The Unprocessed Kitchen: Power Balls

My blog was featured in Peak On The Go. I am totally excited about that, so if you're here from Peak, hello! I'm Heids McGhee, the girl who trips on the stairclimber, fell off the fitness ball in front of the entire fire department, and cheats during pilates class. Welcome!
I thought it would be fun to come up with some alternatives to the vending machine "healthy nutrition bar". This first recipe is what we call Power Balls in our house, for no other reason than it is funny to say power balls. I got this recipe from here, but I made some changes.

Heids' Power Balls

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

2. Chill in refrigerator for half an hour.

3. Roll into balls.

4. Store in airtight container for up to a week. I would store in refigerator.

My friend Robin pointed out to me the other day to make sure you use unsweetened coconut flakes. My friend Robin owns a crossfit gym and lives in Texas. That means she flips tractor tires and does pull-ups while wearing a cowboy hat and boots. Girls like me that take pilates and ride a stationary bike for exercise listen to girls like Robin. So, buy unsweetened coconut flakes.

I love anything pumpkin, so I was very intrigued when I saw this recipe. I have to admit, it was sort of a disapointment for me. I would definitely spice it up next time with some vanilla extract and dark chocolate chips. If you try it, let me know what you think!

Clean Eating Pumpkin Spice Protein Bars

1 1/2 cups quick oats (the 3 minute kind)
1 cup peanut butter (I use creamy)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup pumpkin (I used canned and organic)
1/2 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)
1 cup whey protein powder
2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (no sugar added)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Roast the oats for 10-15 minutes on a cookie sheet (or until they turn a nice golden brown).
3. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
4. Spread dough to 1/2 inch thickness in a baking dish or 1/2 sized cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until the dough has a nice golden brown appearance.
6. Allow to cool. Slice into bars and store in a Tupperware container or Ziploc bag.

Now, go to the gym. Get buff muscles. Tell everyone it's from Heids McGhee's power balls.

I have had a few questions regarding protein powder. I bought this kind from our local natural market.

Tonight's dinner....chicken and roasted root vegetables. This recipe is a total HOMERUN!!! We all devour the chicken, it is moist and delish. The veggies are amazing, the beets and carrots are our family's favorite.

Roasted chicken with root vegetables

1 3-5lb. roasting chicken

6 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed

1/2 lemon

1/4 cup or so of grapeseed (I use roasted garlic grapeseed oil)

kosher or sea salt

freshly ground pepper

1 small sweet potato

2 medium russet potatoes

2 large carrots, peeled

3-4 beets (I used 2 purple, 2 yellow)

1 large sweet onion

1. Two hours before you begin, take the chicken out of the refrigerator to bring it up to room temperature. Tip: Always start cooking meat from room temperature as it ensures even cooking throughout. **This is how the recipe is written, I never remember to do this**
2. Dry chicken inside and out with paper towels (alternately you can leave it in the fridge uncovered for a day as well and really dry it out) and season the cavity with coarse salt and pepper.
3. Put 4 cloves of the squashed garlic and 1/2 a lemon into the cavity. Set the bird on a platter breast side up and rub with oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip the bird over and repeat on the back and legs.
4. Preheat your oven for 425°F. Meanwhile, cut up your vegetables into large chunks about 1 1/2″ square. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the remaining herbs, garlic and about an 1/8 of a cup of grapeseed or macadamia nut oil. Season with salt and pepper and place in a large, deep roasting dish. Uncover an area in the center for the chicken.

5. Place chicken in center of roasting dish, back side up. That’s right, back side up (as in breast side down). Roast in 425°F oven for 25-35 minutes (more towards the 35 minute mark if the bird is closer to 5 pounds), then turn the oven down to 375°F and roast for an additional 60-120 minutes (depending on the size of your bird). Chicken is done when internal temperature (measured at the thickest part of the thigh) reaches 165°F.
7. Remove the chicken from the roasting pan and set on a wooden board to rest for 20 minutes. If the vegetables are not yet done, return them to oven and continue to roast while chicken rests.