Recipes | Keeping up with Kate

Experimenting with Protein Powder

Posted on June 12, 2013 by keepingupwithkate91

For the past few years, I’ve been using Prograde Protein Powder (Vanilla) for my pre workout snack. I rarely use it as a meal repleacement. Imagine my surprise and disappointment to find they are using soy lecithin – I try to steer clear of soy – so I now have two containers of this protein mix that are moved to th ‘back shelf’. Part of my disapointment in finding this out has to to do with the fact that it tastes pretty good and really doesn’t have any other ‘crap or fillers’ in their protein mix. I just sent them an email asking how much soy is truly in it, why and do they plan to remove (sent over the weekend and haven’t heard back yet). This protein mix is gluten and GMO free – two important things to me.

Since my go to Protein powder is taking a backseat – now off to find some others to try. I decided to try a plant-based protein mix to see if I could tolerate the taste and if it would help me with my workouts (in the past I’ve not been a fan of plant-based protein mixes). The one that was recommended to me as being very good – both for my body and great tasting was Sun Warrior – Warrior Blend – Raw Protein – I opted for the chocolate. This mix is gluten, soy and dairy free and non-GMO. My standard pre workout shake is really easy – 4 ozs Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Almond Milk, 4 ozs of water and a scoop of protein mix – put all in a shaker bottle and mix it up. Well to say I didn’t like it is an understatement – blah. However, I found a fix – adding a tablespoon of Trader Joe’s Organic Peanut Butter – throwing it all in my vitamx and I’m able to drink it. I’ve been given a sample of the vanilla to try and I will get around to it to see if that makes a difference (as I do believe sometimes the chocolate is what I’m having an issue with). I feel pretty good during my workouts too.

Since I wasn’t satisfied with the plant-based protein, I really wanted to find an organic whey protein powder to see if I could find something that works for me. You really have to do your research – the first one I found (and was planning to order) – the company was sued in a class action lawsuit becauce some of their labeling (aka marketing wasn’t true). Here are the two I ended up buying since they both received very favorable reviews – both are organic, soy and gluten free – one is raw (meaning the whey isn’t cooked at high temperatures.) Raw Orgnic Whey has 20 grams of protein and The Organic Whey only has 15 grams of protein. These protein mixes require other ingredients though which is a bit of a let-down.

I started with the Raw Organic Whey with 4 tbsps of protein, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 2 tbsp raw cacao powder (mayan superfood), 4 ozs almond milk and 4 ozs of water – put it all in the vitamix – blend it all up – tasted it – wasn’t sweet enough so I added 5 drops of sweet leaf stevia. It tasted pretty good and I had good energy with my workout (still a bit of blah – again I think it might be the cacao).

Nutritional Information (using 4 oz water and 4 oz unsweetened almond milk):

Prograde (vanilla) (I’ve only ever used 1 scoop – it calls for two) Protein Shake: Total Calories: 87.5 Protein: 12.5g Sugar: .5. If you use the 2 full scoops: Total Calories: 152.5 Protein: 24.5g Sugar: 1g. Note: Protein Powder Calories Only: 130 (2 scoops)

SunWarrior (Chocolate) Protein Shake: Total Calories: 201.5 Protein: 20.5 Sugar: 1.4 g Note: Protein Powder Calories Only: 84 (1 scoop)

Organic Whey (with ingredients mentioned above) Protein Shake: Total Calories: 275 Protein: 27.5g Sugar: 2.5 (this probably could be a meal replacement with a salad) – you can cut about 30 calories by only using 1 TBSP of the Cacao. This is high to me for a pre workout snack so I’m going to have to work at modifying – maybe use a vanilla stevia and remove the cacao and peanut butter. Note: Protein Powder Calories Only: 97.5 (5 TBSPs)

The Organic Whey (with same ingredients as Organic Whey) Protein Shake: Total Calories: 259.5; Protein: 20.5g; Sugar: 1.5 g (this probably could be a meal replacement with a salad) – you can cut about 30 calories by only using 1 TBSP of the Cacao. This is high to me for a pre workout snack so I’m going to have to work at modifying – maybe use a vanilla stevia and remove the cacao and peanut butter. NOTE: I haven’t tried this one yet. Protein Powder Calorie only: 82 (4 TBSPs)

I hadn’t really done the calorie count on this pre workout shakes until this post – imagine my surprise how high the calories were on the organic whey shakes (one I’ve made; one I’ve not). Like I mentioned – I need to look into stevia flavors to cut about 155 calories.

