Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

The other day, my husband and I were talking about bananas.

Yes, bananas.

He brought up banana nut bread that his mom used to make when they were growing up, I talked about chocolate chip banana bread that we made in treatment one time- and he was in awe that he'd never thought to combine banana bread and chocolate chips. So, when my former dietitian from that treatment center just happened to post the recipe on her Facebook page, I knew that we'd have to store up some bananas so that we could try this out and my husband could experience the gloriousness of chocolate chip banana muffins.

It took some time to store up the bananas. You see, we both rather like to eat this particular fruit- and so do our puppies. I like them before they ripen too much, he likes them super ripe, the puppies just like whatever we give them. So, having bananas stick around long enough to ripen enough to make banana bread isn't a common thing. But, we bought some extra bananas last time around, I told T that he wasn't allowed to eat two of them, and it all worked out- we had ripened brown bananas and we could make some muffins.

Since they are so so yummy, I thought that today I'd share the recipe on the blog. 

This recipe makes 12 muffins. 12 yummy delicious muffins.

You will need:

• 2 mashed bananas
• 4 T melted butter
• 2 T sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 3/4 t baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

These are literally the easiest thing ever to make- combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them up. I just mashed my bananas up in the bowl as I mixed everything up- pregnancy can make a girl pretty lazy, you know. :)

The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, but that just didn't seem like enough for me (Baby likes chocolate). So, I used 1/2 cup...and then poured some more in until Baby seemed happy (very scientific and precise, I know).

Once everything is mixed, spray or grease your muffin ban and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

And then- EAT! As you can tell, I was a little enthusiastic to dig in, so a muffin is missing from the pan...oh well. Baby likes muffins, what can I say?

I'm currently over here trying to convince myself that I can eat these things for every single meal (hey- they have bananas in them, they have to be healthy, right?). I'm honestly not sure how much longer these will be sticking around between a hungry preggo (there's just something about these last few weeks of pregnancy- I'm hungry hangry all the time), a hungry Baby, and a husband that is a garbage disposal. As easy as these are to make though, I'm not complaining! :)

Preparing for Baby: Freezer Meal Prep

One of the big things that I've read on Pinterest to do before baby was to prepare some freezer meals for after baby decides to come. To be totally honest, we've been using some of the meals I prepared already- I definitely think that it would be good to get an early start on these meals, the third trimester is tiring enough and it seems like the last thing that I want to do is cook a meal- yet it is still important to me that I get nutrients in for my baby, so "healthy" meals are a must!

After we got married and before I got pregnant, I was doing really good at meal planning and fixing dinner and trying to get a variety of foods, new and old, into our dinner rotation. Then, we got pregnant, morning sickness hit and it all went downhill from there. Cooking was no longer something I enjoyed, frankly, it made me nauseous most of the time with the smells and all of the standing. For the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, it seemed like all I wanted to eat was potatoes- especially the fried variety. T was in charge of most of the cooking, which meant we had freezer pizza quite often, or we went out to eat. Budgeting and couponing went out the window- it was more of a "let's try to survive this thing". Now that I'm in "nesting" mode though, I suddenly want to cook all of the foods- or at least do some prep work so that we have yummy food to eat after baby. Trying to find meal ideas that appeal to my particularly picky appetite, that can somewhat fit various exchanges, and still fill my husband up can be quite difficult- but we've found a few recipes that "work" for us and our situation.

For my first freezer meal prep, I fixed four different meals: Lemon-Pesto Chicken, Creamy Italian Chicken, Chicken Fajitas, and Asian Chicken Quesadillas. T cooked up a couple pounds of ground beef for us to freeze (so it would be easy to pull out, thaw, and make tacos/spaghetti sauce/whatever out of). A few notes from my prep:

• Sam's Club had an awesome deal on boneless, skinless chicken breasts- so we bought that there- everything else we gathered from Meijer or we already had around the apartment (I have a bit of an obsession with stocking up on Cream of Chicken soup...). 
• The Asian Chicken Quesadillas were the only recipe that used cooked chicken- everything else was a "dump all the ingredients in a plastic bag, label, and freeze". 
• I split each of the meals between three gallon sized ziplock bags (except for the Lemon-Pesto chicken...that one made four), which seems to have worked well for us- we usually have a serving left over (I'd say that each bag is equivalent to three or four servings, it seems as if the hubs eats for two).  
• Label BEFORE putting stuff in baggies. I make sure to write what the recipe is, the date it was prepared, and instructions (I also have a file on my computer with info, since some of it does rub off). 
• We ended up spending about $50 for 13 freezer meals.

