Banana Noatmeal

Hi.  Hello.  Look at this--I'm here!  I know, you thought you'd never hear from me again.  Well, tricked ya.  I really, really miss the good old days of blogging.  I miss wanting to share things with you.  I miss doing all the baking my heart desires.  I even miss spending time writing up blog posts, though let's be honest, I think that's probably all bloggers' least favorite part of this gig.  Times change.  I just can't seem to get things done like I used to be able to do.  I'm fine.  I'm healthy.  I'm busy.  I'm tired.  Even with this crazy time of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic and being home more, I seem to be just as busy with boys and dogs (We have 3 now! Chip and Candy are both coming up on ten years old, so we adopted Trixie last November.  She's now 7 months old--what was I thinking being a puppy mom again?  She's a Corgi/Pomeranian mix).  I keep finding other things to do besides baking and sharing.  It's sad, I know. 

That said, my friend Shelby from Grumpy's Honeybunch has a cookbook out! The One Pot Paleo Cookbook is available from Amazon now (linked here).  Check it out.  Everything looks and sounds so delicious.  I love that they are simple one pot meals and could use a sheet pan in the oven, a skillet on the stove or a slow cooker!  I was excited to hurry and try a recipe but am limited on trips to the store right now (as we all are) so I quickly looked for something I could make with ingredients I already have and settled on this Banana Noatmeal.  Afterall, breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day and guess what I eat almot every day?  Oatmeal, with banana to be exact.  I've actually wanted to try a Paleo version for a few years now so this was just perfect!  If you're eating a Paleo diet (or even if you're not!) this is great as it is low-carb since it doesn't actually have oats.  Hence the clever name of noatmeal.  But I can't believe how much it literally tastes like oats.  I prefer for my oatmeal with used the quick cooking kind (gluten free, please), so this has the same texture.  The main ingredient is almond meal.  Then it also has some flaxseeds (I used ground meal), some hemp seeds and chia seeds (the recipe says white chia seeds, I only had black).  Everything is simmered with coconut or almond milk, then served with bananas, walnuts, a drizzle of maple syrup and a dusting of cinnamon. 

This is my ideal breakfast!  Excited to try it with berries when I can go shopping and get some!

Go get Shelby's cookbook!  Whether you follow a Paleo diet or not, it's got lots of great recipes!  Can't wait to try more!

On a family note, my "baby" turned 13 (ahhh!) in March.  We all went to dinner as a family, including my married son, Scott and his wife Diana and our son Parker who turned 18 and moved into his own apartment.  We went out the day before our state decided on a stay home, stay safe initiative and closed dining-in at restaurants.  For Easter yesterday, we had everybody over for grilling some hot dogs and hamburgers outside.  Scott, Diana and Parker stayed out of the house and tried to maintain the 6 feet rule from us.  Sam enjoyed hiding some Easter eggs outside for them to hunt.  It was fun watching grown kids collecting eggs.  We had some much-needed laughs together.  We look forward to this pandemic being over and life being more normal again.  How are y'all getting along?  We are truly blessed!  I was even able to go get my monthly infusion for MS last week.  Had to wear a mask and that is hard for me.  I named it being like "walking claustrophobia".  But I survived and I'm grateful my infusion center is still operating and they are taking a lot more sanitizing precautions and spacing everyone out more than normal.  I'm kind of hoping when we get to go back to things being more like they were before this virus came along, that the world learns to be more giving and kind and loving as it's been during this time.  What good things have you noticed in the world lately?

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Cookies with Chocolate Chips

***Note—this wouldn’t post on National Peanut Butter Day for me.  sigh

Let’s not talk about how long it’s been since I’ve blogged.  There’s not really an excuse anyway.  Let’s talk about these cookies!  Hurry, National Peanut Butter Day is almost over!  That said, you have my permission to make these cookies anytime you’d like.  They are perfect for using up those two or three overripe bananas you have on the counter.  Admit it, you have some, don’t you?  Well, I always do.  I buy more than I think will get eaten just so there are plenty to freeze for my morning smoothie AND for making all kinds of banana treats--muffins, banana bread, coffee cake, and cookies!