I think for my pre workout protein shake I will be sticking with the Sun Warrior protein since I’m not looking for a meal replacement (until I can perfect the organic whey to be lower in calories – I’m not giving up on it). I will definately be using the organic whey when I need to make a protein shake for breakfast – Cinnamon Roll Smoothier – YUM!

And I’m not giving up on Prograde either – It is great for travel as I don’t need to have any additives – plus it is GMO free – which means even if it has soy – it is GMO free (I will make my final decision once I hear back from them).

Looks like I’ll have another post about protein powder / shakes very soon as I continue my experiments.

PS: I do have to say I love the fact that with the Organic Whey protein powders – I know the name of all the ingredients – both ‘Organic Whey Protein – 80% concentrate’ And I’m in control of all the ingredients for those shakes so again that makes me happy!

In the Kitchen with Kate

Posted on May 13, 2013 by keepingupwithkate91

Last Saturday, I took my Aunt out for her birthday. I invited my other Aunt to join us as well. We had a fabulous time as always. My Mom and her two sisters are great – our Angels!

Anyway, one of my Aunt’s saw on Dr. Oz about the Paleo diet and she wanted to try it. I looked up a couple of websites and sent her some links. And I also sent her a link to Elana’s Pantry – http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-diet-recipes/.

I was invited to my Aunt’s to celebrate Mother’s Day. I promised her I would bring Paleo friendly food. Had a great visit with my parents, Aunts, Uncle and my cousins and their kids – a great day!!

Here is what I brought: Paleo friendly Pesto (used as a dip) and Salad including homemade dressing. They were both really easy to make too. Here are the recipes (I forgot to take pictures) (sorry)

Pesto

1 – 2 Handfuls of Basil
2 Garlic Cloves
Dry Roasted / Salted Pistachios

Put all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth. Makes a fabulous dip with Rice Crisps (gluten free). If you don’t want to make it Paleo just add some freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese.

Salad

Spinach
Organic Cranberries
Chopped Figs
Organic Mushrooms
Organic Yellow Peppers
Toasted Pecans

Homemade Dressing: I bought a Good Seasoning’s Cruet to make the dressing. It has lines on the cruet to show where to fill with Vinegar (V), Water and Oil (O). I ignored the W line. I added Fig Balsamic Vinegar to the W line (the W line is higher than the Vinegar line), then I added Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the Oil line. I then added 1 tablespoon of ~~Honey~~ Dijon Mustard. I forgot some additional seasonings like oregano – so you can add additional seasonings. Shake up and you have a fabulous, homemade dressing!

Everyone enjoyed the Pesto dip and Salad with the homemade dressing. Enjoy!!

PS: My Aunt has decided Paleo just isn’t for her – she likes her dairy too much. However, I left her some recipes to try some new and healthy things.

Easy – Yummy – Healthy Dessert

Posted on April 28, 2013 by keepingupwithkate91

As part of the 6 week Spring Transformation, we’ve been able to participate in evening workshops. The most recent one was a Greek cooking workshop focusing on 3 easy but different salads and a dessert. I plan on making the salads (I’ll post about them later). I enjoyed all of the items, but was really amazed at how easy, yummy and healthy you can make a dessert (I have a major sweet tooth).

The dessert was Baklava Fillo Cups by Viva! Mangia! Opa! by Thekla Mazzella (Facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viva-Mangia-Opa-by-Thekla-Mazzella/227422350627471?group_id=0). (Thekla will be posting vegan recipes on her FB page this week)

Here is the recipe:

2 Cups of toasted almond slices (I bought mine at BJs)
1/2 Cup shredded coconut (I used unsweetened from Black Forest Acres)
2 T of sesame seeds
1 T cinnamon
3 T honey (I used organic raw honey) (I ended up using about 4T – you’ll see why later).
Box of mini fillo cups (you can fined them in the frozen food desserts section in the grocery store – there were 15 in the box)

Toast your almonds first (I did mine on the stove)

Toasting Almonds on the Stove – med/high heat for a few minutes – I did about 1/2 a cup at a time.

