Apples Galore

Well, its just about that time, people! Time to put the flip flops away and bring out the comfy boots, time to exchange your spring flowers for earthy mums, time to plan a trip to the cider mill and stock up on the seasons crisp apples, gallons of cider and dozens of sugary donuts!

Apples are plentiful late in the summer and during the early fall, and recently I found a wonderful article from Food Network Magazine about all the awesome things we can do with them; I'll list a few of my fave's today!

1. For breakfast, mix chopped apples, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and a touch of maple syrup into your oatmeal.
2. Shake up an apple mojito! Shake 3oz. apple juice, some lime juice, some mint and some ice in a cocktail shaker- pour in a glass and top with ginger ale.
3. Fill an omelet with sliced apples, ham and brie cheese!
4. Butter a whole-wheat pita bread, top it with apple slices and cinnamon. Toast it for 10 minutes in an oven at 350 degrees. Finish by drizzling with honey.
5. Any MY favorite!! Make an apple s'more!!! Put a marshmallow on a gingersnap, microwave 10 seconds and top with an apple slice and another gingersnap.

The Sneak Attack Protein Drink #1

I'm increasing my protein by double the daily allotment as I am on a hot'n'heavy plan to rehab my notorious knee. The average male needs about 50-63 grams of protein each day and the average woman needs about 36-50 grams per day. A chicken breast has only about 20-30 grams depending on how you prepare it so, I really have my work cut out for me as I try to get about 80-100 grams of protein per day.

Here's a great site to get an approximate on the protein count certain foods may contain!

So in my protein power efforts, this is probably one of the most random posts I think I'll EVER post, but perhaps- just maybe there's someone out there that is looking for a new protein drink recipe and perhaps-just maybe I'll make your day!

I prefer a Whey based protein powder- the one from Trader Joe's doesn't have any weird additives or stabilizers, or any other secret ingredients, and it is low in fat and sugar, which if you do any comparing, this is usually not the case. Most protein powders are, yes, high in protein, but then also high in fat and sugar--not good! Trader Joe's also has a Soy based powder but I haven't tried it yet.

Anywho, I call this my "Sneak Attack" drink because I didn't want this shake to taste like a yucky protein drink...it's really quite sneaky with the smoothness of coffee and whatever favorite coffee creamer you have. You might like this as you're morning drink and get used to it- not just after a work out!!

Ingredients & Recipe:
Printable Recipe

Follow the directions of your protein drink. Mine calls for;

• 4 scoops of Vanilla protein powder to 16oz./2 cups of milk

You'll also need;

• 5 ice cubes
• 1 Tbls. your favorite coffee creamer
• 1-2 Tbls. instant coffee

Begin by adding the ice to the bottom of a blender, top with the milk, then the protein powder, then the coffee creamer, then the instant coffee. Please follow the order I have listed here to save you a lot of trial and error. I have had lots of clumpy, non-dissolved protein drinks in the past, and the order listed here is nearly "no-fail!" Place the lid firmly on your blender and go to town on that puppy until you feel like your ice is well crushed into the shake. Pour and serve, enjoy right away!

Ginger-Almond Fruit Plate

What can be better than fresh fruit during the month of July when pretty much everything is fresh and ripe? Then add the fabulousness of coming in from the hot summer heat and sitting down to a plateful of crispy, cold, tangy, sweet fruit! MMMmm, delic!

Now, I'm kind of a weirdo and I don't really have a taste for certain fruits so when I made this I used the stuff that I like! You need to do the same! This is really just about the method of incorporating the gingery dressing and the crunchy almonds to a beautiful fruit salad, and at the end of the day YOU need to love it and whatever you put in it, i.e., don't use fruits you don't like! Duh! :-D

Ingredients & Recipe:
Printable Recipe

• about 1 pint of strawberries
• 3 clementines, peeled & sliced into rounds
• 1 pint of blueberries
• -OR- whatever fruit you prefer, perhaps 1 yellow grapefruit instead of the clementines, 1 pint of raspberries instead of the blueberries, etc.

