Better-For-You Chocolate Mint Syrup and Greek Yogurt Parfaits

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SweetNewYear #CollectiveBias

I have a serious sweet tooth. It’s not a secret that I like to start (and end) my day with a little bit of chocolate goodness. Studies have shown that certain flavonoids in chocolate may decrease recovery time and improve endurance in athletes and, goodness, how I hope that is true! However, munching down on chocolate candy or ice cream isn’t really going to help me achieve my 2016 health and fitness goals – there’s a lot of extra sugar and fat I don’t need in those treats. When I eat less processed sugar, I have more room in my diet for protein, vegetables and healthy whole grains and that’s what keeps me fueled up to kick butt on a daily basis.

Eating for optimal performance and well-being is all about BALANCE!

However, I’ve still been enjoying my daily chocolate but living life with less sugar thanks to Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable. This zero-calorie, stevia-based sweetener is ideal for my healthy lifestyle and keeps me training smart for all my fitness goals – to get on the Spartan Race podium, to nail that next yoga pose, to bring my 5k road race time back down to freaking fast.

Aside from the great taste of Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable and help it gives me to reduce the unnecessary sugar in my life, I also appreciate the product’s versatility. From a spoonful in my coffee or sprinkled on grapefruit, there are so many uses. Two favorite other uses revolve around my chocolate obsessions – the first is to stir right from the jar into unflavored, plain Greek yogurt (to avoid the added sugar that many brands have) and the second is to make a “better-for-you” chocolate syrup that can be poured on / into everything from hot almond milk, protein pancakes, fruit slices, and yogurt. When I stir this chocolate syrup into my Greek yogurt, it’s like eating ice cream – but with lots of protein and very few carbohydrates.

Today, I’m sharing the recipe for “Better-for-You” Chocolate Mint Syrup (which can easily be tweaked without the mint) and my favorite ideas for Greek Yogurt Parfaits. I could eat a chocolate Greet yogurt parfait at breakfast, post-lunch and as a bedtime snack . . . and sometimes have!

“Better For You” Mint Chocolate Syrup (Stevia)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, or freeze-dried mint
1 cup water
6 tablespoons Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable
1 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add mint to teaball / tea infuser and drop in small saucepan with water. Bring water to a rolling boil over medium high heat for 1 minute; turn off heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard mint.
Mix in Truvia Spoonable into hot water, stir until dissolved. Turn burner back on to medium low, whisk in cocoa powder until incorporated and smooth, cooking for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. If needed whisk in a tiny bit more water to achieve desired consistency if too thick.
To make “regular” non-mint chocolate stevia syrup, simply bring water to boil in first step – but omit mint.
May store in refrigerator for up to a month. Makes about 12 ounces.

As I mentioned, “Better For You” Mint Chocolate Syrup is the bomb drizzled over Greek yogurt, but even better STIRRED in! Check out these yummy ways, I used the chocolate syrup made with Truvia Spoonable Natural Sweetener:

As a Chocolate Greek Yogurt Parfait layered with syrup, granola, nuts and fruit – I used pomegranate and cocoa granola, but you can substitute your favorite ingredients!

As Chocolate Ombre Greek Yogurt Shooters — they are so tastefully trendy and good for you. Start with a big dollop of syrup in the bottom of glass and then spoon in yogurt that has been mixed with varying amounts of chocolate syrup to achieve gradient shades of chocolate brown.

It’s easy to find Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable on the baking aisle at Walmart – it comes in a 9.8 ounce container, so there are plenty of scoops for your beverages, snacks and recipe ideas. Save SAVE $1.50 on any ONE (1) package of Truvía Natural Sweetener (excluding 7 ct.), Truvía Baking Blend or Truvía Brown Sugar blend – get the coupon HERE.

Check out other delicious recipes using Truvia Spoonable HERE and request your free sample!

Do you have a health or fitness goal to share? OR, what would you drizzle chocolate syrup on? Please share in the comments below — XOXO, Jennifer

How to Push Past a Running Plateau

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

Whether you are fairly fresh into running or well-seasoned in the sport, you have may have experienced a plateau stage where athletic performance seems staler than, well, a week-old donut. Who wouldn’t want to be on a permanent upward trajectory, setting PRs at every race and nailing mileage on every single run? But, that’s just not humanly possible. All runners, even professionals, find themselves stuck in a rut on occasion. Instead of dismay, disappointment and threats to “throw in the towel,” look at a running plateau as an opportunity to analyze and overcome any issues that may be holding you back.

Supplement with Strength Training: Contrary to what many runners believe, strength training doesn’t make you bulky or heavy on your feet. Stick with lighter weights (add more reps) and bodyweight exercises to add lean and mean muscle that will improve your stride and overall fitness, busting you right out of a running rut. While beneficial, don’t only focus on squats and other lower-body movements. A strong core and arms are also beneficial for running.

