THREE types of homemade PROTEIN bars

My husband who does crazy things **AND STUFF** is always working toward a healthier him.
On any given weekend night you can find Chris doing strange things like this...ummm, just for fun.



I love watching him, even if maybe I slightly bothered him by asking him to repeat the jump 15 times (literally) so I can get pictures. That's what it is like being married to a blogger!




For Valentine's Day I made him homemade protein bars and then I made some more and some more and some more. I'm having fun experimenting with them.

When you buy energy bars that are pre-packaged, it's just like eating a sugar-filled candy bar with protein and twice the cost. It is much more cost effective to make (and much healthier). Plus, they are faster to make than a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

PROTEIN BARS I

This first set is Almond Peanut Butter Crunch Protein Bars from an all time favorite health resource of mine, Precision Nutrition.

Mix it up like cookie dough:

Press it into the bottom of a plastic-wrapped lined dish:

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, no baking needed!

Slice and serve up ALL PRETTY (because we like it that way):

PROTEIN BARS II

This second batch is a BAKED lemon protein bar from the adorable and super cool fitness star, Jamie Eason. My inspiring friend Sarah shared the recipe and I jumped on it.


Just a few ingredients mixed and baked! I added lemon juice to mine and omitted the Crystal Lite. I also used sugar free applesauce instead of the baby food because my husband was sort of close-minded about the baby food in his bars.


Simple, simple lovies. ;)

PROTEIN BARS III

This last featured batch is a bit more indulgent.


I made them up, so I don't have an "exact recipe". However, once you practice with the typical ingredients in a protein bar, it's easy to make changes and add some variety. I call these Cranberry Kashi Protein Bars.


Basically I added the following to a mixing bowl:

- dried cranberries (can be omitted if you're concerned about sugar)
- old fashion oats
- ground almonds and peanuts
- vanilla protein powder
- Kashi cereal of your choice (find cereal with less sugar if desired)

Mix it up, then add a couple tablespoons of Agave nectar. If they're too dry, add a bit of water but don't make them super sticky because the consistency won't turn out well.
If you don't like using sweeteners, try nonfat, plain greek yogurt as a substitute.  


Then press into the bottom of a plastic-wrapped lined pan and refrigerate for several hours before slicing and eating.

Some extra little tips when making protein bars!

- change up your bars by dipping in dark chocolate for a treat

- use almond butter instead of peanut butter for a change

- make your own oat flour by putting your oats in a food processor.

- add any additions that you can think of! Be creative, it's hard to go wrong.

- add flax seed to your mix for an extra health boost.

- if you're baking the bars in the oven,
a little salt is necessary. Sorry, you can't omit it!

Enjoy your healthy treats and please share any protein bar recipes and secrets because I'm on a roll and I'm always wanting to LEARN anything I can!



This post is linked to: LambAround, DIY Showoff, DIY Living, Seasonal Sundays, It's so Very Cheri, Strut Your Stuff at Saturday Mornings, Making the World Cuter, Motivate Me Mondays, Market Yourself Mondays, Lettered Cottage How To, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy, Tuesdays at the Table, Topsy Turvy Tuesday, Tuesdays Unwrapped, Get Your Craft On, We're Organized Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Show and Tell, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Transformation Thursday, Buzz on Thursday Tablescape Thursday, Show off Your Stuff, Strut Your Stuff, Friday Favorites, Show and Share Day, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin It, Funky Junk Interiors, Fabulous Friday Finds, Tickled Pink*, Be Different Act Normal, Weekend Wrap Up

hearts all over the world and a couple of fun websites!

People are amazing. When we strip away the layers of petty issues, when we pull back the shadows that crowd who were really are, we see true humanity. We've all seen the beauty of humans in the middle of a tragedy and disaster. Watching people unite to help each other is like watching a symphony masterpiece that receives a standing ovation. Those moments are held sacred in history. Those are the moments we see the gift of goodness in humans.

source

I watched my own little personal blessing unfold recently. I had no big tragedy or disaster. Rather, I had a fun little party contest on the great big www. It was such a small dot on an "i" but it was a fun event in my little world...and I needed some votes. I immediately saw friends quickly help me. It was actually amazing...a positive bi product of social networking. I was extra excited and happy to receive your support. You made my heart smile over and over again. I won the contest. Well, I guess each of you won the contest for me. So I owe you a big and happy Thank You. But more than that I won a gift: the gift of goodness. You each took a moment in your busy lives to cheer me on, to help me. You came into my little world and encouraged me with your support and positive energy.


