Peanut Butter & Oat {Recovery} Bites and Pacific Beach Peanut Butter Review

Well, I made it through another tax season and now I am all wrapped up in my wedding planning, so I apologize for the scarcity.  Plus, we are in the process of selling our house and searching for a new one, so cooking time has been a bit lacking.  Race season is (well, has already been) upon us, as well as trying to get back into shape for summer/honeymoon/just in general.  So I love coming up with little recipes to help your body recover after lots of exertion, whether from racing your motorcycle, cycling at the gym or even just running after your little ones.

Not only is this a recipe, but also a review of this wonderful little organic peanut butter company named Pacific Beach Peanut Butter. 

You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and of courseeee Pinterest

https://www.facebook.com/PBPeanutButter?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/PBPeanutButters

http://pinterest.com/pbpeanutbutter/ 

And not only is this a review of these wonderful (and did i mention, cute and unique) jars full of peanut butter but all my wonderful loyal readers get:

One FREE jar with any purchase from their website!

*Limit 1 FREE jar per customer.*

Just use this code: blogger4 

(Reader Code valid through May 16, 2013)

They have so many amazing flavor combos- but I will review three: 

Organic Unsalted, Chocolate, and Chocolate Raspberry

I'll start with my least fav, the Chocolate.  Don't get me wrong, it was good, but I guess not what I expected.  Really didn't do anything for me just straight out of the jar.  But I did think it would be a great addition to recipes (which I did use in my bites).

Chocolate Raspberry was very decadent, it was almost like a fruity nutella- um, yea, delicious! Eat with fruit or crackers or anything. 

I am a real basic type of person, so when it came to the unsalted regular peanut butter- I could have eaten the whole jar with just a spoon.  My fiance said it was different because the texture was in between chunky and smooth peanut butter.  Personally, I am a chunky fan, but this was definitely a nice switch up.  The taste was fresh and clean.  You really taste the amazingness of these peanuts (which by the way was the ONLY ingredient! Another amazing perk)  

Wanna Spoon? haha I LOVE IT!

I recently switched from those "less fat" peanut butters to all organic natural peanut butters, because even though it is full fat, you are eating natural ingredients you can pronounce- the only thing in your peanut butter should be peanuts! (and salt)  So when PB PB (haha cute right?) contacted me about their peanuts butters, I was definitely in! And I am so glad I was because now I can pass along this amazing find to all you guys! AND you can get a free jar with a purchase! Score!

Now, here is a recipe using their great peanut butter, if you don't eat it all right out of the jar first ;)

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. or peanut butter (I used half organic unsalted and half chocolate)
• 1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
• 2-3 tbsp of honey
• 2-3 tbsp of canola oil
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 1 3/4 c. oats (I used rolled organic)
• 1 c. flour (I used AP flour, but you can use whole wheat if you want)
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 4 tsp of flax seeds
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line baking sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper and spray with non stick cooking spray
3. Mix peanut butter, sugar, honey, oil and applesauce in one bowl.
4. Mix oats, flour, baking soda, flax seeds, salt and cinnamon in another bowl.
5. Mix the dry into the wet in two or three batches
6. Drop about tbsp (or big tsp) sized balls onto the sheet.
7. These are not going to spread out, they will cook exactly the shape and size you drop them onto the sheet as.
8. Bake about 10 minutes until brown slightly on the edges and bottom.
9. Let cool, then enjoy!

This makes about 28 bites (tbsp sized)

I take them in a little baggie for a snack right after the gym.

{Healthy} Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Last time we went to the track I made the fruit and nut muffins, which were great, but I wanted to change it up- so I browsed the Internet for healthy PB banana muffins.  But I didn't think any of them were really on the healthy side.  Either too much oil or all AP flour or ::gasp:: loads of added sugar! So after browsing numerous recipes- I just came up with my own.