And now for the recipes! To be totally honest, I'm not sure that the amount of chicken in these recipes is exactly what we used- we bought about 15 pounds of chicken total and didn't use it all. I didn't weigh things out, I just kind of looked at the amount of stuff in the bag and added chicken- hubs likes his meals meat-heavy. :) I'm including how much the original recipe recommends below, just for suggestion. Also, I'm giving our opinion on the meal! 

Lemon-Pesto Chicken:

This one wasn't my favorite- I probably won't eat it again. But, hubs liked it. It just didn't have enough flavor for me.

Ingredients: 5 lbs chicken breasts (uncooked), 2 cups pesto, 1/2 cup lemon juice, will need 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese when you cook

Split between 4 bags, and mush everything together, "mush" everything together to get all of the spices incorporated into the chicken.

To prepare: Thaw overnight. Place in 9x13 dish, cover with foil, and cook for 25-30 min. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese on top of chicken and bake for 5-10 more min. Serve with rice or pasta.

Creamy Italian Chicken:

Yes, yes, YES! We BOTH loved this one! Served with rice, its a pretty good chicken and rice and was super easy due to it being a crockpot meal. We will definitely have this again. I've come across a version that was exactly the same except they used a ranch packet- we might try that next time!

Ingredients: 8 chicken breasts (uncooked), 16 oz cream cheese (softened), 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 2 Italian dressing packets (the dry mix kind)

Split between 3 bags, and mush everything together, "mush" everything together to get all of the spices incorporated into the chicken.

To prepare: Pour contents into crockpot and cook for 4-6 hours on low, or place in baking dish and cook at 350 for 30 min. Serve over rice.

Chicken Fajitas:

We've been making this for ages, so I knew we'd like it. Sometimes we add onions, sometimes we don't- it just depends what we have available. I thought we had half an onion that was still good, but it was growing something, so we didn't add it.

Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts (uncooked), 2 green peppers, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 taco seasoning packet, 1 fajita seasoning packet

Split between 3 bags, and mush everything together, "mush" everything together to get all of the spices incorporated into the chicken.

To prepare: Pour contents into crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Serve with tortillas.

Asian Chicken Quesadillas:

Another one of our old favorites! This recipe was one I learned to make in treatment and it's not a freezer meal, so I wasn't sure how it would convert- but I'm pleased to report that it freezes wonderfully! It's a great, healthy meal that meets lots of exchanges and has yummy veggies, too!

Ingredients: 2 lbs diced or shredded chicken (cooked), 3/4 cup shredded carrots, 3/4 cup snow peas, 3 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, 1 cup Asian Sesame dressing (I always add extra- it makes it easier to mix).

Mix all of ingredients in a large bowl and split between 3-4 smaller ziplock bags (quart). I normally freeze all of these bags in a larger bag with the instructions and information.

To prepare: Thaw overnight. Place mixture into the center of tortilla. Fold and brush with oil. Bake for 10 min at 400.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole with Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

For dinner tonight, we had a chicken and wild rice casserole with bacon wrapped green beans.

So, I'm my father's daughter. By that- I mean, I have a nasty habit of making really awesome food, but never being able to recreate it...because I didn't follow any one particular recipe or write down my changes...sorry hubs, I know that you loved dinner tonight, but we're never going to have it again. I mean, it's totally not my fault that I don't like following recipes and I prefer to figure out for myself how much to add, right?

