Holiday Gifts From a Jar

Missy has a great gift idea for those last minute fitness buff. Holiday gift jars filled to the brim with ingredients for baking healthy snakes.Homemade gifts are always the most meaningful. 

You can create a gift of ingredients to make muffins, breads, brownies, bars, cookies, soups and even bath products and skin scrubs. You can find lots of great recipes online.

Be sure to use an appropriately sized food-safe jar (1-quart or 1-pint jars) or container with an airtight lid or seal. Wide-mouth jars are easier to use because they're easier to fill. Measure all ingredients accurately. Pack down each layer before adding the next. Place fine grains and powdery layers such as flour or sugar at the bottom of the jar. Otherwise, they will sift down through the other ingredients. Place more loosely packed ingredients, such as nuts, cereal, or dried fruit, near the top of the jar. Seal the jar tightly (Mason Jar works best). An easy way to decorate the jar is to cover the lid with a circle of fabric. Pull the fabric down tightly over the lid and use a colorful ribbon to hold it in place by tying it around the lid area. Write the recipe out on a card so the person you give it to knows how to prepare your gift. Use that recipe card as your gift tag. If it's a cookie recipe, you can also include a cookie cutter tied around the jar with ribbon. Or, present a brownie or bar mix with a new baking pan, or a soup mix with 2 new soup bowls. Be creative!

Here's a way to make someone's holiday a little sweeter.

Decadent Blonde Brownie Mix - Ingredients that you'll use to fill jar.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (10oz) semisweet chocolate chunks
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

1. Layer ingredients attractively in any order into 1 1/2 quart jar with tight-fitting lid. Pack ingredients down lightly before adding next layer.
2. Cover top of jar with fabric; attach gift tag/recipe card with raffia or ribbon. 

Full recipe to write out and use as your gift tag:

1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Jar of Decadent Blonde Brownie Mix

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray
2. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla until blended (mixture may appear curdled). Add contents of jar to butter mixture; stir until well blended. 
3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack

Til next time 
The 4x Crew

Holiday Treats From Missy!

Tis the season! Missy is hard at work in the 4x kitchen cooking up healthy holiday treats for us to share with all you guys.Over the next few weeks we will be sharing not only great holiday treat ideas but a few really cool gift ideas as well!

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies (1 cookie: 113 Calories, 4g Fat (2 Saturated), 18 Carbs, 1g Protein)

These cookies make a wonderful treat to give away in a decorative holiday tin. But don't forget to have a few yourself before giving them all away - especially when they're fresh out of the oven!

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Beat butter and sugars until crumbly. Add egg and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda and then gradually add to butter mixture. Mix well. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonful on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy warm cookies with a cup of hot green tea!

Small Business Saturday - November 24th!!

Support your favorite small business...like us!

This November 24th is Small Business Saturday®, a day to celebrate and

support the local small businesses that boost the economy and invigorate

neighborhoods across the country.

4x Nutrition Center is proud to take part in Small Business Saturday, and we’re

encouraging everyone to Shop Small® here on November 24th.

Plus, we’re having a special Small Business Saturday offer! 

Come in on November 24th and bring a NEW customer and they get 20% off their first purchase in the store! For bringing a friend you recieve $20 off your entire purchas as a way to say "Thank You".

Most importantly, get out there, Shop Small, and let’s make this November

24th the biggest day of the year for small business.

To learn more, visit ShopSmall.com.

Till next time

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls!!

Here is another great recipe that I have to share with you guys from one of our friend, IFBB pro Jamie Baird! She shares my love of pumpkin and her pumpkin cinnamon rolls are to die for and still good for your diet!

PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS

Yields 4 rolls

Each Roll: 115 calories / Protein 13g / Carbs 9g / Fat 3g

Roll Batter:

1/4 c. canned pumpkin (pure pumpkin - not pie filling)

1 1/2 scoops Gaspari Nutrition's Myofusion Pro - Cinnamon Roll

2 tbsp coconut flour*

1/3c. egg whites

1/2 tsp baking powder

*Other types of flour may be substituted, but the coconut flour is best due to the high fiber content (2.5grams/tablespoon)

Glaze:

1/4c. sugar free maple syrup (I recommend Vermont by Maple Grove)

2tsp. almond butter, smooth

Dash of cinnamon

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.

2. In a bowl, mix all ingredients for the roll batter.

3. Spoon into a cupcake pan that has been sprayed with non-sticking cooking spray. You should end up with four rolls.

4. Place in oven and back for about 10 minutes. Then, using a for or knife, loosen the rolls from the pan and flip them over. Continue cooking the rolls for about 2-5 minutes. The rolls are cooked when you can insert a toothpick into the center of the rolls and it comes out clean (no batter on the toothpick). Be careful not to overcook. 

5. Remove from oven, and allow the rolls to cool slightly.

6. Microwave the glaze ingredients for about 15 - 20 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir well. 

7. Dip both sides of the rolls in the glaze mixture, set on a rack or plate to cool and sprinkle with cinnamon.

8. To maximize freshness, store leftovers in a fridge.

So there you go awesome pumpkin cinnamon rolls 

Holiday Food Series - Its the Great Pumpkin!

