Cocoa Protein 'Muffin'

Breakfast is my absolute favorite meal of the day. As strange as it may be, I think about what I'm going to have for breakfast while drifting off to sleep the night before. Breakfast is a big deal around here.

In the past I skipped breakfast more times than I'd like to admit, thinking that it was better to avoid racking up calories first thing in the morning. My poor metabolism. Now I aim to eat about 400 to 500 calories at breakfast, which isn't difficult considering how ravenous I am the moment I wake up.

I had been reading about protein muffins on Gena's site for a while now, but it wasn't until last week that I got motivated to dig through my pantry in search of the ingredients I needed to make one. Of course, I didn't have all the suggested items so I winged it a bit and was thrilled with the results. It turned out moist, dense and was huge (major bonus in my book). And on top of it all, the ingredient list ended up being pretty stellar.

Give it a try next time you have a craving for a bakery-like treat without the guilt.

Sidenote: I've been traveling, running and going at a hectic pace this weekend so blog photography is courtesy of my iPhone. Eventually I'll get better at bringing my real camera with me when I'm traveling. Perhaps when I cave and get a more atractive camera bag!

Hope you all had a wonderful long weekend, and thanks for all your feedback on the pies!
What are your favorite things to eat for breakfast? Do you eat breakfast at all?

Cocoa Protein 'Muffin'
Inspired by Smoothie Girl and Fitnessista

Ingredients
*1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
*1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*1 egg white (from one large egg)
*1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I measured and it ended up being just shy of 1/3 cup)
*2 tablespoons peanut flour or whole wheat flour
*1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*1 teaspoon stevia or 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

Instructions
*In a small baking dish or microwave-going cereal bowl, combine the applesauce, baking powder and egg white. Beat until well combined. Add in the chocolate protein powder, flour, ground cinnamon and stevia or brown sugar. Beat until all ingredients are evenly combined.
*Place dish in the microwave and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes on high, until mixture is puffed up and bounces back when you touch the center with your finger.
*Remove from dish, transfer to a plate and top with desired toppings, such as nut butter, low-sugar pancake syrup or Greek yogurt. Makes 1 muffin

Calories per muffin: About 360 depending on the type of protein powder

Happy 'baking'!

Madison

Don't Forget the Pie!

This weekend, among other things, I'm finalizing and photographing the pies we will be serving at our wedding in place of wedding cake. I took an informal poll at the office to get an idea of what types of pie would be the most universally loved, yet interesting enough to capture the taste buds, and I'm happy to report that I think we've found a few great options. Recipes themselves will be under wraps until July, but in the meantime, tell me:


What type of pie would you want to see served at a wedding? 

Madison

Wedding Food

 

 

Scenes from our wedding menu tasting this afternoon. Please excuse some less-than-amazing iPhone photos. They don't come close to doing the food justice. It was surreal getting to taste the food that will be served at our wedding. Our very-real wedding that is coming up in just a handful (6) of weeks. 

We were hoping to find a balance between healthy food with decent vegetarian options and yummy comfort food that makes everyone feel at ease, as if they were sitting down to dinner in the comfort of their own home. I guess we'll find out if we were successful come July!

Tell me: if you're married, what type of food did you serve at your wedding? And if you're not, what is the most memorable wedding food you've ever eaten? 

Have a happy weekend, all!

Madison

Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes

After talking in my last recipe post about my commitment to sharing more healthy recipes and inspiration from my daily life in food, I know what you must be thinking.

Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes? Well, that hardly qualifies as a healthy breakfast. But let me explain.

For a while now, pancakes have gotten a bad reputation for being unhealthy and full of empty calories. But with a little tweaking, they can actually be a great way to start your day. What may look unhealthy on the outside is filled with good-for-you ingredients like whole wheat flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, protein powder and low-fat milk. And topping your pancakes with peanut butter or Greek yogurt instead of syrup saves loads of calories and grams of added sugar.

Since Joey requests pancakes on a regular basis, I loved the idea of mixing the dry ingredients ahead of time and storing them in the pantry for a hassle-free breakfast in the morning when I'm short on time or just feeling a little lazy.

Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes

Dry Ingredients
*1/2 cup all-purpose flour
*1/2 cup whole wheat flour
*1/4 cup protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
*1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional, or you could substitute 1 teaspoon stevia)
*1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

Wet Ingredients
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 cup low-fat milk
*1 large egg, lightly beaten

Toppings
*Natural peanut butter and/or Greek yogurt

Instructions
*In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a second bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined, leaving a few lumps to keep the pancakes light and fluffy.
*Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pancake batter, a 1/4 cup at a time, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, flipping when bubbles form on the surface of the pancake.
*Top pancakes with a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter or Greek yogurt. And if you're feeling bold, go with both.

