Gardein

I like going out to eat with my husband, but I hate that I can never find much to eat from the menu...I love a good salad, but they always have chicken, steak, or fish on them.  Yes, I order one without it, but then I am paying $12 for a salad and not even getting my protein! 

I am so thankful for companies like Gardein! They have high quality, yummy tasting, and healthy meatless options for vegetarians.  I saw the products in Target for the first time and was intrigued! The company sent me some coupons to pick a few products to try and review.

I always love when they include a hand written note!

It was hard to choose, but I narrowed it down and finally picked three.

BBQ Wings, Beefless Grounds, and Crispy Chick'n.  

Before I got to tasting, I had to check out the nutrition facts.  

Everything looked great, but I really with they had the stats for the sauce.  I am pretty particular when it comes to my food so I usually like to know the macros.  It would have been nice if they had numbers without sauce, but then had numbers for the sauce as well.  

The good thing is that the sauce comes in a seperate packet.  

That way you can use all of it, none of it, or just a taste.  

I tried the Sweet & Tangy BBQ Wings first. My husband actually asked me if they were boneless...ha...last time I checked soy protein didn't have bones...silly silly carnivore...

Each serving is 120 calories 5F 5C 14P.  

The directions said to cook in 1 T of oil, but I ignored that part.  

I just used a little non stick spray and they cooked up perfectly!

The directions also said to cook the sauce in with the wings, but I decided to keep it on the side.

Looks good to me! Gotta have some celery with my wings!

I wanted to be sure to do a thorough review, so I did try the sauce.  

It was really really tasty! Nice and sweet! Not spicy at all which I love.  I thought it was great for dipping. 

The bag has 2.5 servings, but I ate them all for lunch! 

The texture of the wings was really nice.  Not rubbery or chewy at all.  I would be very happy if these were on the menu next time I went out to eat!

Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n was up next.  

These also came with a sauce packet which I decided to keep separate.  

I cooked them up the same way, omitting the oil.  

 These have a very light breading which got nice and crispy!  The chick'n had a really nice texture once again.  My husband even took a little nibble and said that it had more flavor than real chicken!! 

The orange sauce was very good as well.  

It was a thinner sauce with just the right amount of sweetness.  This would be great over some brown rice.  Vegetarian Chinese food!

I ate one serving just like this. 

It was a great little snack coming in at 150 calories 7F 6C 17P.  

I didn't have any rice on hand, but I wanted to try something else with the remaining Chick'n. 

Why can't restaurants have this Chick'n Salad on the menu!? I would pay $12 for this dinner!

I drizzled a little balsamic vinegar on top and dug in.  

This was a great lunch! I loved having all the added protein to keep me full and satisfied.  

Last but not least...

Basically ground hamburger meat.  Except it didn't come from a cow :)

I cooked up half the bag in a skillet on the stove just like before.  

Half of it went on this glorious plate of nachos for a movie snack!

Chips, salsa, low fat cheese, and lots of meatless grounds!

I like that the grounds aren't greasy like real meat would be.  

I am quite sure you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy this bite!

Breakfast wrap time!

This might have been my favorite creation.  Nice and simple.  Soft tortilla, fat free american cheese, and some grounds.  

Such an amazing breakfast! The grounds have a nice, mild flavor.  I like that because you can add whatever seasoning or sauce you want to fit your taste!

Each serving only has 80 calories 1.5F 5C 12P.

So what do I think of Gardein?! I think restaurants need to start using their products so I have yummy things to eat when I go out with my husband!!

They have lots of other products too! Fishless filets, Beefless tips, Crispy chick'n patties, Burgers, and more!! Check out all of their products here.  

I got my Gardein products from Target, but I have seen them at my local grocery store too.  Use their store locater to see where you can buy them near you.  Vegetarian or not, I suggest you give them a try!

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Butternut Squash Cookies

Fall is coming! Fall is coming!! I love everything about Fall.  The smells, the colors, and the food! I know the pumpkin craze always takes over, but what about the squash craze?! 

Butternut Squash Cookies! That's what I'm talkin about!

These couldn't be easier to make.  You will need the following:

MTS Vanilla whey, frozen squash puree, egg substitue, any type of flour, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, and sweetener of choice.  

*Of course you can use fresh squash. Just chop it up, steam, and puree*

*Feel free to try other brands of protein, but I cannot guarantee the same results*

 Any type of flour will work for this recipe.  I really like using oat flour.  Don't waste your money buying it from the store though! 

