Low Carb Coconut Macaroons

Can you believe it bloggers, tomorrow is December 1st! 


I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family and friends, turkey, stuffing and a variety of delicious pies! Now that we're full force in the Christmas season (seriously we are, they're lighting the Rockafellar Center Tree tonight) not only is it time to start shopping for those special people in your life, and baking Christmas cookies, but it's also time, for me at least, to keep my diet in check more than ever because of the food I know is awaiting on Christmas Eve & Day. 


With that said, for those of you who love cookies, and honestly, who doesn't, this week's recipe is for Low Carb Coconut Macaroons! You can indulge a little bit more than usual with these, but remember not to overdo it, they're still cookies! I hope you all enjoy these, and as always, give them a try and let me know! 

Low Carb Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:

2 egg whites

2 packets Truvia

1 tbsp Agave Nectar

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

Add egg whites, Truvia, and Agave to a medium sized bowl and whisk well. 

Add protein powder and shredded coconut and stir until combined. 

Use a tbsp to scoop batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Batter will spread out so keep them far apart. 

Bake for 22 min.

Nutritional Info:

57 calories

3.7g fat

4g carbs

3.3g protein

Keeping Fit For The Holidays

With the holidays sneaking up on all of us, I know that I personally worry the most about keeping in shape and staying on track wile the flood gates of buttery sugar cookies and ginger breads open and seem to pile up in every open space of my house. I may not give off the impression that I'm the most fit person in the world (ie: posting truffle recipes and sharing secrets of pancakes and cookies) but I take pride in the fact that I can not only bake but share those treats with people and not feel as if I'm missing out on something. Sure, there are days when I'd love nothing more than to have a big oatmeal cookie from Starbucks with my coffee, but where would it ultimately get me? 

At the beginning of the summer I set a goal for myself, 30 pounds by Thanksgiving- and by the time labor day was nearing in I thought "there is no way in hell I'm going to make this happen, I just ate and drank my summer away and spent the early hours of the morning feeding my hangover with my friends at IHOP or eating cheese steaks on the boardwalk." I had successfully lost a grand total of 5 pounds all summer...in a span of three months, that was all I managed to do. I'm not all that comfortable divulging in the actual numbers that had been staring back at me on the scale, but I set a new goal for myself. I wanted to kiss those 30 pounds away by the time that turkey was on my table, and I'm proud to say that as of this morning I have reached that goal. Of course there were a handful of things that I had to eliminate from my diet, but I've bumped it up with high protein, high fiber, complex carbs (otherwise known as 'good carbs') and an intense amount of working out. 

I started hitting the gym at a pretty basic level- fasted cardio in the mornings and twice a week I would go to a class that was offered; usually a body sculpting class one day and Zumba another day. It was a fun and simple way to get my body accustomed to working out again and not just throwing it into some outrageous workout that would rip my muscles up and leave me limping and gimping around for the first month. There was no need to put myself through any kind of pain at the gym while trying to help myself; would have definitely been a bad idea. 

Now, before anyone gets all carried away thinking I've been doing this alone, I want to stop you in your tracks and correct you ASAP. I am NOT doing this alone, and I've got a support system that could blow the roof off any gym at any given moment. My friend Angela has been my inspiration throughout this entire journey, and I know that the more I continue this, she will still be there to help me and pull my head out of my ass when I text her with "I'm craving peanut butter help me." 

Angela has been in my shoes, and now she's in the shoes of a competitor. 

She's been such a big help along this journey and I don't think I would have achieved something so grand in my own eyes without her. I know I owe her so much for what she's done for me, and I know I can start by supporting her whether she needs it or not. But, truth me told, everyone needs support. It's a gratifying feeling when someone says "you can do it" or "I'm here if you need me." And I know that when she competes at NCP 2012 in New York next spring, she's going to need me to be waiting at the side of the stage to help in any way that I can; and I'll do it without batting an eye because she's my friend. 

