whole wheat coconut banana bread

another keeper for the list.  no big deal.

do you love coconut? i do.  

normally i don't end up with many brown banana's sitting on the counter.  usually, i'm making quick runs to the store in between for reals shopping trips because we're out of banana's.  or creamer.  we eat a lot of banana's and apparently, we use a lot of creamer.  

sometimes though, the banana's i buy start to brown much quicker than other times and i don't like banana's with brown spots.  picky maybe?

anyway, a few weeks ago i ended up with four black banana's on my counter.  since i already have bags of frozen black banana's in my freezer, i didn't want to add to the stash so i decided to try this recipe i'd bookmarked some time ago.  

it was fantastic.

i might have made a few changes. the original calls for white flour.  i used all white whole wheat flour.  it also calls for 4 tbsp of butter but i used coconut oil in place of half the butter as well as fat free plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

whole wheat coconut banana bread

printable recipe

recipe via honey and butter

2 cups white whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled to room temp

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe bananas (about 4 large)

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

3 tbsp skim milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sweetened, flaked coconut

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

whisk flour, baking soda and salt together.  set aside.

in a large mixing bowl, beat butter, coconut oil and sugar until blended.  add the eggs and beat until combined.  add the banana, sour cream, milk and vanilla.  beat until blended. slowly incorporate the flour mixture until just combined.  fold in the coconut.

pour batter into a large loaf pan that has been sprayed with baking spray or lined with parchment paper.  sprinkle the additional 2 tbsp of coconut on the top.

bake uncovered for 50-60* minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  

let the loaf cool on a rack for about 10 minutes and then carefully remove it from the pan.  cool for an additional 15 minutes before slicing.

*my bread was very dense.  it took 75 minutes to cook all of the way through so i covered the top with tinfoil after 50 minutes to prevent over browning.

yields 12 generous slices

Nutrition Facts whole wheat coconut banana bread Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 241 Total Fat 6.6g       Saturated Fat 4.3g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 35mg Sodium 200mg Carbohydrate 42.3g       Dietary Fiber 3.3g       Sugars 23.3g Protein 4.8g Alcohol 0.1g Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 6% Calcium    1% Iron 4%

green monsters and a weigh in

the deliciousness does not match the nutritiousness.

that's not to say that i don't think nutritious foods are delicious, i definitely do but when you cram two handfuls of fresh spinach into a blender with fruit, you don't typically expect it to turn out to be a delicious treat, snack, meal. BUT IT IS!

the top smoothie is a blend of fresh squeezed oj (from one orange), about 3/4 cup cold water, 1/2 tbsp agave, one banana, 1/2 a green apple, two handfuls of spinach, 1 tbsp of chia seeds and ice.

i've been experimenting with all sorts of fruit combinations and so far, not one mix has disappointed.  even the little guy comes back asking for more.  today, i used the oj, chia, spinach, water and ice with mango, strawberries & pineapple YUM!

chia seeds are new to me.  i've heard/read a lot of positive things about chia seeds being loaded with healthy omega fats.  straight from wikpedia:

... Chia seed may be eaten raw as a whole seed, providing protein, fats and fiber.^[9] Ground chia seed is sometimes added to pinole, a coarseflour made from toasted maize kernels. Chia seeds placed in water or fruit juice are consumed in Mexico and known as chia fresca. The soaked seeds are gelatinous in texture and are used in gruels, porridges and puddings. Ground chia seed is used in baked goods includingbreads, cakes and biscuits.

Chia sprouts are used in a similar manner as alfalfa sprouts in salads, sandwiches and other dishes. Chia sprouts are sometimes grown on porous clay figurines which has led to the popular U.S. cultural icon of the Chia Pet.

[edit]Nutrient content and potential health benefits

In a one ounce (28 g) sample, dried chia seeds contain 9% of the Daily Value for protein (4g), 13% fat (9g) (57% of which is ALA) and 42% dietary fiber (11g), based on a daily intake of 2000 calories.^[9] The seeds also contain the essential minerals phosphorus, manganese, calcium, potassium and sodium^[9] in amounts comparable to other edible seeds, such as flax^[10] or sesame.^[11] ...

some call it a "superfood" and since i believe everything "some" says, i decided to give it a try.  will it give me more energy?  will it help clear up my skin?  will it keep me feeling full longer?  will it help with my digestion? 

chia seeds are packed with fiber, protein and omega-3's (which is great for healthy skin, hair and nails).  supposedly, they're "good for" diabetics and great for your thyroid.

honestly, i do notice a difference in my energy level after i drink my smoothie. no lie.  maybe it's just because i'm no longer hungry but whatevs.  i'm going to keep adding that tablespoon to every smoothie until the bag is gone and then i'll make my final judgment call. buy more or not?