This makes 12 muffins.  I was glad to see these rose a bit- the last muffin I made didn't rise as much as I thought- these were less dense.  They weren't heavy but still filling, perfect for breakfast before a big track day or even a workout.  The flavor wasn't like "pow in your face" but the subtle flavor of the banana and then the crunchy peanuts was really nice in this light and fluffy muffin. Really easy too- they aren't fussy at all- I just mix the wet, then the dry then all together, then bake!

Ingredients

Dry Stuff:

• 1/4 cup of flax seeds
• 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup of bread flour
• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cinnamon

Wet Stuff:

• 2 bananas
• 2 tbsp of honey
• 1/3 cup of super chunky peanut butter (you can use creamy if you want, just make sure you use all natural peanut butter i.e only 2 ingredients of peanuts and salt)
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp of canola oil
• 2/3 cup of fat free plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp of water (add this if the mixture is too dry)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In one bowl add all the wet ingredients. Mix
3. In another bowl add all the dry ingredients. Mix
4. Add the dry into the wet and mix just until incorporated. 
5. Fill cupcake tins.
6. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. When you take out of the oven remove the muffins from the tin and let cool on a cooling rack (otherwise the bottoms get soggy)

Food to Boost Energy and Fight Fatigue (Rider Nutrition)

Now I am no nutritionist or expert by any means, so if you do have a serious problem you might want to speak to your doctor, but I have be researching a bit about food that helps boost energy, keeps you going and also fights fatigue.  When we go to the motorcycle track I need to feed Brendan food that will be beneficial to him for his performance and to not make him feel heavy or sluggish when he's out there holding down the throttle.

A phrase I like to keep in mind is the saying "garbage in-garbage out".  Meaning that if you fill yourself with foods that are processed and not nutritionally beneficially you might as well be eating dirt or shortening out of the can.

These are a couple great tips to help you even if you aren't an athlete.  Eating correctly will help you in your everyday life- because who wants to feel sluggish and tired.  That "3pm crash" commericals ::cough:: 5hr energy ::cough:: mention sluggishness can be combated with an overpriced little shot of B vitamins, caffeine and taurine- but instead you should be filling your body with healthy foods that are slow releasing that keep you going- examples being low fat protein or complex carbs.

Fluids

This is a huge factor in health and fitness- you need to keep your body hydrated.  The human body is made up of something like over 80% water- so yea, water is important- and I said WATER- not soda or juice.  We started carrying around the gallon jug of water instead of the little bottles- which definitely gets you to drink more water.  (Ever wonder why those huge guys carry it around at the gym? Yea, that's why)  I'm not a huge fan of sports drinks, but when you are intensely active- like when Brendan is racing his motorcycle (all zipped up in a full leather suit with temps soaring over 100 degrees at times) or you're in a marathon or playing hard at whatever- it is a good idea to have a couple of these drinks on hand- and that brings me to the next point...

Sodium

I know- this one was new to me too.  Which it kind of wasn't because if you think about when someone is in the hospital and they get an IV- it usually is saline solution for dehydratrion- which is essentially sodium.  Sodium helps to prevent cramping and helps you when the weather is extremely hot and/or humid.  This is where the sports drinks come in- they have sodium and also electrolytes which help keep the body going- but don't forget to drink lots of water in between or even mix your drinks half and half.  FYI you are also consuming a lot of sodium in foods you eat- so don't go dousing your food with table salt or anything like that- just be aware of how much you are consuming and when you are consuming it.  Here's an interesting article Water vs Sports Drinks.

