Cinnamon Peanut Butter Vegan Protein Shake

This shake is one of my favorite breakfasts for crazy mornings with even crazier toddlers.

Super simple -- toss everything in a blender, and with 20 grams of protein, its sure to keep you full.

Cinnamon Peanut Butter Vegan Protein Shake
Recipe from: Shannon, ikneadtobake

1 banana, frozen
1 c. almond milk
1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. plain soy protein powder

Directions: Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a cup and enjoy! It doesn't get easier than that my friends.

Shared HERE.

Hawaiian Caramel Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

While we were in Maui we had some ah-mazing food! Our last morning on the island we decided to pick up breakfast at a little restaurant just down the street from where we were staying.

Enter the toasted coconut, macadamia nut, caramel, chocolate chip banana bread muffin. It was heavenly and after that first delicious bite I knew we were going to have to recreate them once we got home.

Guys I don't even like coconut or macadamia nuts, but I sure loved these -- and what better way to bring home a taste of paradise! Missing Maui already....

Hawaiian Caramel Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Recipe adapted from: Whole Wheat Banana Bread Muffins
Inspired by: Kihei Caffe
Makes 12-15 muffins

Batter
3 extra-ripe medium bananas, about 1 pound
1/2 c. coconut oil, melted
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 c. white whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips, plus extra for topping

Caramel
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
2-3 Tbsp. milk

Toppings
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut, shredded
1/2 c. roasted salted macadamia nuts, chopped

Directions: Begin by heating a small pan over medium-high heat. In the pan toast the coconut until light golden brown. Set aside. In the same pan toast the macadamia nuts until golden brown in color. Set aside.

In a small saucepan melt the butter for the caramel over medium heat. Add brown sugar. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened, whisking constantly. While still whisking add the milk and cook for another 1-2 minutes until caramel is smooth. Immediately remove from heat and set aside.

Now preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin and set aside. In a large bowl add bananas and mash them with a fork until pureed. Add coconut oil, brown sugar, honey, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until all ingredients are incorporated. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined. Finally fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Add 1/4 cup of batter for each muffin to prepared pan. Top with 3/4-1 teaspoon of toasted coconut and 1 teaspoon of macadamia nuts. Next, in the center of each muffin, add 1 teaspoon of prepared caramel. (The closer the caramel gets to the sides the more that will overflow when baking.) Finally divide remaining nuts and coconut evenly between each muffin and sprinkle on top of the caramel.

Bake for 20 minutes. Some caramel will most likely spread through the baking process. Once cooled, remove from the pan and enjoy!

Shared HERE.

Rosemary Sea Salt Soft Butter Pretzels

Guys can we please just talk for one second about where the time has gone?! I do not understand how my little monkey went from this to this....

Ugh! She kills me she's so cute! And she gets so excited to help me in the kitchen!

Soft pretzels are one of my all time favorite things to make with kids. It's like bread turned playdough. Cover them in sugar and cinnamon and those kiddos will love you for life.

But today we are going more the savory route. We didn't have any fresh rosemary on hand this time around but if you do, use it! You won't regret it!

Rosemary Sea Salt Soft Buttered Pretzels
Slightly adapted from: King Arthur Flour

Dough
1 c. warm water
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
2 - 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Topping
1 c. boiling water
2 Tbsp baking soda
2-3 Tbsp melted butter
sea salt

Directions: In a large bowl or stand mixer combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for about 10 minutes until the mixture begins to foam. If your mixture does not foam, it is likely that your water was too hot and it killed the yeast, simply discard it and start again.

Next add salt, rosemary and 1 1/2 cups of flour. Mix until combined, Continue to add flour until dough is still very soft but just enough that it doesn't stick to your fingers. Knead by hand or in stand mixer for about 5 minutes.

Place dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and allow the dough to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile bring 1 cup of water to a bowl. Remove from heat and immediately add baking soda. Stir until the baking soda has dissolved. Place the water in a 8x8 baking dish and set aside, allowing the water to cool.

