Change of Seasons, oh yeah and some new recipes

Ah yes the change of seasons.  Still throws me off living in Sydney being that it is backwards!  Although I will say this spring feels much more like spring-time to me… maybe I am doing a much better job of just accepting and going with the flow.  Thinking back to last year, I was a hot mess around this time.  To be fair, I was in the midst of the culture shock/wallowing in self-pity phase of my life.  During this time I cried over lack of pumpkin treats, foliage and BC football games.  It did not feel right to be in September/October and not be taking out cozy sweaters and putting away summer dresses.  I was angry that it was so different here.

What a difference a year makes my friends… right now life is good.  Must have something to do with being at the beach as the weather gets better! We have a long weekend coming up and are heading to Jervis Bay with some friends.  The hubby and I have never been, even though it is just a couple hours south of Sydney.  Should be a lot of fun... even if the weather is a bit cool like they are predicting we will still do some bush walks and kayaking.  One of the beaches there apparently has the whitest sand in the world.  

Like I said, life has gotten really good here in Australia with all our crazy adventures and good friends. Not to say that I don't get homesick or miss things about the US, but I feel like I am much better able to appreciate things here.  I was too busy this week to get a lot of good pictures around the house and new area, but I will do a quick post of that next week sometime. 

Anyways, I don’t want to go on and on about all that.  As promised (umm months ago) I will try to be better about recipes and such.  I think I mentioned that a friend had bought me a cookbook by Bill Granger.  For those who don’t know the name, he is one of the big name chefs here in Australia.  In Sydney he has several nice restaurants known particularly for the breakfast. 

The cookbook is great.  Filled with lots of traditional/modern Australian cuisine type stuff.  I have tried a bunch of them over the past few months and will be posting several over time.  First up oat, pear and raspberry loaf.  Brace yourselves for this one, because I completely adapted the recipe to my taste.  The original is amazing, but not necessarily what I would be eating on a daily basis.  I have made it with raspberries, blueberries and strawberries and have used all different apples and pears (pretty much whatever I have on hand).  It works well with pretty much everything.  My version is a bit healthier with less sugar, butter and using wholemeal flours.  Strawberries are in season now and have been on sale so that is what I used today along with some pink lady apples.  This is good timing for baking to bring stuff along on the road trip (which may be a bit of a long drive with holiday traffic).

Okay here we go...

Most of the yummy ingredients- missing honey though oops.

All the ingredients for the crumble ready to be mixed up.

Perfectly mixed and crumbled!

The oats getting all ready to go... these make this recipe taste like a delicious bowl of 

oatmeal in bread form.

Mixing up all the ingredients for the batter.

 Half the batter already in the pan topped with all the chopped fresh fruit... now ready to top off with remaining batter and crumb topping.

 One of the muffins straight from the oven... I need to make sure they tasted okay before bringing them on our road trip!  Okay fine... I had a couple... but just to make sure they came out fine.  And they did :)

Oat, Apple and Strawberry Loaf 
(or muffins depending on your mood)

Yield: 2 loafs or 2 dozen muffins

Ingredients

Topping

½ cup rolled oats

2/3 cup brown sugar

¼ cup whole meal flout

1 oz chilled butter cut to small pieces

Batter

2 cups rolled oats

3 cups boiling water

1 tablespoon canola oil

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup honey

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 ½  tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups whole meal flour

1 tsp sea salt

3 ripe apples (or pears) finely dices

1 ¼ cups berries fresh or frozen (thaw and drain frozen berries and chop up larger berries such as strawberries)

- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC)

- Grease muffin or loaf tins with cooking spray

- Make Topping

•  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together with hands until well incorporated and small clumps begin to form.  Set aside.

- Make batter

•  Place oats in a bowl and top with boiling water.  Let sit until luke warm in temperature.
• Mix the oil, sugar, and honey in a bowl.
• With an electric mixer add the eggs one at a time, beating well until mixture slightly thickens.
• Add the vanilla.
• Sift flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon to bowl and fold to combine.
• Drain any excess water from the oats and fold them into mixture until just combined.

- Spread about ½ to 2/3 of the mixtures into prepared muffin tins or loaf pans. Top with fruit/berries. 

Top with the remaining batter and then sprkingle the topping over as evenly as possible.

