Green Machine Pancakes

Pancakes, one of the classic American breakfast options. Unfortunately, I have never been their biggest fan. Mostly because I don't like eating sweet foods for breakfast. But, when I got married, I discovered that my husband loves pancakes.

So I end up making them quite a bit around here for him. I don't usually eat them myself, again, because I don't like sweet foods for breakfast. But when I found a clean recipe of panckes , I had to try them!

I have made several variations of these healthy pancakes for Zach and he definitely approves! The recipe is simple to vary based on your tastes, so I will include the base recipe as well as the green machine version.

Base Recipe - Clean Eating Pancakes (makes about 4-5 pancakes) 
Ingredients
1/3 cup rolled or steel cut oats, uncooked
2 eggs
1 banana

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor, blend until smooth.
2. Use a 1/4 cup to measure out pancake batter.
3. Cook over medium to medium high heat as regular pancakes

GREEN MACHINE PANCAKES
Ingredients
1/3 cup rolled or steel cut oats, uncooked
3 eggs
1 banana
1 loose scoop of Greenberry Shakeology

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor, blend until smooth.
2. Use a 1/4 cup to measure out pancake batter.
3. Cook over medium to medium high heat as regular pancakes

And there you have it! Clean eating pancakes that you don't have to feel guilty about eating. They will fill you up and leave you satisfied and nourished! You can also vary the vase recipe to include any fruits or other things you want to put in, or even top them with!  Have fun with the recipe!

What is your favorite pancake combo? 

21 Day Fix Extreme Meal Plan

By now you have probably seen me talk about the new program, the 21 Day Fix Extreme. I have been previewing the workouts and love them, they are challenging me and pushing me to my core mentally and physically, which I love. I have also been getting into the meal plan for the 21 Day Fix as well!

Like it's predecessor, the 21 Day Fix Extreme uses portion control containers to help you maximize your nutrition and get the best results possible. Plus it is an incredibly sustainable and healthy way to eat all around, because you are nourishing your body with what it needs- key nutrients and food groups!

I began my exclusive 21 Day Fix Extreme Test Group this week, and we are all working on preparing our meal plans for these 21 days. I can't even convey just how excited I am to go through this program with this group of incredible ladies. I can't wait to see our results at the end of this 21 days together!

For those of you that are new to the 21 Day Fix and the 21 Day Fix Extreme, or you just want ideas, I wanted to share my own meal plan for these 21 days with you! Your meal plan does not have to look like mine, this is just what I enjoy eating and what works for our family with budget and time!

Take a look and feel free to pull any recipes or ideas you like from it! I have included the container count below each meal for my "fellow fixers" reference as to what the whole day looks like in containers!

And as always, if you have any questions, want ideas, want to know what the 21 Day Fix and Fix Extreme is all about, please do not hesitate to ask! I plan on also leading a second exclusive 21 Day Fix test group in the middle of March, so keep your eyes peeled for more information on that, or contact me to find out the details!

Happy meal planning!

Mashed Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that I had no idea about how delicious it was until this year. Sure I have had cauliflower before, but I never knew what all you could do with this amazing little vegetable! And, bonus, it’s PACKED with nutrients that help your body too!

(That's the mashed cauliflower in the bowl towards the front by the gravy!)

This year as I’m trying to stay on track with my health during the holidays, I decided to nix a carb from the menu. Now, I LOVE stuffing (dressing, or whatever you call it), so I knew that had to stay. Since my hubby wanted some sweet potato casserole as well, I knew mashed potatoes were the ones to go, even though I do enjoy them!

So instead of not having anything like that, I decided to try my hand at mashed cauliflower! And let me tell you, it’s delicious. Of course it tastes a little different than mashed potatoes, but I actually feel cauliflower has more flavor, so bonus! And, you’re getting a serving of veggies in.

How do you make mashed cauliflower, you ask? Well step on into my kitchen and I’ll tell you how! It’s super easy, and could even be a dish you bring to share at your Thanksgiving celebration this week!

Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into large chunks

Drizzle of olive oil (or whatever cooking oil you prefer)

1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup of chicken broth

1/2 tsp paprika

2 tsp garlic powder

½ of an onion

Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.     In a large bowl, place cauliflower chunks, drizzle lightly with olive oil.

3.     Sprinkle paprika, and garlic powder, toss to coat.

4.     Spread across baking sheet, cook about 25-30 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.

5.     Remove cauliflower from pan and place into a food processor with ¼ cup of chicken broth, the onion, and ¾ cup of cheese.

6.     Blend until smooth, check every few minutes and add chicken broth as necessary if you want it a bit smoother. Only do a little bit at a time.

7.     Salt and pepper to taste, transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup of cheese and lightly stir.

8.     Serve hot and enjoy!

You can definitely play around with this mashed cauliflower recipe! I’ve seen people add roasted garlic (YUM!), you could treat it like you do regular mashed potatoes and even add in some chopped bacon and chives to go on top! You can be as creative as you want to be with this dish, and know that you’re getting a serving of veggies in as well!

Do you have a favorite cauliflower recipe? Be sure to share it below, I love trying new recipes, and I might even feature it on my blog!

