Tag Archives: eat

Christmas is Coming and I Need Easy, No Mess Treats!!!

If you know me you know, I love cookies!

But I hate mess.  I also hate powdered cookies mixes.  They just never taste right.  But The May Cookie Co. is different!

I discovered these cookies over the summer while I was down Cape Cod and didn’t have a whole lot of ingredients to work with.  I decided to try out this boxed goodness on a whim and have been addicted ever since!

This time I chose Triple Chocolate Chip Oatmeal

Instead of buying a bunch of ingredients, all you need to add is the wet ingredients (butter, egg, vanilla etc..).  When you open the box this is what you find inside.

Raw sugar, flour mix, chocolate chip/chunk mix

All the ingredients are separated and pre-measured.  I found that the multiple pouches inside give you the ability to still have fun making cookies with your kids, since there are still multiple components to this process.  I also found the ingredients all maintained their own individual flavors instead of just tasting as one powdery mass.

I mixed all the ingredients  in my Kitchen Aid and the batter looked as fresh as any homemade cookie dough I have ever made!  I popped it on a cookie pan and into the oven for 10 minutes.  I was able to get 28 cookies out of the mix.

The May Cookie Co. is a mother/daughter team who wanted to make cookies “all natural, pure and simple; less sugar and made better with whole grains” which are “more satisfying treats without the guilt.”   That is like my dream come true.  A better version of a cookie is exactly what I am all about.  It is all about compromise and balance, not deprivation!

This blog needs smell-o-vision

These cookies cooked on the pan for 5 minutes after they were done, which left them at a yummy golden brown.  They were crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside like every cookie should be!

Almost no mess…a dream come true!

While the cookies were cooling, I went to do the dishes.  It is amazing how much less mess there is when you don’t have to include a bunch of different bowls and measuring cups.  Also since the flour and sugar was pre-measured I didn’t spill anything for a change.  Amen.

First bite…

Cooper clearly was excited to try the cookies.   Cooper is a really fussy eater and is really maintaining life on yogurt and applesauce.  If I let him have cookies all the time , it would probably be the only thing he would eat, and yogurt and applesauce would be out, so I try to limit them.

And we are done! Guess he like them ;)

As expected, Cooper loved them and I have to say that I do too.  I think this is a great way to bake when you do not want to make a huge mess or buy a bunch of ingredients.  I also really love the Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies which is egg and dairy free for all of those people with sensitives or allergies!

So this holiday season when you are in a pinch and need something quick, easy, and still have the taste of homemade check these out at your grocery store for around $6.99.  You won’t regret it!

**This is not a paid or sponsored post.  I just really really like these cookies and I buy them at Whole Foods when I need a sweet treat.  It wouldn’t be fair to keep this secret to myself!  :)  I also just saw they sell pre-made cookies and bars and I want to know where I can find them and why they aren’t currently in my life?!

Grown Up Halloween Delight with MGN Protein!

As Cooper trick-o-treated/cried at our neighbors houses today, I decided I needed a treat when we got home!

A Zoo Keeper and his Lion.

Recently, I got a chance to try any flavor of protein from Muscle Gauge Nutrition.  I was really torn between Cake batter and Ice Cream Sandwich flavors of their Pure Isolate Whey Protein  so I left the decision up to them.  They sent me Ice Cream Sandwich.  SCORE!

I am usually a strictly chocolate or vanilla girl so I was excited to try something different.  I was also happy to see it didn’t have too many calories for a girl who doesn’t have the world’s fastest metabolism.

I know some people wouldn’t be thrilled with sucralose (artificial sweetener) but I feel in moderation everything is fine and it tastes really REALLY good! The powder even has little chunks of “ice cream sandwich” in it that makes it look and taste like Oreo!  Sooo good.

I am not usually one to just mix protein powder and water, but I tried it in a quick pinch after CrossFit and I was surprised how easily it dissolved in my shaker bottle and it was really tasty!  BUT today is Halloween, I needed more than just a water mixer.  So I decided to make a delicious protein milkshake with my MGN protein!

Here is the recipe!

A little whipped cream on top really sealed the deal and it was just like having a milkshake, only with 25 grams of protein!  Can’t be beat!  I honestly am really excited to have this in my pantry  to help ward off my sweet cravings.  I recommend this to anyone with a sweet tooth looking to combat it head on with a more satisfying option!

 

Hope everyone had a great Halloween Night!  :)

 

*I received Muscle Gauge Nutrition’s  Pure Isolate Whey Protein at no cost.  All opinions are my own.

Trigger Foods and Mindless Eating

Even though I am not ready to get into Paleo, I am committed to cleaning up my diet.

For 75% of the day I eat reasonable well.  Then around 4-5 pm, while I am getting ready for dinner, I lose it.  I usually find something to snack on and end up noshing on hundreds of calories I do not need.  There are some foods that get me more than others.

Some of my triggers are chips and dip, cheese, ice cream, and ESPECIALLY Wheat Thins and peanut butter.  One dip is never enough.

Stop the madness

So in order to get this under control, I have banned my favorite peanut butter and cracker from my house and tried to distract myself from the hungry time by playing games with Cooper. (I still buy peanut butter but a sugar free/less delicious version)

Cooper loves taking pictures…

Other tips besides banning your trigger foods and distractions are:

  • Going for a walk
  • Drinking water
  • Brushing your teeth
  • Find a healthier version (less yummy version) of your trigger food so you won’t want to eat as much but won’t feel deprived
  • Chewing gum
  • Keeping a food journal
  • Making sure you never get too hungry

All of these strategies have helped me at one time or another from downing a whole box of wheat thins or a pound of cheese at one time.  Hopefully they will help you out as well if you find yourself in this predicament.

