Even Better Fiber and Omega Rich Whole Wheat Banana Muffins (or bread)

You can find the original recipe here if you don’t have maple syrup on hand or if you would just rather use good old fashioned sugar! The morning after I posted this I actually made the muffins again and went for the less sugar option. I actually preferred them! The maple syrup almost made them fluffier. YUM!

Recipe yields 24 muffins or 2 thin loafs of bread

 

Small loaf with just a few pieces left

Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour (I use Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat White Flour)

2 organic eggs

1/4 cup old fashioned oats

1/3 cup ground flax meal (optional, see note below)*

2/3 cup brown sugar (could even reduce to 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 cup mashed bananas (3 large)

3/4 cup sour milk or buttermilk (to make sour milk: add a little less than 1 T lemon juice in measuring cup, pour in milk to reach 3/4 cup, let set for 5 mins)

1/4 cup greek yogurt

1/4 cup butter softened

1 t vanilla

1.Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl mix dry ingredients together (flour, oats, flax meal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) mix well.

2. Make sour milk (see note above), crack eggs into same measuring cup with milk and whisk together with fork. Add milk and egg mixture to dry mix.

3. Add remaining ingredients to mixture (mashed bananas, greek yogurt, butter, vanilla, maple syrup). Stir together until well mixed.

4. Makes 2 dozen full size muffins or 2 small loafs of bread (or one of each). Scoop batter into greased muffin tin using an ice cream scooper (one full scoop per muffin). Or pour batter into greased and prepared bread pans. Bake muffins for 12-18 mins and bread for 30-35 mins or until knife or tooth pick poked in the center comes out clean.

*Ground flax meal is optional but I wouldn’t leave it out, this AMPS up the health factor by adding lots of fiber and Omega. I use Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flax Meal, I think this also makes the texture and flavor extra yummy! Ground Flax Meal is also a great brain and heart healthy addition to any bread, baked oatmeal or even smoothie recipe!

Happy baking!

That’s my Shiny ~ J

Pitting a Black Cherry: A Straw to the Rescue

I’m sure all parents of little ones agree that feeding cherries to those little ones can become quite a chore. Frantically biting through half the cherry, removing the pit with your teeth and then giving over the other half to an almost in tears excited chubby toddler. With pits and juice flying every which way causing quite a scene with little to no enjoyment coming from one of natures most delectable treats all because of these pesky pits!

Now I know there are pitters you can buy but if you are like me buying a cherry pitter crosses your mind, mmmmm only when you are eye-to-eye with those juicy cherries with no additional thought before or after! Enter the straw!

I was battling the gruesome cherry scene with my littlest as she was squawking “bayeees” “bayeees” at me, and I was over it! I wanted to enjoy my OWN cherries and I wanted her to enjoy HER OWN cherries. This was the light bulb moment “if only I had a way to get the pits out”, I would need something hollow and round, BING!!! A straw!!! So I got the straw and with some crazy looks from the Hubs I proceeded to try out my newest “creative” idea. BEHOLD the straw quickly and fairly neatly removed the cherry pit!!

Hooray! One for team Mommy!

That’s my Shiny ~ J

Fiber and Omega Rich Whole Wheat Banana Muffins (or Bread)

A favorite treat in our house is bread, and banana bread is at the very tippy top of that list. However, I wasn’t finding the “it” banana bread recipe that was the right combination of delicious and healthy. My main motivation for this was my little guy who almost always requests a third (or fourth) muffin for breakfast and I was tired of second guessing giving him more, with this recipe I stopped the second guessing and can now toss that sweet boy another muffin. We also have a MAJOR win in the delicious department, I have made this recipe three times in the last four weeks! The whole family has been asking for more!

