Healthy Summer Sweet-Tooth Satisfier | Frozen Yogurt Bars

Hi lovely reader! One of my favorite things to do on a hot summer evening is drive about 5 minutes to my families favorite local ice cream spot. They have every flavor and topping imaginable from fresh strawberries and hot fudge to cinnamon apples and caramel. While this is not something I would ever stop doing completely, there are those days where I still have a craving for something cold and sweet but feel I should probably go for something a little bit more healthy. So this recipe that I am going to share with you is just that! I originally saw it on the back of a box of Honey Maid graham crackers and thought it looked quick, simple, and delicious so I gave it a go.

I was pleased with the end result, as was my family, and it has become my go to for when I get an after dinner hankering for a little dessert. I also like this recipe because it is extremely customizable, you can change the Greek yogurt flavors, the fruits, and add other mix ins such as mini chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, caramel, etc. I made strawberry chocolate chip ones and they were excellent! So follow this simple recipe and you will have some delicious fruity frozen yogurt bars!

You will need: 
-1 cup vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt (or whatever flavor you would like them to be)
-1 cup thawed frozen reduced-fact whipped topping
-1/2 cup sliced strawberries
-1/2 cup chopped bananas
-1/4 cup blueberries
-12 whole graham crackers

1. Chop up the fruits into fine pieces, depending on how big you would like the fruit chunks to be. Then spoon the fruit into a bowl and stir in the yogurt and whipped topping.

2. Line a pan of your choosing (for me I used two bread loaf pans) with aluminum foil with the foil ends extending over the sides. Break each graham cracker in half arrange them in the pan. Spoon the yogurt mixture on top of each half and then top it with the other half of the graham crackers. Repeat this until you have used all of your mixture, separating each laver of sandwiches with aluminum foil.

3. Freeze for 4 hours (it's okay to freeze them for longer, just be sure to let them sit out for a bit to thaw out some before serving). Then you are ready to enjoy!

Do you have a summer sweet tradition or a go to treat? Xx

More Monochrome & Some Spring Things | iPhone Snaps

Hello lovely reader! I hope you are doing well and that spring is in full swing where you are. Where I am spring is being quite the little tease showing itself and then deciding to be absolutely frigid. I am so tired of being cold ready and ready for some consistently warm weather. I wanted to do a set of iPhone snaps to share some insight into what I've been up to. I've also noticed that the majority of the pictures I take and want to share are of food so I apologize in advance if you're hungry, maybe iPhone food snaps should just be it's own type of post.

As you can probably tell I am loving the marble trend that seems to be everywhere right now from tables to laptop cases to jewelry, it is quite satisfying for all my fellow monochrome lovers out there.

When in doubt buy yourself flowers. My roommate and I picked these up at the store to freshen up the apartment and bring some spring to where it was lacking. 

Child at heart. You're never too old for a good pair of Disney princess pajamas. My personal favorite princess has always been Belle. Who was yours?

More marble and monochrome. Like I said, I don't mess around when it comes to a good black-and-white print.

Breakfast in bed on a Saturday morning. My go to breakfast during the week is a Light and Fit vanilla Greek yogurt with a bowl of either Cheerios or Kind granola, mixed with Craisins and diced dried apricots.

And now here's your warning that we are moving into the food portion of the photos! 

Well cheese to the extreme. Tom and Chee is one is a new favorite of mine and every time I see this picture I crave it. They have many different kinds of grilled cheese from a classic and simple cheese with tomato soup to a Mac and cheese grilled cheese that looks fantastic. If you have one in your area I highly suggest it, a perfect reason to go out of the house on a rainy or chilly day and warm up. Also who else feels like grilled cheese and tomato soup makes you feel like a kid again. If you're too proud you can find some "grown up grilled cheeses" on the menu as well. 

A little slice of heaven. I got my dad a Tortuga rum cake as a joke gift after we had been to a restaurant and had the most amazing Rum baba dessert. However, I was highly impressed with how moist the cake actually was seeing as it was boxed. We were quite happy to find that after following the instructions on the box and popping the cake in the microwave, drizzling some caramel sauce on top, and pairing it with some vanillas ice cream that it was delicious! 

What matters in life is not how much candy you get on Easter but how much candy you get after raiding the post Easter clearance candy...