• 1/2 cup honey (local honey from a cider mill or farmers market is always best!)
• 2 Tbls. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger root; (peel about 1-2 inches of fresh ginger root and grate it on a fine grater or a microplane/zester seen here)
• 1/3 cup of slivered or sliced almonds, toasted (toasting the almonds is quite easy- place the almonds on a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, tossing around frequently, until just fragrant & lightly browned)

Arrange your fruit decoratively on a plate, or just toss together in a bowl. Combine the honey, lemon juice & ginger in a small bowl, using a fork or a small whisk. Drizzle the dressing over the fruit & top with the almonds. Eat, smile, then make comment on NICHe in the KITCHe about how much you loved this! ;-)

"Don't Be Blue(berry)" Smoothie

We're all thinking about our New Years Resolutions and trying to get back to healthy habits that we forgot during the holidays. If you're like me, you've already cheated on one of your resolutions and to be honest I feel a little disappointed about it. But I realize that I'm not going to be perfect every single day, so I need to hop back on the Resolution-Wagon and start fresh each day!

During the holidays I found myself skipping breakfast, which totally through me for a loop!!Without breakfast you make it really difficult for your body to catch up throughout the day, and you really slow down your metabolism. If you need a few more reminders of why breakfast is so important, check out what my Nana (my grandma) always told me!

I'm big on healthy smoothies for breakfast- generally if you organize yourself ahead of time, you can blend up a smoothie super quickly before you head out the door. We have to be careful what we put IN our smoothies though- just because you tossed in a handful fruit and some juice DOES NOT automatically mean it's a healthy for you.

I saw a clip from the Dr. Oz show on Monday and he provided some great suggestions for making a healthy and fulfilling smoothie. He calls it the Magical Breakfast Blaster. I took his ideas + my ideas and created the "Don't be Blue(berry)" smoothie to help keep us feeling positive, healthful and nourished!

Just like Dr. Oz, I started using a teaspoon of Flax Oil in my smoothie. Flax seeds and Flax oil are filled with tons and tons of Omega-Fatty Acids, which aid every single system in our body! Flax is very fiber-licious, which we all know I love, and even more important to me right now is the anti-inflammatory response Flax has on our joints. I get my Flax Oil in the "body" section of Whole Foods- there are several to choose from so feel free to ask the helpful clerks, they'll tell you which ones are the freshest (flax oil should stay refrigerated).

Ingredients & Recipe:

Printable Recipe

• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed fruit (I use a strawberries, pineapple, mango blend)
• 1-2 tsp. flax seed oil
• 1 scoop protein powder (I like the vanilla powder from Curves)
• 1 heaping Tbls. plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (check the juice you're using to be sure it doesn't have a ridiculous amount of sugar in it, too much sugar defeats the purpose of the healthy smoothie, plus you are getting natural sugars from the fruit!)
• 1/4 cup water, used as needed to get desired consistency

Combine everything into your blender, and blend until smooth. Add in a few tablespoons of water (as needed) to get your desired consistency.

You Could Also Try...

• I find the smoothie blends together a little better if you bring out the frozen fruit from the freezer and set it on the counter for about 15 minutes before blending.
• I have also used Cran-Apple juice and I've even used a Low-Cal Gatorade, be creative- just don't get your whole days worth of sugar in the juice you pick
• Try this smoothie with 2 scoops of protein powder after your workout
• It might sound weird, but try adding in 1/4 cup of Silken (soft) tofu instead of protein powder. I PROMISE it won't taste like anything and you'll be getting some healthy soy protein!

How To...Make Beautiful Scrambled Eggs

Tonight we're having breakfast for dinner! My hubby and I have both had pretty nutso days at work and with nothing really prepped for dinner, he suggested doing a quick yet filling breakfast for dinner.

I'm pretty sure that cooking eggs was one of the very first things I learned to do in the kitchen when I was a little tot- my mom would help me beat the eggs and then we'd magically watch them set and scramble in the warm pan. I felt so accomplished and proud of myself! After some experience, I learned how to make "eggs, over-medium", A.K.A. "ding-ding eggs" as I called them (because it's only fitting that you "ding" your toast into the goey egg yolk as you eat), and honestly, this is when my heart-felt interest in cooking began to cultivate.

Anyways, through the years I learned a great tip for making really wonderful scrambled eggs. It won't necessarily effect the taste per se, but there is nothing grosser than a fork full of rubbery, flat scrambled eggs.

In order to create light, fluffy, cake-like scrambled eggs that have a show-stoppingly beautiful yellow color, simply scramble in 1/8 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar per 2 eggs. And remember not to overcook the eggs, as they will continue to cook another 30 seconds after you take them off the heat.

