Spiced Baked Apple

Hey my Gorgeous Readers!

Thanks for all of your support these past weeks. It has really helped me get through finals and come off conqueror. I’m at my great uncle and aunt’s home right now and really enjoying the break. I’ve actually slept 8 hours a night here – I can feel the sleep deprivation I experienced from the stress at school. Stress won’t let me sleep well. I can fall asleep pretty easily, but staying asleep is the hard part. After 4 hours I am tossing the rest of the time and can’t stand myself anymore by 6 hours so I get up. But here at my extended family’s home where it’s quiet and peaceful and I have absolutely NOTHING I HAVE to do, I’ve been able to rest and have some fun. My classes don’t start again until next Monday, and since my apartment is already set up and I have my folders already organized to insert my next class assignments, I really don’t have anything to do except rest and focus on taking care of myself emotionally, physically (getting enough sleep, exercising for energy and strength, and nourishing with healthful food), and spiritually. I’m enjoying this time to focus on my scriptures, the piano, skyping and talking with my family, etc. It’s been a nice relief.

Anyways, I promised I’d be back with some deliciousness!

Here’s one of my favorite desserts – something easily made and quite good for you.

A Single-Lady Spiced Baked Apple!

Core and cut the apple in half.

Measure out the smart balance butter, cinnamon, and stevia and add them to the bottom of a large soup bowl or pasta plate (you can also use a glass baking dish).

Melt the butter mixture and spread it to cover the bottom of the bowl/pan. Place each apple half face down over the cinnamon mixture, and microwave for 4 minutes, or until soft.

Place each apple half face down over the cinnamon mixture, and microwave for 4 minutes, or until soft.

Grab a fork and dig in!

Spiced Baked Apple

Ingredients

• 1 apple, cored and cut in half
  
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp. smart balance lite buttery spread (or butter/coconut oil)
  
• 1 packet stevia (or a large pinch of sweetener of choice)
  

Directions

Melt the smart balance with the cinnamon and stevia at the bottom of a large soup bowl or pasta plate. Place each apple half face down over the cinnamon mixture and microwave for 4 minutes, or until soft. Grab a fork and DIG IN!

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I love how I can throw this in the microwave and have a dessert that tastes like it took a whole lot more effort than it actually did. I hope you enjoy this as much I as do!

With lots of hugs,

Vanilla Cinnamon Spice Crockpot Quinoa

Hey My Spicy Vanilla Swirls!

We had a snow storm this morning.

I had my first personal trainer appointment this morning too!

What do those two things add up to?

A crazy morning.

I woke up at around 7:00am (a sleep in for me), ate breakfast, and then worked on some school work for a couple hours until it was getting close to the time I needed to head out the door. When I looked outside, I saw the wind. I could feel the chill. I saw the storm.

I didn’t want to miss my appointment (10:00am) at the gym, so I bundled myself up and headed outside. My face stung. My hands froze. My eyes quenched. Nonetheless, I pressed forward against the wind. It took me a little longer than usual to reach the gym, but I through the affliction of the wind and snow whipping and scratching at my eyes and face. It hurt the entire trip (it felt like rocks incessantly hitting my face without mercy).

When I got inside my hair was a mess from the wind and my face was bright red from the cold. Thankfully the building is heated and my face recovered after a few minutes. I changed, grabbed my water bottle, and headed down to the main gym to meet up with my personal trainer.

The personal trainer I worked with is one of the guys I see when I walk to and from my classes – and he’s so much fun to hang out with. He told me I should try the personal trainers, and so I thought I’d give it a try. He pushed me. It was not an easy workout, and because of that I really liked it. I didn’t want a wimpy workout – I wanted it to be a workout I would feel afterwards. And I did. And still do. The feeling I had afterwards was similar to the feeling I get after a home-workout with Jillian Michael’s or Bob Harper with their workout DVDs. It was a killer. He was also quite impressed with my knowledge of motor units in the muscles, circuit training, and names for exercises.

So, even though today seemed like a day of impossibilities, it turned out alright in the end. I still got to walk through knee-high snow few times, but for the most part I was able to stay warm and dry.

And in addition to all of this loveliness, here’s some deliciousness. As promised, here’s my recipe. It’s gluten-free, sugar-free, high-protein, vegan, and made easy with a crock pot.

My Vanilla Cinnamon Spice Crockpot Quinoa

Place quinoa in a bowl,

And cover with water.

Stir it around with your fingers until the water starts getting cloudy. (That cloudiness is the bitter flavor coming off of the quinoa – it’s a good thing.)

