FUDGE!!

Chewy Freezer Fudge

(from the book Raw Food Real World pg. 261)

1 16 oz jar almond butter
1/4 cup carob powder (or cocoa powder)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 heaping Tbsp coconut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt
 
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well until smooth.  
Line a square baking pan with plastic wrap.  Spread mixture evenly and  
cover with wrap, pressing to flatten.  Place in the freezer to chill  
for an hour or so, then flip over, remove plastic wrap and cut into  
small squares.  Store them covered in the freezer (preferably not  
touching each other so you can pull them out individually).  If left  
at room temperature they will become too soft.  Makes about 64 1"  
squares 3/4" thick.

Recipe Submitted By Carissa Buck, 8 Week Challenger 

Protein Shake

I'm not a big fan of the protein shakes that come in a can! Sure they might be convenient, but I prefer this anyday:

Protein Shake

by Paul

(my hubby, bless his heart for coming up with this little slice of heaven)

1 scoop Protein Powder (I use the 100% Whey Protein made by Muscle Milk that you can buy in a big bag at Costco-only has 1g of sugar per HEAPING scoop, and I don't even use a heaping scoop)

1 banana

scoop of frozen (or fresh) blueberries

milk

peanut butter-the secret ingredient :)

ice

Throw it all in your blender and mix it up!

And that is THE family favorite at my house, and my "go-to" after a hard workout

or a treat when I need it!

Chili

Here is an email that we received from one of our participants, Heather Larson:

Here is a recipe from the Body For Life cookbook. I love a bowl of chili every now and then - hearty and filling!

I used a lean ground beef in mine, but ground turkey would be good too. I have a lot of fresh tomatoes on hand, so instead of using a 28 oz can of stewed tomatoes I just cut up 4-5 fresh ones and tossed them in. This also makes for great leftovers- which is great because I know I can heat up a bowl of this for lunch or dinner if I am not feeling motivated or don't have the time- saves you from a drive-in disaster!

CHILI

8 portions lean ground beef (about 2 pounds) **I used 1 lb.**
1 white onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 C fresh Italian parsley, chopped **I used dried parsely**
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped **I used 1**
1/3 C fresh red chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 cans low fat, reduced sodium beef broth
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) chili beans
**I also add one 15 oz can of black beans**
reduced fat cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)

Thanks for the recipe!

If you have a recipe to share, please email it to us at eightweekstoabetteryou@hotmail.com

Also, be sure to check out the salads tab, Karli posted a delicious salad recipe!

On The Menu...

Our hope with this blog is to help eachother not get in a "rut" with our cooking while we are on this 8 week challenge!
Just because we are eating healthy, doesnt mean it has to be bland and boring.
So to kick off this recipe blog, I am posting what my family is having for dinner tonight, with just a few minor tweeks it is now
Challenge Worthy
***
Fresh Ginger Peanut Teriyaki Marinade

3/4 c low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 medium orange, peeled and halved
1/2 lime, peeled
2-3 Tbsp honey or agave nectar
1/4 c fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
1 garlic clove
1 tsp ginger paste (or fresh ginger)
1/2 c peanut butter

**I have a Vitamix blender, which is a very STRONG blender. If your blender isn't very powerful you may need to squeeze the juices from the orange and lime. If your blender is powerful enough just peel them and throw them in, so you dont lose all the extra nutrients.

***

Directions: Mix all ingredients in your blender and wa-lah, an easy delicious marinade. We marinade chicken in this and then BBQ the chicken.

***

Serving Suggestions: Set aside some of the marinade before you add the chicken, and you can heat it up and use this marinade to pour over BROWN rice and chicken. As a garnish you can also finely chop up some peanuts. With the remainder of the pineapple that you didnt use for the marinade slice it up and bbq those too. Make a little salad to get your veggies and ENJOY!