Banana Oatmeal Scookie REMIX

 I made a few changes to mt Banana Oatmeal Scookie Recipe. 

 

This version is GLUTEN FREE and VEGAN with the substitution of coconut oil for the melted butter.

 

The result was a moist and chewy interior with a slightly harder exterior ... just the "scookie" I was looking to achieve. 

 

Enjoy playing with your food and evolving recipes with simple swaps. 

You never know, one swap could result in a family favorite to pass down for generations!

Eliminate Food Waste With Simple Recipes

We Can Reduce Food Waste

Americans waste food. According to an article in Forbes, the USDA has determined that people waste, on average, nearly a pound of food per day.  Another article states that, on average, Americans waste more than 20 pounds of food per person per month (Amy Palanjian "12 Ways To Use Food Waste"). Whether it is a pound a day or 20 pounds a month that is not acceptable. According to the USDA, In 2017 an estimated 1 in 8 Americans were food insecure. Wasting food when so many others are hungry is a shame. There are steps we can take to reduce this waste. We can make the most of groceries, reduce waste, and save money by making simple changes in our routines. 

Darkening Bananas

Bananas that are overripe can be used in banana bread, smoothies, or a banana “ice cream”.  Read my recipe for Banana Soft Serve. Banana peels can be used for a tooth whitener and can help ward off pests in the garden. Read more about uses for banana peels here.

Herb Stems and Vegetable Stems

Herb and vegetable stems can be used in a variety of ways. Parsley, basil, and carrot tops make great pesto. Beet and kohlrabi stems/leaves are great sautéed. Read my recipe for Carrot Green Pesto and Savory Beet Greens.

“Portions of this post was provided by New Hope Network. I am a member of the New Hope Influencer Co-op, a network of health and wellness bloggers committed to spreading more health to more people.”

 

Sesame Milk Chia Pudding

Plant Based Milk Alternatives

I have been drinking almond milk for years and have been happy with the taste of the product. What concerns me about almond milk is that it takes ONE GALLON OF WATER to produce JUST ONE NUT. Living in California and experiencing droughts, water restrictions, and fires, I wish to find another plant based milk source that is more sustainable.

Hope & Sesame

A new product, Sesame Milk,  entered the marketplace last year and I just had an opportunity to try it. Hope & Sesame has brought to the marketplace delicious sesame milk in original, original unsweetend, vanilla, chocolate, and chocolate hazelnut flavors. The creamy milk is wonderful. Each flavor is great. I can find a way to use each one...I cannot decide which is my favorite!

Hope & Sesame sesamemilks contain Sesamein, their very own plant-based protein concentrate. An 8 ounce glass of sesame milk contains 8 grams of protein (as much as dairy milk) with less sugar, more Vitamin D, no dairy, and no lactose.

Sesame has many nutritional benefits:

• high in protein
• high in magnesium
• reduces blood pressure
• reduces cholesterol
• boosts heart health
• boosts respiratory health
• prevents cancer
• good for digestion
• good for healthy skin
• relieves arthritis
• protects the liver from alcohol
• prevents wrinkles
• encourages bone health

Sesame Milk provides nutrients including:

• Plant-protein
• Heart- healthy fatty acids
• Calcium
• Iron
• Phosphorus
• Selenium
• Manganese
• Magnesium
• Copper
• B-complex vitamins
• Zinc

Sesame Milk Uses

Drink sesamemilk on its own or use it in recipes. Today I used Chocolate Hazelnut Sesamemilk as my blank canvas and created Chocolate Hazelnut Chia Pudding. Today we ate this is a dessert.

Ingredients:
1 cup Chocolate Hazelnut Sesamemilk
1/8 cup chia seeds (organic if possible)
VARIATIONS: Fresh fruit, seeds, nuts, or granola as a topping (if desired)




Instructions

• Stir the chia seeds in the milk until fully covered with liquid
• Let set in the refrigerator for at least an hour
• Stir to desired consistency ... NOTE: I wanted my chia pudding a bit thicker so I added an additional 1 TBSP of chia seeds at this point, stirred, and let the pudding set for another 30 minutes
• Serve when set or wait a day
• I served both plain and with bananas and coconut ... top based on your flavor/texture preferences

NOTE: This can be served for breakfast or dessert based on presentation/toppings.

Smoothie Bowl Formula ... A Breakfast Staple

I love recipes that can be modified based on flavor preferences and dietary needs. A smoothie bowl is just that "dish". You can customize the basic formula to create the breakfast you want ... and modify the recipe for  each member of the household. A smoothie bowl takes less than 5 minutes to make and clean up. it is a great quick-fix breakfast to enjoy when the weather is warm.

