Banana Nut Protein Muffins

A healthy muffin that tastes good too!

Banana Nut Protein Muffins

In a bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the following ingredients:

5 ripe bananas smashed, about 2 1/2 cups
2 cups flour
2 scoops vanilla flavored protein powder
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans or ground almonds
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup water

optional: 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Place paper cupcake baking cup liners in a cupcake tin, spray liners with spray butter. Pour or spoon batter into each cupcake liner until full.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes, remove from pan and allow to cool.

Note: Makes 18 muffins.  Muffins will puff up then deflate while cooling, this is normal.

Baked Crispy Hash Browns

mmmm, delicious hash browns without the grease, a healthy alternative to fried, inspired by a Cook's Country recipe.

Baked Crispy Hash Browns

4 pounds of Russet potatoes diced
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 Tablespoons butter
1 1 /2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

optional: onion, seasoning to taste

Place a large rimmed baking sheet on oven rack set to the lowest position. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

In a large pan bring to boil 10 cups of water.  Add potatoes and baking soda and bring back to a boil and cook for 1 minute.  Drain potatoes and return to pot over low heat to evaporate any leftover liquid, shake as needed.  Remove from heat and stir in butter, salt and garlic powder.  Potatoes should be covered with a starchy paste.

Remove baking sheet from oven and drizzle with oil.  Spread potatoes in an even layer and bake for 15 minutes.  Turn the potatoes over and cook another 15-25 minutes until potatoes are browned and crispy.

Easy Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes

Whoah...hold the press folks, these creamy scalloped potatoes are super easy and soooo delicious.  So easy you will want to try them today.

My secret ingredient to smooth and creamy, but lightened up scalloped potatoes is "Cheesy Ragu, Light Parmesan Alfredo".  I'm not a huge fan of premade sauces but for $1.69 at Wal Mart this makes a reasonably priced side dish that is absolutely delicious.

Easy Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes

Peel and slice thinly 4 pounds of potatoes  

Make the sauce, in a medium sized bowl mix the following:
1 cup milk (I used skim)
2 Tablespoons margarine
1 1/2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
optional 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 jar of Cheesy Ragu Light Parmesan Alfredo
(adjust the seasonings to your taste)

Spray your crockpot with cooking spray, it will make clean up easy.

Add a little sauce to the crockpot then add about 1/3 of the potatoes, pour about 1/3 of the sauce over the potatoes then layer the potatoes and sauce 2 more times.  Make sure all the potatoes are coated.  Cover and cook on high for about 5 hours.  After 2 1/2 hours stir the potatoes and add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese if desired, stir in.

 The cooking time will depend on how thinly you slice the potatoes.  

Yogurt and Cereal

In my bowl this morning...Yogurt and Cereal

Good morning :) I could eat this everyday, oh wait, I do...unless it's the weekend, or I am out of yogurt or we have Cinnamon Rolls in the house, (which I have a tendency to make disappear).  This is my goto quick fix breakfast. Update: I've recently switched my high content sugar infused vanilla yogurt with plain greek yogurt.    

Never before have I seen such beautiful fruits available all year round at such reasonable prices.  It is the middle of winter and the blackberries pictured above were bought at our local grocery store for $1/small carton. So gather up your favorite toppings and create a yogurt creation for breakfast, snack or layer it in a nice parfait glass and call it dessert. 
  
Thanks to the relentless TV commercials we have all heard the GI benefits of yogurt, but there is new research indicating that it is also good for lowering blood pressure. "...people eating low-fat yogurt every three days were 31 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure than those that didn't." ~from Taste of Home Magazine, February/March 2013 issue, page 79

I Promise to Eat More Vegetables Salad

So excited to see my first issue of Bon Appetit magazine with the most delicious, mouth watering....salads.  Yes, salads. Oh my goodness, what perfect timing to start off the new year with great looking foods that are soooo good for you.  This recipe is inspired by the mandoline sliced vegetable salads in Bon Appetite, January 2013 issue.  Their salads did not have one piece of lettuce, and neither does mine. 

I Promise to Eat More Vegetables Salad
With a mandoline, thinly slice celery and carrots lengthwise.  I used broccoli slaw mix to save time.  Toss all with Lemon Vinagrette Dressing, like Wegman's and garnish with celery leaves.

mmm, mmm, veggies never looked so good! 

p.s. at 80% off, Bon Appetit is a steal. Save 80% on a 1 year Print & Tablet Subscription to Bon Appetit - Only $17.00 (plus $3 shipping)! Free tote bag + 2 digital Bon Appetit cookbooks - "Small Plates" and "Cocktail Guide" - with every purchase.

If you need a mandoline, Bon Appetite recommends this one:
mandoline