Recipe: Low Carb Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Bars

After I discovered that Atkins bars make my blood sugar shoot sky high, I decided that I would learn how to make my own protein bars. I wanted something that I could have on hand for easy breakfasts or meals on the go for those days when I'm completely sick of jerky, cheese crackers, & flax muffins. I found a company, Quest, that makes Strawberry Cheesecake protein bars, and I really wanted to try them, but I didn't want to pay $25 for a case of 12 bars I might not like and the closet store that sells them is over 30 miles away. So I started researching DIY protein bars -- let me tell you: there are a TON of DIY protein bar recipes out there... but NONE of them were for strawberry cheesecake bars! I found pumpkin cheesecake bars, which would probably be delicious, but I wanted strawberry, damnit.

So... I took a look at the Quest Strawberry Cheesecake bars and decided I could make my own version! Their bars start with whey protein and fiber and add in almonds, freeze dried strawberries, stevia, and flavors. I picked up a bag of freeze dried strawberries at Trader Joe's, plus a can of Designer Whey protein powder, French Vanilla. (It's actually cheaper to get the Whey Protein on amazon through subscribe and save, but I wanted to make sure I liked the stuff before ordering two cans... I do like it!)

I just started experimenting, testing as I went, and came up with a DELICIOUS strawberry cheesecake protein bar recipe! I don't have a picture for you, because, well, they aren't exactly pretty! But they taste awesome! Each bar has 150 calories, nearly 12 grams of protein, and 3 net carbs (6 total, with 3 dietary fiber). [I guess, technically, they have more carbs since they are sweetened with a touch of Erythitol, which is a sugar alcohol, but you could definitely swab that out if you are sensitive. I got a free bag recently and have been testing it out -- to my surprise, I like it!]

Moira's Low Carb Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Bars

• 3 scoops protein powder (I used Designer Whey, French Vanilla)
• 2 Tb flaxseed, crushed in coffee grinder
• 1 Tb + 1 t. slivered almonds, ground in coffee grinder 
• 2 Tb Erythitol (75% as sweet as sugar, sub sweetener as desired) 
• 1/4 cup of freeze dried strawberries, crushed 
• 1/8 c. coconut flour 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 
• 2 oz cream cheese, softened 
• 1/4 cup water (add as needed, YMMV) 
• 6 drops vanilla flavored liquid stevia 
• 8 drops Capella Flavoring NY cheesecake

Combine dry ingredients, minus 1 scoop protein powder.

Add softened cream cheese, liquid stevia, and flavoring drops. Stir well.

Add water and mix well. Your mixture will be sticky!

Now add in the last scoop of powder and mixture well with your hands. By the time you are done, your bars will be only slightly sticky.

Divide mixture into 6 bars. Freeze or fridge until set.

If frozen, thaw in fridge overnight or for a few hours (perhaps grab one for lunch at work?)

After chilling for an hour, wrap individually and keep in fridge for a week or so or a month or so in the freezer.

The bars are quite chewy and filling!

Serving Size: 6 bars, approximately 3 inches x 1 inch

Notes:

• If you use a different protein powder, you might find you need a different proportion of water.
• Sub in different flavored freeze dried fruits (from trader joes) for a different flavor! I plan on trying blueberry next.. yum!
• Taste your mixture before adding the final scoop of protein powder -- make any adjustments before adding in the last scoop. I wanted my bars sweet but not super sweet -- you might want more sweetness than me -- same goes for the cheesecake flavoring. 8 drops tasted perfect for me, but you might want a few more (or maybe a few less!)
• Each bar has 11 g protein & just under 3 net carbs (There are 2.8 gr dietary fiber, or 5.6 grams total carbs, not counting the sugar alcohol).

Here's a link to the recipe on SparkPeople.

Random: Love Street Image

I was searching for a file this morning and came across this image that I made in June 2006. I think it was to accompany a short story I'd written about a girl waiting for her boyfriend to pick her up. It made me chuckle, so I thought I'd share. Happy Valentine's Day!