- Bake loafs approximately 1 hour 10 minutes.  Bake muffins approximately 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from Bill Granger's book Best of Bill

I also baked these beauties today.  Recipe for them is below as well.  Not sure where I got this one initially… it was in my recipe box and I remember making them probably in high school and college.  Most likely something from my mom… but no source to quote on where it is from exactly! Typically recipes similar to this are called Monster Cookies.  You can switch out the chocolate chips for anything else... butterscotch or peanut butter chips, other small candy etc.  Options for that stuff are kinda limited here down under so I stuck with the M&Ms and mini chocolate chips.

And yes, I had to taste test these too.  Don't worry, they are delicious as well.

Monster Cookies

Yield: 24 large cookies

Ingredients

1 stick butter (softened)

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups of creamy peanut butter

3 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 1/2 cup quick oatmeal

1 cup M&Ms

1 cup mini chocolate chips

- Preheat oven to 375ºF and prep cookie sheets with parchment paper or cooking spray.
- Cream together the butter, sugars and peanut butter with an electric mixer until fluffy and creamy. 
- Add the eggs one at a time and vanilla mix until just combined. 
- Add the baking soda and mix well. 
- Fold in the oats and then the chocolate chips and M&Ms. 
- Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to make rounded balls of dough.  Press down slightly on dough to flatten.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly brown on outside.
- Cool on parchment paper.

Wow that was a lot of recipe posting for one day.  I am off to pack up for the weekend away.  Hopefully the weather is good and I am back next week with lots of fun pictures and such. 

Until next time, I leave you with this gem of a picture of me and Uncle Glenn from our trip back to Boston in June.  Uncle Glenn knows all too well my love of all things pumpkin (and how much I miss all the pumpkin spice goodness being away) and picked up some canned pumpkin for me.  Have I mentioned before you can't get that here?! Anyways, here is the ridiculous picture of us with a can of pumpkin.  I have perfected some pumpkin recipes coming up next week  :)

Time for change... and some baked doughnuts

Time for change... and some baked doughnuts

Well this week has flown by as usual...  It seems there have been a lot of exciting changes this week for some reason.  Exciting piece of news #1: officially accepted into the doctorate program at UMass.  #2: We are officially moving to the beach this August!  It was not our original plan to have to uproot after a year, but due to some changes in how taxes impact expats in Australia it makes the most sense.  The more we have talked about moving, the more exciting it is becoming (and yes, I am aware most would love to “have” to move and be living near a beach).  #3 the hubby signed us up for City to Surf- Woo!  Time to get him into running form for August.  For those not in Sydney, City to Surf is a fun run they do here each year from the CBD to Bondi Beach.  I am super excited because we did not have the chance to do it last year since it was right after we arrived in Sydney.  #4 took my first zumba class (courtesy of Liz) and it was awesome.  I’m sure I looked a bit ridiculous but it was awesome none the less.

Future view from the new house... I will get some better pictures after the move.

Well, writing that all down makes me jam packed with change the week has been. Life’s changes seem to always make me think of seasons (I know that sounds cheesy).  This is still a source of confusion for me here with the backwards seasons from what we are used to in New England.  It is currently getting dark by 5pm and cool… think Octoberesque weather.  Since it is currently going into June, this just doesn’t seem right.  Although, this weather is quite condusive to baking and making all sorts of comfort food stuff in my crockpot… always a good time. 

As I mentioned before, I am obsessed with my mini-doughnut pan I bought at Kmart of all places (Kmart is a story for another post I believe).  I think I am a bit behind on this trend, but I love it anyways.  I’m not going to lie and say these taste anything like an actual fried doughnut- they don’t.  But they can be a really good baked treat anyways.   Because it is feeling so much like fall I’ve been having cravings for all those typical autumn flavors. 

I’m thinking pumpkin, ginger and strong spices… and of course, maple.  Well, let me tell you maple will win in my mind most of the time!  Spiced “doughnuts” with maple glaze it is!  Hmm… but the downside is the hubby does not share my obsessive love of all things maple.  Because I am such a good wife, triple chocolate “doughnuts” for him.  First up, the chocolate batch!

Triple Chocolate “Doughnuts”

Since I only have one of these cute little doughnut trays (and essentially we are making slightly dense muffins in the shape of doughnuts) extra batter can be made into either muffins or baked in a loaf pan.

