Remember the singing sensation Hall & Oates? Well just like Daryl Hall and John Oats I’m going to make your dreams come true by sharing a really great recipe named in their honor.

Allow me to explain.

I adore oatmeal but I don’t always adore how long it takes to make sometimes especially when I’m in a hurry. So what’s the next best thing? A portable (key word: portable) bowl of oatmeal baked into a cookie infused with a shot of vanilla protein powder. Fitness & Spicer’s give a warm welcome to…

Haulin’ Oats Protein Cookies

• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup vanilla protein powder (I use whey)
• 1 1/2 cup uncooked oats
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Toast almonds on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 300 degrees. Combine honey, egg whites, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl.  Mix well.  Add oats, protein powder, and roasted almonds.  Drop teaspoonfuls of mixture onto a nonstick cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove to wire rack to cool.

Now I really must go, I’ll see you maneaters a little later!

I went surfing this weekend.

No I didn’t.

But I did do some biking and surfing the world wide web, but just saying “I went surfing” sounds totally cooler. By the way, why do they call it “surfing” the net anyway? Why not biking, hiking or climbing the net?

Anyway, while I was browsing the net for something new to satisfy my healthy sweet tooth, I ran across a great recipe for some lemon cookies. The only problem is now I can’t find the source of said cookies or the original recipe. But you are in luck because I modified the recipe (shocking, I know!) and I wrote that one down. Here’s the recipe for some really refreshing…

Slice and No-bake Lemon Protein Cookies

• 1 cup Unsalted almonds
• 1/3 cup Vanilla protein powder
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 T Water
• Stevia to taste (I used a small amount of NuNaturals NuStevia in liquid form but any sweetener will do)

Blend all ingredients together in your food processor or high powered blender. Remove the cookie mixture and place onto a sheet of waxed paper and form the dough into the shape of a log. Wrap the dough in waxed paper and pop it into the freezer. Once chilled but not frozen, remove from the freezer, and slice into 8-12 pieces. Enjoy chilled.

Now I really must go do some more surfing, if you don’t hear from me tomorrow send some lemon-ade.

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!

Are you a rockstar in the kitchen? Do people flip over your pancakes? Or do you make them toss their cookies?

Either way, I’m sure you have a great recipe for some amazing, healthy pancakes or cookies, right? Share your recipe in the comments section below and you could WIN this guitar spatchula and have your award winning recipe featured on the non-award winning Fitness & Spice.

But wait!

There are a few simple rules…

• RULE #1: Question the rules and you may or may not be disqualified.
• RULE #2: Before you submit a recipe ask yourself, “Would Joanna eat this?” If you answer, “No” then do not pass go.
• RULE #3: You can submit more than one recipe.
• RULE #4: If the recipe contains white flour, subtract 5,000 points
• RULE #5: If the recipe contains protein powder, add 5,000 points
• RULE #6: If the recipe contains meat you clearly did not read Rule #2.
• RULE #7: Obey the rules.

This contest will close on Thursday and the winner will be announced on Friday, May 7th.

Now I really must go because…that’s a rap!

Congratulations, Diane! You are our Country Choice Organics winner. You’ve won 3 Country Choice products. Not only do they sell delicious cookies, but they also have hot cereal and oatmeal bars, too.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your favorite children’s books with us…if you need a good book for a child this holiday season, grab a cookie and check out our list of contest entries!

Have you read the book If You Give A Mouse a Cookie? It’s one of my favorite children’s books of all time. It’s a sweet tale about a mouse who is given a cookie and then wants a glass of milk to go with it. The mouse makes other requests along the way, but I don’t want to give away the ending. Anyway, the mouse and I have a lot in common because…

If You Give Joanna a Cookie she’ll probably want a latte to go with it.

When I was shopping at Whole Foods a few weeks ago I stumbled upon Country Choice Organic soft baked cookies. After reading the nutritional facts, I decided this was a cookie I could sink my teeth into without feeling guilty. So far I’ve tried their oatmeal chocolate chip and double fudge brownie cookies and I’ve savored every bite of the 100 calorie treats.

Sometimes I enjoy these cookies with a Whole Latte Protein and other times I spice things up with a …

Pumpkin & Spice Protein Latte

• 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 packet Starbucks VIA instant coffee
• 2 T pumpkin puree
• 1/8 t pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 cup water

Blend ingredients together in your Magic Bullet or shaker. Pour into a coffee cup and microwave for 45-60 seconds. Top with cinnamon or nutmeg.

What would happen if I gave you a cookie? Well, you just might find out if you are the lucky winner of 3 boxes of Country Choice Organic cookies (or any 3 Country Choice products you pick). To enter the drawing tell us the name of your favorite children’s book of all time in the comments section below. The contest will close on Sunday, November 15th at 10:00 P.M. and the winner will be announced on Monday.

Now, I better run, I have to see what happens If You Give A Pig A Pancake.