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jenncooks

I post recipes for weight loss for me and you!
👯‍♀️Twins with @mybizzykitchen
www.jenn-cooks.com
📩jennifervonebers@gmail.com

Good morning from me and my cat Waffle 🤩🤩 I

Good morning from me and my cat Waffle 🤩🤩

I have been under the weather the last two weeks, a cold followed by a bad cough - and today I finally am starting to feel back to myself.

So - I haven't been busy in my kitchen - and I am excited to share new recipes soon!

Updating on my weight loss journey- I decided I didn't want to keep gaining and losing the same 5 pounds 🤣🤣 And asked myself what can I do to change that?

The answer is getting out my food scale to really be accurate. Guess what? It's been a huge eye opener! My spooning peanut butter out of the jar counting it as 1 tablespoon when it's actually 3 tablespoons. The chips I counted as one serving is actually two servings. BBQ sauce, creamer, ketchup, stir fry sauces- I usually didn't track those!

The result after 42 days of weighing is I am down 7.8 pounds 🎉🎉

If you are in the same boat as I was - with basically maintaining your weight while trying to lose weight- it's probably something as easy as weighing your food.

Glad to be feeling better and sharing more recipes soon. Thanks for the well wishes the last few weeks 🥰🥰

Have a great day!

#weightlossupdate #weightwatchers #knowledgeispower #weightlossjourney

Another great walking club today. 🎉🎉 My hus

Another great walking club today. 🎉🎉

My husband and I joined a walking club in our town - this was our third time going- and each Saturday is at a different path.

So far all 3 places we've walked so far have been new to us . Exploring amazing hiking trails near our home has been amazing.

Today's path is surrounded by a small lake, was so gorgeous and only 9 miles from my house! I had no idea it was there!!

4 miles done ✅ Feeling great 🤩🤩

#walkingclub #gogurnee #walkingtrails

Sharing my favorite pancake recipe! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

This recipe is from Linday @cottercrunch - from her cookbook (which you should buy!) Nourishing Superfood Bowls - available on Amazon.

For all my gluten free and celiac friends - these are safe to eat!

I got 9 pancakes from this recipe

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 large, ripe banana
5 oz. single serve @siggis plain yogurt
2/3 cup ground rolled oats*
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt or kosher salt

Directions:

Mash the banana in a bowl. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth. (OR you can place the eggs, banana and yogurt in a blender, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth).

I measured 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook 3-4 minutes a side - these are thick so take a little longer to make sure it's cooked in the middle.

For 3 pancakes - for my @weightwatcher friends - is 2 points - or 267 calories for 3 pancakes - and they are super filling!

I topped mine with mini chocolate chips and no sugar cool whip.

Tag a friend who needs an easy pancake recipe - and you will be like me and put these on repeat a lot! I will make a double or triple batch and store them in my freezer.

*to make oat flour - blend rolled or wuick oats in a blender. Measure out 2/3 of a cup for this recipe- save the leftovers oat flour in a jar for another use.

#cottercrunch #jenncooks #flourlesspancakes #glutenfreepancakes

This recipe if from @healthyu_dietitian - I saw he

This recipe if from @healthyu_dietitian - I saw her post this on tiktok and I had all the ingredients 🎉🎉

It's super easy to make - just a few ingredients. She used a loaf pan - I used 2 smaller baby loaf pans - you could probably make muffins too!

Makes 2 small loaves - each loaf is 4 servings. 3 points a slice for my @weightwatchers friends or 150 calories and 15 grams of protein if you count calories.

Ingredients:

2 cups @pb2foods powdered peanut butter
2 tsp. baking powder
5 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar free pancake syrup (or maple syrup)
2 tablespoons sugar free chocolate chips (for topping)

In a bowl add all the ingredients and mix well. Spray the loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide the batter into each pan.

Top each one with 1 tablespoon sugar free chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. I was surprised how much these rose in the oven! Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.

I cut each loaf into 4 slices.

Definitely looking forward to having this as a snack this week 🤩🤩

I am new to Alissa @healthyu_dietitian - so happy to have found her - lots of great recipes on her page.

Who wants a bite?? 🤩🤩

#tiktokrecipes #healthyeating #ww

Sneak peak! Just made peanut butter chocolate chi

Sneak peak! Just made peanut butter chocolate chip loaves 🎉🎉

It's a tiktok recipe I saw - waiting for it to cool and if it tastes great I will share the recipe- it's got only 5 ingredients too!

