I am a #StonyfieldBlogger and received product coupons.  All recipes and opinions are my own. 

Have you noticed the new Stonyfield Organic Protein OP  drinks in the dairy section?  Three flavors are available: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.  Strawberry is hands down my favorite! Each drink has 15 grams of protein and NO GMOs, artificial sweeteners or hormones. The drinks alone are super tasty, especially after a workout, but they're great to cook with too!

Fun Mason Jar Gift: Sriracha Party Mix!

I have a confession: I am a sriracha addict.  If you aren't sure what sriracha is, it's a spicy chili sauce that you can buy in your ethnic food aisle.  Look for a green top and a rooster on it!  It's the most grabbed condiment in our house.  I put it on EVERYTHING. Eggs. Popcorn. Sandwiches. Chicken.  My aunt even found sriracha candy canes for me last holiday season (thank you Aunt Beth!). 

When I was pregnant with Gabby, I had a major spicy food cravings and I found sriracha.  Other hot sauces weren't cutting it for me, so grabbed . I'd seen it before at Noodles and other restaurants, but I never thought to buy any.  

Along with a sriracha addiction, I love snacking.  So it was only a short time until I figured out that sriracha and party mix are a match made in heaven.  Add some coconout oil for sweetness (and a bit of a healthier alternative to butter) and it gained a new nickname in our house: crack mix.  

Sriracha Party Mix aka Crack Mix

Here's what you need:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup Sriracha
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 cups EACH: Corn, Rice and Wheat squares cereal
• 2 cups pretzels
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1 cup sesame sticks

Mix it up!

1. Preheat oven to 250. 
2. After coconut oil is melted, mix in the sriracha, Worcestershire, seasoned salt, garlic and onion powder. I love to use a Pyrex glass measuring cup for this, it makes it easy to pour.
3. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients.  Pour coconut oil mixture over and mix well. 
4. Pour onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 
5. Store in an air-tight container....although it probably won't last too long. 

What do you put sriracha on?

Loco for Coconut Oil {Cornbread and Muffin Recipe!}

Have you jumped on the coconut oil bandwagon yet?  I'm on my third big tub from Costco and obsessed with it!  I use it regularly as a healthier alternative to butter.

Does it smell like the beach? Yes.  Does everything taste like coconut? Sometimes.  At first I could really taste the difference, but now that I have been trying it with both savory and sweet dishes, I've found I can't taste it anymore.  It makes the BEST chocolate chip cookies!

It can be quite expensive, but I have found that it is equivalent to our butter costs when we buy it in bulk at Costco (usually around $15 for a large tub, which lasts 2-3 months).  I have also seen great prices at Trader Joe's and health food stores. 

Why use coconut oil?  It's MUCH healthier!  Yes, it is still considered a fat, but your body digests it differently than regular butter or even olive oil.  Aside from cooking with it, you can use it for your lips, hair and skin.  Obviously, you would want to keep the coconut oil you use for your body in a separate container than your cooking one!

I use it whenever I would have used oil or butter with a 1:1 ratio.  For sauteing, I have found that only a teaspoon at most is needed.  When baking breads, I like to combine canned pumpkin with the coconut oil as a healthy alternative to butter.


Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (with coconut oil!)

The first recipe is my classic banana bread with a twist.  I have healthified it even more and turned it into muffins! 

Here's what you need!

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling, plain!)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup flax seed
• 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 3 extra ripe bananas, mashed
• Optional: Wholesome Sweeteners Raw sugar on top for crunch!

1. In a mixer with whisk attachment, add sugar, pumpkin and coconut oil.  Blend until creamy.
2. Add eggs, one at a time.  Next vanilla. 
3. On the side, mix dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, flax, cinnamon, oatmeal.  (I like to save an old 32 oz yogurt container for this!).  Slowly add to mixer.
4. Finally, add yogurt, bananas and chocolate chips.  Mix until just blended, no longer than 1 minute.
5. Add to a lined cupcake pan, or bread pan.
6. Optional: for a bakery style crunchy top, sprinkle with raw sugar.
7. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Another recipe that we have been loving is a simple skillet cornbread recipe.  This is cornbread is slightly sweet with a bit of crunch from the cast iron skillet.  Top with some butter and this is a perfect side to any BBQ or Cajun dish!

Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil, softened
• 1.5 cups Flour
• 1.5 cups Sugar (or 3/4 cup Splenda) 
• 1/2 cup Egg Beaters (or 2 eggs)
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill cornmeal
• 1.5 cups Almond milk
• 2 teaspoons Baking powder
• Dash of salt

1.  Heat oven to 400.  Pour 1/4 cup of coconut oil in the bottom of a cast iron skillet to coat*.
2. In a bowl, mix all ingredients together.  Add to skillet.  Cook 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

*If you don't have a cast iron skillet, just use a regular 9x9 pan.

Are you also loco for Coconut Oil?  What's your favorite way to use it?