Rough nutrition info: Each 1/4 cup pancake is about 185 calories, without the peanut butter. Although I like to eat two pancakes with a tablespoon of peanut butter when I'm eating these babies for breakfast. 

My Best Friend's Wedding

Two weeks ago, my beautiful best friend (below, far right) got married. No longer is she Emily Perrel; she is now Emily Krueger!

Being able to go through and celebrate this time in life together - both getting married within a two month span - has been so special and her wedding day was truly the most heartfelt and emotional wedding I have ever been a part of. Not to mention she was a stunning bride. So confident, classy and elegant. Of course, I expected nothing less and I know that she and Brian will be so incredibly happy together!

Pears in Print

A few weeks ago the nice people over at Easy Canvas Prints contacted me to see if I would be interested in having one of the photographs on my blog made into an 8x10-inch canvas print. Why yes, Easy Canvas Prints, I would love to sample your product. Of course, I told them I couldn't guarantee a positive review. Just an honest one.

Thankfully, the canvas print I recieved of my pears with peanut butter and cinnamon exceeded my expectations and makes a beautiful, colorful addition to my mantle. My mom, who dabbles in photography, has used canvas printing many times, so I know how bad things can go when enlarging photos and stretching the canvas over a wood frame.

My photo was all to-scale, the color was true to the original and the process for putting together my print was unbelievably easy. Another bonus was the fact that the print arrived within a few days of ordering it. I always appreciate when shipping is prompt since I'm about as impatient as can be.

Thanks, Easy Canvas Prints! My apartment looks a little brighter thanks to you.

Madison

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes for Two and a Winner!

First, I want to congratulate Laura who is the winner of the Crate and Barrel Giveaway. Laura said...

E-mail me (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) with your address and I'll get your gift card on it's merry way!

Secondly, thank you all SO much for your wonderful suggestions about what you would like to see more of on Espresso and Cream. It was helpful to hear directly from you about what types of recipes matter most in your daily lives instead of having to guess what I think you want more of.

The funny thing is, when I was looking over the content on my site while putting together my brand new Recipage (you should check it out!) I realized that without even trying, Espresso and Cream weighs heavily on the baking and desserts side. And although I love to bake desserts, it's hardly a reflection of what I actually eat on a regular basis or the healthy lifestyle I'm most passionate about.

With that said, I'm going to be making an effort to share more of my everyday passion for healthy, vegetarian meals, smart snacking strategies and the occasional desserts (some healthier than others). And, of course, snippets of my life, maybe even more than before, will continue to pop up as Joey and I march closer towards a wedding a beginning a life together.

Thanks again for inspiring me and helping make this site everything it can be. I'm excited for this mini re-launch! Now, on to dinner...

There are times as a vegetarian that I miss some of the foods I ate before the switch. And although I didn't eat many sloppy joes when I was little, I found myself with a deep craving for them last week. I absolutely had to have a sloppy joe. Thankfully, with all the sauce and spicy flavor it was a dish that could easily be veg-ified with chopped mushrooms and veggie crumbles.

I was trilled with the similarity in flavor of this sloppy joe compared to the original, and how easy it would be to make half vegetarian and the other half with ground beef or turkey, if desired. The only change in the recipe would be to divide the sauce mixture into two pans before adding the veggie crumbles. Then, you could toss ground meat into one and the veggie crumbles into the other.

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a huge fan of relying heavily on vegetarian soy 'meat' products as a vegetarian. However, there are times, like with these sloppy joes, that they come in handy and oh-so-tasty, too.


Vegetarian Sloppy Joes for Two
I had a reader write and point out that worcestershire sauce isn't actually vegetarian because it contains small amounts of anchovies. If you are a stringent vegetarian, leave the worcestershire out or sub a little extra vinegar for it.

Ingredients
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 cup chopped mushrooms
*2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce (optional)
*1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
*1 tablespoon tomato paste
*1/3 cup water 
*1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
*1/4 cup ketchup (I've been using Simply Heintz, which is made without high-fructose corn syrup)
*1 cup Morningstar Meal Starters Veggie Crumbles
*Whole wheat hamburger buns or ciabatta rolls 

Instructions
*In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms, worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar water and ketchup. Stir to evenly combine. Bring mixture to a simmer. Add in the veggie crumbles.
*Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until veggie crumbles are heated through and mixture is hot.
*Serve mixture on toasted whole wheat hamburger buns or ciabatta rolls. Serves 2

Happy cooking!

Madison

Crate & Barrel Gift Card Giveaway!

Happy Thursday, friends!

In honor of the fact that it's almost the weekend, and that I have a bridal shower on Saturday, and that I've been checking things off my to-do list like a mad woman, I'm hosting a giveaway for a $30 gift card to Crate & Barrel.

Pretty awesome, right?

