Control and a Slow Cooker 2 minute recipe

Control. By definition means "To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over; direct."
A lot has gone on in my life over the last few years that I felt I had absolutely no control over. I am not sure exactly who my loyal readers are but if you are not a close friend of mine you may not know that I am divorced. My divorce has been official for a little over a year now. But I have been a single mother to 3 amazing, wonderful, smart, energetic, beautiful children for well over 2 years. I have learned so much about myself in the last few years. One very important thing I have learned that I'd like to pass on to you....whoever you are....the sun, the sky or someone reading this post is this; Most things are not under your control. However, there are 3 things that you can always control. They are:
1. What you THINK.
2. What you PUT INTO YOUR BODY.
3. How you MOVE.
Tonight I had a very tasty and super duper healthy dinner with my 3 lovely children and my absolutely amazing friend who also happens to be my next door neighbor. She said something that really hit home to me. "Alaina, you are doing a really great job with your children. They are happy, energetic and very healthy. What do you feed them?!" That comment truly touched me. Raising my children is what I have always wanted to do. I was raised by a full time Mom (Thank you MOM!!!) and I have always known that I wanted to be a full time Mom too. Notice I didn't write Stay at Home Mom. Whoever thought about that absolutely ridiculous title most definitely was NOT a full time Mom! Full time Moms do not stay home. We have chosen to raise our children and postpone our careers. We have chosen to go without so that our children have us close (that being said I respect the hell out of working Moms! My hat goes off to your ladies!). But that healthy children comment made me think about control and all of the control that we really do have over our children as far as food goes. The first few years of our children's lives WE, the parents, are in control of what we put in front of our kids. Watching my kids slurp up my version of Mexican Shredded Chicken Soup made me feel like a super star. I have been called an Old Soul. I definitely agree with that statement especially when it comes to feeding people. It makes my heart grow when I see healthy, nourishing things going into my children. Don't get me wrong....my kids get their junk food! They do not go without. But they definitely get homemade cookies instead of Chips Ahoy...mostly that's because I love to bake.
So the moral of this rather long and definitely deep post is to take control over the things that YOU can actually control. Make healthy foods that will help your children grow! My only issue is that I just want to keep on chowing down on those good foods....but that's another post for another time. Each day is a new way to make a memory, make someone smile and laugh with your children. Want my recipe for my Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken Soup? Ok, since you asked so nicely and even said please here it is:

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken Soup
6 Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts (any fat removed)
2 cans of black beans, un drained
1 1/2 Cups vegetable or chicken broth (I used low sodium organic vegetable broth)
1 bag of Trader Joes peppers and onions (frozen)
1/2 t sea salt
fresh pepper to taste
1/2 t cumin (that's all I had and was worried it wouldn't be enough but I loved it!)
1 Cup of jarred salsa (chose your own heat. For once I wanted to make a hot meal that all 4 of us would enjoy and I actually succeeded....I would like ghost pepper hot but my kids would never touch that so I chose mild Trader Joes roasted pepper salsa)
1/2 t cinnamon (REALLY! This is what gives it a tiny little sweet taste that I KNEW my kids would love)
1  T Avocado oil (just for rubbing that slow cooker)

Directions:
Rub that slow cooker down with some avocado oil. Then just throw in your chicken breasts and all of the other ingredients. Stir. This is a thick, hearty, chunky soup.  Mine was amazingly tender and easy to shred after about 8 hours on low. Then I just took out the chicken breasts, put them on a cutting board and used 2 forks to shred the chicken (this took about 45 seconds). I'm talkin' good, juicy, easily shredded chicken with all of those other goodies and it took all of 2 minutes to prepare. Sweet Laura came by and I gave her some for her lunch tomorrow and threw in half a bag of steamed spinach and a low carb Joseph's pita. Yummy. If I wasn't so incredibly full right now that would sound good for my lunch tomorrow too.

What a cookie!

It's Friday in the fall (well almost officially fall!). I have worked hard all week and you know what.... I think I deserve a special treat. As you know I prefer to make my own treats so I know exactly what goes in them. Today is a perfect day for cookie experimentation and I do believe I mastered it! I will give you a virtual pat on the back and a big shout out when you let me know how yours turn out! 

BBL Chocolate Almond Cookies

1 Cup pure almond butter

1/2 C stevia (I used Pyure brand bankable blend)

1 egg

1 T vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/4 t baking powder

2 Trader Joes 70% dark chocolate bars (broken into pieces)

1/2 C unsweetened coconut

Directions:

Mix everything well and try not to eat the dough (there is a raw egg in there but I guess you could substitute pasteurized egg product!). Place on baking sheet in 350* oven. Let cool for a minute on the baking sheet. Enjoy bikini style! They are sooooo  yummy! My warning is that you may want to only consume with another consenting adult!

Easy Banana Pancakes Video!

It has been so long since I have posted a recipe or video. Every day is an adventure at my little circus land. However, every day I have to think and create new, fast and easy recipes that are HEALTHY so that I can actually eat with my children. Remember why I named myself "The Bikini Baking Lady"? Because I need to picture myself in my bikini or actually BE in my bikini so that I create and eat healthier food options and so that I don't go overboard in my consumption of food. After talking to many women I have realized that I am not alone. We are all in this together ladies! You have me....I want to help!

I just made a new video an put it on YouTube. Please tell me what you think!

Click HERE for my Exciting New Video!

