Banana Chocolate Chip Doughnut Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 C. mashed ripe banana (roughly 2 small bananas)
• 1/2 C. raw cane sugar
• 1/2 C. fat free greek yogurt
• 1/4 C. unsalted butter (melted)
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 C. spelt white flour (you can also use AP flour)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 C. chocolate chips 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Using your electric mixer with the whisk attachment, add the mashed banana, sugar and greek yogurt. Mix until incorporated.

Add melted butter, eggs and vanilla extra and mix. Then add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the batter and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix!

Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.

If you don't have a piping bag, scoop the batter into a ziplock bag and seal shut. Using scissors, snip the bottom corner of one side of the bag to create your homemade piping bag.

Grease your doughnut baking pan and pipe 3/4 full the batter into each doughnut mold.

Optional: Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture on top of each doughnut batter before baking or you can dip the doughnuts once baked in the cinnamon sugar mixture. You may need to paint melted butter on top of each doughnut before dipping the doughnuts in the sugar mixture to allow them to stick. Both options work perfectly.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool before eating.

I'm no whiz in the kitchen... so I don't know a lot about any of this witchcraft. All I know is I used regular sugar, flour and salted butter and it tastes just fine. Probably not as healthy as they could be, but squishy mama doesn't care.

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Homemade (Healthy) Dog Treat Recipes

I'm one of those people who cares way more about what I feed my dog than what I put in my own mouth. My pup loves the dried chicken treats, but I swear there's a damn warning or recall on them like every other week. So from now on, only homemade treats for the fur child. All of these recipes have some healthy/beneficial component and are 100% Zora approved...

Peanut Butter + Oats Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. rolled oats
1/3 C. natural peanut butter (or regular)
1 1/4 C. hot water
Cookie cutters

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°. In one bowl, combine flour and oats. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and hot water. Combine mixtures and stir well.

Drop dough on lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out dough anywhere from 1/8” to 1/4” thick. Cut into desired shapes. Bake on greased baking sheet for 20-30 minutes. Store in airtight container.

HEALTH BENEFIT
Oats contain more protein per calorie than any other common grain. They have anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing properties. Oats also have a calming effect on the nervous system (great for anxious dogs!) and help strengthen the spleen, pancreas, heart and immune system. Lastly, they are rich in silicon and help make bones strong.

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Peanut Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 C. whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 C. natural peanut butter (or regular)
1 C. skim milk
Cookie cutters

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°. In one bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk. Combine mixtures and stir well.

Drop dough on lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out dough anywhere from 1/8” to 1/4” thick. Cut into desired shapes. Bake on greased baking sheet for 20 minutes. Store in airtight container.

HEALTH BENEFIT
Peanut butter is rich in oil, protein and fatty acids. These ingredients, along with vitamins H and K, give dogs a shiny coat. Vitamin E also helps strengthen your dog's immune system.

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Peanut Butter + Banana Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 large egg
1 large or 2 small banana, peeled and mashed
1/3 C. creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 C. whole wheat flour
1/2 C. rolled oats
1 egg white, lightly beaten

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 300°. Combine large egg, banana, peanut butter and syrup and mix thoroughly until smooth. Stir in flour and oats.

Drop dough on lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out dough to 1/4" thick. Cut into desired shapes. Brush tops with egg whites. Bake on greased baking sheet for 25-30 minutes or until hard and crunchy. Store in airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

HEALTH BENEFIT
Bananas are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins C and B6, manganese and folate. They contain almost no fat, very low in sodium and are loaded with potassium.

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Gimme Kisses Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. rolled oats
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes or fresh parsley
2 large eggs
1/2 C. water
1/2 C. non-fat dry milk
1 C. peanut butter

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 300°. In large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly; add in water and peanut butter. Gently add the wet to the dry ingredients.