A higher sodium intake yields a greater overall blood volume and blood flow to the working muscles. With increased blood flow, the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to the working muscles is maximized...It is the responsibility of sodium to deliver potassium into the cell membrane of muscle tissue {racerxvt.com}

Complex Carbs
If you have read anything about carbs lately these are the recommended ones.  Complex carbs are just what they sound like- carbs that are complex- they are made up of chains of three or more single sugar molecules linked together.  These usually contain fiber which helps slows down the absorption of the carbohydrates so you feel full longer and be less likely to over-eat throughout the day.  (Non complex carbs are made up of more refined sugars that spike blood sugar levels that give us that boost, but make us feel hungry and sluggish again later).  Now, if anyone that knows more about nutrition is reading this, I know there is WAY more that goes into explaining carbs (on the molecular level) but for us regular people- just eat high fiber, whole grain carbs.  Most importantly- look at the ingredient list of foods you buy- what are the top three ingredients- are they natural? healthy? pronounceable?  Brendan has also told me most riders carb load the night before and that it helps the next day- I have also read this in other areas, but that is usually for people that will be doing some sort of intense activity the next day.

Protein

Protein can be absorbed from meats and dairy for the most part.  Examples: Boneless skinless chicken breasts, fish, eggs, low fat yogurt, tofu, quinoa, almonds, other nuts, beans, even lean beef.  Protein helps muscle and helps keep you feeling fuller longer- just like your complex carbs.  Also provides certain vitamins and minerals, like iron, vitamin D etc.

So besides all the nutritional facts- a couple other tips caught my eye:

1. Stretch. Some people forget how important this is.  For anyone- even in the morning when you wake up.  It helps blood flow, flexibility and helps us avoid injuries.  For any riders reading this- stretch your arms and forearms before to help combat the arm pump.
2. Sleep. Easy one but it helps recharge and rebuild your body in every aspect.
3. Booze. Yea- don't drink it.  Or just really try and not drink yourself into an oblivion.  We like to enjoy some beers and hang out after a long day on vacation- so we drink a bit earlier- try and get a couple glasses of water in between beers and before bed try and consume water.  Then we wind up going to bed earlier so the next day isn't that bad.  (By the way, drunk sleeping is not good for cell regeneration or rebuilding your body because the body is just trying to mainly push out all the toxins and not focusing as much on the other things- that's putting it very very simply)  Also if you are going to drink after doing something intense (running, riding, gym- sounds odd but)- make sure your first drink is a real recovery drink or water before putting back a couple beers to help your body recover properly. If you really want a boost to not drink- read this
4. Hydration. Yes I'm bringing it up again.  It is important for well being, but also for people needing to loose weight- drink some water before you eat- your body might just be thirsty- not hungry.  Also how do you know if you are hydrated? Check your pee- if it is clear- you're good (unless you are taking some vitamin or supplements that would counter act this effect).  You also want to drink before you are actually thirsty- because if you're thirsty you are already dehydrated.  If you are active- Drink cold water because is absorbed more rapidly and will aid in decreasing body temperature.
5. Fatigue. How do you know your even fatigued? Headaches, dizziness, nausea and cramping can all be first signs of (heat) exhaustion. 
6. Fats. Seems like I left this one out- nope- it's there but just not directly mentioned- healthy fats you will be consuming mainly through the proteins- lean meats, nuts and dairy.  Other healthy fats can come from avocados, olives, and peanut butter.  They are important for your body- but just in moderation.
7. Exercise. All articles I read mentioned exercising and conditioning your body for the "main event".  Example being- most moto guys will mountain bike, run, swim etc to prep their bodies for the intense rides (esp motocross).  Just like marathon runners don't wake up one day and decide to run the marathon that night.  Starting small is ok- even just for better over health- at lunch time, take a ten min walk to refresh your mind and legs.  Take the stairs, stretch, get to the gym, walk your dog a bit longer than usual, clean your house vigorously etc. 
8. Eating at the correct times. Like right after a work out for example- eating the right food helps regenerate your muscle and refuel your body.  This is a great easy read article from Spark People

Random thought: I heard something so awesome- "If it has a food label on it- it's not food"  I just love that quote because you never wonder the nutritional facts on corn or a bag of dried lentils.  Because these foods are natural and good for you.  (Obviously this is not 100% true, but still it is a good guideline to think about) When you are in a supermarket -try and walk the perimeter- and venture into the aisles for only natural whole foods- like grains/pastas or canned veggies.  I'm sure you've all heard it before that the supermarkets set their stores up like this on purpose- you need to walk through the aisles to get to the real food- so you are more likely to see unhealthier foods and make an impulse buy.  Why do you think they put all those little candy bars up by the register?