Yield: 12 mini doughnuts and approx 6 muffins or small loaf with remainder of mixture

Ingredients

2 cups flour (plain or whole wheat would work well)

½ cup sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)

1 cup milk

¼ cup honey

2 eggs

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

2 ½ tablespoons canola oil or melted butter

½ cup mini chocolate chips

Glaze

3 tablespoons cocoa

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup powder sugar

2-3 tablespoons milk

Sprinkles for decorating

  

- Preheat oven to 325º F (160º C)

- Mix all dry ingredients together in medium bowl

- Beat with a whisk all wet ingredients in large bowl.

- Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture in 2 batches.  Mix until just combined.

- Stir in chocolate chips.

- Here is the fun part.  Fill a ziplock bag with mixture and cut a small opening in the corner.  Pipe filling into greased doughnut and muffin pans.  Fill approximately ¾.

- Bake 10-12 minutes for mini-doughnut pan, 14-16 for muffins.

- Let cool completely.

- For the glaze: melt butter and mix with all other ingredients well.  Dip doughnuts into glaze and let cool to set.  If you want to put sprinkles on top, do so right away before the glaze hardens.

The line up of ingredients

Get the dry and wet ingredients ready...

Mix it all well.

 Ready to bake...

Spiced “doughnuts” with Maple Glaze

This is a combination of an old gingerbread recipe and apple bread that I had from my grandmother's recipe box, with a slightly healthier twist.

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup brown sugar

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp allspice

1/3 cup applesauce

¼ cup molasses

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon canola oil or melted butter

Maple Glaze

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2-3 tablespoons milk

1 ½ cups powder sugar

1 tsp maple extract (for a stronger maple flavor, but vanilla would work as well)

Sprinkles for decorating

- Preheat oven to 350º F (175º C)

- Mix all dry ingredients together in medium bowl

- Beat with a whisk all wet ingredients in large bowl.

- Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture in 2 batches.  Mix until just combined.

- Fill a ziplock bag with mixture and cut a small opening in the corner.  Pipe filling into greased doughnut and muffin pans.  Fill approximately ¾ full.

- Bake 10-12 minutes for mini-doughnut pan.

- Let cool completely.

- For the glaze: combine all ingredients well.  Dip doughnuts into glaze and let cool to set.  If you want to put sprinkles on top, do so right away before the glaze hardens.

Ah the final products.  Much to my dismay (and my stubborn love of all things autumn and maple) 

I actually enjoyed the chocolate best.

Homemade Granola

Adventures in homemade granola

That sounds more exciting than the tale of my granola making trials actually has been.  I had tried to make granola several times years ago and failed (miserably).  Overcooked, soggy tasting, not crunchy and overly sweet… you name it and I had an issue with it.  I guess there are a lot of really bad recipes for granola out there.  I started trying again in Australia due to the lack of granola options here.  They seem to favor muesli instead.  I should switch since this is probably a healthier version (just oats, nuts, dried fruit- usually not toasted and no sugar).  However, I cannot give up my delicious morning granola and yogurt.

As a result of my stubbornness, I pretty much ended up combining ideas from several recipes to come up with my own.  I did not want too much sugar or oil, but still wanted the granola crunchy with some sweetness to it.  I think I have the perfect base now for all the different types of granola I make!  This recipe is super easy and you really can’t mess it up.  Just give it a go and you won’t be disappointed.  (For those who didn’t catch that, “give it a go” is one of my adopted Aussie phrases!)

Today I made 2 batches... feeling highly motivated! One of the Maple Almond and one Tropical Mix (see after the basic recipe for more details about specific ingredients in these).

At some point I promise to get better about taking pictures as I am baking/cooking.  For now these will have to do :)

Ready to go into the oven! 

Yum a couple of batches of granola (they look slightly empty because I packed some up for people).

Basic Granola Recipe

You can adapt most of this to use whatever types of nuts, dried fruits and extract for flavor.  You can add in seeds or shredded coconut as well.  The possibilities are endless really.  You will save a ton of money by not buying the pre-made stuff from the supermarket and have a tastier and healthier version to boot!

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

¾ cup chopped nuts

½ cup chopped dried fruit

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup OR honey

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

~ Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C) and spray a large baking sheet with oil

~ Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl (oats, rice cereal, nuts and fruit)

~ Combine all wet ingredients in a small bowl (maple syrup, brown sugar, canola oil and extract)

~ Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to mix well

~ Spread mixture evenly over baking sheet and put in oven

~ Bake 60 minutes, stirring mixture every 10-15 minutes to make sure it cooks evenly. 