Drop dough on lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes. (You can also bake the dough as one giant cookie and break it apart after it's done.) Bake on greased baking sheet for 20-30 minutes or until golden. If you want the cookies to look shiny, you can also brush a thin coat of egg whites on them before baking.

HEALTH BENEFIT
Parsley aids in digestion and will also give your pup fresh breath. Parsley is also high in vitamins A and C.

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Pumpkin Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 (15 oz.) can organic pumpkin puree (NOT the spiced pie filling)
3/4 C. dry, uncooked cream of wheat (or rice cereal if wheat sensitive)
1/2 C. dry powdered milk

*Instead of cream of wheat, you can add 3/4 cup of rolled oats.

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 300°. In large bowl, mix ingredients together thoroughly.

Drop dough on lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes. Bake on greased baking sheet for 15-20 minutes.

HEALTH BENEFIT
Pumpkin is loaded with antioxidants and vitamins C and E, which help to reduce cataracts and heart problems. Pumpkin is also great for weight loss since it acts as a healthy filler.

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Vegan Biscuits

INGREDIENTS
1 banana, mashed
1/2 C. peanut butter
1 C. rolled oats
1/2 C. applesauce
1 1/4 C. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

*If your dog is allergic to wheat, try substituting amaranth, rice, millet, quinoa, almond, corn, oat or potato flours/starches.

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, mix ingredients together thoroughly.

Drop dough on lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes. Bake on greased baking sheet for 10-15 minutes, until edges brown. Cool and refrigerate.

HEALTH BENEFIT
Cinnamon is good for your dog's heart since it improves circulation. It also has anti-inflammatory properties which helps relieve joint pain. Cinnamon helps lower cholesterol levels and regulates blood sugar. Perfect for diabetic pups!

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Two-Ingredient Treats

INGREDIENTS
2 C. whole wheat flour
2 (4 oz.) jars of pureed baby food - beef, blueberry, sweet potato, chicken, etc.

*Make sure baby food does not have traces of onions, raisins, grapes or artificial preservatives.

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, mix ingredients together thoroughly.

Drop dough on lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out dough to 1/4" thick and cut into desired shapes. Bake on greased baking sheet about 1/2" apart for 20-25 minutes. Cool and store in paper bag. (Storing in an air-tight container will make them soft, but still edible.)

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Pumpkin Apple Treats

INGREDIENTS
3 C. whole wheat flour
1/2 C. oatmeal, chopped in food processor
2 sm. or 1 lg. apple, finely chopped or grated
1 egg
1/2 C. pumpkin
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 C. cold water

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix flour and oatmeal. Add apples, egg, pumpkin, brown sugar and water. Drop dough on lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out dough to 1/4" thick and cut into desired shapes.

Bake for 35 minutes. Then, turn off oven and leave baking sheets inside for an additional 35 to 45 minutes to crisp.

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Frozen Peanut Butter Banana Pops

INGREDIENTS
3 (6 oz.) containers of plain, low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 C. peanut butter
1 (4 oz.) jar banana baby food
1 Tbsp. honey

INSTRUCTIONS
In medium bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly. Pour mixture into small cups (i.e. Dixie Cups) or silicone mold. Freeze.

Once frozen, peel away paper cup and serve!

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Canine Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 C. hot water or broth
1 envelope dry milk
2 tsp. bouillon

3/4 C. oil
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
5 C. whole what flour

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine first set of ingredients. Add second set of ingredients. Stir to form a very stiff dough. Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake at 300° for 40 minutes, turning cookies over after 20 minutes. 

Link Party Features

Thank you to everyone who came out and linked up at the #biggestlinkpartyever and to Ginger Snap Crafts for hosting! Along with the 40+ co-hosts, we had 782 links showcasing various DIYs, crafts, recipes, home makeovers, etc. These are my favorites:

Freezer paper stencil Tshirts from Delightfully Noted

Brick fireplace makeover from In Designer Jeans

Skinny Oreo milkshake from Will Cook for Smiles

Dark chocolate coconut mudslide cookies from Half Baked Harvest

Lego birthday party from I Dig Pinterest and I Did it Too!