My cat 🐈‍⬛ Gordy - always photobombing 🤣🤣

#tryingnewrecipes😋 #tiktikrecipe #sneakpeak

Happy St. Patrick's Day ☘️ ☘️ I have been

Happy St. Patrick's Day ☘️ ☘️

I have been to Ireland twice- Dublin and Sligo and going again in a few months! ☘️☘️☘️

It's so beautiful and hard to pick from the 1,000+ videos and photos. My ancestry DNA says I am 9% Irish 🤩🤩

If you have been to Ireland, what was your favorite thing to do?

#travel #dublin #sligo #brucespringsteen2023 #aerlingus

Last week, my husband and I joined a walking club

Last week, my husband and I joined a walking club in our town. It's a club that has been going strong for 6 years.

I have seen posts on Facebook for a over a year, thinking about joining - and we finally went and it's awesome.

Week 2 in the books! The best part is every Saturday is at a different path, hiking trail in our area - and this path today is only 13 minutes from my house and I never knew it existed.

About 25 people came today - and as the weeks go by - we'll be making more friends 🤩

So glad my husband and I decided to try this. 🥰🥰

I encourage you to see if your town has something like this - glad I got out of my comfort zone to try something new 🥰

#walkingclub #lakecountyil

If you are looking for a yummy dessert - look no f

If you are looking for a yummy dessert - look no further!

I've been making bases for my @ninjakitchen CREAMi ice cream maker - but this recipe can be used for making ice cream, a milk shake, or you can freeze for a few hours without an ice cream maker - here's what you are going to need.

Side note! This whole pint is 287 calories or for my @weightwatcher friends, 5 points. It also has 27 grams of protein - whoop!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop @flavcity vanilla protein powder (or use protein powder of choice)
1 small frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen cauliflower
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. guar gum (optional)

If you haven't tried frozen cauliflower in a smoothie/milkshake/ice cream - you can't taste the flavor, it just bulks it up and since it's frozen- makes it super cold and creamy if you are eating it right away.

Directions:

In a blender, add the milk first, then the rest of the ingredients and blend 2-3 minutes until super creamy.

You can drink it like a milkshake from here - OR - Freeze for 24 hours and use your Ninja Creami Ice Cream maker to make ice cream - OR - I will pour into a freezer safe container and freeze for 2-3 hours. This freezes about 3/4 of the way - but so yummy and not frozen so hard it's hard to eat.

*Guar gum is available on Amazon, I keep it in my freezer - you need a tiny amount - 1/4 tsp. Guar gum is a thickener used in making ice cream that is a stabilizer and prevents ice crystals from forming if freezing for a long time. Totally optional - but I like adding it.

Tag a friend who needs a low point/low calorie high protein dessert or snack! Add-ins are endless - oreo cookie thins, chocolate chips, or nuts.

#creami #ninjacreami #lowpointdessert

I haven't had @cutdacarb flatbread in a while - if

It's my wedding anniversary 🎉🎉🎉 29 years

It's my wedding anniversary 🎉🎉🎉

29 years 🤩🤩

I met my husband David the day before Thanksgiving in 1993. I had planned a night in at my apartment- stopped by Blockbuster to get a few movies, got a frozen pizza. I changed into comfy clothes and was about to enjoy a cozy night in.

Then my friend Shannon called me to meet her and some of our friends at a bar. I explained I was going to stay home and watch movies- but she talked me into it 🤣🤣

So I jumped in the shower, got ready and met my friends at the bar and during the evening met my husband and his best friend Joel. David and I ended up talking the rest of the night- I gave him my number- and we were together from then on!

Through all the ups and downs of life, I am so lucky to have a partner to do it with. Looking forward to many more years together 🥰🥰

Happy Anniversary David - I love you!

Fun facts: We grew up a mile from each other but never met before that night.

We went to the same high school (David is 6 years older- so we weren't there the same time - but still a coincidence!)

All three of our kids also went to the same high school.

After meeting, we found out we had friends in common.

All of our family lived in the Chicago area except both our brothers lived in Des Moines. 🤩

We have a joint instagram @jenn_and_dave - which we started during the pandemic- so feel free to check out our videos there 🤩

#weddinganniversary #29years

Have you ever ordered beef/poultry/seafood online

Have you ever ordered beef/poultry/seafood online before??

If not, check out @secondcityprime - as you can guess by the name - they are a Chicago based company- but they ship all over the US.

They have fancy cuts of beef - but unlike my sister Biz who is an expert at cooking beef - I chose to get chicken breasts and a ham 🥰🥰

I cooked the garlic and pepper chicken breasts this week - and it was amazing. So happy I didn't over cook it 🤣🤣

Two (6 oz.) chicken breasts is only $10.00 (can't get fast food for that price!)

They also have a lot of rubs and marinades. I also got The Rub seasoning which is a blend of garlic-pepper, rich with exotic porchini mushrooms and tellicherry peppers 🌶️

Great for steaks, burgers chicken, roasts and veggies.

