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The Perfect Protein Bar- One Step Closer
It was close, but crunchy nut butter won out over smooth 9 to 7 ;) These are important global matters people!
I was up early with a growling belly again today. Whyyyyy.
Something quick and speedy – egg, laughing cow, smoked salmon breakfast sandwich.
Ever since destroying my toaster oven I’ve been making my toast under the broiler. It’s a tricky process!
As a side note – I dropped an oven mitt on the oven element today and it caught on fire. Thankfully I was able to grab the mitt and fan it out. But I lost another year off my life from the moment of panic. I’ll be lucky if I make it to 50 :\
What was I making??
Homemade Maple Cinnamon Oat Bran Protein Bars
- 2 cups oat bran (I like Quaker)
- 1 cup unflavoured soy protein powder (I use “Purely Bulk”)
- 1.5 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 4 packets stevia
- 1 tsp maple extract
- 1/4 cup sugar-free table syrup
- 4 tbsp almond butter (crunchy!!)
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup water
Mix it all up until the powder is dissolved, but mix is still crumbly. Flatten into a 9×9 pan and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
Makes 8 decent-sized bars.
My third attempt at a baked bar and my best one yet!! The extra cinnamon and maple really added some flavour. The best thing about the baked bars is that they’re stable at room temperature, so they’re much easier transport :)
I didn’t stop there though! Maple Pecan Peanut Butter.
Threw 2 cups roasted peanuts, 2 cups roasted pecans and 2 tbsp pure maple syrup into my food processor.
The processor gave out on me just as it was about to turn into that wonderful creamy consistency. Still pretty freakin’ good though.
Dinner put a dent on my overflowing cupboard!
Cooked up one cup dry bulgur and one cup dry green lentils. Then added some chopped carrots, crumbled tofu, feta, hummus, garlic, parsley, dill and turmeric.
This was definitely one of those meals where I just kept adding things to the pot with no forethought. It was good though! I think I may try to make patties out of the leftovers tomorrow. I didn’t feel like doing that extra step tonight.
Kept me full for a while, but not so much that I went without a bedtime snack ;)
Microwave protein cake made up of 1/2 cup soy protein powder, cinnamon, stevia, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 cup applesauce, 2 tbsp egg whites. Microwaved in a mug for 4 minutes.
Topped with some of that Maple Pecan Peanut Butter ;)
While eating this, I was amazed by how large it turned out. That’s when I realized I used half a cup of protein powder when I meant to use a quarter!! Oops. I contemplated putting the other half in the fridge for later, since I usually stick to a regular serving size for snacks. But then I realized I was being silly, and that maybe it would be nice not to wake up hungry tomorrow :)
Food aside, today was my first day of unemployment! Eek! By 8:52am I was already restless and unsure of what to do with myself. I ended up being fairly productive though. Packed up all my clothing, which I’ve downsized to just two laundry hampers. Donated the rest (3 garbage bags worth). Also started throwing out some old junky decorations and things no one will ever need. Felt good to purge it all!
I also hit up the gym with an old co-worker to run through what I plan on doing for my practical exam on Wednesday for my personal training certification. We had to go figure out how to use the weight machines – I’ve never used them at my gym before!! Hopefully I sound like I know what I’m talking about come test day :\
And with that, I leave you today’s Archie picture.
Yesterday it was one running shoe, today he cuddled up with three :)
Question of the Day: Bloggers – do you listen to music when you blog? Watch TV? Do it in silence? I always used to blog with the TV on in the background, but lately I’ve been listening to music and it makes the process a lot more fun. Tonight’s post was brought to you buy the new George Harrison “Let It Roll” cd :)
Odds, Bits, Ends and Bites
Ohwow, there is some good venting happening over on my last post. So happy I opened up the floor to let you guys get some of your marketing pet peeves off your chest! Elizabeth mentioned food companies telling women they can “indulge” without the “guilt.” Ohyes, that makes my blood boil! We should never-ever feel guilty about the food we eat. We eat it, and move on!
Speaking of which, I’m moving on ;) Har har.
I “slept in” this morning because I had plans on going to spin class after work.
But I still had to work hard this morning at clearing out the four kinds of hot cereal in my cupboard.
