23 before 24: Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mousse

Greek yogurt chocolate mousse is so decadent, so easy, and so yummy. The best part is you get all the flavor and none of the guilt, because this dessert is under 150 calories!

Greek Yogurt Mousse

– Organic Vanilla Greek Yogurt (doesn’t have to be organic)
-Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding Mix
-Cold Water

Yup! That is it. You only need three ingredients!

I took an individual serving size of the Greek yogurt and stirred in a TBS of the pudding mix. I stirred the mix and it became dense, so I decided to add a few TBS of cold water to thin out my mousse. Add water until you receive your desired consistency.

Feel free to top with chocolate pieces, but know that it adds an extra ~50 calories for 3 pieces of Hershey’s chocolate. I think this mousse would be a great pairing for bananas and strawberries. Yummy and simple. ❤

Enjoy this Dayton photography provided by Chelsea Hall Photography

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23 before 24: Spicy Avocado Egg Cups

Spicy avocado egg cups with sriracha egg whites; jalapeno salsa, Greek yogurt dressing; and crunchy bell peppers sprinkled on top.
Woah buddy. This dish was so good I scarfed it down in less than 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 avocado sliced in half
4 TBS of egg whites (give or take)
2 Generous squirts of sriracha
2 TBS of Oikos Greek Yogurt Dip (I chose Jalapeno & Salsa, not shown on website)
2 TBS of chopped bell pepper
Salt & Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Slice your avocado in half and carefully remove the seed.
3. Wisk sriracha and a little bit of pepper in with egg whites. Feel free to add more or less. I like food spicy so I added more.
4. Use a tablespoon to carve out a deeper well in the avocado (eat what you carve out with salt & pepper, don’t ever waste avocado teehee).
5. Pour egg whites in avocado until the well is about 3/4 full.
6. Bake avocado in serving dish or on baking sheet for about 20 – 25 min. Baking time varies, you will need to keep checking to ensure egg whites are cooked to desired consistency.
7. Chop bell pepper while the avocado is baking.
8. Dollop Greek yogurt on top of baked avocado, sprinkle on bell pepper, and salt & pepper to taste!
9. Enjoy! But take your time, because it goes so fast and leaves you wanting more. LOL

Next times:
-I think next time I will either A. mix in sriracha with the Greek yogurt, or B. use chopped jalapenos instead of bell peppers. What can I say, I like spicy!!
-I started eating straight out of the avocado, but ended up scooping it out and smashing it together on my plate. I recommend the latter I honestly think it tasted better that way.

There are SO many different ways to play with this recipe. I came up with this off the top of my head with the ingredients I had laying around, feel free to switch it up and add different flavors. & When I wasn’t sure how long to bake it, I Googled recipes similar to this and used them as a jumping off point. Don’t be afraid to experiment. ;D

23 before 24: Healthy Banana Bread Quinoa

I’ve been wanting to get my crock-pot out for awhile, so I started Googling some slow cooker recipes with the ingredients I had on hand. I always have plenty of bananas and I just happened to have quinoa, so healthy banana bread quinoa was a perfect fit.
Smashing the bananas was my favorite part. : D

If you’d like the recipe, you can find it here. Now, my version is little bit different, because who likes going straight from the recipe anyway? I didn’t have the creamer (I used extra milk), I only had red quinoa, and I added oats, PB2, and organic maple syrup (for the hell of it). Don’t feel like you have to stick to the recipe, make it your own. : ]

I swear, this is the BEST recipe I have had with quinoa, and I totally plan on making it again.
Let me know how you like it!

23 before 24: Lettuce Wraps

In an effort to reach my goal of learning to cook, I have decided to try my hand at least one new recipe a week and blog about it. This week, I decided to have a go at lettuce wraps. I have been craving lettuce wraps for a few weeks and I just finally remembered to run to the grocery on Monday to grab a head of lettuce and other veggies needed.

This dish is super simple. All you need is a bunch of veggies, Simple Truth Meatless Crumbles, brown rice, and your favorite teriyaki sauce. I chose to not go off of a recipe and throw things I liked together, feel free to do the same.

I cooked the meatless crumbles in teriyaki sauce (I chose a sweet, pineapple teriyaki), while I chopped up the veggies/toppings. As far as veggies and toppings go, I chose bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, tomato, and jalapenos.

After the meatless crumbles are cooked, you can plate everything. I made a little station for Brandon and I to make our own wraps.

The sweetness of the teriyaki and the spiciness of the jalapeno was a perfect combo.
This dish was an easy, healthy fix and I’ll definitely be making this again soon.

23 before 24: St. Paddy’s weekend in Chicago

Spent St. Paddy’s day weekend in Chicago with a few good friends and Brandon. Despite my back hurting the whole time (omg I’m getting old, is this really happening? LOL), I had a great time exploring the city, drinking green beer, and nomming on yummy food. Here is my trip in photos.
Using my lensbaby. ^^^
Trying my hand at some city street photography.

Bagpipers and step dancing at the tavern we stopped by, one of kind experience.

Best, and I guess only, matzo ball soup I have ever had.. Eleven City Diner. Perfection.

23 before 24: Pies and Pints and Pictures

Brandon and I got together with a couple friends this past Sunday. We made homemade pizza (based off of a recipe at Pies & Pints) and french fries, although Brandon mostly watched, I documented, and Jimmy and Elisabeth did all the work. Bless them and their cooking skills.

Here is our evening in photos. Enjoy. : ]