Bless me blog-readers for I have sinned. Sort of.

Ok, let’s just say there are a few things that I may or may not do behind the scenes of Fitness & Spice and I thought I’d better come clean.

For example:

I may or may not eat protein powder straight from the container. Dry. With a spoon. You know how some people drink milk right from the carton? Well, that’s just gross, but it’s kind of like that. I don’t recommend trying this at home because it may or may not be a chocking hazard.

I may or may not eat PB2, powdered peanut butter, the same way I may or may not eat protein powder…straight out of the container. Don’t judge.

I may or may not swallow gum. Yes, I am well aware of what the rumor mill has to say about this one!

I may or may not have used ketchup in place of salad dressing last night. Not because I’m a ketchup person, I don’t put ketchup on my eggs or anything wrong like that, but because I was out of salad dressing and was too lazy to make any from scratch.

Speaking of salads, Chef Ann Cooper and the good people at Whole Foods are sponsoring a project to put salad bars in schools. Their goal is to get a new salad bar in at least one school near each of its U.S. based Whole Foods locations by January 2011—that’s nearly 300 schools! Check out the Salad Bar Project for more information and see how you can apply for a grant for your school or donate to the campaign.

Now I really may or may not have to back to the confessional but before I do, I need to wish Mom and Dad Spice a very happy and healthy anniversary!

I was grocery shopping at Hy-Vee last week when I ran head first into a Nuun.

And I yelled, “HOLY FIT!”

No I didn’t.

But I was excited to see they were giving away samples of Nuun, these little flavored electrolyte tablets, that I first heard about from my friend Suzanne.

Nuun tabs are great for hydrating and replacing salt during and after a long workout…or any workout for that matter. Here’s what I like about Nuun:

• The packaging -> There’s not a lot of packaging like other sports drinks so you can feel better about your carbon footprint while you’re pounding out miles of your own footprints.
• The nutrients -> No sugar added! And there are only 6 calories and less than 1 carb per tablet. Nuun also contains electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium)  and  a small amount of Vitamin C to help prevent cramping.
• The variety -> There are a lot of flavors to choose from. So far I’ve tried the Citrus Fruit and Tri-berry is up next!
• The taste -> Quite refreshing and not too sweet.

Now I really must go grab some water and a Nuun…after only having this stuff for a few days, it’s already becoming a habit!

A foodie I am not.

However, I love to take amazing recipes and give them a healthy shake. Are some of my creations worthy of being in Gourmet Magazine or Cooking Light? Um, heck no. But do they satisfy my cravings for the full calorie versions? Um, HECK YES!

So when I ran across a bag of Stevia Extract In the Raw last week at the grocery store last week I scooped it up and couldn’t wait to hit the Fitness & Spice test kitchen. Lucky for me on the same day Justin’s Nutbutter sent me a generous supply of their products so I grabbed a bowl and came up with…

Muffins Elvis Would Love Without the Fluff

• 1/2 (really ripe) banana
• 1/4 cup Stevia Extract in the Raw
• 1/2 cup nut butter (I used Justin’s Honey Almond Butter)
• 1/8 t baking soda
• Dash of salt

Mash banana until smooth and stir in Stevia. Add the nut butter, baking soda, and salt and stir until all ingredients are combined. Pour into mini muffin tins prepared with non-stick spray or cupcake liners. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

This recipe makes about 8-10 mini muffins but I’m sure you can double or triple this recipe with ease. Oh, and if you want to make them raw, just omit the baking soda and the baking of course.

Simple enough, right? Thank you, thank you very much!

Now I really must go grab a muffin and hit the gym…it’s now or never!

I am inspired by everyday athletes like you, and these two beauties as my Grandmother would say.

Grab a glass of water and some popcorn and take a look…

This video makes me want to go the extra mile this week, how about you?

Now I really must go return the movie and run like a (grand)mother!

When I bit into my first peanut butter with white chocolate chip cookie from The Protein Bakery, I ran to Twitter and declared:

The Protein Bakery is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy! -@joannasutter

And then I took another bite, had a sip of coffee, grabbed my Blackberry and sent photos of these guiltless goodies to all of my Blackberry Messenger contacts. And then I made a few phone calls. It was that kind of moment.

And don’t even get me started about their Black and White Brownies. Well…since you asked, I’ll give you my one word description of these freshly-baked brownies: Nirvana!

The Protein Bakery bakes a wide assortment of all-natural, wheat-free, trans-fat-free, and protein-packed cookies, brownies, and blondies. And the good news is they are all available online at www.proteinbakery.com.

And the great news?! The Protein Bakery is now a client of mine. I’ll be helping them spread the good word about their healthier-for-you treats and introducing them to more gyms, coffee shops, restaurants, corporations, you name it! No really, you name it…if you have a business (like where you work, workout, shop, eat, drink, or hang out) that you’d like to see carry The Protein Bakery product sweet, I mean, suite, please let me know and I’ll do what I can to make it happen!

Now I really must go back to work…it’s a crummy job but somebody’s got to do it!