Log cut coasters from Quintonwench

DIY chevron rug from Pneumatic Addict

Custom soap dispensers from In Designer Jeans

Target mirror hack from Pneumatic Addict

Peanut butter brownie cupcakes from It's A Lovely Life

Chocolate strawberry dessert wrap from Mommy on Demand

Reese's Fudge Bites Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 C. coconut oil
• 1/2 C. cocoa powder
• 1/2 C. peanut butter (or almond butter)
• 1/4 C. honey (or maple syrup)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt coconut oil. Blend all ingredients together thoroughly until smooth. I used a greased mini-muffin pan, but you can also use paper-liners in a regular size muffin pan. Chill for 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes. Stores in an air-tight container in refrigerator.

Nutrition facts based on 24 mini fudge bites:
83 calories, 7g fat, 35g sodium, 6g carbs, 3g sugar and >2g protein each

Mini Apple Pies recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1-2 peeled apples
• 3 Tbsp. (heaping) brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cinnamon (I used a cinnamon sugar mix)
• 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine (melted)
• 1 pkg. crescent rolls

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat over to 350 degrees and spread out the crescent roll triangles on a greased cookie sheet. Brush the melted butter or margarine on each triangle. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on each piece as well.

Roll 1 or 2 chunks of apple (I prefer 2) up in each triangle. Brush the top of the crescent roll with more butter and sprinkle the rest of the dry ingredient mixture on them.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Be careful... filling will be super hot! Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream... and a big glass of milk of course. Nom.

Still have leftover apples or an insatiable apple craving? Try my apple crisp recipe.

Brownie Batter Pancake recipe

BROWNIE BATTER PANCAKES

• 1/4 C. spelt or all-purpose flour
• 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1 T. Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa, dutch or regular cocoa 
• 1 T. plus 1 t. sugar 
• 1/16 t. salt
• 1 1/2 T. applesauce or oil 
• 1 t. pure vanilla extract
• 5 1/2 T. milk

Mix dry ingredients very well, then add wet. Make pancakes! Yields 6-8 silver dollar pancakes. Feel free to throw in some chocolate chips too. (I'd recommend mini chips though.)

Nutrition facts: 130 calories

Buffalo Chicken Pizza recipe

I sort of combined two different meal ideas on this one. I originally was just going to cook up some crock pot buffalo chicken and eat on sub buns, but then I found a recipe for homemade pizza dough. So behold, buffalo chicken pizza.


CROCK POT BUFFALO CHICKEN

• 3 lb. bag of frozen chicken breast
• 1 packet ranch dressing seasoning
• 1 bottle Franks Wings sauce (or any buffalo sauce)

Combine all ingredients into crock pot. Let the chickies swim on low for 6-7 hours. Shred the chicken and let simmer another hour.


HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH

• 1 C. warm water
• 1 pkg. dry active yeast (.25 oz)
• 2 3/4 C. flour
• 1 t. sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 2 T. olive oil

Place water in a small bowl and stir in yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir until dough comes together and forms a ball. Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, ad as much of the remaining 1/4 cup of flour as needed. Form into disk and place in a bowl that has been lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover and let rise for 2 hours in a warm place. Remove dough and punch down. Roll into desired diameter.

Nutrition facts: 191 calories, 4 grams fat, 5 grams protein, 34 grams carbs and 1 gram fiber

Word to the wise! I thought I could handle the dough without greasing up my hands. Um no. This is the stickiest damn dough I have ever handled in my life. May as well have been rolling Gorilla Glue around in my hands. Grease your hands with olive oil before handling!!! 

Place shredded chicken onto rolled out dough, spoon out some sauce from the crock pot and put in over at 350 degrees. I think mine took about 30 minutes, but keep checking on it until it's done. Throw some mozzarella cheese on top when it's close to down and bake until cheese is melted.

