Healthy Banana Bread!

The BEST Healthy Banana Bread!!! EVER! Seriosuly it's SO good!

Secret to the healthy= flaxseed, wheat flour, honey in place of sugar and a little Purvia, the yogurt and apple sauce in place of oil!

3.4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)

3.6 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 3/4 cup)

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 cup canola oil
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine banana and next 4 ingredients (through oil) in a small bowl. Add banana mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

3. Spoon the batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool on wire rack.

Calories:212
Fat: 9.2g 

Fiber:2.6g
Protein:4.3g  <-----my fav part!


Everyone in my house loves it <---my OTHER fav part!

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Update: Healthier version...
1 1/2 cups of King Arther whole weat flour
3/4 c. Truvia in place of sugar
1/4 c. sweetened flake coconut
1/4 c. apple sauce in place of oil
1/2 c. greek yogurt in place of low fat yogurt

ENJOY! and be amazed at how good it STILL is :)

Recipe that shows Mamma knows best:

"Spaghetti " Squash Pie
1 spaghetti squash cooked and cleaned out*
Sauce:
1 can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
salt/ pepper to taste
oregano/parsley/thyme/Rosemary/basil (dry to your liking)
2 small bay leaves
pinch of brown sugar
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 c. chopped onion (optional)
1 lb cooked ground beef
2 cups of cheddar or Italian cheeses (whatever you like)

-bring all sauce ingredients to a boil, let cook 15 minutes
-brown meat and add to sauce... let simmer 20 minutes
*get you spaghetti squash cooking (400 for 45 min) clean out seeds add a pad of butter to the centers of each half and cover with foil... when ready scrape out insides with a fork it will look like noodles
-Pam or butter a glass dish and add your first layer:
spaghetti "noodles"
-then the rest in this order:
meat sauce--cheese--noodles--sauce--top with remaining cheese
-bake at 350 for 30 minutes uncovered
Let your family or yourself enjoy a full bowl of carb free pasta :)
*And yes, Bry actually liked it!*

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So instead of posting pics (sorry my last blog entry was so sad! lol some ppl told me it brough the tears, I just wanted to have a memory to share with my girls of how much they already tach me...one day I hope they read that and are encouraged!) I decided to work on my long list of photo albums in the making... here is my most recent thanks to shutterfly they come along quickly!

Rice Rice Baby!

So I have been using rice in a lot of our dishes at home and trying to find ways to spice up the plain ol' rice scene as a side item. We make Chicken and Rice in our house a lot...my brother was the first to make it when we were little.... you know the recipe:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast thawed
*1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. of water
1/4 c. uncooked rice
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
-spray glass baking dish with Pam
-mix soup, rice, water and spices
-pour into pan
-top with chicken
-sprinkle with additional paprika and pepper

Bake covered 45 min.

*can use cream of chicken instead if you have that



Ok, so that dish is a fam fav here BUT I have started buying Uncle Ben's instant Brown Rice...

it's SO good, and fast and easy, all a mom's biggest dinner deal breakers BUT sometimes it gets a little old! So I made up and looked up some ways to SPICE UP my rice. Here are some ways I found:

Greek Rice

cook your rice package as directed
add a handful of feta cheese
4-5 chipped cherry tomatoes
a handful of fresh chopped parsley
mix it all together! Easy right?! you won't believe how good it is

Mexican Rice

cook your rice package as directed
1 can of corn (drained)
1 can of black beans (drained)
*optional i can of rotel OR 3 tbs of salsa
cook beans and corn- for fast you can heat in the microwave
mix all together and get your grub on!

This is a really good side with Avocado Salad:

Avocado Salad

1 sliced avocado
1-2 sliced Roma tomatoes
1 c. shredded lettus
lemon juice to taste OR I like to use 1 tbs Newman's Lemon Italian dressing
So good!
salt and pepper to taste

Citrus Rice

1 pkg of chicken brown rice
1 tbs orange zest
2 tbs orange juice
1 tsp lemon zest
-when you open the pouch to cook rice in microwave add the zests and the juice
THEN cook
-stir in 3 tbs of chopped fresh basil



Cheesy Vegetable Rice

1 scallion chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
juice from two lemons
lemon zest
3 tbs of butter/olive oil mix (smart balance butter)
*steam fresh bag of broccoli
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
rice cooked to package directions
-in a saucepan heat first 5 ingredients
-cook broccoli to package directions
-add rice, broccoli, and lemon oil mix, and cheese- salt and pepper to taste
Mix together and serve!
*can change up the veggi if you want to add something else


Sarah's Rice

cook rice in package as directed
in a saucepan with butter heat contents of Gumbo Veggi Mix (in freezer section)- includes okra, corn, peppers and onions
Mix rice with cooked veggies and grub it

Ok, now off to look at some more baby smiles! i just cant get enough!! I can't have a blog without a pic.... St. Patty Fun!

You had me at butter...

Enticed once again by Paula Deen, with a way of her wand (her stick o butter) and the magic words (HOWDY ya'll!) We have succumbed to her spell of good grub that's not to nice to the backside! But it was too de-lish to pass up. A few months ago Missy gave me a recipe for some yum-o cinnamon rolls. Paula kicked it into buttery overdrive by adding a layer of butter and sugar to the pan before putting the rolls in.... what resulted was amazing!
It didn't take too long to recreate the recipe, sorry no low fat version here, just go for an extra mile run and you'll be covered!


Paula's Cinnamon Rolls



Get the recipe here


Kehnley added her own special touch, and these cinnamon rolls quickly became cinnamon cakes!
Enjoy!! (I know we did, it's always nice to have a sweet splurge!)

Aunt Becky's Lasagna

1/2 lb. groundmeat
16 oz. cottage cheese
Lasagne Noodles
8 oz. Mosserella Cheese
1 medium size Ragu spaghetti sauce

Cook noodles and brown meat, add Ragu, season well and simmer 20 min. In large pan put layer of meat sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, another layer of noodles rest of meatsauce and put mozarella cheese on top. Bake for 25 minutes @ 350.


(*I put the noodles on bottom to help it hold together better when I scoop it out of the pan, just spray some Pam olive oil in the bottom of the pan first)

A little extra love for Jen, I know you are a fan of the pasta like myself :) and you can totally make this healthier for you with a little Barilla wheat pasta and low fat versions of cheese. I make my own sauce and add some fresh oregano and parsley and basil, BUT this will give Cody a run for his plate and make you look like the rock star cook you are :) All you need is a pan and start layering!! (I know it takes a LITTLE longer than a skillet sensation throw it on the stove and heat for ten minutes... BUT it's a Sat. meal for you)