Peanut Butter (Flour) Breakfast Biscuits Filed under ( Breakfast, giveaway, peanut butter )

And it starts all over! How was the weekend? Ours was good. Lots of teaching & family time. We had our special facebook Body Pump launch at the gym on Saturday afternoon, which great! The music in the new release is really fun. There were four of us that taught (I’m in the upper right, not sure why this picture is so fuzzy…)

 

Josh’s parents also arrived Saturday night and we have been enjoying their company ever since. Josh’s Mom brought me a HUGE new supply of Trader Joe’s goodies (based on many of your suggestions).  On Sunday morning, I continued my love affair with Trader Joe’s Peanut Flour and made up Peanut Butter Flour Breakfast Biscuits. I started with Alton Brown’s scone recipe & adjusted as needed:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups peanut flour
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 6 tablespoons butter (smart balance, earth balance, etc)
• 3/4 cup milk (cows, almond, soy, etc)
• 1 egg (or 1 tablespoon flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, baking powder and sugar. Mix well. Cut in butter. In a separate bowl, combine milk with beaten egg then add to dry ingredients.  Drop by heaping tablespoon full on a baking sheet.

    

Bake for ~17-18 minutes.

These are light and delicious!

And now- for the winner of the peanut butter flour chocolate chip cookie giveaway:

LEA from Healthy Coconut! Send me an email (itzyskitchen at gmail dot com) with your address and I will get your prize out to you!

Have a good Monday!

Cookie Giveaway & Workout Wednesday Filed under ( giveaway, group fitness )

Hi guys! Happy Wednesday. Week going well so far? Mine has been busy, but good. A lot of you had questions about the Trader Joe’s peanut flour I used in my cookies. YES! It does taste like nut butter in a recipe! Its kind of like PB2 for baking. I am really enjoying the product and can’t wait to try it out in more recipes.

Since I haven’t made any new or unique recipes this week, I decided this would be a great time for a giveaway! One winner will receive their own batch of Peanut Butter (flour) Chocolate Chip cookies!!

There are two ways to enter (note: you DO NOT have to have a blog to enter):

• Leave a comment telling me your favorite Trader Joe’s product
• Lave a comment telling me your favorite fall recipe (with a link)

Each entry requires a separate comment to count. The winner will be picked with a random number generator! You have until noon on Saturday, September 25 to enter. Good luck!

And since its workout Wednesday, here is the plan for the week:

• Monday: Ran to warm up, taught Body Pump
• Tuesday: Taught Body Attack
• Wednesday:  Off or short run (I have a race coming up and very little time to run- yikes!!)
• Thursday:  Teach 45 minute Step & Pump
• Friday:  Teach Body Step
• Saturday:  Teach Body Step and Body Pump launch
• Sunday: Off

Packed week! The Body Pump launch on Saturday is going to be really fun because its two weeks before the real full up launch for all the programs. Its a launch that is only being announced on the gyms facebook page. I am eager to see how it goes! What is your plan for the week?

Birthday Wishes & A Winner Filed under ( giveaway, goals )

Monday, Monday…I hope yours is treating you well! What do you have on tap for this week? I am traveling for work the first couple days of this week and then Thursday is my birthday! I will be turning 28! What is your ideal birthday? For me, its the little things that really make the day special. My wishes for this year are as follows:

Lots of time with Josh:

My parents:

 

and my fur child, Frank:

 

I’d also like to go for a nice, long run. In terms of eats, I’m not a big cake person, but instead would love some Charleston’s Cafe parfait action:

 

and a pumpkin spiced misto from Starbucks (I heard they come out on Tuesday!!!!):

 

Other than that, not a whole lot I need :) I may treat myself to a new pair of Ryka cross trainers (my favorite!!), as the two pairs I currently have are pretty beat up from all of the teaching I’ve been doing lately:

 

(photo courtesy of Ryka).  I’m excited for the year ahead!!

And now, for the winner of the Galaxy Granola giveaway….

Stacey from Healthy Life!!! Congrats, send me an email (itzyskitchen at gmail dot com) with your address and I will get your prize sent to you. Thank you again to Galaxy Granola and Fruit Not Fat for the giveaway.

Galaxy Granola Giveaway Filed under ( giveaway, product review )

Hello All! Thank goodness for Friday! Since I am supposed to headed to the Les Mills quarterly today (not feeling too hot right now…), I figured it would be the perfect time for a giveaway! I’ve talked about Galaxy Granola before and how I love their fruit not fat message.

  I’ve used the granola to make bars and beautiful at home parfaits (Maple Pecan Quinoa granola, vanilla yogurt and a pluot):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now you too can try Galaxy Granola:

To enter, leave me a comment telling me your favorite parfait combination. For additional entries, join the Fruit Not Fat blog on Facebook and Twitter and leave me a SEPARATE comment letting me know you did so.  You DO NOT need to have a blog to enter. This contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only. The winner will be selected randomly and entries must be received by Monday, August 30 at noon. Good luck!

