Recipe: Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

Those who know me know that I truly enjoy cooking. On a cold day a great big bowl of minestrone soup hits the spot. But what most don’t know is that I truly enjoy baking. I take after my father when it comes to my sweet tooth. Give me a good batch of double fudge chocolate brownies any day (but just the ends because I love the crunch!). While perusing Pinterest a couple years ago, I came across a recipe for banana oatmeal muffins. It was deemed a “healthy” recipe, but usually that just means a sugar substitute. I click on the picture and it led me to the actual recipe. What I then discovered was that this was a flourless, granulated sugar-less muffin recipe. So when you’re craving that morning or mid-morning sweet treat, opt for one of these. Note: be sure to eat them fairly soon after you bake them as they won’t last more than a week or so. (Here’s the original recipe)

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 ripe bananas
• Optional: unsweetened dark chocolate chips
• Optional: walnuts, sliced almonds

To Prepare:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grab a cupcake baking tin and spray with non-stick cooking spray or line with 12 muffin tins (with silicone or foil liners).
2. Place your 2.5 cups of old fashioned oats in the food processor (or blender) and pulse for about 10-15 seconds. Add the 2 eggs, 1 cup low fat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup honey, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla and the bananas into the food processor.
3. Process until everything is mixed together and oats are smooth.
4. At this step, you can either add unsweetened dark chocolate chips, walnuts, toasted almonds or any other nut or chocolate you’d like in the batter.
5. Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

This is the end result:

 

Now if your bananas are getting too ripe, you can peel them and put them in a freezer bag and store until your next batch of muffins. These taste great with a warm cup of coffee. They are not high in caloric intake, so perfect for any bride-to-be or person wanting to curb that sweet tooth while trying to stay healthy with their diet.

Did you make these? Leave a comment below and let me know how they turned out!

xoxo

Recipe: Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup

So, last weekend I went to Target and splurged on a KitchenAid Immersion Blender. Let’s just put it this way: it’s the best kitchen gadget I have ever purchased. Granted, I’ve only used it once, but the one time I have, I made the most delicious sweet potato-carrot-pumpkin soup. While I was in Israel over the holidays, my aunt made this soup (a tad bit different than mine) and I just had to have the recipe. Here’s my take on this delicious soup.

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled
• 1 medium yellow squash, peeled
• 1 small onion, peeled
• 1 small bag of peeled baby carrots
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 can pumpkin purée or one small squash, peeled and de-seeded
• 2 tablespoons of Osem Chicken Soup Consomme
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Israeli soup croutons (optional)
• Cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Place all sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin (or squash), onion and garlic in a stock or soup pot with water.

2. Bring the water to a boil.

3. Once all the ingredients have boiled and are soft to the touch, blend all the ingredients together until no lumps are found in the soup.

4. Add your seasonings: salt, pepper, cayenne or any other seasoning you enjoy in soups.

5. Serve hot with Israeli soup croutons.

This healthy and hearty soup was a hit not only with the fiancé, but with my mom, as well. I definitely will be making this soup again.

Enjoy!

Urban Remedy Three-Day Signature Cleanse: Recap

So, I said that I would document each day in a separate post, however, the first day on the cleanse I had absolutely no energy to write a post about my experience. I came home after work and took a 40 minute nap. That’s rare for me. How the cleanse works is that you drink six drinks per day, one every two hours. The drinks range from being really vegetable-y to really fruity to really “sweet.” Granted, there’s no granulated sugar in any of these drinks. The sweetener substitute is Stevia or natural sugars from the ingredients. Any who, here’s the recap:

Day 1:

This was by far the worst day out of the three. First, I had to give up coffee resulting in a raging migraine by the end of the day. I was able to get through all the drinks, starting with Brainiac which consists of celery, cucumber, parsley, and spinach and ending with Relax, which is cashew milk with vanilla and cinnamon. I drank over 32 oz. of lemon water to help with the hunger cravings, but I was able to eat raw vegetables as well as raw almonds. I made it through the work day only having to take Advil once, so that’s not too bad. As I stated earlier in this post, I was so exhausted when I came home that I started falling asleep on the couch and ended up taking a 40 minute nap. Let’s just say I went to bed super early that night.