****

in other news, i finished my 30 day cycle of "making the cut" and started again.  i took my final measurements last week.  i was up just under a pound but down a few inches.  i actually took before and after photos which are really telling. the fact of the matter is i didn't/don't have a lot of weight to lose so the difference was muscle gain and a noticeable loss of inches around my waist, butt, thighs and back.  i'm not brave enough to post the photos here though.  wimpy.  instead, i tried to be discreet and take my a photo during my last workout. 

throughout the process i re-learned what i already knew.  honestly people, diet is everything.  i workout often and i workout hard but, i did not follow jillian's meal plan recommendations and as a result, i did not drop any weight.  

for me, this is not a big deal.  i'm at a healthy weight and i'm happy with the way i look but more importantly,  now i'm really happy with the way i feel.  this program helped me gain a lot of muscle and, it made me more excited to go to the gym everyday.

so diet is everything and, i genuinely enjoy hard core workouts.  these are the two things i re-learned.  i know for a fact that if i had followed her dietary recommendations, i would have walked away leaner but, i also know for a fact that i eat really balanced and healthy as is.  if were unhappy with my progress/results, i would have made more of an effort to change my diet.  

at the end of it, i finished happy, healthy and ready for more.

****

another thing to mention is the awesomeness that is impact fitness.  this gal sells the cutest fitness wear out of a little studio in her back yard.  she sells by appointment only but had a little open house on friday so i took the kids up to check it out.

this stuff is not easy on your pocket book but the quality is top notch and, for someone who wears workout clothes a lot, i think having higher-end pieces is the way to go.  considering the beating these clothes take (think sweating, washing, repeat over and over again), it's worth the money to get some items that will last.   

so i did.

first, the little guy was super proud of himself when he found a hidden stash of clothes in the closets against the wall.  he opened one to show me and it came toppling down on him.  an embarrassing mess.  luckily the owner was super sweet and has young kids of her own.  

i walked away with a pair of combat shorts, capri's and two tanks.  the tanks are long which i love because i'm tall.  the shorts and the capri's are so very comfortable, loose but not too loose.  just right for me.  i get so tired of super tight fitting workout clothing.  i noticed she had a variety of sizes and fits which means there's something for everyone and the clothes are cute enough that they could actually be worn outside of the gym (not that i'm not guilty of this anyway).

even though i used up all of my allowance for the next two years and even though i didn't branch out and pick colors other than army green and black, i'm excited for my new gear.  maybe i'll take a picture of myself one day?  yeah, probably.

****

what else?  gosh, we've been loving this weather (hence the lack of posting here and everywhere).  we've been hanging in the sun as much as we can and playing with friends.  this means i'm running (the car) back and forth and here and there all day long.

i went to the dermatologist last week which was a nice thing to be able to cross of my "list of responsible things to do."

she made me take my sandals off and then giggled at the mole on my big toe, "you have a mole on your toe!"  she was really kinda of awesome.  not what i expected at all.  basically, she only removes moles that cause concern for melanoma and while i have "a lot of moles," i also have only "good moles."  word.

and then on another day, my friend amanda sent me a box with goodies. i love getting boxes. don't you?! girl does this thing where she's subscribes to cooking magazines but she doesn't like to cook.  she's one of those people who wants to like to cook but doesn't really want to like to cook.  maybe the magazines will make her want to cook or like to cook?  no.  they don't.  so she sent them all to me.  and i'm excited to cook some things.  AND, she sent us a bag of peets coffee.  oh my.

lucky for me, the husband/hunk makes my coffee every morning.  lie.  he makes his coffee and is nice enough to add a few cups for me. peets coffee is the best coffee i've had so far in my coffee-drinking life.  if i can't find it here, she's going to have to ship me more OR ... bring me more when i meet her in arizona this coming november!!!!

yep, that's happening and i haven't been this excited to save money in quite a while.  "nobody gets to eat food for the next three months, dad and i are going to arizona!"

