Zucchini Flax Muffins

It’s been a good while since I posted a recipe!

After grillin’ out (with the company of Hunter, the ”old man”), I whipped these babies up because we received a MASSIVE zucchini from a friend’s garden.  Oh man, I love baked goods with zucchini.

6 cups of grated zucchini
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup unflavored, 0% Greek Yogurt
1 cup sugar substitute
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
4 whole eggs
4 tsp vanilla
4 tsp baking soda
5 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground flax
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven.  When fork comes out clean, remove and cool.  Makes roughly 18-20 muffins!

My dad is diabetic, so I always try to halve the sugar in recipes.  For health benefits, I always halve the butter, and if I have egg whites on hand, go half egg-white and half whole eggs for a recipe.

Best served warm with a bit of butter/margarine.

Aren’t these little “muffin buttons” cute?  Makes an extra ‘muffin top,’ which we all know is the best part of the muffin, anyhow!

Happy eating!

Breaking the Habit

I have this incessant habit of wanting to eat something sweet after every single meal.

After breakfast, I can usually control it.

Lunch, sometimes.  I can usually eat a piece of fruit or yogurt and be chill.

Dinner, I can’t even handle it.  MUST. EAT. DESSERT.

So, cue the conscious habit breaking!

I’m a firm believer in the power of mind (hence my degree in psychology), so I know I can do this… and I know it won’t be easy, at all.  Tonight, I took a step forward by overcoming my desire for a massive dessert, instead making a delicious iced coffee and having a finger-scoop of Nutella.

Look how beautiful!  I poured the coconut milk in after the ice and coffee, and it made a wonderful little pattern.  Sadly, my camera was dead, so my (grainy) blackberry picture must suffice.

Anyone have any tips for habit breaking?  Getting over my dessert obsession?

A beautiful sunset from country-ville, Ohio!

Product Review: Ben & Jerry’s Greek Yogurt

Oh. My. God.

As most of you know, I’m pretty lactose intolerant.  I can do skim milk and yogurts, but anything else and my stomach is having an uprising.  So, when my best friend returned from an archaeological expedition in Azerbaijan and discovered that Ben & Jerry had a Greek Yogurt “froyo,” we had to give it a try – specifically, the Blueberry Vanilla Graham.

Unbelievable.

Deliciousness.

Arguably calorically dense and sugary (1/2cup serving is 200 calories, 23g sugar), it still boasts more protein than usual for an ice cream (6g).  My friend and I split the whole pint (whoops) – but it was that light and not filling at all.  Super creamy, not icy.  Beautiful swirled coloring.  Addicting.

I felt like this dog.

Next on the list?

B&J’s Greek Yogurt PB Banana.  Holy crap, someone lock me in my house before I consume a year’s worth of this stuff.

A Rather Random Assortment

The USA Women’s 8 cruised to GOLD today… becoming one of the most winningest boats, ever.

They haven’t been beaten in 6 years.

If that doesn’t speak to incredible coaching, athleticism and state of mind, I don’t know what does.  Sure inspires me!  (Along with the magnificent showing by the ladies gymnasts and the greatest Olympian of all-time, Michael Phelps).  Hello, America!  You rock.

In other news, my internship here in Washington is drawing to a close.  Many good memories, made better by the fabulous group of interns I’ve had the pleasure of working with!

In true Olympic fashion…

we won gold.

Celebration will ensue tonight at a nearby pub (I know, so British of us….) where much wine will be consumed.  Currently, I am consuming a Georgetown cupcake (salted caramel, if you must know).

Life is good. 

If any of you joined in on the workout I posted yesterday (Fatigue for Process), I hope your quads are screaming as much as mine are today.  I’ve had to stand up and walk around the office several times already, just to make sure they don’t get tighter.  I managed to do the leg portion of the workout twice through (holy ouch), and the ab portion once through since my hip flexors were being a bit angry.  I then hopped on the arc trainer for 20 minutes (already sweating a boatload), and then did some physiotherapy backward-incline-walking on the treadmill for 8ish minutes.

Happy working out, eating, and living today!