21 DAY FIX BANANA BREAD WAFFLES (WITH SPINACH)

So, I am apparently obsessed with pancakes and waffles.  Maybe because it’s one of the few things I can get my son to eat (autistic kids tend to limit their eating to only a few foods) so I want to make them as healthy as possible.  Also, because I am on the 21 Day Fix, I decided to adapt this recipe just a little to find out the appropriate containers to count per serving without compromising the original recipe too much.    These waffles are super yummy and as a veggie hater, I promise you will NOT taste the spinach.  Even my kids eat them, although when they ask why they are green, I just call them Shrek waffles and move on.  So, here we go.

 

21 DAY FIX BANANA BREAD WAFFLES
(WITH SPINACH)

(Makes 3 waffles)

1 yellow container of Oat Flour (I just grind up oats in the blender and then measure)

1 yellow container of Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp salt

8 oz of milk (I use non-fat buttermilk, but you can use almond or skim milk if you choose)

1 egg

1 ½  green containers of baby spinach

1 ½  very ripe large banana

1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

 

Heat up your waffle iron.  This is a super easy dump it all in and whisk together recipe.  As I said, I grind up oats in the blender.  They do not have to be blended so much that they are as fine as flour.  Just a few seconds is usually enough.  After you blend them, measure 1 yellow container of oats and pour in a large bowl.  Now add your yellow container of whole wheat flour.  Add baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Now, get out your blender again.  Add milk of choice, 1 and ½  containers of spinach and your 1 and ½ bananas.  Blend until smooth.  Add this to dry mixture.  Add egg and Tbsp of coconut oil.  Whisk together until there are no dry spots.  Expect the mixture to be lumpy because of the oats. 

Now, make your waffles.  It does take these a tad bit longer to cook for some reason, but they are worth the wait.  Mine cook in about 85 seconds.  Yes, I am a dork.  I use the timer on my microwave.  I don't trust that little light thingy on my waffle iron. 

Serve with 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup (I also love with a tsp of peanut butter mixed with syrup) or whatever toppings you desire.  Just make sure to count the appropriate containers.

Container Count Per Waffle:

1 Yellow

1/2 Green

1/2 Purple

1 tsp

 

 

*If you want more info on the 21 Day Fix or any Beachbody products, email me at tanyamichelle@beachbodycoach.com. 

Healthier Banana Oatmeal Muffins

So, my little girl is obsessed with muffins.  She loves the boxed kind from the grocery store and would eat them constantly if I would let her.  I don't let her.  Therefore, we have a little tug of war going on constantly.  You see, about 11 months ago, I adopted a new healthy lifestyle.  I've lost 25 pounds and am very enthusiastic about trying to eat healthy, but it is a battle to get my kids on board with the healthy lifestyle.  So, I decided to try to make some healthier muffins.  This is my own recipe and to tell the truth, I'm surprised by how well they turned out.  Not bad for a first try if I do say so myself.  Even my daughter loved them.  So, here ya go!


HEALTHIER BANANA OAT MUFFINS


Ingredients:


1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. honey
1 egg
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 whole wheat flour
*1/3 cup ground whole oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
Optional:  walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, blueberries

*  I put whole oats in my shake blender and blended until ground.  After they are blended, measure out 1/3 cup. 


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.  Stir together sugar, honey, egg and banana.  In separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground oats, salt and soda.  Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients stirring gently until incorporated.  Pour batter into muffin tins - about 2/3 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on your oven.  Enjoy!!

Skinny Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

Okay, so I've been on the lookout for some low cal-ish (yes, I made that word up) new recipes.  Because I've been working several days a week lately, I've been searching for recipes for breakfast that I can make ahead of time and have ready to go.  I DO NOT cook on mornings that I go to work.  As I have said before, 5:30 and I are not friends.  I'm not getting up earlier than 5:30 just so I can cook.  NOPE!  Not gonna happen. 

So, I don't know about you, but I had never actually eaten a scone and I had certainly never baked a scone.  I wasn't even sure if I knew what a scone was.  But, oh my gracious, they are fabulous!  So, you ready for the recipe?  Thanks so much to Gina at SkinnyTaste for making my diet not feel quite so much like a diet. 

Skinny Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

Sevings: 12 • Serving Size: 1 scone • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts

Calories: 199.6 • Fat: 8.1 g • Protein: 3.7 g • Carb: 29.8 g • Fiber: 2.3 g • Sugar: 12.8 g
Sodium: 257.4 mg

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp chilled butter (must be cold) cut into small pieces

3/4 cup chocolate chips

cooking spray

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.  Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender, or you could use 2 knives, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

 Add milk mixture, stirring just until moist.

Place dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly four times with floured hands. Form dough into an 9-inch circle onto baking sheet, about 3/4" thick. Using a knife, cut into dough into 12 wedges, cutting all the way through.  Brush egg white over dough and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes, depending on your oven. Serve warm with a big ole glass of milk, skim of course.  MMMMM!