anyway, life around these parts has been awesome.  never a dull moment and nothing to complain about.   i've been getting an hour at the coffee shop once a week while sissy takes tumbling and this is like h.e.a.v.e.n. 

we've also spent a couple of lovely evenings at my parents enjoying their nice deck.  yesterday the kids swam in the blow up pool until little guy had an accident in his pants and ruined all the fun.  

we had delicious food and always, great company. 

saturday i enjoyed a lovely 9.52 mile run and a breakfast of gnats with my favorite running buddies including neighbor/friend/running buddy, her sister and candice.  the air smelled so sweet, i asked candice if she wanted to lick it like i did.  i can't remember what her reply was.  probably, "absolutely" or, "no doubt" or, "for sure."  naturally.

i want to scream I LOVE SUMMER! but, you can't hear me.

now i'm off to the gym for an hour on the treadmill and then an hour of yoga.  the family will have to fend for themselves as far as dinner is concerned because i just took way too long writing this post.

done.

spicy honey chicken salad with honey citrus vinaigrette

i'm alive.  

to prove it, i'm posting the dinner we had last saturday after a visit to the local carnival.  we shared this delicious meal with my bro/sister-in-law and baby nephew.  it was very, very tasty.

we ate out on the back patio for the first time this year.  best time of year, fo' sho'.

{spicy honey chicken salad with honey citrus vinaigrette}

the chicken was delicious.  especially so cut up and eaten as part of the salad.  a perfect combination of flavors.

spicy honey chicken

printable recipe

recipes via our best bites

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (i used breasts because it's what i had and it was delicious)

2 tsp canola oil*(see note)

rub:

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp coriander

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

glaze:

1/2 cup honey

1 tbsp cider vinegar

combine the rub spices in a bowl and mix well.

drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all of the pieces.  toss the chicken with the spice rub to coat sides well.  (*you could also just spray the pieces with non stick spray and then sprinkle the rub evenly on each piece - this is what i did).

grill the chicken over low heat for 3-5 minutes on each side until cooked through.

while the chicken is cooking, warm the honey in a microwave save dish so that it is not thick.  add the vinegar and combine well.  reserve 2 tbsp of the glaze for later.  generously brush the rest on both sides of the chicken in the final minutes of grilling. 

cover cooked chicken with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  drizzle the remaining glaze over the chicken and serve with the salad.

spicy honey chicken salad

1-2 heads romaine and/or red leaf lettuce, rinsed and chopped

2 ripe but firm mangoes cut into 1" pieces or sliced

2-3 ripe but firm avocados cut into 1" pieces or sliced

optional: thinly sliced red onion for top

serve salad either by combining everything in a large bowl (included dressing) or, by making individual salads on each plate topped with the sliced chicken.

honey-citrus vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp grated onion

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

2 tbsp honey

3/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/2 cup canola oil

process all ingredients except for oil in a food processor, blender or, if you're spoiled like me and your mom and dad gave you a handheld mixer for your birthday, use that instead.  once everything is mixed, slowly incorporate the oil.

enjoy with good company and then you're set.

nutritional info pending my non-laziness

it's sunny out. what's your excuse?

right now i'm totally laying out in the back yard like i used to do in high school except for now, rather than a bikini, i'm trotting around in my sports bra and shorts with awesome mom belly flippin' and a floppin' around.  my hair looks like it's been through the ringer but it hasn't.  that's just how my hair looks all of the time.

husband/hunk/lover is at work.  again.  i took the kids to the local parade this morning by myself which made me sad but i hid it well.  we rocked the candy-getting and i'm certain that we annoyed all of the nearby parade goers with my our enthusiasm.  i took some cute photos but i'll save them for my little family blog for a near future post.  in the meantime, here are two for you to enjoy.

 welcome to the herriman days parade:

busy. busy. busy. describes life right now.  for one, my girl started tumbling again this week which is now twice a week for an hour each time as opposed to once a week for half an hour.  her gym is 25 minutes from home which makes it tough to drop her off and then go home until she's ready to be picked back up.  since the little guy and i had time to kill on tuesday while she was cartwheeling, we chose to kill it at the local coffee shop.  (free wi-fi).  that there is a full fat chai latte and pink milk.  not making the cut.

