Easy Energy: Chocolate Peanut Butter energy balls

One of my cravings as of lately has just been anything with chocolate and/or peanut butter. Especially with all of the "Reese's Eggs" and all of the yummy Easter candy that is on the shelves at the grocery stores right now. So, I decided to make something that I can have. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter energy balls recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Old-Fashioned Oats
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Coconut
• 1 Handful of Dark Chocolate Chunks
• 1/2 Cup Natural Peanut Butter
• 1/3 Cup Natural Raw Honey

Instructions:

Set aside a big flat plate. 

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients. Mix well. (I found it best to just use my hands). So make sure you wash your hands good, and go at it! It gets a little messy. Just a little warning. 

Grab the plate, set it close to the bowl. 

Once the ingredients are completely combined, start rolling into small bite sized balls. Make sure to pack them tight, once rolled, place on the plate. 

Chill in fridge in an air tight container or baggie until ready to serve. 

Enjoy!!!

Let me know what you think of the recipe and what you did different.

-Whit

Juicing Part #1: Pink Love Juice

I decided I am going to start eating a little more clean. Don't get me wrong... I am still going to bake my sweets, eat my candy, drink my DC and Dr. Pepper, and all that deliciousness. I just want to make sure I am keeping healthy and putting good in my body. 

I decided that the easiest way for me to make sure I am getting all of the nutrients I need is to juice. I love Fresh juice and love trying all the new flavors. 

So today was Day #1.. I don't know how the other days will compare to todays juice. It was simply delicious. So I will give you the recipe.. It is very easy and simple.. But OH SO yummy!

Pink Love Juice Recipe:

1 Blood Orange, Peeled

5 Mandarin Oranges

5 Strawberries

Handful of Raspberries

Juice the fruits, let sit for 20 minutes-2 hours in the fridge. Stir and enjoy!!!

-Whit

fresh, delicious applesauce recipe

I haven't posted in a couple weeks, so I am going to be playing catch up on all of the new yummy recipes I have been trying/enjoying. :) This afternoon I was craving something sweet, for those of you who know me, I am doing a 40 day "treat" free challenge... So I had to come up with something that was both delicious and nutritious.

{APPLESAUCE}

Start this recipe with 4-6 Apples. (It does not matter what kind. I used Pink Lady Apples) 

 

Peel and Core apples

Cut apples

1/3 C of brown or white sugar

2 tsp of cinnamon

Dash of Cloves

 

Mix together in a sauce pan

Let it cook on Med/High heat. Covered for 25-30 minutes.

Let cool and mash with masher or puree

 

 

Applesauce Recipe:

4-6 Lg Apples, peeled and cut

1 C of Water or Apple Juice

1/3 C Brown or White Sugar

2 Tsp of Cinnamon

Dash of Cloves

This was such an easy and fast recipe. I will definitely be making it a lot more often!

Hope you enjoyed!

-whit

Rainy Day Workout

--Rainy Day Workout--

35 minute treadmill intervals

-5 minute light jog (get warm)

-3 minute hard sprint

-4 minute jog/run

-3 minute hard sprint

-10 minute consistent pace run

-3 minute hard sprint

-2 minute jog

-2 minute hard sprint (last one.. work it!)

-3 minute very light jog or walk (cool off)

--Abs of Steel--

(you'll definitely feel your abs burning because of the intense run workout you just finished)

-125 crunches

-1 minute bicycles

-20 reverse crunches

-125 crunches

-1 minute right side plank

-1 minute left side plank

-1 minute center plank

-125 crunches

-1 minute mtn climbers 

-125 crunches

YOU'RE DONE!

Stretch and drink lots of water! Oh, and enjoy that burn!

-whit

Fit mama, Fit baby: baby food

One of my New Years resolutions was to become a little healthier... Isn't that one of everyone's resolutions? Well, I decided that if I am going to be healthier I want to start Cruz out healthy too. I want to let him explore lots of different, yummy flavors of foods so that when he is older he is more likely to hopefully try new things. 

So, yesterday I decided to just get some things out of my fridge and freezer and travel into the unexpected... Make homemade baby food! For one of Wes and I's wedding presents, we go a "Magic Bullet" blender. It is so small, easy to clean and most of all easy to use! I LOVE it. I always make yummy smoothies, shakes, salsa and sauces in it. So I was very excited to use it as something new. 

I started pulling things out of my fridge and setting them all on the counter so I could see what kind of fruits and veggies I had. I ended up with quite a bit of ingredients! I was so excited to get cooking. 

I started by washing all of my fruits and veggies, and steaming them on the stove. I ended up with lots of mixed veggies, peaches, berries, and bananas and just went from there. With my first batch of each flavor I went as simple as can be. I didn't want to overwhelm Cruz with so many different flavors in one sitting. So here are some of my recipes for the first batch of baby foods I made...