Once the dough has had time to rise preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. and divide the dough into 8 equal pieces for small pretzels or 4-6 pieces for large pretzels. Roll each piece into a long thin rope and twist into a pretzel, or create another shape if desired. The rope can also be cut into smaller pieces for pretzel bites.

Next take your pretzel and carefully place it in the baking soda water bath for approximately 2 minutes. This will give the pretzel a nice golden crust.

Finally place pretzels on a parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes and then bake for 8-9 minutes.

Once the pretzels are done baking coat liberally with melted butter and top with sea salt and enjoy!

Shared HERE.

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Happy Friday Friends! How about a simple chocolate peanut butter bar combo for your weekend? I vote yes!



I love quick and convenient snacks (especially the kind that involve a little something sweet) and I'm always looking for a sneaky way to get a little more protein in my diet since we don't eat a ton of meat. Insert the chocolate peanut butter protein bar.

These are super simple to throw together and you can store them in your fridge to eat to your heart's content.

Just don't skip out on that little splash of milk at the end like I did when we went to Moab. Or these babies will dry out like nobody's business.

And wanna know the best part? These are 100% whole grain, refined sugar free, and gluten free - if you buy certified gluten free oats. Plus you can easily make them vegan - if that's your jam!

Healthy chocolate peanut butter protein bars for the win!

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Recipe from: Oh She Glows

1 +  1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. plain protein powder (I used a soy based protein)
1/2 c. puffed rice cereal
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. natural peanut butter
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 - 1 tsp almond milk
3 Tbsp dark chocolate chips
1 +  1/2 tsp coconut oil

Directions: Line an 8x8 square baking dish with foil or parchment paper for easy removal.

In a blender or small food processor grind the oats until they resemble flour. In a large bowl stir together the ground oats, protein powder, rice cereal and salt. Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mixture will be thick and somewhat dry. Add a splash of almond milk (1/2 -1 teaspoon as needed) and mix again.

Press the mixture into prepared pan and roll with a pastry roller until flat and smooth. (You may also use the back of a rubber spatula if a pastry roller is unavailable.) Place the pan in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile add coconut oil and chocolate chips to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir slowly until completely melted and remove from heat.

After freezing cut the oat mixture, remove from pan and cut into bars. Line a cookie sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Carefully place each bar onto the cookie sheet with a small space between each one.

Using a spoon drizzle the chocolate over the bars and place in the fridge to allow the chocolate to cool, about 20 minutes. Store in the fridge in an airtight container and enjoy!

Shared HERE.

Cinnamon Honey Butter Popcorn

Its no secret that in this house we all have a special love for sweet treats. 

In fact, the one thing that will bring sissy running faster than anything else? Chocolate chips. All it takes is the krinkle of a little packaging and she's off as fast as her rolley little legs will take her.

This popcorn drizzled with cinnamon honey butter is my new favorite late-night snack when that "something sweet" craving inevitably hits.

Cinnamon Honey Butter Popcorn
Adapted from: A Side of Sweet

1/2 c. popcorn kernels
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions: Begin by air popping the popcorn kernels. Once popped, set aside.

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a small pot, add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined and heated through. Immediately pour over popcorn and stir with a rubber spatula until all of the popcorn is lightly coated.

Eat warm (with napkins) or allow time for popcorn to cool.

Shared HERE.

P.S. As I type monkey girl is singing yelling "I am a Child of God" from quiet time... and I'm dying over the cuteness of it all. Just a big sappy puddle of mom right here. Love that girl.

Candycane Cocoa Popcorn + Christmas Party

Every year Tyson's grandma hosts this big annual Christmas party. In attendance are her children, and their children, and their children's children. It makes for a room full of lots of great grand-babies and lots of laughter and this year was no exception. We so missed having my in-laws there as well as some other family spread out across the country. 

As far as extended families go, mine is pretty small. Growing up it was just two cousins for me so I love getting to experience having a big family. 

 

As always Santa and Mrs. Claus made their appearance and gave a gift to all the cute little cousins.

Typically everyone brings a couple dishes to share so this year I brought a soup... which had some cooking issues... (are al dente potatoes a thing?!) and this candycane cocoa popcorn.

