Best Lightened Up Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever!

I was in the mood to make chocolate chip cookies tonight but had no brown sugar so I decided to make a few changes to a great recipe I found from http://kumpulanresepkoe.wordpress.com/. 

I made a few minor changes and came out with the most delicious cookie dough ever....Corey and I literally could have just eaten the cookie dough and not even bothered making the actual cookies because the dough was so delicious! But of course, the cookies were delicious too! I love this recipe because a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes tend to have a lot of ingredients in them, mainly brown sugar that make them not the healthiest choice but this is a very lightened up version so you can enjoy a few of them and not feel so guilty! Let me know if you loved them as much as Corey and I did! 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup Stevia in the Raw or Splenda White Sugar 
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3/4 cup light butter 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Cream the butter with the sugar and the honey. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour and baking soda. 
3. Place teaspoon sized cookies about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

Chocolate Soft Serve

This is easily one of the healthiest and best dessert recipes I've ever had! It's so simple, literally 3 ingredients and all of the ingredients are delicious and good for you: banana, cocoa and skim or almond milk and of course an optional tablespoon of peanut butter if you're a peanut butter lover like myself! For an entire banana being in the recipe, the banana taste is not even that strong. The frozen banana is mostly what makes this dessert so delicious and creamy.

Best of all this recipe is easily changeable...feel free to add your favorite fruit, peanut butter, nutella, whatever you'd like... Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
1 banana (frozen)
1/4 cup skim or almond milk
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp all natural peanut butter (optional)

Directions:
Peel then chop up banana into bite size pieces. Freeze for 1 hour. Blend the banana, cocoa, milk and peanut butter (opt) in a food processor until creamy, about 30 seconds. Enjoy!


Recipe adapted from: http://luxhippie.tumblr.com/post/6591042896/incredibly-easy-and-delicious-vegan-soft-serve

About 1 Month Left in Germany

Paderborn, Germany

Corey and I head back to US April 11th so almost 1 month left in Germany! I can't believe our first year in Europe is already almost over. It's been such an amazing, eye-opening year for us. I have to say that living in a foreign country is definitely not easy but it's really amazing to see a new part of the world and see the cultural differences. I've seen a lot of beautiful Germany (even if it a lot of it was from Corey's team bus), went to Salzburg, Austria and did The Sound of Music Tour, we're planning a trip to Prague the week before we head back to the US and I should have seen Rome if my mom and I hadn't gone to the wrong airport...oops, you live and you learn! I'll see Rome eventually I hope!

But Corey's team has a few games left and their goal is to stay in the Pro A...then lots of decisions will be coming our way. Corey will be deciding where he is going to sign for next year and once we head home in April, we have a lot of wedding planning to do! We'll be meeting with DJ's videographers and going wedding dress and bridesmaids dress shopping! Such a busy summer full of lots of big, important decisions! And I am very lucky to have gotten my job back at Brookstone HQ for the summer so I'll very happy to say that I'll be working in their Merchandising Department once again for the summer. So Cor & I plan to hang out in NY doing a lot of wedding planning from April until mid May then off to NH for the summer for us to work. Can't wait to be back in the States and can't wait for such an exciting and busy summer ahead of us!

Triple Chocolate Protein Brownie Bars!

This is one of my favorite recipes! I discovered it last week and Corey loved them so i'm trying them out again tonight. They're super easy to make and you can add no or the little bit of dark chocolate that I suggest to make them moist. They're very chewy but really a great healthy protein packed snacked. Hope you all like them too!

Triple-Chocolate Protein Brownie Bars

Adapted from http://www.busybuthealthy.com/

Makes 16 bars

1 cup oat flour or whole wheat flour
1 cup quick oats (not instant or old fashioned)
3 scoops chocolate whey protein powder (low sugar, low carb variety)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup Stevia
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (dark are my favorite!)
4 egg whites 
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly spray an 8×8 pan with cooking
spray.  Set aside.  In 1 bowl, sift together all dry ingredients.  Add
in all wet ingredients into the same bowl and mix until blended.
Lastly, add chocolate chips.  Pour into pan and bake for approx 18
minute or until firm on top all over and toothpick comes out almost
clean.  Cool completely and cut into 16 bars.

Nutrition (per 1 bar)
Calories: 90  Fat: 2.8g  Carbs: 10.4g  Fibre: 2.7g  Sugars: 2.7g  Protein: 6.6g

Happy New Year!

It's officially 2012 and I am completely in wedding mode! The wedding venue is booked for July 4th, 2013 at The Grandview. That beautiful view above is where our ceremony will take place...right there overlooking the Hudson River! The Mid-Hudson Bridge is to the right where fireworks will be shot off at night so we'll have the perfect view of the fireworks! Isn't it so beautiful?

In my spare time, I loveee to do research for mine and Corey's wedding. Now, this summer is going to be probably one of the busiest summers for us! We'll be meeting with people, booking vendors, shopping for dresses...all fun stuff that I can't wait for! I'm crossing my fingers that I definitely have my job back at Brookstone's HQ for the summer which would mean i'd be living in NH again in order to save up some money for our big day. And in regards to Corey & basketball..he is doing so great this year! He is the 2nd leading rookie in the entire league and he's been as high as the 4th leading scorer in the whole league so Corey is doing great. He's loving playing basketball as his job and I'm loving teaching English to my new class! Things are going well and let's hope he gets a great offer next year! We're very excited to see where we end up next year so keep your fingers crossed for us that first off he gets an offer and secondly that he gets a great offer that we're happy with! Of course I always tell him that I would LOVE to live somewhere warm next year..I can always wish, right? Well back to some wedding research...I just found out today how many sites/contests there are to win free things for your wedding day so I am all over that! 

