Melissa's 30-Second Weight Loss Shake

What a gorgeous picture! 
Endless possibilities!

Don't get all excited now!  The SHAKE takes 30 seconds, not the weight loss....I know, whoever invents that one will be the master of the world!

Remember the Chocolaty Frosty recipe a few weeks back?  Stay tuned for another AWESOME recipe from Satisfying Eats, a terrific blog with grain-free recipes, which are perfect for Stage 1.   Gotta give Melissa a LOT of credit, she works hard to find all kinds of goodies that she shares with everyone - so I want to make sure y'all know these are her creations and not mine, 'cause that would be rude and then all my shakes would taste like shame.

 

Don't forget you can make it dairy free by substituting coconut milk for the heavy whipping cream.  

Once again - be sure to keep frozen almond milk in ice cube trays on hand or you'll have to wait several hours until you can make this! 

 

Chocolaty Frosty

recipe courtesy of Satisfying Eats
makes 1-10 oz Serving

4 cubes unsweetened almond milk frozen in ice-cube trays

1/3 cup heavy cream or coconut milk

2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

2-4 servings of stevia or preferred sweetener

1/2-1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Add ins: 

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup blueberries or other fruit (fresh or frozen)

1 scoop protein powder

2 cubes of frozen coffee

 

Pour unsweetened almond milk into ice cube trays and allow to freeze.  Be sure not to fill to the top so that they can be easily removed from tray.   Freeze until solid.

Add 4 cubes of almond milk to blender, Magic Bullet or Ninja.

Add milks, sweetener and vanilla.  Always start with least amount of sweetener first and then taste.

Now is also time to add-in any extras, if desired. 

Blend for 30 seconds or until you can hear that there are no more chunks.

Strawberry Lassi

Whole Foods - that's where you'll find me every weekend most of the time.  It's the only place I can find my full fat Fage Total Greek yogurt (highly recommend!) and my mom likes to go up and down EVERY SINGLE AISLE just in case she might have missed something from last week...

Anywho - the Whole Foods website has tons of great recipes, many of which are P10 compatible or can be adjusted for P10.   I think using Greek yogurt in this will really bump up the protein.  I'm torn between labeling this as a treat, a dessert, a smoothie or even breakfast!  Guess I'll use them all.  You could totally get your kids to partake of the lovely healthy yogurt without their knowledge!   :D

Ice-cold, yogurt-based lassi is a favorite refresher in India. Sometimes made with fresh mango, this delicious version uses strawberries

 

Strawberry Lassi

makes 2 servings

1 cup plain or Greek yogurt

2 cups roughly chopped strawberries

2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar

1 cup ice cubes

1/2 cup milk (regular or almond)

Few pinches ground cardamom (could sub cinnamon or nutmeg)

 

Combine yogurt, strawberries and honey in a blender and pulse until strawberries are pureed. Add ice and milk and blend until smooth. Pour into 2 tall glasses and garnish each with cardamom.

Chocolaty Frosty

This is another recipe from Satisfying Eats, a terrific blog with grain-free recipes, which are perfect for Stage 1.  Check it out and you'll find lots of great things to try!

Now THIS is a summer treat that I bet you've been missing!  Who doesn't totally love a Chocolate Frosty from you-know-where?  Well now you can make your own without the guilt AND if you follow the link back to the Satisfying Eats site, you'll also see you're saving yourself loads of chemicals and harmful additives by making it yourself. 

 

Don't forget you can make it dairy free by substituting coconut milk for the heavy whipping cream.  

Be sure to keep frozen almond milk in ice cube trays on hand or you'll have to wait several hours until you can make this!  If you'd rather have strawberry flavor, try substituting 2-3 strawberries in place of the cocoa powder.

 

Chocolaty Frosty

recipe courtesy of Satisfying Eats
makes 1-10 oz Serving

 

8-9 cubes of frozen unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or coconut milk

3 servings Stevia or sweetener to taste

2 1/2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Add a ingredients to blender or Ninja. 

Blend for 30-60 seconds until smooth, pour into glass.

Enjoy!

Run and hide from any other people that are hanging around your house this summer...

Now enjoy!!

  

 

Skinny Shrimp Salsa

Today’s recipe just screamed ‘SUMMER’ at me.  It’s such an easy and neat idea yet one that hadn’t occurred to me.  This recipe is courtesy of Gina’s Skinny Recipes, her website is www.skinnytaste.com.  It’s mostly geared towards Weight Watchers recipes but you can find a lot of P10-worthy recipes there too.

Shrimp, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion and lime are combined to create a zesty protein rich salsa. Bring this to a party and watch it disappear!

This shrimp salsa is low-fat, gluten-free and perfect for low-carb diets, but you can switch it up and add black beans to boost the fiber, or roasted corn to add a touch of sweetness, and even avocado to add some healthy fats. Add more jalapeño to make it spicier and adjust the lime, cilantro and salt to suit your taste. You see where I'm going with this.... the possibilities are endless!

