BAKED BANANAS

Bananas are so naturally sweet and delicious, not to mention versatile and offering a boat load of nutritional benefits! This recipe has saved me SO many times from using not-so-healthy to satisfy my temptations for something sweet, especially those late nights! I'm drooling over these as I'm doing my meal plan and prep for the week.

Here's how! Slice a banana, and top with honey and cinnamon to taste. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and enjoy!

You can get creative and serve with Greek yogurt or oats for breakfast, top with almonds or coconut flakes. If you make this recipe, comment below how you liked it!

Clean Eating Rhubarb Muffins

Who doesn't love to enjoy some rhubarb in the spring? Growing up, that was the first sign that summer vacation was on it's way!! My mom would line up the pie crusts, and go into a baking frenzy. Rhubarb pies, breads, cakes, crisp, bars and desserts...it's no wonder I didn't gain 20 pounds just in the month of May! 

So it was my mission to find some healthy alternatives, with none of the guilt or sacrifice in flavor! I think these turned out pretty good!

Serves: 9 (1 muffin each)

Fixate Equivalents- 
1 purple

1 blue

INGREDIENTS:

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium bananas)

1 Tbs. grass-fed butter, melted

1 1/2 almond flour *(rolled oats will also work)

3/4 tsp. baking soda, gluten free

1 dash sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

1/2 cup chopped rhubarb or other firm fruit (Apple, pear, blueberries)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2- Prepare nine muffin cups by lining with muffin tin liners or coating with spray.

3- Combine eggs, banana, and butter in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.

4- Combine almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; mix well.

5- Add almond meal mixture to egg mixture; mix until blended.

6- Add rhubarb; mix until just blended.
Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups.

7- Bake 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

8- Transfer muffins to rack; cool.

These don't keep very long at room temp., so you will either want to eat them up the day of, or store them in the fridge, or freeze into portioned servings. Enjoy with your morning cup of joe!

Frosty Cocoa Pies

With summer on it's way, it has me thinking about different snack and mini-meal ideas, both for myself as well as my family. I know for myself, there is nothing I dislike more than preparing seperate meals and snacks for myself and the kiddos. I always tell myself, if I don't want to eat something, I shouldn't be feeding it to my kids either!  If it's not good enough for me, it's not good enough for their young growing bodies, especially. So I came up with this recipe because #1, I LOVE PB and CHOCOLATE! (who doesn't?!?!) and #2, I knew my kids would love it as well! This is my version of "smudgies". 

I figured I'd have to entice them into trying these for the first time by adding in some white chocolate chips...but I regretted doing so after I saw how much they enjoyed them! Totally didn't need it. And everything's better with chocolate, so the addition of some cocoa is the BOMB! A totally healthy treat, perfect for warmer summer days.

 Ingredients:

2 mashed bananas

1 T. Baking Cocoa

2 T. Nut Butter (I suggest Smucker's Chunky All Natural)

Optional - cocoa nibs or other mini chocolate chips

4 Plain, low salt Rice Cakes

Method:
Blend ingredients in a bowl, top 4 rice cakes and freeze for 1-2 hours or until desired consistency. Enjoy!! 

Healthy 21 Day Fix-Approved Ice Cream

Because sometimes you just want ice cream!!! Am I right? Well did you know that so often times, when we have those cravings or impulses, we just go to what's there and available - but when you take the time to have some forethought, plan ahead, and do a little bit of preparation, you can indulge and satisfy your craving without sacrificing your fitness goals and waistline?  

I know for me, I get these ideas late at night, like most people. It's easy to just grab a cup of tea and call it good, but I built this "cheat" into my meal plan intentionally so that I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of the foods I really love - such as ice cream and peanut butter, and chocolate! 

As I'm gearing up for my next online fitness challenge, "Sweating for Skinny Jeans", this is a sneak peek to some of the recipes and tips I'll be sharing with my customers to help us drop those 10 pounds FAST!!!  No fatty, sugary ice cream, but this recipe is the BOMB-DIGGITY and my kids don't even know the difference!!! (no joke!)

Ingredients:

Frozen Banana, sliced

2 tsp. natural Peanut Butter ( I love Smucker's All-Natural, chunky is really great in this recipe)

1 T. Almond milk, water, or other liquid

Optional Additions: 

*mini chocolate chips

*1 tsp. Maple Syrup extract (if you like Maple Nut Ice Cream!)

Method: 

1 - Add your frozen banana slices to your Nutri-bullet or Ninja along with the other ingredients except chocolate chips, if using. The liquid is needed to help get the banana whipped up and blended until smooth. 

2 - Place in a bowl, and set in the freezer for about 30 minutes until slightly thickened to Ice Cream consistency. 

Top with mini chocolate chips if you like, grab a spoon, and ENJOY!!!