The products are flash frozen and get shipped in dry ice - so will stay frozen for hours ✅

Are you a meat and seafood connoisseur? Check these guys out!

#secondcityprime #deluxe

Sticky Asian Turkey Meatballs 🎉🎉 Makes 16 m

Sticky Asian Turkey Meatballs 🎉🎉

Makes 16 meatballs for 4 servings
If you are looking for a great meal prep for lunches that's ready in about 30 minutes - this one is for you!

I found it on Pinterest from @modernmealmakeover

Meatball Ingredients
1 lbs. ground turkey (I used 99% lean)
1 tsp. sesame oil, for meatballs
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs, plain
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tsp. minced garlic, for meatballs

Asian Glaze Ingredients
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons @trybachans Japanese bbq sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. minced garlic, for sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil, for sauce
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1/8 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine ground turkey, sesame oil, bread crumbs, ginger, eggs, and minced garlic. Mix well with your hands until all ingredients are combined.

Shape turkey mixture into 1 inch balls and place them on a prepared baking sheet. Cook for 20-23 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink in the middle. (I flipped them over half way during cooking).

While meatballs are cooking, combine hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced garlic, sesame oil, ground ginger, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a medium-large skillet.

Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.

Remove meatballs from the oven and place them in the Asian sauce. Coat meatballs well and serve over rice or noodles.

These are so good! The sauce makes it!

Are you a fan of ground turkey? If not, you could definitely swap out ground chicken or beef.

For my @weightwatchers friends- 4 meatballs is 5 points 🎉🎉

Tag a friend who would love an easy recipe 🤩🤩🤩

#stickymeatballs #bakedmeatballs #lunchmealprepideas #whatieatinaday

Have you tried tofu noodles before? Me either! I

Have you tried tofu noodles before? Me either! I found these at Whole Foods near the regular tofu and immediately knew I would make a stir fry with them.

They are made by @phoenixbeantofu - Phoenix Bean tofu sells their marinated tofu at Farmers Markets around Chicago-land and I would buy some every time I went.

These noodles are super easy to work with. The package shown is for 2 servings.

I ended up using leftover veggies from my fridge: I had red onion, baby bell peppers, broccoli and a few pieces of leftover baked chicken nuggets.

For the sauce, I used soy sauce, @bachans Japanese BBQ sauce.

In a skillet, add the veggies and cook for several minutes, stirring a few times. Next, I added the leftover chicken tenders. Add the tofu noodles and sauce and cook for another 3-4 minutes until everything is heated through.

SO GOOD and filling!

For my @weightwatcher friends - this whole plate was 6 points -

Have you tried tofu noodles before? What do you make with it?

If you haven't tried @kevins.natural.foods cilantr

If you haven't tried @kevins.natural.foods cilantro lime chicken - definitely check it out! I got mine at @target - but it's sold at most stores in the refrigerated section by packaged lunch meat.

The chicken is already cooked - sous vide method (gently cooked in a bag in broth) making it super tender. All you have to do is open the bag, pour the broth in the bag out, break up the chicken and put it in a skillet. (or microwave for 3 minutes).

Heat for 3 minutes, then add the cilantro lime sauce - and cook for another few minutes.

I served mine with rice, fat free feta cheese, microgreens, and green beans.

DELISH! And dinner was ready in under 15 minutes. I love that!

For my ww friends - 5 oz. of the chicken is only 4 points, making my whole dish 11 points with the rice.

Have you tried Kevins - which is your favorite?

#kevinschicken #supereasydinner #tasty #whatieatinaday #

Excited to share a new food find with you - @eatso

Excited to share a new food find with you - @eatsomos 🎉🎉

An assortment of Mexican meals made easy! Microwavable rices, beans, plant based taco filling, salsas all available at your local @walmart

I made a super easy quesadilla.

Mexican street corn white rice
Black beans
Cheddar cheese
Flour tortillas
Fresh cilantro

Microwave the rice and beans for 90 seconds. Place a few tablespoons each on a tortilla, add cheese. Cook on both sides 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Their salsa is better than any Mexican restaurant I have been to - I would definitely stock up on those!

So run to @walmart and let me know if you try any of these amazing products

p.s. a lot of their products are plant based and gluten free 🎉🎉

#somos #foodfind #whatoeatinaday

Happy Saturday 🎉🎉 Today is a giveaway with

Happy Saturday 🎉🎉

Today is a giveaway with my twin sister Biz @mybizzykitchen

We want to support our friend Paige @penelopeandcoshop 🎉🎉

She has a goal of getting 500 orders for her small business of the cutest cups and apparel- she is at around 428 orders now. So close!!