on thursday i was without little guy and had an hour to kill by myself.  what do you do with an hour all alone?  me, well, i went to costco and then promised sissy "fuel" for after class which ended up being a jamba juice.  i went in for her only but couldn't resist trying their new fruit and veggie smoothies.  i had orange carrot karma and i have to say, it was tasty.  180 calories, 430% vitamin a, 90% vitamin c and only 38 grams of sugar.  only 38 grams of sugar!!!! no wonder it was tasty. i know better but still, oops.

that evening my boy had his last baseball game of the season and the coaches presented me with four lovely "smart cookies" to thank me for being team mom.  yeah, that's me.  mom of the team.

turns out smart cookies make me really dumb because i was only going to have "a bite" but ended up eating two whole cookies by the time i took a bite here and there. i have no idea what happened.  it was probably something like, "let me have a bite of your cookie. just one bite."

sissy had her last day of kindergarten on thursday so she came with the little guy and i to the gym on friday morning.  i let them try the "kid fit" class rather than making her hang out in the playroom with a bunch of poopy babies and snotty-nosed toddlers.  

when i came down after getting my sweat on, they were just winding down class.  doing push ups and stretching.  it was one of the cutest things i've ever seen.  gavin doesn't want to go back though.  he's "fraid" of the big bouncing balls and brooklyn said he cried every time they tried to get him to sit on one. so, i promised him he could hang out the in playroom next time.

my workouts have been awesome.  i'm almost done with the "making the cut" 30 day schedule.  i'll still keep doing these circuits though.  i really, really enjoy them and, i've definitely noticed a difference in my endurance, strength and body fat.  i'll weigh myself and take measurements sometime soon.  still waiting for a visit from flow.  never wise to weigh or measure when she's here.  tmi.  gross.

i tried the kettle bell swings i talked about here.  holy shizam candice! they're tough.  25 pounds was not happening.  i used the 20 pound bell and could only squeak out 10 swings before i needed a break.   um ... candice was prescribed 100 swings with a 25 pound bell.  i need to practice.

one great workout i threw into my circuit was jump lunges on the bosu's.  i love working on bosu's.  i tried to find an example but i couldn't find an image of anyone actually jumping.  i found this one though:

she takes bosu training to a whole new level.

basically though, you start like this (less weights unless you're used to doing 100 kettle bell swings with 25 lbs) and then jump, switching your legs in the air and landing in a lunge.  the idea is to pause only briefly in between lunges for a great cardio exercise.

last of all,

food:

i've been eating the same turkey wrap for lunch every single day.  it's just easy and delicious so, why not?

spiced chicken was flippin' awesome.  the recipe is simply a cumin, paprika, salt & pepper.  check it out here.  i plan to make this a lot.  unfortunately, i'm the only one who liked the tomato basil couscous.  i like couscous but i like it alone.  sniffle.

pretty boring stuff, right? (don't answer that).

it is my goal to be less lenient with my diet for the next few days.  every choice i make is deliberate but i'm allowing too many treats too frequently.  i feel like crap when i eat crap.  frito's and cheese "flavored" dip does not make the cut and i know it.

so that's my update for now.  we'll be headed over to the carnival later today.  i was bummed to not be able to run the local 5k/10k this morning but, oh well.  he's out making money while i pout over not being able to spend it. races are expensive.  i wish it weren't true.

congrats to all those who ran the utah valley marathon and 1/2 marathon this morning!  i can't believe it's already been a year.  i'm so glad they had better weather today than brother-in-law and i had a year ago.

beef and broccoli

very delicious

beef and broccoli

printable

recipe adapted from handle the heat

*note: the flank steak is easier to cut after it's been in the freezer for about 15 minutes prior to slicing.  slice the steak lengthwise in 2" wide pieces then cut each of those 2" wide pieces across the grain into very thin slices (not more than 1/4" thick).

1 - 1 1/2 lb flank steak, trimmed of visible fat and sliced*

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari

1 tbsp dry sherry

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground ginger

3 tbsp + 1 tsp sesame oil, divided

1 1/4 lb broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces

1/3 cup water

1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced

combine the beef and soy sauce in a medium bowl and refrigerate, covered, for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once.

meanwhile, whisk the sherry, chicken broth, brown sugar, 1 tsp of sesame oil and cornstarch in a small bowl.

in another small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger and 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil.

heat another 3 tsp of sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot (smoking).  drain the beef and discard the liquid. add the beef to the skillet and cook without stirring for 1 minute.  after 1 minute, stir and cook until the beef is browned around the edges, about another minute.  transfer the beef to a medium bowl.