Day 2:

The second day was easier, however, I wasn’t able to get through all the drinks. I was only able to drink half of Brainiac, but luckily, two hours later, I got through Time Machine (ingredients: açai with fresh lemon juice, cayenne, ionized water, and Stevia) and then Flush (ingredients: cucumber, ginger, lemon, and mint with a touch of apple). No raging migraine on day 2, which was a good sign. I was able to get halfway through the fourth drink (After Party) and drank the last two: Warrior and Relax. It was getting harder and harder to be able to drink one every two hours. Just as I was getting through one drink, it was almost time for the next. That’s the whole point, though. To make sure your curbing hunger by spacing it out strategically.

Day 3:

Thank goodness! The last day! “One day closer to coffee” I kept thinking to myself all day. By this point, I was all “juiced” out… I could only handle drinking half of the 6. Time Machine, Flush, and Relax. Warrior, the smoothie, was too thick for me to consume and has way too many chia seeds. My energy level was up and yet another migraine free day. I was ecstatic to be able to drink coffee the next day, though. Day 3 was probably the longest out of them, mainly because it was at the end of the cleanse, and I was itching to have some coffee.
—
Overall, the cleanse was a good experience, but I won’t be doing it again for a while. I did lose some weight and got rid of all the nasty toxins by doing the cleanse. It was a lot of money to purchase 18 bottles of juices/smoothies for a three-day cleanse through Urban Remedy, however, it’s a great experience for anyone who wants to try it out and to experience it for the first time, or to clean out their system.

Urban Remedy Signature Cleanse Juice and Ingredients (taken from the signature cleanse brochure):

• Brainiac: Celery, cucumber, parsley, spinach, lemon (boosts energy levels)
• Time Machine: Açai with fresh lemon juice, cayenne, ionized water and Stevia (promotes weight loss and anti-aging)
• Flush: Cucumber, ginger, lemon, mint juice, and a little apple (flushes excess water and pulls heavy metals from the body)
• After Party: Beet root, carrot, ginger, apple and lemon (cleanses liver and lowers inflammation)
• Warrior: Chia seeds, raspberries and Stevia (balance blood sugar, cleanse the colon, and delivers antioxidants)
• Relax: Live sprouted cashew milk, vanilla and cinnamon (packed with enzymes)

My favorite drink out of the six was Time Machine. It has a little extra kick to it to wake you up:

Have you tried the Urban Remedy Signature Cleanse? Leave a comment below detailing how you liked or didn’t like it!

Urban Remedy Signature Cleanse: The Night Before

Today has been a whirlwind of many things. Not only was it my first official day at Marin Magazine as the new Digital Content Editor, but after my first day, I drove on down to Central San Rafael to pick up my three-day Signature Juice Cleanse from Urban Remedy.

What does this juice cleanse consist of? Well, I have to drink 6 drinks per day every two hours. I’m not allowed to consume any processed foods. If I get hungry, I’m only allowed to eat raw vegetables, as well as raw almonds. Oh, I forgot to mention that I CANNOT have coffee… I frankly don’t know what I’m going to do without coffee for three days. I must have one cup per day. We’ll see how I’ll do. I can have green tea with stevia, and drink tons and tons of water with lemon.

Over the next three days, I’ll be documenting the process here on Much Ado About All Things. I’m such a foodie, so I’m hoping I can last the full three days. Just as long as Max (the boyfriend) doesn’t consume goodies in front of my face, I think I’ll be okay.

– Stay Tuned –

Crock Pot Recipe #2: Balsamic Chicken

Last year during the Superbowl, or shortly after, I posted my crock pot recipe for turkey chili. I figured I’d start posting some of my favorite crock pot recipes that I’ve tried and love here for you guys to try it, too. That being said, tonight’s dinner was balsamic chicken with Israeli couscous. This particular crock pot dish is one of my go-to dinners for the week. You cook 4-6 boneless chicken breasts in this recipe and it lasts you at least two days.