Sweet Potato Casserole

One traditional Thanksgiving dish (so I have been told by my husband) is sweet potato casserole. Now, I did not grow up eating sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving, but I had heard of it. Since my husband loves this dish I decided to make my own version and clean it up a bit!

Now, as I did not grow up in the south, I am no expert on Sweet Potato Casserole. But, I did know that it usually came laden with some butter, coated with some crushed corn flakes, topped with marshmallows and mixed with lots of brown sugar and cinnamon. And while I know all that tastes delicious, I wanted to create my own topping for those yummy sweet potatoes!

Check out this twist on a traditional Thanksgiving recipe!

Cleaned Up Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

-4 to 5 medium/large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

-1 banana

-3/4 cup of shredded, unsweetened coconut (divided)

-2 Tbsp maple syrup

-2 Tbsp brown sugar

-1/4 cup of water

-1/2 cup crushed pecans, plus a handful (about 1/4 cup)

-1/4 cup crushed almonds or walnuts (or you can use more pecans)

-1 apple, cored and cubed into small pieces

-3 tsp cinnamon (divided)

-1/2 tsp allspice

-1/4 tsp cloves

-1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil, add your sweet potatoes. Cook until tender.

-Once sweet potatoes are tender, drain (reserving just a little bit of the cooking liquid, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup) and mash with the reserved liquid and banana. 

-Add 1/4 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut to the sweet potatoes, 2 tsp of cinnamon, and a handful of pecans. Mix until all incorporated.

-In a medium skillet sprayed with cooking spray, heat your 2 Tbsp of maple syrup and brown sugar with 1/4 cup of water. When it is all incorporated, add in your apples.

-Add remaining 1 tsp cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. 

-Continue to stir to prevent burning. When the apples begin to turn tender, add your nuts and 1/4 cup of coconut. 

-Cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken and everything is incorporated. 

- In a greased 9x12 baking dish, layer the mashed sweet potatoes on the bottom and spread across.

- Spread the nut and apple mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of coconut.

-Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through. 

-Enjoy!! 

Who else loves some good sweet potato casserole? What is your favorite topping to put on sweet potatoes? Share below! 

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn’t love a warm, gooey cookie around the holidays? I know I do! I was searching for a way to create at least one “cleaner” cookie though that will help with the sweet tooth, but not totally undo my progress.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have found such a recipe! And I really liked it! We will definitely be making these again in our home. They are super simple, easy, fast, and delicious!

They are a little on the gooier side (which I like, personally), because you aren’t using any sort of flour or butter. But man are they tasty! Give them a chance for sure.

Here’s what you need to bake up these tasty clean treats!

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

1 cup rolled uncooked oats

1 Tablespoon Peanut butter

½ cup chocolate chips

You can also add in a few dashes of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and whatever other toppings you like! (Think more peanut butter, honey, nuts, etc)

Directions

1.     Heat oven to 350 degrees

2.     Mash up your bananas with your oatmeal so that they are all mixed together

3.     Add your peanut butter, chocolate chips, and whatever other toppings you like.

4.     Drop by heaping spoonful onto your greased cookie sheet, then press out into a cookie shape (but don’t make them too thin!)

5.     Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes, until they begin to get a more golden brown color and are forming together.

6.     Allow cookies to cool on pan for about 2-3 minutes, until you can scoop them off with a spatula. (When I took mine out they began to squish when I used the spatula…let them cool ON the baking sheet a few minutes and it’s much easier!)

7.     Eat and enjoy the warm gooeyness!

There you have it! An easy, more healthy way to feed your sweet tooth around the holidays this year. If you have a health conscious friend, you could even whip up a batch of these as a Christmas present!

To get more great recipe ideas and to see what else I’m up to, be sure to subscribe to this blog, follow me on Instagram and friend me on Facebook!

Who’s going to try out this tasty treat??

Buffalo Cauliflower Tots

Cauliflower is one of my new vegetable favorites. I am seriously in love with this vegetable and have cooked with it more in the past six months than I ever have in my life. Who knew such a funny looking veggie could be so deliciously tasty?

From cauliflower mac and cheese, to a cauliflower “alfredo” sauce, to cauliflower pizza crust…the list goes on and on. But I have found a brand new favorite that I am drooling over still. And that’s buffalo cauli tots. You heard me. Veggie tots. But tangy, delicious and crisp.

Drooling yet? Here’s the recipe so you can try it out for yourself and see what I mean!

Buffalo Cauli Tots

Ingredients

4 cups of shredded cauliflower (about a whole head if it’s a smaller head of cauliflower, half if it’s a large head)

½ cup sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup hot sauce (think Frank’s Red Hot…any sort of “buffalo” hot sauce)

1 egg

½ cup cornmeal

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

*Tip if you don’t want to shred your cauliflower by hand, put it in the food processor for a couple of seconds and chop that bad boy up!*

Directions

1.     Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a mini muffin tip with your choice of cooking spray.

2.     Squeeze out the excess moisture from the shredded cauliflower by placing it in a kitchen towel or several paper towels.

3.     Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together thoroughly.

4.     Scoop the mixture into the mini muffin tins, pressing firmly into the cups.

5.     Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

6.     Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce! (Try making a greek yogurt style ranch dip…yum!!)

There you have it, yet another tasty way to get a serving of veggies in with our delicious friend, the cauliflower! Who is going to try this recipe themselves?