add another tbsp of oil to the empty skillet and heat again until just smoking.  add the broccoli and cook for 30 seconds; add the water, cover the pan, lower the heat to medium and allow the broccoli to steam until crisp-tender (about 2 minutes).  transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.

add the remaining oil to the skillet; increase the heat to high and heat until smoking.  add the bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until spotty brown, about 1 1/2 minutes.  

clear the center of the skillet; add the garlic and ginger mixture to the clearing and cook until fragrant, 15-20 seconds and then stir the mixture into the peppers.  return the beef and broccoli to the skillet and toss to combine.   whisk the sauce to recombine then add it to the skillet; cook, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds.  transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the scallions, and serve.

the end.  phew.

yields 4 generous servings

Nutrition Facts recipe beef and broccoli Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 492 Total Fat 24.4g       Saturated Fat 7.4g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 94mg Sodium 670mg Carbohydrate 8g       Dietary Fiber 0.4g       Sugars 3.9g Protein 55.5g Alcohol 0.5g Vitamin A 12% Vitamin C 62% Calcium    4% Iron 22%

all in a weekend

{saturday night :: sunset from wasatch blvd}

today i ate at least half of a loaf of amish friendship bread.  that stuff is good in a bad way.  

i'm already over it. moving on.

it was my sincerest intention to update about my great weekend before now but blogger has been stupid all day and then i found myself doing other things like being responsible for smaller people and eventually, showering because sissy requested recently that i "please shower before picking me up from school." turns out she thinks i'm always in need of a shower and obviously, i'm an embarrassment.  "how dare you workout mom?!"  okay, she didn't really say that last part but, she might as well have.  today, i showered.  that's how amazing i am at being a mom. when they ask me to shower, i shower.  i'm always so considerate.

on saturday i put on my big girl panties and braved a little blogger luncheon in orem put on by the beautiful (and super sweet) janae.  honestly, i had a gazillion excuses to not go going through my head but, i was determined to buck up and make the date and i'm glad i did.  these girls were so welcoming and fun to talk to.  lunch was delicious too ... we ate at terra mia and i had the tomato basil soup and a side salad.  i sat across from julia who is working on her phd in psychology. i feel even more dumb and un-educated now.  on one side of me were sisters rachelle and amber (and ambers cutest little boy).  on the other side was the lovely ash whose blog i have enjoyed for so long so it was crazy weird and totally awesome meeting her in person.   these girls are all running the utah valley marathon this saturday and rachel and ash just ran the ogden marathon.  see mom, i'm not as crazy as you think i am!  amazing.  inspiring. awesome.

janae made cookies for everyone.  i tried telling myself they were super gross but, it only took a few minutes for me to devour the entire bag.  it would have been unfair for me to save any for the rest of my family because, well, you do the math.  they were gone by the time i got to the grocery store.  

grocery shopping happened LESS kids!!!  unless you have kids that you shop with regularly, you cannot appreciate how amazing kid-less grocery shopping can be.  it took me 1/2 the time as it usually takes, i didn't have to stop for any samples or stand there why they carefully choose between a sticker with a hot air balloon on it or the one with the faces of bob and randy harmon on it (they're the "grocer in our neighborhood").  i can't believe i'm actually writing about such mundane occurrences.  the checker at the store was excited over my items for purchase so at least someone appreciated the event.

later in the evening i went on a date with my man.  it was fun.  seriously. i'd date him any day of the week and all weekend long.  he's my favorite husband.  can you believe how in love we are?  it's amazing.

of course i took photos of the delicious food from the weekend.

sunday i went out early for a 10 mile run all by myself.  did that sound eeyore-ish enough?  lonely but, it was a beautiful morning.  the run took longer than normal but i stopped a lot to take photos.  i was also tired.  it's been awhile since i've ran that distance.  even just a few weeks with lower milage makes a big difference in my endurance.  my legs were not happy the last mile or so.  push through the pain.

checkout the sunrise.  and the deer.  he was happy to see me.  unless it was a she.  then she was happy to see me.

in the evening, my mom had us up for dinner.  my brothers were there.  i don't get to see them enough.  it was good to see them but i missed my cute sister in law.  she was away "on business" ... being all grown up and important.

