying to get it just right…

And lucky for you, this morning, I hit the jackpot!

Now I know I already have a Protein French Toast recipe but I’d like to call this one my “lite” version as it is made with egg whites instead of whole eggs…but still JUST as delicious!

Protein French Toast with All-Natural Fruit Puree’

by Heather Powers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8-10 minutes

Ingredients (serves 1)

For the French Toast

2 slices whole wheat bread
3 egg whites
1/8 cup Greek yogurt
1/8 cup protein powder
1 tablespoon coconut flour (optional, but highly recommended)*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Fruit Puree

1/2 cup fresh fruit of your choice (all berries and peaches work really well)
2 tablespoons water
5 drops liquid stevia or other sweetener

Instructions

For the French Toast
1. Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat and coat with coconut oil or cooking spray
2. Place all ingredients, except for the bread, in a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Transfer liquid to a shallow bowl and soak each piece of bread, turning, in the mix until thoroughly coated on both sides.
4. Place bread slices in skillet and cook approximately 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown.

For the Fruit Puree
1. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

*I love the creamy flavor that the coconut flour adds to this, but if you don’t have access any, you can sub in another tablespoon of protein powder, but I don’t suggest adding any more than that or else it becomes really REALLY dry.

The nutritional stats will vary depending on the brand of bread and protein powder that you choose, but with each of my slices clocking in at 100 calories, this was the final breakdown using the recipe program from MyFitnessPal:

Woo hoo! 34 grams of protein, baby!

Dinner was variation from this weekend’s Mexican inspired salad:

Spinach, wild rice mix, sprouts, zucchini, bell pepper, carrots, and tomatoes

All topped off with this amazing trifecta:

Chunky salas, avocado, and nutritional yeast

Mmmm!

Snackage for the day included:

An entire cucumber dipped in one of my new favorite mustards
(thanks Janetha!)…

Power Crunch bar and hot ginger tea to fight the sub-arctic temperatures that unexplainably plague my shift at the hour of 3am

And last, but CERTAINLY not least, after my workout, I enjoyed a little of this:

Cake Batter Protein Pudding!

No protein powder, no cake flour mix, but I am telling you right now, without a question,

100% cake batter flavor!

But you’ll just have to wait until Thursday for that one! 😉

Speaking of my workout, I “stepped” outside of my comfort zone today and tried a new class:

Get it? “Step”? Lol

Although I didn’t know all the lingo, I surprised myself when I actually found a good rhythm about halfway through the 45 minute class…and by the end of it, I was totally smoked and drenched in sweat!

Definitely something I think I’ll be trying again!

Have you ever tried a step class? Did you like it?

Who out there has a pedometer? Any advice on what kind to get?
I’m serious guys, I’m trucking it up and down those hallways!