Protein Packed Banana Bread

I have posted a banana bread recipe in the past that used coconut flour, and it's super tasty, but a friend of mine from Symon's Family Chiropractic shared this protein packed version with almond flour. It was so quick and easy, and I did part as muffins and part in mini-loaves and both were tasty and simple!

1.5 Cups Blanched Almond Flour (Target, Whole Foods, Valley Natural, Cub)
1 scoop Mila Chia Seed
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda (xanthan gum also works)
2 eggs
2-3 mashed bananas
1/4 cup grapeseed or olive oil
1/4 cup raw pure honey (agave would also work)
1/4 cup 70% or darker chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients, then mix wet ingredients. Combine well and pour into oiled pan or lined muffin tin (I did two mini-loaves and 6 muffins so I could try both). Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, loaves may take longer, or until toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

Try them both and let me know which one you like better!

BBQ Beef Brisket

Okay, so this isn't a very creative, authentic BBQ recipe but it sure was tasty! We have had a very busy Fall so far and I am loving my crockpot!

4-5 lb grass-fed beef brisket roast, fat trimmed
1 bottle Organicville BBQ sauce (sweetened with agave, not sugar)
2 tsp. raw maple syrup
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. seasoning salt (msg-free)
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. chipotle powder

1. Combine all sauce and seasonings well and pour on top of brisket. Marinate overnight to absorb flavors.
2. After marinating overnight, place in crockpot on low for 8-10 hours.
3. Slice or shred meat before serving.

This would be great on a bun or tortilla or even over rice, but we just ate in plain with some steamed vegetables! Enjoy!

Halloween Party Snacks

This afternoon, my daycare kids and I had a Halloween Bash-complete with costumes and dancing! Since they will all most likely be eating candy and junk all weekend and Monday, I decided to keep it healthy and here was my menu:

1. Ghost Bananas-stuck in peanut butter, dark chocolate chips for eyes, and a raisin for a mouth
2. Deviled Egg Spiders-Deviled eggs made with vegenaise, organic mustard, sea salt, and paprika topped with a black olive "spider" (or my attempt at carving a spider out of an olive)
3. Boooo-berry muffins

The kids loved it and didn't even ask for candy/cookies/etc. By the way, we understand that at the holidays it can be tough to avoid treats, so my advice is either to make homemade snacks/treats, buy organic treats to swap, or just let them have a couple pieces of cookie/candy and then make it disappear. Remind them of other fun things about holidays, such as dressing up, spending time with family, games, etc. My 3 year old LOVES parties but for her it's just the idea so as long as you are excited about it, she's happy! Have a Happy Halloween everyone!

Some Snacks Around the House

We try to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables for snacks or make homemade trail mixes or bars, but sometimes you just need quick, kid-friendly snacks that you can find anywhere. Here is a sampling of some snacks that we might have on hand... (by the way, you can get all these at Target, Whole Foods, or Valley natural; you can also get most at Rainbow or Cub so they are not hard to find)
1. Organic, Raw Kombucha-do you love soda, this gives you the fizz but doesn't cause cancer!
2. Raw Almonds
3. Mary's Gone Crackers-made from Seeds, Quinoa, and Rice (great with salsa or hummus)
4. Brown Rice Pasta (not a snack, but good with spaghetti sauce or in a pasta salad)
5. Back to Nature Crackers (my 3 year old had a tummy ache yesterday and these settled the belly)
6. Cascadian Farms Organic Granola Bars-occassional treat, but super yummy!
7. Organic Fruit Strips Simply Balanced (Cliff Kids also has a yummy one)-instead of feeding your kids junky fruit snacks, try these (adults like them too)

I often have a few of these thrown in my bag for sudden hunger attacks!

