Pumpkin Protein Shake

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I’ve been looking to increase my potassium to help combat some muscle fatigue and cramping I’ve been experiencing.
Bananas tend to be the ‘go-to’ source for potassium but also are high in fructose and calories, neither of which I want.
Looking for some natural alternatives, mushrooms and pumpkin caught my eye. While I’ve been adding mushrooms to my morning eggs, I’ve developed this post workout shake to not only keep my potassium levels high enough to help power me through my workouts, but also to increase my fiber, vitamin A, antioxidants and B vitamins.
And of course, with Progressive Weight Training, protein following your workout is critical to repairing and building the muscles you have broken down and stressed.
This shake is perfect year round but I love it for the fall/winter season. Not only is it good for you, but delicious!

Notes: In this Post Workout Protein Shake you can exchange the coconut water for a high protein nut or rice milk or skim milk.
You can also substitute pumpkin pie filling for the plain pumpkin if you don’t want to mess with spices. I like to fiddle with mine, adding lots of cinnamon for blood sugar and appetite control.
Also, I am hooked on the Melaleuca protein powders. The Pro-flex has 20g of protein, the Vitality has 30g. They are rich and yummy tasting as well as formulated, but use your own favorite brand.
You can add a shot of espresso, instant espresso power or instant coffee, or skip altogether.

8-10 oz of Coconut Water
2 scoops of Protein Powder (Vitality = 30grams)
2 tbsp Pumpkin
1 tsp decaf instant Coffee
5 grinds of Nutmeg on the grater
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Dash of Ginger
Small pinch Allspice
Large handful of Ice

Blend and enjoy!

Puppy Shavasana

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Last night my daughter and I were perusing through my laptop photo album and we both started to giggle when we came to this photo: Little Man and Big Girl having a little post walk siesta.

My daughter giggled and said “Mom, we (her sister and herself) call that puppy shavasana, cause it’s just like the corpse pose in Yoga!”

She was right.

And I giggled some more!

Amazing & Amazingly Simple Fall Appetizer

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Looking for an entertaining appetizer that will disappear and have your guests or host scraping the bowl for? Well, this one is to die for.

While roaming the aisle of my local grocery (yes, I roam when I have the time) I spied these new chips from the company Food Should Taste Good – Harvest Pumpkin. We started buying this brand because the line delicious and gluten free. Recently they have really branched out and experimented with some fun new flavor combinations. The pumpkin one really peaked my interest to use as a signature fall appetizer.

I opened the bag and tasted a chip, wondering was it sweet? Savory? Or both?

Both. The chips have pumpkin and sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice, but they are not sweet. There is just a touch of sugar in them but are dusted with sea salt and that balances the flavor.

I then headed over to the cheese department and my favorite cheese expert was there. We have spent countless hours together creating dishes that pair well with cheeses. We contemplated what would pair best with these chips as a dip and together came up with this combination. I have served it twice since then and both times, with all ages, it was extremely well received.

If you cannot find a whipped goat cheese, simply find the creamiest brand you can find, add a bit of cream and either whisk or use a hand blender to mix. (Do not use Feta, use Chèvre) You will be adding the chutney to taste, just be sure to not add too much. There should be a balance of sweet/tangy and savory. For the container shown in the photo, I added about 2 heaping tablespoons of chutney. Mix the two together and serve with the chips on the side.

This appetizer will be out for Thanksgiving in my house. I hope you enjoy it too.
Please, let me know what you think!

1 container whipped Chèvre Cheese
2-3 heaping Tablespoons Apple-Cranberry Chutney
Food Should Taste Good Pumpkin Tortilla Chips

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