Good Morning Frappe

This is my GOOD MORNING! Healthier Coffee Mocha Frappe.

And, y'all, just looking at these photos makes me want to rush into my kitchen and make one of these bad boys immediately.

It is THE most perfect way to enjoy the leftovers in the pot you didn't quite finish off yesterday. I am a die-hard iced coffee fan anyway, but sometimes I WANT more than just coffee and ice. I WANT less than a thousand-calorie beverage. I WANT the assumption I'm enjoying something I should feel guilty about. I WANT something that's not going to load my body with a ton of sugar in the early hours. I WANT creamy and caffeinated but will keep me full until an early lunch. I WANT fast... as in I should have left 10 minutes ago.

Because of these WANTS, I created this fantastic homemade frappe.

YUM-O.
PERFECTION.

It's also easy to adjust the recipe to the ingredients you have or the taste you want. I like plain protein powder, but if you want a little sweetness, use vanilla. Or better yet, chocolate. Not a fan of cottage cheese, use plain Greek yogurt instead. Out of chia seeds? Toss in a spoonful of flax seeds. Not sure about the coconut oil? Leave it out. (Or try butter. Bulletproof coffee, anyone?)

This morning frappe can also star as a mid-afternoon snack or a late night dessert. Just add a natural sweetener if you'd like it a bit more decadent, such as honey, maple syrup, or a few slices of a frozen banana. And thicken it! (Extra ice or a pinch of xanthan gum will do the trick.) So you can eat it with a spoon. It's like coffee mocha ice cream.

Some days I drink half in the morning and save the other half for an after dinner treat. When I get home I throw the rest of it back in the blender with a pinch of xanthan gum and one or two more ice cubes. What a delicious treat to come home to! :)

Good Morning Frappe

Serves 1 or 2

3/4 c unsweetened almond milk
3/4 c strongly brewed coffee, cold
1 T coconut oil
1 T chia seeds
1/4 c cottage cheese
1 scoop plain protein powder
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
handful of ice

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender (place ice in last); blend until desired consistency. Top with coconut whipped cream, if desired. Drink up!

Nutritional Information (without whipped cream) for one serving:
344 Calories, 24 Fat, 3 Sugar, 28 Protein, 10 Fiber

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

My Beautiful Month

In case you aren't on Instagram, or don't follow me, here's a peek at my Insta-Life lately.
[*All photos are taken from my Instagram account.]

Nothing like a pantry-raid lunch.

 Build-a-Scarecrow family program at work. These guys were so creative!

This was a gelato frappuccino made with espresso gelato, my friends. I was dying.

Play hard. Nap hard.

All smiles because it's Red Cup season.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Nutty Chocolate Breakfast Shake

I know it's been a little shake/smoothie/beverage overload on here lately this summer, but I am not at all sorry. As the months get warmer, the more I crave something fast and cold to jump start my mornings. Today I'm sharing my new morning obsession favorite, and a heads up(!) I'll be sharing another smoothie favorite next week. I.cannot.stop.drinking.this. It's the perfect shake for me. It's all about the peanut butter taste with half the calories, made possible by PB2. I love PB2, and you can read/purchase more about it here, but basically it's powdered peanut butter. Regular PB2 has 23 calories, 1 fat, 1 sugar. Compared to one of my favorites, Trader Joe's raw almond butter, which has 95 calories, 9 fat, 1 sugar.

The product recommends mixing a tablespoon of PB2 with water, but ewwww. Yuck. Instead, I throw it into my shakes. I know a few people who have used it in baked goods, which is next on my list, but for now I'm inhaling it by the glassful. I kid you not, my friends. I've been enjoying this Nutty Shake every morning for days now. Even when I ran out of protein powder, I blended on. Alas, I ran out of PB2. This has made for a very sad Brindi.

While at work, Mr. B called to let me know he was heading to the store and asked if I needed anything. I squealed "YES!" and began to describe my PB2, what it looked like and where in the store it was located. "Umm, yeah. Anything normal?"

I did not get my PB2.

The day after I purchased my first PB2, I received a message from my co-worker telling me about this awesome product she stumbled upon at Target (love Target), and knowing I enjoy smoothies and peanut butter, needed to tell me about it. It was PB2. Seriously. This stuff is awesome.

Mixed with vanilla protein powder and coconut oil, this makes for one satisfying breakfast shake. I drink half when I get up, and place the other half in the freezer to chill while I get ready for the day.  I grab it as I head out the door, and finish it on my way to work. It keeps me full and energized until lunch. Love it. Love it. Love it. Obsessed? Definitely. In need of purchasing the bulk size for sure.

