Healthy Happy and Free

Hopefully you've seen my Original Protein Cheesecake ? It's one of those recipes I make over and over again because it's just so good! Cue the angels singing in the background. So, with Fall being here, naturally, I had to pumpkinfy it. Naturally. I made a few simple changes to create a Pumpkin Cheesecake that is super simple to make, has no added sugar, high in protein and most importantly, it tastes delicious! Give it a try! Ingredients: 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree 1 (8 oz) package fat free cream cheese 1 scoop protein powder* 1 egg 1 egg white 2-3 tbsp stevia sweetener** 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp cinnamon Directions: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.  Mix pumpkin, softened cream cheese, egg and egg white with a mixer.  Add in the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 250 for 20 minutes....

Have you heard of Western Bagel? I first came across the brand of bagels on Instagram and I was immediately intrigued because people seemed to love them, yet they are "macro friendly". Could they really be good with those macros? Then, I peered into their website and I was even more interested. I loved reading about the history and origin of their company. Here's a short synopsis: Louis Ustin settled in the Bronx, escaping the Russian Revolution. He began work in a bagel shop and his son followed in his footsteps. Hearing a complaint that there are no good bagels in California, he set out to change that. He noticed the tastes of Californians were different so he created a chewier, less dense bagel and opened his first bakery in Los Angeles. His son continued the family business. In 2002, they created a lower carbohydrate bagel to meet the health concerns of consumers, thus the birth of "The Alternative Bagel™". The company now has 11 retail locations along w...

First they're sour, they they're sweet! Sour gummy candies > regular gummy candies, in my opinion.  However, this recipe could be easily altered if you just want the sweet side! I actually purchased beef gelatin for a different recipe (stay tuned) but needed something else to use it for. The answer: healthy gummy candies. I perused several recipes and finally tweaked it to make my own take on healthy gummies. They are so quick and easy to make, you'll be amazed! Ingredients: 3 tbsp beef gelatin (I used NOW foods brand, inexpensive and quality products, non GMO) 1-2 large packets of True Lemon Raspberry Lemonade (this packet is designed for a pitcher of the lemonade, 8 servings) 3 tbsp honey  1 cup water Directions: First decide what you will use for a mold and prepare it. (You can use a silicone mold, straws, or simply line a pan with parchment/wax paper and cut into pieces after it sets.) Mix 1 packet of True Lemon Raspberry Lemonade with...

Real Good Pizza is making a splash in the fitness and low carb communities! But just how good is it? First of all, they stand by using real ingredients . The crust is made from chicken and Parmesan that is hormone free and antibiotic free . The vegetables are non-GMO . They have five star reviews across the board! So far, so good ! I recently got my hands on the "Large" Pepperoni pizza. While this pizza is labeled large due to having two servings, it's really not very large. One half of the large pepperoni pizza is 260cal 16f/4c/25p . Not too shabby unless you're trying to eat a lower fat diet, in which case cheesy, pepperoni pizza is probably not your friend lol! Dat cheese pull  The taste test! I went into this knowing that the crust was made from chicken and Parmesan so I was not surprised that the texture was pretty different from a traditional pizza. It was pretty dense and had a bit of a cheesy flavor. However, it was more crust-like than seems poss...

I am an avid consumer and lover of ice cream/frozen yogurt/custard/gelato, you name it! When I went to Italy , I ate gelato almost every day! However, at home, I typically steer towards lower sugar/calorie varieties simply because I eat it so much! It seems that new brands are popping up all the time now! My first discovery years ago was Arctic Zero, then I found my love, Halo Top, then I found my next love Enlightened. (Check out my Fit Frozen Faceoff!  to see which I like best). I still haven't tried CoolWhey, ProYo, Breyer's new low calorie pints, or the new Skinny Cow pints. One new brand I had the honor of trying was Revele Whipped Gelato ! I suppose I had high expectations since they call it gelato. In my experience, gelato is thick, creamy and ultra sweet. It melts in your mouth. Let me stop before I start salivating. They state that they use premium gelato ingredients and whip it so it's naturally lighter in calories and fat. Some things that make them differ...