Let almonds cool (this is what I didn’t do and why I think I needed another T of honey). Mix almonds, coconut, sesame seeds, cinnamon and honey together until all ingredients are coated well. Place mixture into fillo cups.

Mini Fillo Cups – aren’t they just adorable?

Here is the finished product –

Baklava Fillo Cup

These are so delicious. You can even drizzle chocolate on them – can you imagine? 🙂

I have some extra mixture and it tastes fabulous by itself. I figure it will be good in yogurt, ricotta cheese and I might even try it in some cottage cheese!

Enjoy!!

PS: Thanks Thekla – they were a huge hit!!

DIY – Almond Butter

Posted on April 25, 2013 by keepingupwithkate91

I decided it was time to pull out my Vitamix and use if for more than making smoothies. I wanted to make my own almond butter and almond flour (still working on perfecting this). It was super easy!

I just love my Vitamix – favorite kitchen tool

I got my non-roasted almonds from BJs. I think about $10 for the bag.

All Natural Whole Almonds from BJs – very affordable

I added 2 cups of Almonds into my Vitamix with the tamper in place.

2 Cups of Almonds in Vitamix with tamper - apparently I need to do a better job of getting the water spots off the vitamx.

2 Cups of Almonds in Vitamix with tamper – apparently I need to do a better job of getting the water spots off the Vitamix.

I turned the Vitamix onto 1 and quickly turned it up to 10 and then moved it to High (use your tamper to push down the almonds) – it is very quick – you will hear the Vitamix start to churn hard as the Almonds release their oils – which helps create the Almond Butter. This should be done between 1 – 3 minutes no more – listen to your machine so you don’t burn it out.

Here is what it looks like in the Vitamix:

Almond Butter in the Vitamix

And the final product in its container.

Finished Almond Butter – yum!

I used a nice heaping tablespoon in my pre-workout shake along with 4 ozs of unsweetened almond milk, 4 ozs water and 1 scoop of Chocolate Sun Warrior protein mix. I put all ingredients into the Vitamix – delicious (and made for a great workout)!

Enjoy!

Green Smoothie #3

Posted on April 22, 2013 by keepingupwithkate91

One of my goals for week 3 of the Spring Transformation is to drink 2 – 3 green smoothies. I made a batch of about 3 yesterday to store for the week.

Here is what I included:

1 cup of coconut water (Organic – Unsweetened)
3 cups of coconut milk (Unsweetened)
3 – 4 large handfuls of fresh spinach
1/2 avocado
2 T raw cacao powder (Navitas Naturals) (probably should’ve added more)
3 T raw almond butter (Trader Joe’s Raw)
2 T Organic Flax Seed
1 T natural peanut butter
1 -2 tsp vanilla extract
1 packet of Sweet Leaf (stevia)
Cinnamon
Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
You could add berries or a banana if you like. Berries are low glycemic and better option than a banana as they are higher in sugar. I didn’t add the fruit as I seem to be very sensitive to the sugar.

I use a vitamix so it does a nice job of blending. I added the first 3 ingredients first to blend it all together. Next I added the rest and blended until nicely mixed. It is not a pretty color at all – I thought the raw cocoa would make it look like chocolate (it did not).

I poured into shaker bottles and stored in the refrigerator.

I had my first one today – about 12 ozs. Since I was having it pre-workout, I did add more water, ice cubes and 1 scoop of Sun Warrior Chocolate vegan protein mix. My workout was at 7:00 pm. I normally have my pre-workout shake about 45 – 30 minutes before my workout. Since there are a lot more ingredients in this smoothie I had it about an hour ahead of time. I was a bit draggy today and I did have a good workout (I’m thinking this had something to do with it). Guess I will see later this week as I will alternate between my normal shakes and this green smoothie.

Enjoy!

