New Find: Lemon Powder

I think I found a new kitchen staple - and it is called lemon powder. For me, kitchen staples normally need to be carefully contemplated, go through multiple rounds of tastings, and prove themselves to be a savior at any moment when lack of flavor could be the issue. I skipped a few steps, and just ordered a pound of it. #Worth it.

I went with Hoosier Hill Farm lemon powder this time.

How did I stumble upon this decision you ask? Well, I bought a new hummus from Whole Foods the other day and it had this undeniable lemony flavor. It wasn't the acidic lemon juice flavor, or even the bright pop of the zest...it was something different, it was almost sweet. Like a true detective, I scoured the ingredient label for anything I didn't recognize...and there it was. Lemon powder. Why hadn't I heard of this before?!

So the search started in that moment, and no stores in the area I was in had it, so I went to my next favorite, Amazon.com. And why start small with only a few ounces? Go big or go home!

After receiving it, I started with some hummus - because there was no better way to pay homage to my finding. And I can't just be normal, so I added a little unflavored egg white protein powder to the mix for a protein packed hummus.

Gather these things:

- 1 can garbanzo beans

- 1/2 scoop unflavored egg white protein powder - feel free to leave this out, I was just feeling fancy

- 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon powder

- Seasonings of your choice - I used salt and garlic powder

- Water, just enough to get the consistency you like

- A splash of lemon juice

Directions:
- Add all ingredients to your food processor or blender
- Blend until you like the taste and consistency
- Eat!!

I wouldn't recommend anything except an unflavored protein powder, I have tried vanilla before - not okay. It turned out way too sweet and I couldn't bear to eat it. I love Jay Robb's unflavored egg white protein powder. I got this 2 lb pack from Mike for Valentine's Day. He get's me :).

I like to add my spices little by little, and taste as I go. The worst is a ruined hummus, and having to sadly watch it get dumped down the drain.

Perfect snack to take to work. A little protein, some carbs, and definitely an amazing lemon flavor! Since this I have made homemade gummies, a lemon pie protein shake, and a lemon beet smoothie. At this rate, it probably won't last me long!

Mango Broccoli Green Smoothie

For those of you who don't know, I love a good green smoothie. You may have seen them on my instagram, but my little iPad camera just doesn't do nature's gifts justice! I feel like I will be testing out a lot more recipes with them since I am taking a month or so off of meat.

Why oh why? I know, Mike asked me the same question. Mainly, it's because I don't feel like I'm matching my food intake with my energy output. I had been having back problems for 4ish months, and slowly my activity levels were declining.  When I finally realized I wasn't a doctor and couldn't heal it myself, I went to see a physical therapist - they concluded I had herniated a disc in my lower back.

My activity levels went from playing volleyball a few times a week, yoga, weight training, and running, to nothing. Just last week I was told that I can walk on a treadmill with no incline...yay!!

Without exercise, I have been keeping a similar diet (just a little less because I'm not as hungry) - but I have been feeling heavy. Not gaining weight heavy, surprisingly enough I haven't gained anything, but weighted and clogged. I used to get that clean feeling after exercising, and now I just feel like everything is sitting so heavy within me because I'm not using it for anything.

So this is why I will be avoiding meat products, and sticking to mostly vegetables, fruits, eggs, and beans. If we were to put some sort of foodie label on it, I will be an ovo-vegetarian (vegetarian plus eating eggs). I already don't eat any dairy products because I have a milk allergy, so basically I am just getting rid of the meat from my current diet.

You just want the smoothie recipe already? Got it.

Gather these things:
*These are approximate measurements to my liking - always make sure you taste before you pour, and add to satisfy your tastebuds. 

- 2 cups of water
- heaping 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh mango
- 1/2 head of romaine
- 1 cup of kale
- 2ish cups broccoli
- lemon juice (I probably added 2-3 Tablespoons, but I didn't measure)

Directions:
- The order I like place things in the blender is as follows: liquids, easy to blend items (lettuces/greens), crunchy items (cabbages, raw beets, cruciferous veggies, etc),  fruits. I have found that placing the things that are easier to break down near the blades make for seamless blending, otherwise you are probably going to have those big crunchy things getting stuck.

