Last night, it was actually cool enough to bake.  We have super high ceilings and even with the air on, our house gets like 80 degrees with the oven on.  So frustrating in the warmer months! Something about a rainy day makes me want to cook and bake...I always make soup and bread.

Healthy Breakfast: PB & Banana Oatmeal Muffins!

 

I envisioned our mornings before kindergarten to be hectic, but they have been going so smoothly!  Well, we have a few breakdowns about clothes, but otherwise we have PLENTY of time to get ready.  We like to experiment with different breakfast foods and these muffins are always requested!

These breakfast muffins are filling and super healthy.  With oatmeal, Greek yogurt, bananas, peanut butter and a few chocolate chips, you'll send your kiddos off to school full AND happy.

I love to make 2-3 batches of these on a rainy day to fill up the freezer.  Simply bake them, freeze them on a cookie sheet and then put in baggies once frozen!  Or freeze the batter to bake later. I do grocery store demos on the weekends and I learned a cool new trick from the bakery: freeze the batter (with the cupcake liners) in the muffin tins.  Once frozen, pop out and keep them in a freezer bag.  When you are craving fresh muffins, pop the frozen muffins in the oven and bake for 10 or so minutes longer than normal.  Saves the time of making the batter! 

Here's what you need:

• 2 mashed bananas (look for those markdown ones!)
• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil 
• NOTE: You can sub 4 tablespoons butter for pumpkin & coconut oil
• 1/4 cup 0% Greek yogurt
• 1/2 peanut butter or sunflower butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and baking soda
• 1/4 cup flax seed (optional)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup oatmeal
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips to sprinkle on top

I like to make little "kits" of the dry ingredients in mason jars to grab when I'm craving muffins. Total time saver.  ALSO a great gift!

Let's Bake! Yields about 12 muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together, except chocolate chips, and set aside.
3. In a mixer bowl, add banana, pumpkin and coconut oil. Mix on low until blended.  Add yogurt, peanut butter, vanilla and egg. 
4. Slowly pour in dry ingredients. 
5. Add batter to lined muffin pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
6. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Don't overcook! 
• They will look a bit dry, but let them cool. Pinky swear they are ah-mazing!

What's your favorite healthy breakfast?

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?