Easy No Cook Peanut Butter Thai Salad

                      This delicious noodle salad requires no cooking.

   In my quest to have my husband consume more veggies, I made him this delicious peanut butter Thai salad. This salad is served cold with a homemade peanut butter sauce so it gives my husband a healthy alternative to those sandwiches he usually packs in his lunch. My husband's job requires him to drive around the city all day and he does not have a chance to go back to the office until later in the day. That means his lunch break is either at a restaurant or a cold one that he packs from home. Eating out can be expensive and unhealthy so most days, my husband packs a lunch from home. He usually packs a sandwich made with ham or turkey and an apple. My husband complains a lot that he is tired of sandwiches but he does not like my suggestions of other lunch items, until now. I made this Peanut Butter Thai salad the other day when I had some shredded carrots that needed to be used. I had made a previous warm dish with a peanut butter sauce so I decided to make a cold one. My husband gave my dish a thumbs up and I was pleased that he was eating veggies. My husband now requests this salad once a week for his lunch and I am happy to make it for him.

  This salad is super easy to make. I make the homemade peanut butter sauce,using red pepper flakes for an incredible taste with a touch of heat in the microwave. I then drizzle the sauce over the carrots, ramen noodles and thawed cooked shrimp. If the salad is consumed right away, the ramen noodles give it a wonderful crunch. When consumed the next day, the ramen are nice soft noodles.

Easy No Cook Peanut Butter Thai Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients                                                                

Homemade peanut butter sauce

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on heat preference

Salad 

2 packages ramen noodles

10 ounces shredded carrots

5 ounces small cooked frozen shrimp, thawed

Combine all sauce ingredients in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir the sauce until the peanut butter is melted and mixes in. If needed, microwave for 30-60 seconds more to melt the peanut butter.

While the ramen noodles are still in their package, pound on them a couple times to break them into pieces. Open up the packages of ramen on pour them into a large bowl, set aside the seasoning to use in another recipe as it is not needed. Add the carrots and shrimp to the ramen noodles along with the peanut butter sauce. Stir well until well combined. Enjoy this salad right away or store in the fridge for 3 days.

Free Hershey's Milk Chocolate With Almonds

I just love the Friday freebies! It is one of my favorite things about shopping at Smiths (Kroger) stores.

Free Hershey's Milk Chocolate With Almonds Receive ONE (1) FREE Hershey's Milk Chocolate With Almonds Bar (1.45 oz). Available in most stores.

Exp 11/06/2016

This Friday, October 21th, 2016 – ONLY, you can load a coupon to your Kroger (or Affiliate) Plus Card for one Free Hershey's Milk Chocolate With Almonds

Although 10/21/16 is the only day that you can load the coupon, the coupon offer is redeemable through 11/06/2016

                             http://kroger.softcoin.com/programs/kroger/freefri/

Celebrate National Chocolate Cupcake Day The Healthy Way

                   A healthy diet can have occasional treats.

   I try to give my body healthy food as it makes me feel and look good. For the most part, my body craves the healthy food. My family thinks it is strange that I love eating vegetables but I truly love them. It was not always that way as growing up I ate way too many sweets. It took many years of changing my eating style to learn to love vegetables. I still love something sweet once in a while and I feel it is Ok to indulge my sweet tooth a couple times a week. When I do indulge that sweet tooth, I reach for something that is made with healthy ingredients. So today I am going to show you that you can still enjoy sweets with a healthy lifestyle. I am going to show that my cupcake logo on my website can be made into a healthy yet delicious treat. This delicious treat is also high in protein which makes it a perfect treat to indulge in after a morning run. I like to enjoy mine with a cup of coffee.

  Today is National Chocolate Cupcake Day and I will be celebrating this day with my delicious healthy chocolate peanut butter brownie cupcake. The secret ingredient in my high protein cupcakes is a delicious Chocolate Brownie Protein powder. This rich chocolate protein powder not only gives my body the much-needed protein but it is designed for us ladies. You have seen the many ads for protein shakes that are aimed at the guys. They are loaded with way too much sugar, calories, and other ingredients that are not designed for a lady. IdealLean Protein thought about us ladies, no offense guys, and designed a protein powder that helps our bodies to recover and get lean muscles, not bulky ones. I just love that it only has 80 deliciously smooth calories, no sugar and 20 grams of protein. That way I can enjoy a yummy protein shake any time of the day and not worry about extra calories. I can also use this protein powder in my many recipes like cupcakes and energy balls and give my boys the extra protein their growing bodies need. My favorite flavor is Chocolate Brownie but IdealLean makes seven wonderful flavors like Pina Colada and Cake Batter so I never get bored with my daily protein shake. My boys even enjoy an IdealLean shake once in a while for a healthy after school snack. My boys favorite combination is one scoop of Chocolate Brownie mixed with peanut butter and almond milk. What mom is going to say no to their child asking for a milkshake made with protein powder?