Pictured: Blueberry Smoothie Bowl with a garnish of walnuts, pepitas, and blueberries.

Smoothie Bowl Formula:

2 frozen bananas

1 cup milk of choice ( I use almond milk)

2 pitted dates (I order mine from Futterman Farms in Indio, CA)

1 cup of fruit

Optional: Protein Powder 

Topping Options:

• Granola
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Coconut
• Chocolate chips
• Fruit (to match flavor of bowl)
• Dried Fruit 

Pictured here is a smoothie bowl with raspberries, homemade granola, help seeds (Interstate Bait), and walnuts. 

A Smoothie Bowl is Quick to Prepare

I keep frozen bananas (ones that have started to get brown freckles) on hand at all times. To prepare a nutritious breakfast all you have to do is put the ingredients in your Vitamix (or blender of choice) and blend. After about a minute the bananas are chopped and integrated into the other non-frozen ingredients. You DO NOT want to OVER MIX, that would create a smoothie you DRINK not EAT with a SPOON. The clean up is simple. All you have to do is wash out the blender and put the bowl in the dishwasher.

Pictured here is a smoothie bowl with peaches, unsweetened coconut, pepitas, and walnuts.

Simple Scrumptious Smoothie Bowl

Smoothie bowls can be a great breakfast, snack, or dessert. What makes them great is the versatility of the recipe and the speed at which you can prepare one! The simple recipe is a BLANK CANVAS that allows you to create your masterpiece! The formula can be adapted to make an "ice cream" too.

Smoothie Bowl Formula (Breakfast):

2 Frozen Bananas + 3/4 cup Milk of choice (I use almond milk) + 2 pitted dates + 1 cup of berries (organic if possible as berries are consistently on the EWG's Dirty Dozen List)

Options:

• Add protein powder ... vanilla or chocolate
• Cut the recipe in half to create a snack rather than a meal! 

A FAST, SIMPLE, and NUTRITIOUS Breakfast

A smoothie bowl contains natural sugars from bananas and berries and protein from the milk variety you use. You can top the bowl with the flavor and texture profiles that you prefer.

Healthy breakfast toppings include:

• Granola
• Oats
• Nuts
• Seeds ... Hemp, Chia, Pepita, Sunflower
• Coconut (no sugar added is preferable)
• A few slices of the fruit you added
• Dried fruit
• Diced protein bar
• Crumbled rice cake 
• Handfulls Fusions

You can add protein powder to the smoothie bowl if you wish the added protein in your diet and are looking for the breakfast to hold you through a workout or get you through to a late lunch.

Smoothie Bowl Formula (Dessert):

2 Frozen Bananas + 1 cup Milk of choice (I use almond milk) + 8 pitted dates + 1 TBSP coconut butter

Options:

• Add protien powder (chocolate or vanilla)
• Add 1 cup of fruit to flavor and reduce milk to 3/4 cup
• Add flavoring (vanilla, maple, coconut)
• Add 1 TBSP nut/seed butter

A FAST, SIMPLE, AND HEALTHIER OPTION for Dessert

The smoothie bowl formula provides you with the BLANK CANVAS with which to create your masterpiece. You can create the flavor profile you wish. You can get nostalgic and think about flavors from your childhood such as chocolate chip, black cherry, cookies and cream, just to name a few. Make it your own! Play with your food! Enjoy the healthier version of "ice cream".

Dessert smoothie bowl toppings include:

• Gluten Free chocolate chips
• Granola
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Crumbled Gluten Free cookies
• Dried fruit 
• Fresh fruit
• Diced protein bar
• Coconut (I prefer no sugar added) 
• Handfulls Fusions

Frozen Adaptation:

Prepare the smoothie bowl with the desired sweetness from dates and ADD an ADDITIONAL TBSP COCONUT BUTTER. I usually prepare the dessert version if I am going to freeze it and make an "ice-cream" treat. Put the smoothie in individual containers and cover for 30 minutes then serve with or without toppings. You can also put the smoothie mixture in a large container and freeze and portion out servings as you wish!

The consistency is icy the longer it stays frozen. I suggest eating it after 30 minutes of freezing for a soft serve consistency or within 3 days for an "ice cream" like consistency.

TIP

When bananas start getting brown, peel a few and keep them handy in the freezer. If you keep a few frozen at all times, you can make a smoothie bowl in minutes!

I cannot get enough Sun! Can You?

I cannot get enough Sun...SunButter that is!