I don’t like to point out mistakes made on other websites because that’s just not classy. BUT when the FoodNetwork posted this article yesterday titled 50 After-School Snacks, I was like,

“Say what? I’d serve at least 49 and a half of those snacks to my kids before, during, and after school.”

That is, if I had kids. But I don’t so I just made myself some homemade granola inspired by one of those 50 simply delicious FoodNetwork recipes:

Mix 3 cups rolled oats, 1 cup mixed seeds, 1 cup chopped mixed nuts, 1/4 cup shredded coconut and a pinch each of salt and cinnamon. Toss with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 3 tablespoons honey. Spread on a baking sheet and bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees F, tossing. Cool; stir in 2 cups mixed dried fruit.

Only I didn’t have any mixed nuts or dried fruit so I did some kitchen improv. I added flax seeds, frozen blueberries that I just baked right into the mix and didn’t bother to thaw first, and, you guessed it, I added about 3 tablespoons of protein powder for good measure.

And, if I had kids I’d probably let them help me make the next batch and I’d let them eat it as an anytime of day snack…if they promised to leave some for their mother.

Now I really must go get ready for show-and-tell the FoodNetwork that their granola rocks…even though it’s full of flakes!

I always tell people that in my next life I want to come back as a man that way I can eat more and spend less time on my hair. You would cry if you knew how long it takes me to dry my hair, it’s ridiculous, isn’t it, Matt? But enough about my locks, let’s talk about my appetite.

I would eat all day long if I could get away with it, but I can’t so when I find tips and tricks to help keep my diet in check, I’m all ears. So when I heard this tip on the Today’s Show about drinking 2 glasses of water before every meal, I turned off the blow dryer and listened closely…

The research shows that people who drink two glasses of water before each meal eat on average 75-90 calories less than those that don’t. Hmmm…I eat several times a day so those calories could really add up quickly.

Now I really must go finish drying my hair and see what’s on tap for today!

One year ago one of my favorite workout accessories of all time welcomed into the world a baby, fitbook junior!

fitbook junior is just like my fitness and nutrition journal, fitbook, only it’s designed for the kiddos in mind, that and it comes with a coaches guide and stickers. Lucky kids! The cool kids who already have these activity and food based journals call fitbook junior “AWESOME” and their parents give it an over all grade “A”.

And get this, according to a research conducted by fitlosophy inc, the makers of the fitbook product suite, 87% of parents reported seeing a “noticeable change” in their child’s awareness of eating healthier, choosing more nutritious food, and being more active on a daily basis when using fitbook junior.

Let’s recap with some simple math. Encouraging…

Healthy Play + Healthy Food = Fit Kids!

Bravo, fitbook junior!

You know who else thinks fitbook junior deserves top honors? The Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA) Media who announced today that fitbook junior received its coveted Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval for excellence in family products.

I think it’s safe to say the AWARD WINNING fitbook junior is going to have one heck of a happy first birthday!

I say this is grounds for celebration! Let’s make…

No Bake Protein Cake!

• 3 cups dry walnuts or almonds
• 1 cup pitted dates (I like Medjool dates)
• 2/3 cup chocolate protein powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1-2 T honey  (optional)
• Topping of your choice like strawberries, raspberries, or (my favorite) dark chocolate chips

Combine the nuts, dates, protein powder, salt, vanilla extract, and sweetener (if desired) into a food processor or high powered blender and mix well. Press the mixture into a cake pan or mini cupcake liners like I did, then add the topping of your choice. Serve chilled or even right out of the freezer!

Now I really must go clean up the kitchen, put on my tennis shoes, and get ready for my play-date!

If you’ve watched the news lately you might RECALL seeing something about some bad eggs–and I’m not talking about guys like Mel Gibson.

Indeed there are some fowl eggs out there, but there are still some good ones to be found at places like Turtle Creek Farm, right Vita?

But, in case you are in the mood to bake and you find yourself eggs-free you must not panic. We can take a lesson from The Vegans and play around with nearly a half dozen (also know as four) ways to replace eggs:

• 1/2 banana blended = 1 egg
• 1 T ground flax seed + 3 T water, whisked = 1 egg
• 1/4 cup silken tofu mixed well = 1 egg
• 1/4 cup apple sauce = 1 egg

I haven’t tried all of these options out just yet, but I have used the banana substitution successfully in pancakes and muffin recipes calling for eggs. And the slightly nutty flavor of the ground flax seed worked wonderfully in place of the egg in the protein bars I made last week.

Do you have any other suggestions for egg substitutes or should we just go ask Oprah?

Now I really must go grab another cup of coffee and some breakfast…no yolk!

First, I’d like to thank ALL of you for entering the American Cancer Society Choose You drawing. You all inspire and touch my heart. Every. Single. Day.

Second, I’d like to congratulate our winner, Sarah Lynne, for winning our Choose You gift basket. Sarah, please send your mailing address to fitnessandspice@gmail.com and we’ll have your goodies sent right to you.