                           

No, that's not me, but as promised here is the second part to my Holiday Food Series. These recipes revolve around one of my favorite foods, pumpkin. This humble backyard low calorie vegetable contains vitamin A, flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as leutin, xanthin, and carotenes in abundance.

With all these ideas feel free to add your own twist and turn to make it your own creation and part of your holiday traditions. 

If you like pancakes, Like I do, you'll love pumpkin pancakes. Throw in some chopped apple, or a handful of raisins or even some chopped cranberries if you like. Enjoy with warm maple syrup.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 1/3 cup pure pumpkin

Preparation:

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Combine egg, oil, milk and pumpkin in a small bowl. Stir pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients. Leave to stand for five minutes.

For each pancake, scoop 1/4 cup of batter on to a hot griddle or nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Turn pancakes when bubbles appear and edges are cooked, after about 2 minutes. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes on second side.

Makes 8-10 pancakes.

Per two pancake serving: Calories 226, Calories from Fat 46, Total Fat 5g (sat 0.6g), Cholesterol 53mg, Sodium 414mg, Carbohydrate 40g, Fiber 1.6g, Protein 4.9g if your looking to pack more punch into your pancakes add a scopp of Intek Isolate Evolution to the mix to bring the protein.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

I know it sounds a little out there but this healthy snack is packed with antioxidants and again if you add a scoop of Intek protein, this little treat will satisfy even the most picky of eaters on College Game Day!

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin pie filling (pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2-1 teaspoon ground ginger
apple, slices
gingersnaps
Directions:

1
Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
2
Add pie filling, cinnamon, and ginger, beating well.
3
Cover and chill 8 hours.
4
Serve with gingersnaps and apple slices.

There you have it. Stay tuned, as we get closer to Halloween I'll be going on the hunt for the perfect Halloween treat. I'll be talking to some of our pro bodybuilder and figure friends and seeing what tips and tricks they have to help us get through the holidays without destroying our diets and what they do for holiday snack.

Till next time,

Mikie

Healthy Halloween Snacks

Only during the holidays do I dare try my hand at cooking and when I do I try to make good healthy snacks. So over the next few weeks we will be posting up different recipes and treat ideas we've learned about or that we have made that allow you to get into the holiday spirit but not make your belt buckle scream in terror!

First a spin on the traditional fruit and cheese tray that is sure to scare up some fun:

Apricot Fruit Bugs 

Ingredients

6 packages all-natural fruit leather (I used Stretch Island Fruit Snacks, grape flavor but any will do)
16 dried apricots
sesame seeds OR sunflower seeds OR currants OR melted coconut butter for eyes

Useful Tools/Equipment:
metal or wooden skewer

Directions

1. Carefully open the fruit strips so they do not tear. Using a sharp knife, cut each fruit leather into 8 thin vertical strips. With the three packages, you should have a total of 48 strips or “legs” for the bugs.
2. Gently squeeze the sides of an apricot together until 3/4-inch thick. Using a wooden skewer, make a hole through the center of the side of the apricot and thread one of the fruit leathers through the hole. Repeat twice more on either side of the first hole. Gently flatten out the apricot to its original shape.
3. The end of the fruit leather that is inserted into the apricot will become slightly sticky when pulling through the center, I dabbed two sesame seeds on the legs for an adhesive and made two eyes. This could also be done with maple syrup/honey/agave or melted coconut butter for a “glue”. You could also melt coconut butter and pipe straight onto the apricot to make eyes in lieu of the seeds or nuts. Enjoy!

Makes 16 fruit bugs (easy to cut in half or thirds for smaller batch if needed)

“Bugs” can be kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Ghost Cheese (inspired by Octopus Hot Dogs at Cafe Mom)

Ingredients

String cheese
currants, small pieces of raisins or other dried fruit or black olives for eyes

Tools/equipment needed
boning knife
wooden skewer

Directions

1. Cut stick of string cheese in half so you have two “ghosts”. Using a sharp boning knife, slice each piece of cheese in half lengthwise, leaving 3/4 to 1 inch connected at one end for the “head”.
2. Cut the two legs in half again half length-wise, so you now have 4 “legs.” Continue (if desired) to cut in halves to make a total of eight legs.
3. To insert eyes (currants, raisins or olives), poke two holes in the “head” of the ghost and push the two eyes in to adhere. Enjoy!

Apple-Nut Butter Teeth (inspired by Fork and Beans’ Apple Vampire Mouths)

Ingredients

2 apples (I used two Granny Smith)
handful of sliced or blanched almonds or raisins, cut in half or sunflower seeds
lemon juice (to help prevent turning brown), optional but for aesthetics
your favorite nut or seed butter, homemade or store-bought

Tools/equipment needed
1 small knife or boning knife

Directions

1. Cut each apple into 4 slices. Cut core from each wedge.
2. With a small knife, carve out a small wedge to make a top and bottom lip. Make sure not to cut too far because you want to make sure that the apple is still in tact.
3. Place lemon juice in a bowl and brush onto each apple wedge (optional).
3. With a small knife, spread a small amount if nut or seed butter on the bottom “lip”.
4.  Carefully and gently (to avoid ”teeth” breaking),  place the almonds/seeds/raisins into the top portion of the mouth until it sticks without holding it. The nut/seed butter also helps hold the ”teeth” into place. Use your knife to carve out a little tiny hole if needed. Enjoy!