I have yet to find a buffalo chicken pizza recipe that is super saucy and this one was a bit drier than I would have liked. (Any suggestions folks?) I ended up pouring some more buffalo sauce and of course some ranch on it before I ate it. I really liked it otherwise.

Blender mush... it's a texture thing.

I have texture issues. Like bad. Especially when it comes to fruit. Pears, peaches, applesauce, mushy berries... may as well be rollin' slime around in my mouth until I gag. So I've basically lived my whole life on a minimal fruit diet. Well, that doesn't fly when you're in charge of growing a tiny human.

I've never been a smoothie person before and until I became pregnant, never touched my blender. I am now, however, a smoothie fanatic! I've learned that you can't have texture issues when everything has just about the same consistency after a swim in the blender. So I figured I'd share with you some of my favorite smoothies I've been downing since becoming pregnant. Enjoy.  :)

Tropical Blend I

1 1/2 C. orange juice

1 T. lime juice

1 C. strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1 - 1 1/2 bananas

Ice

Tropical Blend II

1 1/2 C. orange juice

1 - 2 bananas

1 1/2 C. peaches (fresh or frozen)

Ice

Pina Colada

1 C. pineapple chunks (canned or fresh)

1 C. coconut milk

1 banana

1/4 C. ice

2 t. honey, optional

Green Monster

1 frozen sliced banana

1 T. reduced fat peanut butter

1/2 C. vanilla greek yogurt

1 C. unsweetened vanilla almond breeze or skim milk

4 C. baby spinach

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake (Weight Watchers)

1 3/4 C. fat free chocolate milk

1 T. cocoa

1 1/2 T. sugar

1 1/2 T. reduced fat peanut butter

1 1/4 C. ice

2 bananas, optional

*Yields 2 servings - 2 points per serving (excluding bananas)

Lil Arch definitely isn't going without an adequate amount of potassium. I think I buy bananas every 3-4 days. I love the fruit smoothies in the afternoon... especially when it was such a warm summer. The chocolate peanut butter shake is a perfect alternative to my beloved Oreos in the evening when I need a chocolate fix. Plus I feel so much better getting the fruit, protein and dairy intake rather than bingeing on desserts.

A word to the wise... the green monster requires you to immediately rinse out/wash your glass after finishing up. I've left the remnants of the smoothie in a Nalgene bottle for the afternoon and it may as well be the organic version of gorilla glue. We're talking wallpaper paste-like consistency and I don't know about you, but I don't have dainty lil Bambi hands that can fit inside a water bottle for a good cleaning. Just sayin'... 

Seasoned Roasted Potato recipe

Thank you Pinterest for another lovely recipe! I have to give mad kudos to Iowa Girl Eats for this delicious way to prepare a baked potato... especially since I'm not a huge potato person. I'm also stealing her picture because apparently I can't multi-task in the kitchen and mine ended up a little burnt golden brown.

Photo courtesy Iowa Girl Eats

INSTRUCTIONS

Pierce potatoes with a fork and microwave for 6-7 minutes, flipping every couple minutes, until soft all the way through.

Cut potatoes in half, then into squares but only down to the skin.

Season with butter, Parmesan and Lawry's seasoning.

Place in oven on an aluminum foil-lined pan and broil (on low) for 10-15 minutes.

Banana Chocolate Chip (Mini) Muffin recipe

I love breakfast foods. And I love chocolate. So I look for ways to combine the two. (Don't judge.) These tasty little morsels can be made as muffins or mini muffins. Beware! With mini muffins, you may lose count on how many you actually ate!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 C. mashed bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1 C. brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 C. margarine, melted
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2 1/4 C. flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 C. chocolate chips
• 1/2 C. walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

In medium bowl, beat bananas, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla until well blended. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Make well in center of dry ingredients. Pour in banana mixture. Mix until just blended. Spoon into greased muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes (large muffins) or 12-15 minutes (mini muffins).

