Banana Blueberry Protein Muffins with BodyScience Protein!

Hello everyone!

Yay - it's recipe time!

Here are some yummy Banana Blueberry Protein Muffins I made, using BodyScience products!

Ingredients

• 4 very ripe bananas
• Approx. 1 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 2/3 cup Vanilla BodyScience Body for Women Shaping Protein OR Vanilla BodyScience Hydroxyburn Pro Clinical
• 1 1/4 cup Almond Meal
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup coconut water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C/340°F
2. Combine chia seeds with 3 Tbsp of water and let them soak for 10 - 15 minutes or until it starts to become a gel
3. Mash the bananas, then stir in the coconut oil, followed by the chia seed gel
4. Sift in almond meal, protein powder and baking soda and stir until combined
5. Add coconut water and then stir
6. Stir in blueberries
7. Spoon into muffin tray lined with muffin patties and fill 12 muffins
8. Baked in oven for approx. 25 minutes, or until they become golden on the top - everyones ovens are different so they may need an extra 5 minutes for some people
9. Leave them to cool - when you take them out of they oven, don't be concerned if they look under cooked in the middle - they will set once they cool.
10. Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did - they make a great snack to take on the go and are very healthy and have a good protein hit in them! :)

Danni 

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12WBT!

Hey everyone!

Haven't updated in a while, been really stressed out/sad/confused but I'm ok now hahah!

I'm pleased to announce that I have signed up to Michelle Bridges' famous 12 Week Body Transformation! Yaaaaaaay!

For those of you unfamiliar with the 12WBT, it's a 12 week program that helps you achieve your fitness goals, whether it be weightloss, muscle gain, running, etc. It's been designed by Michelle Bridges' herself, and each week you get your exercise and meal plans. It's priced at either $20 a week or $200 upfront, and while you may think it sounds a lot, it is SO worth it after looking at how amazingly well structured and organised it is as what you get for your money! And after all, health is important, and $20 a week for 12 weeks that are going to change the rest of your life in my opinion is SO worth it!

Since I don't really need to lose weight (less than 5kg to lose) and I reached the Advanced level in the fitness test, I'm doing the Lean & Strong program, which is focussing on reducing body fat % and increasing muscle. I've really want to put on muscle now so if I put on 5kg over the 12 weeks in muscle I'd be extremely happy!

The program started yesterday and so far I've been so happy with the meal plan and the exercise plan! I really needed a plan in the gym because it's hard to know what exactly to do to achieve your goals but everything is set out and explained so well and I used a few different machines I'd been too scared to try before! It was a little bit intimidating because I felt like I was venturing into the "man" section of the gym where all the bulky guys go but I settled in and it's been so much fun I just can't wait for every session. All up my program involves 6 days of training a week. My muscles are already sore but I love the feeling and it makes me feel like I'm actually achieving something!

The recipes in the meal plans are actually really delicious! So if that's what you're worried about, then you don't have to! I was pleasantly suprised with everything - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And the great thing is if you're not really a fan of one of the recipes in the set plan, you can customise your plan and replace recipes with one of the MANY recipes they have in their database! So good! And it just makes life so easy - you don't have to think about what you're going to make or how you're going to make up the calories, it's just there for you!

Another amazing thing that 12WBT has already taught me in such a short space of time is planning! Already I've started structuring my days so much better so that I can fit in everything that I need to do and it feels so great! This isn't just a weightloss program, it's a lifestyle changer and it just benefits so many other aspects of life aside from physical health!

I actually joined up about 2 weeks ago but I kept forgetting to blog about it but now that I'm finally on I can't say enough good things and I'm only 2 days into the actual program! The pre-season tasks were also fantastic and really get you into the right headspace! I quick google search of 12wbt shows some of the INCREDIBLE transformations people have gone throughout the program and for me that was enough to sign up because it just looked like such a positive thing to do! It makes exercise and healthy living so appealing!

I believe that the sign up date has been extended til the end of the week so if you're ready to change your life I SERIOUSLY recommend doing this!! Start now and you won't have to wait another 3 months til the next round starts! Honestly, it's been 2 days and it's been absolutely fabulous - you don't get to see just how amazing it is until you're actually logged in and everythings there for you!

I weighed in at 51.5kg last Wednesday, so obviously I'm not overweight, although I have put on 4.5kg since January (oops, too many brownies) haha so I wouldn't mind losing the 4.5kg of fat and putting it pack on in muscle. I'd be happy at anything over what I weigh now anyway if it was muscle because I don't really believe in looking at numbers to determine how happy you are with your body. Everybody's different, and since I'm only 5'1 my number will mean something totally different to someone who's 5'6 you know, so I try not to go off the numbers and look towards the mirror as a guide instead haha :) But yeah hopefully by the end of the twelve weeks I'll be pretty ripped and bulked up :P 55kg would be nice! I was going to post my before pic but it's a really unflattering angle so I'll save it for 12 weeks time (depending on how much of an improvement the after pic is hahahah)

Anyway yes I seriously recommend joining up 12wbt if you're looking for a change or just need help with exercise planning because it's been so fantastic and it's $200 absolutely well spent!

See you next time!