Just take some regular oats and grind them in a blender or food processor.  Ta-Da! Oat flour.

If you are using the frozen squash, we gotta defrost it somehow.  You can microwave it, cook it, or just sit in in a tupperware overnight.  

I like to cook it on the stove because it seems to get rid of some of the extra water and moisture.  

You could even use baby food for this recipe! 

That is basically what we have here...

Stir in the rest of your ingredients.  

Feel free to add other spices such as nutmeg, ginger, or cloves.  You could also add some dark chocolate or white chocolate chips! Maybe some raisins or nuts? Get creative! I bet cinnamon protein powder would be super tasty too.

The batter will be pretty wet so we are just going to do drop cookies on the baking mat.  

If you don't have a silicon baking mat, parchment paper will work.  If you must use non stick spray be sure to coat that pan very well!

Into the oven which is preheated at 350 for about 15 minutes. 

Ahh...the house smells like Fall wonderfulness! 

Wanna know the best part about these cookies?! Not only are they super tasty, but they are also super healthy! Yup, all 12 cookies for only 245 calories.  

You also get 3g Fat, 29g Carb, and 24g Protein.  

They are super soft from the squash.  The cinnamon and vanilla go great with the flavor of the butternut squash.  

These would be fantastic with a little fat free cream cheese or peanut butter in between two cookies! 

Honestly, they don't even need anything extra though.  They are perfection! 

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?! Cookies for breakfast again! Go ahead and make a double batch because these guys freeze great! I have two bags in my freezer right now waiting to be devoured this week.

 If you have never tried baking with protein powder, what are you waiting for?! It is such a great way to get some more protein in your diet.  It can be a good sub for flour in a lot of recipes too!

I absolutely love baking with MTS Whey.  You can order MTS here and use code KH30 to save 30% Give it a try! I am sure you will not be dissapointed!

Butternut Squash Cookies

• 1 cup butternut squash puree (240g)
• 1 scoop MTS vanilla whey (30g)
• 1/4 cup oats (ground to flour) (20g)
• 1 T egg substitute (15g)
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t vanilla
• sweetener to taste

1. Cook/thaw frozen squash. If using fresh squash, chop it up, steam, and puree.
2. Mix together all ingredients
3. Drop batter onto baking mat or parchment paper.
4. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Makes 12 cookies

245 calories for entire batch

3g Fat

29g Carb

24g Protein

*What is your favorite thing about Fall?

Kay's Naturals

I am pretty sure everyone know how much I love snacks.  I rarely even eat "real meals".  I prefer to just snack all day.  I am also a vegetarian and sometimes struggle to get enough protein in my diet.  When I came across Kay's Naturals, I was thrilled! High protein snacks!! I feel like they were made just for me!

Kay's Naturals gave me a special coupon code so I could browse their website and pick out a few goodies to try and review.  It was so hard to decide!!

As soon as I saw Mac & Cheese Puffs, I knew they were going into my cart.

I was really hoping they were going to be good because I had to get a box of 6 individual bags.  

I really like how most of their products come in single serve bags.  I am definitely a lover of convenience! I always pack my lunch for work so it is great when I can just toss something in my bag.  

I am loving those numbers! 

I also liked how all the snacks seem so have very similar macros.   

Let's get tasting!! That is the most important test for a snack after all.  

At first glance, they reminded me of big Kix cereal.  They are very light and airy which is great because that means volume food!

They tasted great! Lots of cheesy flavor.  

Very crunchy!  These would be a great movie snack! Not really a huge popcorn fan anyway... Two thumbs up for these guys!

I also ordered a Sweet Sampler Pack.  

I got two each of the Honey Almond Cookie Bites, Almond Delight Puffs, and Cinnamon Toast Pretzel Sticks.  Notice the Gluten Free label on there?! Love that!

Up first were the Honey Almond Cookie Bites.  

I took these with me when I went to visit my parents.  Bad idea...why?? Because of course my mom wanted some too! I decided to be a nice daughter and let her try some.

We both loved the smell of cinnamon as soon as I popped open the bag.  

My mom referred to them as "little pillows" and loved the crunch.  I thought they had a great flavor! I could really taste the cinnamon and honey.  Perfect amount of sweetness! They were super crunchy but then kind of melted in your mouth.  We devoured the bag!

