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apricot pecan granola bars (vegan)

March 16, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Need a high energy snack that won’t weigh you down? AND is full of all natural, wholesome ingredients? These granola bars are darn near perfect. They contain absolutely no eggs, milk, or any dairy products so they are completely vegan. You won’t miss the added sugars and butter/oil in these either.

They are highly adaptable using whatever mix-ins you have on hand. They aren’t as chewy and soft as my peanut butter banana oatmeal bars, so they are much closer to a real granola bar rather than an oatmeal bar.

apricot pecan granola bars (vegan)

Author: Lee Hersh

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Instructions

Preheat over to 325 degrees and toast the pecans for 10-11 minutes on a small baking sheet. Meanwhile, prepare the granola batter. In a large bowl, mix together the mashed banana and peanut butter. Add maple syrup and cinnamon and whisk until combined.
Stir in the oats, making sure that all of the oats are moistened. Add more maple syrup or peanut butter if needed. (note: the less “wet” ingredients you add, the crunchier your bars will be)
Remove toasted pecans from oven and stir into the oat mixture. Add raisins and chopped apricots.
Press mixture into 8×8 baking pan, making sure it is evenly distributed and tightly packed.
Bake for 25 minutes. Cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares. Enjoy!

12 Energy Ball Recipes

March 15, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Well ladies and gents, The First Annual Energy Ball Week has finally come to a close. Davida and I are so sad to see this week end, but already planning for next year. #moreballsplease We thought we’d put all of our delicious ball recipes in one spot for easy access. I also wanted to go over some “ball best practices” and talk about the equipment and storage method I use.

I think the thing I’m going to miss most about ball week is 7 days straight of ball jokes. Big balls, little balls, delicious balls, schweaty balls. Just because it’s all over, doesn’t mean the jokes ever have to end, okay?

Equipment

Ninja Mega Kitchen System (high-speed food processor)
Cookie Sheet
Parchment paper
Wooden spoon
Spatula
Cookie Scoop (tablespoon)

Storage Method

For longer lasting balls I suggest storing them in the freezer! What I do is place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread the balls out on the sheet. I pop them in the freezer for about an hour or two before transferring into a gallon-size bag. They should stay good for a few months!

Cake Batter Energy Balls

Want the taste of cake batter without having to whip up a whole cake? These Cake Batter Energy Balls are a lightened-up and high-protein snack recipe that tastes just like the real thing!

Apple Chai Energy Balls

These Apple Chai Energy Balls are made with rolled oats, dried apples, chai spices, and an almond butter base for a healthy fall sweet treat!

Pecan Pie Energy Balls

Want the delicious taste of Pecan Pie without having to turn on your oven? Try these healthy 3-ingredient Pecan Pie Energy Balls that are ready in minutes and perfect for healthy snacking on the run.

Cherry Pie Energy Balls

All you need are 5 whole ingredients to make these delicious Cherry Pie Energy Balls. They’re the perfect snack and they taste just like cherry pie!

Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Energy Balls

No cheese necessary to make these Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Energy Balls! Just dried strawberries, nuts and nutritional yeast for a yummy vegan and gluten-free snack recipe.

Snickers Energy Balls

Need a break? Grab a Snickers Energy Ball! These little morsels of heaven are made with real ingredients and free of gluten, grains, and dairy!

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Energy Balls

Your favorite seasonal latte just got a makeover! These Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Energy Balls made with pureed pumpkin, oatmeal and pumpkin spice will keep you satisfied all season long.

Healthy Nutella Sea Salt Energy Balls

Who doesn’t love Nutella and sea salt? Make this healthy energy ball recipe made from hazelnuts, cocoa powder, dates, and sea salt for a delicious, irresistible snack!

Lemon Coconut Chia Energy Balls

Bring together tart lemon with sweet coconut in these nutrition-packed Lemon Coconut Chia Energy Balls. These portable snacks help you curb your hunger when you need that 3:00 PM pick-me-up!

PB and J Energy Balls

These no-bake peanut butter and jelly inspired energy balls are a healthy grab and go snack made with dried fruit and nuts! They’re vegan and high-protein!

Crunchy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Energy Balls

Add a little crunch to your energy balls with these Crunchy Peanut Butter Chocolate Energy Balls. Made with just 4 Ingredients, this healthy snack recipe will become a weekly staple!

High-Protein Mint Chip Energy Balls

Need a post workout snack that’s made with real ingredients and loaded with protein? Make these high-protein mint chip energy balls for a guilt-free treat!

4 interesting ways to bake an egg

March 10, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

So…I am still pretty much obsessed with baking eggs in the oven. It looks like everyone else is too because “How to Bake Eggs in the Oven” has been one of my most popular posts since the day I posted it. So clever, yet so easy…and SO DELICIOUS.

I rounded up my 4 favorite eggy recipes that incorporate either a unique way of baking the egg or interesting ingredients to mix with an egg.