Normally, this means we never have it again. I mean, I might try to recreate it, but it doesn't really work out. Tonight I made what T and I have decided is "the best dinner I've ever made". Seriously. It was that great. Now, the interesting thing is that I think I know how I made it. I think. As in, after I admitted to T that I had no idea exactly how I made something that tasted this heavenly, he told me to immediately go write down how I thought I made it and the amounts of various ingredients and stuff. So, obviously, I decided to write it down on my blog. :)

Warning: these recipes could possibly, totally suck. And that's okay. Sometimes things get made and are never made again. But, for my sake and yours, I hope these two recipes are a close recreation to the taste of heaven that T and I experienced tonight.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
What You Need:

• 1 box of wild/long grain rice with seasonings (I used Uncle Ben's)
• 2 cups of chicken (shredded, precooked)
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 cup of sour cream (this is a totally rough estimate- I took a spatula and scooped some out of the container and called it good)
• 1 and 1/4 cups of chicken broth (aka...I poured a cup and then put in a little bit more)
• A bit of italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper (How much is a bit? I have no idea. I just picked up the seasonings and shook until I got a "happy feeling" in my tummy)

How to Make:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl (chicken is cooked, rice is not). Stir. Stir again. And again.
3. Pour into a 9x13 pan.
4. Place in the oven for 45-50 minutes.
5. Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

What You Need:

• Bacon (One strip per bundle)
• Green beans (3-4 per bundle- we used fresh and snapped off the ends, but you could probably use canned as well...it just might be a little messier, and I'd omit the oil since you wouldn't need the liquid)
• ~2 tbsp Olive Oil (I pour straight from the bottle, so I have no idea how much I really used)
• A bit of italian seasoning, garlic salt, and black pepper

How To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Wrap 3-4 green beans in each slice of bacon. Place each of these bundles in a baking dish.
3. Season the bundles with a little bit of Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and black pepper. 
4. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the bundles- EMPHASIS on LITTLE. Bacon grease will collect in the pan, but you need a little bit of oil so that you can roll the bundles in the seasonings.
5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
6. After 35 minutes, remove foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
7. Bacon should be slightly crispy, and beans should be tender- at this point, remove them from the oven. 
8. Take the bundles out of the pan (it will probably have grease and stuff on the bottom- you want to go ahead and get this soaking in the sink, because it's a pain to clean up), and place on a plate with paper towels on it to remove some of the grease.
9. Enjoy!

Yay! I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did! Let us know in the comments if you try it out, if you made any wonderful, magnificent changes to yours, or if it totally sucked. :) 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Remember those Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Oatmeal No Bake Cookies? You mix chocolate and peanut butter and oatmeal together on a stove, then you stick them on a pan to let them cool...yeah, those might be my favorite kind of cookie. When I set out on my first overnight oats adventure, I wasn't planning on recreating these cookies, but it just so happened to work out that way. Apparently, when you combine peanut butter and Nutella- amazing things JUST HAPPEN. I don't know how or why it always works out, but I don't believe I've ever had a peanut butter/Nutella combo that was bad. I just haven't.

So, I've been looking for some healthy breakfast options recently. Normally in the mornings, I'm quite lazy. I don't really want to spend the time fixing and cooking a bowl of oatmeal, or finding a bowl that is clean to pour milk and cereal in...so I've been ending up eating a lot of Poptarts. Now- don't get me wrong. I firmly believe that there is a time and a place for Poptarts in a healthy diet. Healthy diets require balance- and a little "unhealthy" food is sometimes what is the healthy choice. But, I'm beginning to realize that fueling my body with Poptarts every morning doesn't really keep me going- and I end up mindlessly snacking, forgetting to eat lunch because I'm not hungry, and then I realize "Oh crap. It's 4pm, my husband will be home soon. He's going to ask me what I ate for lunch and I still need to start getting dinner ready." I like the accountability system we have- him making sure that I'm no overexercising or undereating or whatever- and and I realize the importance of sticking to somewhat of a schedule for meal times. It's what's best for my body, and my hunger cues work much more appropriately when I eat at "normal" meal times.

So, as I began my search for healthy breakfast options, I remembered something I had stumbled across on the internet when I first began recovery- overnight oats. I was terribly afraid of them because- well, calories. And how would it fit into my meal plan and exchanges? But now that I'm free from the confines of my meal plan and don't have to stick strictly to the plan...I can see how overnight oats can make a really great breakfast. They're easy, yummy, and since I fix them up the night before (or several nights before), they don't take much time in the morning. I just have to grab the jar from the fridge, grab a spoon, and I'm ready to take on the world! I like to eat these cold, but I've also heard that you can microwave them.