What have you been up to? Xx

Holy Guacamole! | Healthy Recipes

Hiya lovely reader! I hope you are doing fabulous! I've been experiencing about two weeks of constant rain and it is starting to kill my summertime vibes. (I know for some people across the world, rain is a constant, so props to you all, I'd like to think it's more tolerable in some places) Anyway, being stuck inside has allowed me to get a lot of things done, many of which I will be sharing in upcoming posts. For today I wanted to share a great recipe I stumbled upon once again on Popsugar Fitness. Now as you may know if you follow my blog, I have been trying to find healthy recipes that offer a delicious alternative to sometimes not so healthy dishes. So with that being said, I am going to share a recipe today that is a lot lower in calories as well as fat. (who wouldn't want that) If I'm being honest, up until this last year, I never really gave guacamole a shot, don't know why but I never wished to try it or eat anything that contained it. Man was I missing out! Now I am quite the fan of some good guac. My new found love is also a bit saddening because my best friend always claimed she could make quite the guacamole, but of course now that I am a connoisseur, she no longer lives near me. Life. (insert sad and longing face here) But the show must go on! So grab your pita or chips or whatever you like to eat with guacamole and let's begin!

(the original recipe on the Popsugar Fitness website, says that it yields about 3 cups, I did half a recipe and still ended up with more than 1 1/2 cups, so the amount of each ingredient is based on the amount I made)

Ingredients
1 1/2 Medium Avocados
1 Cup of Nonfat Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon of Lime Juice
1/8 teaspoon of Lime Zest
1 Minced Clove of Garlic
1/3 Cup of Diced Red Onion
1/3 Cup of Diced Roma Tomatoes (I added a little bit more at the end for color and flavor)
1/2 teaspoon of Chopped Jalapeños (I ended up adding a full teaspoon)
1/2 Tablespoon of Minced Cilantro
Dash of Salt

First you are going to want to slice your avocado and scoop out the inside. The video below is great if you are unsure of how to do so!

Next combine the flesh from the avocado with the greek yogurt and mash together.
Then add the lime juice, lime zest, and minced garlic to the bowl and mix well.

Next add the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño and mix well.

Give it a taste to see if you'd like to add more of any ingredient, I threw in some more tomato and a dash of salt.

Enjoy!

Recipe Source

What are your favorite summer time snacks? Feel free to share in the comments! Xx

Peanut Butter Coconut Oatmeal Cookies | Healthy Recipes

Hiya lovely reader! The weekend is upon us and I am ready for it. This week actually went by fairly quickly for me, I worked, met up with friends, organized, and got stuff done. The satisfaction of making a list and then being able to cross things off, is something that I will always appreciate. Anyway, I hope you have some fun things planned and get to relax or do what you want. I wanted to share this recipe with you so you can sweeten things up, this weekend or anytime, with some tasty cookies. Now not only are these cookies peanut buttery goodness, they are also a healthier alternative to some cookies. I found the recipe on Popsugar Fitness while on the hunt for some healthier alternative recipes for sweets. I was quite pleased with how they turned out, and how they taste. (May or may not be eating one while I type this)

Ingredients
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup crunchy natural peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cup old fashion oats*
1 1/2 cup quick oats*
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

*After baking the cookies, I think that using a tad less oats would be better, the dough was crumbly with this amount. Maybe try 1 cup of each and then check the consistency of the dough. I had to roll the cookies into balls and then press them in order for them to stay together. After baking them and allowing them to set for a while, they did remain intact.

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375º F

2. Beat the oil and peanut butter. Add in the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and beat until mixed. Stir in the coconut.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the oats, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir this gradually into the peanut butter mixture.

4. Grease your baking sheets and drop the dough in 1 1/2 tablespoon "globs". Press to flatten the "globs" and bake for around 8 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies seems to be a golden brown.

5. Allow the cookies to set on a cooling rack.

6. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

What'd you think? Do you have any healthy cookie recipes that you enjoy? Xx

Loving Lunchtime | Healthy Recipes

Hello lovely reader! It's almost Friday!! Seeing as summer is basically upon us, I know many people want to eat healthy and be active, maybe make good on those New Years resolutions that have been sitting on a shelf for the past few months. So, if you're on that boat, then I'm sailing right along with you. While I was away at school, I made a conscious effort to eat healthy and be active (no freshman fifteen was going to come anywhere near me). Granted walking around campus everyday rather than driving everywhere makes quite a difference as well. Now that I am home though, I'm not walking everywhere, so I am making an extra special effort to remain as active as I was before as well as be aware of what I am eating. Throughout the year I had been saving recipes from various blogs, that sounded tasty and were also rather healthy, so I thought it would be nice to share my current three favorite dishes with you. I have made and liked all of them (I am not just going to throw things out there unless I like them). Hopefully you will too and we can make this a regular thing, I know I love trying new recipes especially ones that create healthier options when deciding what to eat. Enjoy!

This first recipes comes from the "Fitness Magazine" website. It is a Baja Style Chicken Bowl. This dish is extremely simple, quick, and customizable. For me, I like to use brown rice, chicken, corn, black beans, shredded cheddar jack cheese, and salsa. I find that it is satisfying as well as filling.

