Healthy Sunflower Butter cups!

Hello Lovelies!

One of my favorite candies is Reese Peanut Butter Cups.. especially the little itty bitty mini ones they have now....

BUT I don't like the nasty preservatives and chemicals that are in them.. AND I have a new found addiction to Sunflower butter..

.................................on toast, rice cakes, pancakes, a spoon, even my finger!!.................................

I saw this recipe but I switched it up a little by also doing some with Sunflower butter.. this one is my favorite.

I did however not read the directions completely and I missed a step. Apparently I was supposed to add some sunflower butter/PB2 into my shakeo to help it set.. WHOOPS!!

But sometimes the best things are created by a WHOOPS!! ya feel me?!

This recipe made about 4 mini cups of ea flavor

This is what you'll need

This is how I made them

4 tsp unrefined coconut oil, melted
4 Tbsp Sunflower butter or choc PB2
4 tsp  Chocolate Shakeology
4 Tbsp. water

1. Combine Coconut oil and sunflower butter or PB2 in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
2. Combine Shakeology and water in a small bowl; mix until it has a pudding-like consistency. Set aside.
3. I used a mini muffin tin and with mini cupcake papers
4. Freeze for 30 minutes, or until firm.

The interesting thing was when I made the sunflower butter ones.. the shakeo didn't spread out on the top like it did with the PB2 ones.. Little did I know, at the time that the shakeo had oozed down into the sunflower butter.. creating a yummy liquid chocolatey center.

If you try these let me know how you like them!

Sherice xoxo

Mini White Chocolate Cheesecakes

One of my favorite blogs is Janetha's, and I'm really hoping I can meet this chicka at the next Blend retreat. She's got great content on her blog. Lots of good workout info and some healthy and some not so healthy recipes like the one this post is about. Her Hubs is a hottie and her dogs are adorable AND she's got a superhero of a momma ta boot!! No I'm not a crazy stalker, I just know a good thing when I read one!!

I did change the recipe a little, nothing to drastic but you can find her recipe here...but this is what I did.

Crust ~
1 + 1/3 cups and an extra handful of Nilla wafers
1/3 cup butter melted

tossed the Nilla wafers into my food processor.. made crumbs added the melted butter and you've got crust.
Line regular size muffin tins with 18 cupcake wrappers and put about a lrg spoonful into ea cupcake wrapper. Press with fingers. Put into a 325 degree oven for about 8 - 10 mins set aside. At this point turn your oven down to 300 so it's cooled and ready to put in the cheesecakes.

Filling ~
6 oz Ghirardelli White choc bar or chips
1/3 cup butter
16 oz 1/3 less fat Cream Cheese ~ softened to room temp
8 oz plain 0% Fage yogurt
1 Tbls Cornstarch
1 Tbls Vanilla
2 Eggs

Melt choc w/ butter in a dbl boiler or in microwave. I've never used the microwave but on Janetha's blog I think she says about 2 mins stirring about half way through. Then set aside to cool, mix yogurt and cream cheese until well blended and smooth, add in choc mixture beat again until mixed and smooth, then add in cornstarch and vanilla again mix until smooth and well incorporated. By this time you'll want to just eat the filling out of the bowl.. it smells so good!! Next add in eggs 1 at a time mixing after adding each egg.

melted choc & butter

cream cheese & yogurt

fill your cupcake wrappers evenly. I used my regular sized ice cream scooper which worked great. I filled these suckers to the top!!

Bake at 300 for 30 mins. the cheesecakes will have little splits on the tops and you'll think they aren't done but if you cook them any longer they will be dry. cool them for 20 mins then cover and place in fridge for at least 2 hrs. Top with whatever you'd like.

cooked and cooling

I'm thinking that I will make these and add in dark choc next time.. that sounds really good!

 I might try to do a no bake version.. I'm wondering what would happen if you didn't add in the eggs and just went right to filling the cupcake wrappers and put in the fridge for a couple hrs or even overnight. Hmm, now my brains working overtime.

I also got a great workout in today. Knowing that these little suckers would be in my tummy later :)

Do 3 sets and take minimal breaks in between each exercise to keep your heart rate up! I took about a min break in between each set.

1. after you do the 10 squats your going to hold a squat position with 1 leg held out to the side and just pulse it up and down. your not doing a leg raise so it's a small movement. Boy does it burn that outer saddle bag area. then do another 10 squats and pulse the opposite leg. so you'll do 20 total squats with 20 pulses on ea leg.

7. I used 12 lb weights after the first set. 10 was to easy and if your not fatiguing your muscles what's the point in my opinion. Today my chest (from the plyo pushups w/bosu) and my arms are REALLY SORE!!! which means I did what I was supposed to do!
I'm pretty much sore everywhere!

The rest is pretty self explanatory!  

 I did shorten my work week to 4 days instead of 5. I work for a cleaning company and my arm and wrists were starting to take a beating, I already have Impingement syndrome in my right shoulder that hasn't bothered me for a couple yrs, after doing physical therapy and getting some ionphoresis. But now it's hurting ALL THE TIME, not good. Since my goal is to get my trainers cert.. exciting news flash, I'm ordering my stuff from NASM tomorrow!! I don't want to junk my body cleaning. I need 1 more day of rest and this will also allow me to get in an extra workout day and study time. I'm grateful to be able to work a 4 day work week due to my wonderful husband who works his butt off!

