Healthy Dessert Series-Pt. 1

Since I am always looking for alternatives to stuffing my face full of Oreos, Ben and Jerry's, and donuts, I have done quite a bit of experimenting with some recipes.

Not all of my recipes are fantastic, but some of them really hit the spot. Mainly these come together because I need to use something up or I want to see how certain flavors will mesh. 

I purchased two sets of popsicles molds. One I got at Dollar Tree and another on Amazon here.

I like having two different sets, one with four popsicles and the other with six. This makes it easy to break up the recipes to fit the calories that I am looking for. 

I am really bad about taking photos or doing anything even slightly professional, but I'm hoping just the recipe will inspire you. 

My main inspiration for these first two recipes I'm sharing came from my love of Yasso bars. They are so super good, but pretty expensive ($3.98 for 4 at Walmart), so I was looking for something a bit more budget friendly.

Most of the items can be swapped out with different brands, but it may change the nutritional information slightly. I build my recipes in MyFitnessPal and it is super easy. 

I found some Cookie Dough Bites and Birthday Cake Cookie Dough Bites at Dollar Tree that looked delicious, the rest was just trial and error. You could always swap these out for some dark chocolate chips or crushed up cookies, really the choice is up to you!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt Bars

Serves 4; can be changed to 6 servings to fit in your mold

Ingredients:

6 oz Plain Greek Yogurt-I used Harris Teeter brand

1 package Cookie Dough bites

7 oz Fat Free Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

1-2 oz milk of your choice

Method: 

Mix all ingredients together, the milk will help the items blend together. Pour mix into the popsicle mold and freeze overnight remove and store in the freezer. To remove, place the molds in lukewarm water to the top of the mold and wiggle to release. I store mine in quart size bags which works perfectly.

Chocolate Birthday Cake Popsicles:

Serves 6; but can be adjusted to fit your needs

Ingredients:

8 oz Plain Greek Yogurt

4 oz Fat Free Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

2 tbsp Ghiradelli Unsweetened Cocoa

1 package Cupcake Bites with Sprinkles

Method:

Mix all ingredients together and spoon into popsicle mold. Freeze overnight then remove from mold and store in the freezer. 

Aldi Haul #1

Oh Aldi. I've recently re-discovered how much I love shopping here. And my wallet agrees. I'm here to bust the myth that eating healthfully has to be expensive. Now, I don't do all of my shopping at Aldi, since there are a few treats and certain things I enjoy that Aldi doesn't offer. I have found that I can get most everything that we eat there. I am picky about how certain things taste and a few items, the Greek yogurt mainly, that I purchased this time were to try out. I do prefer certain brands because they may have less sugar or fat, but I'm willing to try it once before I completely rule it out. 

The food above will last about 2 weeks. I will most likely do a smaller trip to pick up eggs and milk, but for the most part, this is it. 

I plan to do some posts about easy dinners that are actually things that we eat. I tend to post my breakfasts and lunches to Instagram pretty regularly, but if people are interested in those as well, I will post them. 

I'm including a spreadsheet of the prices I paid at my local Aldi, these may vary based on where you live. All of the food pictured above cost me $102. That's crazy! I love how far my dollar goes at Aldi. 

Here's the pricing list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XJ5p1UQPMIal6woPM4CnB61-mrFsP7S-9xM97EoAVmM/edit?usp=sharing

Product spotlight: Ginny Bakes

The more that I've committed myself to health and fitness, the more I've discovered the variety of foods available. Instagram has made me more aware to these companies and foods than ever before and I am excited to be able to try as many as possible. 

Because these products are not always available where I normally shop, I have made a few trips to Whole Foods and have purchased some online when I find a good deal to give them a try. 

I am in no way saying that you have to spend more money to eat healthfully, but I am interested in trying a variety of brands and products as a way to keep healthy eating varied and exciting. 

One such company is Ginny Bakes. I did order these products online because, as a new member to their email list, I received $5 off my order of $25 or more. I did the math and it ended up being the most economical choice and was the best price per package versus regular store retail. 
They are stocked in my local Earth Fare, but when I called to check and see if they were available, as the Ginny Bakes website suggests, they were not in stock. 

Within my order, I did not purchase every single type of product they offer since I was most interested in their cookies. Ginny Bakes cookies are organic, gluten-free, non-GMO certified, vegan, kosher, hand-made, and absolutely delicious. Ginny Bakes is also a family company that partners with suppliers that are committed to being good stewards over the planet.  Another aspect that appealed to me is that the regular cookies are only 50 calories per cookie, so I feel like I can indulge without undoing my day. 

While I do not employ a gluten-free diet, my mother does due to a gluten intolerance. This makes me extra happy when I can find a product I love that she can enjoy as well. 