 

photo courtesy of www.skinnytaste.com

Skinny Shrimp Salsa

Recipe courtesy of Gina’s Skinny Recipes
makes 8 servings

16 oz. cooked peeled shrimp, diced fine

4 vine ripe tomatoes, diced fine
6 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons jalapenos, diced fine
    (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
2 limes, juice of (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine diced onions, tomatoes, salt and lime juice in a non-reactive bowl and let it sit about 5 minutes. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, taste for salt and adjust as needed. Refrigerate and let the flavors combine at least an hour before serving.

Chocolate Chiapioca Pudding

Let's continue with this week's 'Ideas with Chia' - here a dessert you'll love!

I loves me some chocolate pudding and I'm also interested in using chia seeds so I was eager to try this recipe.  I have a mixer at home and I'll use it at the drop of a hat so I did a cheater version and put everything in the mixer bowl and just turned it on every five minutes until it was ready.

I can't really tell you how much sweetener to use - it's a Jersey thing...no, but really, it's personal preference.  And I kept adding agave and it just didn't taste right, so I added some Truvia and that did it for me.  Wait until it thickens up a little and add the sweetener, mix, taste and then see what more you'd like to do. 

OH - and guess what else?  I had this after dinner one night and I had energy to get up and go - so out I went grocery shopping - and I also did a lot more chores around the house that night than I usually would so this will give you some 'get up and go'.   Best of all, the Kid, who continually mocks my chia gel ate a big bowl of this and thought it was tapioca - so neener neener on her!

One morning I had forgotten to make a new batch of chia gel for my smoothie so I plopped in some of this pudding instead and it worked just fine!  Pudding Smoothie, anyone?


It tastes better than it looks!



PS:  Isn't 'chiapioca' a cute word!  I can't take credit for it though, I got that from Robert on the WB Facebook site. 

Chocolate “Chiapioca” Pudding

makes 4 servings

adapted from Maria's Delicious and Nutritious Journal

3/4 cup chia seeds

2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

    (or use plain almond milk and add a little more vanilla extract)

 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch of salt

sweetener of your choice (agave nectar, Stevia or Truvia) to taste



In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together and then let the pudding set up for a few minutes.

Stir the pudding every five minutes.

After sitting for 20 minutes the chia seeds will thicken up and it resembles tapioca pudding.

Print the recipe:  Chocolate Chiapioca Pudding

Chocolate Pudding

As I was making this I was reminded that these are all items I use in smoothies (well, maybe not the lemon juice) but I was curious to see how this recipe would turn out.

It certainly was easy - except for the part when the phone kept ringing while my hands were covered in avocado.  I made this in the blender and poured it into ramekins.

NOTE:  Please for Pete's sake use a less ripe banana then I did.  A regular yellow banana would sure taste a lot better.  Both Bubba and Kid said 'dang, there's an overripe banana in this, isn't there?'  :(
But otherwise, this turned out pretty good!

Chocolate Pudding

serves 4

1 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons agave
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup of cocoa
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks

Add ingredients to the blender in this order, blend until smooth.

Pour into 4 ramekins or small bowls and refrigerate for one hour or until set.

Wait for your family to be freaking out over getting to have pudding and don't tell them what's in it.

1 serving = 1 serving fat and 1/4 serving fruit

Print the recipe:  Chocolate Pudding

Pots de Creme

This is my 'go to' dessert for when I attempt to make a romantic dinner.  It's a a lovely, elegant dessert that looks difficult but is easy to make.  You just have to remember to make it earlier in the day because it takes 3-4 hours to chill in the fridge. 

To get ready to roll, make sure the eggs sit on the counter for a bit to come to room temperature.  Then, make a small pot of coffee double strength - for example,  2 cups of water and 4 scoops of coffee.  You can freeze the extra to make coffee ice cubes for cold drinks.  Also go through your cupboards and see what assorted wine/martini glasses you have.  You could even use non-cute ones, but any small glass containers will make this look so fancy!

picture courtesy of Ree Drummond

Oh by the way, you pronounce Pots de Creme: “Po de Krehm”

Need to chill for 3 to 4 hours before serving

Pots de Crème

courtesy of Pioneer Woman Cooks!

makes 4 servings

1 1/2 cups  semi sweet chocolate chips

4 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

8 oz strong HOT coffee

Whipped cream

Begin by throwing chocolate chips into the blender.  Crack in four eggs right on top of the chocolate chips.  Add vanilla and a healthy pinch of salt.

Put on the lid and turn on the blender.  As soon as the mixture is blending, remove the circular disk from the blender lid and slowly pour in 8 ounces of strong, HOT coffee.