~ Cool on baking sheet and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

* You can also incorporate ½ cup puffed rice cereal for added crunch and/or ½ cup oat bran, which will make it, form more “clusters”.  Make sure when adding these they get mixed with the dry ingredients.

Here are some of my favorite combinations for homemade granola…

Maple Almond (My favorite! Tastes like fall in New England)

~ Maple extract, almonds and a mixture of dried blueberries and cherries

Tropical Granola

~ Vanilla extract, macadamia nuts, mix of dried mango and banana (I use dried bananas, not the “banana chips” you can get at most supermarkets, but I would imagine those would be tasty as well) along with 3 Tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes.

~ This one is pretty amazing with Chobani pineapple yogurt!

Cherry Almond

- Almond extract, almonds, with a mix of dried cherries and dates

Fall Pumpkin Granola

~ Vanilla extract, almonds, and raisins

~ You will also add 2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin to the wet mixture and ½ tsp each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the dry mixture

Enjoy!

Sunset while on a little late afternoon stroll with the little guy I nanny for.  

Not a bad way to end the day.

Running and energy bars

Happy Monday everyone!  Hope everyone had a nice weekend!  Mine was great… relaxing night on Friday, dinner with friends on Saturday and a bush-walk (otherwise known as a hike) on Sunday.  Good times.  It was a beautiful day to be out and about yesterday… here are a couple pics from the walk.

A little walk through the gum trees... we had a random guy walking past us give us a tutorial on all the different trees.  Good times.

Just a nice view.  It is actually a crazy location for a bush-walk.  We took the train out to the suburbs, walked through a bunch of residential neighborhoods and then ended up in this park area.  A bit of a natural paradise in suburbia!  The view from these rocks here was almost spoiled by crazy kids running around pretending to shoot at everyone with sticks.  I was forced to practice my deep breathing.

The hubby was less than happy with the uphill climb to end the trek.  

Overall a good day of outdoor fun!

For those who don’t know, I am running a half-marathon in Sydney.  Now that I am thinking about it, most probably did not know about this I have been keeping it on the down low… due mostly to my own fears of backing out!  No longer an option…it is in less than a week- yikes! 

Running has become a huge part of my routine. Particularly since moving overseas it has been one of the best things for me to stay centered.  I truly love it.  Running gives me time to clear my head.  It really helped a lot when I was adjusting to living in Sydney in terms of stress relief and having some sort of schedule/structure to my day. 

It is pretty funny to talk about how much I enjoy running now.  I used to HATE it.  Every time I tried to start it up, it would last a max of 2 weeks before I was over it.  Not that I have ever minded exercise, I just always preferred going on walks, the elliptical or taking a spin class to running.  I did a 5 mile run in Boston last spring and for whatever reason stuck with it.  I’m not sure what was different this time around except maybe an increase in stress due to the move?  I think that I somehow finally got past that old point of cursing every minute I spent running and started to just enjoy.  There just seems to be that point you get to when running that causes that shift in thinking and I just never pushed myself long enough to get there before.  Maybe the combination of being in an amazing locale for running and the fact that it is free and I can do it whenever helps here. Who knows if this is something that will last when we move back home, but I really enjoy it now.

With all the extra free time I have- relatively speaking without working full time- I decided to run the ½ marathon.  Not sure what brought it on… maybe just setting a goal for myself, a new challenge… but here we are less than a week away.  A bunch of people have asked me my goal time… umm to finish?  To enjoy myself?  Yup I'm pretty sure those are my only goals at this point.  

I have no idea really what to expect despite trying to prepare well. I have been pretty good about sticking to a “beginners training schedule” recommended by the group that puts the ½ marathon together.  Let me tell you, this is a lot of work and takes up a ton of time!  Hats off to people who are disciplined enough to train with full time jobs/children etc.  I don’t think if I was working full time right now I would have been able to prepare for my first longer run… maybe after you get more experience things are a bit different.

With all the running I do here and especially with the increased miles due to training, I am constantly eating.  Seriously, I am always hungry.  There is the usual healthy pre and post-run snacks of bananas with nut butters, toast, oatmeal, yogurt etc.  But what I really like to have on hand are energy bars.  Yes I know they are glorified candy bars, but they are so convenient when in a rush!  I used to buy all sorts back in the states (as long as they were on sale or Trader Joes prices).  My favorites were Luna Bars, Larabars and Zone Bars.  I can’t buy either here in Australia and the energy/protein bars they sell are usually around $4 each!  No thanks… that doesn’t really work with my frugal mentality. So what is a girl to do?  Right then, just make my own.