I cannot get enough SunButter. I spotted the NEW packaging at Sprouts recently and purchased a few jars to replenish my supply. I try to limit added sugars from my diet. Thanks SunButter for helping me achieve my goals!

SunButter not only TASTES GREAT, but is also an American product.
 
SunButter is made in the USA from sunflower seeds grown in the USA. It TASTES GREAT and is a perfect NUT BUTTER ALTERNATIVE. SunButter is not only NON-GMO Project Certified but also free from the common 8 allergens:

1. peanuts
2. tree nuts
3. milk
4. eggs
5. fish
6. crustacean shellfish
7. wheat
8. soybeans

SunButter appeals to a variety of people.
Adults and kids alike will love SunButter. It is a "school safe" product that can be used in lunches or treats for a class. SunButter is a product that people will love, whether they need to avoid eating nuts or not.

SunButter is for more than a "SunButter and Jelly" Sandwich
I recently made a healthy snack using SunButter, pepitas, and hemp seeds (Interstate Bait) on a rice cake. This snack was filled with plant based protein, fiber, and antioxidants. It was a great gluten free, low-sugar pre-workout snack.

I also modified my Power Cookie .... Sandwich Recipe and added SunButter.  This cookie can be made to be a healthy breakfast cookie or snack, or can be made decadent. The stir-ins determine the flavor profile and the purpose. This batch is made with dates to create a GRAB-AND-GO breakfast treat.

You can make the cookie any size ... a larger cookie can be cut in half to create a sandwich. I added SunButter to the sandwich below.

Sunday Breakfast ... Pancakes with TWO or THREE Ingredients

Sunday is the day I have more time to make breakfast and take my time eating the meal. Today I used a tried-and-true recipe, with the addition of cinnamon I added antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties to my meal while also contributing to my heart health, reducing the risk of diabetes, and assisting brain function.

I added fresh seasonal organic berries since berries are on the Dirty Dozen List. Optional toppings I placed on the table included:

• Nuts
• Seeds
• SunButter
• Honey

The meal is simple to make and is very healthy. Remember the ratio is 1 banana to 1 egg. You can make the quantity you want. This is a great breakfast for one ... or a group!

Chia Pudding with a Sunwarrior Twist

I modified my Chia Cups recipe to add texture, protein, fiber, and flavor. Why did I make the change you may wonder? One reason is that I am creative and look for new ways to modify tried-and-true recipes! another reason is practical, I was looking for an easy to digest, nutritious, and healthy option for nutrition between my workout and the group fitness classes I was teaching. The chia pudding cups are perfect as they can be packed and taken on-the-go.

To make the dish more satisfying I diced a Sunwarrior Sunwarrior Sol Good Blueberry Protein Bar and added it to the top of of chia. It was the perfect addition of flavor and texture! The bars are tasty on their own, but also a great addition to a dish. They are gluten free, soy free, dairy free, non GMO, vegan , and organic ... which appeals to most consumers. Other flavors include coconut, cinnamon, and salted caramel.

Roasted Bananas

I decided to roast bananas for a handful of recipes ... and eating on their own. The longer the bananas are roasted, the closer they come to making banana chips. I did not cook mine to the chip status as I was looking to utilize them in recipes.

Simple Roasting Tips:

• Preheat Oven to 375 
• Cut the ends off the bananas (I like to use bananas that are yellow with a few brown spots...a medium sweet banana)
• Cut the bananas in half lengthwise and width
• Place the bananas on non-stick aluminum foil with peel side down
• Optional: add a small amount of butter to the top of the banana or spray olive oil

Bake 30 minutes for a tender banana that can easily slide off the skin and be added to recipes or be eaten on its own.

Bake additional time to dehydrate  ... check after 1 hour as this will depend on your oven and the thickness of the banana slices and the ripeness of the bananas.

Banana Soft Serve ... Gluten Free and Dairy Free

I had some bananas on hand that were getting VERY RIPE. I decided to freeze them for smoothies or making into banana bread. I left out 1 banana for a special treat.

I made banana soft serve in my Vitamix using 3 frozen bananas and 1 room temperature banana.

The texture comes out like soft serve ice cream/yogurt. If you desire a thicker consistency, freeze the puree for 30 minutes

The sweetness of this treat depends on the bananas used. You can add a dollop of honey for added sweet flavor if the bananas used were "greener". You could add gluten free chocolate sprinkles to the top if you wish a "topping" and additional flavor.

The base recipe is simple, it allows for customization to fit your cravings at the time of preparing the treat!

Ingredients:
4 bananas

Necessities:
Freezer and Blender (I use Vitamix)