I want you all to know that whether your goal is 5 pounds or 30 pounds (and my goal goes beyond 30 pounds, I've just worked towards one of those many finish lines) you can attain it with hard work and dedication. Choosing the right foods and keeping your body moving is key- it makes all the difference and your body and waistline will thank you immensely for it. Plus, shopping is SO much more fun when you can grab something from the rack and not have to worry about it fitting in the right places. It changes you entire mindset,  I swear. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions, or get the answers from Angela for anyone interested in working towards their own goals. 

So, enjoy your holiday season, because if you keep it light and healthy now, you'll enjoy that holiday dinner so much more than you would if you tasted every cookie you baked leading up to it! 

You can find Angela on facebook at www.facebook.com/angela-christine so head over there and 'like' her page. She's awesome! =]

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Thanksgiving week bloggers! 


With the holiday fast approaching (3 days to be exact) I know a lot of you are looking to get those last minute recipes or desserts together. If you're in my shoes, you're trying to keep those last minute pounds from sneaking up on you at the dinner table. 


This weeks recipe is one that I've borrowed from a dear friend of mine, and it's for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are a healthy cookie, and that's not an oxymoron I swear, that's only 88 calories! Yes, you can jump back in shock, pick your jaws up off the floor and put your eyes back in your head at any time, because these are in fact a high protein and high fiber cookie! 


I can't in any way shape or form take credit for these cookies, the credit goes completely to my friend Angela Christine. She's a real wiz with this stuff, and knows exactly how to bend the rules just enough that you can still enjoy your holiday, eat something yummy and not have your waistline screaming at you on Friday morning. Stay tuned for more on Angela, because I'm going to be giving everyone the dish on all the cool recipes and workout tips that she's got; and yes those workout tips will certainly come in handy as the holidays approach and we find that the food seems to get more fattening and the time to search for something healthy gets shorter. 

So, without anymore rambling I'll stop teasing all of you and let you be on your way with your new delicious cookies. When you try them, don't forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think. And don't forget, you don't have to tell anyone that these are healthy cookies because they'll never know. They're that yummy!   

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (whole wheat)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving: 1 cookie  Calories: 88 | Total Fat: 3.4g

MAC Cosmetics Creates an Ice Parade!

I always get really excited when MAC Cosmetics releases a new collection, it's like Christmas come early no matter what time of the year it is. This month MAC released their Ice Parade collection, which is a plethora for those who love that late fall and winter makeup. As always, they're promoting the collection by making it available in different "bags" which is their way of packaging the product. Some of the bags give you a pressed eye shadow pallet with a lip gloss and a brush, some give you two pressed shadow pallets and a blush, etc.

The thing I love about MAC is that they seem to have these endless limits to their products. You'd think that once you've seen one silver eye shadow you've seen them all; but that's certainly not the case. And because they show this limitless attitude with their product, as a buyer and user of the product I also feel that there are limitless possibilities to what you can create with those colors. I always feel like my face is a canvas when I put on my makeup; now I don't cake it on and turn myself into one of those makeup wearing clowns with big red lips. I thoroughly enjoy creating an inspiring look with my eye shadow's and I blend colors like there's no tomorrow. Below I put a picture of some of my favorite colors that came with the collection. On the right, Shimmermint and Snow Season are great for daytime work looks because they're light and have a somewhat neutral base to them. On the right is the Ice Parade Seduction pallet, which is perfect for when you're spending a night out on the town, or for any of those special occasions that occur when the sun goes down for the evening.

So, if you've got a makeup enthusiast in your life, MAC's Ice Parade is the perfect gift for them! With the right set of tools, they can create a look that's jaw dropping and inspiring on all different levels. You can bet that I'll be using my Ice Parade this season, and making the most out of those sparking colors. 


For more information on the collection, you can check out the link to the collection right here and find the combination of colors and lip glosses that are right for you! 

