“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!

These women should all be placed on pedestals wearing capes and tiaras and gold medals because I don’t know how they do it. I have a hard enough time getting my dog and I dressed, fed, and out the door in the morning…and let’s be honest, only one of us has to get dressed.

But enough about me.

As we speak, many of the SuperMom’s and Dad’s, too, are gearing up for back to school season. And that means finding time to make sure their little geniuses are packed with schools supplies and fuel supplies, too. So when I saw this recipe on Shape.com I thought about all of you back to schoolers. I think these tasty oatmeal bars would be great for a fast, make ahead, wholesome breakfast or brown bag treat instead of a store bought granola bar.

Now, this probably won’t come as a surprise to you, but when I tried out this recipe I made more substitutions than a high school football coach. What I love about this recipe is that you can customize the ingredients to meet the taste buds of the pickiest Fitness & Spice kid. No matter how you make them, I’m sure they’ll get an A+.

Here’s the recipe for Shape.com’s…

Homemade Energy Bars

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour [F&S used: vanilla protein powder]
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 2/3 cup brown-rice syrup [F&S used: yacon syrup]
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 egg [F&S used: 1T ground flaxseed + 3T water whisked together]
• 1/2 cup dried fruit, any combination of raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped apricots or dates [F&S used: 3T dark chocolate chips...hello!? antioxidants!]

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and spritz foil with vegetable-oil spray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, sesame seeds, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, stir together syrup, oil, and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Mix in dried fruits. Spread batter into the prepared pan, evening it out as much as possible with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch in the center. Cut into bars or squares and enjoy!

Two quick notes:

• You might be wondering, “What the heck is yakon syrup?” This is a low glycemic, low calorie, raw sweetener derived from the yacon plant. I think it tastes like a cross between molasses and caramel and it worked perfectly in this recipe.
• Since I used a vegan egg substitute I was really tempted to make these into “no bake” protein bars and just stick them in the fridge instead of the oven…I might give this a whirl in home ec next week.

Now I really must go let out the dog, hit the gym, and get ready to pass the bar!

When I was little, I remember watching my Dad in the kitchen whipping up a batch of stove top popcorn and waiting patiently for him to fill up our  bowls. His bowl could feed 5,000 and my bowl was big enough for a cricket’s lunch…but who’s complaining?

Last week a bag of locally produced popcorn was added to my Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA) grocery bag. Get this…I can’t remember the last time I’ve had popcorn and I know for sure that I have never made popcorn on the stove in my entire life.

But, I figured it out.

I hopped into the Fitness & Spice test kitchen, tossed a towel over my shoulder (like my Dad does), threw about a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 cup of popcorn in a pan, covered it with a lid, and glided it over the hot burner for a few minutes. My first batch was topped with good ole sea salt and it was almost as good as Dad’s, only this time I had the entire bowl for myself.

The next day I experimented with a top coat of Pam Olive Oil Spray, Parmesan cheese, and a dash of Tabasco Sauce—we don’t call this site Fitness & Spice for nothing!

When watching the Biggest Loser grand finale, I topped my popcorn with (wait. for. it.) RANCH seasoning.

And last night I was craving something sweet so I called Carrie and we came up with…

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Popcorn (Sorta)

• Step 1: Pop a batch of popcorn
• Step 2: In a shaker combine a tablespoon or two of chocolate protein powder and powdered peanut butter (PB2) along with a packet or two of stevia
• Step 3: Lightly coat popcorn with butter flavor Pam
• Step 4: Sprinkle chocolate and peanut butter mixture all over the popcorn

Was it perfect? Not quite.

Did it taste like Crunch ‘n Munch or Cracker Jacks? No, whey.

Did I eat the entire bowl? Guilty!

Would I make it again? Don’t mind if I do!

What’s your favorite popcorn topping?

Now I really must go hit the gym before I say something corny!

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!

I was becoming way too obsessed so I threw him out of the house.

But, I’m a glutton for punishment so this week I decided to give him another chance.

So now we’re dating again.

I hang out with him in the bulk bin aisle at the grocery store so we can just spend together in small doses. But when I’m there, sometimes I hear his cousin peanut butter calling my name.

I’m torn.

I kind of have a crush on peanut butter, too. He’s quite, how should I put it? Smooth.

Now that I think about it, I think it would be best if almonds and I were just friends. So maybe I’ll invite him and his buddies over for…

A Protein Bar Mixer

• 1 whole egg
• 5 egg whites
• 2 cups vanilla protein powder
• 1/3 cup flax meal
• 1/3 cup nut butter
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup walnuts

Whisk together the eggs and your sweetener of choice. Add the protein powder, flax and salt to the mixture. Stir in the nut butter and fold in all of the crazy nuts. Pour the batter into a 9×9 pan coated with non-stick spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Now I really must go pick up some beer nuts…I hear they’re toasted!

Mango Tango

• 1/3 cup frozen mangos [35 cals]
• 1/2 cup unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk – [25 cals]
• 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder (not quite a ‘full scoop’) – [100 cals]
• 3/4 – 1 cup water
• Ice
• Stevia to taste

Combine all ingredients in a mixer. Blend. Garnish with one of those cute little umbrellas.