To enter, leave a comment below between now and 10 pm Sunday night answering the following question:

"What type of recipes would you like to see more of on Espresso and Cream?"

Good luck!

Madison

Make Your Own: Chewy Granola Bars

Even though I love my job, working in an office every day has its drawbacks for anyone active and fitness minded. There's the hours of sitting every day and the cravings to be outside in the summer sunshine. And then there's the challenge of planning snacks and lunches to take along each day.

A few times a week I run home over lunch, but many days I take lunch along. And I always, always pack snacks. Granola bars or protein bars are a favorite snack of mine when paired with a piece of fruit in the afternoon, but when I actually take time to look at the ingredient list of many of my favorites, it makes me cringe.

Take, for example, Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars. Snack staple of kids and adults alike. They lure you in with the '100 calorie' burst on the box, but the ingredient list is less than stellar.

I find it hard to believe all these ingredients are necessary, or healthy for that matter. So I set out to make my own, and was more than trilled with the results. Although they fall apart a little easier than their store-bought counterparts, they are bursting with fresh, real flavor thanks to the addition of almond butter, honey and vanilla. And as a bonus, they make your kitchen smell like you're making waffle cones. Doesn't get any better than that!

Make Your Own: Chewy Granola Bars

Ingredients
*1/3 cup almond butter
*1/3 cup honey
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
*2 cups Kashi GoLean Crunch! cereal (large pieces broken up slightly)
*2 cups regular rolled oats
*1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

Instructions
*Line an 8x8x2-inch baking bakin with aluminum foil. Set aside.
*In a small saucepan, combine the almond butter, honey and vanilla extract. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until mixture is hot and well combined. Remove from heat.
*In a large mixing bowl, combine the Kashi cereal and oats. Our almond butter mixture over cereal mixture and stir until evenly combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
*Press mixture into lined baking pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Remove granola bar mixture and foil from baking pan and cut into 8 bars. To store, wrap in aluminum foil or store in a zip-top bag and keep in the refrigerator.

Nutrition information per bar: 195 cal., 9 g fat, 119 mg chol., 180 mg potassium, 28 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein, 13 g sugar

Happy snacking!

Madison

Weekly Grocery Trip

I got an e-mail a few weeks ago from a reader who asked about how I 'whip up' meals from items I already have on hand. To be completely honest, I'm not always so sure myself. However, it usually comes down to good grocery shopping and a little creativity. Of course, having a good block of cheese on hand makes things easier, too.

For me, grocery shopping is the most successful when I take time to shop at more than one store. Namely, Costco and Trader Joe's. It not only saves money but provides variety. Of course, since I live on my own (and even when Joey and I get married) it's important to think about how much you can realistically eat, as well as the shelf life of your purchases. Items like cereal, crackers and bread are sensible, since they store well and bread can be frozen. Same goes for fresh berries. Any that I don't eat during the week I toss in a freezer bag for smoothies.

Here are the items that make sense for me to purchase at Costco...
   -Suzie's Whole Grain Thin Cakes (similar to a rice cake, great for light snacking)
   -Kashi GoLean Crunch! (my go-to cereal of choice)
   -Broccoli
   -Green Beans

At Costco, I also got:
   -Thomas Light English Muffins (one package went in the freezer for later)
   -Blackberries
   -Two packages fresh raspberries (the prices for berries are unbeatable at Costco)

Can you believe I got out of Costco and only spent $36.00?!

 

 And at Trader Joe's I rounded out my haul...

   -Two liters of Trader Joe's Sparkling Spring Water

   -Trader Joe's California Style Complete Protein Bread (5g protein per slice!)

   -3 Fresh Pears

   -Trader Joe's Vegetable Masala veggie burgers (these are new-to-me)

   -Block of Cheddar-Gruyere cheese

   -3 Cliff Bars

   -Container of Trader Joe's White Bean and Basil Hummus (the absolute best)

   -Trader Joe's Organic Baked Tofu (if you don't like tofu, start with this)

   -2 cartons Fage Total 2% Greek yogurt

   -Trader Joe's Organic Split Pea Soup 

Grand total: $28.00!

On weeks when I go to Costco, my grocery bill is a bit higher than normal. However, since I got crackers, cereal and english muffins that will last me over two weeks, along with an abundance of fresh berries, I think it was a great trip. 

So there you have it, folks. My grocery haul for the week. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get to working eating all of that broccoli! I may have gotten in over my head. 

Happy Shopping!

Madison

Meet Our Wedding Party: Part 2

Here's part two of my wedding party post. If you missed part 1, you can catch up here.

