Gluten-free Strawberry Shortcake Muffins + GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!!

 it's monday baybaaaaay!

 i spent mine up in the gym gettin' my sweat on and preparing for a busy day ahead.

Houston Sprouts Farmers Markets are having a gigantic strawberry sale this week!!!  the 16 oz crates are 88 CENTS each right now.  all i could think of was how much homemade berry-beet applesauce i was gonna make Dego. and myself. it is SO good, y'all.

thanks for passing on the sale info, mom! <3

so i still had tons of berries left after making applesauce and wanted to bake a healthy treat.  i got a little help from Dashing Dish to create this one and it's pretty tasty! low-fat, gluten-free goodness that can be a great to-go breakfast, a snack, or definitely a dessert.  just add cool whip!

Low-Fat Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

the stuff:

• 2.5 cups Gluten-Free oat flour (i make my own using rolled oats in the Ninja Blender)
• 1 cup 0% or 2% greek yogurt (i used Fage)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Stevia for baking
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• .5 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 cups diced strawberries
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• dash sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

do this:

1. set your oven to 350 degrees and coat a 24 count mini muffin pan with no stick cooking spray very well. NO LINERS NEEDED because they will stick to the muffin. #spoileralert
2. i combined everything except the strawberries in my Ninja Blender! then i folded in 1 cup of the berries afterwards into a large mixing bowl. ***if no blender or food processor, combine wet w/ wet & dry w/ dry. mix together. fold in 1 cup of the diced berries last. 
3. spoon the mixture 3/4th of the way full into each muffin slot.
4. take the 1/2 cup of berries left and top your muffin batter with the pieces.
5. OPTIONAL: mix a little granulated stevia and cinnamon in a small bowl, then dust the tops of your muffins with the sugar mixture. nice touch!
6. bake 20-25 min or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

--->stats per muffin: 32 calories, 1g fat, 4 carbs, 1g sugar, 2g protein<---

i tweeted about the muffins and tagged Sprouts Farmers Market and was elated to receive a reply from those guys!

---

OK. GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!!

i am so excited to be partnering with one of my fave companies: Arctic Zero! check out the post i did for more information on these Fit Frozen Desserts. they always satisfy my sweet tooth while sparing my waistline. LOVE!

WHO wants to experience a chunky pint flavor of their choice in all its chunky pint gloriousness?!!? i'm tryin' to hook 4 lucky Fitfoodiele readers and/or followers up with some goodies! they'll each be sent a voucher to go pick up some of this Fit Frozen Dessert free of charge from their nearest grocery store. sharing will be totally optional!  which flava would you like.....?

what are the rules?  like this post on IG, tag an Arctic Zero lover AND someone who has been wanting to try AZ in the comments and answer my blog questions below. simple!  don't have IG?  just answer the question below to qualify. if nothin' else, ya gotta do that step.  y'all know i keep it simple though. as usual, i count all entries myself, and i will select (at random) four lucky winners bright and early on Friday morning, April 3rd.

we survived another monday lol!  i wonder who Dego gets his hunger attitude from.......  :)

Q: how do you eat your strawberries? solo? in a smoothie?  over yogurt? which chunky pint flavor would you get if you won?  YouTube vid suggestions for me?

le

gluten-free strawberry shortcake muffins + GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!

 it's monday baybaaaaay!

 i spent mine up in the gym gettin' my sweat on and preparing for a busy day ahead.

Houston Sprouts Farmers Markets are having a gigantic strawberry sale this week!!!  the 16 oz crates are 88 CENTS each right now.  all i could think of was how much homemade berry-beet applesauce i was gonna make Dego. and myself. it is SO good, y'all.

thanks for passing on the sale info, mom! <3

so i still had tons of berries left after making applesauce and wanted to bake a healthy treat.  i got a little help from Dashing Dish to create this one and it's pretty tasty! low-fat, gluten-free goodness that can be a great to-go breakfast, a snack, or definitely a dessert.  just add cool whip!