Nutty Chocolate Breakfast Shake

Serves 1

1 c unsweetened almond milk
1 T chia seeds
2 heaping T PB2 (with cocoa)
1 heaping T raw coconut oil
1 heaping T cottage cheese (<--- makes it delightfully creamy)
Pinch of xanthan gum
5-7 ice cubes
Optional: when I have it on hand, 1/2 frozen banana, sliced (for a little added sweetness)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until desired consistency is reached, adding more ice or water if needed.

Nutritional information (without banana): 283 Calories, 24 Fat, 11 Protein, 8 Fiber, 4 Sugar


With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Choice Beverages Lately

My beverage consumption of late has been quite frequent and very, very cold. This humidity never agrees with me. My hair is in a constant state of a frizzy mess atop my head.

Making huge batches of ice tea (unsweetened only, please!), and black coffee to have on hand in the fridge for immediate consumption is a must during these hot, irritable, and muggy months. And I cannot seem to get enough water! Good thing I'm in the midst of a water wellness program at work. I'm drinking it on the rocks infused with whatever fruit I have on hand that day...lemons, berries, cucumbers, mint, limes, peaches, Granny Smith apples...

It's National Iced Tea Month

Among these must-have beverages, I'm also enjoying my morning smoothies. These are a great perk to my early (and hot) mornings. My latest obsession includes peaches and cottage cheese. When I was little I loved to eat sliced tomatoes or peaches in a bowl of cottage cheese as an after-school snack. But not together. Hmmm, I do enjoy Peach Caprese, though. I'm going to have to think about this one....

Side note: Mama preferred her cottage cheese with pickles.

I got the cottage-cheese-in-your-smoothie-idea from Katie over at Dashing Dish. (You have to visit her site and try out her tasty protein shakes.)

I like to use frozen fruit because then I don't have to add ice, which gives me a richer flavor. The addition of cottage cheese gives it the perfect milkshake consistency. Indulgent, for sure.

Peachy Keen Protein Shake

Serves 1 generously, or perfect for sharing with a friend as an afternoon snack

1 c unsweetened almond milk (or unsweetened refrigerated coconut milk would work well, too)
1/4 c cottage cheese
1/4 c plain Greek yogurt
1/2 frozen banana
1 c frozen sliced peaches
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
(Optional: add honey to taste if you like it a little sweeter. For me, the fruit sweetens it enough.)

Place all ingredients in a blender; combine until desired consistency. Enjoy in a chilled glass!

To quote my Grandma Bays, "It's so humidity outside!" God bless her.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Breakfast Lately

This handsome boy barely gives me time to pour a cup of coffee in the morning, let alone to actually make breakfast. And I love breakfast. It's my favorite meal of the day. (...unless there is ice cream in my near future, then that, yes that is my favorite meal of the day. It may be for breakfast; I am not above that. Or it may be a mid-day snack, or a late night treat. Whenever. It's my favorite.) These days I'm scrambling around just to throw random items in my lunch bag in hopes I'll have enough for some sort of breakfast dish at my desk. Errr...I mean at the table in the break room.

Lately, I've been relying on my Greek yogurt bowls. I mix together a scoop of plain yogurt, a handful of berries, a spoonful of natural almond butter, and a little sprinkle of granola or nuts, and TA DA! Breakfast. It's to the point where now I'm just keeping containers of yogurt and berries in the fridge at work, along with my jar of almond butter, of course. Which, by the way, I'm running a little too low on for comfort.

I need my morning protein, and if I'm not getting it from my yogurt than I'm tossing it into my favorite Via Shakes. However, the blender is so loud Mr. Darcy starts barking while Siamese just glares at me because all of this unnecessary ruckus is disturbing her beauty sleep.

Of late, I'm just happy to make it out the door with enough time to run into my favorite place and grab an iced coffee because it's so dagum muggy I can't even think let alone do anything because the actual act of doing something makes me want to not wear clothing because when I open the fridge to find a container of Fruit Punch Kool-Aid where once was my homemade iced coffee stock for the week, and it's only Wednesday, I don't have time to brew a fresh pot because...well, see above.

And now the house is empty of our beloved protein powder.

And I was doing the happy dance all last week because when I stopped at Starbucks for a GIANT iced green tea (because it's so dagum muggy....) I saw they were having a buy one Via box, get one free deal. Jackpot. What a beautiful moment in the middle of a busy week. Glorious. Until this Monday rolled around and I ran out of protein. Now my Via packets just sit there and taunt me every morning.... However, I'm sure by the time we get around to buying more protein, I'll be out of my almond milk, or I'll pull out two empty ice cube trays because Mr. Darcy is just loving his ice cubes right now. You wanna know why? Because it's so dagum muggy....

