Bananarama! Muffins and MORE!

My favorite thing ever... the Kroger Bag o' Bananas!

**Photo Disclaimer: I seem to have misplaced my camera... so these cell phone pics will have to do**

The recent trend on my kitchen counter is the overflowing amount of bananas that I seem to be accumulating. I'm sorry, but I just can't resist Kroger's cute little "Ready for Baking" discounted bag o' bananas, ya know... the ones that have lost all traces of green and perhaps are a bit brown in areas. I'm just saying... I like a nice mashed banana stirred into my morning bowl of oatmeal (topped with a blob of Better'n PB of course) or tossed into a blender for a tasty smoothie on a ridiculously hot Memphis afternoon.

My Top 5 Uses for a "Ready for Baking" Bag O' Bananas:

1. Place in ziploc bag for 24 hours, throw it in your freezer. Then... toss them in a food processor. Pulse, scrape down the sides, pulse some more, scrape down the sides again... keep doing this until your frozen bananas look like frozen yogurt, or faux-gurt... I'm so clever. :) Delicious. Easy. Healthy. Give it a try.

2. Add a mashed banana to my stovetop oats. Check out my post with my go-to recipe for "Banana Oats." Topped with my fave Better'n PB... this is probably my favorite breakfast of all times.

3. Muffins! Banana muffins! Add dark chocolate chips, coconut, pecans, walnuts, dried fruit, chopped strawberries, or whateva other add ins that float your banana boat.

4. Be a smoothie king (or queen!) My personal fave is a "Green Monster Smoothie." Give that recipe a try and I promise you'll be hooked on these FABULOUSLY delicious and green monsterrific smoothies... and you'll never taste the hefty dose of iron and calcium that you'll be getting from the spinach! Oh and double that dose of calcium with the milk... sianara feeble bones!

5. Finally... training treats for Mr. Teddy! His intake of "people food" is very limited. I've gotta watch that puggy waistline! He is allowed to eat fresh fruits and veggies, with the exception of grapes or onions - they're poison for dogs y'all!

That's a slice of banana on the floor... Mr. Teddy doesn't even look at me as he sits patiently while I instruct him, "Wait... wait... wait... Ok!" As soon as I say "Ok" that pug moves faster than you would believe!

All that to say, banana muffins have been popping out of my oven faster than you can say Curious George.  However, this girl can only eat so many banana muffins myself before I have to start worrying about the formation of my own "muffin top" above my jeans. Not cute.

Luckily I have a fabulous roommate, who also has a love of cooking, baking, nutrition, and food in general, like moi! Side note - we met in our Principles of Food Preparation class at U of M. However... she is lactose intolerant. Which means if I wanna whip up a batch of cupcakes on whim, I have to be a bit more creative if I don't wanna wind up being the only one eligible to consume those little baked treats. In addition, I get to sample her old standby dairy-free recipes. Pretty sweet deal, right? Here's a recipe that I whipped up earlier this evening to make use of some of those bananas on my counter.

Gabby-Friendly Banana Muffins 

1/4 C liquid egg whites (or 2 whole eggs)

1/3 cup *buttermilk (I used the "mock" buttermilk technique that I first wrote about in my pumpkin pancake recipe, I also used you light vanilla soy milk so that Gabby could enjoy the muffins as well)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

4 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup agave nectar 

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tb vanilla extract

2 Tb. chia seeds

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup walnut pieces

- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line your muffin tin with some cute paper liners.

- Blend together the eggs, milk, applesauce and bananas.

- Sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir in pecans. Mix well.

- Fill each liner about 2/3 full, place about four small pieces of walnuts on top of each unbaked muffin. 

- Bake for 18 - 22 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Yields:18 muffins*"Mock buttermilk" Take your liquid measuring cup and pour in 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar. Then add enough milk to fill to the 1/3 C. line (essentially you'll be using just under 1/3 C. of milk.) Let stand for 5 minutes... use as recipe directs.

 

Into the oven they go..

... and out of the oven they come!

Gabby was working late so I left her this note letting her know they were "Gabby-friendly" ;)

I'm currently partaking in my fave Tuesday night tradition, Biggest Loser and painting my nails.  This is how Mr. Teddy usually "places" himself on my lap. Thought yall might get a kick out of this. Apparently, just because you weight nearly 30 pounds doesn't mean you can't be a lap dog.

Drink Your Veggies!

I love spinach.

I love smoothies.

I love spinach in my smoothies.

Hey now, before you roll your eyes in disgust... hear me out. I started reading about spinach smoothies, aka "Green Monster Smoothies," about a year ago while reading one of my fave healthy living blogs Oh She Glows. I think Angela actually started the whole ""Green Monster Movement". I guarantee if you give one of these smoothies a try you will start telling all of your friends, family, etc to throw some spinach in a blender and call it a day. Seriously, try one of these after a hard workout or for a quick lunch on-the-go - it's practically a salad in a blender! Well not entirely, that would be kinda gross... to me at least.

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Give Spinach Smoothies A Try:
1. Hellllllllo Popeye! Talk about a heaping serving of IRON! Gimme! Gimme! As a girl who rarely eats red meat (unless its included in a recipe that the boyfriend requested) I could use all the iron I can get!
2. You're drinking 2-3 servings of veggies!
3. Extra energy... don't we all need it? Um, yes please!
4. More fruts & veggies = clearer skin, again... yes please!
5. You can't even taste the blasted spinach! I know y'all are all imagining sticking a straw into a bowl of creamed spinach... that's gross, and not true. All of the lovely and sweet fruits that you toss in there totally take over your taste buds. If it weren't for the green color, you would have absolutely NO IDEA that spinach was the "not so secret" ingredient.


Look at all that spinach... mmm!



My blender... working it's magic!



