Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Oh. My. Goodness.

The Bachelorette is a nail biter tonight friends.

I can honestly say I have no idea who she's going to pick. I know who she should pick though.

Sean. He's dreamy. He spells his name wrong but his blue eyes forgive that. 

Plus, have you seen him without his shirt off? Yeah, exactly.

Perhaps she shouldn't pick him...hmm...

I shouldn't be admitting how into this stupid show I get. 

Muffins.

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Adapted from BakingBites.com

Ingredients:

3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed banana (about 2 med.)
6 tbsp peanut butter (pref. creamy)
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, mashed banana, peanut butter and buttermilk until very smooth, making sure all egg has been well-incorporated. Pour into flour mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain.
Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin tin, filling each just about up to the top.
Bake for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Remove muffins from tin and cool on a wire rack.

Army Chow

I can't believe the words are coming off of my fingers but I have officially graduated college.

6 years. Done.

It is a surreal feeling. All I have known for the past 6 years is college and being a stressed out student. Now I am a professional sign language interpreter and actually have time to do things like read, or blog, or do nothing.

I can do nothing if I want now.

!

This weekend I celebrated graduation with a few family members at a lake 2 hours from Columbus. It was a blast to throw back some margaritas, olive dip (to die for) and cupcakes.

I can't think of anything better than enjoying a body of water with a few of the people who mean the most to you.

I thought I should post something that has always been a favorite of mine growing up. I don't know what it is because there is really nothing special about this recipe...but I've always loved it.

When I visit my grandparents in Minnesota and step into the familiar home and get a lung-full of that comforting smell that you can only describe by labeling it as Grandma's house, I immediately get a pang and yearning for German potato salad, German pancakes, fried bread and army chow.

I believe this is something they would literally eat in the army. It is simple and no fuss and maybe that is what I like about it.

Making this for that man of mine here in Columbus really made me miss eating it around the kitchen table I have known for years around the people I don't get to see enough.

Army Chow
Dame Good (family recipe)

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

4 slices of wheat bread, toasted
1 can of reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
1 cup crumbled turkey sausage
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1/2 tablespoon skim milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium-sized pot, heat the mushroom soup, turkey sausage, salt and pepper over medium heat.

Combine the eggs, egg whites, milk, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix. Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Pour the egg mixture into the pre-heated skillet. Allow to cook for 2-5 minutes or until it begins to bubble on top and brown on the bottom.

Carefully flip the egg and cook an additional 2-5 minutes.

When the gravy is heated and the egg is cooked, divide the gravy evenly and pour over top of the toast. Divide the egg evenly and cut it into portions (I like to divide it into fours). Top the gravy with the egg and enjoy!

Turkey Sausage Pancakes

I am a huge fan of sweet and salty.

When I go to the movies, I like to get a popcorn and pour an entire bag of peanut m&ms in it and shovel the salty sweet stickyness into my big mouth while watching the movie.

I'm also that weird person who dips their Wendy's french fries in my chocolate frosty. It's so good its gross.

Makes sense yeah?

This is a crazy recipe I came up with that you will either love or you will hate. If you are strange like me and enjoy dipping your french fries into ice cream then try it. If not, maybe you should avoid this one.

I like it. It reminded me of a McGriddle. That's another one of my sweet and salty guilty pleasures.

Mmm...McGriddles...

Turkey Sausage Pancakes
Dame Good

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup skim milk, plus more if necessary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon artificial sweetener
1/2 cup turkey sausage crumbles

Directions:

Sift together flour and baking powder, set aside. Beat together the egg, milk, salt and artificial sweetener in a bowl. Stir in flour until just moistened, add sausage, and stir to incorporate.

Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking until golden brown.

Serve with sugar free syrup. 

S'mores Oatmeal

I have been sucked into yet another predictable season of 'The Bachelorette"...I know it's wrong, but I just don't wanna be right!

I know every season is the same. There's the smooth talker whose too good to be true, and the weirdo who comes on with a weird prop or persona and the guy with the heart-wrenching story...it always ends the same with two strangers professing their undying love for each other and spout out empty promises about it lasting forever...when really I think only one season out of the 700 has lasted...and who knows how happy they are?

I know these things. I know it is cheesy and the dates are too out-of-this-world to be even somewhat realistic but man I love some cheese.

I can't help but get excited to sit down on the couch with some sinful dessert and a cup of tea and my coziest sweats and dive in.

I guess we'll call it a guilty pleasure.

We all know I have plenty of those. Ahem, shoes, chocolate, cheesecake, trashy tv, chocolate, my iPhone, chocolate, girly books...just to name a few.

I guess this oatmeal is a little bit guilty too. Just a TAD. Or more than a tad. Whatev, have some while you watch "The Bachelorette"...you get my approval.

S'mores Oatmeal
Dame Good

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup mini marshmallows
1 graham cracker sheet (2 squares), broken into pieces
1 packet of splenda

Directions:

In a microwave-safe bowl combine oats, vanilla, water, milk and splenda. Microwave on high for 1 1/2-2 minutes, or until thickened.

Stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallows and graham cracker pieces. (Don't let it sit too long or the graham crackers will get soggy. Uncool) Enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

In high school I worked at Tim Horton's.

In high school I also had an insanely fast metabolism. I would eat donuts like it was my job...not sure it was an official part of my job but I sure acted like it.

I could pop donut hols in my mouth fresh out of the oven one after the other without the worry of being in danger of suffering severe punishment to my hips.

Now, not so much.

I don't buy donuts now. Why? Because it would be ugly. But I crave them.

I usually slow down a touch when I pass them at the grocery store...let myself drool a little bit then whine to myself about how I miss the days of being able to scarf down a meal from taco bell, followed by a coke and finished off with some chocolate cake without suffering any repercussions whatsoever.

Getting old is dumb.

I have stumbled across many options and recipes that soften the metabolism blow a bit. Sure, I can't have a deliciously greasy and sugary donut now without it immediately following an intense pang of guilt and a tear or two or two hundred. But...BUT, I can opt to make these muffins that are as close as I can get to feeling content about it.

These muffins remind me of those sugared donut holes. (donut, doughnut? I'll never know). Are they the perfect recreation or substitute? Well, no (these are baked, not fried like those crack-laced baked breakfast treats we all know and love)...but they're good for those days when you know you don't deserve a treat because you have skipped the gym for 3 weeks days straight but you WANT a treat.

Have at it.

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
Adapted from Sweetpeaskitchen.com

Ingredients:

1 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup skim milk

For the Coating:
1/2 cup melted light butter or spread
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
In small bowl whisk together oil, sugar, egg and milk.

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Bake until muffin tops are a pale golden and springy to the touch, 22 to 24 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time.

While the muffins are baking, combine sugar and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Place melted butter in a small bowl. Once baked, shake muffins out immediately and while hot, dip in melted butter, then roll in sugar and cinnamon

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

I wish I could claim this as my idea.

Carrot cake oatmeal is kinda genius no?

My boss actually gave me the idea. She told me how she came across a recipe for carrot cake oatmeal online somewhere and I decided to come up with my own.

Because I'm stubborn dangerous like that.

I actually never liked the idea of carrot cake until I tried one of the carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting at the bakery...um...yum! As a kid, I thought the idea was gross. Carrots in a cake? No thank you!

Now, I take that back. Please put carrots in my cake. Anyone?

Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Dame Good

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup skim milk
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup carrots, shredded
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
1 packet of splenda (optional, if you would like more sweetness)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes or until thickened. Enjoy!

Breakfast Casserole

I have fallen off the radar yet again.

I don't want to neglect the blog but sometimes I have no choice.

Life sure has kept me busy.

I have been training for a new job that is actually in my career field (exciting!) My newest "internship" has kept me quite busy. Not to mention this is my last quarter of college ever (Dear God I hope so. 6 years is far too much).

It's been a good kind of busy.

I've been working hard.

In fact, one thing that I have been devoting so much time to is an assignment where we had to interpret a song. I, of course, go and pick a really hard song because I wanted a challenge. Challenge it was. Indeed.

Everyone and their mother has seen it now so I suppose I can share it here...this is proof that I have been busy!

It is not perfect. It is far from perfect. But I am proud that I was able to stand up there without fainting from nervousness...

Me interpreting "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem...eek!

Please don't laugh :/

Anyways. Food. Here's some!

Breakfast Casserole
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey sausage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups skim milk
6 slices wheat bread, toasted and cut into cubes
8 ounces reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 small onion, chopped salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup green onions, chopped (optional)

 Directions:

Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain. Add onions to the pan and cook about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, onion, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.

Top with green onions.

Breakfast Muffin Cups

Yesterday was my baby's 2nd birthday!

Don't get it twisted...my "baby" is a 21 pound Pug.

I can't get over how quickly they grow up! It seems like just yesterday that I could hold him in the palm of my hand :(

See? He really IS a baby!

I felt kind of bad because I had absolutely no free time to bake him any special treats or anything so I resorted to giving him an abundance of treats...not the best idea with pugs but hey, birthdays only happen once a year right?!

LOTS of treats...

Something that I find to be a wonderful "treat" is a hearty, wholesome breakfast. The kind that makes you actually WANT to get out of bed in the morning.

I don't know about anyone else but I generally shout out a bunch of profanity (in my head usually) when I hear my alarm go off. It can be 6:00 AM or 11:00 AM, it doesn't matter. BUT. Yes, there's a but. BUT if I know there is a good breakfast to be had...the profanity decreases significantly.

This recipe is something I came across on Pinterest...been saying that a lot lately, about EVERYTHING. I made these for that man of mine and I for one of our usual Monday morning breakfasts and we both gave them two thumbs up.

I like them because they're versatile and you can put pretty much whatever you want in them. We made different kinds. Some had mushrooms, some had peppers. It was a nice variety and they were easy to whip together. We could enjoy our coffee and "The Price is Right" as they baked in the oven.

Good morning to us.

