Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

What could be better than the combination of chocolate, peanut butter and banana all rolled up in one gooey delicious ball??  Well maybe the fact that these are gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan and requires absolutely no baking!  I got the idea for these from my overnight oats that I probably make at least once or twice a week.  I'll share that recipe soon, but it's my favorite because I literally feel like I'm devouring dessert for breakfast!  And to top it off, it's actually good for you!

These little babies are super easy to make, all you need is 10 minutes and aren't afraid to get a little messy.  But I suppose if by "mess" you mean chocolate all over your hands, who's really complaining??  

 Feel free to throw in mini chocolate chips with these too or roll them in coconut!  I of course had these bright ideas AFTER I had already made my grocery run so I didn't have either on hand, but next time they will certainly be a must-try!  I think they'll also look more appealing, don't ya think?

In any case, I must admit it was tough for me not to eat the entire bowl in one sitting, let alone take the time to roll each into a ball!  These are great to freeze too and take out each time you want a little treat.  Serve these up for your girlfriends or take them to a party and I guarantee you nobody will know they're healthy.  Oh and how cute would these be on sticks??  Seriously the possibilities are endless and I urge you to try them soon!  Chances are you already have all the ingredients on hand, so what's an extra 10 minutes out of your day?  Especially when these are only 1 WW point per ball!

Enjoy lovelies!!

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Servings: 14
Serving Size: 1 ball
Calories: 41
Fat: 0.7 g
Carbs: 6.7 g
Fiber: 1.3 g
Protein: 2 g
Old Points: 1 pt
Points+: 1 pt

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Here are your ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats (use gluten-free if sensitive to gluten)

1 medium banana

4 Tbsp powdered peanut butter (I used PB2)

1 Tbsp unsweetened organic cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 packet Stevia 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly until completely combined.  Then using a tablespoon, scoop out mixture and roll into a ball.  Place on cookie sheet or plate and continue until all balls are made.  

Refrigerate balls for at least an hour OR feel free to dive right in!  Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

 I also have a winner to announce!

Congratulations Danielle for winning the She Does Justice giveaway!  I'll shoot you over an email soon love!
Winner was chosen using Random.org.

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week enjoying their summer!

Meet Lindsey.

  Boy do I have a treat for you today!  Lindsey is the sweetheart behind the blog
LSilverStyle and is one that I've become legit addicted to.  If you love fashion, healthy recipes, decorating ideas, fitness tips, DIY projects (need I go on??) then you will just adore this girl!  She's taking over the blog today so I hope you enjoy!

Hi Everyone! I'm Lindsey, coming to you from my lifestyle blog, LSilverStyle. My blog encompasses just about everything a girl dreams about:)  We're talking healthy recipes, affordable fashion finds, fitness moves, beauty tips and tricks, and the list goes on. I thought I'd round up a few of my favorite things I've posted about so far to give you a little taste. Hope you enjoy!

Starting it off with one of my summer obsessions, a healthy cocktail recipe! Who doesn't love a skinny beverage? My Hurricane Drink Recipe gets rid of all of the added sugars and syrups that our waistlines don't need. Try this tasty and healthy drink recipe for your next guilt free cocktail.

Next up, I'm showing you how to get glam for under $20.  The Cartier Love Bracelet is an iconic piece of jewelry that most women want, but can't afford.  Luckily I've found an affordable look-alike.  Check it out here: Cartier Love Bracelet look alike

If you know me, you know I've got a major sweet tooth! Because I can't seem to give up sweets, I make sure to indulge the healthy way. I'm always searching for ways to convert all time favorite sweet treats into healthier versions. What I'm loving right now is my Fruit Pizza recipe.  Warning: you will be addicted to this stuff!

Next on the list is Fake Bake Flawless self tanning spray. This is my #1 must have for summer! I've experimented with many self tanners before and this is by far the best.  If you don't have time to enjoy the sun this is the next best thing.  You can purchase the spray and read my review here: Fake Bake Flawless

Like many of you, Fashion is one of my passions.  I like to think of myself as a affordable fashion guru:)  Here's one of my newest fashion finds: Forever 21 Geo Print Short.  Super cute and trendy for under $15!

The last piece I'll leave you with is something every lady should own.  The J Crew White Crystals Bubble Necklace is a statement necklace that has just the right amount of sparkle for everyone.  I love this piece and wear it all the time! I'll pair it with a black dress for a fancy evening or put it with jeans and a blazer for a casual friday look.   Oh, and did I mention, this is also under $20?!

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Thanks for sharing Lindsey!

Also get excited for my chocolate peanut butter ball recipe that will be posted tomorrow.  I'm talking gluten-free, sugar-free, no-bake, vegan...um yeah, they're kind of amazing.  You can see a sneak peek over on my Instagram here.

Stay tuned!!

Summer Quinoa Salad

It's officially summer.  Man does it feel good to say that, I mean there is nothing I love more than sunshine, pool days and a great suntan.  Annnd I'm sure you've noticed that my blog has seriously been lacking content these past few months!  Well that's because May was spent living in a hotel every weekend, one of those week's being right smack on the beach.  Yeah not complaining at all.  Well needless to say it had been at least 3 years since I had even seen the ocean (sinful I know) so I definitely soaked it all in with about 12 of my girlfriends and we had the absolute time of our lives.

It was a bachelorette party after all.

So aside from my traveling and just being plain BUSY, I finally got my life back and was so excited to dive right back into making recipes and photographing my food.  This salad is one I got the idea for while at the beach.  One of my girlfriends brought a quinoa salad and we literally just threw in any leftover veggies we had in the fridge.  This is simple, tasty and so insanely good for you!

Plus what better way to get rid of extra veggies before they go bad!

 I basically threw in all my favorites, everything from broccoli to sweet peppers, red onion and corn along with black beans and fresh basil.  I sautéed the veggies to really bring out their flavor and tossed the entire thing with a lemon balsamic dressing that is legit to DIE for.  You can use any type of quinoa you want, but I just thought the red was really pretty haha.

I'm such a female.

I love this salad because it's best served cold which means it is simply perfect for those picnics or all day BBQs, while at the beach, or in my case, great for weekly meal planning because it sure makes a ton!  Feel free to experiment with this too, next time I may add a little cumin or other seasoning and may try limes and cilantro instead of lemon and basil.  You can't go wrong with this veggie combination though!

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Servings: 12

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Calories: 112

Fat: 1.9 g

Carbs: 19.9 g

Fiber: 3.6 g

Protein: 4.5 g

Old Points: 2 pts

Points+: 3 pts

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Here are your ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 red onion, chopped

7-8 sweet peppers, chopped

1 cup broccoli

1 cup corn

1 can black beans, rinsed

Juice of 2 lemons

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 packet Stevia

Handful fresh basil, chopped

To make quinoa, rinse and soak for about 10 minutes in warm water.  Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan and drain quinoa and add to boiling water.  Cover and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Turn heat off and allow quinoa to sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.  Allow quinoa to cool before adding in the rest of the salad.  

Meanwhile, sauté onion and sweet peppers with just a bit of olive oil until onion is translucent and peppers are soft, about 3 minutes.  Add mixture to cooled quinoa then add broccoli, corn and black beans, mixing well.  

In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, Stevia and red pepper flakes.  Add to salad and toss well.  Once salad is coated, add fresh basil and allow to sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours.  Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

 I swear the more I make quinoa, the more I absolutely love it!  For more of my favorite quinoa recipes, feel free to try out my Chia Seed Quinoa Muffins, my Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Cereal or even these Spring Herb Quinoa Patties!

Enjoy lovelies!

  

$50 She Does Justice Shop Credit Giveaway

She Does Justice is shop that was created as a way to support those organizations who are working towards reaching those in need.  Each month they choose a program to give assistance to and 10% of ALL profits goes towards that cause.  I was super intrigued by this shop because no matter how large or small the organization, they choose to support the mission first and foremost!

All of the items in this shop were designed to fit the average woman's lifestyle.  Most items are handmade or are made from small businesses who have partnered with She Does Justice.  They have everything from headbands to scarves to motivational prints you can keep in your office.  This is such a wonderful brand, I couldn't help but tell you all about them!  Lucky for YOU, she's offering one lucky reader a $50 shop credit towards anything in her store!

Here's a little peek inside her fabulous shop!

Here's here how to

ENTER

**You must be a Google Friend Connect follower of my blog**

Additional entries:

Tell me your favorite item from her shop here

Follow She Does Justice on Twitter here
Become a fan of She Does Justice on Facebook here

Follow me on Twitter here 

Like me on Facebook here 

Follow me on Instagram here

 

Tweet: "I just entered to win a $50 shop credit towards any handmade item from @SheDoesJustice on @EatUrselfSkinny! http://bit.ly/17lyS3U"

All separate comments please.

 Winner will be announced this Friday, June 7th so enter now to be a part of this great giveaway!  Thanks again She Does Justice for starting such an amazing cause!

Sponsor Spotlight

Meet Nicole.  She's the adorable foodie behind the blog Cooking for Keeps where she shares all her original recipes created specifically for her friends and family.  Nicole has loved cooking for as long as she can remember and with her wedding date right around the corner, you can bet she's a busy girl yet still somehow manages to find time to whip up delicious recipes to share on her blog!  So head on over and try a few of her dishes, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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You are simply going to adore Helene from the lifestyle blog Helene in Between!  Growing up as a Texan girl and marrying her high school sweetheart, this southern girl knows a thing or two about living life to its fullest and dancing the entire way.  This blog is a humorous depiction of her fabulous life focusing on travel, music and, of course, everything in between!  Oh and she likes Britney Spears so you have to love this girl by default - yes I said so.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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Erika is the sweet girl from the blog Balanced Spoon which she started as a way to share her life and love of food.  As a registered dietician, Miss Erika prides herself in creating recipes that aren't just healthy, but tasty too!  You can expect to find all the nutritional information for each dish she shares as well as little tips and tricks for living a well-balanced lifestyle.  Oh and I should probably mention, her pictures are totally drool-worthy!  So please visit the Balanced Spoon and tell Erika hello!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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Allow me to introduce to you Miss Ashley from the fabulous blog Sweetpea Lifestyle.  If you love all things pink, girly, enjoy making a craft or two or are even just looking for some delicious recipes to make this weekend, Ashley's blog is your absolute go-to!  When she's not journaling the world around her through her gorgeous photography, you'll most likely find her preparing a brunch or dinner for her closest friends or even cooking her way through Ina Garten's cookbook!  She's also launching her first ever e-Book called Successful Entertaining which will be released TODAY!  This book will include 100 recipes, endless tips and tricks for flawless entertaining as well as a ton of printables!  So head on over and visit this self-admitted cookbook addict and see for yourself why I adore her so much!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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 Lauren, the sweet girl behind the blog Pockets Full of Happiness, is nothing short of inspirational!  Losing over 65 pounds simply through diet and exercise alone, she's successfully been able to keep it off for two years and shares her success story through her blog.  She also shares the things she's most passionate about in life such as fashion, health/fitness, recipes and most importantly, teaching girls to never give up!  She also recently got engaged (yay!!) so please head over and send her some love!

Blog | Instagram | Twitter

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Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!  I'm wedding bound to watch my favorite people get married!  I promise there are so many new recipes to come, thanks again for your patience!

Top 10 Bikini-Friendly Recipes

YAY!  The blog is back up and working!  To say I freaked out over the weekend would be a serious understatement...I mean I'm sure you could imagine my surprise when I received my first message from someone asking where my blog went only to look it up and find nothing but ads and ZERO recipes.  Yes total panic attack times 6756184756979.  Well luckily I was able to get everything figured out thanks to my amazing boyfriend and am soooo relieved I didn't lose all my posts - whew!

With that said, I wanted to share a few of my favorite summer recipes you know with it being almost June and all.  I did spend the better part of my week by the ocean so it only seems appropriate to kick off this season with some bikini-friendly recipes!

 

6 or 7 fresh raspberries

4 fresh mint leaves

1 Tbsp lime juice

1 packet Stevia in the Raw

Ice cubes

3 Tbsp rum

2/3 cup club soda

 

Place raspberries, mint leaves, lime juice and sweetener in the bottom of your glass.  Muddle together so that all your raspberries and mint leaves are crushed, top with ice and pour in your rum and club soda.  Add a few additional mint leaves and raspberries if desired; garnish with a lime peel.  Enjoy!

 

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3/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Garnish with chopped cilantro and lime wedges

To make the seasoning, mix together the salt, paprika, cumin, curry powder, cayenne and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over shrimp and toss to combine.

For grilling:  Preheat your grill on medium heat and spray with cooking spray to prevent shrimp from sticking.  Thread shrimp on skewers and place on grill for 1 to 2 minutes (until pink) then turn over and cook an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how you like them.  Squeeze lime juice over top and garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.

For pan frying:  In a large skillet, melt about a tablespoon of light butter over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally for about 3 to 5 minutes.  Shrimp should be opaque throughout.  Squeeze lime juice over top and garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.  Enjoy!

 

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30 cherry tomatoes

30 mozzarella balls, patted dry with a paper towel

Basil leaves

Pepper

Balsamic vinegar

Using 6-inch bamboo skewers, first place a cherry tomato, then a large basil leaf followed by a mozzarella ball.  Continue these steps until you have the amount of skewers you want, arrange them on a platter and sprinkle with a bit of pepper.  Serve with balsamic vinegar or drizzle over top, just remember to drizzle right before serving so that your basil leaves don't wilt.  Enjoy!

 

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1 bunch kale (about 6 oz)

1 Tbsp olive oil

Sprinkle of sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Wash and dry kale, remove center ribs and cut into 2 inch pieces (Kale shrinks up when you bake it so you want the pieces to be rather large).  Throw kale pieces in a bowl and toss with olive oil.  Lay out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake kale for about 20 minutes, or until crisp.  Enjoy!

 

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1 cup chopped watermelon

1 cup chopped cantaloupe

1 cup chopped honeydew

1/2 large cucumber, seeded and chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

10-12 mint leaves, chopped

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

2 limes, juiced

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and add lime juice, salt and pepper.  Mix thoroughly and serve with any chips you'd like.  Enjoy! 

 

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1 large red onion

1 medium red bell pepper

1 medium yellow bell pepper

2 lb. peeled and deveined, large cooked shrimp with tails

1 cup sugar-free ketchup

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

3 Tbsp. orange zest

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 to 3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped

 

Cut onion and bell peppers into thin strips and layer with shrimp in a large zip-lock bag.  Whisk together ketchup, cilantro, lime juice, zest, orange juice and chopped chipotle peppers and pour over shrimp in the bag.  Seal and chill, allowing to marinate for 12 to 24 hours.  Pour into a bowl when ready to serve, enjoy!

 

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2 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup sliced kiwi 

1 banana, cut up

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 Tbsp. chia seeds

In a blender, combine spinach, kiwi, banana, yogurt, pineapple, orange juice and chia seeds.  Cover and blend until nearly smooth, scraping sides of blender if necessary.  Divide smoothie into two glasses and top with additional berries if desired.

 

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2 lb. butternut squash

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups fresh corn kernels

1/2 small red onion, sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

3 cups arugula

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large shallot, minced

1 tsp. garlic, minced

1/2 Tbsp light brown sugar

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Peel and seed the butternut squash and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes.  Toss squash with olive oil and place in a single layer on an aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet.  Bake 20 minutes, turning squash about 10 minutes in.  Cook until tender and allow to cool completely, about another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile for the balsamic vinaigrette, whisk together balsamic vinegar, shallot, garlic, brown sugar, salt and pepper.  Gradually add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until blended.

Once squash has cooled, toss together with cannellini beans, corn, red onion, basil and balsamic vinaigrette in a large bowl and chill, covered, for 2 to 4 hours.  Toss with arugula just before serving, enjoy!

 

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Southwest Flank Steak:

 

3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp. chili powder

4 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 beef flank steak (1 1/2 lbs.)

 

Peach Salsa:

 

3/4 cup chopped peeled fresh peaches

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion

2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

 

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne pepper and rub all over steak.  Lightly coat your grill rack with cooking oil and grill steak, covered, over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes on each side.  If you don't have a grill, you can broil your steak in the oven about 4-inches away from heat, until desired doneness.

 

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients used to make the peach salsa in a small bowl and mix well.  Allow flavors to marinate a bit while you cook the steak.  Once steak is done, thinly slice across the grain and serve, topped with peach salsa.  Enjoy!

 

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1/4 cup light ricotta cheese

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

3/4 cup blueberries

4 slices low-calorie whole grain bread, toasted

2 Tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, honey and lemon zest.  Slowly fold in blueberries.  Cut each toasted bread slice diagonally into four equal pieces.  Divide blueberry mixture among bread pieces.  Sprinkle with toasted almonds and enjoy!

 

Watermelon Ice Pops

Oh hey guys, remember me??  Yeah I used to blog and make recipes and take lots of pretty pictures...you know, on a day-to-day basis.  Well with weddings, vacations, and just LIFE simply taking over, my blog has had to take the back burner for a bit, BUT as I've mentioned before, I'm about to launch my NEW (and very much improved) blog really, really soon.  As in like any day now!  It's a little makeover I've been working on for months so I'm completely excited to share the finish product with you soon.

Oh and lets not forget to state the obvious, summer is quickly approaching!  Time for pool parties, cookouts, country concerts and impromptu beach trips so what better way to kick off this fabulous season than with my absolute favorite summer recipe?!  These were such a huge hit last year that I just had to post these again - gotta love a good throwback.

 Nothing is more refreshing to me on a hot summer's day than fresh cut watermelon, especially at cookouts.  It's healthy, delicious and ridiculously low in calories, so why not freeze it up and put it on a stick??  I didn't use any fancy expensive popsicle makers either, just paper cups, wooden sticks and went to town.  Your kids will absolutely love making these and you'll love eating them!

 I used lime sherbet for the rind of the watermelon and mini chocolate chips for the "seeds".  This will probably be the easiest thing you'll make all summer and for only 2 points per pop, go ahead and indulge!  This is the perfect snack to have ready in your freezer to grab when you want something sweet, but don't want to kill yourself with calories.  Oh and feel free to go crazy and add a shot or two of vodka to make these pops really fun, I'm sure your friends will thank you.

No I won't judge.
I may or may not have already tried this myself.

 Thanks again for being so patient friends.  I promise this blog will be back up in no time and I truly appreciate all the sweet e-mails asking when I'll be posting recipes again!  The answer is expect all new recipes (along with a whole new look) this June.  In the meantime I'll try sharing more of my Tone It Up journey, which you can of course follow on my Instagram account, and some of my quick, go to recipes that I throw together during the week that make eating healthy easy.

So for now, hope you enjoy these delicious and utterly adorable ice pops and have fun kicking off the summer in style!

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Servings: 12

Serving Size: 1 ice pop

Calories: 78

Fat: 1.4 g

Carbs: 16.5 g

Fiber: 0.3 g

Protein: 0.5 g

Old Points: 1.6 pts

Points+: 2 pts

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Here are your ingredients:

Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen

5 cups seedless watermelon pulp

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1 pint lime sherbet, softened

Puree watermelon and sugar in batches in your blender or food processor until smooth and strain into a medium bowl.  Cover and freeze until puree is slightly slushy, but not quite solid, about 2 to 3 hours.  Remove from freezer, stir well and add in chocolate chips.

Place twelve 5-ounce disposable cups in a shallow baking pan and spoon watermelon puree into cups, leaving about a 1/2 inch left from the rim.  Place pan in freezer for 2 hours, or until puree is solid, but not rock hard.

Allow lime sherbet to soften a bit, then spread over top of each portion of watermelon puree so that it comes up to the edge of the cup.  Smooth sherbet with the back of a spoon and cover each cup with plastic wrap.  Cut a small slit in the center of each cup and insert a popsicle stick into each pop so that it almost reaches the bottom of the cups.  Freeze overnight (or until solid) and can be frozen for up to two days.

Allow pops to sit at room temperature for about a minute, then gently pull out from the cups.  Serve and enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe 

 Enjoy friends!