Today’s poison was cream of wheat cooked with 1/2 cup egg whites and topped with PB&J. That’s only 1/3 cup of the dry stuff. It cooks up HUGE. Me likey.
Then I put my new $20 outfit on! I hate getting dressed in the morning, but today it was fun :) I wore pink!!
Having spent most of my working life in coffee shops, I’ve always complained about not being able to dress up for work. Well now I have to, and I can’t stand it! Sometimes I manage to sneak yoga pants in, or today’s comfy/casual new shirt :)
Dressed it up with the new $2.99 necklace. All my necklaces are big and chunky, needed something a little more simple and classic. The pants are a little big around the hips, but hey, they were $12 ;)
Today I attempted to do the impossible – exercise after work. People are always so impressed that I get up at 5am to workout. But honestly, I am more impressed by people who can put in a full work day then drag themselves to the gym. All before dinner!! For me, with each minute that passes, there is another reason for me not to work out. So jumping out of bed and doing it first thing gives me absolutely no opportunity to put it off.
I was worried about this. I knew my chance of success was low. As per usual, I shared my concerns on Twitter.
This worked pretty well. I didn’t want to have to tell them tomorrow that I didn’t go.
This is usually a pretty good technique for me. I feel like I need to follow through with a workout after that sugary snack.
I raced home to let the dog out and got into my spin outfit asap. Once I’m in my workout clothes, the chances of me getting there are pretty high. Especially when I’m wearing cycling shorts, as the padding is really awkward to hang out in.
And I made it!! Albeit, my glutes are furious with me right now, but they’ll just have to deal ;) It was a regular spin class, not one of the Les Mills RPM ones, so it was nice to change it up that way. Lots of sitting sprints to some decent music.
Of course, I was ravenous when I walked in the door. Don’t ask me why, but in my hungry state I thought it would be a good idea to cook every vegetable in my fridge.
The left side is roasted broccoli, butternut squash, sweet potato and brussels sprouts in garam masala spice.
The right side is sauteed onions, mushrooms, zucchini and tofu in butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Topped with a healthy dose of parmesan cheese.
So. Many. Vegetables. I will have leftovers for days :)
Finally, after many taste tests, I’ve decided to share the recipe for my newest homemade protein bar.
Homemade Apple Oatbran Protein Bars
- 2 cups oatbran (I like Quaker best)
- 1 cup unflavoured soy protein powder
- 4 packets stevia
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp almond butter
- 2 packaged cups of applesauce (I think they’re 1/3 cup each)
- 1/4 cup egg whites
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup raisins
Mix all the ingredients, minus the water, together. Add water only as needed (it takes a while for the protein powder to dissolve, so mix it for a while first). Flatten in a 9×9 pan and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
The texture of these bars is just what I’ve been going for! Dense and crumbly. I thank the soy protein powder for that. However, they’re still a touch on the bland side. Likely because the protein powder is unflavoured and oatbran is well, bland. But definitely a step in the right direction!
Now if you don’t mind, I have to do my taxes. I have put them off to the last possible minute. Whoops.
Question of the Day: When do you work out? When would you prefer to work out? My energy is highest mid-morning after a hearty breakfast and mug of coffee. Even when I’m not working out – it’s when I’m most productive.
Wednesday Waffling
I had a blast reading through the comments on my Outrageous Lies post! It was fun to see what y’all think I’ve done – and many of you guessed right! As a refresher, I listed 5 outrageous lies and one truth, and you had to guess the truth. Here’s what I listed:
1. I read 36 books one summer in elementary school.
2. I won the highland dancing provincials when I was 6 years old.
3. I’ve been to Sidney Crosby’s house in Halifax although he wasn’t home at the time.
4. The fastest mile I ever ran was done in 7 minutes and 14 seconds.
5. I once made a vanilla latte for Jack White of the White Stripes.
6. When I was a reporter, I did a live television hit for Canada’s national news network, CBC Newsworld.
So the answer?? Number 5!!! I did indeed make a vanilla latte for Jack White of the White Stripes once. Actually, it was a triple grande sugar-free vanilla nonfat latte. For any newer readers, I worked at Starbucks for about five years on and off. A couple years ago, I was helping out the Starbucks in Moncton for a weekend while I was in town for a White Stripes concert. Wouldn’t ya know Mr. White himself and his manager walked in wearing black and red suits! They stuck out like sore thumbs in our small-city Starbucks :P I’ve made coffee for a lot of well-known people over the years, but he was definitely the biggest! The concert that night was awesome too ;)
And in case you were wondering, the rest of the outrageous things aren’t that outrageous, because I purposely made them feasible.