   My chocolate peanut butter brownie cupcakes are a delicious chocolate cupcake that tastes like a brownie and is then topped with a yummy low-fat peanut butter frosting. This frosting is made with peanut butter powder which is low in fat. You can use real peanut butter in the frosting but that would add 8 grams of fat. These cupcakes are low in calories, fat, and high in protein. Each delicious cupcake with frosting has about 11 grams of protein. So indulge in this delicious treat on National Chocolate Cupcake and give your body some extra protein for those lean muscles.

     IdealLean makes seven wonderful flavors so visit their website to find your favorite flavor.
                                                     http://www.idealfit.com/

         Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes

Makes 8 cupcakes

Ingredients
                         3 egg whites
                         1/4 c unsweetened almond milk
                         1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
                         1 tsp. vanilla
                         1 scoop Chocolate Brownie IdealLean Protein
                         1/3 c oat flour
                         1/3 c almond flour
                         2 tbsp. unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
                         1/4 c coconut sugar
                         1 tsp. baking powder
               Peanut Butter Frosting
                           1 cup peanut butter powder, I used PB Fit
                           ¾ cup almond milk, unsweetened
                           2 tablespoons honey


              INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Fill 8 cupcake tins with liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk together egg whites, almond milk, applesauce, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until completely smooth.
Add Chocolate Coconut IdealLean protein, oat flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, and baking powder to a separate mixing bowl.
Add to wet mixture and stir until just combined. Fill cupcake tins and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool and frost each cupcake with 1 tbsp peanut butter frosting. Enjoy!

 Peanut Flour Frosting instructions
    Mix all ingredients together. If your frosting is too thin, add more peanut flour. If your frosting too thick, add more almond milk.
        

"These opinions are my own and I received samples of IdealLean Protein to facilitate this post"

How To Make Homemade Garbanzo Bean Flour

Have a recipe that calls for garbanzo bean flour but don't want to buy a whole bag of flour? Make your own garbanzo bean flour and save money! Making homemade flour from dried chickpeas is so easy. Keep reading for the recipe and for recipes that use garbanzo flour, like vegan scrambled eggs and more.

  I discovered a recipe the other day that I so wanted to make. It was a gluten-free, egg-free quiche. This recipe needed garbanzo bean flour so I quickly raced to my store to get some. My store did not carry any garbanzo bean flour. When I decided to order chickpea flour online, I was shocked at the price.

Then I decided to look online for garbanzo bean flour and I was shocked at the price of the small one-pound package of flour made from garbanzo beans. So I thought to myself, what is garbanzo bean flour made from? The answer may surprise you as this flour is simply finely grounded dried chickpeas. I then realized that my fancy high-speed blender might be able to grind up the dried chickpeas,

 So I bought a package of dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas) to see if I could make the flour at home with my high-speed blender. When I arrived home, I placed the dried garbanzo beans in my blender, and much to my surprise I was able to make my own garbanzo bean flour. I was so happy as I had fresh flour and I saved over $4.00! It was so easy to make and now, of course, I am going to discover what other homemade flours I can make with my high-speed blender. I was happy to discover this money-saving hack. I like DIY recipes and homemade is always a good thing.

Chickpea flour is loaded with protein

 Chickpeas are loaded with protein so it makes a wonderful gluten-free flour. In fact, one cup of garbanzo bean flour has 20 grams of protein. This allergy-friendly flour also has plenty of heart-healthy fiber with one cup providing 10 grams of fiber. This delicious plant-based flour is perfect for many recipes like egg-free quiche or grain-free crackers. You need to try this wheat-free flour in gluten-free bread recipes as it makes a healthy allergy-friendly loaf of bread. This dairy-free mom sure does appreciate that the healthy gluten-free flour is a great source of magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

Garbanzo Bean Flour is 

~ Gluten-free

~ Full of Fiber

~ Packed with Protein

~ Allergy-Friendly

~ Wheat-Free

~ Can be used in many vegan recipes

~ Great Source of Nutrition

~ Vegan

~ Plant-Based

~ Made From Dried Chickpeas

This gluten-free flour makes delicious grain-free crackers
  
Get the recipe for Savory Everything Spice Rosemary Chickpea Crackers HERE

Save money and time running to the store

  All you need to make the garbanzo bean flour is a package of dried garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) and a high-speed blender, like my Ninja. So save money and make this tasty grain-free flour at home. Next time you are at the store, buy a package of dried garbanzo beans. These delicious beans also go by the name of chickpeas. I always have several packages of garbanzo beans in my pantry as these beans are so easy to cook in the pressure cooker or slow cooker. The cooked garbanzo beans are perfect to use in homemade hummus. I like to substitute chickpeas for white beans in my Spicy Carrot Hummus or Easy Beet Hummus.

DIY Garbanzo Bean Flour

Ingredients

one pound of dried garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas)

A high-speed blender

Instructions  

                                                                                                                       

1. Add the dried garbanzo to a high-powered blender and turn it on at high speed. Blend until the garbanzo has been ground as finely as possible - note that there may still be some larger pieces in there depending on the blender you are using. 

2. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the flour into a bowl, and any larger pieces that did not fit through the sieve, return to the blender and process again to break them down further

3. You may need to repeat this step once or twice more to get all pieces finely ground.

4. Store in an airtight container, preferably in the freezer.

Garbanzo bean flour is made from dried garbanzo beans or chickpeas

If you discover large pieces just run them through the blender again.

My Ninja Blender was able to grind all the garbanzo beans to a fine flour in one minute so I did not need to do the next step.

If you don't have a high-speed blender, you can use a coffee grinder. Just grind the beans in smaller amounts.

Garbanzo beans make a great gluten-free flour and they are high in protein and fiber. Just look at the nutrition facts of ½ cup of garbanzo bean flour:

178 calories

3 grams of fat

10 grams protein

5 grams fiber

5 grams of sugar (no added sugar)

101 milligrams folate (50 percent DV)

0.75 milligrams of manganese (37 percent DV)

0.4 milligrams copper (21 percent DV)

76 milligrams magnesium (19 percent DV)

146 milligrams phosphorus (15 percent DV)

0.2 milligrams thiamine (15 percent DV)

2 milligrams iron (12 percent DV)

0.25 milligrams of vitamin B6 (12 percent DV)

778 milligrams potassium (11 percent DV)

3 milligrams zinc (9 percent DV)

7 milligrams selenium (6 percent DV)

Check out these plant-based recipes that feature garbanzo beans

~ Vegan Scrambled Eggs

~ Vegan Omelet  

~ Plant-Based Crab Cakes

~ Vegan Tuna Salad

~ Homemade Aquafaba Made In The Pressure Cooker

~ Spicy HARISSA Hot Chili Hummus

 So now you have another use for those dried garbanzo beans that are in your pantry. Beans are healthy and delicious and can be a main staple in a plant-based diet. So make sure to always have plenty of chickpeas on hand so you can make your favorite vegan recipes. Grab 4 pounds of chickpeas on Amazon for a low price.

Gluten Free And Egg Free Spinach Quiche

In my quest to take better care of my body, I am seeking more recipes that don't use any animal products.

  The more I read about animal products and how they are treated, the more I want to stay clear of them. I have been a vegetarian for quite some time and with all those hormones and antibiotics that are pumped into animals, I am trying to eat less animal by-products like eggs and dairy. I like eggs and they can be a good source of protein but I know that plant-based products are simply a better option for good health. So when I discovered this egg-free quiche recipe in my email this morning, I just knew I had to make it. This recipe came from https://eatingrules.com, which is a wonderful website that has lots of healthy recipes made from unprocessed food. The picture of the quiche looked so delicious and the author said it had a "great mouthfeel." This recipe uses garbanzo bean flour which is made from garbanzo beans and is high in protein. You can buy the flour at health food stores or make it at home with dried garbanzo beans and a high-speed blender. I love the taste of garbanzo beans in my hummus and other dishes so I just had to make this delicious looking quiche. The original recipe did not have spinach in it but I do love spinach in my quiche so I added it. I also used frozen butternut squash, as it was easier to use, and fresh rosemary, as I have a huge rosemary bush in my yard. I love that this quiche is gluten free, dairy free and vegan. The rosemary gives this quiche a wonderful flavor.

                                Gluten Free And Egg Free Spinach Quiche
 serves 6
      Ingredients
             2 cups garbanzo bean flour - see notes for a DIY recipe
             2 cups water
             3 tablespoons olive oil
             1/2 teaspoon salt
             1 1/2  teaspoons fresh rosemary, diced
             1 1/2 cups frozen butternut squash cubes
             1 small shallot, diced
             1 large handful fresh spinach leaves, torn into pieces
             olive oil for pan

Instructions
       Pre-heat oven 425 degrees F.
Mix flour, salt, water, olive oil, and rosemary and let rest for five minutes.
Brush an ovenproof dish with olive oil.
Add the butternut squash, spinach, and shallot to the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
Pour the mixture into the ovenproof dish and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes, until edges brown and start to pull away from the pan. Put a knife in the center to make sure it comes out clean. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Notes: Check out this DIY recipe for garbanzo bean flour, you can make it at home for a fraction of the cost of store-bought and it is so easy. how to make garbanzo bean flour 
    I made some variations from the original recipe which I found at https://eatingrules.com/egg-free-garbanzo-flour-quiche/

$100 American Express Gift Card Giveaway Event!

Welcome to the $100 American Express Gift Card Giveaway Event!

Hosted by: Lil' Blog and More, Coupons and Freebies Mom, Romania and Missions, and InezbyDesign.

This great group of bloggers wanted to get together, to bring one amazing prize, to one lucky winner!

Good Luck!

The Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a $100 American Express Gift Card.

Enter with the easy form, below:

Entry-Form

  Disclosure: The bloggers involved in this giveaway were not compensated, and are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Lil' Blog and More will be sending the prize out. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter this giveaway. This giveaway starts October 16th, 2016, and will end on November 10th, 2016 at 11:59 pm. The winner will be emailed, and have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen. Once a winner is drawn and confirmed, the name will be announced on the GiveawayTools form. Open to worldwide entries.