  

my mom made korean bbq beef, brown rice and i brought up an oriental broccoli slaw of sorts that i threw together.  i love good food.  yes i do and this food was good.

today felt weird.  i'm not really sure why.  

neighbor/running buddy/friend and i went for an early morning run.  probably about 4 miles.  we didn't have the time for the longer loop because husband had to go to work early.  again.  thank goodness he lets me spend all of his hard earned money on awesome clothes from target and a mortgage.

once i got the kids to school i headed to the gym.  yes, this will make workout #2 for the day.  i believe i am on day 20 or 21 of "making the cut."  i'm telling you people, if you want to make the cut then, you should read this book.  

the workout took 70 minutes.  i watched a guy watching me as he made his way through his own workout.  once i got ready to leave he came up to me and asked me if i was done yet.  i told him i thought so.  then he says, "you really know how to work out."  and my head got big but i played it cool and told him i wasn't really in the mood today so, it was a tough one.  then he says, "i was watching you.  you know what you're doing."  creepy?  nah.  he seemed totally normal.  normal on the creep-o-meter.  i wanted to say, "yeah, i noticed you watching me."  but, i didn't want to stop playing it cool and i was enjoying the bigness of my head.  was he fit?  yes.  yes he was.  so his opinion totally matters.

now it's late.  i've just returned from yoga (#3 workout) and blogger is finally working but i'm too tired to download my photos to show all three of you reading the cooking i did today.  i already mentioned the amish friendship bread (anyone want a starter bag because i have three?), then there was gazpacho for lunch which was good but, reminded me too much of salsa and i don't really want to eat salsa by the spoonful.  so, fail.  for dinner we had beef and broccoli.  it was really good.  good enough to "make the cut" for this blog.  i'll be posting the recipe soonish.

don't get on me for 3 workouts in one day.  i realize this was excessive.  i personally consider it cardio, strength training and stretching broken up into segments throughout the course of a day but i admit, i am super way-bad tired now so ...

zzzzzzzzz

i'll be dreaming of grocery shopping less kids.  have you tried it?

do you engage in "small talk" at the gym?  it annoys me.  that makes me rude.  shoot.

whole wheat chocolate chip banana muffins

let me tell you something, if you like chocolate then these muffins are going to send you spinning.  oh. my. goodness.  they are amazing.  healthy *enough* for breakfast, rich enough for dessert.  the perfect muffin (in my very humble opinion).

seriously, for wheat muffins made with applesauce and bananas instead of fatty oils and only one egg, you really can enjoy them without the guilt of your typical chocolate chip muffins.

chocolate chip banana muffins

printable recipe

adapted via handle the heat

3 ripe bananas

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips

pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and spray muffin tin with non-stick spray.

mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl.  add the sugar, applesauce, egg and vanilla and mix together.  sift the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder over the wet ingredients and fold in until just combined.  fold in chocolate chips.

divide batter among muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean).

makes 12 muffins

Nutrition Facts whole wheat chocolate banana muffins Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 221 Total Fat 6.4g       Saturated Fat 3.4g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 15mg Sodium 248mg Carbohydrate 41.5g       Dietary Fiber 4.2g       Sugars 27.6g Protein 3.1g Alcohol 0.1g Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 5% Calcium    2% Iron 3%

day 18 & 19

i'm behind.  the children in this house have had some not-cool illnesses as of late and they needed caring for.  since i'm the mom, i'm the care-taker.  so i'm behind.

wednesday was a rest day, remember?  i enjoyed a quick run with my running buddy/neighbor/friend early in the morning and then the rest of the "rest" day was busy. busy.  it's that time of year, "end of _______ ."  we went to the boys team baseball party at the pizza place for dinner then sissy and i went to see her little friend preform in the ballet "cinderella."  school is out next week so there will be more of "the end of" type stuff.

day 18 & 19 workouts were a repeat of 15 & 16.  easy peasy.  honestly, i'd say the prescribed workout for days 16 & 19 has been the easiest so far.  "easiest" meaning, i didn't feel like i was going to puke.

days 15 & 18 were serious calorie burners and took a lot longer to complete than the other two days.  i worry about what people think while i'm running around in the workout area trying to quickly get from exercise to exercise.  i must look crazy.  breathing hard, sweating hard, checking my card constantly, moving different pieces of equipment from one end of the gym to the other.  the body balls are on the opposite end from the dumbbells so when i'm told to execute 10 reps of a military press prone on a body ball.  like so ... i have to move the ball to the dumbbells or visa versa.  it's annoying.