Low-Fat Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

the stuff:

• 2.5 cups Gluten-Free oat flour (i make my own using rolled oats in the Ninja Blender)
• 1 cup 0% or 2% greek yogurt (i used Fage)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Stevia for baking
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• .5 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 cups diced strawberries
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• dash sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

do this:

1. set your oven to 350 degrees and coat a 24 count mini muffin pan with no stick cooking spray very well. NO LINERS NEEDED because they will stick to the muffin. #spoileralert
2. i combined everything except the strawberries in my Ninja Blender! then i folded in 1 cup of the berries afterwards into a large mixing bowl. ***if no blender or food processor, combine wet w/ wet & dry w/ dry. mix together. fold in 1 cup of the diced berries last. 
3. spoon the mixture 3/4th of the way full into each muffin slot.
4. take the 1/2 cup of berries left and top your muffin batter with the pieces.
5. OPTIONAL: mix a little granulated stevia and cinnamon in a small bowl, then dust the tops of your muffins with the sugar mixture. nice touch!
6. bake 20-25 min or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

--->stats per muffin: 32 calories, 1g fat, 4 carbs, 1g sugar, 2g protein<---

i tweeted about the muffins and tagged Sprouts Farmers Market and was elated to receive a reply from those guys!

---

OK. GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!!

i am so excited to be partnering with one of my fave companies: Arctic Zero! check out the post i did for more information on these Fit Frozen Desserts. they always satisfy my sweet tooth while sparing my waistline. LOVE!

WHO wants to experience a chunky pint flavor of their choice in all its chunky pint gloriousness?!!? i'm tryin' to hook 4 lucky Fitfoodiele readers and/or followers up with some goodies! they'll each be sent a voucher to go pick up some of this Fit Frozen Dessert free of charge from their nearest grocery store. sharing will be totally optional!  which flava would you like.....?

what are the rules?  like this post on IG, tag an Arctic Zero lover AND someone who has been wanting to try AZ in the comments and answer my blog questions below. simple!  don't have IG?  just answer the question below to qualify. if nothin' else, ya gotta do that step.  y'all know i keep it simple though. as usual, i count all entries myself, and i will select (at random) four lucky winners bright and early on Friday morning, April 3rd.

we survived another monday lol!  i wonder who Dego gets his hunger attitude from.......  :)

Q: how do you eat your strawberries? solo? in a smoothie?  over yogurt? which chunky pint flavor would you get if you won?  YouTube vid suggestions for me?

le

super crazy late vday post

this was our v-day weekend '15!  my parents gifted me with a Sur La Table gift card for Christmas and i finally put it to use by signing Sonny and i up for a couples cooking class. a tasty, fun, night. seriously!  if you've never done one, do one then! we were on the wait list and got in because another couple canceled.  so V-Day eve we made and devoured:

Spinach Salad with Warm Sherry Vinaigrette

Porcini-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Chocolate-Port Sauce

 Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Caramel Pot de Crème with Cocoa Nib Cookies

Sonny doesn't really do creamy type desserts so i smashed his too. omg, it was SO GOOD. i can't even remember the last time i had full-fat cream so i savored EVERY single bite of yumminess in that ramakin! the creaminess was out of this world. i'm about to sound like a Food Network Star real quick: 'the creaminess and sweetness of the custard combined with the cold, fluffy, whipped cream and crunch of the cocoa nib cookie... dessert trifection.' #AndCut

we were paired up with such a down to earth, funny couple. an #usie was a must, lol.

 they had us cracking up the entire class and made the experience so FUN.

that's what i'm talkin' about. snacks while we cook.

we took turns cooking our dinner,

and taking pics. i was trying to be jazzy for Sonny, hence the heels.  my feet hurt something serious later that night though. can't do it like i used to. and don't even want to most days! man i used to LIVE in heels.

we all came together to make a 'mock' dessert.  they just wanted us to go through the actual steps should we make it at home.  they had plenty of pre-made pots de creme ready for us in the fridge since it has to chill in there for while ahead of time.

she was a riot!

on Valentine's Day, we 'celebrated' as a fam.

