Banana-Oat Breakfast Bites

We usually go through about 10 bananas a week in our house, but somehow we ended up with a few sitting around that were past their prime. Solution? A totally made-up recipe starring overripe bananas!

Okay, so I actually made these last weekend but wasn’t satisfied with how they turned out (I mean, we ate them all they were just a little undercooked). Fear not! I tried again this weekend and they turned out great…second time’s the charm?

The first time I made these, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to use. So, the above picture isn’t fully representative of the final ingredients used in the recipe. These were super easy to whip up and will be great for those mornings you don’t quite have enough time to make a breakfast sammie.

The first time I made these, the batter was enough for 6 muffins; the second time I made them, the batter was enough for 8 muffins. Hm. I’m thinking my bananas must have been bigger the second time around? And maybe I didn’t fill the cups quite as much?

First batch.

Second batch.

I recently bought Trader Joe’s maple sugar and used it for the first time in this recipe. If you don’t have a TJ’s nearby, you could certainly sub maple syrup, honey or some other sweetener here. Also, I used pumpkin pie spice but any mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice etc will work just fine.

Banana-Oat Breakfast Bites

Prep time: 10min

Cook time: 35min

Makes: 6-8 muffins

• 2 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1C quick-cooking oats, uncooked
• 2 eggs
• 2t maple sugar
• 1t pumpkin pie spice

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine all ingredients
3. Divide between muffins cups
4. Bake 35 min
5. Enjoy!

Question: Do you every wing-it when baking? How does it usually end: disaster or delicious?

Sailor Man Smoothie

When we got our Vitamix from my husband’s parents, they told us the first thing we should make is a Sailor Man Smoothie…it was their favorite. So, the day we took the Vitamix out of the box we went straight to the grocery store to pick up the necessary ingredients. The Sailor Man Smoothie was not only the first thing we made in our Vitamix, but it was also our first green smoothie!

The original recipe for the Sailor Man Smoothie can be found in the Whole Food Recipes cookbook. I’ve tweaked the recipe a little, but mainly to make use of what we had in our fridge.

Green smoothies may seem scary, but look at the tropical flavors that are under that vibrant green color! Although the Sailor Man is very much a summertime smoothie, I like in the winter too so you can imagine laying on a warm beach somewhere as you drink it down.

If you don’t have a Vitamix, I wouldn’t worry too much. You’re average blender should be able to mix this smoothie up with no problem.

Sailor Man Smoothie

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: n/a

Serves: 2

• 10 large, green grapes
• 1/2 apple, deseeded
• 1 banana, peeled
• 1/4C vanilla yogurt
• 1/2C pineapple
• 2C greens
• 1C ice

1. Add all ingredients into blender
2. Blend until smooth
3. Enjoy!

Question: Do you drink green smoothies? Do you follow recipes or wing-it, and use whatever’s in the fridge?

Mango Paradise Smoothie

I recently made a delicious new smoothie combo that has really got me in the mood for summer…your turn Mother Nature, we’re all waiting. Despite the temperature outside, you can imagine you’re sitting on a tropical island as you drink this Mango Paradise Smoothie.

Because most of the ingredients are super juicy, there’s not much that goes into this smoothie:

I don’t often buy mangos, and truthfully I didn’t buy this one. I came home from parents house with it recently, after cleaning out the produce they had in their fridge before they went out of town…score! Anyways, mangos are daunting to me, they’re big, clunky and have an odd-shaped pit. I still couldn’t give you nicely diced mango, but I can show you how to get the fruit out for this smoothie. Basically, it helps to keep the mango on its end when you are peeling (with a paring knife) and cutting the fruit off.

    

Next, give it all whirl in your trusty Vitamix and you’re good to go!

    

Mango Paradise Smoothie

Prep time: 5min

Cook time: n/a

Serves: 2

• 1 mango, peeled & fruit cut away from pit
• 1 banana, peeled
• 10 large, green grapes
• 1 orange, peeled
• 1C ice

1. Place all ingredients into blender
2. Blend until smooth
3. Enjoy!

Question: Are there food items you shy away from because you aren’t comfortable prepping them?