Perfectly blended! Now for the fun stuff!

I don't know if people still drink slim-fast shakes... gross, but green monsters taste waaaaaaay better and they're waaaaaaay better for you! Plus you can tailor the "recipe" to whatever fruits you have lying around the kitchen!

Today's Green Monster... ripe banana, frozen mango, and chia seeds! Oh my!



Here's the finished product! Mmmm! Green is my favorite color... so pretty! :)

 Laurie's Green Monster

1 cup Vanilla Almond Milk (I'm kinda anti-soy right now, I'm sure elaborate more on that in another post)

3 BIG handfuls of FRESH *baby spinach

1 medium ripe banana

1 cup of frozen mango chunks

1 Tb. chia seeds

Lil' drizzle of Agave Nectar

Ice Cubes (not always necessary if you use frozen fruit... you be the judge.

- Pour the milk into the blender first, then stuff as much spinach as you think you can handle... then add a little more ;)

- Blend until you get what looks like bright green milk! The spinach should be completely pureed.

- Add the mango, banana, and chia seeds.

- Blend until smooth! ENJOY a fabulously healthy, and super nutritious smoothie that is chock full of fiber, protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fat from the chia seeds! :)

*If you're feeling adventurous, try kale instead of or in addition to the baby spinach. I love kale, and it's extremely nutritious! High in Vitamin K, fiber, and glucosinolates which have been linked to cancer prevention (specifically colon and breast cancer.) I've heard that the texture isn't as smooth, because the kale leaves are composed of a much more fibrous tissue may give it a bit of chewy texture. However, if you have one of those AWESOME VitaMix Blenders, then this should not be an issue.

I put my Memphis Grizzlies souvenior cup to use. Mr. Teddy doesn't approve of my love for #33 Marc Gasol!  

Banana Oats = Hot Breakfast of Champs!

I would say that on average... I make oatmeal (of the old-fashioned stove top variety) at LEAST 3-4 times a week. And yes, even when the heat index in Memphis soars up to 120 degrees. Oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfasts for so many reasons...

1. Keeps me feeling full for a solid 4 hours, easily.
2. It allows me to get a healthy dose of protein, carbs, and fat (the good kind) into my belly before a long day of work/school.
3. I enjoy listening to NPR in the morning while I prepare/eat my breakfast. I truly enjoy the process of cooking, and it actually is a great for me to wake up and sort out of my thoughts for plans for the day.
4. And it's just so delicious! I CRAVE this stuff!

 
You may notice some strange ingredients in my "recipe" for oats, but I add them for health purposes. Allow me to explain that when these fabulous, fine ingredients are thrown together you have the SUPER breakfast fit for a champion!

Oatmeal -A great source of complex carbohydrates and water-soluble fiber. Simply put, when it gets around water, it forms this gel-like substance which allows the fiber to easily move through your intestines and regulate/get rid of waste." Also, because it takes longer to digest, it keeps you feeling full longer and helps you maintain your blood glucose levels.

Oat Bran - Slightly higher in protein, fiber, and iron content, but also a little higher in fat a calories. I mix a little in with my regular oatmeal for texture/taste and to get a little bit of that nutrition goodness ;)

Flax Seeds - MUST GRIND THESE UP! I've seen whole flax seeds baked into tortilla chips, added to muffins, breads, etc. They're a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. If you're not into fish or taking fish oil supplements, then flax seeds or using flax seed oil would be a great alternative.

Chia Seeds - Unlike flax seeds, your body can easily digest these little guys, so no need to ground them up. Also these seeds are hydrophilic (aka the LURVE water like I LURVE s'mores!) Chia seeds can soak up to 10x it's weight in water! That means when these seeds are in you body... you'll stay hydrated longer and maintain your electrolytes in your fluids. If you're a runner, try mixing a tablespoon of these seeds with some pomegranate juice and drink up about 20 minutes before you hit the pavement. Dehydration just ain't cool, especially in Memphis.

Agave Nectar - Made from the agave plant, it's a natural sweetener. AND it's lower on the glycemic index than honey (which is what I used to drizzle in oats.) Click on the agave link to learn more about the glycemic index. If you're diabetic, you should be well-versed on this stuff! Here's a little tip from me to you... head to your local TJ Maxx and check out their "gourmet grocery" aisle. That's where I always buy my agave, and it's way cheaper than it is in the natural food section of Kroger.

Laurie's Banana Oats
1 cup water
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1 Tb. oat bran
1 Tb. flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)
Sprinkle of Cinnamon & Nutmeg
1 medium banana (the riper, the better!)
1 tsp. agave nectar
1 -2 Tb. vanilla almond milk
1 Tb. chia seeds
Blob of Better'n Peanut Butter

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium sauce pan.
2. While that's happening, I always put the banana and agave nectar in a ziploc bag and smoosh it till you have a lovely banana "puree."
3. Add the oats, oat bran, flax seed, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the boiling water. Stir constantly for 3 minutes.

Don't confuse the paprika with nutmeg. Because I definitely did that the other morning.

4. Snip off the corner of the ziploc bag and squeeze the banana into the oats. Add the vanilla almond milk. Keep stirring for 1 minute.
5. Add the chia seeds and stir until completely combined.
6. Pour your oats into your bowl and top with a blob of PB and ENJOY!

If I had to be stranded on a desert island... THIS would definitely by on my list of things to pack!

Seriously check out that Better'n Peanut Butter if you're a PB fan, and watching your waistline! I actually prefer it to "regular" PB now. I could go on and on and ON about the goodness of this stuff... but one glance at their website and I'll be surprised if you don't utilize the "product locator.' All I'm saying is that I know EXACTLY where to find this stuff in Memphis... both Super Targets, and the Target on Colonial just started carrying it too! SCORE!