Maple Apricot Fruit & Nut Energy Balls

I love these!  They are sweet like a treat, but filled with all kinds of yummy nutrients.  They are similar to a Lara Bar, but a ball.

Maple Apricot Fruit & Nut Energy Balls

In a food processor combine 1 cup raw cashews with 1 cup pitted dates, 1/2 cup raw almonds, 1/2 heaping cup dried apricots, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon maple extract, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon agave, 1 tablespoon sea salt & a dash of cinnamon.  Blend until it will not blend anymore.  Take a tablespoon or a little cookie scoop & form little balls from the dough.  Once all your balls are made place in container & keep refrigerated for up to a week.

*Tip – Buy your nuts at Trader Joe’s!  They are so cheap.  When you go there just buy 10 bags and you will have them on hand when you need them.

For lunch this afternoon I had the Minestrone Soup off the Lose 8 menu.  Self’s recipe had chicken & spinach in the bowl.  However, I had to ad a Rachel touch!

Tofu Broccoli Minestrone Soup

Behold the Broccoli Minestrone Soup!

Combine 1 can minestrone soup (I used Wolfgang Puck) with 1/4 block of drained & chopped organic tofu.  Add 1 cup broccoli & serve with 1/2 whole wheat english muffin & 1 teaspoon of butter.

This mean was delicious.  I would have given up that teaspoon of butter for the other half of the english muffin though!  I’m a carb girl!

Okay – I definitely had to add some Rachel magic to my afternoon snack.  I attempted to make the honeyed grapefruit yogurt.

Have you every had grapefruit?  My god, that is disgusting.  I tried to get it down, but it wasn’t happening.  Now, I don’t dislike too many foods with a bloody passion.  Dill & grapefruit are the only 2 things on the list.  How do people eat that!!!!  Yuck

Honeyed Grapefruit Yogurt became…

Honeyed Nectarine Spiced Yogurt

Honeyed Nectarine Spiced Yogurt
Cut up 1 nectarine and add to 6 oz. plain, nonfat greek yogurt. Add drop of vanilla extract, dash of cinnamon & 2 teaspoons honey. Eat & smile!

Dinner this evening got better with every bite.  At first I thought it was kind of lackluster, but it definitely grew on me.  I decided to make the nutty quinoa with tofu.

Have you ever had quinoa before?  It is a delicious grain that contains protein & fiber.  The red quinoa even has antioxidants.  It is similar to rice, but is round with a nutty flavor.  It kind of pops in your mouth.  It is also supposed to help with people who have migraines.  Quinoa can be expensive, so look for it at Trader Joes or Ocean State Job Lot.  Also, look for pre-washed quinoa!  You don’t want to worry about rinsing it.

Nutty Quinoa & Tofu
In a pan saute 1/4 cup onion, 1/4 cup red pepper in 1/2 teaspoon olive oil for 5 minutes.  Add 1 cup water, 1/3 cup quinoa, 1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter, 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon garlic.  Bring to a boil, cover & simmer for 10 minutes.  In a separate pan saute 2 cups kale or spinach with 1/4 block tofu in cooking spray. Sprinkle with sea slat.  Add tofu mixture to quinoa mixture.  Plate & drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil & 1 teaspoon soy sauce.

It looks like my quinoa is haunted! It's just steam. =)

After dinner I was craving something sweet and the moose tracks ice cream was haunting me.  I gave into temptation & had a heaping 1/2 cup of moose tracks ice cream.  It was really heaping!  I have since decided that it is best not to keep ice cream in my house.  The ice cream and the cookies found their final resting place at the bottom of my trash barrel!

 

Stay tuned! Tomorrow I will share with you my favorite treadmill workout that I did after I ate this heaping cup of ice cream!