You can find a fair amount of recipes for protein and energy bars online.  Some are pretty terrible and it took quite a bit of trial and error find some that were easy, tasty and actually healthy.  The easiest by far are imitation Larabars… the reason?  Only a few key ingredients, dried fruits, nuts, flavoring and in some cases some oats.  The binding ingredient in the recipe is dates (you could also use raisins).  You just need some sort of food processor/blender to mix and there is no need to bake them.  It is super easy and way cheaper to make your own. 

Homemade Larabars

Almond Chocolate (not actually a Larabar variety as far as I know... but very tasty anyways!)

As I mentioned, I did a lot of trials based off many different recipes online.  The closest that I based mine off of was from http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com

This is a super cute blog with lots of different healthy versions of baked treats... definitely worth looking through her site if you have the time!)

½ cup dates

¼ cup almonds

2 Tbs almond butter

½ cup rolled oats

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbs mini-chocolate chips

~ Combine the dates, almonds and almond butter into food processor and process until smooth.  This process will take several minutes.

~ Add rolled oats and vanilla and process another 1-2 minutes.

~ Add chocolate chips and pulse several times.

~ Shape the dough into bars.  I get 5 bars out of this recipe.  Wrap each well and store in fridge until ready to eat. 

Easiest recipe there is.  Blend it all together in food processor....

Shape into yummy bars and eat.  Done.

The great thing about these bars, is there are so many different flavor options.  Your base of ingredients always remains the same (the dates and nuts) but you can change the type of nuts, and nut butter you use, omit the oats, add different dried fruits to the mix and take the chocolate chips out.  Here are some other examples of tasty varieties...

Oatmeal Raisin

½ cup raisins

¼ cup walnuts

2 Tbs peanut butter

½ cup rolled oats

1 tsp vanilla extract

Key Lime Pie

½ cup dates

¼ cup almonds

¼ cup cashews

3 tablespoons shredded coconut

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lime zest

1 tablespoon lime juice

Peanut Butter and Jelly

½ cup dates

¼ cup peanuts

2 Tbs peanut butter

1/4 cup dried cherries

1 tsp vanilla extract

I am still working on the other more "protein bar" recipes that would be similar to a Luna Bar or even a Clif Bar.  All the ones that I have tried are just not coming out properly... mostly a texture issue.  I will keep you all posted and hopefully will have a good version soon!

Now that I have spent the whole morning writing, snacking on all things almond butter and making a batch of Larabars I need to head out for one of my last runs before the 1/2 marathon... woohoo!  

Hope everyone has a good start to the week :)

Banana Bread and Almond-Maple Butter

* Quick side note: I have been thinking about how to divide up my recipes I post: particularly baked goods.  I will separate out the “everyday” stuff that I have modified to fit into a healthy lifestyle from my more “traditional” baked goods.  These are more once in a while treats, you know for game night or whatever… they are the recipes way too good to change around and really it is completely necessary to have a good cookie or cake every now and then.

The Banana Bread Saga

When we first arrived in Sydney the cost of everything, especially food was shocking.  We really do not know how good we have it back in the states.  Everything is so cheap!  Anyways, we (meaning me) are super frugal with the stuff we buy here.  To the extent that I think I have maybe bought 2 shirts on sale (for about $5 each) the entire time we have lived here.  The stores that sell things I would wear easily cost double what I would usually pay back home.  It has turned out to be a good way to save money I suppose.  I order in bulk from JCrew online and pick it up when we are in the states. 

This money saving scheme however does not work well with food… you know since we need to eat and we both have hearty appetites and all.  Therefore, we have adjusted and just don’t think too much about it anymore.  You can’t compare to how cheap you get stuff in the states because it will drive anyone crazy!  Because of my frugal nature, a lot of the recipes I will post I started making as a way to save money.  In the end, you save money and end up with healthier (with less preservatives) and most of the time much tastier versions than the store bought stuff.