Yields: 1 dozen

(Avocado) Brownie Fudge Bites recipe

Lately I've been on a mission to start incorporating more fruits, veggies and healthy whatnots into my diet. I am a pretty picky eater, so sometimes that requires being creative. This week I purchased 3 vegetables that I've never purchased/eaten before or haven't eaten in awhile. For a lunch meeting at a Japanese steakhouse awhile ago, I was convinced to try edamame. What a tasty and fun lil food to eat! I also purchased some broccoli... which I haven't eaten in about a decade.

My biggest victory of the weekend has been my avocado purchase. Tried avocados once and that was enough for me. After reading that they are a very beneficial food to eat, I decided to try again... this time disguised in something. Behold, chocolate brownie fudge. Figured I'd give it a try.

Delicious lil morsels!!! As long as you really puree the avocado and don't leave any green traces, you will never know there's an avocado in there. These bites are very chocolatey and taste like thicker brownie batter. One serving of avocado, coming right up!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 avocado, ripened
• 1/2 C. margarine (this can be a vegan treat as long as you use vegan margarine)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 C. cocoa
• 3 C. powdered sugar
• 1/3 C. chopped walnuts (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium sized saucepan, melt the margarine over low heat.

Once margarine is melted, puree with avocado in food processor or blender until perfectly smooth. Be sure there are no chunks of avocado left! Return mixture to saucepan over very low heat and add the rest of the ingredients (except the walnuts) adding the powdered sugar a portion at a time.

Once all the sugar has been added, the mixture should be thick. Add walnuts if desired, and transfer to a loaf pan. Refrigerate until firm. Now, be patient! If you don't let it firm up, you won't be able to slice it up into squares.

Cheddar Chicken Pasta recipe

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts -- trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tsp. dry mustage
• 1 Tbsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

For the pasta:

• 1 lb. rotini or other short cut pasta
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minces (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
• 1 small onion, finely diced (or 1/2 tsp. onion flakes)
• 1/4 C. dry white wine
• 1 T. mustard
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 C. milk (I used skim milk, but mixed in about 2 T. heavy cream)
• 1 Tbsp. thyme
• 1 Tbsp. oregano
• Crushed red paper flakes to taste
• Parmesan cheese to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix together mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and sprinkle over chicken pieces. When pan is hot, add chicken and brown about 3 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove to a plate and cover with foil. Set aside.

Heat water to boil in a large stock pot for pasta, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente and drain according to directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add wine, garlic, onions, and mustard. Cook about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Reduce heat to low and slowly add milk, stirring to combine. Cook about 5-7 minutes more until mixture begins to thicken. Add cheese and stir to melt. Add chicken and pasta and toss to incorporate sauce. Add thyme and oregano and serve topped with crushed red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese.

Apple Crisp recipe

Since our upstairs remodel has taken a little longer than expected and I'm waiting until the very end to show before and after pictures, I needed something else to blog about. Tonight I decided to make my mom's apple crisp for dessert since the apples in the fridge had lost their crunch. Random weird issue moment: I hate warm fruit. Hate it. Doesn't matter if it's coming straight out of the oven or is room temperature... I think it's disgusting. However, for some unknown reason, I recently started eating apple crisp. Who knew?! Since I think it's pretty awesome, I figured I'd share it with the rest of you.

INGREDIENTS

• 5-6 peeled & sliced apples
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 2 C. flour
• 2 C. oatmeal
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1 C. brown sugar
• 2 sticks margarine

INSTRUCTIONS

Put apples in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the fruit with lemon juice. Sprinkle 1/2 C. sugar over fruit. Combine flour, cinnamon, oatmeal and brown sugar. Cut butter into dry ingredients mixture. Crumble on top of fruit and sugar in pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

OPTIONAL: Serve topped with vanilla ice cream. 