Danni
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More Food! ;)

Hey hey,

How are ya all going? I've been super stressed out with uni lately, works all starting to pile up and I've got a 2000 word philosophy essay due on Friday... gaaah

But anyway, last week at uni I had an hour off to relax in the sunshine with my jar of apples!

A couple of people eating their hot chips gave me some weird looks, but I think apples in a jar is a great idea! If you're like me and don't like eating apples without cutting them because you know you are wasting more than you eat, cut them up, but em in a jar and squeeze some lemon juice over them (stops them from going brown and keeps the fresh!) and then you have crispy apple pieces to snack on throughout the day - perfect!

The weather in the Southern Hemisphere is getting chillier now so to warm up I love to cut up some sweet potato, sprinkle them with a little sea salt and bake them in the oven at 200 degrees until there soft but slightly crispy. Serve it with a little guac and that's it - yum

Annnnnnd my final food recommendation - zucchini pasta!
It's SO simple to make and tastes wonderful, not to mention is healthy as well and can be enjoyed by both vegans, vegetarians and omnivores a like!
I don't have a fancy spiralizer so I just grate one to one and half zucchinis on the biggest holes on the cheese grater.
The first time I made this I made a sauce by blending together a few sundried tomatoes with some cherry tomatoes and a small clove of garlic and then topped it with the cashew "Sour Cream" that I linked to in my Raw Vegan Taco post

Then the second time I tried something different and made the raw salsa also from the Raw Vegan Taco post and mixed it all together because I loved that dressing, and it went really well and was so gooooood!

Ok I lied I guess that wasn't my final food recommendation but this isn't really a recommendation - just sharing my yummy breakfast.

I picked up VitalGreens powder which contains a kabillion different super things in it to help you achieve your vitamin needs for everyday plus a couple extra super food things. 2 tsps of that with 2 frozen bananas and 200mL coconut water and you've got a fab and easy green smoothie! Paired that with some mixed berry porridge for a great breaky!

That's all from me this time! Have a great week everyone!

Danni

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Vegan Oreo Cupcakes!

Hey guys!

So today I once again strayed off being raw... but for good reasons! Today I created VEGAN Oreo Cupcakes!

Now, you're probably thinking "How can something be vegan with Oreos in it?"

Well, my friends... Oreos just happen to be vegan! Yep, that's right, that "cream" isn't really cream! (Which makes you wonder what it could be... oh well, at least it's not some unknown body part haha)

So I got the base of the recipe from here:

http://www.chow.com/recipes/10794-basic-vegan-chocolate-cupcake

It's a fantastic recipe even without the changes I made so if you just want the base for a vegan chocolate cupcake go ahead and click that link, but here's what I did, as I made two different batters - one Oreo and one chocolate - and then layered them.

Vegan Oreo Cupcakes

Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Almond Milk
• 1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar (I used Low GI cane sugar, but you can use whatever)
• 1/6 Cup Canola Oil
• 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
• 1/2 All Purpose Flour (I used wholemeal, but you can use whatever)
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• A few heaped teaspoons of blended Oreos (take of the cream and chuck about 5 Oreos in a food processor and blend until fine, you'll have left over but save this for the icing)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180*C (350*F) and set out your muffin pan with cupcake patties or cupcake wrappers or whatever you call them haha
2. Whisk milk and vinegar together and then set aside for a couple minutes until it froths up and curdles slightly
3. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla to that mixture and beat until foamy.
4. In a seperate bowl sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and then add this mixture into the wet ingredients, beating in half at a time. Then add in the crushed oreos and beat until it's well distributed. If the mixture looks too liquidy you can add a bit more flour to it.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Almond Milk
• 1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar (I used Low GI cane sugar, but you can use whatever)
• 1/6 Cup Canola Oil
• 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
• 1/2 All Purpose Flour (I used wholemeal, but you can use whatever)
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• 1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180*C (350*F) and set out your muffin pan with cupcake patties or cupcake wrappers or whatever you call them haha
2. Whisk milk and vinegar together and then set aside for a couple minutes until it froths up and curdles slightly
3. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla to that mixture and beat until foamy.
4. In a seperate bowl sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa, then add this mixture into the wet ingredients, beating in half at a time. If the mixture looks too liquidy you can add a bit more flour to it.

Now...

When you have both batters ready, spoon some of each into each cupcake holder and layer them - it should make 12 cupcakes. Then place them into the oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Take them out and let them cool before you ice them.

Oreo Cupcake Icing

I just did a simple "butter"cream icing, with icing sugar and Nuttelex spread and the remaining crushed up Oreo cookies. I can't tell you how much I used I just did it by eye. Start with the icing sugar first because I put way too much nuttelex in the first time and it was gross. Also, mix it with a wooden spoon. Just add about a teaspoon of melted Nuttelex (or other vegan butter-like spread) at a time and mix well until it starts to bind together. Once you're happy with the taste and consistency, add the oreos and mix until well combine. Spread onto each cupcake and top with half an Oreo - and you're done!


I hope you guys enjoy this recipe, it turned out really great for me so I hope it does the same for you! Make sure to comment your results below and any changes you made to spice it up a little!

Until next time!

Danni 
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