Breakfast Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake

January 20, 2015 by Christine Skari

While I am absolutely loving my lecture schedule this quarter, it does have me up and running pretty early (early is a relative term- think in terms of a college student). I have three 8 a.m classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so I have to be up at 7 to get ready, eat breakfast, and bike from my house to campus to get there in time. I don’t start till 9:30 on Tuesday and Thursday, but I’ve gotten into the good habit of being out and running along the beach trails by 8 so I can get home in time to shower and get a bit less sweaty and a lot more presentable. So what does all of this mean for me in terms of my morning eats? The faster and easier the better!

Enter, my recipe for my Breakfast Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake!

Breakfast Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake- this tastes AMAZING and has over 27g of protein and 5g of fiber! And it makes a HUGE serving and is ready in less than 3 minutes!

This recipe could not get any simpler, faster, or more delicious! I literally whip this up in a half-asleep stupor most days and it only takes me about 3 minutes from start to finish. Not only is it quick, but it’s full of wholesome and good-for-you ingredients that give you your chocolate fix along with a whopping 25g of protein! There’s nothing I love more than a meal that not only tastes amazing, but also does amazing things for my body.

My secret ingredient for this recipe is Silk® Light Vanilla Almondmilk, which is a delicious substitute for milk. I didn’t know this till a little while ago, but Silk Almondmilk actually has 50% more calcium than dairy milk*, and absolutely no cholesterol and no saturated fat. It’s also lactose-free and doesn’t contain anyhigh-fructose corn syrup. Say whaaaaat?! So much goodness packed into just 60 calories a cup!

This recipe is as simple as throwing all of your ingredients into a blender, pressing a button, and slurping it down. It’s an especially good breakfast option for me since I usually can’t stomach too much solid foods early on in the morning, but I want some nutrients so I don’t crash in the middle of my classes/runs. Anyone else the same way?

Breakfast Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake- this tastes AMAZING and has over 27g of protein and 5g of fiber! And it makes a HUGE serving and is ready in less than 3 minutes!

I honestly can’t get over how tasty this shake is and it’s one of those recipes that I also would gladly drink for dessert. Dessert for breakfast? Yes please!

*(Same for both Original and Unsweetened) 45% DV calcium; dairy milk 30% DV. USDA National

Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26. Data consistent with typical skim dairy milk.

Silk_product_image

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Silk for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Skillet Berry Cobbler

December 19, 2014 by Christine Skari

Sometimes I have a hard time jumping on with the full-on Christmas bandwagon. Us coastal Californians don’t get much (read: zero) snow and this “winter” so far has been especially mild (again, read: 70 degrees). I don’t think I can even remember a typical white Christmas, except for one that I spent in Norway when we visited our extended family. Normally, we go fly over to the motherland in the summer, so this trip especially stands out in the few memories I have of my super early childhood. I have to rack my brain reeeaaaaall hard to bring anything up, but I specifically remember a few memories of being driven over to a hill to sled on with my cousins in their dad’s tractor and trying in vain to finish a snowman, but repeatedly having the carrot nose eaten off by one of my four boy cousins. Did I mention that they’re all around 6”2 to 6”6 tall, blue eyed, and pale as can be? A pretty far cry from the 5 foot 3 mass that is MOI.

So anyways, since I’m lacking in the snow and cold weather department, I usually have to ease myself into the holiday spirit by immersing myself in plenty of holiday food. I’m not complaining. Warm spices, beautiful red and black coloring, and sweet goodness do the trick for me.

HEY. Kinda like this recipe for healthy Skillet Berry Cobbler!

Funny how things work like that 😉 .

While this can be made in an ordinary pan/large skillet, my sister and I found these adorable mini skillets at World Market (if you’ve never been there before, it’s magical) and, after debating the hefty $6 a piece price tag (hey, we’re cheap college students), we splurged and picked a few up because the cuteness of all the possible future recipes were swimming around in our head and hellloooo impulse buy! Money well spent.

While not everyone may have have a mini-skillet, don’t fret. These can easily be made in a normal sized skillet or in any sort of ramekin or baking dish. My easy berry cobbler recipe doesn’t discriminate.

This recipe is everything you could want in a dessert. This mixed berry cobbler recipe uses frozen berries which bake in their own juices and make a thick sauce that’s the perfect medium between tart and sweet. A super easy and super fluffy biscuit complements each bite with warm, buttery goodness. Top everything of with a dusting of powdered sugar and we are in H-E-A-V-E-N.

I know what you’re thinking. How could this recipe get any better? Well, let me fill ya in because this recipe is lightened-up and made with minimal added sugar and with a biscuit made with half whole wheat flour. It’s the perfect way to help balance all those Christmas cookies and decadent mashed potatoes we’ll be eating this month without feeling deprived!

My mom specifically asked me to save this recipe, which she only does when something is really, really good. Good on the level of our family recipe for Sticky Asian Ribs or the party-killing deliciousness of our Mexican Layer Dip. Automatic indicator of success. YES. Mom-approved!

Skinny Dark Chocolate Strawberry Muffins

November 21, 2014 by Christine Skari

Let’s play a game.