Question: Do you have a hungry time of day?  What do you do to keep yourself from mindless snacking?

My Love Affair with My Blender

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Not just any blender.  The Justin Bieber of all blenders.  The Vitamix.

Sure it is loud and so huge it can’t fit under my cabinet.  It also costs about what I pay for daycare each week (gaggggg) but I am here to tell you, if you find room in your heart for a $400 blender you will not be dissapointed.

I should first off explain that I am the grim reaper to blenders.  I have had them all; a Cuisenart, the Magic Bullet, the Ninja and some others long forgotten.  None could withstand my blending addiction for more than six months.  Now, I am not saying some of them weren’t great while they lasted.  I have to say the Bullet and the Ninja were actually very powerful little guys until they overheated and died.  RIP.  But at around $50 a pop, I was spending about $100 a year on blenders which adds up pretty fast.

I blend probably twice a day and I have a strong aversion to chucks.  I don’t like fruit chunks in my yogurt, tomato chunks in my sauce, and I certainly can’t tolerate chunks in a smoothie.  I choke, gag, and die.  All seeds from berries must be disintegrated for me to enjoy it.  This is probably why my blenders do not last long but, hey- they work for me, I don’t work for them.

This is why I love the Vitamix.  It gets the job done.  There is never a stray ice chunk or seed that I must spit out in horror.  Everything just explodes in this bad boy.  I would NEVER be able to blend spinach undetectable besides its green color in anything else.  I also have an aversion to vegetables but that is a story for another time.  My Vitamix also has a 10 year full warranty that actually saves me close to $600 if I continued to blow through blenders at my regular speed.

If you are a real baller there are new Vitamixs’  that have a smaller top making it possible to fit under you cabinet but alas it’s almost $750 price tag keeps it out of my possession. :(

There are also alot of other things you can do in this guy like make your own peanut butter or any other type of nut butter but I honestly only use it for smoothies and the occasional milkshake.  But I know some of you are wayy more creative then me.  So if you are in the market for a new kitchen piece of gold check out the Vitamix at: http://www.vitamix.com

Here are my three TOP favorite smoothies to make in my blender:

PB Strawberry

1 Cup of Strawberries
1 Cup of Skim milk (or any other milk product)
1 scoop of Vanilla Whey Protein (I use JayRobb)
1 tbs of PB2 (or PB)
1 spoonful of Vanilla yogurt (adjust to taste)
1 handful of ice to desired thickness

* add truvia, splenda, stevia or other sweetener to taste

Reeses Delight

1 Cup of Light Chocolate Soy milk
1 Scoop of chocolate whey protein
1 TBS of PB2
1 spoonful of vanilla yogurt
1 TBS of milled flaxseed
Ice to desired thickness

Green Smoothie (AKA the only way I get greens)

1 Cored Apple
1 Medium Orange (peeled)
1 Banana
4-8 Strawberries
1 cup of baby spinach
5-8 Ice Cubes
A little water to get the blender zizzing.

Homemade Wednesday: Wheat Thins!

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I love me some salty snacks.  Wheat Thins happen to be my favorite.  The only problem is I could honestly polish off a box in a day (with or without a stick of cheese).  This would add up to some serious calories, some serious money, and a lot of salt.  The only good thing about wheat thins is that they took out the high fructose corn syrup that they used to sweeten with.  But there are still around 14 ingredients in Wheat Thins widening the gap between them and “real food”.  Therefore, I tried to take down the cost and the processed goodness (only 7 ingredients in this recipe) and decided to make my own and I was pleasantly surprised how easy they were to make!

Homemade Wheat Thins (from thebaker-chick.com)
1 1/4 cups (5 oz) whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra for topping
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2, Combine the flour, sugar, salt and paprika to a medium bowl and whisk.  Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the bowl. 

3. Then mix the butter into the dry ingredients until it is coarse and crumbly. I used my hands but a mixer would work fine too. 

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4. Combine the water and vanilla in a small and add to the butter/flour mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms.  If your dough is still dry, add a little more water.

5. Separate dough into four balls and take one out to roll.  Cover the others with a damp towel to make sure the dough doesn’t dry out

6. Roll the dough as thin as possible, try to make sure it’s 1/16-inch thick at most.  My first batch came out like wheat thicks so roll as thin as you think is good, then a little more!  Use a pizza cutter to cut the rectangle into squares about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide.

7. Transfer the dough squares to the prepared baking sheets.  You don’t need to leave much space in between the crackers – they don’t spread at all in the oven.  Sprinkle the squares lightly with salt.

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8. Bake the crackers, until crisp and browned, about 5-8 minutes.  Check the crackers at 5 minutes, and if some of the thinner ones are browning too quickly, remove them to a plate and return the remaining crackers to the oven to finish baking.  They can burn quickly- so keep a close eye on them!  Once brown and crisp, transfer to a plate to cool.  Store the crackers in an airtight container.

9. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

 

I really liked this recipe the crackers tasted very similar to Wheat Thins and didn’t seem to have the same addictive quality that the original ones have.  My batch lasted a whole week, which is great for me.  The only difference between these and real Wheat Thins was they didn’t really have the same crunch.  It didn’t make a difference to me but I have to be honest Cooper did not dig them.  I caught him dropping them behind his back and kicking them under the oven!  So sneaky.  

Hopefully you and your family will enjoy them more than Cooper!!!  :)