Breakfast Muffin Cups
Adapted from Littlebirdiebaby.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

1 24 oz. bag of shredded hash browns
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar
Turkey bacon bits or 8=10 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
Eggs
Extra shredded cheddar

Directions:

Take your bag of hash browns and mix in the salt, pepper, onion, oil and 1/3 cup shredded cheese. Divide amongst the cups in your muffin tin, making sure to grease tin beforehand.Bake hash browns at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until toasty.

Once they're finished, take them out and lower the temp of the oven to 350 degrees.
Crack an egg into each of the cups.

Top with bacon and a sprinkle of extra cheese
Bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 minutes (or until the eggs are as firm as you like them).
Slide a knife along the edges to remove from pan when cooled.

Pumpkin Pudding Muffins

I am slightly ashamed of myself.

We all know I love fall. This is my favorite time of the year to get in the kitchen and throw pumpkin in everything...and I have in fact been going crazy in the kitchen...

But I seem to be lacking the time to share all the fall goodies and things that make me squeel with delight.

It is already nearing the end of October and I haven't posted pumpkin-anything. What the heck!!

So to make up for it, I'm going to link some of my favorite fall recipes from the past and continue to try my best to share with you all of the things that have been making me fat, and happy.

Low-Calorie Pumpkin Bread (you can't even tell it's low-calorie, seriously)
Pumpkin Spice Granola (your house will smell a.m.a.z.i.n.g.)
German Pumpkin Cheesecake (one of my all-time favorite things I have EVER made)
Pumpkin Cream Puffs (the filling alone is to-die-for)
Pumpkin Roll (classic. just like Grandma made it)
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (you read right)

I decided to make muffins this year. I had this little box of pumpkin spice pudding just begging for me to do something with it...this recipe is actually for pumpkin bread but I swapped out the flour for some pudding and tried out the recipe for both pumpkin bread and muffins...

The bread didn't work out too well. But the muffins rocked. They were moist for days. Seriously.

Ingredients:

1/2 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3.4 oz box pumpkin spice instant pudding (dry)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pudding, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Ham Egg and Cheese Hashbrown Casserole

I am really a fan of breakfast casseroles. I've posted a couple already...some sweet, some savory, all awesome.

I love breakfast...I always wake up starving but sometimes I don't feel like dragging out the pots and pans...this is where the casserole comes in.

You can prepare everything the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning. This is especially convenient if you have someone to cuddle and sip coffee with while it bakes :)

Ham Egg and Cheese Hashbrown Casserole
From Tasteofhome.com

Ingredients:

1 package (32 ounces) frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
8 eggs
2 cups milk
Dash paprika

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the hash browns, bacon, 1/2 cup cheese and salt. Spoon into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In another large bowl, whisk eggs and milk until smooth; pour over hash brown mixture. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Yield: 8 servings.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola

I'm baaaack!!

Well sorta...it is reaching the end of the quarter aka super-stressful-crazy-busy-time.

My vacation=lovely. For 4 days I ate, drank and floated on a lake with some of my favorite people. We literally ate every 20 minutes and burned I'm guessing 0 calories.

But thats what vacation is for. Getting fat. And not caring about it.

Of course now this week its all about fruits, vegetables and a lot of time at the gym. But it's worth it.

Am I right or am I right?

If anyone actually consistently reads this silly blog then you have probably discovered I like to make up granola. It's easy and fun. And I love greek yogurt so it works for me.

I dont know where I got the idea for this, but it came to me and I tried it. It's not too "jelly-y" (yeah, I make up words). I personally like my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with extra peanut butter. But to each their own...play around with this recipe to your liking.

I'm allowing it :)

Peanut Buter and Jelly Granola
Dame Good

Ingredients:

5 1/4 cups oats
1/2 cup lightly salted peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar-free jelly
2 tablespoons canola ol
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons flax seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat peanut butter in microwave for 30 secons. Stir and heat again for 15 seconds.

Combine oats, peanuts, wheat germ and flax seeds in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine peanut butter canola oil and honey. Mix well. Stir in the jelly just a tad (don't overstir, you want the peanut butter and jelly to be somewhat separate).

Place the granola on a sprayed baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan and stir the granola, rotate the pan and bake again for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

I did something fun last night.

The kind of fun that calls for heels and good perfume. Shawn and I had a date night...on a sunday...we're wild like that.

Last tuesday was his birthday. My old man turned 25. We both love comedy and enjoy the raunchy and dirty humor that is of Daniel Tosh on Tosh.0.

Thankfully I discovered he was coming to Columbus so I eagerly snatched up a couple tickets and surprised him with it while we were watching Tosh.0.

It was hiiiiilarious.

I love to laugh. After eating, laughing might be my favorite thing. Lucky for me I have my own personal little clown.

Of course the half bottle of sweet red wine that I enjoyed over our homemade steak dinner helped.

But really, it was so so funny. I am not sure what kind of person it makes me to enjoy his humor. It is so wrong on so many levels but if I had room to roll on the floor I would have.

No joke.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

From Cookinglight.com

Ingredients:

Bread:
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Cooking spray

Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.

To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.