Cookie Dough Cravings

Finals... They're coming here!!

It's my last Monday of the semester and I couldn't be more conflicted!! On one hand... I am SO excited to go back home. I miss the homeland like crazy and can't wait to see everyone... AND sleep in my queen bed! No more twin XL for me!

Buuuut on the other hand.... I'm going to miss this beautiful place!! And in the Summer it is even more stunning. The music, the weather, great food, MY FRIENDS!!! *crying*.... Next year is going to be so different. Tons of my favourites are moving on to the bigger and better (you know who you are!) and while I'm so thrilled for them, I'm going to miss them!!

Missing people is weird. It's like... something I'm not super used to experiencing. I'm pretty accustomed to constantly starting over and making new friends. Friends have always been pretty transient for me. Family has been my constant.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my friends. Always have. And I'm always so so so excited to meet up with people I haven't seen in a while. But active missing? Like that hole in your heart when you don't see them? Not as much.

Things are different now. And that's scary/crazy/wonderful/terrible!! I'm pretty lucky I have people in my life and heart that I can miss :)

Anyway. The real reason we are here: Cookie. Dough. That you can feel great while and after eating. This exists? Yeah baby, it exists. Do I eat it on the daily? But of course. Can YOU?... well, now you can ;)








Single Serving Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Ingredients

2 TBSP coconut flour (I like Bob's Red Mill)
1-2 TBSP milk of choice (I like Silk Unsweetened Cashew Milk)
A few drops of vanilla extract
2 drops of butter extract
Pinch Salt
Pinch Baking Powder (Sounds weird, but it lends that raw cookie dough taste)
Sweetener to taste (I like using Splenda and Truvia Brown Sugar Blend)
Add ins! Chocolate chips, rolled oats, cinnamon, pecans, coconut, oreos.... anything you like in YOUR cookies :) Keep in mind this alters the nutritional value!



Directions

Add everything but your mixins and stir with a fork! If you need a little more milk to get the consistency you want feel free! Coconut flour is a VERY thirsty flour and soaks up liquid like a sponge. Unfortunately it cannot be substituted in this recipe....

Add in your mixins and get ready for some cookie-dough-lovin! Roll it into little balls and freeze it, crumble it on a smoothie, spread it on pancakes, or just spoon it onto some healthy peanut butter mousse like me ;)

Couldn't be easier!!

I'm always looking for suggestions on what to healthify... anything in particular y'all want to see on the blog? Let me know here, fb, insta, whatever!!

xo

Annie

thunderr_katt <--- my insta handle ;)

#becausehelives, and zucchini loaf!

Happy Easter Everyone!

I hope you all had a marvellous weekend full of family, friends, and good food :) It's my first Easter I've ever spent away from my family! I didn't even realize it was happening to be honest..... But it came and went just the same.

Today I want to share a couple of things. Some thoughts, something special, and finally something healthy and delicious.....

.....And YES, in that particular order.

First, some thoughts for today. The past few days have been trying to say the least. I won't go into the details (because hey, there's delicious food to be baked) but I have been forced to take a good hard look at my life and where I want it to go.... and how this all fits with my faith. I have wondered why certain doors have closed that seemed so perfect at the time. Even options that would be "alright with me" or "decent I guess" have been whisked away before I could catch hold.

General Conference could not have come at a better time. I still felt some concern after the Saturday sessions... but just as the sun silently breaks over those beautiful Utah mountains each day, hope came quietly this morning. I was able to breathe for the first time in a long time and be still. I felt my worry quelled and my fear fade. My choices were reaffirmed and I'm grateful.

I'm grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I know that He loves each of us so perfectly and blesses us abundantly every day. I know His hand is in my life always. I'm sure many of you have seen this... but in case you haven't:

http://www.mormon.org/easter?cid=HP_SA_4-4-2015_dMIS_fMRMN_xLIDyMSTHD1_

Watch this. It's truly beautiful.

And now.... Some food to go with my thoughts. What's a girl to do when she's away from home for her first Easter ever?? Clearly go buck in the kitchen. TONS of SKINNY french onion soup, coconut cashew butter, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, and healthy chocolate chip zucchini streusel loaf to start off the week!















How's about that zucchini bread recipe... hmmm?