Thanks Grandma for giving us all a reason to get together and celebrate every year!

Candycane Cocoa Christmas Popcorn
Recipe by: Shannon, ikneadtobake

1/4 c. white popcorn kernals
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
1/2 c. andes peppermint baking chips
1 c. mini marshmallows
1/2 tsp sea salt
Christmas sprinkles

Directions: Air-pop popcorn. Set aside. In a double boiler melt chocolate chips and andes baking chips. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and drizzle with about 1/3 of the melted chocolate.

Spread popcorn out evenly gently press into the chocolate. Evenly distribute the marshmallows and then drizzle with the remaining chocolate. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and Christmas sprinkles. Allow chocolate to harden and serve.

Shared HERE.

Homemade Naturally Sweet Applesauce

I love our neighborhood this time of year. All the homes look so festive adorned with pumpkins and fall wreaths. Kids are running up and down the sidewalk trying to soak in the last bit of sunshine before the winter. And come Friday we will have oodles of little trick-or-treaters.

This year we had a bunch of neighbors share all sorts of homegrown produce with us - zuchinni, squash, tomatoes, jalapeños, and two bags full of apples!

My girls eat applesauce like there is no tomorrow so I decided a homemade batch would be the perfect way to use all those apples!

Homemade Naturally Sweet Applesauce

Recipe from: Shannon, ikneadtobake

Yield: about 2 quarts

4 lbs apples, chopped, peeled and cored

3/4 c high quality apple juice (100% juice)

juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions: Place all four pounds of peeled, chopped apples, apple juice, and lemon juice in a large pot. Cover and simmer until apples are cooked through - about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Place cooked apples and liquid in a blender or food processor and pulse until you have achieved desired consistency. 

Process in a water bath to make applesauce shelf stable, or divide into containers and keep in the fridge.

Shared HERE.

Graham Crackers...What's a Girl to do?

Homemade graham crackers have been on my list for awhile. I've been dying to try them. Well today I did.

And I was sorely disappointed. They tasted... fine.. but that's it... they were just fine. It just wasn't the homemade goodness I was expecting.

So here's my question... do I make a second attempt? Am I missing out on some secret graham cracker deliciousness?? Or do I just fork over my two bucks and congratulate Honey Maid on a job well done...

Dilemma.

Apple Cinnamon Scones

Our story begins with cinnaburst bread and my mother-in-law. She saw this recipe and decided to give it a try... only one problem. She couldn't find cinnamon chips anywhere. So where did she turn?? Amazon of course! Only one problem... she accidentally placed the same order twice and ended up with a whole lot more cinnamon chips than she bargained for. So she pawned a few bags off on us and we happily accepted. But then I got to thinking... what in the world am I gonna do with all these cinnamon chips?!

So the last few weeks I've been on a hunt. A scone hunt.

Because I decided that the one thing better than a warm buttery scone is warm buttery scone chocked full of fresh cut apples and cinnamon chips

Apple Cinnamon Scones
Adapted from: allrecipes
Makes 8

1 c. flour
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 c. + 2 tsp sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 c. butter, cold
1/2 c. vanilla yogurt
1 egg
2/3 c. cinnamon chips
1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine flour, pastry flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut the butter into tablespoons (or smaller) and toss in the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, 2 knives, or your hands, incorporate the butter until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the cinnamon chips and the diced apples.

In a bowl mix together the yogurt and egg with a whisk. Slowly add the yogurt mixture and mix together just until all ingredients are combined (be careful not to over-mix.)

On a floured surface shape the dough into a circle about 3/4 of an inch thick. Sprinkle with 2 tsp of sugar and very lightly press the sugar onto the top of the dough. Next using a sharp knife cut the dough (as if you were cutting a pizza) into 8 triangles and space on the cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm.