Weekly Meal Plan 10/16-10/22

Sunday:
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-Grilled bunless hamburgers, steamed veggies

Monday:
Lunch-Omelets
Dinner-Chicken Asparagus Marsala (added shitake mushrooms and pea pods)

Tuesday:
Lunch-Grilled Chicken Sausages, sweet potato fries, raw veggies
Dinner-Taco Soup (crockpot style-we have gymnastics so dinner must be ready when we walk in the door)

Wednesday:
Lunch-Blueberry Pancakes, chicken sausages, fresh fruit
Dinner-Taco Salads (I know, lots of taco stuff but my daughter loves her tacos)

Thursday:
Lunch-Leftover taco soup
Dinner-Leftover Chicken Veggie and Bean Soup (beans instead of rice) from the freezer

Friday:
Lunch-Chicken Nuggets with Veggies
Dinner-Out for dinner with family

Saturday:
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-Spaghetti with meat sauce and brown rice pasta

Mushroom Tomato Eggbake

It's been a while since I have posted a recipe! I have been making old favorites instead of trying new things...oops! A few weeks ago, I went to a wonderful brunch with other wonderful Mommies that I attend church with-it was great fellowship and great food. After I got home, I just had to ask for the recipe for the vegetarian eggbake that I tried out, and I was pleased to find out that it was actually not terrible for me. I used their recipe (it actually came from wholefoodsmarket.com), but I tweaked it a bit and made it for my family. My husband and I enjoyed it (he even ate the leftovers cold-yuck) but my daughter wasn't a fan (she said she's rather have an omelet instead-I can handle that).

3 Ezekial Sprouted Grain English Muffins (found in the freezer section-I've seen them at Target, Cub, Rainbow, Valley Natural, and Whole Foods)-thawed
2/3 lb mushrooms (I used a combo of cremini and button mushrooms, sliced)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
5 organic eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
Sea Salt
Ground Pepper
Any seasonings you like (I used basil, rosemary, and oregano, and more sea salt)
2/3 cup raw, organic cheese (I used sharp cheddar)-shred

1. Cut English Muffins in half and spread in bottom of a casserole pan (I used an 8 x 8 glass pan). I had to cut some to make it fit.
2. Saute' mushrooms and tomatoes in a bit of butter or coconut oil until softened. Spread mixture on top of english muffins in the pan. Let cool.
3. Combine eggs, almond milk, and seasonings and whisk. Pour on top of mushroom/tomato misture in pan.
*I put mine in the fridge overnight and baked the next morning at this point, but you could also bake right away.
4. Top with raw, organic shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until eggs are firm and cheese is browned.

Next time, I might try this with asparagus, peppers, or any other kind of veggie as well! It would be a perfect holiday morning meal for your family! Enjoy!

Berry Upside Down Cake

(Adapted from Bite of Life)

My husband doubted this big time because it was called a "cake" and he claims to not like cake, but he LOVED the chocolate zucchini cake and he loves this one too! It was sweet and filling and you could alter it and try different fruits (the original called for only cherries, the one I found called for cherries and blueberries-I intended to do only blueberries but ran out so I filled in the spaces with tiny, diced strawberries and it was super yummy-next time I might add raspberries as well). I made it as a cake, but I think it would also work perfectly as muffins or in a loaf pan! The almond flour makes is filling and full of good fats and protein, almost like a small meal!

2 2/3 cups blanched almond flour (Target, Valley Natural, Whole Foods market)
1/3 cup MILA chia seed
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)-I am guess organic butter would also work
1/3 cup (or slightly more) organic agave nectar (the original recipe called for xylitol or stevia, but I think you could also use honey or maple syrup to sweeten also)
1 cup fresh fruit (I used blueberries and strawberries)

1. Preheat over to 350 and melt the coconut oil. Generously grease a cake, bundt, or muffin pan.
2. Put berries in the bottom of the greased pan.
3. Combine almond flour, chia, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
4. Combine eggs, oil, vanilla, and agave.
5. Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine well until a thick batter forms.
6. Spread the batter on top of the berries in the pan and back for 25 minutes or until the knife comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before placing a plate/platter on top to flip out. Cake should slide out easily (you may want to run a knife around the edge first).

I ate this plain, but it might also be good with some coconut milk ice cream. On a side note, I know that almond flour is quite expensive and this calls for a large amount so next time I might also try it with brown rice flour or coconut flour, but that might take some trial and error so I will keep you posted!