I went to work using a banana cake recipe as reference that I have loved for years but tweaked or removed almost all of the not so healthy ingredients and tried to AMP up the health factor with add ins and substitutes. I do hope to tweak one more thing by reducing the sugar, I’m planning to use honey or maple syrup with a smaller amount of sugar. The amount of sugar does seem high but keep in mind this recipe makes 2 dozen muffins or two smaller (thin) loafs of bread. I’ll keep you posted and let you know how the next batch turns out after the sugar swap.

 

Small loaf with just a few pieces left

Muffins

 

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour (I use Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat White Flour)

2 organic eggs

1/4 cup old fashioned oats

1/3 cup ground flax meal (optional, see note below)*

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 cup mashed bananas (3 large)

3/4 cup sour milk or buttermilk (to make sour milk: add a little less than 1 T lemon juice in measuring cup, pour in milk to reach 3/4 cup, let set for 5 mins)

1/4 cup greek yogurt

1/4 cup butter softened

1 t vanilla

1.Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl mix dry ingredients together (flour, oats, flax meal, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) mix well.

2. Make sour milk (see note above), crack eggs into same measuring cup with milk and whisk together with fork. Add milk and egg mixture to dry mix.

3. Add remaining ingredients to mixture (mashed bananas, greek yogurt, butter, vanilla). Stir together until well mixed.

4. Makes 2 dozen full size muffins or 2 small loafs of bread (or one of each). Scoop batter into greased muffin tin using an ice cream scooper (one full scoop per muffin). Or pour batter into greased and prepared bread pans. Bake muffins for 12-18 mins and bread for 30-35 mins or until knife or tooth pick poked in the center comes out clean.

*Ground flax meal is optional but I wouldn’t leave it out, this AMPS up the health factor by adding lots of fiber and Omega. I use Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flax Meal, I think this also makes the texture and flavor extra yummy! Ground Flax Meal is also a great brain and heart healthy addition to any bread, baked oatmeal or even smoothie recipe! 

Happy baking!

That’s my Shiny ~ J

Second Day Hair: Side Twist Pony

I have been growing out my hair ever since I had babies and started the journey as a stay-at-home-Momma. In order to help the growing process along I began to only wash my hair every other day instead of every day. In the past I could never even consider this, my hair just got too greasy after 24 hours. With some time and dry shampoo my scalp adjusted to this routine and now my hair doesn’t get nearly as greasy which is VERY nice. However, most of the time my hair is a bit flat on the second day so I can’t wear it completely down giving me the opportunity to get creative! Especially this summer, it has been so hot and with lots of hair on my back it’s nice to pull it up. So I’ve been sporting a few go to summer friendly hairstyles, but I think this one might be my favorite!

I’ve done this side twist pony a handful of times and enjoy it every time. I usually get a ton of compliments and it only takes about 5 minutes!! Not to mention once it’s up, I don’t have to mess with it for the REST-Of-THE-DAY! 

Side Twist Pony

Step 1: Side part you hair

Step 2: Start on the side that most your hair is falling on

Step 3: Grab the front section of hair, split in two (see photo above)

Step 4: Twist once, going up, before twisting again grab another section of hair from below near your ear, like French braiding but only grabbing hair from one side. (see photo above)

Step 5: Continue with the process of grabbing hair from the one side and twisting until you reach the back of your head, grab a hair tie and put the portion of hair that you have twisted in a tight messy knot and out of the way (see photo above).

Step 6: Repeat steps as above on the other side of your hair, all of your hair should be up and twisted in side one or side two

Step 7: Once your hair is twisted all the way to the back on the second side, hold that portion tightly with your hand. With that same hand grab the first side that is in the pony tail holder near the base and carefully undo the holder with your other hand.  Keep a tight hold on both sides and rewrap the pony tail holder tightly around your hair (including both sides) in a pony.

Step 8: Grab a section of hair from the middle underside of your pony tail, wrap that piece of hair around the pony tail holder to conceal it completely, secure with bobby pin and smooth any loose piece with hairspray. Spray the whole pony and twist lightly to hold.

Have fun twisting!!

That’s my Shiny ~

J