4 Interesting Ways to Bake an Egg
1. Salmon Quinoa Quiche —> with quinoa
2. Veggie Fritatta w/ Feta —> As a fritatta
3. Italian Egg Bake —> As a breakfast bake
4. Baked eggs —> By them-self

I’m still adding to my collection of interesting ways to bake an egg. I’ve never poached an egg…(in general) OR posted fried eggs, eggs sunny side up, or even hard-boiled eggs. I have a ways to go
before I really conquer the art of the egg.

What am I doing this week?
A lot of stuff! I teach yoga sculpt on Monday after work, Tuesday after work, and Wednesday at lunch. Woot! Teaching is my me time…I just love the energy I can steal from my students What I’m most excited for is…the fact that my whole entire family is flying in on Wednesday night (Mom and Dad from Cleveland and Sis and Bro from Boulder) to spend the weekend with mwauh! I am taking Friday off to spend some much needed time with my family. The weather is suppose to be nice (in the mid 40s’ <--- so sad that I consider that nice) so we will probably: walk a lot, run a lot, eat a lot, and wander a lot. Whenever I am with my parents I feel like I walk an additional 8 miles per day...just because they really enjoy walking.

On top of the family being here, I also had my GFI (Group Fitness Instructor) prep class on Thursday night and lots and lots of recipes to make this weekend for some Designer Whey sponsored posts coming up in April.

On the back-burner and moving up the chain in rapid speeds is Team Beachbody. I am around 95% sure that I am moving forward with becoming a Team Beachbody coach and need to solidify some things before I dive deep into that with you guys

Happy Monday!

Lightened Up Broccoli Cheese Soup

March 8, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

This lightened up broccoli cheese soup is creamy and delicious made with Almond Breeze almond milk and sharp white cheddar cheese. Make it for dinner in under 30!

I am so excited to introduce a new 2015 FFF partnership today!

You guys know that I am pretty much obsessed with almond milk. I legit use it in EVERYTHING. Well, I’ve been working with Blue Diamond over the corse of the past few months to bring you some delicious almond-inspired recipes like this, this, and this. In the coming months I’m excited to start working with their almond milk product Almond Breeze. I’ve been using/drinking this product for years, so I’m excited to start incorporating it into FFF’s recipes!

So about this soup.

Who doesn’t love broccoli and cheese soup?!

I decided I wanted to recreate this classic, but lighten things up a little bit by incorporating pureed cauliflower and almond milk to get that same creaminess, but a lot less fat and calories than you would have from using cream.

Yes. Please.

There is so much great flavor and only a few ingredients!

You start off by roasting all of your veggies, including 10 cloves of garlic.

Friends- it’s time to get up close and personal with garlic. It’s so good and SO GOOD FOR YOU!

While that is roasting, create a cheese sauce using sautéed shallots, EVOO, Almond Breeze, vegetable broth, and white cheddar. Once that is done simmering, your veggies will be roasted and you’ll put everything into a high power blender and to pulverize until it’s nice and creamy.

Boom.

You’ve got yourself the best tasting soup EVER in less than 30 minutes!

Top your cheese with a drizzle of EVOO, greek yogurt, extra cheese, and some bacon bits if you’re feelin’ it.

Lightened Up Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

3 cups cauliflower florets
3 cups broccoli florets
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 + 1 tablespoons EVOO, divided
4 shallots, finely diced
2 cups white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Almond Breeze Original
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups white cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings: EVOO, cheese, bacon bits

Instructions

First, preheat oven to 400ºF. Then, place cauliflower, broccoli, and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle on about 3 tablespoons of EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Toss so that everything is evenly coated.
Roast veggies at 400ºF for about 20 minutes, or until the broccoli begins to brown.
While the veggies are roasting, sauté shallots in 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Once they are translucent, add in veggie broth and Almond Breeze and let simmer for a few minutes. Then, stir in cheese and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes.
Place everything in a high-power blender and whirl for about a minute, pureeing the vegetables and turning everything into a creamy soup. If you like your soup a little thinner, add more vegetable broth!

http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2015/02/lightened-up-broccoli-cheese-soup/

This soup would be the perfect meatless Monday (minus the bacon bits), if you ask me!

What’s your all-time favorite kind of soup?!

How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter plus 3 Ways to Flavor It

March 6, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Happy Monday! Guess what? It’s my birthday week. That means I’ve only got 6 more days to live up 25 and today we are starting the celebration with my favorite food in the whole wide world. PEANUT BUTTER.

Have you ever made your own peanut butter? WELL – you should! It’s so easy! All you need is 1 ingredient (peanuts) and then any of your favorite flavor ad-ins. Don’t forget about a food processor…you need one of those, too. Today I am partnering with Planters Peanuts to bring you a super simple tutorial on how to make homemade peanut butter.

First and foremost- let’s talk about why I love peanuts!

7g of protein per serving.
6 essential nutrients.
Heart-healthy fats galore!
Not high in sodium.

Plus- in just under 6 minutes, peanuts are ground down to make the most epic food of them all- PEANUT BUTTER.

