Thirsty Thursday: Mock Orange Banana Julius

Happy Thirsty Thursday! A couple weeks ago I was window shopping at the mall with one of my best friends, Beans (Yup, that’s what I call her! And she calls me Peaches.), when she saw someone with an Orange Julius cup and commented on how she hadn’t had one in forever. Needless to say the only thing we purchased at the mall was an Orange Julius.

During our conversation I told her that I knew how to make them at home, which promptly got me a “Shut up!” 🙂 Now, this isn’t something I came up with myself, but I honestly don’t remember where I found it. There are a TON of recipes out there on different versions of mock Orange Julius drinks. Seriously, just search Google if you don’t believe me. 🙂

Recipe for Mock Orange Banana Julius:
8oz orange juice
4oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 ripe banana (mine was definitely past the point of being edible anymore, but really any ripe banana will work)
2 scoops ViSalus protein powder
1 large handful of ice

Start by measuring your orange juice and almond milk in the blender. Next add your banana, then protein powder and ice.

Blend until smooth.

Cheers!

XOXO, Sheena

Thirsty Thursday: Breakfast-On-The-Go

Happy Thirsty Thursday! Sorry for being MIA last week! I am so glad it’s May and that it’s pretty much officially spring in Northeast Wisconsin! I have a very simple, healthy drink for you all this week and it does NOT require a blender! 🙂 It’s not as good as the Starbucks frappuccinos in the glass bottles (but let’s be honest, most things that are healthy are not as good as the fatty, calorie rich version), but it’s similar and still very delicious!

Recipe for Breakfast-On-The-Go:
8oz cold coffee
8oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 scoops ViSalus protein powder
1 tablespoon sugar-free french vanilla or chocolate pudding mix powder
1 handful ice

Put your liquid first, then powders and then ice into a Blender Bottle or similar shaker and shake! (I got my Blender Bottle at Wal-Mart by their “diet” stuff/protein powders/bars.)

It’s that simple!

Cheers!

XOXO, Sheena

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Hey cookers! Happy weekend! I cannot take any credit for this recipe. I found it on Pinterest and the original post is here. This is so simple, healthy and delicious!

Recipe for Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins:
2 1/2 cups oats
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
2 bananas (mine were frozen and then dethawed, but fresh ripe bananas will work too)
1/2 cup honey
1 cup greek yogurt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Start by pulsing the oats in your food processor for 10-15 seconds. And then add the rest of the ingredients.

Blend until thoroughly mixed. You will probably need to use a spatula and scrape the sides if yours looks like this…

Lightly spray your muffin liners and pour batter until 3/4 full. I topped with 3 dark chocolate chips. (I would have loved to do walnuts, but I was out and the hubby doesn’t like them, so chocolate chips it was!)

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until your toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

XOXO, Sheena

Thirsty Thursday: Strawberry Cheesecake Shake

HAPPY THIRSTY THURSDAY! No, I have gone off the deep end! Yes, this tastes like a strawberry cheesecake ice cream shake! Yes, it is healthy! When the frozen strawberries get mixed with the almond milk, you get a very think sweet drink. 🙂 Drinking with a straw is required!

Recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Shake:
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix
2 scoops ViSalus protein powder

Start by measuring your almond milk in your blender then add the rest of your ingredients.

Blend until thoroughly blended and thick.

Cheers!

XOXO, Sheena

Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Hello cookers! I work for a trucking company and today one of my driver’s brought in oatmeal raisin cookies and you better believe those cookies stared at me from across my office…. Tormenting me. All. Day. Long. So I came home and searched Pinterest and Google. I found recipes that I liked, but none that I liked every ingredient on, so I took 5 or 6 recipes and combined different elements from them and came up with this!

Recipe for Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:
*Dry Ingredients*
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup almond meal
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup walnuts
1 cup raisins
*Wet Ingredients*
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup honey
10 dates

Start by combining all wet ingredients except the dates.

Next put the dates into your food processor. Process until you keep having to stop it to scrape the dates towards the blades. Then add your wet ingredient mixture to the food processor.

You want the dates to be completely blended in.

Mix all the dry ingredients together except the oats, walnuts and raisins.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together (I used my hand mixer for this).

Next, fold in the oats, walnuts and raisins.

Lightly spray a cookie sheet and press your batter into small balls. Bake for 17 minutes at 325 degrees.

Enjoy!

XOXO, Sheena

Cheesey Chicken Spinach Pinwheel

Hello cookers! I hope you all are having a good week and that if any of you had loved ones who ran the Boston Marathon, that they are ok.

