Mac Attack!! A healthier version even your Mama will LOVE!

So anyone who knows me well KNOWS that good ole home grown mac and cheese is one of my most FAVORITE things in the world to eat. Unfortunately, and I'm sure if you're reading this you can certainly attest to this as well, eating it too frequently is not very friendly for my waistline. So in my pursuits to have my comfort foods and eat them too on this wild fitness journey of mine, I have come across a little recipe I'd like to share with all my fellow Mac and Cheese lovers out there.

Mac and Cheese Lovers of the world... UNITE!! Hehe :)

What You'll Need:

• 12 oz macaroni of your choice (brown rice noodles are great here if you're gluten free)
• 1 1/2 tbsp grass fed butter (I use Kerry Gold) OR you can sub out coconut oil. Also delicious.
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup flour (I use almond flour)
• 2 cups skim milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 cup fat free, reduced or low sodium chicken broth (vegetarians use vegetable broth)
• 8 oz (2 cups) reduced-fat sharp cheddar (2% works nicely)
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 12 oz fresh broccoli florets (I am lazy so I use the pre-cut kind in the steam bag)
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (crunching up a few Melba Toast crackers works really great here)
• cooking spray

What You Do With All of This:

1. Cook pasta and broccoli together, according to package directions for al dente (or slightly under cook 2 minutes). Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375°. ***If you're using a pre-cut steam bag of broccoli like me, just microwave that shizz and add it to the pasta later :)

2. In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter or coconut oil. Add onion and cook over low heat about 2 minutes, add flour and cook another minute, or until the flour is golden and well combined. Add milk and chicken broth and whisk, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil; cook about 5 minutes or until the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Once the sauce is thick, remove from heat, add cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and broccoli and mix well. Pour into prepared baking dish. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.

I'd love to hear what you think of this dish. My plan? Surprise the fam and cook this bad boy for an Easter side! :)

Healthy Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwich! What is WRONG with me?!

So here's a delectable little "Friday Eve" treat... I found this on Instagram, and the "chef" is @staysharpbestrong. I don't have a whole lot to say here, except GIMME! :D

What you'll need for the "cookie sandwich":

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup pitted dates
• 1 heaping TBSP natural peanut butter

Blend these ingredients until they are smooth, and roll them into medium sized balls and flatten them out. Then, place them on a tray coated with cling wrap and put in the freezer.

What you'll need for the Chocolate Ice Cream:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 TBSP honey
• 1 heaping TBSP of raw cacao powder
• tiny pinch of himmy or sea salt

Blend all THESE ingredients until smooth. Use a small bit of water or almond milk if your blender is having any trouble making it smooth. Spoon onto one frozen "sandwich" and cover with the other. Freeze for an hour... and ENJOY!!

I Scream.. YOU Scream.. WE ALLLL SCREAM for...

ICE CREAM!!!

Ok, so in my pursuits, I stumbled across this gem... and naturally, had to make it immediately. It just made sense. Every ingredient here could be accounted for in my current 21 Day Fix regimen, so it doesn't count as a "treat" or "cheat." HOWEVER, it sure does taste like one.

I give you...
Vanilla Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream.
(Go ahead, drool.)

Ok... so here's what you'll need:

• 1 cup nonfat milk or unsweetened almond milk
• 2 scoops of Vanilla Shakeology (my shake of choice... nutritionally subpar to none, but you can substitute your favorite meal replacement shake here)
• 2 medium frozen bananas (cut into chunks before freezing)
• 2 TBSP all natural smooth peanut butter

How to make it:

1. Place milk, Shakeology, bananas, and peanut butter in high-powered blender, cover, and blend on low for 5 seconds. 

2. Increase power to high and continue blending for 30 seconds or until smooth.

3. Pour mixture in a large glass bowl and COVER. 

4. Freeze for 4 hours, and be sure to stir every 30 minutes before serving. 

This will create 5 servings of about 1/2 cup each. Enjoy!

Avocado? In a Cookie?! Get out of here...

So, as usual, I was trolling the internets for a healthy way to curb my sweet tooth, and I came across this little number... as I was scoping it out, I thought to myself:

"Avocado. And chocolate... together... I don't know about that. That actually sounds pretty gross. What the hell, here goes. "

The next day I opened the fridge, took a look at the avocado I bought last Sunday that was dangerously close to being overripe, and I tried it out. Mine turned out a little messy, but the taste?! OMG.

So here it is... I'm sharing it with y'all. My recommendation, however, is to enjoy these cold.

What You'll Need:

• 3/4 cup of very ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup of honey OR 1 banana
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
• dark chocolate chunks/chips (I used a few handfuls- I know, not very specific)
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda

What To Do:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl or in a blender, mix together the avocado, honey (or banana), and the egg.
• Slowly mix in the cocoa powder and the baking soda. 
• Stir in the chocolate chips/chunks by hand. 
• Spoon the batter on a non-stick baking tray, and be sure to flatten them out a little. 
• Bake for about 10 minutes, then cool them. Place in the fridge overnight when you are done.

You can also experiment by adding different flavored extracts... mint and caramel, for example. Also, you can add peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips for a different taste as well! :)

Enjoy!

A