Hiatus

Sorry for the Hiatus! Raced Bayern Rundfahrt in Germany. Totally changed my opinion about Germany, really like the place and the people were great! I felt great on the bike, until tendinitis in my knee had other plans. Last day in the cross winds totally "blew" me away! I was pretty bummed, but luckily I have had some great support from the team and got a great rub from master soigner Reed McCalvin! THANKS guys! Now I'm ready to rock some races!

Back to Germany. Well not only did the organization bring me a cake on my birthday on stage at the team presentation, Germany has big coffee's and great bakeries. What else do you need?

Anyways, I got some new recipes on the way...But I got to take some pictures of them so you can see how delicious they are. But let me leave you with a few treats!

Ever wonder how to "juice" up your oatmeal? How to make that 1/2 - 1 cup of oats overflow your giant bowl in the morning? I have found some amazing products to help that out.

OATMEAL ON STEROIDS

Guar Gum, just a pinch, check it out... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guar_gum

and a pinch of Orgran's Natural egg replacer http://www.orgran.com/product-information/packet-mixes.html

Put in the microwave or on the stove for a bit more time to let everything settle.

Now Beef up that oatmeal!

Now for the best tip!

After boiling your water, make some flavored tea, your favorite tea, I've been using Sleepy Time tea from Celestrial Seasonings, and just got some Black Cherry I can't wait to try. So make your tea, and use the tea that you just made to cook the oats! Now you have Sleepy Time Tea Oatmeal! Put some cinnamon and fruit or whatever you want in there and you're good to go! Check out the picture! That's only 3/4 cup of oats...with some toppings of course

5 Minute Muffins!

If you're on the go, and have little time, and are always hungry like me, you want something fast, sweet, and tastes good. And if you're also like me,you want baked goods, man I'm a sucker for the bakery. That's partly why I started this blog. I can't live without delicious morsels of tasty treats, warm, guey, with your favorite topping. The only problem is, you feel bad after eating it. Well, I'm trying to find ways around that, that you can make, at home, super fast, but taste good! So, I discovered 5 Min Muffins!

This protein muffin is low in carbs and calories, and perfect for when you get off the bike, or breakfast. MMM I want one right now as I'm sitting in the hotel room at Tour of Bayren-Runfahrt in Germany. So here is my quick recipe for a guaranteed, or your money back, delicious muffin in 5 mins!

Ingredients:

1 Egg

1 TBsp Grated Coconut or Coconut Flour

2 TBsp Stevia or Fructose Sugar (does not raise Blood Sugar Levels, more on that eventually)

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Cinnamon

if you'd like pinch of Nutmeg (to mix it up a bit if you want)

Pinch of Sea Salt

2 Almonds, or Nuts

Slice of apple or a scoop of Butternut Squash, or some sort of fruit, Banana, Blueberries, raspberries, anything works well!

Suggestions:

You Can also add (if you're not worried about calories or carbs and just want a healthy meal) - Oats - Granola - Raisins or Dried fruit - Peanut butter - Chocolate

Steps-

1. Beat that egg! Whip it, whip it good! (put in food processor if you have one)

2. Add the rest of the ingredients besides fruit and nuts. Place in food processor or mix well until a smooth batter forms.

3. Chop apple slice into small pieces(this is the fruit that I used)

4. Lightly add a bit of cinnamon and sugar to apple, place in a Coffee mug and then in microwave for 30 seconds or until warm

5. Slightly crush nuts, but leave them chunky, so you can enjoy the almond pieces

6. Place the batter in with the apple in a coffee cup, throw in the nuts, and fold everything together with a spoon.

Super Secret Step!

7. Place in microwave, cook on high for 4 mins, until cooked through.

COMES OUT JUST LIKE A MUFFIN. Tip the mug over, and BAM, the muffin falls out perfect every time. And this ain't no Teeny Tiny Muffin either!

Optional steps

After placing batter in with fruit in the mug, top with oats or granola or some sort of cereal, to have it come out coated with your favorite oatmeal.

- Dip in peanut butter with a spoon in the middle of the muffin before cooking to come out with a peanut butter filled one!

- Put in a packet or spoon full of instant coffee to make a cinnamon coffee flavored one!

- Toast your muffin, that is what I do! Cut it in half and place in oven or toaster oven and toast it- Top with your favorite topping, butter, cinnamon, sugar, jelly, fruit, frosting, whatever your heart desires, just make it healthy (unless you crack, and then of course go for peanut butter or nuttella or something like that to make it a bit unhealthy ha!

- Additional options are endless, what's your favorite way to eat a muffin? Mine is sliced in half, toasted, with some butter (margarine) and some raspberry Jam!

MY MOUTH IS WATERING!

EAT MORE OF WHAT YOU LOVE

Tips for eating more of what you love and cutting some calories!



If you're like me, you are constantly wanting to eat. If I'm bored, or resting, or whatever, I'm always eating. So the goal is to not gain weight by eating constantly. So how do you accomplish this? The answer? Eat more of what you love of course!



1. Use lettuce instead of bread for sandwiches and buns! example: turkey and cheese with some mustard and a tomato, sliced, on a lettuce leaf!



2. Cut that hotdog in half! If you're at a BBQ or at home and what a hotdog, or a turkeydog or whatever, cut it in half! Then you have two for the priceof one. Ok, I know what you're saying, why cut it in half, I want a friggin hotdog! Well, everyone knows that toppings are the best! So cut that dog in half,put it on some lettuce ^, and load it up with some of your favorite toppings. Probably cut out the ketchup since it has sugar in it, and that's high glycemic.But add lots of pickles, mustard, onions, peppers! Anything you want. Now you have two hotdogs for the price of one. Now you can eat more and longer!