•mixed veggies•

1 c Peas

1 c Corn (off the cob)

1 c Baby Carrots (cut)

1 c Green Beans (cut)

1/4 c warm water

Combine all ingredients into one sauce pan, steam veggies until soft. While warn,  put ingredients into a blender or magic bullet and put on the "purée" setting for 2 minutes, or until all is puréed. 

Pour ingredients into air tight containers (I used breast milk containers first off I have never been able to breast feed and second they have never been used and I have been wondering what to use them all for) and either refrigerate or freeze. Make sure it is completely cooled before serving to your little ones.

•carrots•

1 bag of baby carrots

1/4 c water

1 pinch of salt

Combine, mix, purée for 2 minutes and distribute to containers.

Refrigerate or freeze.

•bananas and oatmeal•

2 bananas (peeled and cut)

8 Tsp of prepared Gerber Baby Oatmeal

Combine, mix, and purée for 2 minutes. 

Pour in air right containers and refrigerate or freeze.

•peaches•

2-3 medium size peaches (washed, peeled and cut) 

Purée in blender for 1 min.

I canned lots fresh peaches this fall, so I opened one of the jars, washed the slices  one more time, and put them in the magic bullet. Nothing more than peaches. And I gotta say, they were DELISH! 

•spiced applesauce•

2 red sweet apples (washed, peeled and cut) steam to soften the fruit for about 5 minutes. 

Pinch of cinnamon

Purée in blender for 1-2 minutes

This was such a fun afternoon activity for Cruz and I. And because I played it safe and simple, it really only took me about 1.5 hours to make 24-4oz baby foods. And I think it was well worth it! I tasted ALL of the foods, just because I don't want to feed him something I wouldn't eat, and by surprise all of the foods tasted absolutely delicious.

I will be making and exploring more flavors today and will post recipes, reviews and pictures as soon as I can.

enjoy!!!

-whit

Fresh & Pretty

Being a new mom, I realized there is not enough hours in the day. There is barely anytime in the day to get ready let alone, take the time and truly pamper yourself.

 Sometimes I go 3-4 days without washing my hair, my husband catches me wearing the same outfit 2-3 days a week.. and dont even get me started on makeup. These days, a little brush of bronzer and some lipgloss is as good as it gets. 

 (Thank goodness for spray tans from Amara Day Spa, and eyelash extensions 

by: Kim Jaynes owner of Borboleta Beauty)  

But, my husband keeps reminding me that I have got to pamper myself. "You deserve it!!!" He keeps saying. Working a full time job, catering events most weekends and being a mom/wife... It's hard work. I just don't have time to go to the salon and get pedicures and manicures or get my hair and makeup done most weeks. So I had to figure something out for those times I have a little extra time and just don't or can't leave the house.

One of my New Years Resolutions was to pamper myself at least once every week.

This afternoon, Cruz had a little nap in my bed and so I decided that if I was going to start working on this resolution, now would be the time.

Actually taking the time to pamper and take care of myself, felt amazing. I am very glad i did it. 

Soon after I finished self tanning I was once again reminded I was a mom to the sweetest kid out there by hearing him start blabbering, smiling and laughing while looking at his cute little toes that he lifted into the air. Being a mom is THE best. 

If you don't pamper yourself already, I highly recommend it. There is just something that feels so good when you look pretty and fresh but most importantly FEEL pretty and fresh.

enjoy!

-whit

For the love of baking...

Throughout my Modern Cake experience, I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people. They were clients at first, but turned into great friends. I had the opportunity to bake for the Sundance Film Festival, introduced my products to many celebrities and people from all over. LOTS of weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, showers, grand openings and so much more.

 A month before I had Cruz, me and my husband decided to close the shop until I knew how everything was going to go with being a new mom and all.  I basically ran a one man show. I did the business side and ALL of the baking and decorating. So you can say I was a little tired. Especially being pregnant. 

At my 20 week Routine Ultrasound appointment I was approached by my OBGYN doctor and he said he was needing someone else in the office to help out. So me being me, I accepted the job and started the next day. (by now, you can probably tell that I am a little ADD and love to keep busy).

I fell in love with the job and the friendships I had already made with all the employees within the first week, and decided I would stay throughout the pregnancy as well as post baby. 

I thought by closing my storefront, I wouldn't be approached to do events anymore. I was very wrong about that assumption. And I am so glad I was wrong. 

I have found I love baking even more than I did when I had my store front because I can focus all of my attention on one project at a time and that means more time into each dessert. 

Since Cruz, I have been able to do lots of fun events and weddings and I am so grateful I have such loyal clients. 

This is one of my most recent weddings. Such a fun textured design of cakes. 

(and they didn't just look good. they smelt divine and tasted DELICIOUS!)

Can't wait for my next baking adventure!!! 

If you would like a quote on a cake, dessert or catering email me: Whitney.berge@gmail.com. 

I would LOVE to be part of your next event.

Enjoy!!!

-whit