Art Journal: 31 Faces of January

In reverse order, here are all of the daily faces that I drew in January. Sometimes I set little challenges for myself (like use only two colors or draw as fast as possible; others I just drew whatever I felt like drawing. I love doing a daily sketch! This month I am doing "scenes" per special request by my facebook friends!

Video: Cat Trapped in Plastic

I have plastic covering my windows because I live in New England and the houses are all old and drafty. Smudge has ripped the plastic covering the window by my desk multiple times, hence all the tape. This time she ripped it while sitting on top of my cubby storage and managed to fall into the space between the plastic and the window. When I found my cat like this, I couldn't resist grabbing my video camera!

STITCHED: Noughts & Crosses Inspired

Loving the classes over at STITCHED! I was feeling sick over the weekend, so I spent the day in bed, practicing my embroidery skills and trying out Jackie Bowcutt's Noughts and Crosses. Here's what I ended up with:

I stretched my finished fabric over and 8 x 10 canvas so I can hang it on my wall.

I love the monoprinting technique and will definitely try it again. I was even inspired to do a few test prints in my art journal! I had everything on hand for this one, except the Dye-na-flow paints, which I used to color the fabric. Love the paints, too, and am already planning projects to try out with my teen students this winter.

Next, I decided to dye some zebra print fabric and just kind of experimented from there. The word is printed on fabric using my own handwriting as the font (cool, right?). I did a sort of variation of needle-turned applique to add the fabric heart and the blue furry trim around it. Loving how it turned out!

STITCHED: Sewn Journal Cover

I decided to sign up for the online class Stitched recently. I'd been eyeing the class up for months, since I'm a fan of Alma Stoller, who organized the class, and Kelly Nina Perkins, who is one of the fabulous teachers. Even though I'm currently teaching my own year-long art journal class, I wanted to sign up for a class for me; since all "work" and no play makes Moira an unhappy girl. (I put work in quotes because, lucky me, my work is play!) I decided to go completely outside my usual media and into fabric.

Don't get me wrong: I do sometimes sew fabric into my journals and make jewelry using fabric, but it's not my primary medium, mostly because I'm pretty sure my sewing machines hate me. I have a huge and beautiful stash of fabric, even though I hardly ever sew, because I just can't resist the stuff! I pick it up from remnants racks and the recycling center all the time, so I decided that in 2012, I'm finally going to BUST my fabric stash. I'm going to sew all sorts of projects, big and small, and use up all that pretty fabric. (And zippers, my goodness, I'm drowning in them!)

(I'll post some stash pictures later this week!)

The first project that I decided to tackle in STICHED was Dale Anne Potter's Journal Your Landscape. Okay, so, yeah, I made myself an art journal and didn't actually bust any of my stash to do it (unless you count the lovely variegated hemp I used to bind it, which you should, since I have a lifetime supply of the stuff).

The cover is made from Lutradur, which I'd heard of but never used. This stuff is nifty! Originally a roofing material, Lutradur has been usurped by artists and crafters worldwide for all sorts of cool projects. This stuff is tough! You can't rip it, I tried, which means it is perfect for a book cover. I'll let you know how it holds up to my art journaling, but I suspect it will weather beautifully.

I bound my journal with three signatures of paper, instead of canvas.

It took me a little fiddling to get my machine at a good setting for sewing it: I ended up using a stitch length of zero and a special foot that might or might not be called a darning foot? I can't remember.

Since I was super impatient and started sewing while the Lutradur was still damp from coloring the cover (dang stuff takes forever to dry!), I inadvertently learned a trick for dyeing my white cotton thread WHILE I'm sewing. Holy cow -- so cool! I'll definitely use that happy accident to my advantage in the future.

I'm super inspired by all of the projects in STITCHED and have already bought fabric for my next project: a baby quilt. (Again, not busting the stash, but need to make a quilt to suit a particular color scheme so there ya go. Here's hoping Project #3 will involve stash busting!

So what are you doing exciting for 2012?

I have drawn every day in 2012 so far!