How does it taste? Exactly like a refreshing tropical vacation, minus the sand and cabana boy. But Shay didn’t ask for all that, so my work here is done.

Now I really must go give Shay a call and tell her to shake up some mangos and whey.

In fact, Protein Freeze is so versatile that I make healthy protein-packed ice cream, shakes, coffees, cupcakes, cookies, and brownies with this great tasting protein powder all the time.

Speaking of brownies, check out (one of my idols) Gina Aliotti whipping up Protein Freeze brownies while she was training for the Olympia, the biggest figure competition of the year…

Easy, right? Check out some of the other guilt-free things I love to make with Protein Freeze on the Fitness & Spice Facebook Page.

Before you go, I have some really sweet news for you! If you’re interested in trying Protein Freeze, too, NOW is your chance! Protein Freeze is giving away samples of both vanilla and chocolate Protein Freeze (you just pay the shipping). So you’ll get to try 4 servings of Protein Freeze just by going to  www.FreeProteinFreeze.com to scoop up your free samples.

Now I really must go grab another brownie and call Protein Freeze to say thanks a latte!

Thanks to Capella Flavor Drops I can change up the flavor of my beloved protein shakes, oat meal, coffee, tea, egg whites, Greek yogurt, you name it, without adding calories. Capella Flavor Drops are a highly concentrated, water soluble, flavoring, they are not only free of calories, but free of sugars and sweeteners, too. Besides, who needs sweetener when you’re sweet enough already?

I turned my morning vanilla protein shake into a (virgin) pina colada just by adding 6 flavor drops. And, I turned my egg whites into mock french toast by whipping together 1 cup egg whites, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of stevia, and french toast drops together then baking it up omelette-style.

Have you ever tried Capella Flavor Drops? If you haven’t you need to visit their site and check out all of their ahh-mazing flavors. And, if you haven’t tried them in a while, you need to go back because they’ve added a new line up. I know my friend Carrie cannot wait to drop it like it’s hot and try the Hot Cinnamon Candy!

Now I really must make go make a crumb cake, if you’re in the neighborhood please drop by, I’ll be the one singing aCapella.

Speaking of protein agents, yesterday I casually mentioned that I add guar gum to my protein shakes to create crazy thick shakes you can eat with a spoon! There were a few questions about this magic ingredient so I thought we could talk about guar gum and another thickening agent called xanthan gum today.

I think adding these two ingredients to a protein shake is one of the best things that’s happened to me in quite awhile.

First things first. Let’s see how iHerb.com defines these two products:

• Guar Gum is a thickening agent derived from guar beans that has enjoyed much use in various baking applications. It is primarily used in hypoallergenic recipes that use different types of whole grain flours. Because the consistency of these flours allows the escape of gas released by leavening, guar gum is needed to improve the thickness of these flours, allowing them to rise as normal flour would.

• Xanthan Gum is a soluble fiber produced from the pure culture fermentation of the microorganism Xanthomonas campestris. It is used in the food processing industry as a thickener, stabilizer and emulsifier for a number of different foods.

A few things you should know:

• Guar gum is a relatively new product for me, thanks to Allie! So please chime in here and let us know your experiences with this stuff.
• Many protein powders already contain xanthan gum, but I’ve been adding a little extra in my shakes for years now. One bag of this powder lasts forever and ever.
• Using too much of either ingredient can ruin a perfectly good protein shake. Things can get gummy in a hurry so go easy on this stuff.
• The good news is that both products can help fill you up, the bad news is that if you use too much it could upset your stomach.
• You really need to play with these ingredients to find the consistency that’s just right for you, Goldilocks. But since you asked, here’s my blend: 1 scoop protein powder, 1 cup ice, 1 cup water, 1/2 t Guar Gum, 1/4 t Xanthan Gum.
• In some cases you can find both of these products at your local health food store and in some cases you can’t. Shop online at places like www.iherb.com to find these ingredients. Just a reminder, first time iHerb shoppers get $5 off their order when entering SUT360 at checkout.

Have I made anything else with either of these ingredients? No, I’m a Protein Agent, remember?

Now I really must go hit the gym and then take my two clients out for some mixed drinks!

Twas the Night Before Fitness

Twas the night before fitness and all through the gym not a cardio bunny was spinning not even Jillian.

The trainers were wearing Snuggies up in their beds while visions of the perfect push-up danced in their heads.

Jillian with her fitbook and Bob with his Subway just settled down for a Biggest Loser replay.
The running shoes were hung in the locker with care in hopes that Febreeze would soon be sprayed there.

When out in the aerobics room rose such a clatter so I sprang out of the weight room to see what was the matter.

And what did my wandering eyes did appear but a Magic Bullet blending up some protein filled cheer!

Come Vanilla, Chocolate, Pumpkin, and Banana. Come Peanut Butter, Strawberry, Blueberry, and Cranberry…Cranberry? Well doesn’t that sounds merry?

And speaking of Merry…I really must go and wish a Merry Christmas to all and to all Fitness & Spice!