The recipe is from the website Skinny Ms, and this recipe is delicious. I follow the recipe almost exactly, but tend to add more balsamic vinegar and a little extra thyme. Here’s the recipe from Skinny Ms:

Ingredients:

• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast. I recommend the Eat Right chicken breast from Safeway. It doesn’t have as much fat on it.
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz) or you can use the 28 oz can
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil. I use extra virgin.
• 1 teaspoon dried basil, oregano, rosemary; 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• Cook time: 4 hrs

Steps:

1. Pour the 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom of your crock pot.
2. Salt and pepper each chicken breast and then place into the crock pot. I tend to put salt and pepper on the bottom of the crock pot and flip the chicken breasts over after one side is salt and peppered.
3. Place the sliced onion on top of the chicken breast. Make sure the onion slices are spread across every piece of chicken breast.
4. Put in the 1 teaspoon of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, and the 1/2 teaspoon of thyme on top of the onions.
5. Place the 4 cloves of garlic on top of the dried herbs.
6. Pour the 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar over the chicken, herbs, onions, and garlic. Add some extra balsamic vinegar if you like the taste. (I tend to.)
7. Top with the 2 cans diced tomatoes.
8. Cook on high for 4 hours. I always recommend to cook this as long as you can, because the chicken will be even more tender.

Many side dishes work well with this crock pot recipe. Max (my boyfriend) likes this dish with Israeli couscous. It goes well over angel hair pasta, brown rice, and even by itself with a side salad of your liking.

Here’s the final result. We had it over Israeli couscous tonight:

The nice thing about this particular crock pot dish, is that it will last you two nights (if you’re just two people) and it even tastes better the next day! That’s just my opinion, though.

Give this recipe a try, and post a photo of your dish!

Affordable Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, most couples are trying to plan their lovey dovey date nights. Since I just moved into an apartment with my boyfriend, I don’t have the usual cash I’d have on hand to help plan and pay for Valentine’s Day festivities. But there are ways to get a bang for your buck on Valentine’s Day, and frankly, doing the things that don’t cost a lot of money tend to mean a whole heckuva lot more down the road.

Fun & Cheap Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

1. Make dinner together: For those who cook, and even those that don’t regularly, this is a great Valentine’s Day go-to. It’s ample opportunity to crank up the romance factor in your relationship, or, if it’s a newly formed relationship, a great chance to get to know each other better without anyone else being around and distracting you. Cooking together can be a lot of fun. I’m a fan of a stir-fry since it’s super simple to make and can be done quickly, but if you wanna go all out, try homemade lasagna or something a little more complex. Don’t forget the wine and dessert of your choice. Can’t be a traditional Valentine’s Day date without a great dessert!

2. Takeout and board games: This brings out the kid in everyone. Grab takeout from your favorite restaurant (I always recommend Royal Thai if you live in San Rafael), head over to Bev-Mo! or your local Safeway to grab some beer and wine, then head on home, or to your significant other’s house and choose a few board games to play while you get your grub and drink on. It’s always fun to sit picnic style in the living room by candlelight and play games like the good ol’ days.

3. Valentine’s Day hiking trip: Valentine’s Day dates don’t necessarily have to take place at night. Day dates are just as fun! Living in Marin County, there are tons of beautiful hiking trails. I’m sure wherever you live, there are trails equally as beautiful. Plan the hike so you end up overlooking a beach or something beautiful. To make it extra special, bring a backpack with yummy little (healthy!) snacks and two drinks to celebrate your Valentine’s Day hiking adventure.

