Healthier Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

So... there's no denying the fact that I love PSL season however, when I looked up the nutrition information of the beloved drink, it was a complete and total buzzkill.  In fact, I haven't been able to order one since then.  So, I decided to make my own healthy fall drink.  One that I didn't feel so guilty indulging in! 

Starbucks Nutritional Info

No. Thank. You.

                        

Healthier Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan Friendly 

1 serving 

Ingredients:

1 cup of almond or coconut milk 

1 tbsp pumpkin puree 

3-5 drops of vanilla 

1 tsp of cinnamon 

pinch of nutmeg 

pinch of ground ginger 

3/4 cup of coffee 

Directions:

Place the milk and pumpkin in a small pot or pan, over medium heat.  Stir constantly until the mixture starts to simmer.  Add in the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  Whisk until frothy.  

Place coffee in large mug, pour heated pumpkin mixture on top & enjoy! 

By the way, this drink is only 55 calories and has less than 10 carbs per serving! 

XoXo, 

Ashley 

Recipe of the Day: Tropical Green Smoothie

This is one of my favorite smoothies... especially in the summer!  If you hate greens, this is a fantastic way to sneak in some spinach!  Once you take your first sip... you will second guess if spinach is even an ingredient! 

Recipe makes 3-4 servings 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup of shredded coconut 

1 cup of sliced pineapple (fresh or frozen) 

2 cups of sliced mango (fresh or frozen) 

2 cups of spinach 

2 cups of orange juice (preferably fresh)

Directions: 

Place orange juice and spinach in blender first and blend.. then set aside.  If using fresh fruit, remove the skin of the mango and pineapple.  Slice the fruit away from the core and discard the core.  Place all other ingredients in blender and blend away.  Pour and serve… Top with shredded coconut if you want to add a little extra flare to your drink! 

Tip: 

If you prefer your smoothies to have a thick texture (like Keva Juice) use frozen fruit...rather than just adding ice which will water any smoothie down ;) 

 Also, I always recommend blending your greens 1st because when greens are broken apart in a blender, they are activated! So, its always better to blend your greens first! 

XoXo Ashley 

Recipe of the Day: Mock Wendy's Frosty

This recipe is so simple! All you need is 5 ingredients and in less than 5 minutes you have yourself a delicious, guilt-free, treat!  

Ingredients: 

1 cup of Almond Milk or Coconut Milk 

1 cup of Ice 

1 tbsp of Cocoa Powder 

1 tbsp of Coconut Nectar 

dash of Cinnamon 

dash of Nutmeg 

Directions: 

 Place all ingredients in a blender and blend! 

I prefer coconut nectar because its low in calories, carbs, and it's a great natural and organic  sweetener!  You can also use honey or agave.   

This scrumptious treat is only 110 little calories with 15 carbs!  Sometimes I need a sweet treat and this Mock Wendy's Frosty helps kick those chocolate cravings! 

Xoxo 

Ashley 

Clean "Cookie Dough Ice Cream" Sandwiches

Clean "Cookie Dough Ice Cream" Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1- 15 oz can of salt free garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) 

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup your favorite smooth nut butter

1/4 cup of coconut flour

2 1/2 frozen bananas

mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. In a food processor (or blender), blend garbanzo beans, honey, and nut butter until completely smooth. (Taste and add stevia if you want a sweeter "cookie dough".

2. Remove "cookie dough", place in medium bowl, and fold in coconut flour. 

3. Add as much mini chocolate chips and you desire. Knead dough.

4. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.

5. Press "cookie dough" into pan so that it covers the entire pan. Freeze for 1 1/2 hours. 

6. Remove "cookie dough" from freezer. Place bananas in a food processor (or blender) until creamy. Be patient during this part! Frozen bananas can take awhile to get to the thick "ice creamy" stage.

7. Cut "cookie dough" into squares. Spread "ice cream" on dough and make sandwiches. 

8. Place back in freezer for another 20-30 minutes.

9. Enjoy!

Recipe by Amber Castro 

Recipe of the day: The Strawberry Refresher

This is one of my favorite smoothies!  It's refreshing, light, and very easy to make! I swear it tastes like liquid candy but it's nutrient rich and full of antioxidants! 

The Strawberry Refresher 

Ingredients: 

 1 cup of fresh juiced red apples or apple juice not from concentrate 

1 cup of pineapple 

1 cup of frozen strawberries 

*you can use fresh strawberries, but if you use some frozen fruit you get a thicker texture (like Keva Juice) 

Directions: 

Place all ingredients in blender, blend, pour, and serve! 

I like to make a big batch and store whats leftover in my freezer,  in an airtight container (mason jar).  Whenever I'm craving something sweet, I'll substitute dessert with this smoothie! 

This smoothie is absolutely perfect for the warmer weather!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! 

Xoxo 

Ashley 

Clean Iced Chai Tea

Clean Iced Chai Tea

Ingredients: 

• Archer Farms brand chai coffee (can be found at target)
• Ice
• Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• Sprinkle of ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Stevia drops (one of the purest forms of sugar substitute) 

Directions:
Brew your coffee like normal then pour over ice, add almond milk to taste, a few stevia drops, a sprinkle of ginger and 1 tsp of cinnamon. You might need to add a few more ice cubes then enjoy this easy recipe! 

I had it with my pronuts posted a few posts back :)

Click HERE for the pronuts (Clean Donuts) recipe! 

Starbucks vs. This recipe

A grande iced chai tea latte from Starbucks:

 260 calories 

7g of fat 

105mg of sodium 

44g of carbs 

7g of protein 

This Clean iced Chai Tea Recipe:

40 Calories 

2g of fat 

6g of carbs 

50g of sodium 

1g of protein 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! You can follow me on twitter, facebook, and instagram for daily inspiration! 

@katielynn_xo

XoXo 

Katie 

 

Balsamic Pork & Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This is a delicious and well balanced meal! Pictured here is balsamic pork, roasted brussel sprouts, and simple pasta! This meal was easy and sooooo good!!!  I made this for my boyfriend and his teammates while I was in Germany and they were all fans! 

Ingredients:

Four thin cut pork chops

Onion powder

Sea Salt and pepper

Organic balsamic dressing (look for one lower in fat carbs and sugars)

1/3 cup chopped white onion

Directions:

Cut any extra fat off the pork chops after you thaw them out and then cut the meat into smaller bite size pieces (can cover smaller pieces with more balsamic, then line a bowl with the balsamic dressing and soak the pork chops for 5 min each side (or ten min if you can cover the meat with balsamic in a bowl. 

Cook them in a large non stick pan on medium heat until they are cooked through. (if you need to use non stick spray, I always use natural grape seed oil spray). I then chopped up my white onion and cooked that with the meat. I seasoned the pork with sea salt, pepper, and onion powder as I cooked them and I flipped the meat as needed. 

For my side dishes I just washed brussel spouts and cut them in half and cooked them in a pan in a little bit of olive oil with more chopped onion, sea salt and vinegar. For the pasta salad I wasn't able to find brown rice pasta in Germany which I usually would use so I used a little over half a box of regular penne pasta cooked then cooled with cold water and let it dry for a bit then mixed the pasta with chopped cherry tomatoes, two good squirts of light mayo, sea salt, pepper, and onion powder. The whole meal served four (could probably feed more seeing as I was feeding just myself and my boyfriend and his two teammates after their practice lol)

Follow me on twitter and instagram for recipes, tips, and inspiration! 

katielynn_xo 

XoXo 

Katie