I was thinking earlier today that I’d love to do something for National Peanut Butter Day.  And I remembered these Banana Peanut Butter Cookies I made from Picky Palate that long ago, like nine years ago, I dubbed as possibly my favorite cookie ever.  I’ve realized over the years I have many favorites and they change all the time.  

Probably the only thing in those cookies from yesteryear that I still eat is the bananas.  So I went to work changing them up to be similar and reminiscent of those peanut butter cup filled banana cookies and I threw all the ingredients together and am so happy with how they turned out on the first try!  No, they don’t have peanut butter cups and they aren’t even rolled in sugar, but they amazingly taste just like them, except that they have all good things—gluten free, refined sugar free, natural peanut butter and of course chocolate.   They are flying off the cooling rack and will be gone before I know it.  You now, usually when I make something and tell the boys they are gluten free and don’t have regular sugar, they won’t even try them, but they went for it with these and I’m a little sad they won’t last.  Never fear, I will make them again soon!

 Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Cookies with Chocolate Chips, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1 cup pureed/mashed bananas

¾ cup coconut sugar

¼ cup raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, room temperature

½ cup natural peanut butter (I used crunchy)

1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend (with xanthan)

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Add banana, coconut sugar and honey to a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Add vanilla and egg whisk well. Stir in the peanut butter. Add the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined. Mixture will almost be like a muffin or thick cake batter. Scoop cookie dough onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Let sit on baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack. Cool completely, store in an airtight container.

Hurry, you can whip these up in no time—there’s still tie for National Peanut Butter Day, that said, nothing will stop me from making these any day of the year!

Gluten Free Banana Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Recipe, Vegan, too!

Hello?  Is anyone here?  I’m here!  My last post was exactly one year ago.  What in the world have I been doing?  Just being a busy mom of three teenagers and a ten year old.  That and I just felt like I needed a break.  Not sure why.  I have missed blogging terribly.  I started feeling like a part of who I am was missing.  I love baking and I love sharing it with others.  My health is great!  I cannot complain at all.  With my diet changes of going gluten free and refined sugar free (and my 15 year old deciding to be vegan!), I think I had just been in a rut on what to do, what to make, what to share and post here.  But I decided I really want to try again with this little part of me that was missing.  I’m not in it for hundreds of thousands of visitors.  I’m not going to be making videos.  My blog is WAY outdated.  But I don’t care.  I need to do it for me.  A lot of it is that I’ve just decided I need to keep documenting things I love somewhere else besides just scribbled in a notebook.

 

My idea the last couple months has been to take some of my favorite tried-and-true recipes, whether they be from here on my blog, or favorite blogs or cookbooks and make them gluten free, refined sugar free, and sometimes vegan and share them with you.  I’ve made a number of things already and am so happy with how they are turning out with simple changes like gluten free flours, unrefined sugars (coconut sugar, raw honey, agave, etc.).  I plan to share links to my favorite cookbooks, blogs and recipes as they were originally made, then post my changed results here.  Does that sound good?  I think so.  I’ve asked a few people and they think it’s a great idea.  So I’m here to try it!

 

Now, this cake—I first shared this cake not long after starting my blog in February 2008!  I saw it on a blog, who adapted it from Bon Appetit in a 2003 magazine article.  I adapted it enough that I’m leaving you the link to my post for this Absolutely Delicious Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake.  I made this more times than I can count over the years.  Well, I’ve come up with a new, delicious favorite that everyone here loves, except it’s gluten free, vegan and refined sugar free.  The boys don’t care!  This is a good sign.  A lot of times, they won’t even try something when I tell them it’s gluten free.  This is gone so quickly every time I’ve made it recently, which is like three or four times. 

I made this again yesterday for dinner as we were having the LDS sister missionaries over and one of them has celiacs.  They both went crazy over how good it was and we let them take the leftover cake home.  There wasn’t a lot left, maybe two pieces, but it’s because they had seconds while we were eating it!  Win.  I love when someone is happy with something I’ve made, especially when there are changes that most would think would make something taste strange.  This one is good!  Try it!  It is our go-to when we have overripe bananas.