4. Dinner and a movie: This is the standard, go-to, every day kind of date. But on Valentine’s Day, try to amp it up and make it a little more romantic. Venture out to a restaurant you both haven’t been to before and see a movie in a genre you both like. Don’t forget your trip to the local frozen yogurt place! Can’t forget about froyo…

5. Video game fun: Even if you both don’t play video games religiously, it’s still nice to sit down together and learn how to play a new game. It can be on any console and head over to your local GameStop and pick a game out together and have fun learning the ins and outs of games! Laughter will be had!

6. Cards Against Humanity game night: This is a game that requires a lot of people, so be sure to plan it in advance. You will spend your entire night laughing your buns off and having a great time. They don’t call Cards Against Humanity “a horrible game for horrible people” for nothin’! Be sure to have snacks and beverages on hand for this gathering. Keep in mind that the best and easiest place to buy the game is through Amazon, but you can always ask friends if they own it. I personally have the game and 4 expansion packs. Totally worth the investment.

7. Road trip it!: This road trip can be a day road trip or a lengthy one. I’m sure that beauty surrounds where you live, so why not venture out to a place like that? Or, to fulfill that kid-at-heart urge, drive down to Disneyland (if you live in California, or Disney World (if you’re in Florida), and have yourself a grand ole time! Disneyland is fun at every and any age, so why not make Valentine’s Day fun? Don’t forget your Disney character gear — I’m a fan of the sparkly Mini Mouse ears headband.

Well, that’s the small little list I’ve compiled for you all. Seven date ideas, but they’re all grand and fairly easy to plan and do. Keep the weather forecast in mind when you plan these things, but otherwise, you’re good to go.

Hope you all have a fun, romantic, and great Valentine’s Day… Don’t forget to stock up on those little heart candies!

Until we meet again…

Oh Crock Pot… How I Love Thee…

Alright, so, yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday! Woohoo! First thing that comes to mind when thinking of the Super Bowl is what food am I going to serve to my lovely guests? Now that I have honed my kitchen skills even further, I am more confident when it comes to coming up with my own recipes, especially if it involves my crock pot.

I mean, how can you go wrong when putting all your ingredients, whether partially cooked or not, in a pot, set the time, and then hours later, your dish is done? YOU CAN’T!

So, feeling in the cooking mood, I decided to utilize my crock pot and make some turkey chili for the big day.

Leigh’s Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

• Ground lean Jennie-O turkey
• 2 small cans of tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 can of pinto beans
• 1 can of black beans (if you like)
• 1/2 green or red onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 celery stalks, chopped
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chili Powder
• 2 bay leaves

Steps:

1. In a medium or large non-stick skillet, cook your already defrosted Jennie-O ground turkey.
2. Once your ground turkey is cooked, pour into the crock pot.
3. Add tomato sauce and paste, beans, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder and mix around until the meat is covered in the sauce.
4. Be sure to add seasoning to taste. Include spicy ingredients, such as jalapenos, if desirable.
5. Place the 2 bay leaves on top of the mixture.
6. Set crock pot to cook for 4 hours and hit ‘start’.
7. 30 minutes before chili is ready, remove bay leaves and add chopped celery.

Voila! Turkey chili.

You didn’t think I’d stop there, did you? Good. Because I also made the easiest bean dip recipe in the world.

Bean Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Rosarita refried beans
• 1 jar of salsa (spice and heat of your liking)
• 1 bag of Mexican shredded cheese

Steps:

1. Open the jar of salsa and pour contents out into a medium or large microwave-approved bowl. 
2. Open the can of Rosarita refried beans and pour contents over the salsa.
3. Place bowl in microwave and heat for 2-3 minutes.
4. Remove bowl from microwave and place two generous handfuls of the Mexican shredded cheese and place back into microwave and heat again for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove bowl and stir contents. Add a little more cheese on top for an accent.

Easy-peasey-lemon-squeezy. That’s a pretty easy bean dip recipe, if I do say so myself.

Alright, so give it a shot! If you don’t own a crock pot, they are fairly inexpensive. Target has a wide selection and for a reasonable price.

Have fun in your kitchen!