Anyway- I know this was a bunch of reading, but every ounce of knowledge gained leads to every ounce of your waist lost :)

Main sources:
livestrong.com
racerxvt.com
mayoclinic.com
sparkpeople.com

Some on-the-road recipes to keep you eating like a (healthy) king:

Smashed Avocado and Chick Peas Sandwiches

• These are so good.  I added a bit of garlic and topped with bacon on whole wheat bread.  Good fats from the avocado, complex carbs from the bread and protein from the chick peas all make this sandwich a great lunch filled with fuel to keep you going without weighing you down.  Top with cucumber slices or baby spinach to bump up the nutrition.

Fruit & Nut Breakfast Muffins

• Start your day with this awesome portable breakfast that will fuel your morning.

Grilled Pizza

• Because who doesn't love pizza!  And when you do this on the grill people do a double take- because they are like- Where did you get that pizza?!

Turkey Burgers

• In a food processor (or by hand)- chop 1/2 red onion, a small pepper, and 2 garlic cloves.  Take a package of ground turkey (it's like 1.3 lbs) and mix that with the chopped veggies.  Crumble some feta cheese into that, some breadcrumbs and a palmful of McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning until the meat is firm enough to form a patties.  Form 4 large patties and grill until cooked all the way through since they are raw poultry.  Serve on buns.

Italian Chicken Foil Packets

• These were one of the best meals I've ever had on the grill. The meat fell apart and was still super juicy and flavorful.  Something that is hard to achieve in boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Grilled Veggies

• You can also throw some pre cut veggies into a ziplock with oil salt and pepper and then just put on the grill when ready- our favs are asparagus and zucchini.

Fruit & Nut Breakfast Muffins

You can call these Cranberry Almond, Cherry and Pistachio, Apricot and Walnut, Blueberry and Cashews etc etc.  The point being I threw in a whole lot of nuts, dried fruit and fresh fruit. 

These are made with a combo of flours and oats, plus nuts and fruit that will give you great nutrition, get you going and KEEP you going throughout the morning. 

Breakfast is SO important.  I actually lost weight from starting to eat breakfast (a healthy one of course).  The saying goes "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper".  This is a great quote to think about how to eat throughout the day.  Not saying I do all the time, but it's a good guideline.

These muffins a a bit dense but I wanted them that way- so it feels filling when you bite into it.  I used almonds, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried and fresh blueberries. Mix it up with what you like!

Ingredients
(Makes 12 muffins)

• 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 cup of instant oats (you know the rolled oats you make oatmeal with)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 3 tbs of canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 cup of orange juice
• 1/3 cup of brown sugar
• 1/3 cup of non fat plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup of nuts (your choice)
• 1 cup of dried/fresh fruit (your choice)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with baking cups (or just spray with cooking spray if you don't have cups)
3. In one bowl combine the first 5 ingredients and whisk.
4. In another bowl add the next 6 ingredients (which are in italics-oil, egg, apple sauce, sugar and yogurt) and whisk until combined.
5. Add the first bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of the wet ingredients in 3 batches.  Add a little, then mix in, next batch, mix in, last batch, mix in.
6. Then gently fold all your nuts and fruits into the batter.
7. Fill the muffin cups until 3/4 the way up- don't be afraid to fill them a bit higher- they will not rise that much like regular cupcakes because they are dense.
8. Cook about 25 minutes.  Use a toothpick to check to see if they are done- if the toothpick comes out clean they are done- if not cook in 3 minute intervals until they are.

They stay good for at least 5 days in a ziplock bag on the counter.