I hope all's well with you guys! Let me know if you try the cheesecakes or my workout

OX Sherice

Strawberries and Cream

Hey All ~ 

How's everyone's week going? Mine went by fast. No complainants from me. Tomorrow is Friday and paid day, double bonus!

It seems that the whole Banana "ice" cream sensation is all the rage in the health world. I've made mine and it was yummy. Plus you can make it tons of ways! But, I don't like that it melts very quickly and the ones I've made have just been lacking in something. I was reading a blog the other day and there was a recipe on there and then the gears in my brain started to turn.... 

This was the outcome

I bet you'd like to know what it is?

I had all the ingredients on hand and I was so excited..

Strawberries and Cream

1 can chilled Coconut milk ~ chill in fridge at least overnight, drain out the water that will separate from the milk

1 frozen Banana ~ cut into pieces (I'd recommend cutting before freezing)

1 cup frozen Strawberries

2-3 tsp of Agave

put all ingredients into food processor and blend away.. in about 2-3 mins (guesstimating) you will have smooth creamy fruity deliciousness!! 

You can use this as a base and mix whatever fruits that sound good. The chilled coconut milk makes it creamy and smooth and keeps it together better than just using bananas. I noticed that it doesn't "melt" like the banana or real ice cream does. I put the left over in the fridge overnight and today it was still solid and creamy. And just as delicious!

Next time I make this I'm using Pineapple and coconut for a creamy Pina Colada! Who's with me?

let me know if you try this. What kinda fruit you used and how it's changed your dessert life :) 

I'm planning on hitting the Farmers Market this weekend. And I'm sure there will be Cappuccino involved! 

What are your plans for the weekend? 

XO Sherice

Healthy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies :)

Hi ~

I've been watching some great videos on Tara Stiles youtube channel and come across this recipe. It originally came from a blog called 101 cookbooks, http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/nikkis-healthy-cookies-recipe.html.

These cookies are really good!! They can be eaten as a snack, dessert or even a breakfast cookie.. I'm going to use the base and switch up some chip flavors and see what happens. I'm thinking Peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips or chunks would be wonderful!
 I always have Bananas in my freezer. That's were they go when they get spotted and brown. They add the perfect amount of sweetness and keep the cookies nice and moist. Along with the Coconut and almond meal, They have a wonderful nutty banana chocolate flavor. In Sherice fashion I added another ingredient.. Flax seed meal.

I will be enjoying a few of these with my morning coffee and some fruit tomorrow... how will you eat yours?

Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate chip Cookies

3 bananas
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup warmed coconut oil
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal.. ground up almonds, I did this using my coffee grinder. I'm pretty sure Bob's Redmill brand sells almond meal
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, again Bob's Redmill has an organic unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbls Flax seed meal 
6-7 oz dark chocolate bar chopped or chips

Mix first 3 ingredients in a bowl.  In separate bowl combine next 6 ingredients, mix well. add the dry into the wet and mix together. Then stir in the chocolate. put spoonfuls or you can use a small ice cream scooper, that's what I use. Then bake on parchment lined baking sheet or baking stone for 10 -14 mins.

Nutritional info on these delicious little cookies.. they are about 1-2 bites..
1 cookie
calories 70
fat 1.7 g
carbs 7.7 g
sugar 1.2 g


For Dinner I made a favorite standby at our house. Quick and easy Chicken Enchiladas. This is probably not the healthiest, figure friendly recipe but it could be worse.

1 can 99% fat free cream of chicken soup. I use a small mesh strainer and I use a spatula to strain the yucky fake chicken pcs out of the soup

1 can Rotel

tortillas corn or flour. corn would be healthier
1/2 cup lite sour cream
2 chicken breasts cubed or shredded. a couple times a month I will cook 6-7 organic chicken breasts in my crockpot with some chicken stock and then shredded them. so I have cooked shredded chicken breast in my freezer for quick meals. But I have also used rotisserie chicken breasts from the grocery store.

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Cheese.. I use chedder and pepperjack.

put everything together except cheese and tortillas.. 

spray a cassarole dish or a pan w/ cooking spray

layer tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese until you reach the top of your dish. Then cover with foil and bake at 350 - 400 degrees until nice and bubbly, at that time take off foil and let top get brown and bubbly. 

Then top with whatever your heart desires! I like avocado, salsa, cilantro, black olives and tomatoes! DELICIOUS!! 

I did my workout today so I don't feel to guilty about having this for dinner. Did you do a workout today? If so, tell me about it :)

Here's my workout for today 1/18/12 

15 sec rest/40sec work/20 rds/4x thru = about 18 mins

1. side to side squats w/ 12lbs

10, 11, 10, 10

2. Push ups

13, 12, 10, 10

3. Diagonal Knee raises on dipstation
18, 15, 17, 17

4. overhead tricep extension w/12lb
15, 16, 15 17

5. Dbl Crunches
16, 18, 19, 20

Then I did this short, less than 10 min yoga routine by Tara Stiles. I need more breathing in my life. She says when you breath deeply your creating more space.. when your letting out the breath your creating space... I need more space. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pnOoxwi9aE&feature=channel_video_title
Yoga looks really easy. Oh it's just stretching but wow doing it is another thing. I enjoy it! I just need to learn to breath through the moves. I find myself concentrating so hard on doing the stretches and holding them that I'm not breathing deep and evenly like I should be. If anyone has some advice on this, please leave a comment. Or leave a comment about whatever you'd like! :)

Sherice ox