I tried to find the link that I got the idea for this recipe from but I, well actually my husband, saw it as I was scrolling through my facebook newsfeed the other day. I didn’t click on it, so I don’t even know what ingredients were in that one, but the husband thought it looked delicious and we had guests coming for Sunday dinner. 🙂 Shout out to my dear friend Whitney of Black Little Button and Whit Meza Photography and her husband, Chris, who came for dinner knowing we were going to grill them about a potential life changing choice we are considering. <– I know. Very vague. BUT, I'll share once the decision is made. 🙂

Recipe for Cheesey Chicken Spinach Pinwheels:
2 large boneless skinless chicken boobies (<– that's for you Dad!)
fresh spinach
plain greek yogurt
1/2 an onion
2 tablespoons garlic
~1/4 cup parmesan cheese
~1/4 cup mozzarella

Start by cutting your chicken so that you end up with 4 thinner pieces.

Lightly “frost” your chicken with greek yogurt.

Cover in 2-3 layers of spinach leaves.

Next, mince your onion and take roughly half of it and add it to a bowl with the garlic and both cheeses. Mix well.

Put ~1/4 of the cheese mixture on top of the spinach.

Now carefully roll the chicken up. You want to make sure you aren’t squishing everything out by rolling it too tight and roll from the big end to the little end. Secure the chicken with 1 to 2 toothpicks. Repeat for the other 3 chicken pieces.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Enjoy!

XOXO, Sheena #itswhatsfordinner

Thirsty Thursday: Mocha Covered Strawberry Smoothie

HAPPY THIRSTY THURSDAY! I got the idea for this when I wanted to add something more to my morning coffee. It has now become my go-to morning protein-packed coffee and one of my all-time favorite smoothie recipes! And honestly, who wouldn’t want to start their day with a fun, low calorie, iced coffee drink?!

Recipe for Mocha Covered Strawberry Smoothie:
8oz vanilla unsweetened almond milk
~4 coffee ice cubes or 4-8oz cold coffee (honestly, your amount of coffee/coffee ice cubes depends on how strong you like your coffee)
1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 handfuls frozen strawberries
2 scoops ViSalus protein powder
*Note: coffee ice cubes are just coffee poured into an ice cube tray and then frozen.

Start by measuring your milk in the blender and then your coffee (if using cold coffee, otherwise add your coffee ice cubes). Next add your cocoa, protein powder and strawberries. Blend until smooth.

*Note: Blender is pictured with a double batch because my new best friend, Kyla, came over to talk logistics of future ventures together!

Cheers!

XOXO, Sheena

Parmesan Chicken

Not to be confused with Chicken Parmesan! I hosted dinner the other night for a new friend that I met at a bachelorette party a few months ago and after 5 minutes of her getting to my house, I informed her that she was new best friend! Shout out to Kyla of Once a Month 4 Ladies! Thank you for coming for dinner and the awesome conversations!

I made some variations to the recipe from the last time that I made it for my bestie (Anyone watch Big Bang Theory?), Felicia from Measure Life In Bookmarks.

Recipe for Parmesan Chicken:
~1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
~1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
~1 1/2 tablespoons italian seasoning

Start by whisking you egg with water in one bowl and mixing your parmesan and italian seasoning in another.

Cut chicken into slices or cubes.

Dunk each chicken piece into your egg mixture and then immediately into your cheese mix. You’ll have to press the cheese mix onto the chicken slightly. Lay on lightly greased pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

XOXO, Sheena #itswhatsfordinner

Thirsty Thursday: Blueberry Muffin Smoothie

HAPPY THIRSTY THURSDAY! This weeks post is inspired by one of my favorite things (and most current obsession)… BLUEBERRIES! I ❤ blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins, blueberry/banana smoothies, etc.! Then I started thinking about how I could create a fun new smoothie for Thirsty Thursday incorporating blueberries in a fun way, thus our blueberry muffin smoothie.

Recipe for Blueberry Muffin Smoothie:
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 banana (fresh or frozen)
1/8 cup almonds
1/4 cup oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 scoops ViSalus protein powder

Start by adding the almond milk to your blender first and then the blueberries, banana, almonds, cinnamon, protein powder and oats. Blend on high until smooth.

Cheers!

XOXO, Sheena

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

I’ve been SUPER hesitant to jump on the band wagon of pasta substitutes, but last week when my cousin told me spaghetti squash wasn’t all that bad, I decided to try it. The meat sauce is my go-to recipe for spaghetti and lasagna, and one of my husband’s favorite recipes, so I thought it was the best recipe to try this with.

Recipe for Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti:
1 spaghetti squash
1 lb ground beef
2 tablespoons garlic
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 can tomato sauce
1 can italian stewed tomatoes
mozzarella cheese

Start by cutting your squash in half and cleaning out the guts and seeds (just like any other squash).

Bake rind side up at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. While the squash is cooking brown your ground beef with 1 tablespoon of garlic. *Note: I browned my in a large pot so that I would only dirty one dish.

After your beef is browned and drained, add the other tablespoon of garlic, italian seasoning, parsley, basil, salt, tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes. Mix well and simmer on low until squash is done.

After your squash is done and cooled just slightly (so you don’t burn your fingers), take a spoon and scoop out the insides. This is when the squash ends up looking like spaghetti.

Add squash to the meat sauce and let simmer for a few minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese on top.

Enjoy!

XOXO, Sheena #itswhatsfordinner