Tell me how it goes for you, email me at niche.klebba@gmail.com

Florentine Breakfast Pie with Potato Crust

This breakfast idea is good enough for anytime of the day, and is even great a few days later! The great thing about this recipe is that you can substitute whatever you have on hand that day to make a wonderful breakfast pie. Just learning the method to the madness will allow you tons of flexibility for breakfasts to come!

Ingredients & Recipe: (Yields 2 pies)

Printable Recipe

• 2 large Yukon potatoes, washed and shredded
• 1 Tbls. olive oil
• S & P to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine shredded potatoes, oil and seasonings in a bowl. Lightly spray 2 ceramic or glass pie dishes with cooking spray and press the potatoes into the dish, up the sides to create a "crust". Bake for about 20 minutes, let cool. Turn your oven down to 325 degrees.

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped finely
• 2 (1/2-inch thick) slices of ham, diced finely (I went to the deli counter, had them cut regular ol' deli ham into thick slices)
• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup of milk

In a large saute pan over medium heat, begin to saute the onion and leeks in the oil for about 5 minutes until tender. Add the diced ham (and a little S & P), and handful by handful begin to incorporate and wilt down the spinach. Let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Begin to spread an even layer of the spinach mixture across the potato crusts, followed by a light layer of cheese. Pour the egg mixture over everything and bake for about 20 minutes, until the egg looks firm.

You Could Also Try...

• Try making "muffin-sized" breakfast pie by using a large muffin tray instead of pie dishes.
• Substitute in mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, or use a different type of cheese to suit your taste buds.


• Cover in the refrigerator with plastic wrap and foil, and reheat in the oven later!

Fiber-licious Whole-Wheat Oatmeal Carrot Muffins

I don't know about you, but FIBER is my friend! Fiber is found in a variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans (to name a few), and we really should be getting about 35 grams of fiber daily. Fiber helps your digestive tract "exercise," if you will, and a great deal of research says that fiber may reduce your risks of cardiovascular diseases and cancers, & can help you lose weight!

I made these wholesome and fiber-licious muffins for my sister-in-law and her hubby, so they'd have something easy to grab for breakfast as they adjust to life with their baby, Jackson. I actually wrapped each muffin in foil after they cooled, and froze them in a freezer zip top bag, so he or she can grab one, stick it in the oven for a few minutes with the foil still on, and enjoy quite easily!

Ingredients & Recipe:

Printable Recipe

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs, beaten well
• 1 1/2 tsp. good vanilla extract
• 2 cups of shredded carrot
• 3/4 cup rolled oats (I used the same quick-cooking oats that I use for Oatmeal)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and either fill your muffin tray with baking cups or spray lightly with Baking Spray. In a large bowl, sift or stir together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together white and brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well combined. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to incorporate the wet/sugar ingredients into the dry/flour ingredients to make a batter. Fold the oats & carrots into the batter. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean!

You Could Also Try...

• Use 3/4 cup of applesauce + 1/4 cup of oil instead of the full cup of oil
• Like I noted above, let these muffies cool, wrap them in foil and freeze them away in a zip top bag. When you're ready to eat one, take it out of the freezer, stick your muffy directly into the oven on a low temperature, in the foil, until it warms up and enjoy!
• You could add 1/2 cup of coconut flakes and/or 1/2 cup raisins to the batter when you add the oats if you like those extra treats

Think outside of the BOX, literally! REAL Buttermilk Pancakes!

Yes, I know, the boxed pancake mixes are super convenient. I mean, "just add water" sounds pretty darn good on Saturday morning when you're feeling lazy but still want a fresh hot cake or two (or 3). Well, what if you made yourself some REAL pancake mix ahead of time, froze it in a zip top bag, and then popped it from freezer to fridge on Friday so that when you wake up on Saturday you don't even need a single mixing bowl or spoon!

It's time to think outside the pancake-mix box and really enjoy your Saturday morning breakfast!

Recipe & Ingredients: (makes about 18 pancakes)

Printable Recipe

• 3 eggs (separated, which means yolks in one bowl, whites in another)
• 1 2/3 cups buttermilk (recipe to follow to make your own!)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups of flour (I've done 1 cup white flour + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour for extra fiber)
• 1 Tbls. sugar
• 3 Tbls. melted UNsalted butter

Start by beating the only egg yolks until they are a pretty, pale yellow (use some elbow grease with a wisk, or a handmixer on low). Beat in buttermilk & baking soda, mix well. Now you will incorporate baking soda, salt, flour and sugar into the egg/buttermilk mix...best way to do this is to use a sifter if you have one, mixing as you add, be sure the batter is pretty smooth.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they get "stiff" (this may take about 3-5 minutes depending on the size of your guns, you might as well get a workout, right!?) If you don't know what I mean by stiff, see the pic to the right, they should be kind of foamy/fluffy. Now with a rubber spatula, "fold" egg whites into the batter until everything looks combined ("folding" rather than straight up "mixing" will allow the egg whites to keep their fluffiness). Let the batter hang out for 15-20 minutes, maybe do your dishes while you wait. OR if you're going to freeze the batter, ladle it into a large zip top bag, trying to get all the air out and seal tightly.

When you're ready to brown your cakes, make sure you have a non-stick, flat pan on medium-high heat. I like to use a real "griddle" type pan for pancakes, but a pan is pan! If you tried the zip top bag option (this is great), just snip the tip/corner of the bag and you can just pour the batter out onto your pan, or ladle batter directly from bowl to griddle. Wait a few minutes, until bubbles start to form and then flip to brown the other side. Enjoy with some powdered sugar or syrup!

Buttermilk: No need to go to the grocery store for buttermilk, I've used this recipe a few times and was successful!

You Could Also Try...

• If you're REALLY fancy and can prep this ahead of time, save and clean an old Ketchup bottle, ladle the batter into that and then you can just squeeze the batter from the bottle directly onto the griddle- you'll get perfect sized cakes everytime!


• Smaller pancakes are easier to flip if you're a beginner


• Toss in some chocolate chips or blueberries to your batter for a new tasty treat!


• Keep your pancakes warm in the toaster oven on low, while you continue to cook.


• Having sausage links with your pancakes? Roll a pancake around the sausage link, for a breakfast style "pig in the blanket".

Give Your Oatmeal Jazz Hands!

Hopefully you're not one of those people that still skips breakfast! Growing up with my Nana (my grandma), she would always wake up so hungry in the morning, saying, "Nichole, it's time to break our fast" (the fast from when you were sleeping!) She almost never skipped breakfast and she would for sure be proud of me posting something about the importance of breakfast.

Oatmeal is a perfect option for a Cheap and Simple breakfast. Come on people, Mr. Breakfast explains that eating oatmeal lowers cholesterol, may lower blood pressure, provides soluble fiber (I heart fiber), and has tons of healthy mineral and vitamins. BUT, oatmeal can be pretty boring, right? If you purchase the pre-flavored instant oatmeal, you might have something tasty but you really don't need all those added sugars/flavors. And honestly, the box of all the individual packets can get a little pricey.

To keep costs down and create my own tasty oatmeal, this summer I decided to forgo my instant oatmeal packets and I started buying the big ol' cardboard container of oatmeal. I'd try something new each morning; maybe stirring in some brown sugar and cinnamon, blueberries, or maple syrup. I was always slightly disappointed because without putting my entire days' worth of sugar into the oatmeal, there really wasn't too much to my oatmeal, despite my efforts.

Meanwhile, I became slightly obsessed with Creme Brulee coffee creamer, which is weird because I really don't drink coffee, and when I do, I drink instant Decaf (don't judge me). One morning, I overcooked my plain oatmeal, and instead of adding a bit more milk, I decided to stir in a tablespoon of my favorite coffee creamer. It was delicious and I rarely make it any other way! The Creme Brulee creamer adds just enough sweetness and flavor without being overbearing, and it only adds 35 calories, which is better than all the sugar I was dousing in my oatmeal each morning to give it some jazz.

Ingredients & Recipe:
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup of plain oats
1/2-3/4 cup of milk (or water)
1 Tbls. of your favorite lactose free coffee creamer (not the powder)
A few shakes of cinnamon or nutmeg (Optional)

Mix oats and milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat 1 1/2 minutes. Mix well and heat for 20 second increments until desired consistenly (I like my oatmeal pretty loose). Carefully remove from microwave and stir in creamer. Enjoy your jazzy oatmeal!

You Could Also Try...

• Use whatever creamer flavor you like, but make sure you're not cheating and adding more than 1 tablespoon. The point is to keep it healthy- not to add in a ton of fat!