Makes 8 apple teeth. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Be sure to stay tuned as we bring you even more of our healthy holiday treats! 

Til next time,

Mikie

The Reishi Mushroom

The Reishi Mushroom

Ganoderma Lucidum

What the heck is a Reishi Mushroom? You've probably heard of other types of mushrooms such as shitake, oyster, and portobello but not the Reishi Mushroom. Mushrooms have long been used for culinary purposes but did you know that there is a type of fungus known for its healing properties? Yup - it's true and it's called Reishi. And what makes Reishi worth talking about?

The Reishi is a small, shelf-like fungus found in decayed tree stumps and logs. It's corky and flat with a red or black shiny cap. Sound or look appetizing? Not really, huh? Thankfully, you don't have to go searching for it. Thanks to advances in American biotechnology, it is now possible to laboratory-grow Reishi keeping it 100% Certified Organic and free from pesticides, herbicides, or any other contaminants. Best of all, there are no known side effects.

Ganoderma Lucidum (an herb), also called Reishi or Lingzhi (Chinese name meaning spiritual potency) is the oldest mushroom known to have been used medicinally. It has been cultivated on plantations and grown wild in Asia for over 4,000 years. Ganoderma Lucidum contains more than 200 active elements and is regarded as the "Miracle King of Herbs", the "Elixir of Life" and the "Mushroom of Immortality" because it is packed with powerful antioxidants and offers multiple health benefits. It is even considered superior to Ginseng. Ganoderma Lucidum rids the body of toxins which increase the body's ability to ward off any sickness or infection.

So, what's in this Ganoderma Lucidum stuff that makes it healthy and something we should include in our daily supplement intake? Ganoderma Lucidum is primarily composed of five elements:

Polysaccharides - They are the complex carbohydrates (poly=many saccharide=sugar)

Adenosine - Major molecular component of Adenosine Triphosphate – the universal energy currency of metabolism

Triterpenes - Phyto-nutrient – plant substance, a super oxidizer)

Organic Germanium - Found in plant based foods

Ganoderans Essence  - A group of triterpenes (Phyto-nutrients) w/skin healing properties

This is powerful group of elements has a wide variety of curative and restorative powers.  Here’s a list of some of the health benefits of  Ganoderma Lucidum …trust us, there’s lots more!

        1)       Strengthens immune system  (Polysaccharides)

        2)       Balances blood sugar level; improves pancreatic functions (Polysaccharides)

        3)       Reduces cholesterol and body fat; balances metabolic rate (Adenosine)

        4)       Helps to unclog arteries plugged with fatty deposits (Adenosine)

        5)       Improves digestive system; Improves liver functions (Triterpenes)

        6)       Inhibits allergies, relieves sinus congestion and helps with respiratory problems (Triterpenes)

        7)       Improves sleep (Triterpenes)

        8)       Reduces fatigue and increases vitality (Organic Germanium)

        9)       Anti-cancer agent (Organic Germanium)

       10)     Contains antioxidants that control or inhibit damaging free radicals (Organic Germanium)

       11)     Boosts all the body’s functions (Ganoderans Essence)

       12)     Beautifies skin and supports youthfulness (Ganoderans Essence)

One final interesting and very important effect the herb has is balancing the pH level in the body. The pH (potential of hydrogen) level in the body is measured by the ratio of acidic-alkaline on a scale of 0 to 14 (O being most acidic and 14 being alkaline or base). Ideally, the body should be in a neutral state, but leaning toward an alkaline state, a little above a value of 7. Too much acid in our system causes the body to become chemically unbalanced which has negatives effects on our health. Ganoderma is highly alkaline and helps the body maintain or improve its overall general well being.

Isn't it time you included this "super herb" in your daily supplement intake? We think so! 4x Nutrition has made it available for you in a capsule form (ask for Jarrow Mushroom Optimizer) or you can enjoy it in a non-acidic cup of Organo Gold coffee that has only 9mg of caffeine. Either one of these will give you the daily recommended amounts of Ganoderma Lucidum (about 400-600mg a day) so that you can enjoy all its healthy benefits. If you toss and turn every night, if you want to improve your skin’s appearance, if you want to boost energy and just plain feel good again then Ganoderma Lucidum is for you.

As always, consult your physician before adding any new supplement to your daily nutrition plan. We're here to help. If you have any further questions about Ganoderma Lucidum, please don't hesitate to ask your Certified Sports Nutritionist at 4x Nutrition Center.

Yours in health,

Missy Taylor, Certified Sports Nutritionist (Ganoderma Lucidum enthusiast – I love what’s it done for me!)