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

I can't believe Thanksgiving is a little over a week away! I always get super excited for Thanksgiving, because it's, for me at least, the official start of the Christmas Season. It's the day after all the turkey's been turned into leftovers, and everyone who was at the house was sent home with a doggy bag of stuffing that my mom, brother and I will start decorating the house for Christmas. It's been a family tradition since I was born, so instead of shopping on black Friday, we decorate, and by the time all is said and done we've put up four trees, lights, nick knacks and any other festive item we can find in the loft.  

But, for all of you guys who are reading this, I'd love to give you a little Sunday afternoon treat that is sure to make your house smell delicious, and if you're looking for something to bring in lieu of desserts when you visit someone for Thanksgiving, this is just the cookie that will make them smile! 


I hope you enjoy them, and as always, if you give them a try leave me a comment and let me know how they came out and how you liked them! 

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1-1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits
• 1 cup MOUNDS Sweetened Coconut Flakes (optional)

Directions:

·         Heat oven to 375°F.

·         Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Beat butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; beat until blended.

·         Stir in oats, toffee bits and coconut, if desired, with spoon.

·         Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto prepared sheet.

·         Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

·         Cool 1 minute; remove to wire rack. About 4 dozen cookies

Fenk Fans Blog!

Have you guys checked out the fan page for Bryan Fenkart yet? If you haven't I'll give you two good reasons: 
1. I admin/run/maintain the page(s) with my friend Heather (@HezPixie)
2. You can get all sorts of cool updates, videos, articles, and more regarding Bryan and the rest of the tour. 

That's all you need to know. So if you guys have a tumblr, and who doesn't these days, GO FOLLOW! You won't regret it. And while you're at it check out fuckyeahchadkimball.tumblr.com as well. Because we all love Chad just as much =]

Bryan Sweeps the Nation!

Bloggers you're getting two updates from me today because I'm too proud of my friend and too excited to keep my emotions to myself! I need to know, are any of you out there planning on checking out the Memphis National Tour? It's continuing to tour through the end of 2011 and through the summer of 2012. If you haven't made plans to see this incredible show yet, I'm going to give you one more reason why you should and his name is Bryan Fenkart! 

I'm proud to say he's my friend, and so happy for him that he's doing such phenomenal things right now! The tour kicked off in early October in, where else, but at The Orpheum in Memphis, TN and is finishing it's third stop in Tulsa, OK today. For every city that the tour stops in, Bryan and his counterpart, the stellar Felicia Boswell are sweeping the city up in the whirlwind that Memphis is creating. Both of them have a set of pipes are, oh my, incredible, and will blow you away in your seats. 


They've appeared on shows such as Good Day Tulsa, Great Day Green Country in Tulsa, and Good Day Houston to name a few, and it seems that on each stop they make Bryan is doing more than just promoting Memphis as a whole. Not only does he do each show the justice of allowing them a little extra glimpse into who Huey Calhoun is, but he also gives them a taste of his original songwriting skills by performing from his soon to be released second album Simple & Grey. 


If you guys don't know by now, I'm INCREDIBLY excited for the release of this album, I can't even tell you. I've heard songs performed acoustically at some of Bryan's gigs over the summer and they're stellar so we're all in for a real treat when the album drops in January! Now, I'm about to make this post come full circle..ready for it? Okay! If  you go see Memphis on tour in a city near you (and that's my shameless plus ladies and gents) you can purchase Bryan's new album, yes I said purchase, at the Memphis merch stand after, or before if you're like me, the show! See, you can see him do his thing as Huey on stage with Felicia, and then you can go home with his new album and indulge in some stellar tunes! You can bet I'll be picking mine up when I see the show in January when I make my way up to Hartford. So, now that I've given you all something to chew over this evening, I hope you decide to see the show, and then bring Bryan's CD home with you! 

Until next time, have a wonderful Sunday evening and enjoy the rest of your week! =]
P.S. If you'd like to see some of the videos and or articles on Bryan and his performances, head over to fenkfans.tumblr.com or twitter.com/fenkfansblog