1) My record for books read in one summer is 24
2) I did highland dancing as a kid but never won competitions
3) I’ve never been to the house, but I know the person who owned it previously
4) My fastest mile is closer to 8 minutes
6) I’ve done live television hits but never for the CBC.
That was fun!
Okay, on to things that actually happened ;)
I had a tough treadmill session today. I think I actually pushed myself a touch too hard. But I guess I’m never going to get better unless I test my limits!
| Minutes | Speed – MPH |
| 0-5 | 3.5 |
| 5-10 | 5.5 – 5.9 |
| 10-15 | 5.6 – 6.0 |
| 15-20 | 5.7 – 6.1 |
| 20-25 | 5.8 – 6.2 |
| 25-30 | 5.9 – 6.3 |
| 30-35 | 6.0 – 6.4 |
| 35-40 | 6.1 – 6.5 |
| 40-45 | 6.2 – 6.6 |
| 45-50 | 6.3 – 6.7 |
| 50-55 | 6.4 – 6.8 |
| 55-60 | 6.5 – 6.9 |
| 60-65 | 3.5 |
In case that’s hard to read, I essentially increased my speed by 0.1 mph every minute for five minutes, then I would go back down a little and start the increase again. I also did this on 1.5% incline, slightly higher than the 1% I’m used to. I don’t know if it was the speeds, incline or just me today, but it wore me out. Definitely feel like I over-exerted myself :(
I brought something different to work for breakfast today:
Cream of wheat! Mixed with 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder, cinnamon and raisins. The room with the microwave was locked again, so I had to sneak upstairs to my boss’ office to use his. And of course, it exploded!
Gah. There is nothing worse when you’re starving from a workout and breakfast turns into a disaster. I had to scrape the cream of wheat off the rotating plate into my mug :P No way I was losing that amount of food!! I think I need to try it stove-top before I come to a solid opinion on it, so far it tastes like oat bran. But I like that it’s high in iron.
Work was busybusy! I almost fainted in a meeting because I was in a calorie deficit for too long. I hadn’t yet consumed the calories I burned running this morning. Not cool. My body does not like that. I attacked a fruit tray after and the sugar immediately made me feel better.
Now, you’re probably wondering where my morning waffle is. I mean, it is Waffle Wednesday after all. But who says waffles are just for the morning??
After such a long and tiring day, I was definitely looking forward to this for dinner…
My usual protein pancake recipe cut down to 1/3 measurements to make one giant waffle, topped with almond butter, yogurts, heated plum, maple syrup and homemade granola.
Definitely worth waiting for!!! Hands down one of my best waffles yet. I was feeling “off” all day from my run, and finally felt right again after eating this.
I also have some recipe attempts to share today!
Nancy tried out one of my faves, butternut squash fries in this post.
I know a lot of you are sweet potato fry lovers, but I think butternut squash fries trump all varieties for me!
And Jennifer tried out a batch of my Apple Cinnamon Protein Bars.
Except she gussied hers up with almonds on the top. An idea I will have to steal for my next batch ;)
If you have a recipe you’ve tried that you want featured, send it my way! If you’re a blogger, send me the link to your post. For you non-bloggers, It will give you an excuse to finally take pictures of your food. My e-mail is: thegreatbalancingact@gmail.com Let me know if you’ve got any tips or tricks to include as well, different methods work for different people!
Well, I wanted to include a lot more in my post tonight, but today is just one of those days where time is not on my side. I just got back from a friend’s place where I spent my evening making faces at a 10-week old baby. I got to hear his first laughs!!
How bout some questions?
1. One outrageous truth about yourself? I’m pretty boring, but people usually get a kick out of the fact that I used to sing/play guitar in an all-girl punk band.
2. Favourite way to eat breakfast for dinner? Omelettes!
3. Your one go-to recipe. I’ve made this Southwestern Quinoa and Chickpea salad a million times and it’s always delicious.