The mixture will slowly expand and rise in the blender…just make sure you keep it in a slow stream and you’ll be fine.

picture courtesy of Ree Drummond

After you’ve added all the coffee, continue blending for a minute or two (no chocolate chunks left), then turn off the blender.

Now, traditionally, Pots de Creme is served in little “pots", but let's use assorted wine/martini glasses instead. Just pour the mixture into all the glasses, leaving plenty of room to add whipped cream later.

Now place the glasses into the fridge for 3 to 4 hours at least so the mixture will firm up.

Top with whipped cream before serving.



Dark Chocolate and Coconut Dessert Sauce



Sliced apples and bananas with
Dark Chocolate and Coconut Dessert Sauce

 Gee oh boy oh yeah....can't wait for Valentine's Day...(yes, Sheldon, that's sarcasm).  But if you're thinking about treats and want to make sure you can enjoy yourself, try this recipe out!

Don't be fooled by 'makes one cup' because I cut up a plate full of apples and bananas and we still have plenty left over....I also think this would be awesome over pancakes.  How about serving it along with either Orange Cake or Mexican Chocolate Coffee Cake...oh let's just face it.  I'd probably put this on vegetables if I thought my family wouldn't stage an intervention.  I think I'll try this over Greek yogurt.

Notes and stuff: 

use at least 60% cacao dark chocolate - I used dark chocolate chips

Double boiler - no need for fancy equipment, just use a saucepan with boiling water and set a glass/ceramic bowl on top (like Corell - remember that?)  I still have one:

Dark Chocolate and Coconut Dessert Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

8 ounces dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao), roughly chopped

1 cup coconut milk, canned

Gently melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler until smooth; remove from the heat. Meanwhile, put coconut milk into a small pot over medium heat and keep stirring it in the pan until it steams, don't let it boil.  Remove from the heat immediately and let it cool for a few minutes. Then slowly and gently mix the milk into the bowl of chocolate until smooth and well combined.  

If you are going to use it shortly, set the bowl back on top of the warm water in the saucepan to keep the sauce warm and drizzly.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Let it cool before putting in the fridge.

To reheat, gently stir the sauce on low heat gently until it is warm and serve.

Nutrition:  per serving (about 2 Tbsp): 90 calories (70 from fat), 7g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 1g protein, 9g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 8g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 5mg sodium

So good...so warm...so lovely....

Muffin in a Minute

You're probably missing bread about now.  Well weep no more, this is easy and really versatile.  There are many different versions you can play with - based upon what you like and what you want to try!  You are limited only by your imagination here.  One of the things I miss MOST is my daily chocolate chip bagel with cream cheese from the deli so I added dark chocolate chips and some truvia and topped it with cream cheese.  Bubba likes the version I make with cinnamon and walnuts.  I made a savory version with butter and parmesan and used it as a dinner roll.

Lots of people put fruit or various seasonings in them to get either a sweet version or a savory version.  Since it's a quick and easy 'muffin in a mug' you can make a different one for each person at the table.  It's wonderful for those on Stage 1 who are missing the grains because the almond flour and flaxseed meal are nuts and seeds and not grains, so enjoy!

QUICK TIP - measure/mix up the dry ingredients ahead of time and then whip it all together in the morning.

Other ideas for this recipe include slicing it up and using it for french toast or cutting it up to make a bun for a sandwich.  I cut it up and put my runny eggs on it.

This may not seem like a lot but it's very filling! 
PS:  don't sub coconut flour, when I tried that it was a flop.  :(

Muffin in a Minute

1 egg

1/4 cup almond flour

2 tbsp flaxseed meal or ground flaxseed

1 tbsp. coconut oil or butter melted

1/2 tsp baking powder

*SWEET version - also add  1 tsp sweetener, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp vanilla,
(may also add chopped pecans, walnuts, strawberries, blueberries, dark choc. chips.)

*SAVORY version:  also add garlic or onion powder, parmesan cheese or rosemary

Put the oil or butter at the bottom of a coffee mug and zap it to melt it (this also coats the mug so the muffin doesn't stick)

Stir the rest of the ingredients into the mug until smooth and microwave 1.5 to 2 minutes, until the top is no longer wet. 

I like to run a knife around the edges to free it up and it just pops out onto the plate.

Spread with butter or cream cheese or nut butter.

Print the recipe along with a picture of my favorite Wonder Woman mug:  Muffin in a Minute 

Please comment below and share your ideas on what YOU'D put in your muffin - thanks!

Almond Flour Banana Nut Bread

Like the background?

I would like to give a big THANK YOU to Trena H. for this recipe. 

The biggest problem you will have with these is hiding them from your family.  If you make extra, freeze a few to stash in your freezer and defrost for breakfast another time.

Almond flour is okay for Stage 1.