 I ended up with this much broccoli left over, my smoothie was getting a little thicker than I normally like, so I just ate it as a pre-game to my smoothie :).

Thank god for my Vitamix. Broccoli is super fibrous and I'm not sure what other blender can make the silky smooth treat that this guy does. I don't plan to find out anytime soon either, I'm probably a Vitamix-lifer.

This recipe makes about 2 servings, depending on how big your glasses are. This one tastes like summer - I'm currently searching for all things that taste, feel, look, or remind me in some way of summer. This Cleveland winter is really beating me down!

Recipe name: Mango Broccoli Green Smoothie

Ingredients	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Trader Joe's - Mango Chunks (Frozen), 119 g (14 Pieces)	77	20	0	1	0	18
Broccoli - Raw, 150 g	51	10	1	4	50	3
Kale - Raw, 54 g	27	5	0	2	23	0
Fresh & Easy - Veggie - Romaine Fillets, 6.5 leaves (85g)	33	5	0	1	65	3
Total:	188	40	1	8	138	24
Per Serving:	94	20	1	4	69	12

Enjoy friends!

Protein Bar review: OhYeah Victory Bar

As you probably have guessed by now, I love a good protein bar in my life. Yes, I would rather be eating my own, knowing that every ingredient is Lindsey approved, but sometimes that just can't happen. 

And because of this, I still love to spend an laughable amount of time perusing the protein bars in grocery stores. Because I know you're wondering, my process is this:

- I start at one end of the aisle, and pick up the first protein bar that I would possibly consider purchasing.

- I read the ingredients and then pick up another protein bar to compare.

- I compare things like protein amounts (I prefer higher), calories (between 150-250), sugar (between 3-10 grams, depending on calories), fat (I prefer lower 3-7 grams), and then the specifics on things like protein sources, sugar sources, and overall ingredients.

- As I find the winner, I will put back the loser and then pick up another and start the process all over again. 

Sounds SO fun right?! Maybe you'll try it one day. But really, I can't attempt making protein bars without trying other ones - so I like to chalk it up to research and development.

Anyways, the other day I found the Victory bar by OhYeah! Nutrition at my local Vitamin Shoppe. I hated spending $2.60 on one protein bar, but I "needed" something before work and I was intrigued by the nutrition facts.

First, 200 calories. In my opinion this is the perfect size for a protein bar. That way I can enjoy it alone or pair it with some raw vegetables and call it a meal. 

Second, 21 grams of protein. That's quite a lot for a 200 calorie protein bar - so it caught my eye.

Third, 20 grams of dietary fiber. This was the biggest stand out, most protein bars aren't worried about fiber, and they usually don't have more that 4 or 5 grams. 

Fourth, 8 grams of sugar. Now, that's nearing the higher end of my standards, but I was willing to let it slide for all of the other things it had going on. I'm not sure why the fitness industry insists on thinking that all of these people who trying to be fit and watch what that eat need sugar in the protein bars. In my opinion, quit putting sugar in the bars and you will be in high demand. Do so see what these body builders, fitness competitors, and other health enthusiasts do to themselves as far as eating and discipline? I think we'd all be ok if it didn't taste like a piece of candy.

Fifth, the size! Most 200 calorie bars are smallish, and they don't feel like you're really eating anything portion wise. This one has at least a few inches on most other protein bars in the 200 calorie range - size does matter for protein bars, at least for me anyways. 

I was too quick to eat it and didn't snap a pic - I borrowed this from Moms RUN this town. If you don't like my review, you can hop over there and see what they think too!

Now, the texture was interesting - something I wasn't expecting. The bar is bendy, like a thick playdoh, and it doesn't have a crunch or crumbly aspect to it at all. I actually don't mind that - if I want crunch I can eat some celery. Post eating, I felt full and satisfied, and I stayed that way for about 3 hours (not that I would wait more than 3 hours to eat again, that's just silly).

I won't pay over $2.50 for the bar again though, so off I scurried to Amazon for better deals. And there it was! A box of 12 chocolate chip cookie dough Victory bars for only $18.28 -- that's only $1.53 per bar! Not too shabby, plus I have Amazon Prime so it was free 2-day shipping. Winning.

They have 4 flavors: almond vanilla, chocolate chip cookie dough, fudge brownie, and peanut butter chip. I have tried chocolate chip cookie dough and peanut butter chip so far... and so far so good!

Homemade Gummies

Sour patch kids, gummy bears, swedish fish, sour gummy worms. Sometimes I just need a little gummy love in my life. A few years ago I tried making homemade gummies, but that was before I liked to take pictures of my food and then share it with the internet world. And this is one that definitely needs to be shared!

It only takes about 5 minutes to prep and as little as 3 ingredients to whip up - then about within 20 minutes you have your very own gummies!

Homemade Gummies
If made according to my recipe, these treats are gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo. Feel free to use a vegetarian friendly gelatin - and then let me know how it goes!

Gather these things:
    Dry
- 5 T of of Knox gelatin, or 6 packets
   Wet
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup of fruit - I used a frozen berry blend from Trader Joe's, but any raw or frozen fruit will do.

Directions:
- Combine fruit and lemon juice in a saucepan, turn heat to medium-high and simmer until fruit is soft and can be easily blended.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Or don't today I was eager and skipped this step, but I know my Vitamix can handle it.
- Dump mixture in blender, turn on low.
- Add gelatin 1 Tbsp or 1 packet at a time. Allow it to blend until smooth before adding next one.
- Once all gelatin is added, blend until smooth.
- Immediately pour mixture into a pan to cool, you can speed up the process by sticking it in the fridge or freezer (if you haven't let the mixture cool and you stick it in the freezer, you could have condensation build up on top...it won't hurt it, it will just freeze your gummies and then you will have to let them thaw before cutting - all prolonging the process of eating them. Not a best practice in my book).
- Cut into shapes of your choice - I almost did hearts in the spirit of Valentine's Day, but didn't have the patience :).
- Eat!!



As I was making, I got to thinking - there are so many things you can add to this recipe to take it to a whole new level! I included a few things I would consider adding in my pictures, and here are some more:

1. Add a caffeine AND flavor kick with some Mio Energy, and with no added calories....which led me to number 2...
2. Add your favorite pre-workout powder to the mix and then you don't have to carry a big shaker bottle without - just bag of gummies that are easy to eat on the go/in the car
3. Add a flavor punch with some herbs - I added basil to one of my recipes today, but couldn't really taste it - I think I needed more than 4 leaves.
4. Crystal Light packets anyone? Aren't there alcoholic beverage flavored ones now? It could be like you're drinking a mojito at work! I wonder if I could add alcohol to these. Oh man back to the kitchen for me.

Anyone else have any suggestions? I love gummies enough that I would probably try them all :).

Combine your lemon juice and fruit of choice in a small saucepan.

Then blend away! Can you tell I didn't wait for it to cool? Still steaming!

Prep your gelatin for easy and continuous pouring - I dumped the 6 packets into a bowl that I could easily hold.

Then slowly pour.

Once you have poured - give it a little time to blend together. I'm not sure what a mouthful of Knox gelatin would taste like, but I would hate for you to find out the hard way.

Have that pan ready and waiting, the gelatin will start to congeal fairly quick.

Throw it in the fridge or freezer and then take it out when it feels stiff to the touch. I would say it probably feels like a fake boob, but I'm not sure what those feel like.

I sliced mine into 13 rows and 13 columns, but feel free to get creative with shapes and sizes!

Yum! Gummies make me happy - it feels like I'm indulging, but it's actually a pretty balanced snack when you look at the numbers - 45 calories, 8g protein, 7g carbs, 4g sugar for about 30 pieces.

Candy for those who don't want to cut out the candy :). Enjoy!

Homemade Gummies

Servings: about 6 - this is for 30 pieces per serving (about 170 pieces, mine were cut 13 x 13 )

Ingredients	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Knox Original - Gelatin, Unflavored, 6 Envelope	120	0	0	48	0	0
Trader Joe's - Very Cherry Berry Blend Frozen Fruit, 1 cup	90	22	0	1	5	16
Lemon juice - Raw, 1 cup	61	21	0	1	2	6

Total:	271	43	0	50	7	22
Per Serving:	45	7	0	8	1	4