Football inspired snacks

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone! Hosting or going to a party this afternoon? Here are some cool snacks to get everyone in the football spirit!

     

     

     

Buffalo Chicken Ring recipe

This is a quick, easy and yummy dinner idea for anyone who loves spicy buffalo chicken. If you're familiar at all with the buffalo chicken dip... tastes just like it... except wrapped in a crescent roll. I highly recommend using big chunks of real chicken breast instead of the canned chicken. The canned chicken breaks down too much during mixing and baking; it lacks girth. Regardless, it's yummy. Serve with a side of ranch dressing.

Zora decided to start sampling it... 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pkgs. crescent rolls
• Celery (optional)
• 1 pkg. cream cheese
• 1/2 packet ranch dressing mix
• 2 cans of canned chicken or fresh chicken breast
• 1/2 C. hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend cream cheese and ranch  dressing mix together. Stir in  all other ingredients. Place mixture towards center of  crescent roll ring. Wrap  remaining dough around mixture. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.

Green Goo Smoothie recipe

Disclaimer: I do NOT like vegetables and I do NOT like healthy shakes/smoothies regardless of what you put in them. Unless a smoothie has ice cream and chocolate sauce swirling around in my blender, no thanks. Hoooooooowever.... I was feeling a bit ambitious and decided to try this spinach, peanut butter, banana and yogurt smoothie recipe I found online.

Aaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzing!

No joke! It tastes like bananas and peanut butter... that's it! Definitely my new lunch replacement drink. (Sorry Slim Fast.) I just couldn't get over how good it was! I only eat spinach occasionally on my salad, so the thought of liquid spinach grossed me out.

>Insert rant about spinach health benefits here:<

• One cup has 20% of the daily recommended fiber, which aids in digestion, keeps you nice and regular, maintains low blood sugar and curbs overeating 
• Contains flavonoids which have been shown to significantly protect against the occurance of certain types of aggressive cancers
• The vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, manganese, zinc and selenium present in spinach all serve as powerful antioxidants that combat the onset of osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure
• Contains the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin that protects the eyes from cataracts and age-related macular degeneration
• The high amount of vitamin A in spinach also promotes healthy skin by allowing for proper moisture retention in the epidermis, thus fighting psoriasis, keratinization, acne and even wrinkles

...among other things.

Go ahead, give it a try. Even you picky eaters out there....

INGREDIENTS

• 1 frozen sliced banana
• 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
• 1/2 C. 0% Vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt
• 1 C. unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze 
• (or other kind of milk)
• 4 C. baby spinach (more or less)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend/liquify until smooth.

Nutritional stats (approx): 350 calories, 10g fiber, 21g protein

No-Bake Energy Bites recipe

These tasty lil morsels came from Pinterest (of course). I've been forgetting to buy flaxseed for weeks now, but I finally remembered tonight. For those of you who are still sticking to your New Year's resolution to eat healthier, I definitely recommend these as a delicious snack! They have some healthy ingredients in them and great flavor!

Before today, I had never eaten flaxseed (knowingly). So out of curiosity, I googled the health benefits to find out why this was a necessary ingredient. Turns out flaxseed is pretty good for you... who'da thunk?!

• Great source of fiber and works as a natural laxative
• Contains concentrated amounts of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat
• Lowers cholesterol
• Great source of magnesium
• An ounce of ground flaxseed per day regulates estrogen levels in post-menopausal women
• Protects post-menopausal women from heart disease
• Decreases insulin resistance and may protect against diabetes
• May prevent or slow the spread of prostate cancer
• May prevent or slow the spread of melanoma

Eat up everyone! They're nummy!

Healthy AND delicious? High five!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 C. oatmeal
• 1/2 C. peanut butter (or some other nut butter)
• 1/3 C. honey
• 1 C. coconut flakes
• 1/2 C. ground flaxseed
• 1/2 C. mini chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix everything together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy.

Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to one week.