How does a protein packed, dense and springy loaf with a coconutty, pecan, cinnamony, sweet topping sound? With a big spread of butter? Hold me back. Did I forget to tell you it starts with a pancake mix....? BUT STOP. It's Kodiak Cakes Powercakes. The Holy Grail of pancake mixes!! It's flipping delicious, just needs water, and is SUPER healthy!!

 This is how I've been eating it.... with a big smear of Brummel and Brown Yogurt spread. #todiefor.

 It's also pretty divine with a drizzle of honey, or a bit of cookie butter. Or Nutella. Or anything. Ugh stop me.

 Look at that thick slice! Served up alongside some peanut butter mousse :) Breakfast is the best!!

 Sorry about the plastic spoon.... #studentprobs

Please make and enjoy!

xo

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Streusel Zucchini Loaf (With POWERCAKES!)

1 cup Kodiak Cakes Powercakes*

1.5 scoops protein powder of choice (I used Cellucor* Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough)

1/3 cup Truvia baking blend* (or granulated sugar of choice)

2/3 cup splenda (feel free to sub for 1/3 cup more sugar)

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/3 cup applesauce

1/3-1/2 cup milk of choice (I used Silk Cashew Unsweetened*)

1 medium zucchini, grated

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping (Optional… but not really ;) feel free to play with this! Different nuts, chocolate chips, granola….)

¼-1/3 cup old fashioned oats

¼ cup pecans, chopped

¼ cup unsweetened flaked coconut

½ tbsp. cinnamon

1-2 tbsp Truvia baking blend

Combine all dry ingredients listed above, then add wet. Mix until the batter is just blended. It should be about the consistency of regular quickbreads! If it’s not quite right, add a little more milk to thin it out. Pour into greased and parchment lined loaf pan.

In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients for the streusel topping. Sprinkle evenly over the top of your loaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean!

This came out springy, moist, cinnamony, streusely, and not overly sweet! Perfect for a breakfast bread alongside of a protein shake or as a snack with a steaming cup of tea J If you aren’t a fan of fat free baking I would substitute some of the applesauce with a neutral flavored oil, or even coconut oil!

This recipe is: low sugar, high protein, low fat, and delicious!!

*I'm clearly not affiliated with anyone, much less these great companies (but I'd like to be!!). These opinions are completely my own. 

Skinny Struggles

I'm asked a lot about how I can eat so many desserts and indulgent food and stay so skinny.

First you should know that I SERIOUSLY don't feel "so skinny" lots of the time. Most of the time... ever. Imagine that!

Second you should know that I work very hard to balance my diet not just to maintain a certain weight, but to maintain a certain level of HEALTH. I 100% believe that you are what you eat. The fuel you put IN your body has the biggest impact on what you get out of it. If you feed yourself crap, that's how you're going to feel.

What many people don't understand is that it's not one piece of cake or an order of fries that will ruin you. It's all about your lifestyle.

I have a ravenous sweet tooth that seriously CANNOT be satiated by one freaking square of dark chocolate, nor by a splurge once a week. In fact, I fundamentally disagree with a planned weekly splurge meal. I think the psychology behind that is so skewed. You're depriving yourself fun experiences and making yourself miserable during the week so you are ravenously craving something good by the time it rolls around. So you indulge. Hard. You eat WAY more than you are even comfortable digesting, let alone discussing, and then you are overstuffed and have a mega food hangover the next day. Then comes the weekly detox of lemon and cayenne and maple syrup (gag) and the cycle resumes.

Splurge meals don't work for me. Never have, never will.

You know what does? Finding healthful alternatives to sweet treats and adapting my taste preferences. Sure, my healthy desserts won't taste exactly like a Cinnabon or a cheesecake brownie or my beloved red velvet birthday cake. There are differences in taste... but there are also differences in how you feel after.

I don't believe in eliminating food groups, following fads, or buying into all the zillions of blogs that claim coconut oil is a miracle food that you can drink by the cup and lose weight.... but I'll save that rant for another post ;)

Anyway. Maybe there are some people who can eat six poptarts and a pizza and deep fried cheese on the daily and always look great naked. I don't know anyone who's like that and I'm certainly not one of them... and truthfully? I'm so glad. I taught myself how to fuel my body properly and I can share what I've learned with others :)

Healthy food is beautiful food. Take care of your body. It's one of the most wonderful gifts God has given you. Treasure and protect it. Use it how it is meant to be used.

 xo

Annie