Green Smoothie #2

Posted on March 20, 2013 by keepingupwithkate91

Here is the smoothie I made yesterday. It was a pretty green (and frothy) – more of a St. Patrick’s green than the one I made on Sunday (I’ll post a picture later). It was a bit peppery (and I like pepper – but not in my morning drink) (not even sure what made it peppery). I also meant to put in some flaxseed and I forgot. If I made this one again, I would probably add lemons or limes and maybe a little stevia and pink himalayan salt

Ingredients:

1 – 1 /2 cups of lemon water
Handful of spinach
1 – 2 celery stalks
Fresh Ginger
Parsley

Put in that order into vitamix and blend.

Green Smoothie Recipe – #1

Posted on March 18, 2013 by keepingupwithkate91

I’m starting to experiment with Green Smoothies. I’m really curious to see how they have a positive impact on my energy level (and selfishly if there are any weight loss benefits). I think many of you know I’ve been seeing a nutritionist for almost a year. One of the things I have to focus on is getting more veggies in each meal. Sometimes I don’t do that great of a job doing getting my veggies. I want to see if this makes a difference. I’m don’t plan on using these as a meal replacement – more of a quick hit on getting my ‘greens’.

Yesterday, I was visiting my Aunt and Uncle. The plan was for the 3 of us to go out for dinner. We tried a steak place that didn’t seem to have their act together and we left before ever being seated. And the next place we went to – we were seated relatively quickly, wait staff was great, I got my salad and then the wait started – and then we waited. Somehow our order got lost – who knows. The manager came over and apologized and told us the meal was on her – which was great – and then we waited some more. Of course when the food finally came out – everything was cold except the plates and my sweet potato fries (which of course I had a few). Needless to say we left (we did give our waitress a tip as this wasn’t her fault). And we can go back for 3 free entrees. The reason I told you this story is I left there and got home around 8 pm and I still need to eat dinner (and honestly I didn’t feel like cooking anything). Perfect opportunity to make a Green Smoothie!

I grabbed this recipe off of Facebook from Amanda Hayes::Nutrition and Wellness Page (post dated March 14th). I altered slightly for my preference though. Her recipe calls for a banana and I skipped that since I haven’t been eating fruit. Her recipe was for Peanut Butter and I opted for Almond Butter instead.

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (Trader Joe’s)
Few handfuls of torn up spinach
3-4 ice cubes
2 tablespoons raw cocoa powder (Navitas)
2 tablespoons flaxseed
1 tablespoon Almond Butter (Trader Joe’s)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablet of Blackleaf Stevia (I would use 2 next time – would’ve preferred a little sweeter)
pinch of sea salt (I used Himalayan)
pinch of cinnamon (I used more than a pinch)

I enjoyed it although it was an interesting color of green – a Happy St. Patrick’s Day Smoothie!

An oldie but a goodie

Posted on January 20, 2013 by keepingupwithkate91

Sorry I’ve been gone for awhile…the end of 2012 was a bit crazy both from a work and personal standpoint. So to get me back in the groove – thought I’d pull out and oldie but a goodie smoothie recipe – the Cinnamon Roll Smoothie!

This has got to be my favorite smoothie – it really tastes like a cinnamon roll. My favorite cinnamon rolls or what we call them – sticky buns are from Harner’s Bakery at The West Shore Farmer’s Market in Lemoyne, PA (I go for the mini stickies with nuts – can you say YUM!!)

So here is the recipe for a healthier version (and trust me I get the real thing every once in a while):

Cinnamon Roll Smoothie

1 cup almond milk (unsweetened and organic) (I use Trader Joe’s)
1 cup coconut water (I like Zico – make sure it is the natural – no sugar added)
1 scoop of protein mix (I use Prograde Vanilla) (http://ryanlee.getprograde.com/protein-powder.html
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch sea salt (I use Himalayan Sea Salt)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1-2 pitted dates
1 tablespoon pecans (I usually add a bit more too)
Stevia to taste (I used 1/2 a packet)
2 ice cubes (optional)

Put ingredients into VitaMix or a Blender and mix until smooth. Pour into a nice tall glass and enjoy!

What do you think?

PS: My breakfast drink of choice this weekend!