More puffs! Sweet ones this time.  

I love how much you get! That whole bowl is just one serving.  These tasted a lot like the Honey Almond Cookies, which is a good thing! Light, crunchy, and sweet.  I bet these would be good as cereal.  Pour a little almond milk on top and you got yourself one tasty breakfast!

Last but not least were the Cinnamon Toast Pretzels.  I was pretty excited for these because I love pretzels and I love cinnamon.  I decided to get a little crazy and try these with some peanut butter. 

What an amazing snack! 

I could really taste the cinnamon and honey! These are crunchier than a normal pretzel too.

They were really good for dipping.  I bet they would be great with cream cheese too! Would absolutely buy these again! 

I enjoyed another bag of the Honey Almond Cookie Bites while working on my blog. 

Two of my favorite things...blogging and snacking! 

 These snacks will be making a frequent appearance in my work bag.  

Ya never know when hunger is going to strike! Always prepared! 

 I highly recommend Kay's Naturals products to anyone looking for a tasty and healthy snack.  

They also have cereal and snack mixes! I have seen some products in local grocery stores.  Use their store locator to see if they are sold near you.  You can always just order online.  

 Be sure to check out Kay's Naturals on all your favorite social media sites!

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Isn't a Cupcake just a Muffin with frosting??

What is the difference between a muffin and a cupcake? Isn't a cupcake really just a muffin with frosting? So I don't know what you want to call these treats... Vanilla Muffins? 

If you use a different flavor of whey and put a shmear of frosting on top, they magically become Cookies & Cream Cupcakes? 

Either way, they are delicious! 

You will need...

Protein powder flavor of your choice, oat bran, unsweetened almond milk, plain nonfat greek yogurt, egg substitute, vanilla, baking powder, and sweetener of choice.  

*You can sub any flour for the oat bran*

I recommend using MTS whey.  It bakes great and you can use any of the tasty flavors in this recipe.  Use code KH30 to save 30% and order here.

You know me, I like to keep things simple! Throw all your ingredients in one bowl and mix it up. 

I really like using the oat bran for muffins.  It seems to make them a little more hearty and substantial.  Feel free to use any type of flour instead.  I do like oat flour for the cupcakes. 

Pour your batter into muffin cups.  I love these silicon baking cups!

Bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes. 

They smell amazing!! 

Now remember, you can make these as muffins or cupcakes.  

 If you want a fantastic high protein breakfast, then these Vanilla Muffins are perfect! They also freeze well so feel free to make a double or triple batch.  

And yes, all six muffins are considered one serving! The entire batch is only 260 calories! Plus you are getting 30 grams of protein.  Can you say that about your store bought muffin?? Didn't think so...

In more of a desserty mood? Let's make some cupcakes! Get creative with the flavors. I followed the same recipe, but used MTS Cookies & Cream whey this time.  

Yes, these could be Cookies & Cream Muffins, but I am ready for dessert! 

Let's mix up a batch of my favorite frosting! So easy.  Just mix together some fat free cream cheese, about 1 T of protein powder, and sweetener of choice.  

I love this as a dip or spread too! So creamy! You can also get crazy and add a little cinnamon, cocoa powder, or some flavored extract.    

Shmear a little on top and you got yourself one tasty treat! Healthy too!

You can enjoy six frosted cupcakes for about 360 calories 5F 40C 49P.

Dessert for breakfast? Yes please! 

You can also make 3 cupcakes and 3 muffins! This recipe is so versatile and customizable! 

Now go make some muffins and then turn them into cupcakes...

And eat them all!!

Base Muffin Recipe

1/2 scoop MTS whey - any flavor (15g)

1/4 cup oat bran (40g)

1 T egg substitute (15g)

1/2 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt (113g)

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (80ml)

1/2 t baking powder 

1/2 t vanilla

sweetener to taste

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl
2. Pour batter into muffin pan using liners or silicon baking cups
3. Bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes
4. Enjoy!

For Frosting

-4 T fat free cream cheese

-1 T MTS whey - any flavor (5g)

-sweetener to taste

For 6 cupcakes with frosting - 360 calories 5F 40C 49P

For 6 muffins - 260 calories 5F 31C 30P

Do you prefer recipe videos?! Check out the links below :)

 Vanilla Protein Muffins 

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes