Not even kidding.

See, on the cruise, not only did they have these beautiful gourmet meals (and yes, TONS of supportive options) 24 hours a day, but they also had 24 hour room service.  On that room service menu was cheesecake.  I was totally in vacation mode, and would order a BLT and slice of cheesecake every single day at 1am.   We also went out to eat on the Island and almost every meal we’d order EXTREMELY atypically compared to “normal life”: Rum Swizzles, Bermuda Fish Chowder (my new favorite), and cheesecake.  My favorite meal on the Island was actually at the Hog Penny.  Literally THE BEST Bermuda Fish Chowder I tried with it’s 1 shot of each: Outerbridge’s Sherry Peppers Sauce (so good I brought some home with me), and Gosling’s Black Rum.  Utterly, incredibly AMAZING. 

After being tortured for a day and a half on the boat: 

…and being forced to trod repeatedly up and down 12 stories in style (to destinations such as gourmet dinners in one of the MANY restaurants, the theater, the library, Internet room, taverns, the 4 hot tubs, the tons of games and game shows, wine and martini tastings, etc.)

 (See?  I’m hating it)

..we awoke an excruciating day and a half later to see the most beautiful Island of Bermuda off in the distance!  We saw the Island for roughly 4 hours before we actually docked, but due to all the reefs, we had to have a boat come guide us in through them.  We sort of zigzagged in, and then, there she was!!  Dockyards of Bermuda were beautiful, even from the boat:

(is that a pina colada in my hand at 11am?  Yes, Ma’am, it absolutely is! Hey-it’s vacation without the kids!)

After Ben and I were accosted by a pirate on the way off the ship,

..we made our way around the Island via terrifying (yet hilariously fun at the same time) city bus ride.  Picture a bus going as fast as the movie SPEED, on the lefthand side of the road, around curvy bends, only stopping when there was a bus stop…oh and word to the wise-don’t step out in front of a bus in Bermuda.  For real.  You’ll be flat.  Anyway, we saw some amazing beaches, snorkeled, did some underwater walking, held this ginormous hog fish, saw unbelievable coral reefs underwater, saw GIANT bright blue parrot fish up close and personal, saw feral chickens everywhere, went to an outdoor nightclub (white umbrellas, dancefloor, and couches right on the beach-unbelievable), and just got a feel for the Island.  We had Rum Swizzles at the world famous Swizzle Inn (Slogan- Swizzle In, Swagger Out), and had a wonderful time there, too…all in all, a fabulous, fabulous trip. 

But something I noticed was, in Bermuda, aside from the breathtaking beauty and unbelievable landscape, was that the coconut trees are EVERYWHERE!  The birds even make nests out of the coconut shells!

So in the spirit of the trip (not to mention, one of my favorite foods and flavors in the world), I bring to you The lime in the coconut cheesecake, inspired by Carla at the Bee’s Knees, and her amazing apricot tart. 

In a food processor, blend the crust:

• 1c. pecans
• 1/2 c. cashews
• 1/2 c. dried unsweetened coconut

When that’s all uniformly small, add:

• 2 tbsp. coconut oil or cream of coconut (you can find at a health food store or at the top of a can of cream of coconut-its the waxy stuff) or butter
• 1/2 juice and zest of a lime
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. Agave nectar (or omit if you like a saltier crust, and add a sprinkle of salt instead)

Process this all, press into a springform pan (9 inch)

Then, put it in the freezer while you make your cheesecake layer:

Rinse your food processor out and add:

• 1 1/2 c. cashews
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 c shredded coconut
• 1/2 stick cream cheese
• Juice and zest of one lime
• 1/4 c agave
• 1/2 cup water (plus more in small incriments if it doesn’t take on the consistency of cheesecake and needs a little moisture-depends on the brand of protein powder)

Blend this in food processor or blender till smooth and creamy like cheesecake filling, adding TINY amounts of water if need be to add moisture.  Once smooth, take your crust out, pour on top, smooth the surface, top with sliced limes (or mine was berries) and refrigerate.

I ate this both right away without refrigeration first, and had another peice in the morning.  The flavors are better the next morning as they sit and meld, but BOTH times were incredible.

(I must admit-truth be told-the best part of the trip was coming home to my babies.  This was the first-and last-trip taken without them.  Two days felt nice…three felt..achy.  Four was terrible.  Seven was trecherous.  So next time-it will be a family affair…and a completely different recap, I’m sure : )

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HOW DELICIOUS does that look?!?!  And supportive to boot!

In a blender, add:

• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp. applesauce (unsweetened, natural)
• 2 tbsp agave syrup
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened, vanilla almond milk

Once well blended, add to that:

• 2 tbsp. almond flour (I use this Bob’s Red Mill almond flour-less than 4 dollars a pound)
• 3 tbsp. gluten-free pancake mix (again, this Bob’s Red Mill pancake mix- less than 4 dollars a pound)
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I of course use Prograde)

Once mixed, add to a microwave safe dish (glass or ceramic- I bought a great one at the Salvation Army!), and cook till done (start at 2 minutes and 15 seconds).  If it’s still “wet,” cook longer, going a few seconds at a time so it doesn’t get tough or overcooked.

Put onto a plate, pick a handful or berries, microwave the berries for 45 seconds till soft and mushy, pour over the top of the cake, and ENJOY!!!

These are so good, even my beautiful Red Sox fan loves it !! (Red Sox colored cake-go figure!)

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the oatmeal.

I could not figure out why the “cookies” were not setting; they weren’t even making cookies!  It was a gob of chocolatey, peanut buttery…stuff.  It’s funny now, but it definitely wasn’t at the time!

These yummy cookies served frozen come at the kitchen-spiration of my friend Carla over at the Bee’s Knees Kitchen, who made a lemon version in her “raw” way (which I’m making my own version of this week, as well!). 

In a food processor, blend:

• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Prograde lean)
• 1 cup almonds (raw, unsalted, natural)
• 1/2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp. peanut butter-natural (with oil, not dry)
• 2 tbsp. water

Chop till all is small and uniform, and it develops into a dough vs. a powdery meal.  If it’s dry, add more peanut butter (the oil particularly), or water 1/2 a tbsp. at a time till desired consistency.  Don’t get it too wet, or else it’ll get slimy.

Dump it onto a peice of wax paper, and use the wax paper to roll it into a log like playdough. 

Make a tight log, and wrap tightly, both sides first, then roll tightly and put in the freezer.  When very well chilled (about 1 hour), take out and slice into 1/2 inch cookies.  Makes a dozen.  Store these in the refrigerator in a single layer in a well-sealed ziplock baggie.  I like to keep these in the freezer, and take them out one at a time.  They won’t be hard and frozen, they stay soft because of the oil in the peanut butter, and the oils in the nuts.  Delicious!!

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  Out came THIS beauty!

First, line a “deep dish” style, freezer safe ceramic bowl with plastic wrap.  Make it about 4 inches too long on either side.  

Then, with my ice cream churning in the ice cream maker (I made vanilla ice cream-3 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 3 scoops Prograde Vanilla, blend and throw in ice cream maker), take 1/2-3/4 of a cup of frozen berries of your choice (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries), food process them, and press to the bottom of the dish.  

Put it in the freezer while you’re waiting for the ice cream to finish.  

Take 1/2 cup of nuts of your choice (walnuts, pecans, almonds) and 4 dried apricots, and food process ‘till pieces are small and uniform.

When the vanilla ice cream is ready, spoon carefully atop the chilled berry topping, then finish with a layer of the nut mixture.  This will be the “crust, when the cake is flipped upside down.

Cover with the remaining plastic wrap draping down the sides, and freeze till solid.

To remove the cake from the dish, fill your sink with hot water, enough to dip the bottom and sides of the ice cream dish in, till it slides out (but doesn’t melt the sides completely).  Flip upside down on a plate, unwrap fully, and enjoy your delectable TREAT!!

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Chocolate Ice Cream!

Mix with an immersion blender: 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened) with 2 scoops chocolate protein powder.  Pour into ice cream maker, turn on.

Once just about at the end of the process, stir in dark chocolate chips (we’ll chalk it up to “antioxidants”), and serve!

If you are looking for the cinnamon ice cream that is a MOO92 fav, click here to see the original recipe!

Yum!

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And I’m not talking about it yet, because when something doesn’t work for me, I’m the person that MAKES it work!  So I’ll get it-eventually.  And when I do, you’ll get a chuckle out of the story!

 It hasn’t gotten the best of me yet- so stay tuned!

Tonight, the kids and I went out and played in the garden, harvesting arugula, red and green lettuce, basil, dill, cilantro, pansies (yes they purposely grow in the garden for me to add to salads), squash flowers (AWESOME in salads!), and chives.  When we came in, I made pizza out of whole grain tortillas, red onions, red peppers, and basil fresh from the garden which the kids, of course, loved.  They get such a kick out of eating stuff fresh from the garden! 

Now, I wish I’d taken a better picture, but it was with my phone…again, I’d expected unnamed recipe above to work, so I didn’t plan better, but here are the pizzas:

YUM!

Now…”Coconut cop-out?”

What’s that supposed to mean?

Well, for dessert, the lil’ Princess helped me make some coconut ice cream.  Here’s how we did it:

• 2 cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (I, obviously, use Prograde)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Blend well with immersion blender:

(couldn’t help it- my kid’s so stinkin’ cute!!)

…and put in ice cream maker till done.  Yum!

Here’s the final product:

..aaannnnd again for good measure (the “close-up” if you will):

This is a BEAUTIFUL and delicious summertime treat, sure to make your tummy rumble!

Yum!

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So when I was a little girl, I remember clearly listening to this (Bill Cosby: Himself) on audio tape with my Grampa, Gram, Mom, and Aunt Valerie in the dining room.  I remember everyone sitting with cups of coffee chuckling. 

Well, I made chocolate cake- and it’s good enough that you could totally serve it to your kids for breakfast, without your wife attacking you :)

First, into a microwave safe dish (I used a wonderful ceramic bowl with a handle that I got at the Salvation Army for 50 cents! P.S- AWESOME place to get kitchen stuff!!) mix one egg, 3 tablespoons of milk (I used unsweetened almond milk- you can use skim or whatever you have), 3 tablespoons of applesauce, and mix well. 

 In a separate bowl, add one scoop of chocolate protein powder, 2 tablespoons of bake mix (like Bisquick, but find a whole grain one if you can- I used Atkins bake mix, because it had the highest protein count, and lowest carb count), and 5 shakes of a salt shaker. 

 Once the dry stuff is well-blended, mix it into the wet stuff.  Blend well (not too much, or it makes the cake tough!)-I did this with my immersion blender-and put in the microwave for 2 minutes, till there’s no more wet batter.

Here’s what it looks like out of the microwave (no worries about greasing the pan it’s in or anything- it will pull nicely away from the edges of the cookware you choose when it’s fully cooked) :

I was so impressed when I did a taste test- WOW!!

To up the ante, I figured what the heck, I’ll make peanut butter frosting, too I cut the cake in half horizontally, filled it with frosting (1 spoonful of peanut butter melted for 15 seconds in the microwave, then mixed with one 6 ounce Chobani Greek Yogurt), spread between the layers:

Then frosted the whole outside, and enjoyed!!

I can’t believe how DELICIOUS, sweet, and sinful this is!!!  There will be more cake variations soon, promise!!!

lK tips:

-If you like a sweeter cake, add one tablespoon of agave nectar to the wet ingredients.  I didn’t, I’m not a big fan of sweets.

-If you use other powdered sweeteners, like splenda for dietary reasons, add those to the dry ingredients.  One teaspoon or one packet in that case.  Again, I didn’t, I’m not a big fan of sweets.

-If you like a sweeter frosting, do the same- add 1 tablespoon of agave, or a teaspoon or packet of splenda.  Play around!!

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Remember when I made the Cherry Peach Poxiples?  Well I noticed something; Jasmine isn’t a big fan of regular fresh cherries, and Cam doesn’t exactly jump for joy when a peach is put in front of him.  They’ll eat them, but they aren’t the first pick.

Well, throw them together in a frozen form, and they slurped those bad boys up like it was nobody’s business!

I heard a friend of mine the other day complaining about never having once seen their child eat a vegetable, aside from ketchup or fries.  Well, I immediately started turning the ”lK wheels”- if you can’t get them to eat ‘em willingly, well my friend, you TRICK them!

First, I blended (1) 6 oz. container of plain Chobani Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup frozen spinach, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries (to hide the green spinach-let’s be honest, I don’t think a kid is going to look at a green popsicle, and jump on the opportunity to eat it), and some water.  To this you could certainly sweeten with some pineapple, and some unsweetened shredded coconut. Really, play with this to make it taste good.  Add some of the pineapple juice, whatever, till it’s sweetened to your liking.  Remember, a kid is going to want to eat this, so if it tastes yukky before it’s frozen, well, it’s not going to be a whole heck of a lot better when it’s solid.   

This is the beauty- you can use WHATEVER YOU WANT!  Remember those orange juice pops your mom made when you were a kid?  With the fresh fruit and protein-packed Greek Yogurt, it’s like those on steroids! 

Freeze in plastic containers, test on yourself , then let your kids go to town!

and see the (partial) smile?

You know he loves ‘em! And I’m willing to bet if you told him there was frozen spinach inside…well…not so much

No worries.  Your secret’s safe with me!

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We went to the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor, Maine- a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY ME children’s museum that is just unbelievable.  Hands on, super, super kid-friendly (and adult-friendly, too!), and was an entire afternoon ordeal.  Kept them busy and not bored, and it was so educational, yet fun at the same time.  Jasmine decided here that she was going to be Miss Future leanKitchen, too

On the way back to Dover-Foxcroft where we stayed, we stopped at Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant, Maine.  There, we unexpectedly spent several hours.  When we stopped, it was to see a couple of friends, get an ice cream cone, and chat.  There’s what they call a “Petting Zoo” there, really a few pens of goats, some horses, and chickens.  WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY to do this!!!  The weather, company, everything was perfect!  The kids were so well-behaved, played endlessly…sincerely, could not have asked for a better experience. 

The next day, we went to Bar Harbor to get another educational lesson at the Mount Desert Oceanarium in Bar Harbor.  While there we learned about lobster babies, and where they come from, got to touch sea stars, sea cucumbers, and horseshoe crabs in the touch-tank (this picture of Jasmine you’ve GOT to see!), along with some other cool stuff.  Kids loved it, I loved it, but we left with a big appetite.  Thankfully, The Log Cabin down the street delivered some great food; Sea Scallops with Lemon Pepper.

We went to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, where we took a picture at 1532 feet- see my little man?

Alright…”Nedah, get to the point,”  you’re probably saying : )

Well, we made another stop on the way to Dover-Foxcroft; this small deli store called Douins Market in New Sharon, Maine, that boasted brownie peanut butter whoopie pies.  Now, I am not a sweets person, but I have heard about this place and their brownie-pb goodness, so I had to stop and check it out.  Truth be told…they were pretty flippin’ good!

More than the taste, they gave me something way better; lK INSPIRATION! I decided when I got home, I was going to be making a peanut butter ice cream whoopie pie.  I tried like heck, and here’s what I came up with:

Peanut Butter Ice Cream:

With an immersion blender, blend 1 cup almond Milk (or skim milk), 1 tablespoon peanut butter, and 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I, of course, use prograde) till smooth and well-mixed.  Then, put into an ice cream machine till done:

Spray a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl (just a regular, everyday bowl-not plastic) with nonstick spray.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 -1/2 scoops chocolate protein powder, 1 egg white, and water till it forms a wet “dough” (will look more like brownie batter) that looks like this:

Then, take 1/2 the batter, pour into the sprayed bowl, and microwave for between 15-20 seconds.  Repeat the spray and batter process for the second cookie.  They’ll be done when they look like this:

Next, spoon the peanut butter ice cream in between two rounds, “smoosh” flat, wrap in plastic wrap, freeze till set (an hour or so), and ENJOY!

You’re welcome, guys.  You’re going to LOVE this!

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First, make your layers:

Red Berry layer:

1 cup fresh, rinsed, hulled Strawberries

3 dried, unsweetened Dates

White Cream layer:

1-6 oz. container of Plain Greek Yogurt

1/4 c shredded unsweetened coconut

¼ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (can be found typically in the “Organic” section of most grocery stores)

Blue layer:

¾ cup washed Blackberries

¼ cup washed Blueberries

3 dried, unsweetened dates

Reserve an additional 3/4 cup of blueberries to top the dessert cups.

Blend all the layers with a blender or Magic Bullet separately.  Carefully spoon each layer equally into 3 clear cups, starting with the Red Berry Layer, then the White Cream layer, then top with the Blue Layer.  Fill to the top of the cup with the blueberries.

Then, for an added festive look, top each with a candle or a sparkler (careful if you choose to light them, especially with children!). 

Happy Independence Day!

Makes three cups.

• Berries should be fresh, not frozen, to maintain the stability of each fruit layer. 
• While the dates increase the carbohydrate content, if you buy the unsweetened dried variety at a Natural Foods Store, this will bring the carb count down.  They’re important to help stabilize each berry layer, so they will stay three separate layers, as opposed to running and settling together.
• To the White Cream center, you can add light-colored nuts (such as cashews) before food processing (whereas a darker-colored nut like almonds would change the white center to a brownish).  You can also add unsweetened coconut and/or coconut milk instead of the almond milk. 
• These are best made in advance, so the layers have a chance to really set in the fridge.

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