Check out her website here:

https://shoppenelopeandco.com

The Giveaway:

Follow @penelopeandcoshop

Tag a friend

You each will win a glass cup (pick your style of choice)🎉🎉🎉

Winner will be chosen 2/25 at 8:00 pm Central time * US residents only

Shop small today - let's help get Paige to her goal 🤩🤩🤩

#giveaway

Super easy blueberry pancake bake 🎉 Thanks to

Super easy blueberry pancake bake 🎉

Thanks to @phyllis_crane who posted this recipe from @michellesww_journey - I adapted a few things- but I highly recommend making this. It tastes like coffee cake 🎉

Makes 8 servings (4 points each on @weightwatchers)

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Ingredients:

2 cups @kodiakcakes high protein waffle and pancake mix
1 scoop vanilla protein powder- I used @flavcity
2 eggs
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup sugar free pancake syrup
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

In a bowl add the dry ingredients. Mix well. Add everything else but the blueberries.

Pour batter into casserole dish. Top with the frozen blueberries.

Bake at 425 for 18-20 minutes.

Let cool, cut into 8 slices.

Great for a brunch, or meal prep for breakfast. Freezes well too 🎉🎉

Who wants a bite?

#pancakebake #kodiak #highproteinbreakfast

Next month, my husband David and I will be celebra

Next month, my husband David and I will be celebrating 29 years of marriage - and through most of our marriage, I've done most of the cooking by choice because I love it so much, but David can cook too!

This is his famous chili and I love when he makes it because its always so amazing and we have lots of leftovers for the week, which I love too!

This isn't a recipe per se - but I will tell you what he puts in it:

3 pounds lean ground beef
3 cans black beans, rinsed
3 cans kidney beans, rinsed
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed
1 banana pepper, seeds kept in
1 medium white onion
5 cloves garlic
1 can beer
1 large can tomato paste

For the spices
Worcestershire sauce
chili powder
cayenne pepper
cumin
salt and pepper

In a large stock pot, brown the ground beef. Add the spices to your heart's desire! After the meat has browned, add the tomato paste and more spices.

In a blender, add all the vegetables and a can of beer, puree until smooth.

Add the blended veggies to the pot, more spices and rinsed beans. Simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.

We served it with sourdough bread 🥖

We hope you enjoyed our video 🥰🥰

#jennanddave #homemadechili

The other day I asked for suggestions on what to m

The other day I asked for suggestions on what to make with a Japanese sweet potato and I got so many great answers! Thank you so much!

Air fried Japanese sweet potatoes are delicious!! For my first time trying them - I love it and definitely will be eating it more!

To make one serving:

Ingredients:

1 medium Japanese sweet potato
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
Cooking spray

Wash the sweet potato well.

I cut them into rounds. Place in a bowl, cook them for 2 minutes or on the baked potato setting.

Transfer to air fryer. Season with salt and paprika. Spray with cooking spray.

Air fry for 10-12 minutes.

The outside is slightly crispy and the inside tastes like mashed potato 🎉

I am not a fan of sweet potatoes- these are just slightly sweet.

So glad I tried them!! And thanks again for all your suggestions 🤩🤩🤩

For my @weightwatchers friends- my whole plate is 7 points. 3 points for the potato, 4 for the avocado, zero for eggs and blueberries 🎉🎉🎉

#japanesesweetpotato #whatieatinaday

I did it! My first sourdough bread 🎉🎉 It go

I did it! My first sourdough bread 🎉🎉

It got a little dark on top - but she's gorgeous 🤩🤩🤩

Next time I will lower the temp - I baked it at 500 degrees. The recipe was suggested by @mybizzykitchen - it was from @alexandracooks

This recipe makes 1 large loaf

Ingredients:

100 grams sourdough starter
375 grams warm water
500 grams flour
10 grams fine sea salt

Mix with a wooden spoon until it starts to come together, then mix with your hands.

Let the dough sit in the bowl and every 30 minutes, for 2 hours (so 4 times)- you pull the sides into the middle 10x. Each tome the dough gets smoother.

After that - I placed it in a bread proofing basket and cover the top in saran wrap overnight.

Preheat the oven with the dutch oven in it, for 1 hour.

Next I dumped the dough from the proofing basket onto parchment paper. I don't have a bread lame to score the loaf in a pretty pattern, so I took a bread knife and just cut it in a cross shape so it would expand.

Bake covered for 20 minutes, remove lid from dutch oven, bake another 20 minutes. Remove immediately to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. Enjoy!!

Currently (and patiently) waiting for it to cool.

So excited it turned out so perfect 😍

Thanks @mybizzykitchen and @cucinadicarla for being my coaches 🤣 Love you guys! 🥰

#firstsourdoughbread #sourdoughclub #sourdoughlove

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