Avoid Over-Training: It makes sense that gains in speed and endurance won’t be seen if hard work isn’t put in. But, too much of a good thing can also keep you down. Over-training has significant mental and physical symptoms that can keep you from reaching your goals — increased heart rate, poor recovery, loss of motivation (or obsessive fixation) and more. If you think over-training may be the culprit, swap out a workout for complete rest, cardio cross-training or just run lightly with a friend for fun (no watch).

Mix Up the Motion: Human bodies become better, stronger and faster when asked to constantly adapt. That means you can’t hit “replay” on your runs day after day. Mix up your running with a variety of speed work including short intervals, long intervals, mixed intervals and more. Also, running on varied terrain improves fitness, so run hills, stairs and trails every now and then. Try something new, other than a road race — for example, trail running and Spartan races are fun and “mix up the motion.”

Hit the Snooze Button: Part of a runner’s ability to recover and get back at it the next day is based on logging quality sleep. In non-REM deep sleep, blood pressure drops, breathing slows, the brain is at rest and increased blood supply becomes available to deliver oxygen and nutrients to restore muscle tissue. Additionally, the pituitary gland releases growth hormone which helps muscle recover and supports muscle gains. Too little sleep can cause growth hormone to be held back – you don’t want that! So, either go to bed earlier, wake up later or sneak in a nap when you can.

Use Food as Fuel: Eating junk food and other highly-processed foods and drinking alcohol are like putting regular gas in a top-of-the-line sports car. It’s just not what to do for optimal performance. An occasional splurge is fine, but for the most part, eating a variety of foods that are as unprocessed and naturally colorful as possible is the best bet for your health. Also, while complex carbohydrates are an essential source of quick energy, the importance of protein shouldn’t be overlooked. Don’t skimp on protein, the healthy fats, amino acids and other important vitamins, minerals and nutrients found in protein offer sustained energy and muscle recovery.

How to Break Through a Running Plateau #RunChat #Fitfluential

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Have you ever found yourself stuck in a running rut? What did you do to move forward? Please share in the comments below — XOXO, Jennifer

Linking Up With: Happy Fit Mama, The Fit Foodie Mama, Hello to Fit, Fairy Burger , Jill Conyers

Best Ever Super Secret Chili Recipe + Beef Browning Tip

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

I hope you have a big spoon at the ready, my recipe for Best-Ever Beef Chili is, well, THE BEST! With freezing temperatures and heated football bowl games going down, this big pot of spicy, rich and blissfully beefy chili is what to serve by the mug, bowl or trough.

I typically make chili by breaking down a roast into bite-sized chunks, my kitchen stampeded causing Southwestern Steak Chili is a family favorite. However, the kids love ground beef (and so does my food budget) and requested a chili made with their favorite food group — hamburger meat!

Won’t lie, I was a little worried that the ground beef would come out dry and the beefy taste might get downed out by bold chili spices. After reading an article in Cooks Illustrated on achieving “better browning through science,” I knew I had to try their technique of using a baking solution on meat to enable proteins to attract more water and hold onto it during cooking and also create a higher pH level to speed up the desirable Maillard reaction (basically, the harbinger of caramelization). My dad reported success using this method to keep steaks juicy and tender, and I hoped this easy hack would help improve the taste and texture of my chili’s ground beef.

So, how does this baking soda beef hack work? Typically, when ground beef is cooked on the stove top, so much water and liquid is expelled that the beef chunks just end up steaming in their own juices — very little actually browning happens. When cooked to the point of most water evaporating, the batch of beef will be unpleasantly overdone. However, by gently tossing a baking soda solution with the meat (about ¾ teaspoon baking soda to 2 tablespoons water for 2lbs of grind) and letting sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking , beef loses less liquid, browns faster and tastes better. I tried it myself with 80/20 Chuck Ground Beef and I must say, I was impressed! The ground beef cooked “as-is” was almost immediately was sitting in a pool of liquids (as you can see from the picture) and when taste-tested seemed a little rubbery and bland.

However, the baking soda treated beef immediately started to brown in the pot. And, while there was still a fair deal of liquid released, it was noticely less so than the previous batch (Cook’s illustrated said about 10% less liquid, I felt like maybe even a little more). More noticeable though, was the taste – the baking-soda treated batch had a richer, more complex caramelized flavor and was markedly juicier. In fact, the cooked beef was so yummy; I worried about taste-testing my way through the whole pile before I even started the rest of the chili!

So, my final recommendation on this “baking soda treatment” is definitely try it and see what you think! It does take little bit of pre-planning because you have to let the solution sit on the meat for 20 minutes, but you can have that going while you prep the other ingredients.