PS- this is a giant bucket drink from a bar in downtown Augsburg, Peaches...probably one of the biggest drinks I've ever seen! Me, Corey and Skyler thoroughly enjoyed this delicious drink! 

Home for Christmas

I can't believe the last time I wrote a blog was right around Thanksgiving. There's so much that has happened since then, I don't even know where to begin! Well I think I'll start with the best news first, Corey and I are now engaged! It still seems surreal to me but I couldn't be happier. He tricked me and I can honestly say that I did not see it coming at all. I was told by one of Corey's team managers, Ruben that he had to take me to fill out some paperwork in regards to me staying in Germany. It sounded right to me...although I did think it was a little strange that we were going on a Sunday when just about nothing in Germany is open on a Sunday except some cafe's and restaurants. Of course I asked why it's open on a Sunday and when he told me it's open once a month, naturally gullible me believed him! I did wonder why we were driving to Landsberg, which is about 25 mins from Augsburg and once again, gullible me believed Ruben when he said this was the closest town to Augsburg that had the paperwork we had to do. Come to think of it...now when I look back at it, I don't know how I believed all that so easily..haha so funny now. Anyways, Landsberg am Lech is the town where Corey proposed to me. I didn't even see him when he first got there. Ruben told me to get out of the car while he parked and I literally just stood there waiting to go somewhere to do paperwork, passport and European citizenship papers ready! Then, I saw Corey all dressed up in a suit standing right infront of the waterfalls...I absolutely knew what was happening then. Corey told me how much he loved me and wanted to be with me and it was the most amazing moment when he got down on one knee and proposed. I don't think my hand could have shaken any more- I was so nervous/excited. And I have to say, I couldn't have picked out a more beautiful ring. Not only is it gorgeous, but it really means so much to me since the diamond in my ring, is the same diamond from the ring my dad gave my mom. It's absolutely perfect.

Now that you know the best news of my life, on a side-note, I also started teaching English at an English Language school in Augsburg. I am only able so substitute teach and help teach their 1 week intensive classes since I'm only in Augsburg until April but it's nice to be able to work a little bit for now. I wish I could work more but hopefully next year I can work full-time since I finally have my European citizenship!

Lastly, I am so excited because tomorrow I am flying home to the US for Christmas! I cannot wait...I miss my family, my adorable dogs Milo and Duchess and all my friends do much. I have so much to talk about with everyone- wedding planning, my life in Europe..everything, I just can't wait to be home for a bit. Not to mention living somewhere where I can 100% understand what everyone is saying will be amazing...German is such a tough language to learn but i'm still working on it! Well Ciao for now...finishing up my packing for home :)

Thanksgiving Recipes and Delicious Desserts!

The night before Thanksgiving in Germany so I'm sad to say that I won't be with my family at my Aunt Judi's house in NJ...first time not home for Thanksgiving which means I'm trying out some recipes for everyone to try tomorrow! We're having a small get together at mine and Corey's apartment...all of the Americans and a few others are coming to celebrate! I decided to make a homemade cheesecake (was going to make a homemade pumpkin pie then I found out that there is no pumpkin puree in Germany...I didn't feel like literally cutting up a pumpkin so that's why I decided on this cheesecake recipe) I also made a low sugar Cranberry Pear Sauce! 

Low fat Cheesecake

Adapted from food.com 

Ingredients

• Pie crust 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Cooking spray
• 2 8-ounce packages Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
• 2 8-ounce packages fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups Stevia or Splenda
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 large eggs and 3 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• Berry topping (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mold pie crust to pan. Beat both cream cheeses and the sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, 5 minutes, then beat in the sour cream on low. Lightly whisk the 3 egg whites in a bowl, then add to the cheese mixture along with the 2 whole eggs, flour, vanilla and lemon zest. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Pour over the crust.

Place the cheesecake in pan and bake until the cake is set but the center still jiggles, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Turn off the oven; keep the cheesecake inside with the door closed for 20 minutes.

Run a knife around the edge, then cool completely. Chill until firm, at least 8 hours. Top as desired.

(the sauce being cooked!)

Cranberry Pear Sauce
Adapted from Skinnytaste.com
Ingredients: 
12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
2 ripe pears, peeled and cored, cubed small
1/4 cup Stevia (agave, splenda or sugar can be substituted)
1 cup water

Directions:
Bring all the ingredients to a boil on high heat in a medium saucepan.
When boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool before refrigerating.Serve chilled or room temperature. Makes 3 1/4 cups.






This is "Lebkuchen" which is very similar to gingerbread in the US but it's more like a cake and comes with chocolate on top (of course the one I chose was the chocolate one), sugar or just plain. 

And this delicious piece of cake is from a chocolate shop in downtown Augsburg. Corey and I stopped to pick up a piece of cake after walking around the Christmas Market today..thought it would be a nice treat for our 3 year anniversary. I decided on the most chocolatey type of cake they had. It was even more delicious then it looks!