Chiso and i decorated some strawberries after i taught boot camp earlier that morning.

we used a 25 cent squeeze bottle for the melted chocolate and plenty of sprinkles!  it's the same bottle i use to freestyle his pancake shapes on the griddle.  more inexpensive toddler entertainment!

then i got the boys ready so that we could go grab some dinner.  one sock already gone and we hadn't even left the house yet! i received a few compliments on my blouse while we were out lol- it's actually a dress that i tucked into my pants from Zara.

V-Day was on saturday so most restaurants were crazy full!  we tried to go to Benihana's with no reservation... HA!  that bombed so we ended up at Whole Foods Market which had something for all of us. Chiso suggested we have a picnic, so we went home and had one while watching the All Star Festivities.

[wpvideo YllPOpRW]

here's my foooood: chicken, potatoes, mushrooms, salad, more chicken, veggies, blah, blah, blah and water.

seriously...why do we even buy toys?  paper bags, water bottles, cardboard boxes, pots and pans...that's all they need.

did you stay in or go out for V - Day this year?

le

these crisps were made for snacking

once i hear or read about a product (usually food) multiple times, i must see what all the hype is about for myself!  this was one of those items- Mrs. Dash no-salt fiesta lime seasoning.  i knew it would be the bomb on some seafood, but....

go ahead and add fruit to that list.  where did i get that tip? the back of the bottle!  paired with strawberries, it makes for a sweet, citrusy snack with a kick of lime spiciness.  you've  gotta try it on mango and pineapple too!

i heart sweet potatoes. i can smash an entire package of any kind of crackers in one sitting (especially gold fish), and you already know how i feel about my beloved cheese.

i wanted something different from my nightly roasted sweet potato!  i bought a wedge of fresh parmesan cheese from HEB just for this, and you can get some at any local grocery store.

so when you put those 3 things together, you have one healthy, low-calorie sweet & savory snack cracker chip thing.

baked, not fried....you already know.

baked cheesy sweet potato crisps

the stuff:

2 large raw uncooked sweet potato, shredded

1/2 cup egg whites

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped green onion

fresh cracked pepper

1 tbsp liquid aminos

1 tsp fresh rosemary (optional)

do this:

preheat your oven to 425, and spray a baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray.  shred/grate your sweet potatoes either by hand or by food processor and squeeze all the moisture out.  don't skip that step! also, chop up your green onion.  add this to a mixing bowl and pour in your egg whites, grated parmesan cheese, aminos, and pepper and minced rosemary (any other fresh herb will do). mix! make tablespoon sized mounds all over your baking pan (make sure they aren't touching) until there is no more left.  press down slightly but do not flatten and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the edges are browned, not black :lol:

serving size = i made approx. 20, but it depends on your scoop size.

adapted from here!  and yeah, i left them in for a little too long but i'm a gigantic fan of burnt cheese so it was ALL good.  had i had some greek yogurt at the time, i would have tried the smokey yogurt dip to go along with it.  i mashed up a ripe avocado and sprinkled some salt-free Mrs. Dash fiesta lime seasoning on top and that worked for me! if you have the ingredients though, go for it: 

Smokey Yogurt Dip (via How Sweet It Is)

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cumin

i seriously only check our mailbox for my mags, that's IT.  

was this issue not perfect timing!?

i paid Christine, my posing coach, a visit earlier this week to show some love by purchasing one of these cute, sexy, 'Pose4You' racerback tops of hers!  i'm so proud to be one of her clients!

what is your favorite food and/or fitness mag? 

cajun crusted tilapia

cajun crusted tilapia sandwich on sprouted grain sesame Ezekiel bread for one of my meals last week. or two weeks ago.  oh whenever that was, idk. it was good though.  i grew up eating deep fried catfish sandwiches on white bread.  you remember those fish fry fundraisers at church lol!  the best.

  i said on IG that i thought this recipe up while i was on the elliptical.  i get some of my very best ideas and recipes while i'm working out. it's usually in the middle of cardio when i have a lot of time to just THINK.  if that's what i need to do to get my inspiration, so be it!