A little extra GREEN on this lovely day

Posted on March 20, 2012 by keepingupwithkate91

Today is Tuesday and Tuesday means a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout for me. They are short, but for some reason I’ve always had a challenge getting them completed (a mental thing for me). Well I finished my HIIT workout after work today! Yeah ME!! I didn’t feel like eating a hot dinner as it is quite warm and I have errands to run later tonight.

I decided to make a protein shake that I love in my Vitamix – but I wanted it to be cold (and I’m not known for having ice at my house – small freezer). So I added a handful of frozen spinach! The shake isn’t the prettiest of colors – kind of an ugly green (and I love green). It is delicious with some added veggie! Guess I’ll call it my Mini Green Smoothie (since only one veggie in it)! Here is the recipe (if you have a Vitamix put in this order):

1 Cup of Almond Milk (unsweetened)
1 Scoop of PlantFusion Chocolate Protein Mix
1 Squeeze of FlaxOil
2 Tbsp Justin’s Almond Butter
1 tsp of Raw Cocoa
Handful of frozen chopped spinach

Blend together until the smooth (and you don’t see any pieces of spinach in the shake). I started on the low variable and worked it up and of course hit the power button as well. Enjoy!!

Happy Leap Day, #50 & Sweet and Savory Nuts

Posted on February 29, 2012 by keepingupwithkate91

Happy Leap Day! I’m so grateful for today as I had some work things that needed to be done by the end of February and I got them in right under the wire! 🙂 This is a milestone post for me – #50! Wahoo!

I love NUTS. My favs are cashews (since as long as I can remember), pistachios, pecans and almonds. They are a great snack and a great source of nutrients. If you are looking for some ways to change them up a bit, here are a few recipes and the stories about them.

The first nut recipe I dabbled with is a Praline Crunch recipe I found in the book, Simply Homemade Food Gifts (to order online: http://tiny.cc/zfnmf) (and it gives you ideas on creative packaging). These nuts are super easy and so yummy. I usually make them over the holidays and give them as gifts. They are a nice treat to eat alone or throw on a salad.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
2 cups of pecan pieces
3 T butter (plus additional for the baking sheet)
1 tsp vanilla (I like to experiment with reg vanilla, Tahitian, Mexican, Madagascar)
1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Butter a baking sheet; set aside. In a large skillet place sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, shaking pan occasionally, until sugar begins to melt. Reduce heat to low and cook until sugar is golden brown, stirring as necessary. Add pecans, butter, vanilla and cinnamon (if desired). Sugar may resolidify. Stire to remelt sugar and coat nuts evenly. (Make sure you don’t burn the sugar).
Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Cool completely. Break into small clusters. Store in a tightly covered container in a cool dry place for up to 3 weeks. Makes 10 – 12 servings.

My all time favorite nut recipe came from a dear friend of mine in Dallas, TX. They were a holiday gift I received for over 5 years. You could see me downing my jar at my desk in almost one or two sittings. I got the recipe after I moved back east. It is a very well used recipe as the printing is fading on the photo copy. I’ve given them as gifts as well and have gotten rave reviews. These are great by themselves (and addictive) and on salads. They are so easy to make. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Spiced Holiday Nuts

1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 TBSPs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cups shelled whole almonds or pecans (I prefer the pecans) (I usually hit BJs to get almonds and pecans)
1 TBSP coarse kosher salt (optional) (I usually just lightly salt at the end – less than a TBSP)
Extra garlic salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a bowl mix cumin, chili powder, curry powder, garlic salt, cayenne pepper, powdered ginger and cinnamon. Set aside.
Heat oil in a non-stick skillet (I usually use a small pot with a spout) over low heat. Add spice mixture and stir well. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes to mellow flavors.
Place nuts in a bowl. Scrape spice mixture onto nuts and toss well.
Spread nuts in one layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice.
Remove from oven. With a rubber spatula, toss nuts with any spices and oil on the bottom of the pan. If desired, sprinkle with coarse salt and a bit more garlic salt. Let rest for 2 hours in a cool place. Store in airtight jars or pack up as gifts.

Yields 2 cups.

Enjoy!!