WHERE YOU AT, SPRING?!? I miss the sun. And the warmth. I got a little bit of a tan in Charleston last weekend, but I’m ready for a good Saturday or Sunday where I can be out in the sun all day and get a tan. Someone asked me if I fake baked the other day. NO! That’s terrible. Stay away. I made an agreement to myself and Daniel after we got married (almost 5 years ago) that I would never go back to the tanning bed. And to this day, I’ve followed through. Now, don’t think I won’t go lay out in the real sun. I love a good tan. Tans are coming for all of us, y’all. Hold on tight!
Daniel and I went to Earle Street last night. That place never disappoints. Dan got the special – some sort of filet- and I love him even more because he kept letting me try it. It was hands down, one of the best pieces of steak I’ve had in a long time. Or ever. I’m boring, so I just got my go to salad I always get from there-Peaches n Cream – except peaches still aren’t in season, so they put strawberries on it for me. Our friend and waiter, DJ gives me a hard time. He probably thinks I’m boring too. But it’s ok. I love it so much. BUT I had the most amazing beer. It was a Mango Habañero IPA, and I want another one. Right now. But it’s Sunday. And I dunno where to even buy this amazing sweet/spicy combo of a beverage.
Ok, so I love snacks. And chocolate. Put them together, and you’ve got something really special. I could snack on some good chocolate snacks all day. But I don’t want to mess up by just eating anything and everything I can get my hands on. With Zone (the way I try to eat these days) I get a couple of snacks during the day. But these have to be portioned out, and I’m not creative, so I usually just stick with what I know. The snacks usually involve those pancakes I told you about a long time ago. Or cottage cheese with some berries or something. Or some turkey. Or some chicken. I dunno.
But I love protein balls. Always have. Always will. If you’ve spent enough time with me, I’ve probs made them for ya. But y’alllllllllll, they’re really not that great for you. I mean, they’re not terrible. But they’re not all that great for you.
So, today I tried to figure out a new way to make them. But the catch is, these are Zone friendly! AND THEY STILL HAVE CHOCOLATE IN THEM! Now, I have to admit, this isn’t my proudest Zone friendly recipe. But I still macro’d it out for you, and you can do what you want with it.
Zone Friendly, Chocolate Chip Protein Balls
Makes 30 small balls – (6 servings – each serving = 5 balls)
For Zone: Each serving = 1/3 block P, 1 block C, 1 block F
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup oats (I like the raw organic kind. I think you can find these at the wal mart market actually)
- 2 oz (2 scoops) protein powder ( I used Progenex Recovery- belgian chocolate)
- 3 tsp (or 1 tbsp) of peanut butter (I like the Jif Simply Creamy kind because it has a lot less sugar. I don’t have a problem with peanut butter. But if you have a hard time tolerating it, use almond butter or sunflower butter, and keep portion size the same).
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1.5 oz dark chocolate chips ( I like Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips)
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl in the order from above.
- But REEEAALLLLYYY mix the concoction up well. Allow about 5 minutes of pressing with a spoon to mix.
- Let bowl sit in fridge for about 30 minutes (allow mix to harden).
- Wash your hands (again) and roll concoction up into little balls.
Breakdown of macros in entire batch (for Zone eaters):
2 blocks Protein (2 oz protein powder), 6 blocks Carbs (1 cup oats, 1.5 oz dark chocolate chips), 6 blocks Fat (3 tsp/1 tbsp PB)
Here’s another picture:
Here’s a picture of all the ingredients I used.
Like I said, this isn’t my proudest Zone post. Take it or leave it. But I’ll take it…because…chocolate.