Yes, you read that right…6 minutes! If you’re working with a high-speed food processor it should only take you between 5-7 minutes to make drippy peanut butter. The sharper the blades and the more powerful your food processor, the faster your peanuts will pulverize into peanut butter! I’ve also found that using dry roasted peanuts, you’re most likely to have the most luck with consistency. So be on the lookout when you go out to buy your Planters.

So how do you make peanut butter? Literally all you need to do is place dry roasted peanuts in your food processor and whirl away! You’ll likely need to stop every minute or so to scrape the sides, but other than that…huzzah!

Things to Consider

The nut (how roasted is it? what is the oil content?)
Sharpness of your blades
Power of your food processor

Feel like spicing up your peanut butter? Check out some of Team Fit Foodie’s favorite ways to flavor it!

Chocolate Sea Salt

Chocolate Sea Salt Peanut butter is sweet and salty at the same time made with dark chocolate chips and sea salt!

3 cups Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (room temperature)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Honey Vanilla

Honey Vanilla Peanut Butter is naturally sweetened with honey and enhanced with a splash of vanilla!

3 cups Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Crunchy Maple Cinnamon

Crunchy Maple Cinnamon is sweetened with 100% pure maple syrup, spiced with a touch of cinnamon, and texturized with whole peanuts!

3 cups Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts
2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/3 cup whole peanuts

How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter plus 3 Ways to Flavor It

3 cups Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts

3 cups Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coconut oil

3 cups Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts
¼ cup dark chocolate chips (room temperature)
⅛ teaspoon sea salt

3 cups Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts
2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons coconut oil
⅓ cup Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts (for the crunch!)

Place 3 cups of Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts in a high-speed food processor. Process peanuts on high for 5-8 minutes, stopping every minute or so to scrape the sides if needed. You know your peanut butter is ready when it’s drippy (it took us about 6 minutes!).

Place 3 cups of Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts in a high-speed food processor. Process peanuts on high for 5-8 minutes, stopping every minute or so to scrape the sides if needed. You know your peanut butter is ready when it’s drippy.
Add in honey, vanilla extract, and coconut oil and blend. At this point your peanut butter might seize and get uncreamy. This is normal and what the coconut oil is for! Blend for 2-3 more minutes or until things smooth out again.

Place 3 cups of Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts in a high-speed food processor. Process peanuts on high for 5-8 minutes, stopping every minute or so to scrape the sides if needed. You know your peanut butter is ready when it’s drippy.
Add in dark chocolate chips and sea salt and blend for about 1 more minute or until everything is mixed. NOTE: use room temperature chocolate chips. Frozen/cold chocolate chips mights seize your peanut butter!

Place 3 cups of Planters Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts in a high-speed food processor. Process peanuts on high for 5-8 minutes, stopping every minute or so to scrape the sides if needed. You know your peanut butter is ready when it’s drippy.
Add in maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and coconut oil and blend. At this point your peanut butter might seize and get uncreamy. This is normal and what the coconut oil is for! Blend for 2-3 more minutes or until things smooth out again.
Finally, add in whole peanuts and pulse a few times until they get chopped and mixed in!

Please store your peanut butter in a tight container in the refrigerator!

This Post is sponsored by Planters Peanuts (Kraft Heinz). I was compensated and all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Fit Foodie Finds!

Run Lift Eat Repeat – Page 3

March 5, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

What Are You Grateful For?

Real Life

It’s been a year of complete change, a month of deep uncertainty in our country, and the time of year when most find reasons to be grateful. As I sit here, a few days before the big Thanksgiving feast, I want to remind you to always be grateful— not just during the holiday season.

During this time of year, we tend to focus so much on pleasing others that we forget about what’s most important.

Did I bake enough cookies?
What do I need on my grocery list for 12 people?
How do I brine a turkey?
What if the turkey comes out dry?
Endless holiday parties
Pulling out holiday decor
Realizing you need (want) new holiday decor
What do I need to help Santa get this year?
The house is a complete …
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Healthy Roasted Creamy Green Bean Casserole

Dinner, Healthy Options

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Thank You, Husband.

Real Life

This weight loss journey has been hard as hell. It’s been emotional, it’s been life-changing, but it’s been an absolute blessing. And right behind me each day between the smiles, the emotional breakdowns and the tears has been my husband. Chris, thank you. {A. Bloch Photography} Kudos to you for dealing with my many emotions over the past year— I know it wasn’t easy. Without a doubt, you’ve put yourself on the back burner and made me a priority. There was no …

Banana Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies.

Breakfast, Cookies

Made with wholesome, healthy ingredients. You’d never know that there’s no butter and refined sugar! Good morning! It’s been a week since the election— 7 days of a deeply divided country. I’m saddened by what I see each day on the news and social media. Regardless of who you stand behind, I sincerely hope that we can work together to lift up the good in this country, and most importantly, within each other. We all deserved to be loved and respected. But if …