>>Linking up here: The D.I.Y. Dreamer, Sew Much Ado, Someday Crafts, Lil’ Luna, Gingersnap Crafts, Lady Behind the Curtain, Southern Lovely, Creations By Kara, The NY Melrose Family, Printabelle, Back For Seconds, White Lights on Wednesdays, The Well Crafted Home, Polka Dots on Parade, Seven Thirty Three, Show and Tell Wednesdays, Riverton Housewives Round-Up, What's In Your Kitchen Wednesday, The Hopeless Housewife, Off The Hook Link Party, Chef-in-Training

Homemade Kettle Corn

So this week Tyson has two huge tests. Yikes! Last night he was up at the library until midnight and I have a sneaking suspicion the rest of the week will look about the same.




So baby girl and I decided our favorite engineering student needed a little study snack.

Kettle Corn
Recipe source: savorysweetlife

1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. popcorn kernels
salt, to taste

Directions: Place oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once oil is heated add popcorn kernels and sugar. Quickly mix together and cover.

Once the kernels begin popping, using hot pads give the pot a good shake every 10 seconds or so. Once the popping begins to slow remove the pot from the heat. Carefully transfer the hot popcorn to a large bowl and salt to taste.

>>Linking up here: The D.I.Y. Dreamer, Sew Much Ado, Someday Crafts, Lil’ Luna, Gingersnap Crafts, Lady Behind the Curtain, Southern Lovely, Creations By Kara, The NY Melrose Family, Printabelle, Back For Seconds, White Lights on Wednesdays, The Well Crafted Home, Polka Dots on Parade, Seven Thirty Three, Show and Tell Wednesdays, Riverton Housewives Round-Up, What's In Your Kitchen Wednesday, The Hopeless Housewife, Off The Hook Link Party,

Easy Black Bean Dip

Anyone else pumped about the 49ers being in this years Super Bowl?? My dad has been a die-hard fan my entire life so around here we are pretty excited! .... need proof?? here you go.

This is the first picture my dad and baby girl ever took together. She was less than a week old here.

This black bean dip is a super easy and inexpensive party appetizer. Perfect if you are getting together with friends to watch the game or if you are in need of a quick healthy snack!

Black Bean Dip
Recipe adapted from: pinchmysalt

1 can (15oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
water, as needed

Directions: In a food processor or blender combine beans, garlic salt, cumin, and lime juice. Pulse until you have a smooth puree. For a smoother texture as 1 tsp of water at a time until desired thickness. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cinnaburst Bread {Great Harvest Copy}

After eating about a million and half different treats over the holidays it seemed appropriate to have a little sugar detox for the month of January. So I decided to wean myself off of the need for treats this month... it turns out this is easier said than done. So instead of eating cookies I make hot chocolate every. single. day. [That doesn't count as dessert right??]

And when hot chocolate doesn't do the trick.. I whip up a loaf of this cinnaburst bread.

Cinnaburst Bread

Recipe adapted from: Jewish Sweet Bread

Makes: 2 loaves

1 1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp yeast
1 tsp salt 
1/4 c. oil 
2 eggs 
4 1/2 c. bread flour
1 c. cinnamon chips

Directions: Begin by mixing the salt, yeast, sugar and water together. Set aside for about 10 minutes. Next add the oil and eggs. Mix until combined. Finally begin adding the flour. While the dough is still sticky add 1 cup of cinnamon chips. Combine in a mixer with a dough hook, or kneed by hand until smooth and elastic. 

Place the dough in a greased bowl and allow it to rise until it has doubled in size. Next punch it down and cut in half. Form both sections of dough into a small ball - making two loaves. Allow to rise again for about 30 minutes on a greased cookie sheet. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the top is an even golden brown. 

Apple Muffins

We are headed out to visit our family in Connecticut for the holidays so we have been trying to use up all of our produce before we head out... so apple muffins seemed like the perfect solution.

Apple Muffins
Recipe adapted from: thegirlwhoateeverything
Makes: 10

3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. applesauce
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 c. brown sugar (for topping)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with 10 paper liners. In a bowl combine the flour, pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl combine granulated sugar, egg, applesauce, and vanilla.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Next mix in the diced apples. Evenly distribute the batter among the muffin tin. Top with about 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes.