Fudgy & Skinny Red Velvet Brownies

Soooo, I just watched Frozen.

And now I'm listening to "Let It Go" and pinning pictures of Olaf every five minutes. 

(Wait, did I just say that out loud?)

I'll spare you my praises for the characters and plot line because really, just go watch it and save us all the trouble. But, I will say, I loved that Frozen realistically showed true love. Ana thought it was at first sight, but it couldn't be. It just can't happen. And I love that, finally, Disney reflected reality, but not as a kill joy, but as a teacher and motivator. Ana learned (among other things) that true love requres sacrifice and energy and time. 

(And now I'll stop - no spoilers)

 

Valentines Day is in two weeks and to be honest, I've never celebrated the holiday. (Feel free to speculate as to why …)  But my Dad always gets my mom a box of chocolates and roses, whether he is here at home or across the country on business.  It might be an inconvenience, but he doesn't act like it. Or, when he spends the night at hotels, they let him choose a water, or a trail mix, or whatever, to make your stay "the best it can be."  My dad doesn't like chocolate, but he always chooses the Toblerone and brings it home for Mom.  That's love.  I think, at least in my age group, love can get down played, especially in dating and especially during Valentine's.  Love requres sacrifice. Energy. Time. Not hand holding or flower buying. It's putting someone else before yourself and I'm grateful my parents have been an example of that. 

And, I love that Disney is beginning to promote that truth as well. Ana thought she knew who her true love was, because it was "love at first sight."  Guys, these brownies were love at first sight.  But they weren't love at first taste. I  told a friend how bummed I was because the texture was great, the color was what I wanted, but the flavor just wasn't … sweet, and brownies are supposed to be sweet. The original recipe had called for all honey as it's sweetener, and although I was hesitant, I did it. I was regretting it after my first bite. I wasn't going to blog these. I was going to redo them. But before that could happen, we had to finish the first pan. So, a day after making them, I cut myself a piece from the nearly untouched pan and flinched as I took a bite. But then, I realized, this tastes like a brownie!  This tastes good, like, really good!

 

These brownies are no light weights.  They are moist and thick and dense - and chocolatey sweet.  They're delicious!  But, they need time.  Don't eat them right out of the oven.  Give the yogurt and the cocoa and the honey a day to meet each other and like each other and trust me, these brownies will be your new love.

Even though these need time, they don't need sacrifice or energy.  They are only one bowl and have healthy ingredients that are easy to find!  Greek yogurt provides all the "fat" and adds most of the body and moisture.  These are also completely whole wheat!  Whole wheat things are supposed to be painfully heavy and dry.  Not these; thanks to the yogurt and honey, these are heavy, but in the fudgiest way possible.  Also, I only used a teaspoon of red food coloring, because that was all we had :) and they turned out somewhat red.  If you want a deeper color, just add more food coloring.  Whatever the shade, these brownies win top award!

 

Between Frozen and these brownies, I was reminded that real friendships need time and that basing my opinions on someone after just meeting them isn't the wisest idea, nor the most accurate.  It is hard for me to not judge someone based on their hair or one word they said in a conversation.  I need to give people time.  Their true colors will show eventually, they always do (ahem, Frozen) and then I can decide whether they are real friends or not.  Honestly, after I get to know someone, I usually have to take back my first opinion. 

 

Thank goodness these brownies don't need several weeks or even years to decide whether or not they are good!

Fudgy and Skinny Red Velvet Brownies
Recipe Source: Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction
Yield: 12-16 servings

Heaping 1 cup plain yogurt (greek or regular, nonfat or low fat) 

1 egg + 1 egg white 

1/2 cup milk ( I used low fat)

2/3 cup honey

3/4 cup whole wheat flour 

3/4 cup cocoa powder 

1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red food coloring

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (use sugar free chocolate chips to keep these refined sugar free)

Preheat oven to 350.
Whisk yogurt, egg and egg white, milk, and honey together. 
Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir well.
Add red food coloring and stir until all the food coloring is incorporated.  (Add more if you want a deeper red.  But be careful; a little goes a long ways!)
Stir in chocolate chips.
Bake for 40-45 minutes.
Let cool and sit overnight. 
Enjoy!

Skinny Lemon Poppy Seed Cheesecake Bars

I've seen a lot of lemon recipes recently and ever time, I started craving it. There is something about the fresh tartness of lemon that is so good.  To me, lemon is creamy things; lemon bars, lemon cheesecake, lemon pudding, lemon whipped cream ...

Now, one of my favorite lemon recipes that isn't creamy is lemon poppy seed muffins. Those things are incredible. So I decided to take those flavors and textures and try them in cheesecake. I had also been wanting to try Sally's recipe for a while so it worked out perfectly.

 

 

These are cheesecake in bar form and have all the decadence of cheesecake without the guilt. (I'm just using that as an expression because I really don't believe in associating guilt with food. And I personally love cheesecake, no matter what:)

So here we go!  You start with the crust. I added some poppy seeds to the crust and they give it extra texture and crunch. 

Then, for the cheesecake, I used the combination of Greek yogurt and cream cheese and then stirred in the egg whites, flour, and sugar. There is two doses of lemon; the juice and zest. Next time you go to the store, go ahead and get a whole lemon. You'll get more than enough fresh juice and zest from one lemon for these. You could just double this and use the whole lemon. You'll be needing another pan, trust me.  

 

Tangy would be my word to describe these (after mouthwatering!)  The Greek yogurt and lemon add all the sour tanginess and the sugar cuts that and adds sweetness (and there is only a half cup used; not bad for lemon cheesecake) 

The poppy seeds add a little texture and pop of color.  I wasn't sure they would be good in cheesecake, but they fit right in with the lemon. Lemon and poppy seeds work so well together, no matter where they are. These bars are proof. 

Oh, one thing about these: you have to let them sit for at least four hours in the fridge.  That is the only downside to this recipe.  Patience, oh patience!

If I had to pick an all time favorite ingredient, Greek yogurt would be up there.  It is protein packed, doesn't leave me bloated or stomach achy, is smooth, creamy, and oh so versatile.  Give it to me for breakfast, snack - now dessert. And now it is deliciously disguised in one of my all time favorite desserts. My lemon cravings are satisfied and I can have these as a post volleyball snack.  Well, maybe that's pushing it ...

 

Side note: I seriously ate a slice of this cheesecake after a volleyball practice - no joke. It was absolutely amazing and I didn't get sick. I adore cheesecake. 

Skinny Lemon Poppy Seed Cheesecake Bars 

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life. Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction 

Crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs 

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 Tablespoon milk 

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Filling: 

8 oz low fat cream cheese, softened 

3/4 cup Greek yogurt, nonfat plain 

2 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar 

2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour 

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons lemon zest 

2 teaspoons poppy seeds 

 

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. 

Stir until it pulls together. 

Press into a lightly greased 9x9 pan and bake for 8 minutes.

 

For the filling:

While the crust is baking, beat cream cheese, yogurt and egg whites together.

Add sugar and flour and stir.

Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and poppy seeds until combined.  Pour into crust (I didn't let mine cool all the way because I was running out of time) and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool before refrigerating for at least four hours.

 

 

Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake

I recently discovered something even better than peanut butter.

 

 

I really didn't think that was possible. 

Skippy's chocolate peanut butter was one of my favorite discoveries of 2013!  Speaking of years, I was looking through my most recent journal and Bible study notebook and every.single.one had "1/2/13" or "1/7/13" in the corner.  I do this every year; I think it deserves its own resolution.  Thank goodness the blog automatically changes the date header because you all would still think I was living in '13.  Ugg. 

I made Nutella and banana sandwiches for Abigail and Elizabeth one time, with leftover Nutella from a recipe.  They started asking for it all the time!  Nutella is really good, but it isn't necessarily good for you. Skippy's Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread is an excellent substitute for Nutella and is way better for you.  Elizabeth didn't like how peanut butter-y it was, but is slowly being converted. Me and Abigail only needed one spoonful to be hooked.

This milkshake is super thick and creamy thanks to the combination of frozen banana and Greek yogurt. It gets the chocolate kick from the cocoa powder and the tablespoon of chocolate peanut butter gives it three different things - more creaminess (really, it's amazing how much a tablespoon adds!) more chocolate flavor and, of course, the peanut butter flavor.  It's sweet and rich and satisfying.  This at least makes my jar last longer!

 

Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake 

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life 

Yield: 1 serving 

1 frozen banana 

1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt 

3 tablespoon cocoa powder 

1 tablespoon Skippy's chocolate peanut butter 

1/4 cup milk

Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Aaaand that's it!  Enjoy!

Now, if I can find something better than this chocolate peanut butter, then I'll be set! 

Hey, one more thing.  I've been having a little trouble with my commenting system and I was wondering if you could answer a couple questions to help me figure out what's up?  When you comment, what ID do you use?  Google, Wordpress, open?  Also, I was wondering if you have a comment system you use or have used on other blogs that you've really liked?  I'd like to change mine, but haven't quite committed yet.  Thanks! 

Whole Wheat Greek Yogurt Mint and Dark Chocolate Cookies

I've seen so many cookie recipes that had cream cheese, sour cream, or Greek yogurt in them and I have been dying to try it.

I've decided my "New Year's Resolutions" are going to be all recipes I need to make.  That is acceptable, right?

Cream cheese, etc. cookies were on the list. Now I can scratch them of.  First up: More homemade granolas.  Then, a a three layer cake.  And then, well, I think salted caramel + coconut would be good.  I'm not putting greek yogurt on the list, but I would like to do more with that.  You know what really needs to happen?  I have got to be more disciplined in responding to all your wonderful comments.  I was adding recipes to my recipe page (another thing I am TERRIBLE about keeping up with) and realized how many comments I didn't respond to.  I felt really bad!  So I'm going to reply as soon as possible instead of waiting to do it all at once.

Ok, back to the cookies.  Consuelo's recipe caught my eye, especially when she said her brother's couldn't tell a difference from this version to the real version!

Now, there are a couple things you should know about these cookies (besides the usual "they are amazing!")  They are uber soft.  They hold up well, but they are pretty moist, which I love, but if you are hard and crunchy cookie person, then you won't like these.  As you can tell, they stack fine, so they aren't falling apart, but if you don't plan on eating them in the next couple days after baking, freeze 'em, because they're too moist and soft to store for that long.  Read: mold - and that isn't the green we are going for!

But those green chocolate chips?  They are good!  They were part of a holiday chocolate chip mix, with mint chips and dark chocolate chips.  They were on sale and since mint and chocolate counts as a "classic" combo, I felt okay about posting them after Christmas.  Read: Yeah, I'm behind.  What else is new ;)

Oh, also, I'm going to grind my oats next time.  They didn't soften into the baked cookie as much as I thought they would and did add texture.  I was good with it, but my mom was convinced, I mean convinced it was coconut.  Just a warning if you don't like texture in your cookie. 

 

Overall, I really liked how they turned out!  They were soft, melt in your mouth, and sturdy enough to travel.  And they are completely whole wheat and have almost a cup of Greek yogurt, which means you can indulge your mint and chocolate craving without a problem. 

Update!!!  Okay, this might sound strange, and it probably is, but it works.  Freeze these cookies and eat them frozen.  I know, it sounds wrong, but it isn't!  Because these are so soft, they don't freeze solid, they are just firmer and a little denser.  They are delicious either way, but after trying a frozen one, I liked it better. 

They look exactly like regular cookies, and if you didn't know better, you would think they were made with all butter and white flour.  Finally, a healthy cookie that isn't no bake!  Thanks Consuelo!

 

Whole Wheat Greek Yogurt Mint & Dark Chocolate Cookies
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Adapted from Honey and Figs Kitchen
Yield: 16 cookies

heaping 1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup oats (I would suggest grinding them if you don't like textured cookies)
scant 1/4 cup cornstarch
scant 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup mint and dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease cookie sheets

Beat butter, Greek yogurt, and egg together.  Add sugars and beat again.  Add flour, oats, cornstarch, powder, soda, and salt and stir until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.
Let chill in freezer for 30 minutes or in refrigerator for several hours. 
Scoop chilled dough onto baking sheets.  Flatten cookies slightly.  Bake for 13-15 minutes.  Do not bake any longer than this!  Let cool on pans for five minutes before letting cookies cool completely on wire racks.  Store in air tight container or freeze. 

Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Bread

So, who waits until right after Christmas to pull out a pumpkin recipe?

Yep, that would be me.  My true colors show.  #pumpkinlove

It all started with my crazy good banana bread ... which I made into white chocolate cranberry banana loaves ... which I then made into pumpkin bread for a volleyball tournament because we were out of bananas.

And it was so good, I just couldn't not share it with you.

Once again, greek yogurt saves the day again by adding protein, calcium, and that wonderful soft crumb I love in this quick bread recipe.  The pumpkin flavor is less subtle, but without it, this wouldn't be moist and soft and so pretty!  I really like the color pumpkin gives baked goods:)  I used dark chocolate chips which melted into incredible chocolate pockets throughout the whole bread.  They are the best part, but what can I say?  #chocolatelove

 

I cannot get enough bananas (I probably eat 1-2 every day ... #bananalove ... this is getting ridiculous! #allfoodlove) but I actually liked not having that flavor in this bread.  The pumpkin and the chocolate got to shine and that combo is amazing.  Lots of sweet chocolate, hints of pumpkin spice, and tons of moist sweet bread amazingness. 

 

 

I could eat sweet breads over cookies any day, but I have been eating lots and lots of good food the last couple days!  Blondies and lemon bars ... I'll be needing some greek yogurt bread now that I'm home!  Christmas was just wonderful and I'm still enjoying getting to sleep in.  A recap on Christmas is coming soon!

 

Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Bread

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life

Yield: 12 slices

 

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt (I used nonfat)

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups flour (either 100% all purpose, or 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 all purpose)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup dark chocolate chips

 

Stir first five ingredients together.  Add eggs, beat well after each addition.  Stir together next five ingredients and add to wet ingredients.  Stir until combined.  Add chocolate chips.  Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. 

White Chocolate Cranberry Banana Bread + Gift Idea

I cannot believe how close Christmas is.

How on earth did time fly?  When I was younger, time seemed to crawl this time of year. Why is it when you get older, you want things to slow down, but life only seems to move faster?  It is becoming a problem.

Like, we haven't even decorated our tree (which we got a couple days ago thankyouverymuch)  Now that classes and stuff are over, we might have a chance since we won't be driving back and forth all the time. We'll see!  Although I am behind on decorating, I'm going my best to keep up with baking. I like the decorations, but my heart lies in the kitchen (not that that isn't obvious)

With so much ending this week, I decided to make loaves as Christmas gifts for teachers. While shopping for my brother (shhh!) at Walmart (okay, never mind, we don't have to be hush hush about Walmart ;) I found these mini loaf pans. Anything mini is automatically good in my book!  These are so cute and make perfect gifts, since most people don't need a whole loaf of bread for themselves, especially this time a year. 

In this post, I'm just going to share three quick and easy ideas for gifting bread. Emphasis on easy. :)

 

Option #1:  Burlap and Bow.  Wrap your loaf in saran wrap.  Cut a strip of wide burlap and wrap it around the saran wrapped loaf.  Place it in a clean foil pan.  Then place a bow of choice on top.  I didn't love the silver, because it looks blah with the foil and burlap, but it was all we had.  I recommend green (or pink!:)

 



 

Option #2:  Gold Bow Loaf.  For this one, I put the loaf back into the pan and wrapped it all in saran wrap.  Then I tied the ribbon around both sides.  This one is best for traveling and was my favorite.  I would've loved it more with some fun ribbon.

 

 

Option #3:  Red Ribbon Bow.  For this one, all I did was wrap the loaf in saran wrap.  Then I took a long strip of wide ribbon (red sparkles in this case) and tied a bow around the loaf of bread.  I also stuck a little note under the now. This one was the cutest, but colorful ribbon makes all the difference!

 

 

 

 

  

The banana bread is the recipe for my crazy good chocolate chip banana bread, which is soft and moist and sweet thanks to the bananas and greek yogurt. This time, I subbed white chocolate for the chocolate chips and added cranberries. This banana bread recipe is my favorite and one I actually come back to again and again.  As a food blogger, there aren't very many recipes that get made more than once.  Christmas time brings out all the stand byes. There is no time to be wasted on a recipe that might not work, especially when you are giving them as gifts or hosting a dinner. I'm so glad I can still enjoy most of the Christmas meals without having to prep!  I leave the meats and casseroles to the aunts and just bake the banana bread and tie ribbon. :)

 

 

White Chocolate Cranberry Banana Bread

Recipes Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Adapted from here.

Yield: 3 mini loaves (or one normal loaf)

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 eggs 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt (I used nonfat)

1 cup mashed ripe banana (I used 3 medium)

1-1/2 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

3/4 cup cranberries

 

Beat softened butter and eggs together.  Stir in yogurt, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and mashed banana and beat until smooth.  Add flour, salt, and soda and whisk until just combined.  Divide between three greased and floured mini loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan before removing and letting cool on a wire rack.  After cooled, slice and enjoy or wrap up and gift!  Loaves can also be frozen. 

Chocolate Raspberry Bread

Dark chocolate and deep red raspberries are so pretty together. Funny how when I start recipes, one of my first thoughts is how it will look on the blog.  Frankly, that's ridiculous; alas, the life of a food blogger. 

So we took Christmas pictures this week and me and mom were getting clothes out, trying to coordinate colors (getting 10 outfits that don't clash is hard) and then find the right spot where none of us are in the shadows, etc. and Dad (typical male) was like, "can we just take the picture?"  

I immediately shot back, "If we're going to do it, were going to do it right.  We don't want to look like a bunch of redneck country people who can't even get a family photo."  I was a little put off he wasn't appreciating how much work was going into this picture. Trust me, getting my family to cooperate and smile in church clothes on for a picture on a weekend - hard. 

That didn't fly so well (surprise) but what he said, although I was miffed, stuck with me. "You are too image based Mary Frances."

Whoa. That's quite the accusation, Dad. 



Am I?  Is everything I do based on my "image?"  Okay, so is that bad?  Can I even avoid it?  My Dad has proved to me you can live without worrying about your image yet avoid the redneck look (I apologize for the stereotype.)  Sure, my dad is a successful business man, but what does he know about girl's opinions on image? Um, a lot. But that is a whole nother topic.  The truth is, I really do care a lot about my image. I take pains to make my food look nice. I take time to do my hair and makeup and clothes. I like to have people like me. Those things aren't bad - seriously, what person doesn't want up be liked. What Dad was pointing out was that image becomes a problem when it's put before God and he was not-so subtly reminding me that it won't matter whether people think our Christmas card is picture perfect, even though I want people to think we are (just for the record, it's absolutely impossible.)  I'm not saying I need to start, well, acting completely without reason because, I don't care what others think!  No, I realized I need to quit spending so much time on creating an image that will make people think how cool I (or our family) am. Because I've realized, it's those who care about people and not their image, those are the people I'm most drawn to. 



While I was practicing physics problems in my room, Elizabeth and Abigail walked in and needed something to do. I handed them my Taste of Home magazines to flip through and they picked a chocolate peppermint loaf.  Since we didn't have candy canes to sprinkle on top, I decided to use what we needed to use up - raspberries. You can use fresh or frozen, although I don't know where you'll find fresh ... we made this several weeks ago!  

Now, I obviously omitted the mint extract ... however, I also forgot to add the chocolate chips.  So in those photos, there are no chocolate chips.  DON'T OMIT THEM.  It is fine without them, but it is great with them! :)



Chocolate and raspberry makes a great combination for this bread. The raspberries add moisture and pair nicely with the light, sweet loaf. Here's to a quiet afternoon with a slice of bread and a hot drink!

Chocolate Raspberry Bread

Recipe Source: Adapted from Taste of Home

Yield: 12 slices

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg + 1 egg white

1/3 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

1 teaspoon vanilla

heaping 1 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup chocolate chips

4 oz raspberries

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease bread pan. 

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together.  Add egg, egg white, yogurt, coffee, and vanilla and beat well.  Stir flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread 1/2 of the batter into the pan.  Sprinkle the raspberries on top.  Pour rest of batter on top.  Sprinkle reserved raspberries on top of that.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out nearly clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. 

Orange Raspberry Banana Bread

Raspberry Truffle Bites

   

State Recap + Crazy Good Banana Bread

Hi everyone!  I'm back, after a weekend of volleyball!  I got up at 5:30 Friday morning and got back at 10:30 Saturday night.  Our State volleyball tournament was worth every minute of missed sleep.

State kicked my tail.  Either I'm crazy out of shape or we just played really hard!  I think we played eight games over the two days and some of them went to three sets (one ended up going 21-19, when it was only supposed to go until 15 ... that was fun and we did win!) Also, I think we all pulled 18-20 hour days ... also fun! :)  Since you don't want to hear the play by play of State and since I really can't talk about State without talking about teams I did or didn't *cough* like, I'll just say I had so much fun (up until the last game) and that we took fourth overall.  
A couple highlights were getting to hang out with another team at the gym and at the hotel and cheer each other on during games.  They were like our buddy team!  Such sweet girls.  Now we know all their names and we know theirs; there is something special about hearing your name specifically being cheered from the stands.  And I got a block - all by myself.  That felt good.  Overall, our team played really well and we finished about where I thought we would.  Can't believe by next week it'll
be over! 

Yes, I did smile in the middle of the game at my mom.  Don't judge me, who wants bad photos of themselves?!  She laughed at me, though:)

Just about to crash from lack of sleep:)  I think we did go to Starbucks after this picture and get some caffeine ... and rest ...

I LOVE this picture.  Hannah, you do have a serious-er face!

Sooo, aside from lots of volleyball, I had to eat, and so in the name of this food blog, I'll talk about the food I liked:)

Greek yogurt and peanut butter.  Hannah, sweet girl, let me have some of her greek yogurt, which was great for the sore throat I had.  Funny story, I thought it was vanilla and was going to mix peanut butter in it, but NO, it was key lime!  So I had my yogurt and then my peanut butter, separate.  It was a great snack before one of our games.

Pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. It was hot and sweet and tasted really good after all that water and Gatorade. Plus, the atmosphere was relaxing;)

HUMMUS.  Oh my goodness, I love hummus, I really do, and Anna brought some.  It is incredible on turkey sandwiches and with peppers, just saying.  It made my lunch for sure.

Jellybeans!  Who doesn't like jellybeans?  One of my teammates older sisters (Hi Erin!) came and stayed with a couple of us "parentless" girls and we did facial masks and guessed jellybeans and talked for several hours on Friday night at the hotel.  Such good memories!   Erin brought a big bag and we spent a good 30 minutes eating it; guessing flavors, picking favorites, letting our masks dry.  My favorite was tiramisu, although mango was really good, too.   