Shrimp Quesadillas With Tomato Avocado Salsa

As I may have mentioned before, I need to lose a few pounds.  Yep.  I'm a Haus (again, Bonanza reference for you young 'uns).  Anyway, I was recently searching for some low-cal recipes that didn't sound like, well, baked cardboard.  When I came across this recipe at Skinny Taste, I knew it was right up my alley. 

Shrimp Quesadillas with Tomato Avocado Salsa

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings:

4

• Serving Size:

1 quesadilla •

Old WW Points:

7 pts •

WW Points:

8 pts

Calories: 307.3 • Fat: 16.0 g • Protein: 29.6 g • Carb: 27.3 g • Fiber: 17.8 g


Tomato Avocado Salsa:

• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 hass avocado, diced
• 1 lime, juice of
  1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp red onion, finely minced
• 16 large shrimp, cleaned and deviened
• cumin
• garlic powder
• salt and fresh pepper
• cooking spray
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 6 oz Cabot's 75% Light Vermont Cheddar, shredded
• 8 (6") low carb whole wheat flour tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory) 

In a medium bowl, combine tomatores, avocado, red onion, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. 

Season

shrimp with salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder. Lightly spray hot skillet on medium heat with cooking spray.  Add shrimp and scallions.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until shrimp is cooked through.   Removed from heat and cut shrimp in half lengthwise and set aside.

skillet on medium heat and lightly spray with oil.  Heat skillet on medium heat and lightly spray with oil  Add tortilla, stop with 1.5 oz. cheese, 8 shrimp halves and tomato avocado salsa. 

When the cheese is melted and the bottom of the tortilla is golden brown, place the other tortilla on top.    Put a plate on top of the quesadilla to flip in over onto the plate.  Then slide the other side onto the skillet.  Cook another minute and remove with a spatula.  Cute into wedges and serve immediately.

Okay, so this is usually the part of my post where I apologize profusely for how horrible my photos turned out.  BUT, the above photo turned out pretty well if I do say so myself and I didn't steal it or anything.  Okay, so I won't be a food photographer anytime soon, but it's better than usual, right? 

So, I highly recomment this recipe y'all.  It was crazy good!!!  Check out Skinny Taste for more of Gina's recipes.  She always included calories, Weight Watchers Points, etc.  Gina rocks!

Unbelievable Deep Dish Cookie Pie

So, y'all that know me, know that I have a little tug of war going on inside.  You see, there is the big fat side of me who is desperately trying to be healthy and lose weight and then there is the other side of me - the one that has a slight obsession with chocolate - the one that has to have chocolate pretty much every day.  Well, my two sides have aligned.  You see, my sister found this blog, filled with low cal, healthier versions of dessert recipes, most of which include chocolate.  WOO HOO!  So, when I found this recipe, I was beyond thrilled and couldn't wait to try it.  So, what makes this pie "unbelievable"?  Read on and find out yourself.


Deep-Dish Cookie Pie

• 2 cans white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed) (500g) - WHAT?!?!? 
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 T canola oil
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Blend everything (except the chips) very well in a food processor. Mix in chips, and pour into an oiled pan (I used a 10-inch springform pan, but you can use a smaller pan if you want a really deep-dish pie.) Cook at 350F for around 35 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

As usual, ignore the horrible picture.  It doesn't have to be pretty to taste good.  Garbanzo beans?  Seriously?  I ate several servings and I still can't believe it!

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Flappers

So, have I mentioned that Hubby and I are obsessed with Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives?  We loooove it! 

After almost every episode we say, "Oh, we need to try that recipe!"  Then we save it on our DVR and never get around to making said recipe.  A few weeks later, when we are down to 15 hours of recording time left on the DVR, we freak out, erase half of our saved stuff and then the cycle starts all over again.  BUT, occasionally, we immediately get on the computer to search for the recipe or get out a pen and paper and start writing down ingredients while watching the show.  This recipe is from one such Tripe D episode. 

The episode featured a little cafe in Minneapolis called the Colossal Cafe.  The owner and chef made what she called "Flappers", which are yeast based pancakes.  Well, pancakes are like my second favorite breakfast, trailing only slightly behind cinammon rolls, so I knew I had to try it.  On Triple D, they just name the ingredients as they toss them in the bowl and don't give measurements, so unless you're a really good guesser or estimator (I'm NOT), then you have to look up a similar recipe.  So, I found the following recipe online at Cooks.com.


BLINNA (YEAST PANCAKES)


1 1/2 cups warm milk (105-115°F)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 pkg. active dry yeast

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, melted



Combine milk, sugar and yeast. Stir until yeast is dissolved. Set aside for several minutes, until foamy.

Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Let rise for 15 minutes or until puffy.

