Chocolate Shakeology No-Bake Cookie Recipe

I have been reading about using Shakeology in my recipes, so I finally decided to try one out tonight.  I researched "no bake cookie" recipes and chose a great, simple one on allrecipes.com and altered it just a bit.   The results were amazing!  These are really yummy, gooey little cookies packed with lots of great ingredients, especially because of the Shakeology.   

 

I will warn you, though, my version turned out pretty sticky!  I'm not sure if it's because we didn't wait for them to completely set up or not. *wink*  I'll experiment with them again to see if I can get a better finished product.  But gooey or not, these are too good not to share!

 

I also experimented and made my own homemade almond butter by simply putting sliced almonds, approximately 2 tablespoons of honey and about 1/4-1/2 cup of water in the blender and blending until smooth.

 

If you don't have a Team Beachbody coach yet and/or you don't know where to order Shakeology, click here.

CHOCOLATE SHAKEOLOGY NO-BAKE COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups raw sugar or brown sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk (or regular milk)
• 1/2 cup butter (please do not use margarine!)
• 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and Shakeology. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. 

2. Remove from heat, and stir in almond butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened. (I think you could also spread the cookie batter into a well-greased 9X13" pan, let cool, and cut into bars, too.)

Per serving:  85 calories; 4 g fat 

Recipe adapted from All Recipes' No Bake Cookie Recipe.

Regular Exercise + Healthy Diet = RESULTS!

Are you ready to make a change in your life?
Are you tired of feeling tired?
Want to get into the best shape of your life?  

Want to transform your body?
Want to win $100,000?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, it's time to get serious and join the Team Beachbody Challenge!

Go here to begin the challenge (click on the "Team Beachbody Challenge box on the right hand side)  and select your Challenge Pack (available during the registration process).  You can customize your pack to get you into the best shape of your entire life!

Have questions?  Feel free to leave a comment or email me: coachkellyabattles@gmail.com.  I'm here for you, because I've been there!  I've lost 43 lbs since April and gone from a size 18 to a 10!  I know this works.  It all boils down to a decision:  Are you really ready to make a change?  It's not a magic pill.  It's hard work:  exercise + healthy diet = RESULTS!  Trust me, it's worth it!

Coconut Almond Pancakes

I've pretty much cut out cold cereal in the mornings, so finding healthy and filling breakfasts for my family has been a priority. These pancakes were an experiment yesterday that my family loved!  The almonds and almond meal add the protein your family needs to start the day.

I made a large batch on purpose so that we can freeze the leftovers (between sheets of aluminum and stored in a freezer ziploc).  This morning, we had pancakes ready to go -- we just heated them up in the toaster on the highest setting!  We enjoy ours with local maple syrup, but feel free to use your favorite toppings.

COCONUT ALMOND PANCAKES (makes 36 medium pancakes)

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs (farm fresh are the best!)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-2 tsp organic cinnamon (there really is a difference in taste when you use organic)
• 4 cups milk or buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1 cup almond meal
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup sliced almonds (I crush them for the perfect consistency in the pancakes)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (I use unsweetened organic, medium shred)
• butter or Olivio spread (for the griddle)
• toppings:  maple syrup, apple butter, Olivio, peanut butter, jelly or jam

Directions:

1. Heat skillet.
2. Mix eggs, salt and sugar together.  
3. Stir baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla into milk and add to egg mixture.
4. Stir in baking powder, almond meal, wheat germ and flour, just until mixed.
5. Fold in almonds and coconut.
6. Melt butter or Olivio onto heated skillet.
7. Use a large scoop (I use the large Pampered Chef cookie scoop for uniformity) & drop onto heated skillet.
8. Flip pancakes when bubbles appear.
9. Serve warm with your choice of toppings!

I will update this post later with calories/fat and a few more pics.

My weight loss journey.....

In April of this year, I decided that I would no longer waste away my life.  I weighed in at my heaviest number and was determined to get healthy.

But what does healthy mean to me?  Instead of choosing a specific weight, I have decided to make a healthy BMI my goal, which means it must be under 25.  I began at a BMI of 32, and decided to give myself a full year to lose the weight.

The First 30 Days
I started with Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred.  I made a commitment to do her video every day for 30 days back in May.  I've heard that anything you do for 21 days becomes a habit.  If I can really work out every day, maybe this will become a habit for me.  (Secretly I didn't believe working out would ever become something I would enjoy to do, but I was hoping for the best!)

I also committed to using www.myfitnesspal.com daily to record my calories.  Eating 1400 calories per day seemed nearly impossible.  Instead of switching to fat-free and sugar free, though, I made the decision to eat "clean".  I wanted to cook the same food for my children and my husband that I was going to eat.  This had to be a long-term thing for me, so a complete renovation of our pantry and fridge began back in April.

After The Initial 30 Days
After I successfully completed the 30 Day Shred, I noticed a very strange thing:  I actually wanted to workout daily!  I ordered Jillian's Ripped in 30 next.  Then it was Beachbody's TurboJam, and then I even began the Couch 2 5K program!

I've brought my calories down to 1200 daily, and try to exercise every day, or at least 5 times a week.  I've also read Made to Crave by Lysa Terkherst, and completed her 21 Day Devotional three times!  I discovered that I had a food addiction, and that I have to fight it.  Filling up on whole foods like organic fruits and veggies, and trying new healthy recipes that my entire family enjoys has changed my life!  I finally have freedom in my eating!  Diet IS a four-letter word.  I am not on a specific diet, other than counting calories. 

We eat healthy food.  Do I "cheat" and eat "bad" things every now and then?  YES!  I haven't restricted anything 100% from my diet.  If I eat a cupcake, I work out extra, or watch my calories a little closer the next day.  This is what has set me free from my food addiction.  If I am "allowed" to have whatever I want in moderation, I don't crave the "bad" stuff anymore!

At the end of August, I signed up to be a Team Beachbody coach, and now I'm preparing to become a certified personal trainer.  This is the same girl who never played sports in school and who sat on the couch watching exercise videos instead of doing them!  No longer, though.  I tell people, "It's like a crazy fitness lady has invaded my body and I'm NOT letting her out."

The Results
So it's been 6 months and this is what I have accomplished:

• Completed 30 Day Shred (twice).
• Completed Ripped in 30.
• Completed 23 days of Turbo Jam.
• Completed 3 different 30 Day Challenges with friends.
• Brought my BMI from 32 to 27.
• Lost 38 pounds and 8" off my waist (!!).
• Brought my percent of body fat from 45% to 28%.
• Changed my eating habits and drastically transformed my entire family's eating habits.
• Run 2.8 miles in 30 minutes (on an elliptical).

Your Challenge
I'm here to tell you that if I can lose weight and be successful working out, you can too!  Join me in this journey...make a commitment to spend the next 30 days eating less and working out (even just 20 minutes a day).  I promise you will see results!  If you are willing to accept this challenge, comment on this post and let me know.