banana

Strawberry Baked Oatmeal Muffins

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It’s June, strawberries are out and the weather is warmer!!  Ahh, it’s a nice change of pace from the chilly and rainy spring!  Fresh, local strawberries are my absolute favorite. Since I’m the only person in Lancaster County who does not make strawberry jelly, I love to find different ways to use strawberries to take advantage of their short season.  I made these baked oatmeal muffins on a warm and humid Sunday morning and ate them happily outside with some strawberry and basil infused water ( basically because it was too early for a strawberry basil margarita :-).  I would usually never take the time to make infused water, but today I had a minute and it was great to sit outside and actually enjoy my food and drink using ingredients from the garden.

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For the basil infused water, simply dice strawberries and place basil leaves and strawberries in a jar, add water and ice and enjoy right away or let it infuse for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.

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Ingredients for the Strawberry Baked Oatmeal Muffins

3/4 cup mashed ripe banana

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey (if you like more sweetness, increase the amount)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup diced strawberries

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all of the ingredients together.  Spoon into 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 22-25 minutes, until firm.  Enjoy!

 

Banana and Blueberry Pancakes

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The past few weeks have been a season of extremes…full schedules, warmer weather, husband traveling, conferences, school play (you name it!) then sickness and cleared schedules, snuggling on the couch, reading 3 books at a time and freezing weather.  I was sick this week and called in from work for the first time I can remember in a long time.  I watched the snow fall all day and didn’t do anything productive.  And my daughter had her tonsils out and we are staying in, watching movies, snuggling on the couch while she recovers.  It’s inevitable that we will be busy with 3 kids, but we try not to let business define us.  And sometimes we are forced to slow down.  I’ll take it and breathe a little.  When I have some downtime I love to cook and experiment with recipes. I am not a huge fan of pancakes, but I do love blueberry pancakes. These pancakes have no added sugar…yes, they taste kind of “healthy” and my kids much prefer my husband’s famous “real” pancakes, but I love them.  Add a little butter and a dash of cinnamon or a little real maple syrup and you won’t miss the “real” pancakes!  These were so good this morning with coffee and a nice sunny window on this frigid day!!

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 egg, beaten add

1 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

1/4 c. almond milk

1/2 c. rolled oats

1/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/4-1/2 c. blueberries

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas add the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and stir until combined.  Make the pancakes on a griddle or frying pan on low heat.  Makes 6 small-medium pancakes.  Instead of blueberries, try chocolate chips and it tastes like banana bread!

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Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

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I make a variation of these cookies to have on hand all the time.  They are great to grab on the go for breakfast.  A much better option then a packaged granola bar.  These “cookies” have no added sugar, contain fiber and a little fat so you are not hungry right away.  The original recipe I got from the book “Bread and Wine” by Shauna Niequist.  I vary the ingredients, but keep the same basic recipe.  I added pumpkin to these (tis the season!) and made some with blueberries, some with dark chocolate chips and some plain.  My three year old insisted on adding the blueberries as she was snacking on them when we were making these and loves to add anything to the bowl!

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Ingredients:

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup of pumpkin puree

1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup ground flax (or almond meal)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup shredded coconut (non sweetened)

1/2 chopped walnuts

dark chocolate chips (optional)

blueberries (optional)

Mix the banana, pumpkin, vanilla and coconut oil in a bowl.  Mix the dry ingredients together and incorporate all of the ingredients. Add the blueberries at the end if you are using them. Sometimes I just throw everything together in one bowl and mix it up and it turns out just fine!  I use an ice cream scooper to scoop them out in even cookies.  Add the chocolate chips to the top or mix them in the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Let cook and enjoy!  I freeze these for an easy breakfast or snack anytime.

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