Cajun Crusted Tilapia

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Corn Meal
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sweet dried basil
• 1 tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos
• 1 egg white

that's supposed to be sweet basil on top of the onion powder, not curry. sorry.

do this:

combine the egg and the liquid aminos in one bowl, everything else in another bowl.  with your left wet hand, dip the fillet into the egg white/amino mixture, then drop it into the dry mixture bowl.  using your right dry hand, press the fillet into the mixture, flip it over, and ensure it is covered on both sides or to your liking.  spray your low/medium heated pan with Pam (or any no-stick spray)  if you haven't already, and lay the fish on one side to cook until done, then flip it (about 5-7 minutes on each side.) cooking times and temps vary, so watch it!  *s/n: you can add a tsp of coconut oil to your pan as well, but you'll have to adjust the nutritional stats accordingly.*

don't want a sandwich?  plate your fillet up and pair it with some sides.  i made a sandwich cause i had plenty of Ezek bread to spare and sandwiches are fun to make, eat and take pictures of.

now, about these nutritional stats....i tend to make things way more difficult than they should be so there is prolly an easier way to do this.  i know there is.  and someone will comment on this post and make me feel really dumb.  i'm counting on you.  anyway,  i didn't figure out how to do this before posting and didn't want to wait. i totaled the ingredient list up, then divided it by 4 (fillets).  you never really use ALL the breading when you're dipping stuff, you know? at least i don't.  so you can't include that in the total calories.  you really only use about 2-3 tbsp of the breading, if that.  so the stats below are a little higher than they should be cause it's for 1/8th a cup of breading (dry + wet) + the tilapia fillet. i guess i could figure out what 2 tbsp of breading equals but my head hurts already.  so here are the stats for 1/8th a cup (includes both wet and dry ingredients).  did that even make sense?

serving:  1 crusted tilapia fillet

i love finding ways to eat more food!!!

i got wind of these corn thins via Facebook last week and picked some up at WF this past weekend as well.

i switched sides on ya.  rice cakes on the left, corn thins on the right.

 1 serving = 2 cakes

ingredients for both:

corn thins- whole grain popped corn, sea salt. (gluten and fat-free)

rice cakes- whole grain brown rice, sea salt.

verdict: eat 3 corn thins and STILL come out lower in every stat category compared with the rice cakes.  awesome!!  sure they are a little thinner, but still filling after being topped with some PB2, cottage cheese, or greek yogurt.

look what i found. oh just another item i wasn't even looking for, a yogurt maker!!!

 i actually received this as a baby shower gift.  i sure do appreciate it!  perfect timing.

i was reading the instructions and all that and noticed one of the ingredients required to make yogurt is yogurt :shock: huh? so i have to go buy some yogurt to make yogurt. oh, ok.  riiight... SO, after i google a good homemade yogurt recipe, i'll be trying my hand at *drumroll*

 almond yogurt!!!! i saw some at Whole Foods while i was there and had no idea almond yogurt even existed yet.  the nutritional stats were surprisingly high for one serving though.  i'll see what i can come up with.

guess who had banana pancakes this morning? we all did. everybody. duh :lol:

Chiso tackled his three and so did i.

my random lunch sandwich today:

i just wanted to eat my cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread really bad, lol. i threw some grilled chicken, cheddar almond cheese, avocado and spicy mustard on it and it WORKED.  it fit my macros perfectly, too! that sweet and salty combo can't be beat. i chilled on any fruit butter this time since the bread was already sweet though.

have you ever made homemade yogurt? 

le