Peanut Butter Protein Balls

It's cookie exchange season, and though I haven't been invited to any, I thought I'd share this no bake recipe I saw on another forum for those of you who are!

3/4 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup honey 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder 1/2 cup raw oats Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and form into small 1" balls. Place in the fridge for a few hours and then enjoy.


Assuming that the amount will serve a dozen people, each serving contains


307 calories
57 carbs
8 fat
6 protein
6 cholesterol
49 potassium

Paprika IS Good!

I was doing a little research on potassium the other day, and I noticed that Paprika is on the list of high potassium foods!  I knew paprika added color and flavor to food, but had no idea it added nutritional value!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

I saw this recipe for pancakes on a fitness website, and decided it was one I wanted to try.    


"If you love pancakes and want a healthy high protein version, try this. 

1/2 cup oats 
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese 
4 egg whites 
Dash of vanilla essence 
1/4 tsp nutmeg 
1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Blend contents in a food processor 
Cook as per normal pancakes 

I add berries or have them with xylitol and lemon. 
Around 300 cals and over 30 gms protein 
I've seen this recipe on here before......making sure people get this recipe to enjoy!"

Oatmeal With Cinnamon Apples

I saw this recipe on mfp a few minutes ago.  My husband LOVES apple pancakes.  While this isn't an apple pancake, I look forward to making this for him.


Oatmeal With Cinnamon Apples
1/3Cup Oatmeal (Old Fashioned) --- @ 100 Calories 
1/3 Cup Non Fat Milk -- @ 30 Calories 
A little less than 1/3 Cup Water 
1 small/medium Gala Apple (Cut into small squares) -- @ 80 Calories 
2-3 Tbsp of Splenda Sweetner (to taste) 
1-2 tsp of Cinnamon 

Cook your Oatmeal per the directions. While it is cooking cut up your apple and place the cubes in a bowl and microwave for 2.5 minutes on high - this will cook them and make them tender. Then add your Splenda and Cinnamon to the apples mix well and cook in the microwave for another 20-30 seconds on high. This should result in a nice tender apple in a tasty cinnamon sauce. 

Crock Pot Cabbage Casserole

I just saw this recipe on a forum, and it reminded me of one I already had.  This one uses brown rice, which I think is a good itdea.


Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole

1 green cabbage (about 1.5 lbs) 
1 lb lean ground beef (I used sirloin) 
1 cup long grain brown rice, uncooked 
28 oz can tomato sauce, divided 
1 tsp thyme 
salt & pepper to taste 

This will work in a 4-quart crock pot. 

Cut the cabbage in half (then in quarters to cut the core out easily). Cut one half into roughly 1" pieces and break up the layers a bit as you place them in the bottom of the crock pot. If desired, salt the cabbage a bit and toss to mix. 

In a mixing bowl, combine the rice, ground beef, about 1 cup of tomato sauce, thyme, salt & pepper. Press into a layer on top of the cabbage in the crock pot. 

Cut the remaining half head of cabbage like the first half and salt (if desired), placing it on top of the meat/rice layer. 

Top with remaining tomato sauce (try to cover all the cabbage a bit). 

Cook on low 8-10 hours. 

Makes 4 very generous servings. 

Cal: 532 
Fat: 21 g 
Sodium: 1251 (without added salt) 
Carbs: 58g 
Fiber: 10g 
Sugars: 13.5g 
Protein: 31g 

Three Bean Salad

My mom used to make a three bean salad that was a favorite around the house.  A friend asked me to bring the recipe, and since I was typing it out anyway, I thought I'd share it over here, too!

Three Bean Salad

Salad

2 cans of yellow beans, drained

2 cans of green beans, drained

2 cans of kidney beans, drained

1 red and / or green pepper, cleaned, rinsed, and sliced

1 red onion, sliced and salted (Mom used a regular Vidalia onion, but I think a red one is prettier)

Place above ingredients in a bowl and mix together.

Dressing (or "juice" as Mom called it)

2 cups of sugar (I use Splenda™ instead so it is more diabetic friendly)

2 cups of apple cider vinegar

2 cups of water

2 capfulls  of extra virgin olive oil (Mom used Vegetable oil, but I prefer olive oil)

Mix the above ingredients well in a bowl.   Taste and add more Splenda™ if it isn't sweet enough for you.  Pour over the bean mixture.  Place in the refrigerator and let it marinate for at least six hours.

Macaroni (Not) and Cheese (Sort of)

Miss me?  Yeah, me too!  What I mean is, yes, I miss you too...

I was looking over the blog this morning, when I realized that I never shared with you the recipe for what was my favorite food as a child.  My mother called it "Macaroni and Cheese".   Stop laughing.   She did not use macaroni noodles, nor cheddar cheese.  She used kluski noodles, butter, and cottage cheese.

Boil the noodles according to directions and drain.

Melt the butter in a pan in the oven at 350 degrees.  Remove from the oven.  Stir the drained noodles around in the butter.

Pour cottage cheese over the noodles evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve on plates, salt and pepper (maybe even paprika and garlic salt) to taste.

My mom use to used to fry the noodles in butter, then heat with cottage cheese on top.     I prefer to make this in the oven, because then I don't have to stand over it and watch it.  It comes out the same.

This recipe is delicious at any time, but I find myself remembering it mostly on Friday's during Lent, when we (Catholics) are supposed to refrain from eating meat.   (Not much of a sacrifice with this recipe, though.)