LEAN14 | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

#LEAN14: vegan & gluten free cookie dough for one.

31 March, 2014 by Gracie 13 Comments

I’m a sucker for single serving recipes.

…especially when they include two of the best words in the English language: COOKIE. DOUGH.

Needless to say, when I saw this healthier single serving recipe for vegan cookie dough on Pinterest, I knew it was one I had to try.

I made some changes to that recipe because a) I didn’t have coconut oil and b) I wanted to see how it would taste with almond flour. The result was not only delicious, but also gluten free.

adapted from Vegan Cookie Dough For One

ingredients:

1 tablespoon real maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons almond flour
pinch of salt
1-2 teaspoons dark chocolate chips (make sure non-dairy if strictly vegan)

Just mix the first four ingredients in a small bowl, then add the chocolate chips last. That’s it!

I was planning on using some almond milk to replace the coconut oil, but it actually didn’t need it. The almond flour soaked the maple syrup up for a perfect cookie dough consistency.

I would like to try the original recipe too, which uses regular flour, but I must say I really did love the flavor and heartiness from the almond flour. The only thing I’d say I didn’t like about this recipe is that…it didn’t make enough! Seriously, I might double it next time 😉

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Are you a fan of single serving recipes? Do you have a favorite? (I’d love suggestions!)

#LEAN14: “nothin’ fancy” HIIT workout.

21 March, 2014 by Gracie 4 Comments

Back in December I shared my go-to HIIT treadmill workout. It’s a great one that I still do often!

Sometimes, though, I need my workouts to be as basic as possible in order for me to actual exercise at all. While my last HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout varied throughout 3 speeds, this super simple one keeps it at just 2.

No thinking, no pushing lots of buttons, just some good old fashioned intervals.

This can be easily adjusted to your fitness level by speed (give or take 0.5) and/or add incline!

Please note that I am *not* a trainer or fitness expert, this is just a workout based on my own knowledge and experience that has personally worked for me. Please consult a doctor before starting any fitness routine.

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Are you a fan of HIIT? What’s your favorite form of cardio?

#LEAN14: easy almond flour pancakes.

25 February, 2014 by Gracie 6 Comments

Last week it was coconut flour, and now it’s all about the almond flour.

Almond flour is a great flour alternative as it’s grain free, low in carbs, and full of healthy fats.

I’ve experimented with almond flour in the past (which is basically finely ground almonds), but I’ve yet to try making pancakes with it. So I did a little Pinterest search and found these Coconut Almond Flour Pancakes from Clean Eating Chelsey, and I knew they were the ones I wanted to make.

The recipe looked simple enough, but the real deciding factor was how thick and cake-like they looked.

Chelsey was right when she said that these babies are filling. I followed her recipe to the T, minus the coconut because I didn’t have any. I topped mine with some butter and maple syrup.

I also love that this is a single serving recipe. It made two perfect medium-sized pancakes.

Definitely a new go-to breakfast for me!

Have you ever cooked/baked with almond flour? What’s your favorite (healthy) pancake recipe?

#LEAN14: a full {sick} day of eats.

17 February, 2014 by Gracie 12 Comments

I hate to be all “woe is me,” buuuuut basically I feel like death. Fever, chills, congestion – the whole nine.

I woke up on Saturday with the worst sore throat of all time and knew right away it was going to be a bad one. Thankfully my parents had come up that day to see my new apartment, and I had already planned on going back to Pennsylvania with them for a few things.

Let’s just say a cozy coach, big screen TV, and doctor Mom definitely help make being sick a bit more bearable.

I’ve been getting a handful of requests for more “full day of eats” posts since starting LEAN14, so I had that scheduled to post today, and even though I’m sick - the blog must go on.

Breakfast - Koala Crisp cereal with sliced banana and coconut milk.

(Yes, Koala Crisp. I’m mature like that.)

Lunch – sandwich of mashed avocado and a fried egg on brown rice bread.

Snack – a big green smoothie.

Dinner – all day I was looking forward to having the slow-cooked pulled pork my mom made, but when dinnertime rolled around the thought of eating meat was just really unappetizing. Regular old rice and beans was all I could seem to stomach Not so pretty, but it did the job.

Dessert – a few squares of dark chocolate.

Oh, and there was tea. Lots and lots and lots of tea.

For the most part, this is pretty standard for what I’ve been eating lately. Normal days usually include more veggies and more protein – both of which seem to be the most unappealing when sick…

What do/can you eat when you’re sick?

#LEAN14: 2 ingredient low carb/grain free “pancrepes.”

14 February, 2014 by Gracie 10 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day!!! For those of you really looking to get in the romantic spirit today, you should listen to the Valentine’s Day Playlist I posted a few days ago. Whipping up some Red Velvet Cake Batter Brownies isn’t a terrible idea either 😉

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If there’s anything I’ve learned from reading blogs and browsing Pinterest, it’s that:

1) we love our pancakes
2) the less ingredients, the better
3) lower carb and grain free are like, really in right now

And honestly, I’m on board with all of those! I’ll always be partial to portion control as the best way (for me) when it comes to getting Lean in 2014, but I also fall into the camp that tries to cut back on grains/carbs when I can, but most importantly when it still tastes good.

I’ve tried other 2 ingredient pancake concoctions out there, and this is one of my favorites. Combining fruit or veggies with eggs always kind of weirded me out, but this combination is very reminiscent of crepes, which I just love.

(original recipe found here)

ingredients:

2 eggs
2 ounces cream cheese

Optional add-ins: cinnamon, sweetener of choice (I use Stevia)

directions:

Combine eggs and cream cheese in a blender (I use my NutriBullet, and it works great). Cook on a greased nonstick pan on medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side. The batter is very thin, so it doesn’t take long to cook.

Yields 3 large panCREPES. These are great for filling with your favorite fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.

I’ve been eating them like regular pancakes with butter and peanut butter.

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Do you have a favorite healthy pancake recipe?
Which blog/Pinterest “trendy” recipe(s) do you like/dislike?

#LEAN14: cheesy buffalo chicken dip.

12 February, 2014 by Gracie 11 Comments

Something I wanted to make really clear when I introduced LEAN in 2014 is that it’s not a specific plan – it’s open to every dietary preference, level of fitness, walk of life, etc.

So this one…this is for my low-carbers.

When I try to cut back on carbs, it’s really important to make recipes/meals that don’t make me feel at all deprived. That’s why this is recipe is not Paleo/primal – if I’m going to decrease carbs I at least need cheese!

And oh, is there cheese.

recipe from Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Chicken Dip

ingredients:

2 cups of shredded chicken (I followed this guide to poach/shred chicken)
8 ounces of regular cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of ranch dressing
1/2 cup hot sauce
6 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese *

* you could use bleu cheese instead if you prefer it, or even 1/2 cheddar 1/2 bleu.

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, and cheese. Then add the chicken and combine well. Transfer to a (8 inch) baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes.

If you’re low-carbing it, serve with steamed broccoli, celery, or over a salad. If not, use your favorite chips or crackers for dipping.

…or you could be really classy like me and just eat it straight out of a bowl.

(Once you taste this, you’ll probably do the same.)

Whether I’m watching my carbs or not, I’m personally always a fan of using real, full fats. But if you’re watching your calorie/fat intake, here’s a lower fat version of this recipe.

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Do you ever watch your carb intake? What are your thoughts on eating low carb?