Mint Chocolate Chip Shakeology

I just realized the other day the Starbucks holiday cups are finally gone and it made me a little sad. It also reminded me of my little streak of peppermint mocha days while studying for my CPA exam. I don’t think I could ever get tired of those things. One day I decided I was going to do my best to recreate my favorite Starbucks addiction using my Shakeology. I did the same thing this past fall when I was missing my Pumpkin Spice Latte. Check it out here if you haven’t seen it yet! 

If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up in the morning and don’t want all that added sugar, you might want to try out Shakeology. It has changed my life over the past six months to get me on the right track to a healthier me. So check out my latest creation below and see if it doesn’t just make you want to try it for yourself 🙂

Ingredients

Chocolate Shakeology: 1 scoop

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk: 1 cup

Peppermint Extract: 1/2 teaspoon

Ice cubes: a handful

Optional: Whipped cream and mini chocolate chips to top

Making Shakeology and fun recipes don’t have to be difficult or take a lot of work. Three main ingredients will make this one of your new favorite go-to recipes.

 

Get out that blender and first add a cup of almond milk. I usually buy plain or vanilla unsweetened almond milk, so use whatever you have in your fridge. Regular milk works fine too, but if you haven’t tried almond milk before you are missing out!

 

Add a scoop of chocolate shakeology and then your peppermint extract. The first time I made this recipe I decided to go bold and use a full teaspoon. WOW. The peppermint flavor definitely woke me up that morning haha. I would recommend starting with the 1/2 teaspoon that I put in the ingredient list. Throw in a handful of ice and you’re ready to blend this beautiful creation up. Blend away on high for a minute.

 

Now I’m all about adding whip cream to just about every dessert and since this tastes like it should be dessert and not breakfast, I think it’s only fitting. Top with some whipped cream and mini chocolate chips and prepare to make those around you a little jealous you only made one 🙂

 

 

Baked Apple Cobbler Bowl

It’s a brand new year and that means a fresh start to reach your goals. No, you don’t need to wait until January 1st to make those dreams happen, but it does give us a little push to get up and make a change. I’ve learned that the best way to predict the future is to create it. You have the power to make a change starting right now! Where do you want to be in a month, in those summer months when it’s time to pull that bathing suit out of the back of your closest, or at the end of the year? If you’re anything like me, you’re ready to take 2014 by storm and it starts right now. Today is the day you’re going to add another page to your story.

For me, I want to be healthier by the end of 2014. One way I know I can achieve this is by cleaning up what I eat everyday. I’ve learned every week I can go to the grocery store and buy things from the inner aisles or take a gander around the outside of the store. What’s the big deal? The big deal is the perimeter of the store is where all your fresh foods are located. Think about it.. Your veggies, your fruits, your meats, your dairies, etc. For the most part, these are the things I want to put more of in my body and less of those things in the middle. Now it takes more than that to convince me. I need some yummy recipes to try out to keep it fun!

This week I’ll start with some new fruit options. Maybe it’s just me, but for some reason food that’s served inside another is better. Let’s think for a second, Panera bread bowls, taco salads in those crispy tortilla shells, or ice cream sundaes in a chocolate bowl. Now I’m not sure any of those are that good for us to eat the entire thing often, but this recipe is just the opposite. Apple cobbler in an edible bowl? Sign me up! …or just check out the recipe for the Baked Apple Cobbler Bowl below 🙂

Ingredients

Apple: 1 (I used Honeycrisp, but feel free to use your favorite large sized apple)

Oats: 2 tablespoons

Cinnamon: 2 teaspoons

Brown Sugar: 1 tablespoon

Walnuts: 1 tablespoon, chopped

**Keep in mind, you may need to adjust these ingredient amounts based on the size of your apple. Let’s be honest, I never see anything wrong with having a little extra filling though! 🙂

You will first wash your apple and carefully start to use a knife or melon baller to make your apple bowl. I say melon baller because it sounds like it would be really handy, but I don’t have that fancy stuff. I just used a knife to cut a circle and started using my spoon to remove the middle apple part. When you remove the middle you’ll want to throw away the core portion but keep the rest of the apple! We’re going to dice that up and use it with our other ingredients to make our cobbler!!

Look at that fun little edible apple bowl you made? Ready to make your cobbler filling? Here we go!

Now take these apples that you diced up and mix half of the cinnamon, or 1 teaspoon. You can add this to your bowl and now we’ll make the cobbler topping!

Now it’s time to add your cobbler topping with your oats, brown sugar, walnuts, and a little bit of cinnamon. What’s not to love right? Feel free to add any other ingredients that you love in cobblers. Maybe a little bit of raisins or crasins? Yummy! Mix your ingredients in a small bowl, add a little honey if you want and pour on top of your diced apples. Make it all fit and then it’s time to set your personal baked apple cobbler bowl on a cookie sheet.

 

Bake your apple bowl at 425° for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cobbler topping is brown and apples are soft. Place apple in bowl or on a plate and you are ready to go! Grab something to eat it with and clear that plate 🙂

This is one of many ways you can spice up those fruits and veggies that maybe you didn’t think you liked or could make taste as good as the high-calorie options. It’s time we look at food differently. Eating healthy and eating clean can be fun and can taste delicious. Let me know how you like this and let’s stick with our goals for 2014, one day and one meal at a time 🙂