Hold on a sec while I run to the fridge and add almond milk and more ice cube trays right next to the triple underlined protein powder. Oh, and I should probably get more yogurt and almond butter...and berries, yes need those.

Anyhoo, now that I've taken up the better half of the short moment you set aside to read this post this morning, let me get to the main point. In all my rushing around, toy-throwing, and random-ingredients-grabbing glory, I stumbled upon this tasty protein-filled breakfast. In the mornings, I enjoy making random egg scrambles, and lately I've been tossing together leftover ground turkey with some eggs and whatever vegetables I have on hand. It's quite filling, tasty, and quick. My most recent three favorite words, aside from Mr. Darcy, potty, and sit.

Double Protein Egg Scram-lette
serves 1

1 egg
1 egg white
couple drizzles of vegetable or chicken stock
couple spoonfuls of cooked ground turkey
1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
a handful of kale
sprinkle of nutritional yeast (or cheese, if you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Splash in some stock and saute the kale. When kale is almost wilted, add in ground turkey, stirring until warmed through. Meanwhile, lightly beat egg, egg white, and yogurt in a separate bowl. Lower heat, if needed coat pan with cooking spray, and pour in the egg mixture. Now I always start out with an omelet intention, but it usually ends up less pretty and more of an egg scramble (hence my new word, scram-lette). Do whatever works for you. Mix it together, flip it over, pour it on top, whatever floats your boat. When the egg is cooked and everything is warmed through, sprinkle on the nutritional yeast (or cheese, if you have it). I think tomatoes would work well with this dish but, alas, I was out. So if you have 'em, and you like 'em, add 'em. Serve on a plate and dig in. (Or, as I may have to revert to soon, throw in a wrap and head out the door.)

Of course, don't forget the drizzle of hot sauce. Enjoy!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Lately, I'm Obsessed

Jeremy Renner.
He's a cutie. I can't help it. He's my favorite. And he's a great actor; I was re-watching The Unusuals episodes and am still sad the show was canceled. I really, really would have liked to see what the writers, and Jeremy, did with his character. Oh, and he can actually sing. SWOON.

Via Protein Shakes.

These things are addicting. I wake up every morning and instead of reaching for my morning mug of coffee, I'm fumbling with the blender trying to get this delicious shake into my body as fast as I can. Soooooo good.

Getting organized.
Now that Summer Reading is over, I have a little downtime at work, and I'm determined to get that office organized, cart-free, and ready to go for fall. I can see my desk, the floor around my desk...and my co-worker is even inspired to organize ;)

Straight No Chaser.
A college friend and I used to listen to this acapella group all.of.the.time instead of studying for our exams while we studied. The other day I found a mixed CD from those days and popped it in. We were reunited and I downloaded almost everything I could get my hands on.

Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Fudge Bars.
These are my favorite ice cream bars. creamy. Fluffy. Light. Delicious. Healthy-ish. Yet, I have not been able to find them anywhere, in any grocery store, at all this summer. So I settled for WW's Giant Latte Bars instead. Yes, delicious. Yes, addicting. No, I still prefer the fudge bars.

Trader Joe's Dried Mango Slices.
These things. Why isn't there a Trader Joe's in the Tri-County area?! I must make the hour plus drive to find one. I feel like I need to replenish my co-workers stash.

Young Adult Fiction.
I just finished Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, and WOW. I'd definitely recommend it to any teen or adult...it's a quirky teen romance. I liked it. [A review post of my latest reads will be up soon!] Also, my book club is reading John Green's Looking For Alaska (which I just finished re-reading; I'm a big John Green fan and would suggest his book, The Fault in Our Stars, to absolutely anybody...the audio book is fantastic). I just put in the audio of Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution. I read this a few years ago and remembered I couldn't put it down. The audio is a 2011 Odyssey Honor-winner so I'm re-"listening" to that. But I've heard good things about Donnelly's A Northern Light, as well....it's somewhere on my loooong list of must-reads.

I always liked YA, but when asked what I mainly read, YA never crossed my mind. It's apparently gaining ground....

Image from Good Reads

 Award Winners.
Now that I finished reading every.single.Caldecott. I'm working on the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Winners...why, I have no idea. Other than the fact they're mainly picture books and quicker to get through. However, I'm discovering most are poetry and quite lengthy....

Netflix.

Mr. B and I decided a month and half ago to get rid of our cable. We've been spending a lot of time watching movies through Netflix. I don't miss cable at all. I miss being able to "watch" my Cleveland Indians. Though, Netflix is helping me fuel my Renner obsession (see #1). There's a balance there somewhere.