Obsession of the week

I have a new obsession.... Flaxseeds! I have been talking about them for a while and their health benefits including high protein, high fiber, high in omega fats and I will add another less talked about amazing characteristic of flaxseeds. They are extremely versatile. For breakfast this morning I quickly whipped up some flax bread to go with my farm eggs (see 6-22-13 post). What is flax bread you ask? Well since I am now gluten and dairy free I have felt better and my obsessive issues with my Greek yogurt have come to a screeching halt. I was mixing flax seeds, chia seeds and cinnamon into my daily Greek yogurt but honestly I have problems stopping at 1 serving of that delightful mix. So giving it up for a while has been good for me. I came up with flax bread because I don't want 1 drop, 1 tiny speck of that golden egg yolk to go to waste. Here's what I did to make a 60 calorie, 4 grams protein, 4 grams of fiber flax bread:

2 Tablespoons of ground flaxseeds 

1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash (I used onion and herb)

3/4 to 1 Tablespoon water

Mix all ingredients well and form into small patty on an already hot non stick pan. Press down firmly using the back of a spatula until the bread is about 1/4" thick. Cook 2 min per side or until toasted. Carefully remove from pan (its a bit delicate). Enjoy bikini style!

It's flavorful, gluten free, super healthy, satisfied my craving for salty/crispy and only takes a moment to prepare!

That's my flax bread under my gorgeous farm egg!

That's the Mrs. Dash I used. Yummy! I just made another batch and squirted a few tablespoons of sriracha sauce in the above flax bread recipe.... Added a great kick!

The Golden Yolk

Eggs! As you know by my posts and by the background of my website eggs are my favorite food. I like to eat them pretty much every way possible and I find a way to add them to just about any recipe to increase the protein and vitamins. Well, last week at the health food store a nice cashier and bagger helped me with my weekly grocery order. I commented to them how much I loved eggs and they let me know that the bagger lives on a chicken farm. I was trilled and asked if I could buy the farm fresh eggs. He said yes and gave me his mom's contact information. Well everyone.... I am pleased to announce that I now have 2 dozen gorgeous farm fresh eggs. She even threw in a duck egg. I have never tried a duck egg so of course it was the first one I tasted. 

Grocery store white egg is on the left and the duck egg is on the right. 

I gently cracked the egg. It was much tougher to crack than the grocery store eggs. Then I ever so carefully slid the egg into my already hot skillet.

The duck egg cooked very quickly and very evenly. I cooked it sunny side up. It was by far the best, most flavorful, most creamy egg I have ever eaten. Oh boy, now I'm going to be spoiled. 

I didn't add anything to it..... Not a thing. It's like nature's golden treat.

I have found out a few things about duck eggs while researching their nutritional value. A big one is that typically if a person is allergic to chicken eggs he/she can have duck eggs! That opens some big doors for those people suffering from such an allergy. 

Another big reason to go for the quack quack is that duck eggs have nearly twice the nutritional value of a chicken egg and can be kept and stored longer due to the egg's thicker shell. Also duck eggs contain more Omega 3 fatty acids. Those are the good fats that help with many important body functions from brain health to healthy skin. Duck eggs are also alkaline which is good for cancer patients in killing rapidly growing cancer cells. There are some skeptics out there who are worried that duck egg yolks do contain a full day's amount of cholesterol.  But medical doctors and scientists now seem to agree that healthy individuals need certain amounts of fats to maintain a well oiled machine (their body). Cholesterol helps the body remember how to use fat as energy.... Sounds like a win win to me! I know that with my body as soon as I increased fat and increased protein I immediately began seeing results and muscles (but don't forget to weight train and do your push ups!). 

Thank you Alison and Jason and thank you to the hard working mama duck who gave me that egg! Willow-Rock Farm looks beautiful by the pictures on Facebook ("like" them on Facebook!) and I look forward to bringing my kids there to gather more eggs and meet the goats!

Eggs are a bikini's best friend! Happy summertime and happy bikinis!!!!

Flaxcakes

Ah flaxseeds.... My tiny little friends. Buy them finely or coarsely ground and add them to just about anything from salads to muffins to cereal to eggs or yogurt. I absolutely love their nutty flavor, their high fiber and protein content and their high omega 3 power! I have given you my recipe for oatmeal pancakes and this recipe resembles that one. But lately I have been trying a dairy, gluten and wheat free diet for health reasons. And I must admit that I don't miss the oats (oats are grown next to wheat so those who are allergic to gluten cannot have oats either) in these flaxcakes. Try this quick, easy recipe for a morning power protein punch or for a mid day energy boost. I serve mine with a strawberry, mango smile. Happy bikinis!

Recipe for flaxcakes:

1/2 c flaxseeds

2 T chia seeds

1 T cinnamon 

1 t vanilla extract

3 egg whites

1/4 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Mix all ingredients well. Spoon onto lightly greased pan as you would regular pancakes. Cook about 2-3 min per side over medium heat. Flip and cook another 2 minutes or until done all the way through. Serve with fresh fruit and enjoy!

Service with a smile! 

BBL Bars!

Enjoy my yummy, easy bars! Wrap them individually, store them in the freezer and eat them for pre workout energy or a post workout protein kick! 

Here is a link to my video:

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=7t5g5k395oA&feature=em-upload_owner&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7t5g5k395oA%26feature%3Dem-upload_owner

And here is my recipe:

1 Cup cashews

1/2 t sea salt

3/4 C dates or prunes

1 t pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Purée cashews in blender or food processor until 

they resemble graham cracker crumbs. Add sea salt

Then add prunes (or dates) and vanilla extract.

Get the mixture out of the blender and press down 

Hard.bar in freezer for at least half an hour. 

Then cut into individual bars and wrap in aluminum  foil. Enjoy bikini style!!!