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WIAW in Real Time

Posted on November 16, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

Hiya peeps!

Ohh, that’s one I haven’t used before! 😉

Well, it’s that time of week again…

Oh yeah, time to bring out the drool-worthy foodie pics and join in on my favorite weekly ~~block~~ blog party!

Please be sure to see our hostess with the most-est, Jenn, over at Peas & Crayons for other mouth-watering link ups and of course leave a little comment love!

I totally sucked at planning this week’s WIAW post and didn’t take pictures of all of my eats yesterday, so since I’m working night shift again this week, this post will soon catch up to real time…but for now, let’s start with breakfast!

I woke up this afternoon around 12pm, but forced myself to stay in bed until 1pm…

It was a gloomy rainy day today…the perfect sleeping weather, in my opinion.

After I finally rolled out of bed, I warmed myself up with a big mug of coffee with a little something extra!

I’ve heard Janetha sing the praises 0f adding a tea bag to coffee, so I thought I’d give it a whirl…not bad, kinda tasted like crumbled cookies were in the bottom of my mug! 🙂

And of course, I had my tablets-o-sunshine…aka multivitamins!

While sipping my cookie cofftea (you liked that didn’t you?!), I started craving dessert…

And what better way to satisfy a dessert craving than with a big bowl of oats?

Last week, I ordered these sample packs of Nectar protein powders and I was so excited that the package came in today!

I mixed 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water, and 1 packet of cappuccino whey protein, popped it in the microwave for 2 minutes, and then topped it with chocolate chips, a little whipped cream and cocoa powder and…

BAM!

Dessert!

Oh my gawd was this delicious! I am definitely buying this flavor! And I can’t wait to try the others!

Before heading into work tonight, I spied some turnips hiding out in the fridge that needed to be used up. Right away I knew I wanted to roast them, but I swear I changed my mind 5 times as to what I was actually going to make to eat!

In the end, I decided to roast the turnips and 1/2 a sweet potato in some olive oil and BBQ seasoning and throw them on a plate of spinach along with 3 egg hardboiled egg whites.

And then there was the dressing!

[print_this]

Peanut Butter BBQ Dressing: (makes 1/4 cup)

1 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.

[/print_this]

The dressing paired perfectly with the salty sweet flavor of the BBQ seasoning! Seriously, don’t look at me like I’m crazy…peanut butter can make some of the best savory sauces…you HAVE to try this stuff!

So here we are…

All caught up to present time…

(Not that I’m typing this post up at work or anything…;))

Right now, I am enjoying the same snack I’ve been having all week…

Chobani yogurt and puffed millet aka, my “hunger eliminator”

And as for later…

there will be some leftover Lentil Soup for dinner
(recycled photo…sue me!)

Thank God for the freezer…it smells just as delicious as it was when I made it in July!

And if I get the nibbles toward the end of my shift like I’ve been getting the past couple of days, I am armed with a bag of baby carrots…and I know how to use them! 😉

What’s the best thing you ate today?

What is your go-to stop-the-hunger-in-it’s-tracks snack?

Posted in Breakfast, Entree, Vegetarian, What I Ate Wednesday | Tagged coffee, eggs, oats, peanut butter, protein powder, salad, soup, tea, veggies | 43 Comments

Creamy Coconut Pumpkin Smoothie

Posted on November 15, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

Hey guys!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and had a good start to the week today. I’m doing another round of night shifts this week and so far…yeah, not going as well as last week 🙁

One thing that did perk me up though after I rolled out of bed this morning after only 3 hours of sleep (thank you new neighborhood construction) was this bowl full of yum:

The thickest, creamiest, coconuttiest pumpkin smoothie you’ll ever see!

Although the weather in Tennessee has decided to revert back to summer over the past couple of days (hello 70 degree weather!), I’m still finding myself craving the comfort of fall-flavored foods…so I decided this morning would be the perfect time to break out a ridiculously creamy fall-esque smoothie!

Creamy Coconut Pumpkin Smoothie

By: Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: N/A

Keywords: blender raw beverage snack high fiber high protein coconut milk pumpkin puree fall winter

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 frozen banana, sliced
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon almond extract (coconut or maple would be great too!)
1 cup coconut milk (from a carton)
6-8 ice cubes
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (for thickening)
1/4 teaspoon guar gum (for added creaminess)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender/food processor and blend until creamy, scraping down the sides if necessary.
2. Top with unsweetened shredded coconut and/or nuts of your choice.

I knew I’d be using these pumpkin spice almonds to top my smoothie, so I decided to throw a little almond extract in the mix…such a good idea!

I really cannot even begin to tell you how incredibly thick and satisfying this smoothie was…I swear I thought I was eating pumpkin flavored ice cream!

Check out that pumpkin-lovin’ spoonful!

Mmmm!

Seriously guys, you HAVE to try this!!

What flavors do you crave the most during fall?

Anyone else experiencing a heat wave where you live?

Posted in Breakfast, Vegetarian | Tagged almonds, banana, coconut, protein powder, pumpkin, recipe, smoothie | 27 Comments

Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes

Posted on November 13, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

Hey hey peoples!

I hope you all had a marvelous weekend! How many of you celebrated Pancake Sunday with me this morning?

All last night, I was dreaming of pancake ideas…when you’ve made as many pancakes as I have in the last year, it’s harder to think of what to make next!

Should I focus on the “stuffing“?

Or maybe the topping?

Should I play with color?

Well, when it came down to it this morning, I decided going with a blend of two of my favorite KMB pancake recipes…

Elvis Pancakes meet Carob Chip Pancakes:

Anyone up for some chocolate chip BACON pancakes? 😉

Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes

By: Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: fry breakfast bacon chocolate chips Pancake Sunday

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 servings bacon, cooked and diced
1/4 cup semi-sweet/dark chocolate chips (I used mini chips)

Instructions

1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking power, salt, and cinnamon and stir with a spoon or a whisk to mix.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, milk, and vanilla.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
5. Fold in diced bacon pieces and chocolate chips.
6. Spoon batter into skillet (makes 6 medium-sized pancakes) and cook for approximately 4-5 minutes (or until batter starts to bubble) before flipping and then 2-3 minutes before plating.
7. Plate and top with maple syrup and sliced bananas.

*If you do not have access to whole wheat pastry flour (which produces lighter baked goods and pancakes due to it’s lower gluten content), feel free to use any all purpose flour or a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat.

I just happened to spot a lonely speckled banana in the fruit basket and decided to throw a few slices on top of my cakes…

BEST decision ever!

The combination of the bacon with the chocolate and then with the maple and banana was out of this world!

Each bite was either salty…sweet…or that perfect mixture between the two!

Oh, and to all my wonderful veggie lovin’ friends out there, don’t be scared of trying this recipe out with a little fakin’ bacon! I’m sure it would be deeeeelicious!

I know I’ve probably asked this before, but what is your favorite sweet/salty combo?

Anything exciting happen this weekend? Do tell!