And apparently, Zucchini Bread.
Within the last four weeks I  made six loaves. Friends and family are quite demanding. And the neighbor brought over one the size of Mr. B's arm, which I baked three loaves out of AND was left with plenty of zucchini slices to freeze. (*For the record, five of those loaves were Blueberry Zucchini, and I put my foot down declaring I was trying a new bread: Yogurt Walnut Zucchini. Well worth Mr. B's objections.) If you're looking for a way to use up your zucchini, check out my Blueberry Zucchini Bread.

With Love and God Bless,

Brindi

Via Protein Power Shake

My latest obsession.

Over the last six days, I have started my mornings with this refreshing beverage. I just can't get enough.

It's amazing. It's simple and fast.

It's perfect on those hot and muggy mornings.

It has coffee. And protein. And it's creamy.

And it's versatile. On regular mornings (you know, the ones where I'm rushing out the door because I just could not get out of bed), I use my favorite, unsweetened almond milk, as the base. But it's also perfect as a post-workout beverage. For those times I replace the almond milk with chocolate milk. It gives my muscles an extra power boost.

Via Protein Power Shake

Serves 1

1 c unsweetened almond milk, or chocolate milk (or any milk for that matter)
1 Starbucks Via packet (or any instant coffee packet)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (chocolate would work well, too)
5-7 ice cubes, or as much ice as you desire

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding more ice until desired consistency is reached. Drink up!

*Note: I'm sure a tablespoon of nut butter would be divine in this beverage, or make it into a dessert shake by adding in a scoop of ice cream instead of ice. Like I said, very versatile.


Oh, and it's National Water a Flower Day. Soooo, hop to it!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Raspberry Banana Protein Shake

Happy Wednesday!

I'm feeling quite pink today. I blame the raspberries.

I found them in our fridge this morning, pretty much on their last leg. I knew someone just had to eat these berries. Like right this minute. As I was popping them into my mouth I remembered, Uh, you don't really like raspberries.

I don't know what it is, but out of all the fruit I eat, raspberries are my least favorite. And it's not the seeds or the texture. It's definitely the taste. I just don't like them raw. I love raspberry preserves, ice cream, cobbler, pie....I really like them frozen.

But these sad, raw berries needed to be consumed two days ago. And I couldn't just let them hang out a couple more hours until Mr. B. woke up.

So, I threw them into a protein shake and it made this pretty pink color.

Pretty Pink.

Pretty in Pink.

Cheers!

Raspberry Banana Protein Shake

Serves 1

handful of raspberries, rinsed
1 frozen banana
1 scoop vanilla soy protein
1/2 c almond milk
1/2 c 1% milk
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal
2-4 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

NOTE: A handful of spinach would be delicious as well. (You can't taste it. It will just change the color and add a healthy dose of vegetables.)


With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Banana Breakfast Shake

Now that the semester has started and I'm back to work, I'm slowly getting my groove back and settling into a routine. After my morning devotional, five Sun-Salutations and a yoga practice, I'm ready for my breakfast. Once I saw the abundance of bananas on our kitchen counter, I knew a banana smoothie was a must.

Pssst... Bananas are a great source of potassium, which is said to play a role in controlling high blood pressure. So eat up!

I love bananas, but I am not a fan of banana-flavored things. I like to eat bananas in their purest forms....blended in smoothies, sliced on top of peanut butter toast, covered in chocolate and then frozen as a quick, satisfying snack, or (every once in a while) in a decadent banana split. I also love to freeze bananas and turn them into "ice cream." But banana bread, pudding, pie...forget about it. Not a fan.

However, this morning I decided to change up my traditional Banana Breakfast Shake. [You can find the original recipe below.] I didn't want to use too many bananas because I have plans for a banana facial this weekend as part of my new self-pampering habit of 2012. Instead, I used one banana and one peach (thankfully, I still had some frozen peaches left over from my freezing obsession this past summer) for this delicious shake. Since I'm currently fasting sweets and sugar, I omitted the vanilla and replaced it with one scoop of vanilla soy protein. And I skipped the honey drizzle. It.Was.Fabulous. Just the thing I needed to jump start my morning.

Oh, and since it was quite cold out, I finished my meal off with a mug of hot tea, Lipton's Lemon Lane. It was strong and delightful.

Banana Breakfast Shake

Serves 1 (or 2 if eating as a mid-day snack)

2 ripe bananas

3/4 c plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

1/2 c skim milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Put all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Drizzle with honey, if desired. Enjoy!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi