Noodle Substitue! Garlic and olive oil Spaghetti Squash!

only 181 calories a serving, this can replace garlic and olive oil spaghetti. Plus, bonus- it qualifies are your veggies!

Minutes to Prepare: 5

Minutes to Cook: 1

Number of Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 Spaghetti Squash (a.k.a. Winter Squash, Spaghetti)
3-4 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 table spoons olive oil
1/4 cup water
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds, being careful to preserve as much of the inside as possible. In a casserole dish (Spray with Pam), like squash face down, add 1/4 cup of water. 

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, then turn squash over and cook for another 30 minutes or until soft.

As squash is cooling, sautee garlic and olive oil in pan. 

Using a serving fork, scrape squash out and into the pan with the garlic and olive oil. (Using long strokes, the fork should make the squash come out in long, thin, spaghetti like strands. 

Cook for another 3-5 minutes. (Until Garlic is the color you like best!) Add salt and pepper. 

This serves 2 people as a main course, 4 as a side dish. (Kids love to be the "squash scraper") 

Number of Servings: 2

Peanut Butter Protein Bars

I got this recipe from TRISH ALLEN! She posted it on her blog, and I tried them because I love peanut butter and I loved them. And really wanted to share it with you all! so thank you Trish. you are amazing!
Here is here blog if you want to check it out! http://healthymamahappymama.wordpress.com/

Ingredients:

- 2 cups raw oats
- 4 scoops protein powder (vanilla or cookies and cream) The scoop I use is 4 Tablespoons per scoop and 90 calories per scoop
- 1/2 cup plain fat free greek yogurt
- 2 TB *powdered peanut butter (I get mine HERE or HERE)
- cinnamon – to taste
- liquid vanilla stevia or any natural sweetener – to taste

Directions:

1.  Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl.

2. mix together

3.Spray 9 x 9 glass dish with cooking spray and press mixure evenly into dish.  Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

4.  Place in freezer for 10 minutes to set up.  Cut into 4 – 6 squares and put in individual baggies.  I freeze mine, or you can put them in the fridge.

*Now, if you don’t have access to peanut butter powder, replace the peanut butter powder and greek yogurt with 1/2 cup natural peanut butter and 1/2 cup water.  Directions stay the same except divide into 6 or 8 squares.   If you want to try these out with your kids, add in some mini chocolate chips  or carob chips – they won’t even know they are healthy!

For those of you who calorie count, the entire batch as listed above is 1,089 calories (so divide by 4 or 6). If you go the peanut butter and water route, calories bump up to 1, 754 (divide by 6 or 8).  Enjoy!

Quinoa Pilaf

My almost mother in-law made this and I about died. Its the healthy version of wild rice/rice pilaf. It is so delicious. Everyone needs to try this. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup carrot, diced

1/2 cup green onion, diced

1/4 cup celery, diced

1/4 cup green pepper, diced

1/4 cup sweet red pepper, diced

salt to taste

6 cups quinoa cooked

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup almonds, sliced

1/4 tsp oregano

Directions:

Saute chopped veggies in olive oil until clear, yet crisp: Stir in oregano. Add sauteed veggies to cooked, hot quinoa, mixing well. Add salt to taste. Dry-roast almonds in heavy skillet until lightly golden. Add almonds and mix.

Serves 6-8. still working on nutrition facts.