Healthy Banana Bread

I've been hooked on bananas recently. I feel like I go through phases, and since I've been working out a lot, having joined OrangeTheory, I am consistently eating bananas. I was a little too ambitious at the store the other day and bought more than my fair share of them, so I needed to do something else with them. Naturally, banana bread was what I chose to make, but I wanted to keep it healthy. I was drawn to this recipe from Cookie and Kate, and didn't adapt too much, but wanted to share it here too. 

Ingredients: 

• ⅓ cup grapeseed oil*
• ½ cup maple syrup*
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed bananas (about 2½ medium or 2 large bananas)
• ¼ cup milk of choice or water (I used 1% milk)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
• 1¾ cups regular whole wheat flour*
• Totally optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices... (I obviously used chocolate chips)

* or melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil or high quality vegetable oil

* or honey 

* or white whole wheat flour 

Baking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the oil and syrup together together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then whisk in the mashed bananas and milk. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave.)
3. Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and whisk to blend. Lastly, switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. Some lumps are ok! If you're adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.
4. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. If you'd like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

These are a few of my favorite things....

What's better than cookies and bread?

Here, I made my own.

My mom has an annual Cookie Exchange, and I think this year we realized she had been doing it for 23 or 24 years. How cool is that?! We're thinking of what we'll have to do for the big 2-5. I've been on a baking kick recently (whether that's a good or bad thing, you can decide), so I wanted to try something different. I saw these yummy Turtle Cookies and decided to give them a shot. I honestly thought it was going to be a lot harder than it actually was, so I ended up making them twice this Christmas for two different parties. Definitely give them a try!

As for the recipe, I can't take credit for any of it because I didn't change anything, but here it is:

Cookie:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

8 T. (1 stick) butter, softened

2/3 c. sugar

1 large egg, separated, plus 1 additional egg white

2 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. pecans, finely chopped

Caramel Filling:

14 soft caramel candies

3 T. heavy cream

Prepare the Cookies:  
1.  Combine flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.

2.  With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla; mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined.

3.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

4.  Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy.  Place chopped pecans in another bowl.  Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, and then roll in pecans.  Place balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes.

Prepare the Caramel Filling:  
6.  Microwave caramels and cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

7.  Once cookies are removed from the oven, gently re-press the indentations.  Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of the caramel mixture. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Zucchini Carrot Oatmeal Muffins

All day long yesterday I was really in the mood for some sort of a muffin but after our vacation, I knew I had to eat healthy. To my Pinterest board I went, checked out the "healthy board" and saw this recipe. I edited it a little bit, but didn't take any pictures besides the final product because we had a guest over (hey Devon!). It goes to show how simple this recipe is (read: no Kitchen Aid required). If you look past the sugar that's in here, it's a pretty healthy breakfast option. Pair one muffin with a yogurt or banana, and you have yourself a delicious, hearty (and pretty filling) breakfast. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats (I used Quakers Old Fashioned Oats)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup sugar (I know, I know, it's a big much)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs + 1 egg white
3/4 cup oil
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
optional: 3/4 cup raisins (I didn't use these - I thought I had a box at home but I didn't. They still turned out really good)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and oil. Stir in grated zucchini and carrots. Add to dry ingredients and stir until combined.
3. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake for about 15-20 minutes. They are done when a toothpick (or knife, or fork) comes out clean and tops spring back when lightly touched.

Enjoy for breakfast, afternoon stack or even dessert!