3. For Burgers and ect, instead of using a bun, use some rice cakes, or spelt cakes. Place on the bottom, load up the burger, then top it with a tomato! Boom



3. Add more fruit to your morning breakfast! So, I love cereal, and oatmeal, and breakfast in general. I crave it all the time. So when I wake up in the morning,most likely I'm going to have cereal or pancakes or oatmeal. The tip is, to cut calories, and make it more healthy, add more fruit to it! Throw some apples or bananas in that sucker. Put them in the food processor and throw them on top of less than normal oatmeal, so you can have a bigger bowl of it!



4. Add water to your oatmeal, with a splash of almond milk. Cooking your oatmeal in water is almost just as good. Throw in some spices and some sweetener, and Bada bing, you're good to go, with some fruit of course



5. Add more boiling water to that oatmeal! If you're like me, you want more of it constantly! So, add more water, make it a little more soupy, it takes much longer to eat this way, especially if it's super hot. Take your time, even though you're probably starving. Breath! I know, you want some food! When the oatmeal is almost gone, add some more water, than it takes even longer to eat!



6. Add a bit of whole wheat bran to your cereal or oatmeal. Less calories, more filling, and has great insoluble fiber, so your digestive system will thank you and you can clear out what's in "your closet" if you know what I mean...



7. Use a smaller spoon! Take smaller bits so it takes longer to eat!



8. If you like chicken salad or tuna salad or whatever, add more veggies and less mayo. Maybe use some yogurt instead of mayo! Add lots of pickles, I love pickles.



9. If you love coffee, which it's probably one of my favorite things, you can drink that extra cup. Ok, coffee only has like 5 calories, black! If you add cream and sugar, boom, more calories. So, my tip is, before that coffee cup is done, and you know you're gunna drink another cup, just add half a cup more before the last cup is gone. Then you have almost the same taste of the original coffee, but more of it!

10. Trick your mind. If it looks like a HUGE bowl of salad, and it takes a long time to eat it, your mind will think that it's actually a lot of food. Then when you're done, you can be like, wow, I just ate a ton! Although, it probably was very little in calories, and good for you.


11! The best tip: Have fun! Try new ways to make the foods you love with veggies or healthy things, which is what this blog is about! It's not about eating crappy tasting food, but its about making healthy things taste like the things you love and want more of. Like, you should be saying, MAN, I really can't wait to eat that cauliflower! Seriously!

Healthy Pancakes! Breakfast of Champions

I love breakfast. Sometimes I can't sleep at night thinking about it! Best Meal of the day.

So, here is my first recipe. Flourless, Gluten free, Low Carb and Low Calorie Pancakes that aren't tastesless! These certainly don't lack any flavor and are the same as the real thing, almost. These are Low Glycemic, have insoluable fiber, and lots of protein; more nutrional lessons to follow!

Top Secret Pancake Recipe

Ingredients -

• 1 egg (If you're vegan, you can use a egg substitute such as Organ's best, http://www.orgran.com/product-information/packet-mixes.html )



• 2 egg whites (or you can use 2 whole eggs)



• pinch of salt



• 1 TBSP Sweetner such as Stevia, Splenda, ect, or just plain Sugar (although sugar is high glycemic and high carbs)
• TOP SECRET INGREDIENT -
  2 TBS Grated coconut or coconut flour (just plain coconut meat that looks similar to flour, not shreded)


• 2 TBSP low fat milk, almond milk, or rice milk



• 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder



• 1/2 Tsp Cinamon



• 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract



• 1/2 cup fruit (strawberries, blueberries, cherries, ect)

Steps:

• 1. Turn on some Country Music, set the mood, get that coffee going.



• 2. whip eggs whites until very creamy/ fluffy



• 3. add entire egg and blend (must blend very well, use a blender or food processor if you have it)



• 4. add dry ingredients and blend



• 5. Fold in fruit
  


• 6. Make pancakes, be sure to let the bottom cook thurough before flipping, wait until the bubbles pop! I suggest using a small pan and making it the entire pan full.
  

Now the Kicker! Nutrition Info

Calories: 236 BOOM! (that includes the fruit)
Carbs: 6! and Plenty of Protein: 14 grams.

Makes 6 small pancakes or 2 bigger ones! Delicious and low carb, low cal, and gluten free...

Top with fruit, sugar free syrup, anything you want. I topped mine with Banana Ice Cream! That recipe is coming soon! Only 70 good for you Calories total! Wow, breakfast of Champions!

Now Eat some Pancakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

A New Beginning

Active Cooking is about more than recipes, its about having fun with cooking, enjoying eating the foods you love, and experiencing new things. As a Professional Cyclist, I eat a lot, but the lighter I am, and the more power I can produce on the bike, the better I am at my job. So the struggle is, how do I eat a lot of good food, and keep weight off? I recently discovered, I don't have to starve myself to lose weight, or eat any less, I just have to make right choices and have fun with cooking in different ways I never thought possible.

This blog will include alternative ideas for cooking the things you and I love to eat like Pizza, Ice Cream, and Pancakes. All healthy, you can eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner and not be depressed! Most recipes will have some sort of combination of Gluten Free, Low Carb, and Low Calorie ideas. It will include tips to keep you full for hours, and how to maximize the amount you eat, because if you're like me, you want to eat a lot of food but not a lot of calories!

I will also be updating on my personal life as a Professional Cyclist living in a different country, and trying new things. I will share my thoughts and concerns on the world in more than 140 characters here, instead, everything else can be found on my twitter at www.twitter.com/kcarlsenjr .

Let have some discussions, ideas, tips, whatever you want to comment on, feel free. I will try to update with new ideas and recipes each week. I hope you enjoy this site because I enjoy cooking and eating and sharing my ideas