Yippee!
It’s Monday & I’ve got loads of good stuff to share–an easy peasy yum cookie recipe that uses PB2 powder (per your request!–& is less than 100 calories per cookie), why I love yoga, how to love your size no matter what, as well as some of my fave finds from across the www from this past week.
First.
Let’s start with yoga.
Rebecca, a bring joy reader & the talented lady behind the blog Strength & Sunshine, invited me over to her space to guest post today.
Not only is Rebecca pretty amazing because she is passionate about yoga, fitness, good eats (she’s veg-heavy & gluten-free), she wows me with her work ethic & commitment to sharing with her readers.
She began her blog less than a year ago, & since then has been blogging 5 days a week.
In addition, she’s finishing up her senior year of high school–that’s right, she was 5 years old when I was her age–yet she finds time to run a daily blog among all her other activities. Wowzers.
On her blog today I share my yoga story & why I think yoga’s not going anywhere anytime soon, plus 10 reasons why I love yoga.
Check it out, here.
(And if you have time, leave a note to Rebecca letting her know how awesome she is!)
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How to love your size, no matter what
We’ve talked body image quite a bit, particularly in this post–Is it possible to lose weight without resorting back to disordered eating? as well as in my curves post.
You also know that I’m in the process of losing the 50+ extra pounds of fat I gained during my last pregnancy due in part to the fact that I always gain a lot of weight during pregnancy coupled with my gestational diabetes.
(I’ve lost 27 pounds so far, about 30 more to go to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight–hooray!)
Something I haven’t talked much about is the in between process. You know–when you’re in between sizes & nothing really fits & you don’t want to have to go buy a whole new wardrobe only to have it not fit in a few months once you lose all the weight.
A month or two ago, I discovered a fabulous book on the clearance rack at Barnes & Noble–How to Never Look Fat Again: over 1,000 ways to dress thinner without dieting (you can get it on Amazon for just $6, plus free shipping if you have a Prime membership).
The title alone had me intrigued, & since it was only $2, I bought it (I’m a sucker for sales, what can I say). I know it sounds gimicky, but it really is a revolutionary book. The author, Charla Krupp, argues that women need to stop wearing clothes that don’t fit, don’t flatter, & make them feel frumpy & fat. She outlines what every body type needs to wear (she calls them “fat-free clothes”) to feel their best.
I love the premise behind this book, because–it’s true!
Too often we feel fat, or think we look fat, when in reality there is nothing *wrong* with us or our bodies, we’re just wearing horrible fitting clothing, or clothing that is no good for our body type.
Since I’m pear-shaped, I need to stick with solid, dark colors on the bottom & keep the prints for up top. Right now I’m a size 12–when I lose the rest/most of my baby weight I’ll be somewhere in the 4/6/8 range depending on the piece & brand of clothing–and honestly, when I wear the right clothes (like this outfit), I feel pretty fabulous, even though I’m not back to my pre-pregnancy weight yet.
This outfit is a perfect example of what Karla would call a “fat-free” outfit (photo taken yesterday, FYI). Flattering in all the right areas. And, I feel great in this outfit. You can’t deny when you feel good about what you’re wearing, you feel more comfortable in your own skin & it shows.
Check out Karla’s book–it will help you find the clothes that help you feel & look your best self, no matter your size/shape.
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A fab cookbook to put on your “want” list
Have you ever heard of the blender girl (ie. Tess Masters)?
She has a new book out–it looks incredible! Lots of super simple, blender-friendly recipes (you know that’s totally my style)–all vegan & gluten-free.
If you’re interested in knowing more, Gena of Choosing Raw has a review of it, plus shares a recipe from the cookbook, chai rice pudding, here.
{You can get The Blender Girl cookbook on Amazon, for only $11.98, here.}
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More good stuff to check out:
(you know, in your “free” time 😉 )
♥ Easter’s this weekend! Looking for some veg-spiration? Richa has compiled 25 Easter-themed recipes, so no excuses–you’ve got lots of recipes to choose from for your Easter brunch/dinner this weekend.
