Today I noticed how many overripe bananas were sitting on my counter top, just waiting to get thrown away.  Throwing them a way seemed like a big huge waste though...
So I decided to figure out a way to make them edible!  I didn't freeze my overripe bananas, which is necessary for my Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Whip, which is delicious.  I also wan't in the mood for my Breakfast Bars or my Banana Oat Cookies, so I decided to try something new!
My original thought was to make banana bread, but then, I had a great idea.  What about banana bread muffins...with CHOCOLATE CHIPS.  Now THAT sounds like something I want to eat.
Ingredients:
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup sugar (I use raw turbinado sugar)
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips


Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Mash the bananas in a bowl.
  • Stir everything into the batter, one ingredient at a time.
  • Line a muffin tin with muffin holders, and fill 3/4 of the way with batter.
  • Bake for 20 mins.


How easy was that?  It's the perfect simple breakfast for everyone!
 
Peanut butter and jelly.  Arguably one of the most delicious foods on earth.
It's impossible to make it any better?  No, right?  Wrong.

Just add a little chocolate and it is 5,000,000x better.
Trust me.  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
  • 2 chocolate bars
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup jelly


Directions:
  • Melt 1 chocolate bar at the bottom of a small (I mean small) pan.
  • Spread the melted chocolate a little bit up the sides.
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Spread the PB&J on.
  • Refrigerate for another hour.
  • Melt the last chocolate bar in a bowl and pour over the PB&J, then smooth it out with a spoon.
  • Refrigerate for another hour and then eat!


There you have it!  A new and improved peanut butter and jelly sandwich!  
(Also please excuse this photo- the lighting in the winter is terrible and I need to get some artificial lighting)
 
I am always a fan of granola bars.  You can keep them in your bag, in your car, in your lunchbox, and have the perfect, energizing snack.
But, to tell you the truth, most granola bars that you buy from the grocery store are filled with yucky corn syrup and oils.  Which is very upsetting, because most people buy granola bars assuming that they are a healthy choice.
I bet some of you have even tried to bake homemade granola bars before, but possibly ran into a couple problems.  There was a lot of butter in the recipe, you had to bake them, they didn't stick together, you could not get them out of the pan.  Also, sometimes you only want half of a granola bar, but once you open the package you feel committed.  This recipe will solve all of your problems.
There is no butter, oil, added salt, added sugar, baking, or removing from a pan necessary.  These require you to take one bowl, dump all of the ingredients in, stir it up, form it into balls, and eat it.  Anytime you want.  No commitment necessary.  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup coconut
  • 3 tbsp dark chocolate chips
  • 3 tbsp ground flax seeds
  • 4 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter


Directions:
  • Dump all of the ingredients into a small mixing bowl.
  • Mix them together.
  • Form into balls.


Yum!
 
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
I'm so excited that it is finally 2014!  A brand new year to do great things!
So, for my first great act of 2014, I made some healthy dark chocolate truffles.  Amazing, I know.
I actually didn't mean for these to be healthy at all.  But, when I got home from the grocery store, I realized that I had forgotten my heavy cream.  Oops.  I didn't let that stop me from whipping up a delicious, rich dessert.  I found a substitution for it.
SKIM MILK AND CORNSTARCH.

Don't hate on it I know it sounds gross but it's actually good okay?

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
  • 8oz 70% dark chocolate (or whatever percentage you want it doesn't really matter)
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 4 tbsp cocoa powder


Directions:
  • Ferociously mix the cornstarch and the skim milk together until it thickens a bit. (about 3 mins)
  • Melt the chocolate and milk mixture in the microwave. (about 2 minutes and 15 seconds)
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Lay cocoa powder out on a pice of parchment paper.
  • Form chocolate mixture into balls and coat with the cocoa powder.


Voila!  You have yourself some delicious truffles!

Some extra ideas for incredible truffles:
  • coat your truffles in nuts or stir nuts into the chocolate mixture after melting
  • add dried fruit into it


Enjoy!
 
As you may know, I really enjoy birthday cake.

(sorry for the lack of pictures, I just wasn't able to get them onto my computer)

It doesn't have to be my birthday, or a holiday, or anything like that, I just like cake.  My favorite kind is just a plain, simple, vanilla cake with chocolate frosting.  And that is what I made.  YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM.

I know I have posted a pretty similar recipe before, but this recipe is SO much better than that one.  It's 10,000x moister, fluffier, and just altogether more delicious.  Believe me, it took me a while to finally get this recipe together.  I'm SUPER forgetful, so I used the wrong kind of oil and messed up the proportions a couple of times before I finally got it right.