Once you’ve done that for a few minutes,

Drain and rinse the quinoa to get the rest of that cloudy water off.

Scoop the quinoa into a 1 ½ -2 ½ quart slow cooker.

Add the vanilla soymilk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (and optional sweetener if desired).

Put the lid on and cook for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. (Keep an eye on it; stir it and/or add more liquid if needed.)

Once it’s done the liquid should be all absorbed and the quinoa should be big and fluffy with their little tails sticking out like happy little dogs.

Take a fork and fluff it up, like you do for rice.

Serve yourself and bowl and store the rest in a large bowl with a lid in the fridge for the week.

Top with desired goodies, grab a spoon, and dig in!

Vanilla Cinnamon Spice Crockpot Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, well-rinsed
  
• 2 cups vanilla milk (I used organic vanilla soymilk)
  
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• Optional: a few packets stevia or sweetener of choice (I don’t usually add this)
  
• Toppings of choice: I really like blackberries and almonds
  

Directions

1. Place quinoa in a bowl and cover with water. Stir it around with your fingers until the water starts getting cloudy. (That cloudiness is the bitter flavor coming off the quinoa – it’s a good thing.) Once you’ve done that for a few minutes, drain and rinse the quinoa to get the rest of that cloudy water off.
   
2. Scoop the quinoa into a 1 ½ -2 ½ quart slow cooker. Add the vanilla soy-milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (and optional sweetener if desired). Put the lid on and cook for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. (Keep an eye on it; stir it and/or add more liquid if needed.) Once it’s done the liquid should be all absorbed and the quinoa should be big and fluffy with their little tails sticking out like happy little dogs.
3. Take a fork and fluff it up, like you do for rice. Serve yourself and bowl and store the rest in a large bowl with a lid in the fridge for the week. Top with desired goodies, grab a spoon, and dig in!

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With lots of hugs,

P.S. Up next I’ll be sharing with you some of the things I’ve learned up here in college.

Protein Cinnamon Raisin Pizzert Babies!

Hey My Cinnamon Raisin Swirls!

Thanks for all of your comments on my post on why I don’t drink milk. I absolutely ADORED reading each and every one of your comments. And how fitting to have a post on milk right after a post on cookies!

What do you look for in a balanced breakfast?

I find that having a combination of protein, fat, and carbohydrates satisfies me the most.

Though, I prefer having dessert for breakfast.

But how about if I could have both – you could have both: a balanced breakfast, while having dessert?

What do those equal together?

My Protein Cinnamon Raisin Pizzert Babies!

In a small bowl, combine the flour, protein powder, baking powder, stevia, and cinnamon.

Add the milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract.

Stir all together.

Spoon tablespoonful-amounts of the batter into each cup of a lightly sprayed muffin tin, resulting in 6 “babies.”

Add some raisins.

Bake the babies at 350 degrees F for about 6-7 minutes, or until firm in the center and bounces back when tapped. Let them cool in the pan for a minute or two.

Top each Pizzert Baby with nut butter (I used my Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Butter) and raisins.

I love how absolutely delicious these are — and so healthy for you! AND, they are vegan, dairy free, and sugar free, and easily adapted to be gluten free*!

Protein Cinnamon Raisin Pizzert Babies!

• 2 tbsp whole wheat flour (see below)
• 15 grams/2 tbsp vanilla protein powder (½ a scoop of my soy vanilla protein powder)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 packet stevia, or 2 tsp worth of sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• handful(s) of raisins
• spoonful(s) of nut/seed butter for topping (I used my Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Butter)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 6-tin muffin-tin cup pan with a nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the flour, protein powder, baking powder, stevia, and cinnamon. Stir in the milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract.

Spoon tablespoonful-amounts of the batter into each cup, resulting in 6 “babies.” Add some raisins. Bake the babies for about 6-7 minutes, or until firm in the center and bounces back when tapped. Let them cool in the pan for a minute or two. Transfer to a plate.

Top each pizzert baby with nut butter (I used my Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Butter) and raisins.

And savour each bite!

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There.

Now grab the fork and EAT THEM UP!!!!!

To make these gluten free*, just use Bob’s Red Mill’s GF mix. If you are out of raisins, or just not care for them, you can use chocolate chips (for chocolate chip cookie pizzert babies), chopped dates, dried cranberries, etc. in their place.

What do you look for in a balanced breakfast? I look for a protein, fat, and carbohydrate, plus some fruit and/or vegetable. I find that works best for me.

Raisins or Chocolate? Ooohhh, in this instance, I would say raisins.

Do you like having dessert for breakfast? breakfast for dessert? I love doing both!

xoxox,