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this is great shoulder workout.  using light weights, place feet against a wall for stability and then lay pelvis on top of body ball, face down.  military press the dumbbells straight out and back (shoulder height).  10 reps.

i threw in some extra ab exercises because i get tired of the hanging twists from "making the cut."  i'm rebellious and not afraid of jillian michaels.  both of these ab workouts are super effective.  the first is a plank roll out which works the entire core but especially the upper portion of the abdominal.

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in plank position with forearms on the body ball just under your shoulders, roll the ball out away from your body (using your forearms) and then back in for one rep.  hold plank position tight.  go for 15-20 reps.

the second abdominal workout focuses on the lower abs (complimentary to the first).  hanging abs with a  medicine ball between the knees.  in 1992, it probably looked like this.

squeeze a medicine ball (i use a 10 lb ball) in between your knees/thighs and pull knees into chest while hanging and keeping abs tight.  preform 20 reps with a 30 second rest in between the first and last 10.

give some (or all) of these little exercises a try next time you're at the gym.  or, come with me to the gym and we'll give them a try together.  i'll be trying a new workout next week too ... my friend candice linked her workout on tuesday and it included kettlebell swings.  something i've never tried.  she's prescribed 100 swings 25/35 which i assume means 25/35 lbs.  right or wrong candice?

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food wise, there's not a whole lot of excitement to report.  honestly, eating well has been effortless lately.  i'm trying to really focus on how i feel emotionally/mentally when i'm eating the way i truly want to be eating (balanced and healthy).  my moods are more stable.  i feel in control and i have more confidence in my abilities.  weird how this works, no?  it feels good to feel good.  

the challenge is holding onto these feelings and this focus.  i know how it easy it is to fall out of the "good" cycle and that can be a very slippery slope that i want to avoid.  

one not-new trick (but one i forget about) is brushing my teeth right after dinner so that i'm less tempted to snack later in the evening.  it works.  when i want it to :) ... 

"thursday :: lunch" is actually dinner.  i was dumb and labeled it wrong.  teriyaki chicken with sticky coconut rice and broccoli.  probably one of my favorite dinners.  the rice is white basmati.  not whole grain so, i get a minus point for that but, it's SOOOO good (unless you're my mom.  then it's not good.  she doesn't not like coconut rice).  this time i used coconut oil instead of olive oil and it was a perfect swap.  

my real thursday lunch was actually a salad from whole foods and a cup of their white bean and kale soup (not very tasty).  sissy and i had hair appointments.  i hadn't had my hair cut/colored since november.  it was super unhealthy and in need of some attention.  check out the before and after.

exactly what i needed.  it feels so good and i'm in love with the length.

back to food:  leftover teriyaki chicken helped me to create another favorite salad for lunch yesterday and then dinner was just a random use of leftover ingredients.  whole wheat orzo with grilled chicken topped with asparagus and spinach sautéed in a balsamic reduction of sorts.  i tossed in little mozzarella cheese and gobbled it up.

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husband had to work today (boo) so i didn't get to go out for a run this morning.  i was just reading muncher cruncher's recap from her vacation.  she talked about how she didn't workout for 5 days and asked if this sort of thing gives anyone else anxiety.  my answer, a big fat "YES!"  just one day off of routine makes me uncomfortable.  i'm terrified of falling back into old habits so i fight and i fight hard.  part of the battle is keeping my routine.  it's very important to me though i realize i shouldn't feel guilty for missing one workout.  i shouldn't but, i do.  i'll get my long run in tomorrow before the husband has to go work at another job (my poor man is tired) and then maybe one day, i'll trust myself enough to take some time off, guilt-free.

later today i'm going to a meet up with some girls i've never met.  totally out of my comfort zone but, i'm going.  and i'm excited!  it's a luncheon that janae organized.  i'm excited to meet some of the girls who write the blogs i love to read.  

surrounding ourselves with like minded people is important.  these girls motivate me and make me feel less psychotic when it comes to my interests in health and wellness.  i like feeling less psychotic.

last of all, i was reminded of this yesterday while reading happenstance.  it's worth sharing. i think.

do you have any fun weekend plans?  like muncher cruncher, i want to know if you get anxious if you miss a workout?  

happy saturday!