♥ You know I love coconut oil not just in my cookies, but on my face as well. Here are a few other uses for the good stuff.
♥ And, holy cow. My fave, fave podcast of all time is no longer on public radio. (*sniffle*)
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brilliant recipes to pin:
all recipes vegan + gluten-free
peanut butter brownie cookies
(maybe this is a recipe that could also utilize PB2 powder?)
strawberry creme truffles
(oh my. oh my.)
taco casserole
(the Mexican vegan version of the 1950’s brilliant invention)
grilled aspargus spring salad with meyer lemon vinaigrette
(asparagus will be in season soon–put this on your list to make!)
asparagus & edamame salad w/ lime miso dressing
(another asparagus recipe for your arsenal)
roasted carrot & miso chickpea spread
(a frugal way to use leftover soup!)
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Recipe time!
A dear bring joy reader, Kristin, made my low-cal siracha peanut sesame noodles & let me know she’d love to see more recipes & ideas for PB2 powder (one of my 5 foodie finds from Friday’s post).
So Kristin, & all you PB2 lovers, this one’s for you.
(And am I the only one who loves to eat oatmeal topped with peanut butter & sliced bananas? This is that, in a cookie.)
The banana helps to lighten the recipe (replaces some of the oil), but it’s also a way to make the recipe a bit more frugal (remember my 10 tips for frugal baking?), since a banana is cheaper than a 1/2 cup of coconut oil.
If you don’t want the banana flavor, you can omit the banana & use 3/4 cup + 2 TBS. total coconut oil, but that will bump up the total fat & calorie count as well as make this recipe a bit more pricey.
a lightened up blend of oats, peanut butter & bananas in a cookie -- vegan + gluten-free
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. agave
- 3/4 c. coconut sugar
- 1 TBS. blackstrap molasses
- 1/4 c. ground flax seed
- 1/3 c. almond milk
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 c. coconut oil (room temperature, not melted)
- 1 medium ripe (ie. "spotty") banana (about 1/2 cup mashed)
- 1/3 c. + 2 TBS. PB2 powder (plain or chocolate)
- 1 c. white rice flour
- 1/2 c. buckwheat flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 3 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- In a standing electric mixer or food processor, blend agave, coconut sugar, molasses, flaxseed, milk, & vanilla. Blend until smooth.
- Add coconut oil, mashed banana, & PB2 powder. Process until smooth.
- Sift flours (I make my flours from whole buckwheat groats & white rice using my Blendtec) with baking powder & baking soda. Add rolled oats & stir.
- By hand, mix flour into wet mixture, until all flour is incorporated into wet mixture. The dough should be thick & firm, but still a little sticky.
- Using a medium cookie scoop scoop dough onto baking stone. For these cookies, a baking stone is preferred because it bakes the cookies more evenly & doesn't dry them out like a traditional cookie sheet, but if you don't have a baking stone, a cookie sheet works.
- Bake for 8 minutes for medium cookies, 10 for large. Make sure to not overcook, otherwise cookies will be dry (& who wants a dry cookie??). You want to remove cookies when they still look slightly undercooked. If you leave them on the baking stone for 5 or so minutes after removing from the oven they will continue to cook as they cool. Remove to a cookie rack.
- Because of the high moisture content of these cookies, you'll want to eat them within a day or two, or freeze the rest. Store in an air-tight container until you eat or freeze.
Additional nutrition info: 15 g carbs, 2 g protein, 1 g fiber, 7 g sugar; 3 WWP points
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And one last thing.
I’ve received some pretty fantastic emails from you this past week about various things. Thank YOU for giving me feedback & sharing with me.
I always love hearing from you & appreciate when you take the time to let me know how a recipe turned out or about some book you think I should know about.
On that note, have a great Monday. I have a feeling this week is gonna be pretty great.
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