Peanut Butter Protein Pudding

I freaking love this pudding - its super simple to make and after pumping iron in the gym and running around...its a great pick-me-up! It reminds me of that delicious Reese's Peanut Butter Cup filling without all of the nastiness, and it only requires four ingredients (three if you don't want to be fancy). So, let's get started!

(Peanut Butter Pudding Ingredients)

• 1/4 - 1/2 C. Peanut Butter
• 3 Scoops of Vanilla Protein powder
• 1 tsp. of Vanilla Extract
• 1-2 C. Non-dairy Milk

(Directions)

• Simply add all of your ingredients together, adding the non-dairy milk last and blend. Place straight into a container to eat or refrigerate and have delicious pudding!

Product Review: 8th Continent Soymilk Original & Vanilla (With Recipe)

Photos courtesy of www.8thcontinent.com/

I'm used to other soymilks but decided to try this one about a year ago when there were no other options at the store. I felt that the packaging was very friendly and looked as if a very happy child had drawn the cover - otherwise it was simple white packaging. It also states the common notice that soy protein may have the ability to lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and has a common top to open the package through. In front it states that it is both lactose and gluten-free, so if you've ever had to worry about either in your soymilks then this may be a better choice for you.

The first of the two soymilks that I had tried was "8th Continent Soymilk Original" and when smelling the container it smelled more so like Silly Putty or Playdoh had been rolled through it and there was a bit carried over. I was a bit hesitant with the initial smell-test, but I poured it into a glass and found that there was still a hint of that taste, although very faint. It was not a very invigorating or inviting taste but I found that it was "milky" afterwards, making it somewhat better. The mouth feel of it, however, felt as if someone had just combined a powder with water and it didn't completely mix because on the top it was very smooth and nice but in the middle it got a bit watery and then proceeded onto chalky.

When combined with vinegar (or any other acids) I found that it curdled immediately, which is a good sign for whenever you're baking or using vegan buttermilk. It did not remix with any of the liquid at floated around on the top, which made it look quite gross although it is what is mostly expected from curdled soymilk. Although other soymilks work similarly when curdled, the texture and mouth feel of this soymilk made it so that it was a bit slick. Taking a look at the ingredients list, it looks like there may be an answer as to why it feels a bit oily and powdery - Soybean Oil and Soy Protein are separate on the ingredients list, while normally I would assume that they're simply doing this as soybeans do contain their own oils but that seemed to be an odd thing to place on such a list. Essentially, from as far as I can tell, they're mixing two different components from the same plant with water and you're receiving something that tastes a bit like baby formula and reacts like it too. 

8th Continent Soymilk in Vanilla has the same reaction and base flavor although the vanilla makes it a bit easier to drink it also seems to heighten the scent of it. When it comes to baking, both react\ quite well with whatever you're using and you only really taste 1% of it, while providing some good flavor and moisture. Infact, I've used it for my (extremely) simple pancake recipes below - you be the judge.

8th Continent Pancake Recipe:

1 cup of Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup of All-Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp of Baking Powder

1/4 tsp of Baking Soda

2 & 1/2 tsp Stevia

1 tsp Raw Sugar

1/2 cup of 8th Continent Buttermilk

Water to thin

Combine your dry, then fold in your wet about 10 times, then let the mixture rest, scoop out in 1/4 cups and cook on low-heat with a low-fat spray. This recipe makes about four pancakes so it is equal to two general servings.

[                   (Cal)  (Carbs) (Fat) (Prot.)

<><>

Total:	556	98	4	28
Per Serving:	258	49	2	14]

So, here are my ratings for this edible product.

Packaging: 3/5

Taste: 2/5

Smell: 1/5

Mouth Feel: 1/5

Curdling: 4/5

Baking: 3/5

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Now, every soy milk is different, so my first reaction may not be the reaction of yours and I do still buy this soy milk when absolutely necessary and have become used to the taste, but it would most definitely would not be my first choice or suggestion for you.

To enjoy or not to enjoy, that is the question!

Mexican Mazapan (Simple, Quick, Great for Kids)

I won't lie to you and say that these are healthy, but I remember when I was younger how I once to go down to the local Mexican supermarket (which was also a taqueria and all-around restaurant) and got one of these out of nervousness. It was the closest thing to the door and the cashier so that I could pay for it quickly without having a conversation, and then leave (...it was obvious that I was very social as a young child, of course). When I got back into the car with one of my sisters I found that these were absolutely delicious, we had a four-pack and I managed to eat three of the crumbly little things although a good bit of it landed everywhere but my mouth! I never thought of recreating these until recently, but with a few of staples on hand I knew how easy it is to make just about any Mexican dish in the house and I wanted to create this one.

What's a candy that you remember when you were younger?

(Ingredients)

• 1/4 cup of Skinned and Toasted Peanuts
• 1/4 cup of Confectioner's Sugar
• 1 tsp of Vanilla

(Directions)

• Blend the peanuts first, then slowly add your confectioner's sugar and vanilla. The main idea is to allow the peanuts to release their natural oils so that nothing can spoil too quickly and so you don't have to add a lot of moisture. If this is not working, however, you can spritz some veggie oil to help it combine - it should have a tiny bit of moisture to be put into small molds, but not enough to be near the consistency of any cookie dough or peanut butter.
• You can place these in the fridge, mark them with stamps and edible ink, wrap in parchment paper or eat as is!
• Enjoy!