October 8, 2014

Peanut Butter Banana Bread with PB and Chocolate Chips

For the last three of days I have had three very brown bananas just begging to be put to use. I put them in my refrigerator for two of those three days knowing if I didn’t, they’d be a mushy mess by the time I got around to using them.

Finally last night, at 8:45pm no less, I decided to throw together some banana bread. I mean, who wouldn’t want to do that at bed time? To add fuel to the fire, I knew I didn’t want to make the traditional boring banana bread so asked Clint what he thought about Peanut Butter Banana Bread.

“Ya, sure. Why not” was the response, so off to the kitchen I went.

The recipe I found was originally from Six Sisters, but the ingredients I had in my cabinet were not, so a little improvising was required.

The end result?

Delicious – according to my taste tester.

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup natural applesauce
1 egg
1/2 cup Stevia
1/4 cup brown sugar OR 2 Tbsp. Delecta (brown sugar substitute)
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup peanut butter chips & 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan.

Mix together bananas, peanut butter, applesauce, egg and sugars.

Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Do not over mix.

In a large bowl stir together bananas, peanut butter, oil, egg and sugars.

Fold in peanut butter and chocolate chips and spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake for about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer bread to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

October 1, 2014

Healthier Apple Crisp

October means Fall

And I think we can all agree that Fall means jeans, boots, hoodies, sweaters, soup, crock-pot meals, caramel apples, candy corn, football and apple crisp.

Apple Crisp is a highly requested dessert in our house. There is something SO YUMMY about warm apples and cinnamon.

Of course, I am always toying around with recipes attempting to make them just a little bit healthier.

For this recipe I went the oatmeal route instead of flour, substituted half of the butter for yogurt and used brown sugar substitute rather than regular brown sugar. That last step is completely optional as it isn’t the ‘natural’ way, however, I like to use sugar substitutes on occasion. All that added sugar creeps me out sometimes.

I used an obsessive amount of cinnamon in this recipe. I can’t get enough of the smell or taste. You might find it to be a bit of an overkill. If so, take it down a notch, but don’t tell me. I’ll think less of you.

🙂

The recipe is incredibly easy and takes no time to put together and throw it in the oven. Your house will be smelling like fall goodness in 5 minutes flat.