Along this whole idea of crazy food costs, my favorite story is that of the humble banana. Before coming to Sydney, the poor banana was just added to the grocery cart every week as an afterthought.  Yes they turn brown quickly and bruise easily, yes if I don’t eat them in the first 2 days they will have brown spots and I no longer want them… but they are cheap!  And whatever I don’t eat turns into yummy banana bread! 

Fast forward to the move to Sydney last August.  Imagine our surprise to see bananas in the store selling for over $17/kilo… umm yeah that is close to $8/pound.  WHAT!?  For the humble banana?!  Apparently this was blamed on cyclones that had wiped out the crops.

I was sad thinking I was just not going to eat bananas while we were here. 

Luckily, bananas now are back to a normal price.  This means pre-run bananas with almond butter and fresh baked banana bread...

I have been baking banana bread since college.  I had always used my mom’s old recipe, which is great.  Over the years however, I have adapted it to make it easier and healthier.  This banana bread is good.  Really good.   It does have a “healthy” taste to it with the oat bran and is not overly sweet.  But the chocolate chips make it taste like a treat! This is a quick and easy breakfast we always have on hand.  Often times I will double the recipe and put half the batch in the freezer.  It is really good with a bit of homemade almond butter… 

 Start by mixing the honey and eggs together like so...

Whisk all the dry ingredients together...

Combine the honey mixture with the dry ingredients.  The batter will be thick.

 Mash up all your bananas...

 Add milk and vanilla to the mashed bananas...

Mix it all together until just combined... don't over-mix the batter!

At this point you can add in nuts, dried fruit or in my case mini chocolate chips- yum!

Pour it into your greased pan and it's ready to bake- easy :)

I usually have a bit extra batter... which I usually turn into a couple muffins.  I wanted to try out my new mini "doughnut" tin this time.  How cute are these?!  I'm gonna work on some baked doughnut recipes and get back to you with those (although these were delicious and gone right 

after I took the picture!)

Healthy Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 cups whole-wheat flour

¾ cup oat bran

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup honey

3 large eggs

3 large or 4 small bananas, mashed

½ cup skim milk (you could also use whatever milk or non-dairy milk you have on hand)

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup mini-chocolate chips or chopped nuts (both optional)

~ Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)

~ Spray a loaf or muffin pans with cooking spray.  I use a 9” x 4” loaf pan and usually have a bit extra batter for a few muffins.

~ Whisk together the honey and eggs in a small bowl.

~ In a separate large bowl and whisk together the flour, oat bran, baking powder and baking soda.  Mix the honey mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well.

~ Mix together the mashed banana, milk and vanilla. 

~ Add the banana mixture to the batter and mix until just incorporated. 
~ Add chocolate chips or chopped nuts. 

~ Pour into greased pan and bake until top is brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.  Baking time approximately 20 minutes for muffins and 55-60 minutes for a loaf pan. 

~ Cool and enjoy!

 Since I mentioned having this with almond butter, I figured I would add the recipe I use.  No pictures of the actual process right now because I have a lot on hand already, but this is the finished product.  Yes, with Mickey.

You can get good nut butters from natural food stores, but they can be really expensive.  It is much more cost effective to buy large bags of nuts (often times the raw variety are the least expensive) and make your own.  It is really simple and the only thing that takes any time is the actual grinding in the food processor… so no real effort is needed!  I usually can find decent quality natural peanut butter at a good price, but not so much almond butter.  This is the one I usually make on my own.  The especially yummy part about this recipe is the maple flavor!  Clearly growing up in New Hampshire left me with an unhealthy obsession with all things maple.

Homemade Almond-Maple Butter

Ingredients

2 cups almonds

½ tsp maple extract

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp maple syrup (optional and can be omitted)

~ Pre-heat oven to 325°F (160°C)

~ Spread almonds over a baking sheet and roast approximately 10 minutes, stirring every couple minutes to roast evenly.

~ Cool slightly on baking sheet for 10-15 minutes.

~ Process in food processor until smooth.  This process may take some time.  It will look like sand at first, then appears clumpy before starting to get creamy.  Scrape down the sides several times during the process.  Once it actually gets creamy, add the extract, syrup and salt and process an additional 2-3 minutes. 

~ Store in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Phew, this has been a lot of posting the past few days.  It's really just to get all my early thoughts out there since I procrastinated so much in starting the blog.  I think I will probably aim for 2-3 posts/week though.  We are also going to be getting a new camera, so hopefully this will motivate me to practice my photography skills and improve (there clearly is plenty of room for improvement).  

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!