Chocolate Cookie THM S

I am a big fan of cookies and sweet treats, that really should be no surprise. On the Trim Healthy Mama plan it is encouraged to enjoy treats on a regular basis. It isn't always easy to find a treat that taste great and is still on plan. But these are on plan, delicious, and no one will guess there is a special ingredient in them. 

Chocolate cookies are not always my first pick, but these fresh out of the oven taste like the cookie part of an Oreo. I can't wait to put some kind of filling to make it like a whoopie pie or actual oreo. Still working on an on plan fluffy filling, as soon as it is perfected I will share it with all of you. 

The secret ingredient here is okra. Yes I know it sounds gross, but it gives these cookies the perfect texture and you won't even notice it is there. If you do taste an off flavor at first give them a day or so to sit and they will taste just right. 

Health benefits of okra or why you should sneak it into your desserts. It is a great source of fiber which helps with digestion. It also helps to reduce and stabilize blood sugar levels. It also contains many vitamins and folates. I don't like okra enough to eat it on its own but baked inside things I can't tell it is there and I get the extra benefits. 

So lets get to this cookie recipe. 

Chocolate Cookies -THM S

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Almond Flour
• 1/2 cup Coconut Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 2/3 cup 100 % Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 cup Pyure
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Frozen dieced Okra (slightly thawed)
• 1 cup melted Coconut oil
• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix flours, cocoa, baking soda, salt and pyure together. 
3. In a blender combine okra and eggs, until the okra is broken down. While blending pour in the coconut oil until it is all combined well. This is important if the oil is still warm so the eggs don't start to cook. 
4. Add the liquids into the mixer bowl. Mix on medium until well mixed. You can use a handheld mixer too, stiring by hand though will be difficult because of the stickiness. 
5. Using a small cookie scoop place them about 1/2 inch apart on a lined cookie sheet. 
6. Bake for 15 minutes. Let sit for a 1 minute on pan then cool on cooling rack.  

**Note these are sugar free and gluten free! But you would never know.**

Adapted from THM Cookbook

Fakeroni and Cheese THM S

   I was craving a good macaroni and cheese but had already had Dream Fields pasta that week and wanted to stay on track so I thought I would try something new. Cauliflower + wonderful cheese sauce = fakeroni and cheese.

For full recipe at new site please click here. There you can also find many new THM recipes.

Healthy Options at McDonald's

I am a brand ambassador for McDonald’s of Central Arkansas and am being compensated for this post, all thoughts and opinions though are my own.

   When you think McDonald's your first thought is probably not healthy, mine is typically fries and McDoubles. McDonald's has made huge strides in their offerings over the last few years and their menu is not lacking nutritious options. These are some of the great options you can pick breakfast or lunch. 
   
   If you have been following me long it is pretty obvious that chicken is one of my favorite foods, I could eat it for every meal. McDonald's has some of the greatest fast food chicken around. Their Artisan Grilled Chicken is my absolute favorite to have on a sandwich. The Chef Crafted Sandwiches give you the option to pick your protein, the grilled chicken on an artisan bun with the any of the toppings and you have a great healthier option.

Trim Healthy Mama Update and Cheeseburger Pie Recipe

 PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR TO GET TO THIS POST ON MY NEW SITE. IF SPOONS COULD TALK, IT HAS A FUEL CYCLE REVIEW AND MANY MORE THM RECIPES AND TIPS. 

Book Review: Trim Healthy Mama Plan Book by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison

 I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

   This is the companion book that goes with the cookbook that I reviewed a couple weeks ago. The tagline of the book is "Keep it Simple. Keep it Sane." And the book shares a great not much fuss eating plan. I had gotten the cookbook because I had seen my cousin pinning THM recipes and thought it would be interesting to go through and see what it was all about. About an hour after I had it I knew that I needed the plan book so I could figure out how to make these recipes work for weight loss. I went and got the book while visiting home, loved it so much when I found it on Blogging for Books I knew I needed to get it to share my review and gave that copy to my mom.  

Baked Chicken Wings

   Baking instead of frying chicken is not a new idea. These though you can get to the same crispness as a fried wing and I think they taste even better. We are following the Trim Healthy Mama plan and these are on plan and great for a date night or when watching a football game. These alone would be a FP but served with a side of sweet potato fries would make an E.

Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook Review

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

   This is a companion book to the Trim Healthy Mama Plan (review coming soon). These books are Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett’s second and third book, an update to their original self-published book that was over 600 pages long and included the plan overview and recipes. Their first book was a best seller and many ‘mamas’ were requesting a simpler version of the plan that was easy to understand and a separate cookbook that wasn’t so large. And boy did these ladies come through, both books are wonderful and have great information.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

   I typically don’t make chicken in the crock pot, I tried when we first got married and it turned out dry and one time burnt. I thought it was the crock pot, but it made everything else perfectly, so I decided no more chicken in there. But when I saw this recipe and the blogger said that hers is normally dry as well and this one was moist and perfect, I decided to go for it. I am so glad I did because it is amazing and on our list to make often.