I tucked myself into the corner of our couch and sat opposite of Chris. I told him what I'm sharing here. I told him how amazing humans are and what a beautiful thing humanity is. I told him that people truly are good. It was a lesson that made me pause life for a second and reflect on the treasures that friendships and people bring into our lives. So yes, it was just a little vote. But it was also a big moment for me to experience GOODNESS. Thank you.

source

In other news, I recently found a childhood neighbor friend of mine on this crazy big, but small, world wide web. It still fascinates me how we are all pulled back together via our computer screens! Monica has a website and makes the most ADORABLE "Cute & Warm" headwraps! (Just another reason I need a little girl...ahhh) Her talent is a.w.e.s.o.m.e. As someone who can't even sew on a button, I have DEEP admiration for women who have talent like Monica's! Her wrap styles are fresh, playful, new, and sassy.

Visit Monica's site to see what she has available:
Cute & Warm HeadWraps

Monica inspires me with her drive and energy because she also has another website that features giveaways.

Monica says,

"Companies and entrepreneurs are always looking for ways to get their name out there. Shoppers are always looking for a good deal.

Welcome to Weekly Giveaway - where companies feature a product or service, we review it and you get to enter for a chance to get it for free."

Click the button below to visit WEEKLY GIVEAWAY. Each week she is giving away something different! And someone has to win...and it may just be YOU. {wink}

Where to Eat When on VACATION

My favorite part about traveling is the planning. I'm a research jUnKIe. When we travel on big vacations or quick trips, I find out everything I can about the area. When choosing where to stay or where to dine I like to find different places, out of our normal preferences and comfort zones. HOME should be comfort. HOME should describe and define our personalities BUT travel stops are a time to experiment with new things, to dip our toes into different styles and tastes that would otherwise not appeal to us. It's the ideal opportunity to grow in culture, broadening our vision of how we view the world. Because of that, I enjoy finding new treasures.

A Loft, an affordable swing from the W Hotel line.

Thankfully, Chris and I have passed our passion for travel onto our kids. The boys get extra excited to explore each new hotel we stay in because each place is always different!


Traveling also means no cooking for this mama! Every single meal is out and that makes me a happy girl. When on vacation I prefer to skip the box chains of Chili's and Olive Gardens. I use Yelp.com and other online resources to uncover special jewels in each town or city we visit.

Recently, we found a boutique lunch spot in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado.

OPB&J!

OPB&J sells peanut butter and jelly sandwich varieties in more ways than you could imagine creating! They take the simple comfort food of youth and transform it into gourmet masterpieces.



There are choices for sweet or savory sandwiches. I tried a sandwich with chocolate peanut butter, quadberry fruit smash, and bananas. I wanted to try one thousand more because it was SO hard to pick just one.

Some of their peanut butter choices are: cherry vanilla, dark chocolate, chocolate almond, chipotle, and Thai ginger.


This restaurant is best for a fun, quick, grab and go style dining experience.


It was worth a visit and it inspired me to get creative when slapping together two slices of bread for my kids.

Up Next....D Bar!

If you're in Denver, Colorado, this is a MUST. This is one of the best restaurants I've ever experienced.





We dined at Keegan Gerhard's D Bar Desserts restaurant in uptown Denver. Keegan Gerhard is a famous pastry chef and has been featured on the Food Network, among other places. Keegan is extremely warm and kind. It was a true pleasure meeting him and experiencing his talent.

I so enjoyed watching him style a cake. He was super friendly and very skilled!

He owns a dessert bar called D bar, where everything is artistically plated and ingeniously created. Our family was in heaven here! We ordered a large selection of appetizers and desserts to share because we wanted to try it all! This is real food. Seriously amazing.

I'm pretty sure that this was the most excited we've been as a family to eat and enjoy food!




Take a chance to explore real cuisine, find the heart of the city your are in and discover their secrets. It has absolutely no comparison to chain restaurants.




These "crue fries" were unbelievable. Keegan even came to our table and talked to us for awhile. He explained the story behind this dish. I was a held captive, listening to every word, and smiling like crazy the whole time. ;)

Saving the best for last. When you dine at D Bar, the cake and shake is essential. It's one of their signature selections and I've never tasted a better cake...or shake...the boys agree.


D Bar would be an especially fun place to visit at night with your lover. It's so different than the typical sport's grille and bar or nighttime coffee shop. They offer truly creative cuisine, styled perfectly. And they feature the best menu: appetizers and desserts!



These are just two special discoveries we've found while traveling. So, it is true. Find out where the {cool} locals eat and immerse yourself in the heart of the city. Experience the mood, tone, and rhythm of the culture you're in through your dining choices. It will take you from your robotic state of day to day living and bring you to a fresh world of energy.