Also thank you to Elana's Pantry for the delicious vegan frosting recipe... I had to eat a couple spoonfuls before it went on the cake.
Here is the recipe!

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flower
  • 1/2 cup raw turbinado sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 egg whites
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 cup + 2tbsp canola oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Combine all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
  • Combine all wet ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until combined.
  • Pour into a small pan. (I mean small.  This is a TINY cake.)
  • Bake for 25-30 mins.
  • Cover with this frosting!


Yummy yummy!  I hope you enjoy your cake!
 
Don't be scared of these cookies just because they are whole wheat and vegan.  You could never tell, they just taste like sugar cookies!  They were even taste tested by my little sisters- they loved them!
And, with it being Christmas Eve and everything, they are the perfect cookies for cutting into pretty shapes, decorating, or even leaving for Santa!
They are also quick and easy to bake, and don't make that much of a mess.
Here is the recipe!

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup raw turbinado sugar (or whatever sugar you want)
  • 5 tbsp canola oil
  • 3 tbsp almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
  • Shape them into balls, and place them about 1 1/2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  If you want to shape them with cookie cutters, then roll the dough out and shape it before putting it on the cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 15-17 mins.

How easy was that?  Enjoy your cookies
 
I love the holiday season.  I love the snow, and the trees, and the music, and most of all, the COOKIES.
So I decided to make some today.  Not just the usual sugar cookies with the little designs on them, or some gingerbread cookies like last weekend, but rich, delicious, minty cookies filled with ACTUAL CANDY CANE BITS.  Yum.  The perfect combination of soft and crunchy and altogether delicious.
These are the perfect cookies for the holiday season and I can promise you that I will make these over and over and over again.  They are also actually pretty similar to my Dark Brown Sugar Cookies.
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup oat flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 5 tablespoons canola oil
  • 3 tablespoons skim milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp mint extract
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 8 crushed mini candy canes


Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Combine all ingredients except candy canes in a medium sized bowl with an electric mixture.
  • Stir in the candy canes.
  • Bake for 20 mins.
Enjoy your delicious cookies!
 
I have said it a million times, and I will say it again.  The chocolate and peanut combo will never be beaten.  Ever.
I mean, just look at these cookies I made.  Don't tell me that they don't look good, or I'll know that you're lying.  They are fluffy, chocolatey, and filled with salty, crunchy peanuts.  Yum.
You know what would make them even better?  If they were dipped in peanut butter frosting.  I'll have to get on that.
Ingredients:
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup raw turbinado sugar
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (or more) roasted salted peanuts


Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then slowly add the rest of the ingredients except the peanuts, beating the mixture the whole time.
  • Stir in the peanuts.
  • Pour the batter onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet into the shape of a cookie.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.
Yummy.  You have to make these.  They are delicious.
 
It was a snow day today.
NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, beats a snow day.  You can go outside, watch Christmas movies, sleep in, and best of all, BAKE COOKIES.
So that's what I did today.  Make a ton of gingerbread men.  Here is my recipe!

Ingredients:

Cookies:
  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 3 tablespoons applesauce
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons egg whites
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 tsp vanilla


Glaze (from the Chocolate Covered Katie blog):
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons skim milk
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract


Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
  • In a small bowl, combine ingredients 1-7.
  • In a large bowl, combine ingredients 8-10 using an electric mixer.
  • Add molasses and vanilla.
  • Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
  • Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
  • Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, then put more flour on top.
  • Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick.
  • Cut out cookies with cookie cutters.
  • Put cookies 1 and 1/2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake for 7 minutes.
  • Cover with the glaze or other icing!


Yummy!  These cookies are so good I can't even talk about it.  And don't even get me started on the glaze!
 
There is absolutely nothing better than birthday cake.
Especially when it's covered in sprinkles and frosting and it's your birthday.
But it's not my birthday today.  It was just snowing and cold and I wanted cake so I thought why not and baked myself a cake that only serves two people.  No that's not weird.
Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flower
  • 1/4 cup raw turbinado sugar (more for a sweeter cake, but no more than a half cup)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (if increasing sugar, increase to 1/2 tsp)


Directions:
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Combine all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
  • Combine all wet ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until combined.
  • Pour into a small pan. (I mean small.  This is a TINY cake.)
  • Bake for 30 mins.


Well, there you have it folk

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