Almond Flour Banana Nut Bread

3 cups almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3 eggs

2-3 very ripe medium bananas, mashed

1/2 cup agave

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 T. vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease either a 12-cup muffin tin or a loaf pan with butter.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl; mix wet ingredients in a medium bowl (in the order listed). Add wet mixture to dry mixture; stir in nuts. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake muffins for about 20-25 minutes or bake the loaf for about 35-40 minutes. Let cool in pan for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

 

So what do you think? 
I'd say 1/2 serving of fruit and 1 serving of fat per muffin. 
But I'm totally guessing here.

Print this recipe:  Almond Flour Banana Nut Bread

Homemade Chocolate

A salty side and a non salty side!

I think we'd all like to thank Paula Nettles for posting this recipe on The Perfect 10 Diet page.  So simple, so quick, so easy, so I can't wait to make some more!!

There was a brief discussion about other sweeteners - you can use agave in this as well.  Experiment until you find what works best for your taste.  The amount of sweetener in the recipe will make this taste like dark chocolate and not the sweeter stuff!

I think another important detail would be what other lovely fun things could you put in your mixture to make your eyes roll back?  I for one, am a huge fan of the salty chocolate so I added some sea salt on top.

Now just because this is P10 compatible doesn't mean you can eat it all in one serving.  Remember to pace yourself and space it out over a few days!  It also might be a good way to get those who don't care for coconut oil (Bubba) to eat some without knowing it!

Homemade Chocolate

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 heaping teaspoon Stevia, agave or other sweetener
*optional add ins - chopped almonds, chili powder, cinnamon, shaved coconut, etc.

Mix the ingredients together VERY WELL and pour into a 8 inch square flat dish and freeze until solid.  Takes about 15 minutes.

Break apart and store in fridge. Yum!

'PB&J' Snack

Are any of you as crazy about almond butter as I am?  I love it in everything!

How cute is this idea for a quick treat or light snack? 

You could also spread this on a MIM-Muffin in a Minute or stir in into Greek yogurt.

PB&J Snack

makes 1 serving

1/4 cup berries (fresh or frozen)

2 tablespoons almond butter

Mix together in a bowl and enjoy.

Easy Almond Butter Bread

This recipe is from Satisfying Eats, a blog with grain-free recipes. 

This is a very basic bread recipe and you could actually use this for sandwiches.  It won't be a sweet bread unless you add more sweetener. 

The one thing you should pay attention to is that she uses a smaller bread pan to make this, or many people double the recipe in order to get a larger loaf.  However, I decided to go ahead and cook them up as muffins and they turned out awesome but they're kinda small to make sandwiches out of but that's what cream cheese is for! 

I think next time I'll not only make it sweeter but try adding some banana or dark chocolate chips to see how those turn out.  Enjoy!

 

Easy Almond Butter Bread

recipe courtesy of Satisfying Eats

1 cup natural almond butter, smooth

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt (if PB already has salt, you can omit)

2 servings Stevia (to taste, more if you want sweeter bread)

Preheat oven to 350.

Loaf Version:

Blend all ingredients in large bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. 

Pour into a loaf pan lined with foil for easy removal.  Using a 8.5 x 4.5 inch pan will make the bread rise a little higher.

Bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (Times will vary based on different ovens.  Just don't over bake or it will be dry).

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Then remove foil and cool on rack.

Muffin Version:

Blend all ingredients in large bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. 

Scoop into muffin tins, filling each space halfway.  Smack the pan against the counter to make the batter settle down and behave, and also to get rid of air bubbles.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (Times will vary based on different ovens.  Just don't over bake or it will be dry).

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Then remove and cool on rack.

Makes about 8 muffins.

Yogurt Hummus

A while back Kelley asked for a hummus recipe that didn't need tahini.  I think that's a great idea because to be honest, I'll buy the tahini, use it once or twice and forget about it and then have to buy more next time I need it.  Plus, when I want to buy it, I can't find it but it's on every dang shelf when I don't need it....does that happen to you?

Anywho, try this quick and lovely no tahini version of hummus.  For Stages 2/3 you could enjoy this with crackers or pita.  Those of you in Stage 1 could make a great veggie tray and use hummus instead of ranch.  Oh, and have you tried hummus in place of mayo?  As in mixing up your tuna salad with it?  That's darn good.  When I made this I even tried it with apple slices and that was not bad at all...

Yogurt Hummus (No Tahini)

15 oz can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed

3 medium garlic cloves, mashed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

Salt to taste

Before you start, mix the lemon, olive oil and yogurt in a small bowl so you won't be scrambling to measure while the food processor is running.

Add the beans, garlic and cumin to your food processor and process for 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides with a spatula if necessary.

Then, with the machine still running pour in the olive oil, lemon juice and yogurt. Process until you get a nice creamy, smooth paste.   TASTE and then add salt, pulse to blend.

If you want it thinner, add another tablespoon of olive oil. If it is still too thick for you then add some more yogurt.