Zoodles- Zucchini Noodles

   

   I’m sure you have heard of zoodles, Pinterest has had them for quite some time now. I have been wanting to try them for a while but just wasn’t sure if they would be very good. I needed lunch for the week and had a bunch of zucchinis that I was going to cut up to put into my stir fry but decided to use my spiralizer to make some noodles!

Fresh Green Beans

   A couple weeks ago I went to the Conway Farmers Market, and came out with some great looking green beans! I wasn’t completely sure wit what they would go in but for $3 I could not pass them up. 

Here is what I did with them.

First I cleaned them up. I washed them to get off all the dirt and germs.  Cut the ends off. I tried to make sure they were all about the same size.

Premium Salads at McDonald's

I am a brand ambassador for McDonald’s of Central Arkansas and am being compensated for this post, all thoughts and opinions though are my own.

   I’m always looking for healthier options on the road and McDonald’s has made that easy with many of their menu items, including three Premium Salads.  I was surprised at the variety of these salads: Bacon Ranch, Southwest and Asian. There is an option for everyone and each salad can be ordered plain, with crispy chicken or grilled chicken.

Quinoa Bites

    The other night I was looking for a healthy snack to take to a pot luck and came across quinoa bites. I have cooked with quinoa only once before and it was for a supper healthy project so the end product really did not taste incredible, so  I was ready to try it again and thought this would be the perfect time. The ones I found at The Iron You, which I am so glad to find this blog he has some great stuff, are buffalo bites to replace your buffalo chicken wings. They turned out delicious and were a big hit.

Cooking Quinoa

First I toasted it a bit to get a nuttier flavor. Then I cooked it in chicken broth instead of water to add a bit more flavor as well.  All you need to do is add the quinoa into boiling liquid and then let it cook for 15 minutes, make sure all the water is gone. Then fluff with a fork.

Roasted Vegetables

  My latest love in the kitchen has been roasting, especially vegetables. Roasting brings out a whole new flavor to the vegetables, many that I would not eat any other way.

   I have been roasting vegetables on Sundays to use for my lunches throughout the week.  It is an easy tasty way to eat healthier at lunch. I have used a variety of different types; my most common are turnips, potatoes, onions, carrots, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes. 

Caramelized Carrots and Pearl Onions

 

   A couple weeks ago while Hubby and I were visiting home we ate lots of yummy food. Including these carrots and onions, my father in law showed me how to make these and they are amazing!! I am so glad to share them with you.

Baked Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Sautéed Mushrooms

   As I mentioned last week in my Things I love Post we ate this meal in some form every night last week. We loved it, we did it for a couple reasons one being trying to have healthier foods and control portions, and the other is it is relatively inexpensive or a weeks worth of food.

   We used bone in skin on thighs and they were so moist and paired greatly with the sweetness of the onions and the richness of the mushrooms.  Serve with various different vegetables or a side salad.

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Bake

      As I mentioned last week we are working on eating a good healthy breakfast each morning and it’s much easier if it is already ready to go. A couple weeks ago we had these breakfast burritos, and last week we tried an oatmeal bake with fruit. 

Clean Eating Snacks

   Yesterday my first guest post went up on Arkansas Women Bloggers. (click here to see it) All about how to get started on a clean eating diet. This is a follow up to that post and I will be sharing some great, easy snack ideas. While eating clean there is a good chance you will be hungry between meals, it is important to have clean options around so you don’t slip up.

1. Popcorn- not in the bags, air popped or popped in a pan with coconut oil
2. Vegetable and hummus- carrots, celery, peppers,
3. Almonds, peanuts, pecans,cashews
4. Greek yogurt
5. Greek yogurt + fruit
6. Pumpkin seeds
7. Cup of berries
8. Cup of cottage cheese
9. Apple slices
10. Small box of raisins
11. A clementine orange
12. String cheese
13. Peanut Butter Honey Oat Bars from skinny ms 
14. Nut butters
15. Banana wraps-  These look delish and I will be making them soon. Recipe from The Gracious Pantry
16. Roasted Chickpeas- with seasonings
17. Clean Energy Bites – like these from Coffee and Quinoa
18. Asparagus
19. Homemade popsicles
20. Dark Chocolate- in moderation. 

   Do you already have a clean eating diet? What snacks did I leave out? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Tips to Reset Your Body After Holiday Parties

   A great thing about Christmas is all the parties and all the delicious food. It now being the weekend after Christmas you may be feeling a bit sluggish from the overload of sweets and rich foods.  Your body needs a reset button and you can help it along.

There are some foods and ways you can eat to help cleanse your body.