So, here is my Best Ever Ground Beef Chili recipe, – every spoon is a mouthful of meaty goodness. It’s rich and spicy, without being too heavy or too “hot” for kids – I think you’ll really like it. But, feel free to use this baking soda technique with any beef chili recipe!

Best Ever Secret Beef Chil + Other Recipes to Warm Winter @ModeStories

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If you’re looking for other delicious chili recipes, check out this collection I curated for Mode! And, also head over to the Texas Beef Council for more inspiration.

Do tell, do you put beans in your chili? Do you like spicy or mild? What toppings do you put on top? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

Super-Secret Ground Beef Chili Recipe

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs

Total Time

2 hrs 25 mins

Course: Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American, Southwestern

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds 80 percent lean Ground Beef Chuck
2 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
14.5 ounce can beef broth
14.5 ounce can tomato sauce
14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
15 ounce can pinto beans with liquid
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Instructions

Add ground beef to bowl and drizzle with solution of 2 tablespoons water and ¾ teaspoon baking soda. Gently break apart beef with hands to distribute, but do not over knead (causes toughness). Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large Dutch oven pot over medium high. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring as needed. Mix in garlic and cook for another minute.
Add treated ground beef to pot and cook, while stirring and breaking up into chunks. Brown beef for approximately 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink.
Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and salt to beef mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until spices begin to bloom and become fragrant, about 2 minutes.
To pot of beef, add finely crushed tortilla chips, beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans with liquid, and sugar. Bring to a boil and then put lid on Dutch oven and transfer to a 275 F degree oven for approximately 1 to 2 hours, or until flavors have developed and sauce is thickened. .
Remove from oven and let cool, uncovered for 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed, to taste.
Serve with rice or tortilla chips and other toppings of choice including cheese, avocado, red onion, cilantro, etc

Dreamy Orange Vanilla Protein Fluff #1UpYourCup

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

We are several weeks into 2016 and I’m checking in to report how I’m sticking with my New Year’s health and wellness best intentions. Increasing my flexibility? Taking baby steps, but to say I’m there is a stretch! Sleeping better? Still just day dreaming about it. Drinking more water? That’s a check! Keeping with my fitness routine? Of course, that’s the fun part of my day! Whipping up creative protein-rich meals and snacks? Naturally – some good things never change!

One thing that hasn’t changed for me over many, many years is my love for Yoplait® yogurt. I have my “old friend” flavors, like Vanilla that is yummy just as it is or as the base for my many fit foodie creations, and new favorites like Plenti already packed with wholesome ingredients. I don’t think my taste buds will ever get bored with Yoplait® — with 125 flavors in the Yoplait® family and my imagination, I think I could come up with a new way to “1-Up My Cup” of yogurt every day for the rest of my life!

Love the Everyday Low Price on Yoplait at Walmart!

For example, adding a little carton of Greek 100 is a great way to pump up my smoothies with a creamy texture and boost of protein. Adding berries, bananas, chocolate chips and some sugar-free chocolate syrup makes a healthy sundae I would feel good about eating every day of the week! Oh, and I’ve made a million yogurt parfaits, put yogurt atop my pancakes, and dipped fruit slices into dessert-like flavors such as Red Velvet Cupcake, Strawberry Cheesecake and Boston Cream Pie! So, are you ready to 1-Up YOUR Cup? Today, I’m sharing Dreamy Orange Vanilla Fluff in an Orange Bowl — a frosty and fit treat made with Orange Crème Light Yoplait®. The Orange Crème is from the “Light” line which is one of my favorite as I’m always looking for ways to avoid added sugar.

Love I can count on the Everyday Low Price on Yoplait® at Walmart.

I’m also happy to report that Yoplait® now adds NO aspartame to any of their flavors and they are easy to stock up on at your local Walmart — that’s where I find all the best flavors!

My recipe for Dreamy Orange Vanilla Fluff in an Orange Bowl incorporates vanilla protein powder to provide even more protein– after intense workouts and long runs, I need to PUMP IT UP with 20 to 25 grams of protein to help my taxed muscles recover. Yoplait® helps me get a good start on that goal as I 1-Up my Cup! This easy recipe doesn’t necessarily need to be served in an orange “bowl” and be tweaked to work with any of the yogurt flavors that appeal to you – how amazing would Chocolate Cherry Cupcake Fluff be?!

Dreamy Orange Vanilla Protein Fluff @Yoplait #1UpYourCup

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How do you 1-up your cup? Do you make any special recipes with yogurt or use unusual mix-ins? Please share in comments, XOXO — Jennifer

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of General Mills. The opinions and text are all mine.

