Just Add Cayenne: lunch

Don’t we all just seem happier on Friday? I know I get this “so happy it’s Friday” feeling, then I get upset for being so excited about a day. Really, everyday should be enjoyed; work day or not, it’s life! I will start to work on that and hopefully have good results.

Today I want to take a look back at the food from this past week, as well as what I want to prepare for the week to come. I will only have Sunday to really cook everything I want, but it will be a good test for my multi-tasking abilities! Plus, I can make it fun and pretend to be on Iron Chef with only an hour to cook a full course meal. Does anyone else ever do this? Maybe I’m just crazy….

*Vanilla Protein Crepes; the folded ones have peanut butter. I want more now!!

Chocolate Overnight Oats about to be pureed to make Overnight Oatmeal Baked Donuts

Zevia Protein Donuts sprinkled with fresh ground nutmeg

No Sugar *Pumpkin Protein Pancakes with Plain Greek yogurt mixed with vanilla extract and cinnamon

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie before going under the broiler

My assortment of baked pumpkin and Zevia protein goodies! The cake on the right is just Zevia Protein Donut batter in a cake pan.

Espresso Balsamic Baked Chicken Tenders with generous seasoning

Leftover Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie mix that I put in my donut tin

The end result of my Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie (donut?) after removing from the donut tin. Next time, I'll use another egg or two egg whites....

*Sugar-Free Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Bread "CPPB"

CPPB slices with peanut butter and homemade *strawberry chia seed jam

*Recipes to come in future posts

Aside from the standard staple meals I cook for our lunch at work, there are a few more things I'd like to make. Some of these things involve using NuNaturals Stevia products (keep checking as I will post a review and host a giveaway soon!) and others are just recipes to try.

I have been craving a pumpkin protein banana bread and will test my own recipe using NuNaturals.

I am going to try making Popped quinoa; I made it before, but want to try it with the red quinoa I have. This stuff is great as cereal or as a crunchy salad topping.

Not sure if I'll get around to it this weekend, but I've been craving some type of meatloaf; we'll see what happens....

I have more plans for baked goods using NuNaturals Stevia, but you'll have to keep watch for future posts. It won't be long!

Do you have any cooking plans for the weekend? If not, do you have any other fun plans? I'm open to any and all comments, so let me know what's on your mind.

Not that I have any resentment towards coffee, I have it almost everyday, but studies have shown that apples are better than coffee at waking us up in the morning. Of course, studies have shown a lot of things that aren’t actually true, so I decided to confirm this myself. The result? Sure enough, the apple appeased my appetite and kept me feeling more energized than coffee each morning. An added bonus is that apples help keep your mouth and breath clean, as opposed to the all too familiar coffee breath.

How are apples able to do this? The complex carbohydrates (sugars) present in apples provide a perk to your body by keeping it active digesting the complex carbs. While working to digest, your body will feel more awake. Another reason for the apple’s sprightly qualities is from the chewing motion of your jaw which aids in stimulating your brain. Coffee’s caffeine is a great stimulant, but is usually shorter lived than the effects of an apple.

So simple, yet so complex...

I have gone back to coffee (and coffee breath) since this short experiment, but apples remain a daily staple in my diet. With their aforementioned mouth cleaning qualities, I usually end my work lunches with an apple…..my co-workers thank me.

If you don’t want to give up coffee (I don’t blame you!), there are other ways and reasons to consume apples on a regular basis. Apples have a good amount of fiber which assists with digestion and prevents constipation. They are rich sources of iron, phosphorous, and potassium which helps treat those suffering from anemia, arthritis, and gout. The malic acid present in apples help to neutralize uric acid which relieves arthritis and gout. The acid content in apples also promotes the flow of saliva and acts as an antiseptic to germs in the mouth; this helps keep our traps fresh and clean.

For all you fruit and veggie skin haters out there, it is ill-advised to remove the skin from apples. Anthocyanins, pectin, quercetin, and other beneficial enzymes are found throughout the apple, and they are highly concentrated in the skin. These nutrients help regulate blood sugar by slowing sugar digestion to keep a steady level in the bloodstream. Total and LDL cholesterol are decreased from regular consumption of apples because of the pectin and polyphenols contained in apples. That being said, a whole apple is always a better choice than just apple juice or sauce.

To help soothe your stomach and please your taste buds, lightly mash whole apple slices and sprinkle with a little honey and cinnamon to eat before a meal. This will help stimulate slow digestive juices and facilitate the absorption of food.

Apples are great as a dessert for the sweet tooth, or as a savory addition to the main meal. With the unusually high level of nutrients found in the skin, it is recommended to leave the skin intact even if a recipe is calling for its removal.

Quick serving suggestions:

Slice and dice an apple and place the cubes in the freezer. Use to mix with yogurt or any type of milk along with granola or raw oats and some toasted nuts. Add a little honey and cinnamon for a great treat or breakfast.
Toss fresh diced or sliced apples with walnuts, goat or blue cheese, and arugula for a refreshing salad.
Core a medium apple, sprinkle with cinnamon, and stevia (sugar if you must). Place in a shallow, microwave safe dish and pour a little orange juice on top. Microwave for 2.5 minutes, flip over and microwave for another 30 seconds for a quick “baked” apple treat.
Combine sliced apples with low-fat cheddar and peanut butter. Sounds weird, but this is awesome.
Saute diced apple and serve on top of pancakes or waffles with some toasted almonds, cinnamon, and honey. Alternatively, you could mix the diced apple in the batter.