Healthy Chocolate Banana Muffins

Hi there!
     We're working on being healthier in my house, and here's a fantastic muffin recipe that we've come up with made with whole wheat flour and no added fat or sugar (except if you add a few chocolate chips!)- and they're delicious! These banana muffins are super tasty and you could put in any add-ins that you like- I went with a few chocolate chips and some chopped walnuts in these, but you could use butterscotch chips, coconut, other nuts, whatever you like!

Here's the batter, all mixed up.

Here are the muffins in the oven (I forgot a picture before I put them in!)

And here they are just out the oven.

Here's the recipe as annotated and modified out of our Fannie Farmer Cookbook, from which we got the base of the recipe.

Healthy Chocolate Banana Muffins
-4 bananas
-3 eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-2 cups white whole wheat flour
-1/3 cup cocoa
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 cup chopped nuts
-1/2 cup chocolate chips (or whatever you like!)
Mash the bananas well, then mix in the eggs and vanilla. Add in the dry ingredients and stir well. Add the nuts and chips and stir a final time.
Fill greased muffin tins 2/3-3/4 of the way full, then bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 F.

All finished and so delicious! Give these a shot!

Savor it!
love, rue

Easy Oatmeal Pancakes

Hello!

Here's a delicious recipe for some pretty great and pretty easy oatmeal pancakes. I love breakfast, I love pancakes, and I love to add oatmeal to almost anything bake-able, so the combination is natural for me. The oatmeal makes the pancakes a bit heartier than usual and these come out ready for any kind of topping you could desire!

Here are the dry ingredients being added into the wet ones...

And here's the finished batter- let it sit a minute or two and it will become a little more firm.

The pancakes on side 1...

And on side 2!

Oatmeal Pancakes
-2 eggs
-2 cups buttermilk (or regular milk with a few tablespoons vinegar added)
-6 tablespoons melted butter
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 1/2 cups flour (could use part whole wheat)
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon sugar
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-2 teaspoons cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
-2 1/4 cups oats
Beat the eggs, then whisk in the milk, then the melted butter. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. The batter will firm up as time goes along, but the pancakes will be mostly the same, so don't worry, it's just the oatmeal absorbing more of the liquid!
Heat up your pancake griddle or a pan on the stovetop to medium heat.
Grease the griddle, then dollop 1/3 cup for each pancake.
Let cook 2 minutes per side, and then enjoy with whatever kind of topping you like!

These pancakes go well with traditional syrup and butter, or jam, fruit, chocolate chips, anything you like, so get creative!

The finished pancakes! Yummy!

Savor it!
love, rue

Funfetti Puppy Chow

Hi again,

This time I'm sharing a recipe with you that's a super simple variation on a delicious classic: puppy chow. You've probably had one form of it or another, it's known many names: muddy buddies, etc., but if you haven't, it's cereal tossed in peanut butter and chocolate then tossed in confectioner's sugar- yum!

This variation uses white chocolate in place of the peanut butter and chocolate and uses some cake mix in addition to some powdered sugar.

Here are the ingredients...

And the cereal with the white chocolate poured over it...

And finally the addition of the cake mix/powdered sugar.

Funfetti Puppy Chow
-5 cups chex cereal
-10 oz. white chocolate (chips, bark, whatever)
-1-2 teaspoons veggie oil
-1 1/2 cups cake mix (I used funfetti)
-1/2 cup powdered sugar
Put the cereal in a large bowl. Melt the white chocolate and veggie oil together in 30 second increments in the microwave until smooth and liquidy. Pour the chocolate over the cereal and toss well. Pour over the cake mix and the powdered sugar and toss well again. You're done!

The finished puppy chow! Enjoy!!

This recipe is super simple and super yummy, so I hope you try it out!
Savor it!
love, rue

Puppy Chow

Hello again,
     I apologize for the wait in posts! I just graduated from college last Monday, so you can imagine that things have been a little hectic! I'll be doing my best as the summer goes on, but things may be a little spotty at points- I'll try to keep you updated! Enjoy the recipe :)

Today I've got the original puppy chow to share with you all. You saw the variation I tried with white chocolate, so I thought I'd share the original chocolate-peanut-buttery goodness. It, too, is quite easy to make and so so delicious.

The ingredients for the topping...

And the topping all ready to be poured.

Puppy Chow
-1/2 cup peanut butter
-1/4 cup butter
-1 cup chocolate chips
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
-9 cups crispix or chex-type cereal
-3 cups powdered sugar
Put the peanut butter, butter, and chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl and microwave in 30 second-1 minute bursts and stir in between until melted. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour the peanut butter-chocolate mixture over the cereal and toss well.
Sprinkle the sugar over the top in thirds, mixing each time, just like the other puppy chow.

Here's the cereal all mixed up with the peanut butter and chocolate...

And the puppy chow all tossed and ready to eat- yummm!

This is super easy and delicious- give it a shot! Great as a snack or dessert.
Savor it,
love, rue