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I got a Food Dehydrator – Time to make Jerky!!

Beef Jerky

Guess what I got for Christmas… A Food Dehydrator and I am so excited!!! One of the best gifts from my sister peep for the family.

My sister always gets us the best gifts and this one was not expected at all. Everyone in my family loves to eat Beef Jerky and we all know how expensive it is to buy it. The best part about Beef Jerky is it is high in protein too so for us Gastric Bypass patients it is a great snack.

My hubby could not wait to make a batch of Beef Jerky and a couple days after Christmas he got right on it. So he bought some meat, marinated it in a Teriyaki Marinade overnight and the next day followed the directions, which are super easy, and later that day we had Jerky.

Beef JerkyThat is our first batch of Beef Jerky pictured to the right – while it does not look pretty it tasted really good. I cannot wait to try out other recipes and flavors. In addition to just the Jerky you can also dehydrate fruits, veggies and even make your own fruit roll ups. Now I am counting down until summer comes and Strawberry picking will take on a whole new meaning.

You know I will be sharing lots of recipes using this new toy and again I am excited for all the Beef Jerky snacks I will be able to eat at a fraction of the cost of buying them in the store. If you do not have a Food Dehydrator I say go get one because it is a lot easier to use than you think and if you like Beef Jerky it truly is a major money saver.

Nesco Food DehydratorMy sister got us a Nesco Food Dehydrator (pictured to the left) and all kinds of seasonings to go with it. It was funny because she gave each of us a part of the gift to open. A great family gift that will be very used in my house for sure.

Stay Tuned for Recipes and Snack Ideas coming soon…

Oh and if own one and have any good tips or recipes I should try please let me know!!!

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Frozen Yogurt Protein Poppers

Make Protein Poppers

Make Protein PoppersAs the weather warms up I love to snack on things that are cold. I have been looking for easy ideas that will combine a cold treat and protein and these Frozen Yogurt Protein Poppers are both.

I must admit I am completely addicted to Sugar Free Ice Pops, but they do not provide me with any protein. So I am trying to change things up a bit. I have posted about Frozen Protein Shake Pops and My Chocolate Protein Iced Coffee Drink concoction but the more variety the better. So I had to share this latest idea with you all too.

Here is what I used to make these:

  • 0% Chobani Black Cherry Greek Yogurt
  • 1/2 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
  • Ice Cube Tray
  • Cut up Straws

All I did was mix my yogurt with the protein powder. You can use any flavor combo that works for you – I like Black Cherry and decided to give this flavor combo a try.

Then I just spooned that into the Ice Cube Tray and it filled 8 spots. I stuck it into the freezer for about 10 minutes and then took it out and added the cut straws. I added the straws to make little handles so they would be easy to hold and less messy. You can leave the straws out if you like so you can just pop them right in your mouth.

Then back into the freezer they went for a couple hours to freeze up. When set just take them and pop them out. If you have trouble popping them out like I did – just sit the tray in hot water for a couple seconds to release them from the sides.

You can store these in your freezer until you need a quick treat to cool off.

Each one of these little cubes of yumminess has about 3.5 grams of protein – not too shabby. I can easily eat all 8 over the course of the day for a grand total of 28 grams of protein – BONUS !! These are perfect for the hot days coming, don’t ya think? Of course you can also freeze the same mixture into full size pops, but this way makes it quick and easy to eat without over filling your pouch.

Enjoy !!