Baja Style Chicken Bowl
-Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat 
-Sauté 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper, 1/4 cup frozen corn, 1/4 cup black beans, and 2 ounces diced cooked chicken 5 minutes 
-Season with salt and pepper to taste
-Spoon chicken mixture over 1/2 cup cooked brown rice and top with 1/4 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack

This recipe has been my favorite of the three. It is a Grilled Tex-Mex Chicken and Quinoa Wrap and it is delicious! Guacamole, chicken, quinoa, and salsa...yes! I combine all the ingredients, put it in my panini maker and away we go. I found it on the blog "Half-baked Harvest" which has loads of different recipes. Quinoa is a great substitute for rice and I have found that you can get it at around the same price. 

(This recipe is for 4 wraps)

Wraps

• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 pound boneless chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 red pepper, sliced thin
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• Spicy Tex Mex Sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• pinch of salt + pepper

Preheat your grill to medium high heat.

In a medium size bowl combine the chicken, olive oil and taco seasoning. Toss well. When the grill is hot, grill the chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from the grill and allow to rest five minutes. After five minutes slice the chicken into strips. Set aside.

To assemble the wraps create and assembly line of ingredients (spinach, quinoa, spicy Tex-Mex sauce, sliced chicken, sliced red pepper, sliced avocado, cheddar cheese and cilantro). Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Working with one tortilla at a time lay the spinach towards one end of the tortilla, place about 1/4 cup of the quinoa on top of the spinach and then drizzle a few tablespoons of the Tex-Mex sauce over the quinoa. Layer 1/4 of the sliced chicken on top and the add a few slices of the red pepper and avocado. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and add a few fresh cilantro leaves.

To roll the wrap, fold the sides over the line of food and then roll the tortilla tightly up. Place the wraps directly on the preheated grill and grill for two minutes and then turn ad grill the other side for two minutes. Remove from the grill and if desired cut in half. Serve with remaining sauce.

To make the sauce combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Season to taste. Use in the wraps and then serve with the wraps for dipping.

Last but not least is this Cauliflower Crust Pizza, which I found on "POPSUGAR Fitness". The trick to this pizza is that the crust if made from cauliflower, which cuts the amount of carbs significantly! If you prefer a crispier crust make sure to pat the dough very thin, that was the only issue I had when making mine, but it still tasted great!

Nonstick spray
2 1/2 cups cauliflower, grated (about 1/2 a large head)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh basil leaves, optional

Directions

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 425ºF. 

Grate the cauliflower using a box grater until you have two cups of cauliflower crumbles. Place in a large bowl and microwave for seven to eight minutes, or until soft. Remove from the microwave and let cool.

Mix in the egg, one cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Once combined, pat into a 10-inch round on the prepared pizza pan. Spray lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden.

Top the pizza with the sauce, 1/4 cup mozzarella, grape tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bake in the oven until melted and bubbly, another 10 minutes. Top with basil before serving.

Are there any healthier recipes that you are loving? If you give any of these a try, I'd love to see! Feel free to link in the comments or tweet me @NEPlainJane Xx

Delicious "California Granola" Recipe

Hey lovely reader! Today I wanted to share a recipe that I tried last week and thought was delicious. It is Bobby Flay's "California Granola". The recipe is simple and the end product is super tasty. I had said in my New Year's post that I wanted to focus on eating healthy, as many people do, so this granola is a great thing to have with breakfast in the morning or as a mid day snack!

You will need:

• Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 pure clover honey
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin California olive oil

• 1/4 cup packed light-brown muscovado sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins or dried cherries

DIRECTIONS

For the granola: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or brush lightly with canola oil. 

Combine the oats, almonds and walnuts in a large bowl. Combine the honey, canola oil, olive oil, sugar, syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well until combined. Turn the mixture out onto an 11- by 7-inch jelly-roll pan, and spread into an even layer. 

Bake, stirring and re-spreading the mixture into an even layer every 5 minutes, until the granola is light golden brown, about 45 minutes. Immediately turn the granola out onto another jelly-roll pan to cool and stop the cooking process. Stir in the apricots and raisins and then spread the granola evenly in the pan. Set on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Loosen any dried granola with a spatulaand store in an airtight container. 

Cooking Channel

Did you give the recipe a try? Are there any healthier alternatives that you have been implementing into your diet? Xx

Pumpkin Bars | Healthy Living

Hey there lovely readers! With fall in full swing comes pumpkin flavored everything! So of course I want to make and eat every pumpkiny (not a word but I just made it one) recipe that I see. I saw this one on Popsugar and it caught my eye, particularly because it is only 70 calories per bar!! I gave them a go last weekend and was very pleased with the results. They aren't super sweet but are very very moist and delicious. So if you're looking for a healthy festive treat this fall, try this recipe out! 

Popsugars lovely enticing mouth watering pic:)

This is what mine looked like:)

What fall recipes are you loving? Let me know in the comments. Xx