Trader Joe’s Crab Cakes & Activia Giveaway Filed under ( giveaway, product review )

Happy Friday to all! How was your week? Mine was pretty good! Still trying to get used to balancing taking care of Kaylin, Frank, the house, cooking, etc. Most days have been great, a few have been challenging. The highlight of my week so far was breakfast with Amelia yesterday.  We ate at Sea Biscuit where I had my first post pregnancy runny egg (YUM!).  Amelia also brought me some delicious banana bread (thank you!!).

I still have been easing my way back into cooking (hence the lack of recipe posts- more next week, I promise!)  and have been enjoying easy cheats whenever possible. One of my most favorite recent cheats was Trader Joes Maryland Style Crab Cakes.

I bought these the day TJs opened and have been eager to try them. They cook up in about 4 minutes in a hot pan. Served with rice, fruit and a piece of Amelia’s banana bread:

 

Verdict? Super fishy…. I think this is the first TJs product I didn’t like!!

A while back I told you that I was participating in the Activia 2-week challenge.  According to the Activia website:

“We make this delicious Activia low-fat yogurt with wholesome, organic ingredients and live active cultures, including Bifidus Regularis®. Activia helps regulate your digestive system when eaten daily for two weeks as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.”

As someone who has struggled with “tummy issues” in the past, I definitely found that Activia helped keep me more regular! Want to try the challenge for yourself? 5 readers will win a set of coupons good for 2 weeks worth of Organic Activia yogurt. You DO NOT need to have a blog to enter! Leave a comment on this  post by Wednesday, August 24, telling me how you would incorporate Activia into your daily eats (in your breakfast bowl? as a side at lunch?). 5 winners will be randomly chosen!

Vegan Banana Cake & Shrimp & Grits Filed under ( Breakfast, Dessert, Family, giveaway, Restaurant Review, Seafood )

Hope you all enjoyed the rest of your weekend. After crashing early Saturday night, I got up early to start into some work work and to get some baking done. I baked up a vegan banana cake using my vegan banana muffin recipe as a base, and made some adjustments to make it more cake like.

Vegan Banana Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon flax & 3 tablespoons water (or 1 egg)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• chocolate or carob chips

Directions:

Mash bananas with the back of a fork and then combine with all other wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined (do not over mix). Add in chocolate chips. Place in sprayed 8” pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean).

  

My parents also came down to take Josh and I out to brunch for our anniversary which is Wednesday (3 years!). We went to Crave. Their Sunday brunch is $11 and includes your choice of juice, coffee (which I got):

tea or soda, an entree, fruit & corn bread muffins.

I got a 3 egg omelet with onion, spinach & tomato plus extra fruit (instead of home fries). The omelet was fabulous and not greasy at all. The fruit was super fresh. Their coffee was just OK.

 

Josh went with Crave’s Big Breakfast (2 large eggs scrambled, a ginormous pancake, home fries, fruit & bacon):

 

My Mom got the Fried Green Tomatoes topped with ham and eggs:

 

My Dad got the Black and bleu chicken (which I didn’t grab a picture of).

Overall, we all really enjoyed our food! It all was cooked perfectly and was filling without being too heavy or greasy. The kitchen did seem very slow, our waitress had to apologize quite a few times.  I would go back….but I would rather go to Charleston’s Cafe :)

It was wonderful to spend some time with my parents and catch up. It seems almost funny to celebrate a 3rd wedding anniversary with my parents who have been married for 36 years and have been together for 44 years(my parents have known each other forever- my Dad was in my Mom’s Dad’s boy scout troop). My Dad took an anniversary picture of Josh and I. I am on my tip toes (as always) and Josh is holding himself up with his crutches…haha:

The rest of my Sunday was spent on errands and work. Josh’s friend Jeremy came over for the usual Sunday night Entourage meet up. After seeing Amelia make shrimp and grits, I knew I wanted to try my hand at it. I made  it for the boys and I enjoyed vegetables and grits. I used this Bobby Flay recipe, but subbed prosciutto in for the bacon and added lots of old bay and hot sauce to the shrimp.   The vegetables (yellow summer squash and zucchini) were roasted in the oven with a little olive oil and spices and were added into the dish. The result:

The boys were raving! For dessert, I heated up some banana cake with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Thank you all who entered my tofu xpress giveaway. The winner is….Stephanie from Cooking Fanatic!!!! Send me an email with your address (itzyskitchen at gmail dot com) and I will have your prize out to you ;)

Its another crazy week! Josh’s parents and brother are coming to visit on Thursday and I cannot wait! What are you looking forward to?

Breakfast All Day Long & A Giveaway! Filed under ( giveaway, product review, Restaurant Review )

Hope the rest of your weekend was fantastic. Thank you for the well wishes for Josh. He is feeling a bit better but is really bruised and swollen.

Sunday morning, I taught Body Pump and then we decided Josh needed to get out of the house. We met up with our friends Bryan and Mandi and headed to downtown Charleston for brunch at Virginia’s On King.

I had heard SO much about this restaurant and was super excited to try it out. Virginia’s has great upscale, southern charm.

Mandi & Bryan:

Me & Josh:

  The restaurant had incredible coffee and even offered skim milk (!!). We each tried different dishes. Josh got the Crab & Asparagus omelette (spelling as per Virginia’s) topped with hollandaise. Josh enjoyed the omelette but did say it was a little lacking in flavor:

Mandi got the Farmer’s Omelette:

 

Bryan got the quiche with a side of biscuits and gravy:

And I (shocking) got the fruit, granola and yogurt plate. Their fruit was so good, so fresh! The granola was ok. I enjoyed the big chunks, but flavor-wise it was just alright. The yogurt was very tasty- nice and tart.

Given all of the above, the coffee, fresh fruit & atmosphere were enough to win me over. I’d like to go back to Virginia’s for dinner.

The rest of my day was spent working, switching up choreography and cooking. For dinner, I made up some more breakfast- Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip pancakes based on this recipe:

   A great Sunday overall!!!!

And now for a giveaway! Have you tried Stonyfield’s new Oikos Chocolate and Caramel Greek yogurt?

I think they make the perfect, protein packed dessert or even a sweet breakfast. According to the folks at Oikos:

“New Chocolate and Caramel pure pleasure-on-the-bottom Oikos Organic 0% fat Greek yogurt flavors offer a healthy, yet indulgent treat all in one convenient snack-sized cup. With only 110 calories and 10 grams of protein per 4 ounce serving, it’s a healthier way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Because Oikos is organic, it’s made with organic milk from farms that don’t use toxic persistent chemicals and fertilizers, antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones. Through our purchases of organic ingredients, annually we support over 180,000 acres of organic land.”

Stonyfield was nice enough to send me some coupons (for free- disclaimer!) to try out these yogurts and now you too can try them for yourself! Stonyfield/Oikos and Itzy’s Kitchen will be giving one winner a chocolate-themed indulgence giveaway package including:

- 1 coupon for a free Green & Black Organic Chocolate Bar

- 1 sample of Numi Organic Chocolate tea

- 1 Dagoba/Eco Lips Organic Chocolate chapstick

- 1 Skinnyskinny real cocoa organic soap bar

- 2 free coupons for Chocolate and Caramel Oikos multipacks

- Recipe card set featuring Chocolate Cheesecake, as well Oikos spatula

How do you enter? There are a couple options (each requires a separate comment):

1. Watch a Stonyfield YouTube video ( http://stonyfieldfarm.com/yotube/index.jsp ) and leave me a comment on something you learned about organics, or organic farming, etc.

2. Leave a comment telling me your favorite way to eat Greek yogurt

Entries must be received by noon on Tuesday, July 27. You DO NOT need to have a blog to enter.

What are you most looking forward to this week? We have another blogger meet up on Wednesday- cannot wait!

PS- HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMELIA!

Sweat Pink, Giveaway & Winner Filed under ( giveaway, product review, Restaurant Review )

Yayy for Friday! I hope your week has been treating you very well! Things over here are plugging along!! Just waiting for the baby bomb to explode .

I rarely talk about products I love on the blog, but I must share my passion for a certain sneaker company…RYKA! Ryka shoes fit my feet perfectly and they have a great discount program for fitness professionals. Recently, my sneakers have been feeling very beat up. I decided to treat myself to a new pair of cross trainers:

and running shoes (can’t wait to rock these post baby):

Since the cross trainers are kind of plain, I was more than excited when I received these awesome pink laces from FitApproach!

FitApproach is an fabulous fitness community for ladies. Please check out the website for more info! FitApproach recently started the Sweat Pink movement. According to FitApproach, “Sweat Pink is all about proudly living a healthy lifestyle. It’s about setting an example for others to follow. It’s a celebration of hard work and well-earned rewards.”

I rocked my new pink laces when I taught Body Pump yesterday! Both my Mom and my Aunt came to class, so it felt like a real party! I unfortunately didn’t capture an action shot, but here is me & bump post workout:

So awesome! Want to win your own pair of shoelaces? Leave a comment on this post by Sunday, July 24 telling me about your favorite workout. The winner will be randomly selected.

After pump, my Mom, Aunt & I headed to Mellow Mushroom for dinner.

Mom & I:

I got a delicious chicken salad:

What is on tap for the weekend? We have a special dinner planned for tomorrow night. Other than that???

I never heard back from the winner of my Attune giveaway…so I picked another winner! Lisa! Lisa send your mailing address to itzyskitchen at gmail dot com and I will get your prize out to you!