The game involves stuffing as many of these skinny dark chocolate strawberry muffins into your mouth in one day as possible.

I challenge myself.

I win 😯 .

Don’t you like games like this? I sure doooo. But really, I think I have a new favorite healthier muffin! I’ve tried a good number of “healthy” muffins in my time, and I’ve found a lot of them to be disappointing. Dry, lack of flavor, general “meh”-ness. These are anything but that! Prepare yourself because these pretty little gems are fluffy, but dense at the same time and perfectly sweet with bites of dark chocolate and strawberries.

My heart is pounding in my chest and I’m pretty sure it’s the sugar rush, but I’m going to play it off as infatuation with all the flavor and those bites that are perfectly studded with chocolate chips (as in a ratio of 5 chips per inch of muffin, please). I mean, COME ON PEOPLE. AHH.

I think I tortured my housemates with this recipe. Oftentimes I’ll make a recipe at night and photograph it the next day since my class schedule is all over the place and I need certain natural lighting for my photos. My friends know this and won’t touch what I make without the ready… set… EAT from me. I left these out and was gone for most of the day, and came back to a living room full of girls saying “CAN WE EAT THEM”. I gave the green light and they were promptly demolished with plenty of yums and happy filled stomach noises. Woo! Success!

These muffins are made without any butter (coconut oil and greek yogurt replace it), and have a combination of whole wheat flour and white flour to balance health and flavor. Each one comes out to just under 230 calories and are just plain delicious <3. These will be your morning coffee’s best friend and will satisfy any sweet tooth craving that hits!

Healthy Warm Cinnamon Apple Mess

November 6, 2014 by Christine Skari

Warm (pseudo) baked apples that are cooked in brown sugar until perfectly tender and bursting with cinnamon flavor? Gimme. Even better? Add in a secret ingredient that makes all the difference and takes this healthy breakfast/snack/dessert over the top!

I have been a huge lover of this secret ingredient ever since I was little. I grew up eating it with yogurt and granola (something I got from my mom) and in the BEST lasagna ever, which is a recipe from my tiny asian Obachan. Funny how a little Japanese woman can make lasagna better than any Italian restaurant, right?

What is this magical and perhaps underrated ingredient? Cottage cheese!

Lucky for me, it turns out that cottage cheese just happens to be a great healthy addition to my diet! With 13g of protein for only 90 calories (for 2% fat cottage cheese) Daisy Brand Cottage Cheese contains none of the additives and preservatives found in other leading brands, and is a smart snack on its own or as a healthy substitution in a recipe! Daisy Brand is a 4th generation, family owned dairy business, focused on making high quality, limited ingredient dairy products. The company is one of the leading brands for cotage cheese, and trust me, it makes a difference. I’ve gone through times where I’ve tried to get by with other brands, but they just don’t compare to the creamy and fresh texture that Daisy provides.

To help show how versatile cottage cheese is, I created this super quick and easy recipe that will not only satisfy your sweet tooth (sweet and salty flavors=HEAVEN), but will be a great addition to your healthy recipe collection! Oftentimes I’m in a big rush in the morning as I run around the house trying to get ready for my classes, but this breakfast, snack, or dessert comes together by simply microwaving cinnamon, brown sugar, and some freshly cut apples to spiced and tender perfection, then adding some cottage cheese to the mix to give it a great salty kick and protein boost.

Since I don’t always have time to snack during my busy day, I depend on a breakfast that will keep me full and energized! Daisy Brand Cottage Cheese does the trick perfectly!

Want more healthy, delicious, and easy recipe? Here’s a goldmine of great options!

Disclosure: While this recipe is sponsored by Daisy Brand, all opinions are, of course, my own and this recipe is an Apple of My Eye original created to show the versatility of Daisy cottage cheese.

Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie Oatmeal

October 17, 2014 by Christine Skari

There aren’t many breakfasts that can make me swoon. Not many healthy ones in any case. Oatmeal? Good, but where is the cake. Eggs? Decent, but plz bring me some pie. Greek yogurt? Meh. The only thing going through my head… is my pie here yet?

But this. This is something special. This is the sort of healthy breakfast that makes you feel like you’re biting into a giant chocolate chip oat cookie. I busted out this recipe on a whim as an adaptation to my Baked Honey Berry Oat recipe (which has rave reviews) early Monday morning, and it was gone within an hour. I didn’t even get a chance to photograph it the firs time around since the girls and I stood around the just-out-of-the-oven pan fighting over bites. The combination of the warm and comforting spiced oats coupled with melty-chocolate chips covering the top is absolutely divine and doesn’t leave my sweet-tooth wanting. Add in a freshly brewed cup of coffee to sip on and you are in h-e-a-v-e-n!

One thing I love about this recipe is how customizable it is. You are in total control and can’t really go wrong with the base recipe. Feel free to add in special touches like nuts (walnuts in here would be fantastic), coconut flakes, dried fruit, etc. The world is your oyster!

This recipe clocks in at just under 250 calorie per 1/6th of the pan (aka a huge slice).

New favorite breakfast? I think yeeeesss.