A bit of spice...

As you can probably tell from most of my recipes, I enjoy using a multitude of different spices in my cooking and baking.  Spices are good for more than just flavor.  Most are actually antioxidants, so in cooking and baking, the more you add, the better!


Today's baking adventure was a recipe I got from the lovely Jamie Eason (who loves spices as much as I do) for Carrot Cake Protein Bars.  Ever since I started my new job, I have been having some difficulties keeping my energy up throughout the day.  It's so busy that there is little time to drink anything let alone throw some food in my mouth.  At the end of the day I wind up dehydrated, starving, and often with a headache (which makes workout # 2 of the day all the more unappealing).  I sent an e-mail to Jamie regarding this topic, and she suggested making various kinds of protein bars that would be easy to transport and that I could grab small bites of throughout the day.  Like myself, Jamie also eats clean, so her recipes are both perfect, and easy.  They turned out really delicious, but the main ingredient is baby food carrots, and purchasing them at Shop Rite was an experience in itself.  On my left was a mom who asked me if my baby liked a particular brand of organic food.  I proceeded to turn stutter that I don't have a child, I'm just buying baby food for a recipe.  Then, as I was leaving the aisle, with said jars of baby food in my cart, an older woman remarked on the growing numbers of teen moms in this town.  That being said, I was reallllllly hoping these bars turned out to be worth it.  And they did!

Carrot Cake Protein Bars 

 

• 1 cup Oat Flour (if you buy this in the super market, it's expensive.  I made my own by putting a cup of old fashioned oats in my Magic Bullet and blending it until it was finely ground)
•  2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (any type you like it is fine.  I use Elite Whey's Gourmet Vanilla.  I find it to be the least protein-y of all the protein powders I've tried, and it has no sugar, which is a huge bonus)
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. Allspice
• 4 Egg Whites
• 3/4 cup Truvia (I use Truvia because it's one of few truly natural calorie-free sweeteners.  Feel free to use Splenda if you prefer)
• 8 oz. Baby Food Carrots (jars are usually 4 oz. each, so 2 jars.  I use Earth's Best Organic Baby Food Carrots for no particular reason other than that it had less sugar in it than Gerber)
• 4 oz. Water 

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Grease an 8x8 Pyrex with non-stick spray
3.  In a large bowl, mix the oat flour, protein powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt
4. In a small bowl, mix the egg whites, Truvia, carrots, and water
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend well with a wire whisk
6. Pour the mixture into the Pyrex and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
7. Once cooled, cut into 16 squares

 

For any WW friends out there, this recipe is just 1 point per square...full of protein, fiber, and antioxidants :o)

 

 

 

Today on my trip to Vitamin World to re-stock my supply of Elite Whey and Brad's supply of Emergen-C, I came across an Egg White Protein powder made by Jay Robb.  I bought a single serve packet of the strawberry flavor, and I'm curious to see how it blends and tastes compared to whey.  I'm hoping it tastes better since it has similar nutritionals and is also sugar free.  

I will conclude this long and rambling post with a photo of my dinner tonight.  Another variation of vegetarian "chili" made with soy crumbles, salsa, spinach, peas, black beans, water chestnuts, and brown rice served in 2 of the Magic Pop rice cakes I mentioned before.  Delish!