Brush a non-stick griddle or smooth black cast iron pan that is well seasoned with butter and heat until a droplet of water dances and sizzles on the surface.

Pour a small circle of batter onto the hot pan; cook until pancake forms tiny bubbles near the edges. Flip and bake the other side for a little less time than it took to bake the first side - until the top sets and the pancake is cooked through.

Stack on a warm plate and keep warm in 225°F oven or serve right away with butter and syrup or jam.

Note: If you're not in a hurry for the pancakes to rise, use half the amount of yeast; the pancakes will still rise but it will take a longer time.


Well, the topping (compote) she used on Triple D sounded pretty amazing too.  I just listened to the ingredients and guessed at the amounts, but it turned out to be REALLY good. 

1 cup brown sugar
1 apple, peel and cut into wedges
3/4 cup syrup
2 Tbsp honey
Dash of cinammon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
brie wedges

In a pan, put brown sugar, apple wedges, syrup, cinammon and honey and stir on medium heat until apple slightly cook (about 5 minutes). 

Add walnuts and stir until combined. 

Pour over pancakes and garnish with slices of brie. 

Okay, so if I was a professional chef, or photographer or even food stager, I would have made it look prettier and wiped off the big drop of sauce at the bottom of the photo, but oh well!  This is how it would look if you ate it at my house.

So, I'll admit that I've only actually eaten brie once before this.  Alone, I think it tastes the way old lady musty roses smell. Do you know that smell?  Like an old house (like 100 years old) that an old lady lives in, she apparently grows roses and they got really soggy and musty and smelled up her house.  Do y'all know that smell?  My Hubby thinks I'm NUTS, but it's the smell I remember from my Great Aunt's house when we went over there once and she was like 100 or so years old and lived in the country.  Ah, forget it.  Anyway, that's what brie tastes like to me if I eat it alone, but on this, it's really quite good.  I was pleasantly surprised.

So, there ya go.  Hope y'all enjoy it as much as we did.  Just ignore the brie rant.  It's really late.





Note: You may need to adjust the consistency of the pancake batter. Batter thickens as it stands. Add a few tablespoons of milk if batter is too thick; add a few tablespoons of flour if batter is too thin.

SNOW ICE CREAM AND HOT CHOCOLATE

Well, the kiddos are out of school again so we're just hanging out around the house today.  Here in Arkansas, we don't get snow very often, maybe 2-3 days of snow per year.  We don't have snow plows here, so if it snows, the town pretty much shuts down.  School is almost always out if there is snow on the ground because of the roads out in the county that may be shaded and don't get much traffic.  This makes it dangerous for the buses to run, and therefore, no school.  So, we spend our time playing in the snow and throwing our clothes in the dryer and playing in the snow and throwing our clothes in the dryer again and eating things that I shouldn't be eating, considering I'm trying to lose a few pounds.  Our favorite thing to make is Snow Ice Cream.

SNOW ICE CREAM

8-10 cups of fresh, clean snow (put out a big bowl as soon as the snow starts)
1 can Eagle Brand
1 tsp vanilla

Dump it all in a bowl and mix it up with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.  I do not recommend using a metal bowl or utensils.  It makes the snow melt to fast.

YUM!  Isn't Eagle Brand just the best stuff ever?  It's so yummy!  I've cut my finger on many a Eagle Brand can trying to make sure I get out every single drop of it.  I even cut my tongue on an Eagle Brand can once.  Not proud of it, but it did happen.  And, in case you're wondering about my diet, I only had a couple of bites and I did include it in my calorie count for the day. 

I know Snow Ice Cream is a big snow day tradition at many homes in the south.  Our other tradition?  Homemade Hot Chocolate.  When I say homemade, I mean the kind on the side of the Hershey's Cocoa can. 

HERSHEY'S FAVORITE HOT COCOA

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. Hershey's Cocoa
Dash Salt
1/3 c. hot water
4 c. milk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in a saucepan; stir in water.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixgture boils; boil and stir 2 minutes.  Stir in milk and heat.  Do Not Boil!  Remove from heat; add vanilla.

See, the thing is, my kids love hot chocolate.  LOVE IT!  They even ask for it in the summer.  Usually, I just warm up their Ovaltine chocolate milk, because I'm too lazy to stand over the stove on just any old day.  BUT, on snow days, we have to make the real hot chocolate, the Favorite Hot Chocolate.  It's a tradition.

We also love to have snowball fights.  C kept throwing snowballs at me, so I finally had to pelt her back. 

Yep, got her right in the eye.  It was actually an accident.  She turned around right when I threw it, bus she's okay. 

The sun is out today and the snow is melting so I feel sure the kids will be in school tomorrow.  It's been a good few days of snow with them home. 

What are your snow day traditions?  Do you make Snow Ice Cream too?

I'm linking up to The CSI Project's Winter Challenge.