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.  Yep, I'm giving you the recipe, too.  This is really good banana bread.  Crazy good, hence the title:) 

 

It's dense and moist and the mini chocolate chips mean there is more melty chocolate spread throughout the bread.  The banana flavor is the strongest, but compliments the chocolate nicely.  It's not overly sweet and was great for in between games, midnight snacking, and then sharing with my siblings (I prefer the midnight snacking to sharing:) 

 

I love using yogurt in baked goods, because it adds moisture and avoids the rubbery feel applesauce can give.  It also adds density, something good quick breads have to have.  Finally, it adds protein!  And getting protein in my banana and chocolate chip bread is always a plus and totally justifies eating more than one slice. 

 

 

 

Breakfast, snack, or dessert, this banana bread is incredible.  I've made it twice in the past four days!

 

Greek Yogurt and Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life

Yield: 12-16 slices

1-1/2 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt (I used nonfat)

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup mashed ripe banana (I used 3 medium)

2 eggs

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips {plus more for sprinkling on top}. 

Beat softened butter and eggs together.  Stir in yogurt, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and mashed banana and beat until smooth.  Add flour, salt, and soda and whisk until just combined.  Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan (I think ours was 10x6 or something like that.)  Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes in pan before removing and letting cool on a wire rack. 

More banana bread recipes:


Nutella Swirled Hot Chocolate Banana Bread

Orange Raspberry Banana Bread

Beernana Bread Muffins

 

What are your favorite banana bread recipes?  Leave links or names!

Hugs,
Mary Frances

Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal Smoothie

I don't know about you, but I'm happy it's Saturday. 

I love my Saturday mornings and although part of it will be spent at Auditions this morning, I'm ready for a full afternoon to do as I please. I hope to bake something from my chocolate board, figure out physics (ugg, I've read the chapter a dozen times and have gone nowhere) catch up with some friends and get in a run. I do enjoy the weekends. Anything I do on the weekend seems extra, you know?  Bonus points ... I'm all about bonus points. You know what else I'm all about? ( I seriously need new transitions) Smoothies.  (P.S.  there are a lot of pictures in this post. Consider yourself warned.) 

Guys, I tried oats in my smoothie for the first time ever ... where has this been all my life?  It added so much "fill me up" and held me for hours longer than normal. That was something I had missed from my other smoothies.  

 

I know, I know, I could add flax and spinach and chia seed, but lets face it; I'm self conscious about oats in my smoothie, let alone kale and protein powder. My family isn't quite ready for all that other healthy power foods. I don't think they'll ever care and that's a-ok. It's nice not to have the pressure of eating right all the time.
 

 

In addition to oats, I also added coconut and coconut oil for some healthy fats. Works like a charm. And this smoothie tastes amazing, sweet, thick, creamy, coconut-y and fruity.  I was surprised by how much I liked the added texture in my smoothie. Smoothies are supposed to be smooth (hence the name ... I know, I'm smart that way;) but the heartiness of the oats blended with the yogurt was delicious.  As with all smoothies, feel free to adjust any measurements. Only use 1/4 cup oats got less texture, add more blueberries and yogurt for more body and stronger flavor, add
more milk to thin it out - its completely customizable!

 

 

I really appreciated how long this kept me full and fueled. For some of you, this may be old hat, but if its not, try it!  

 

Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal Smoothie 

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life 

Yield: 1 serving

1/3 cup quick oats 

3/4 cup vanilla yogurt (Greek or regular)

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 cup frozen blueberries 

2-3 tablespoons coconut shreds 

In a food processor or blender, pulse oats a few times. Add milk, coconut oil, and yogurt and pulse again.  Finally, add blueberries and coconut shreds and blend until all the ingredients are blended well together. Serve immediately.

Related Recipes:

Skinny White Chocolate and Blueberry Milkshake

Blueberry Lemon Cottage Cheese Muffins

Homemade Blueberry Larabars