{Usher: Luke Hofmeyer, Joey's cousin and newlywed}

{Usher: Curtis Bomgaars, my cousin, world traveler, currently living in Equador}

{Usher: Keith Doten, Joey's friend, currently traveling in Asia}

{Usher: Brett Ripley, Joey's friend who might need to help hold my veil, too!}

{Usher: Michael Jiskoot, Joey's childhood friend (and my friend, too!)}

 {Personal Attendant: Rachel Cramer (on left), college roommate and dear friend}

  {Personal Attendant: Cassie Baker, childhood friend, teacher and newlywed}

{Personal Attendant: Ali Foster, Jason's girlfriend and bubbly, beautiful college student at Bethel}

{Flower Girl: Morgan Hofmeyer, my best bud and Joey's cousin}

{Flower Girl: Peytan Hofmeyer, sister to Morgan and 100% adorable}

{Flower Girl: Karlee Hofmeyer, Joey's cousin and absolute doll}

{Flower Girl: Kortney Hofmeyer, sister to Karlee shown here with her cousin Ali}

{Ring Bearer: Kael Arends (unpictured because I couldn't find a pic on Facebook!}

Coffee Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie

Sorry for the delay in posting, friends. I was excited to share this recipe on Friday before I left to celebrate my best friend's wedding in Minneapolis for the weekend. But blog host site issues kept me from posting before I left and the weekend was 100% computer-free.

Last week was unbelievably hot for Iowa in May. On more than one day, temperatures reached far into the 90's, turning my thoughts to ice pops and ice cream pie. This ice cream pie in particular will be making an appearance many times this summer, I can already tell.

It's unbelievably simple, rich, smooth and creamy. The perfect blend of sweet ice cream and tangy cheesecake frozen into a single no-bake pie. I could continue to wax on about this pie, but really, with a name like Coffee Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie, do I really need to?

Didn't think so.

Coffee Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients
*1 pre-packaged graham cracker crust
*2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
*2/3 cup powdered sugar
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/3 cup milk (I used 2%)
*1 pint coffee-flavored ice cream (I used Starbucks), softened
*1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted (optional)

Instructions
*With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk and beat until creamy. Add in the ice cream and beat until smooth. Pour mixture into graham cracker crust and freeze in the freezer for at least 3 to 4 hours, or until completely firm and frozen.
*Before serving, drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired.

Happy Baking!

Madison  

No-Roll Pie Dough

Good morning and happy Wednesday, friends!

I want to introduce you to someone. Her name is Alice, and she is as sweet and real as they come. Her blog, Savory Sweet Life, is packed with family-friendly recipes and tempting goodies. But what really caught my eye a few months back was the pie dough recipe Alice shared.

Well, it wasn't so much the recipe itself but the concept. A no-roll pie dough? Did such a thing really exist all these years? And was it possible that for all these years I could have been making pie shells without all the grief of rolling and fluting? It appears so.

Of course for a fancy, finished feel, rolling dough still has its place, but for everyday, this method has become my go-to.

Over the past few weeks, I've been testing out pie dough recipes, looking for a favorite. When I opened up the June issue of Martha Stewart Living, I knew I had a winner. Her Pate Brisee, the French version of pie dough, was chock full of butter - a great sign of you're looking for light, flaky crust. And when it came out of the oven it didn't disappoint!

Pate Brisee
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, June 2011

Ingredients
*2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon sugar
*2 sticks butter, cold and cut into cubes
*1/4 to 1/3 cup ice cold water

Instructions
*In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
*With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
*With your hands, press pie dough into a lightly-greased pie plate, working to be sure the dough is pressed into an even layer of thickness on the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Bake per recipe instructions.

Happy Baking!
Madison

Meet Our Wedding Party!

I can hardly believe how fast our wedding is coming up, and how little I've posted about the details. Part of it has to do with keeping the details a surprise for our guests, but some things can be shared without sacrificing any of the mystery of our day. Without further delay, I give you our amazing wedding party! This is going to take a bit...

{Maid of Honor: Emily Perrel, best friend and bride-to-be!}

{Bridesmaid: Ashley Mansker, sister and almost high school grad}

{Bridesmaid: Taylor Mayberry, sister who is growing taller every day}

{Bridesmaid: Amber Kuiper, future sister-in-law and glowing mommy-to-be!}

{Bridesmaid: Kristin Economos, friend and recent grad-school graduate!}

{Bridesmaid: Sarah Erickson, closest childhood friend and beautiful newlywed}

{Best Man: Jason Hofmeyer, Joey's brother and college student at Bethel}

{Groomsman: Caleb Graff, friend of Joey's, newlywed and teacher out in Illinois}

{Groomsman: Reid Velo, friend of Joey's who lives in Minnesota}

{Groomsman: Jake Kuiper, Joey's brother-in-law and soon-to-be dad!}

{Groomsman: Cornell Johnson, Joey's friend and world traveler}

{Groomsman: Kurt Erickson, friend of Joey's, dental school student and newlywed}

Ushers, personal attendants, flower girls and ring bearer to come in a separate post! 

Madison