Happy Traveling,



This post is linked to: LambAround, DIY Showoff, DIY Living, Seasonal Sundays, It's so Very Cheri, Strut Your Stuff at Saturday Mornings, Making the World Cuter, Motivate Me Mondays, Market Yourself Mondays, Lettered Cottage How To, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy, Tuesdays at the Table, Topsy Turvy Tuesday, Tuesdays Unwrapped, Get Your Craft On, We're Organized Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Show and Tell, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Transformation Thursday, Tablescape Thursday, Show off Your Stuff, Strut Your Stuff, Friday Favorites, Show and Share Day, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin It, Funky Junk Interiors, Fabulous Friday Finds, Tickled Pink*, Be Different Act Normal, Weekend Wrap Up

a tale of two Valentine love stories

I'm a sucker for Valentine's Day. Ever since I was a very little girl my Dad would bring me roses on February 14th. He would give my Mom red roses and give me pink roses. I felt like the luckiest little girl in the world. I'm pretty girly girl and nothing was more exciting than roses! I vividly remember scene after scene of watching my Dad appear at my door holding a bouquet of flowers JUST. FOR. ME. !!! Then Valentine's Day became even more exciting as a teenager. My Dad received a tiny bit of competition. There was ONE YEAR when I received flowers and gifts from FIVE different BOYS!

Heaven for me. Mmmhmm.
I was walking on cloud nine that 14th.

Here is the old scanned photo
of my Valentine gifts from 5 different boys.

I think I just sat cross-legged
in front of all these flowers for awhile
and just stared and smiled

image found via google image search

But my quiet, steady Dad was my consistent one. Every year I had roses from him. His love never wavered or changed like all those school year crushes. I knew I had his heart for always. I knew I didn't have to earn his love. He was my own hero and I was just his girl. He was there on my doorstep from those playful days of just being a kid, to the days I was a teenager needing a father's love, to my fresh adulthood. They were always there on the 14th. That's just my Dad. I can count on him. I still get my roses, and they still make my heart smile. Maybe he doesn't know the impact his Valentine Day actions made on this girl's heart.

It gave me comfort on the bad years,
excitement on the good years,
and joy on all the years.

The first set of roses he brought me years ago as a little girl was in a simple cream vase with pink hearts lining the top. I kept the vase and used it every Valentine's Day for my Dad's roses. It comes out every February.

But a few months ago as I was cleaning a shelf I broke the vase. I was crushed. This vase symbolized all I expressed above and held SO many memories of my Dad's tradition with bringing me Valentine roses. Chris tried to re-glue it, but it couldn't be repaired.


A few weeks past and my husband did something AMAZING! He surprised me with a brand new vase that matched my old vase perfectly. Secretly, he had simply looked at the bottom of my broken vase and jotted down the info.

Then he did some wild searches online to find a duplicate. After much searching he found ONE. Just one. I can't believe he was able to find it! The vase is from 1985. He surprised me with his find and gave me an incredible gift, the new vase.

Chris is amazing, one of a kind, and always there to make me smile. He is consistently aware of where my heart is, and is right there to take care of it. He is my man, my lover, and best friend. I love the way he is in sync with my spirit. He makes me feel special everyday.





So, this is a story of two love stories about the two greatest men in my life. I now have double the memories to add to this Valentine Day vase. The memories didn't stop with a broken vase. Chris doubled the joy and the memories when he surprised me!

These white hearts are gifts from my little boys!

Cherry Kiss Cookies

For me, Valentine's Day is a celebration of the men who build me up and who love me like crazy. And I have three little men who I want to raise to do the same...men who find value in making the women in their life feel SPECIAL. Thank you to my Dad. Thank you to my husband.

I love you,
I love you,
I love you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

"the Lord is mine and I am His, His banner over me is love...he lifted me up to heavenly places, His banner over me is love...His BANNER OVER ME IS LOVE."
-Sunday school song

This post is linked to: LambAround, DIY Showoff, DIY Living, Seasonal Sundays, It's so Very Cheri, Strut Your Stuff at Saturday Mornings, Making the World Cuter, Motivate Me Mondays, Market Yourself Mondays, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy, Tuesdays at the Table, Topsy Turvy Tuesday, Tuesdays Unwrapped, Get Your Craft On, We're Organized Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Show and Tell, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Transformation Thursday, Tablescape Thursday, Show off Your Stuff, Strut Your Stuff, Friday Favorites, Show and Share Day, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin It, Funky Junk Interiors, Fabulous Friday Finds, Tickled Pink*, Be Different Act Normal, Weekend Wrap Up