Onto the actual products. I purchased the Blissed Out Bundle which includes chocolate chip love, chocolate chip oatmeal bliss, double chocolate happiness and chocolate macadamia love. I also purchased one box of GB minis in Butter Crisp Love. Each packet is 120 calories of mini goodness. 

These cookies are CRUNCHY! I am all for a soft cookie, but I love a good, crunchy cookie as well. The flavor is rich and the individual flavors shine through. The classic chocolate chip cookie isn't packed with chips, but not lacking in chocolate by any means. I am a person who likes to enjoy the actual taste of the cookie, paired with the chocolate chips throughout. The macadamia chocolate chip cookies are perfectly nutty and equally delicious. I enjoyed the butter crisp minis paired with some almond butter, which took them to the next level. The oatmeal chocolate chip cookies make me feel like I'm getting an indulgent dessert, but the oats make it feel extra healthy. The double chocolate happiness is just that. Perfect cocoa taste with chocolate chips mixed in. 
Everett tries to steal bites and David absolutely loves these cookies as well, so I know I'm not biased.

I absolutely loved every single flavor I tried and am excited to be able to try more flavors as well as the other products they offer like their baking mixes, bars, crumbles and the list goes on. 
Like I mentioned above, if you sign-up for their email list, you will be able to get a discount on your order and if you purchase a bundle, you receive free shipping! 

*This post is in no way sponsored by Ginny Bakes. I just love their products and wanted to share the happiness with all of you!*

Oh my yum wrap

This is a quick and easy lunch that I make time and time again. It is delicious, filling, gets in veggies, and is packed with protein.
I planned to make this with smashed avocado, but my avocados weren't ripe enough to be used today. So I made the swap for some hummus, which was just as good. Using hummus or avocado is a great way to cut calories instead of mayo. They also contain healthy fats which are good for you.
If you make it the way I did, this lunch comes in around 280 calories, slightly less if you use 1/4 cup of avocado versus the 2 tbsps of hummus.

Here are all the ingredients you will need:

First, lay out your wrap-these are FlatOut wraps, but you can also use a tortilla and spread the hummus or avocado all over. Add some fresh ground pepper and sea salt.

Next, layer about a half a cup to a cup of fresh spinach or any lettuce of your choice over the hummus.

 Add the chipotle chicken and bacon (I used precooked) on top. Roll up and enjoy the loaded goodness.

You could also warm this up on the stove or add cheese. I just choose to keep it simple because I like the fresh taste. 

Baked Oatmeal

I originally got this recipe from Cooking Classy and made a few changes to fit my needs. I decided to use the coconut oil in the hopes that I won't always want to use butter instead. This ended up being absolutely delicious. So delicious in fact that I didn't manage to snap any photos while I was making it or before we devoured it. But trust me, it is good. The almond milk made it just a touch sweeter. I think the coconut oil was a good swap, but I wouldn't know unless I made it again with butter. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: About 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups almond milk (I used unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted 
• 3 cups rolled or quick oats
• 
  
• Directions
• 
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut oil on an 8 by 8-inch baking dish, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together eggs. Add in brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and salt and whisk until no lumps remain. Stir in milk and melted coconut oil then mix in oats. Pour into prepared baking dish and spread evenly (at this point you can refrigerate overnight if desired or bake immediately). Bake in preheated oven 30 - 40 minutes until set. 
Cut into squares and serve warm with fresh fruit or syrup. 
We enjoyed ours with some strawberries and light agave nectar. Perfection! Have a great week!

Today's Makeup and What's Next Wednesday

Today's Makeup by mintedmeagan featuring too faced cosmetics

Victoria s Secret victoria s secret
victoriassecret.com

Benefit blush
benefitcosmetics.com

Benefit mascara
sephora.com

Benefit mascara
sephora.com

Concealer
maybelline.com

Benefit skincare
sephora.com

Too faced cosmetic
sephora.com



This is imported from Polyvore.com, which makes it easy to organize and display outfits to share with others. I love design and this makes it very simple to organize your ideas. 

I am so incredibly sore today it's comical. This ballet boot camp is kicking my butt. 
I'll be posting one of my favorite dinner recipes this week. It's chicken sausage and green beans, but with some fun twists. It's healthy and super easy to make quickly. 

What questions do you have for me? Ask anything! What types of posts would you like to see?

High Five for Friday

1. I'm not a lipstick wearing girl, but sometimes it makes all the difference.
2. Trying something new with my eyeliner. I don't usually wear it on my bottom water line.
3. Yes that little beauty is from my first ever photo shoot.
4. New flats. You can find them here.
5. Love having healthy food in the house. Yummy.