Avocado & Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 large rip banana
• 2 cups of flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup reduced fat milk
• 2 eggs

Ingredients:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375
2. Grease a muffin tray with nonstick spray
3. In a large mixing bowl, mash your banana, and avocado
4. Mix in the eggs and milk
5. Add the sugar, baking soda, salt and flour; mix well, but do not over mix or puree the batter
6. Fill muffin cups half way full
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes. 

~Adapted from savvysavingcouples.net

Spinach Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (about one single serving cup)
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup fresh spinach, packed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Processes wet ingredients in a blender: applesauce, egg, vanilla, spinach, sugar and oil.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl: flour baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add the wet spinach mixture to the dry ingredients.
5. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. You can use a spoon or spatula. The mixture will be very dense! On occasion, if it seems too dense, I'll add a splash of milk to loosen it up, but the mixture should resemble a thick cookie dough. It won't pour easily.
6. Scoop the batter into greased muffin tins. This recipe will make 8-9 large muffins or 24 mini-muffins.
7. Bake for 12 minutes for mini-muffins or 17 minutes for regular-sized muffins.
8. Let them cool on a rack and enjoy! 

~Recipe adapted from mamasaywhat.com

Cinnamon Apple Energy Balls

Total time: 10 mins
Yields: 12-14 balls

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pitted dates
• 1 cup dried apples (not freeze dried, you want the chewy ones)
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until it forms a thick paste.
2. Using about a tablespoon of the mixture, roll into balls. If you want the little bites, use about 1/4 teaspoon.

~Recipe from thenymelrosefamily.com

Cheese Sticks (Baked)

 

Ingredients:

• 12 cheese sticks
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 5 Tablespoons breadcrumbs (you can also use Panko bread crumbs)
• 2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
• 1 egg, whisked together
• Cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons dried parsely
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cut the 12 cheese sticks in half horizontally. Place in freezer bag and freeze completely.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare baking sheet with foil or silicon mat.
3. Prepare dredging dishes: 1 bowl flour, 1 bowl egg, 1 bowl breadcrumb combined with Parmesan, dried parsley, salt, pepper.
4. To bread the cheese sticks: roll one frozen cheese stick half in flour, egg, then breadcrumb mixture. Place on baking sheet and repeat covering all cheese sticks.
5. Spray top of cheese sticks with cooking spray (this gives them a more golden appearance when they are done).
6. Place in oven for 4 minutes. Watch closely, so they don't melt completely.

~Recipe adapted from trusper.com

Mango Travel Treats

Yields: ~20

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup Almonds
• 1 cup dried mango
• 8-10 dates
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes (dried and unsweetened)

Directions:

1. Put nuts into the food processor and grind.
2. Add mango and blend some more, until mango is in smaller chucks.
3. Add dates and blend until the whole mixture is sort of gooey and sticks together well.
4. Form into bite sized bars. I got about 20 bars with this recipe.
5. Roll each bar in coconut to coat.
6. I refrigerated to firm up the bars and enjoy!

~Recipe from nourishpaleofoods.com

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed (I used chia seeds)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Use a small scoop to  portion out ingredients and squeeze firmly to make a dense ball.
3. You can eat immediately but I choose to cool in the refrigerator, which helps the balls keep their shape.

~Recipe from Mikaila

Blueberry Oat Bran Muffins

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes: 24 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat bran
• 1 cup flour
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• a good pinch salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup blueberries (no need to thaw them if frozen)
• 1 cup plain yogurt (buttermilk can be substituted)
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 360°F and line 2 12-muffin trays with paper liners. (You can do it in batches if you only have one muffin tray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bran, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar, until no lumps remains. Add the blueberries and toss gently to combine.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, and fold it in gently with a spatula until no trace of flour remains. The mixture will be lumpy, but resist over mixing.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling each muffin mold by about three quarters. Baking for 12 to 16 minutes, until set and golden. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from Stephanie M.and chocolateandzucchini.com

Cheesy Quinoa and Broccoli Patties

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 5 large broccoli florets
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
• 2 large eggs
• salt & pepper for seasoning
• Olive oil for cooking

Directions:

1. First, cook your quinoa according to the directions on the package. I cooked mine by combining 1/2 cup quinoa with 1 cup boiling water, then letting it come to a boil, and simmering, covered for about 15 minutes. Once the quinoa has absorbed all the water, put it on a plate and let it cool completely.
2. Next, saute your diced onion until it's soft and translucent. Set aside and let cool completely. Cook your broccoli until it has softened a little bit, then let it cool as well. Once the broccoli has cooled completely, dice it into small pieces.
3. Now that you have everything ready, in a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together, leaving the eggs until the end. Mix well so you have a smooth, wet mixture that will allow you to make patties that will stick together.
4. Heat some olive oil in a pan, and make your patties. I made each using 1/4 cup of the mixture. Just make a ball out of the mixture, and squash it down a little bit. Cook each patty for about 7-8 minutes on each side on medium heat. You want the patty to develop a crust, but not to burn, so watch them carefully. Let cool for a couple of minutes before eating.

~Recipe from shopgirlmaria.blogspot.com via Winni

Toddler Muffins

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, or to taste
• 2 large bananas, mashed
• 1 (4.5 ounce) jar baby food squash
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 24 mini muffin cups or 12 standard muffin cups.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the mashed bananas, squash, carrots, and eggs. Stir in the flour, oat bran, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until just combined. Spoon the batter equally into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Store at room temperature for up to two days, or freeze.

Recipe via Lori at allrecipes.com

Mini Omlets

Ingredients:

• 9 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Milk
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 Bell Peppers, small dice
• Onions, small dice
• Bacon
• Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute peppers & onion over medium heat, set aside. Cook bacon to crisp and break up into small pieces, set aside.
3. In a medium boil whisk together the eggs, milk salt and pepper.
4. Lightly spray a 12-cupcake pan with oil. Ladle peppers, onion and bacon into each cupcake.
5. Pour egg mixture into cupcake pan filling each about half way. Place in oven and cook about 20 minutes. 10 minutes into cooking time place cheese on each omelet.

*Ingredients can be interchanged with your favorites or what you have in the house.

~Recipe from Mikaila

Mini Pancake Muffins or Puffins

Makes: 24 mini pancake muffins.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Shift together with a wire whisk.
3. In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup and melted butter until just combined.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve a few chips to sprinkle on the tops.
6. Bake for 8-9 minutes.

*Great recipe for when you don't want to stand over a skillet cooking pancakes. I make half without chocolate chips for my daughter. 

~Recipe from www.bakerella.com