So, have I convinced you that you need to try them yet? Today, I'll be sharing the recipe, just in case you too want in on the Overnight Oats Craze.

What You Will Need:

• 1/4 cup Oatmeal (I use a packet, because that's what I have in the pantry right now, but you could totally use the oatmeal that comes in a canister)
• 1/2 cup Soy Milk (or Almond Milk..you could probably use regular milk- but I like my vanilla soy milk, so I stick to that)
• 1/2 cup Vanilla Yogurt (Sometimes I use Greek, sometimes I use regular- it depends what I grab at the store. But, I always use vanilla flavored- I need the sweetness)
• A scoop of Peanut Butter (I'm a fan of crunchy, because I like finding the peanut pieces in my oatmeal, but that's just me)
• A BIG scoop of Nutella (Or two or three...I'm not sure that the limit of what is too much Nutella exists)

Here's how you make it:

1. Grab a jar/cup/bowl thing to make your oatmeal in. I use these little mason jar cups that I got from our registry and they work perfect.
2. Pour 1/4 cup of oatmeal into your container.
   
3. Pour 1/2 cup of milk and yogurt (yes, both) into the container- on top of the oatmeal. Sometimes it makes a weird bubbly sound. Don't worry about it- it's okay. Sometimes chemical reactiony things just happen- it's only happened to me with regular yogurt, not Greek. (Note: if Greek yogurt isn't particularly your favorite due to the tartness, I might put in a little less.)

   

   Honestly, I normally eyeball the yogurt. Ain't nobody got time for measuring it out.
   Progress, not perfection.

4. Glop on your peanut butter and Nutella. I like to say to use a scoop of peanut butter and a BIG scoop of Nutella- but I really like Nutella (as previously stated). My ratio of peanut butter to Nutella is normally 1:3 or something like that. At least 1:2. Just eyeball it, it's not really a specific thing- it just depends how sweet/salty you like it.
   
5. At this point, you are probably going to wonder what the heck you are preparing. It might look like oatmealy stuff with poop in it- no worries, it will get better. Add a lid and shake (that's why I use a mason jar- you could probably just stir it together in a bowl, but I've never really tried that). I normally put a paper towel on the outside of the jar, just in case stuff starts leaking out. Shake it for...a long time. I don't really know the specifics, but when it stops looking like poop in the jar, and starts looking like chocolate milk- you're probably ready for step 6.

   

   Before shaking and After shaking.
   Don't shake your baby like this, kids.

6. Now, you are going to stick your jar in the fridge and WAIT. This is like the hardest part for me. Nighttime rolls around, I want a snack, I decide to make my overnight oats for the morning...and I look at them longingly. But trust me- these things need to sit for awhile (I let them "sleep" overnight, but I think official recipes say something like 3-4 hours).
7. Wake up in the morning and enjoy your peanut buttery, Nutellay, oatmeal goodness! I like to not stir my oats and eat them kind of clumpily and thick, but you could stir them if you wanted, or you could even heat them up. But me? I like them cold. Enjoy!

Now, as I'm not particularly sure how healthy they are...I'm not sure on the specifics of calories and fat and protein and all that stuff. But I consider this a healthy meal. I mean, it has grains/carbs (oatmeal), protein (greek yogurt and peanut butter), dairy (greek yogurt and soy milk), healthy fats (peanut butter and Nutella)- I think it's a pretty well balanced meal. Sometimes, I eat some fruit if I'm still hungry (but that rarely happens, these are pretty dense and filling)- and I'll normally have another cup of soy milk with my oats (hey- I like my dairy!). All in all, these keep me full until "lunch time"- when I can eat my second meal of the day at a proper time, instead of snacking throughout. Plus, it makes me feel like I'm making a healthy, balanced choice for breakfast. 

If you are interested in seeing some more of my recipes, before I get them posted over here on the blog, feel free to follow me on my food instagram! I was a bit tired of overwhelming my personal instagram (@laurenpotthoff) with food pictures, but I'm really excited about this new adventure I've started- learning how to cook, learning how to make healthy choices. You can find my food pictures at @RealFoodForRealLife. That name is another story for another day, but for now, go make some yummy overnight oats and eat them! Your tummy will thank you!