Easy, Nourishing & Delish Recipes

healthy, easy, simple and tasty recipes for busy people

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GF Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake Muffins +Daisy’s Cottage Cheese Product Review

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As much as I love trying new foods, I have to admit there are certain foods I HAVE to eat every day, Cottage cheese being one of them!  I’ve been becoming obsessed with the stuff lately, and been choosing it over my greek yogurt (gasp!).  I’m hooked on the creaminess and distinct texture it adds to certain foods.   You can add it to smoothies and oatmeal for added protein or sub it with cream cheese or ricotta cheese in baking and cooking! I was very grateful when Daisy Brand send me over some coupons to try their amazing cottage cheese!  I was amazed at the quality of the 100% all-natural ingredients that the 90 year old company uses!  Daisy uses no preservatives which sets them apart from any other dairy products!

 

Low-Fat Cottage Cheese cottagecheese-lowfat

Only 90 calories and a whopping 13 grams of protein per half cup!  Super creamy and chunky even though its low in fat!  There are only a few all-natural ingredients :Cultured skim milk, cream, salt, vitamin A palmitate.  Whats not to love?

photo 3  Gluten-free Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake Muffins makes 6-8 muffins

  • 1 1/4 cup Gluten-free oat flour
  • 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup no sugar added apple sauce
  • 1/4 cup milk (I used almond)
  • 1 egg or 2 egg whites, beaten
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup/ honey
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped apple
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped pecans (optional)

Filling

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl combine oat flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix well.
  3. Add in apple sauce, milk, egg vanilla and maple syrup.  Combine well then add in chopped apple and pecans and mix.
  4. In a food processor, combine remaining ingredients for filling.  Process until smooth, or about 10 seconds.
  5. Line a muffin tin with liners and add batter one-third of the way for each slot.  Then add a spoonful of the cheesecake mixture.  Finish it up with another spoonful of batter.  Repeat for each muffin.
  6. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until muffins are done.
  7. Enjoy!

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What’s your favorite way to eat cottage cheese?

[Tweet “#glutenfree Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake Muffins are packed with protein and fiber!”]

Thanks to Meatless Mondays for Hosting!

My Latest Health-Food Obsession: Elli Quark

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I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I found a yogurt (well, Quark) that is so much better than Greek yogurt! I am a self-proclaimed greek yogurt addict, I pretty much have it at least twice a day, and I am so impressed with Elli Quark, it is seriously my new favorite thing ever. You may ask, what is quark? Well to tell you the truth, I had no idea until I heard about this amazing company.

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Here is the definition of quark, found on the Elli Quark Website:

Elli Quark is a spoonable fresh cheese with a creamy texture similar to Greek yogurt,
But with a richer, less sour taste. It also has a better protein-to-carb ratio than
Greek yogurt, with high protein and no added sugars.

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That definition is literally spot on. So rich and creamy, my goodness, it comes in so many flavors ranging from the typical fruit flavor of salted caramel, perfection as its greatest. The flavors have just the right sweetness, not too sweet like many other brands.

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Now if you weren’t already convinced, this brand of yogurt/quark is not only impressive in terms of taste, but also nutrition:

  • Each 6 oz.  container has only 80 calories, yes you read right, only 80 calories for a portion equal to that of chobani, which has roughly 140 calories! 
  • it only has 5 grams of sugar, compared to 26 grams in traditional Greek yogurt
  • No added Sodium
  • 0% fat
  • 2X more protein than traditional yogurt
  • Aids in digestion, probiotic and active cultures are highly effective
  • No added sugar!
  • All natural

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The good news is that Elli Quark is quickly spreading, with more and more locations, it’s becoming much easier to find, plus if you click HERE, you can get a discount and find the closest location possible to ensure you will be able to taste this wonderful new favorite of mine!

FLAVORS!!!:

  • Peach
  • Lemon
  • Cherry
  • Pineapple
  • Blueberry
  • Mint chocolate
  • Red Velvet
  • Sea Salt Caramel (my fav! but they are all so good!)
  • Vanilla Bean
  • Bananas Foster

You can have these anytime,anywhere. They are perfect for traveling, or enjoying at home. You can have them for breakfast with fruit, with lunch as a side, a filling snack or even dessert, they are so versatile and convenient. And for only 80 calories, come-one, these are perfect for when you need something sweet if you are trying to lose weight or not!