Dreamy Orange Vanilla Fluff in an Orange Bowl

Prep Time

5 mins

Total Time

20 mins

2 small oranges or tangerines 1 scoop ( 2 cartons Orange Crème Light Yoplait® 2 teaspoons mini chocolate chips 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack, Worout

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 servings (2 halves each)

Ingredients

2 small oranges or tangerines
1/3 cup vanilla protein powder of choice (casein works best)
2 small cartons Orange Crème Light Yoplait®
2 teaspoons mini chocolate chips
1 tablespoon chopped pistachios

Instructions

Slice oranges (or tangerines) in half crosswise. Use serrated spoon to carefully remove segments, leaving outer peel intact. Set scooped out “bowls” aside.
Squeeze juice out of extracted citrus segments (approximately ¼ cup). Use whisk to incorporate protein powder, adding a bit more juice or water if mixture gets too thick – but it should be pudding like.
Gently fold in yogurt until just combined. Spoon into orange cups.
Place in freezer to set up along with any excess “fluff” still in bowl. To serve, top filled oranges with remaining semi-frozen fluff and a sprinkling of chocolate chips and pistachios.

Willpower Rest Day – Bacon & Blue Cheese Mac

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

I try to eat green and eat clean, but sometimes I need to give it a rest! And, now I have the science to prove that it’s okay to indulge in my Bacon & Blue Cheese Mac recipe every once in a while. A recent study says that our willpower is like a muscle, after use it becomes fatigued and is no longer able to perform at peak levels. After a lot of use, your needs to take a break, just like you need to recover after a hard run or workout! The scientists studying decision making called it “self-regulation failure,” and people in the food and fitness world call it a “cheat day” when these decisions come to food – I don’t like those terms and am rebranding the idea a Willpower Rest Day!

This pot of cheesy goodness is about to be poured onto noodles.

I first developed this rich and creamy recipe for macaroni and cheese for Litehouse Foods using blue cheese crumbles from their Simply Artisan Reserve line of cheese. It’s become famous with friends, family and readers of the Living Litehouse Blog. And, also beloved by the thousands of people who have sampled it at Fresh Summit in Atlanta and recently the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. I’m not trying to brag (oh, who am I kidding?!), but I’m heard exclamations like, “OMG, this is the BEST macaroni and cheese I’ve EVER eaten.”

Smoky, salty bacon complement bold blue cheese – there is a lot of umami action going on with this fancy mac and cheese. However, the flavors aren’t so over the top that the kids will be freaked out. However, maybe you WANT to keep them out of it (more for you) so just double up on the blue cheese! Have I convinced you to give your willpower a rest day and make up a batch of this delicious baked macaroni and cheese recipe? This baked pasta recipe can even be made ahead and then popped into the oven an hour before serving.

Also, check out these macaroni and cheese making tips from from Cooking Light — everything you need to know to satisfy your mac madness!

Willpower Rest Day – Bacon and Blue Cheese Mac #ComfortFood #LivingLitehouse #CLBlogger

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What is your favorite comfort food? Do you rest your willpower every now and then? Fan of blue cheese? Please share in the comments below, XOXO — Jennifer

Willp

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

Treat yourself to this rich and creamy baked macaroni and cheese made with blue cheese and bacon -- delicious as a side dish to steak, a casserole for your pot luck or just straight out of the dish.

Course: Main Dish, Pasta, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 pound radiatore pasta mini ziti or elbow noodles
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup blue cheese dressing I used Litehouse brand
8 ounces white cheddar, freshly grated
5 ounces blue cheese, crumbled I used Simply Artisan Reserve Brand
1/4 cup Instantly Fresh Herbs, or fresh chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

for topping

1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup unsalted panko
1 tablespoon Instantly Fresh Parsley, or fresh chopped
6 strips center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
Bring water to a boil and prepare pasta according to directions, but shaving 1-2 minutes off of the cooking time to keep al dente.
Meanwhile, heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. When butter begins to sizzle, quickly add flour and whisk constantly until roux is golden, about 2 minutes.
Pour in milk and whisk constantly, stirring until the mixture slightly thickens.
Reduce heat to low and add in white cheddar and blue cheese a couple handfuls at a time until cheese melts and sauce is thickened.
Stir in Blue Cheese Dressing. Stir in Instantly Fresh chives and season with salt and pepper.
Add cooked pasta to baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over top, tossing to coat all the noodles.
Cover top in panko bread crumb mixture.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until top is golden and crunchy and sauce is bubbling. Top with crumbled bacon

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Author Archives: Jennifer FIsher

Better-For-You Chocolate Mint Syrup and Greek Yogurt Parfaits

How to Push Past a Running Plateau

Best Ever Super Secret Chili Recipe + Beef Browning Tip

Dreamy Orange Vanilla Protein Fluff #1UpYourCup

Willpower Rest Day – Bacon & Blue Cheese Mac