 

Gluten Free Banana Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake (vegan), by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

*Streusel topping:

1/4 cup coconut sugar**

1/2 tablespoons agave nectar

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

 

Cake:

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend (xanthan gum included)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup (4 ounces) coconut oil

1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, 2 1/2 tablespoons water, let sit for 5 minutes)

1 1/3 cup mashed banana (about 4 small/medium or 3 large bananas)

3 tablespoons almond milk (or non-dairy milk of your choice)

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Make the streusel topping.  Combine the coconut sugar with the agave, mix together with a fork until it is all moist like brown sugar.  Add the pecans, cinnamon and chocolate chips.  Stir together, set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line an 8x8 inch square pan (9x9 also works fine!) with nonstick foil and spray lightly with a non-propellant cooking spray (I like coconut oil).  In a small bowl, make the flax egg, let it sit while you prepare the rest.  In another small bowl, combine the almond milk and vinegar, let sit.  In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, whisk together and set aside.  In a large bowl, add the coconut sugar, agave and coconut oil.  Whisk until well combined.  Whisk in the flax egg and almond milk mixture and the vanilla.  Stir in mashed banana (sometimes I pulse it in a food processor, sometimes I just mash them with a fork).  Fold in the dry ingredients.  Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Evenly sprinkle the topping over the cake batter.  Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.  Let cool on a wire rack completely.  Remove pan using foil edges.  Carefully remove cake from the foil and put it on a serving plate.

*Note—The original Absolutely Delicious Banana Cake I linked above also has streusel in the middle.  I did make it that way once (photo above), but decided it’s not necessary.  Good, but not necessary.  So if you’d like you can double the topping able and put half of it on half the batter in the pan.  It’s all natural sugars, so no harm done!

**Make your own, all-natural brown sugar.  Combine coconut sugar with agave (use amounts posted above in the streusel for the correct consistency) until moist.  It’s perfect, in my opinion!

 

 

Make your own healthy, all-natural “brown sugar”.  Combine coconut sugar with a touch of agave, raw honey or molasses, mix with a fork until all moist.  Use about 1/2 cup coconut sugar and 1 tablespoon agave/honey/molasses.  I love it!

If I had some more overripe bananas right now, I’d make this again today.  Guess I’ll have to wait another couple days. 

You may be wondering what is going on with my family.  Quick update, Scott graduated school last year and is 19, has a girlfriend that he spends all his time with when he’s not working at Taco Bell.

Parker is almost 16, almost done with driver’s ed, aching for a job and will start his sophomore year of high school soon!  He’s currently having “fun” with hair colors.  He did purple and a pink for a while, but his hair is currently an orange color (MS awareness???).

Taylor is 13 and starts 8th grade soon.  He’s busy being a crazy 13 year old and doing his best trying not to drive me crazy.  He’s pretty funny and still likes lots of creative crafty things.

Sam is 10 and about to start 5th grade.  This is crazy!  When I started my blog, Scott was 10 and my baby was a baby!  Waaahhhh!  They aren’t supposed to grow up so fast!  Sam loves baseball and discovered this year that he loves being the catcher. 

Kevin and I celebrated our 20th Anniversary in June!  Twenty years—what????  Crazy.  He’s amazing and treats me like a queen.  I don’t deserve him.  He receives awards at UVU for being an outstanding educator.  He got to be in a spread in UVU’s magazine as Captain America.  He’s my hero.  He’s a great professor, just took over as department chair in the business school at UVU, he’s a wonderful dad and the best husband!  So there.

For our 20th, since we didn’t get to take a big trip or anything (he taught for the summer session of school), he surprised me with a bunch of my favorite concerts over the last month, including New Kids On The Block/Paula Abdul, David Archuleta, the Utah Symphony and GENTRI and we got to spend some time together in Salt Lake City.  I’m spoiled.  Love my life.  My health is good.  MS is 100% stable, nothing new.  Besides being tired more than I’d like, I’ve got this.  Glad to be back here and hopefully I’ll post again soon!

Easy Three Ingredient Berry Ice Cream

I know super easy “ice creams” made with frozen fruit, especially bananas has been done many times and I’ve made it many times myself.  I usually make it with only bananas and sometimes add peanut butter and/or chocolate to it, which IS probably my favorite.  But last night I had a hankering for a sweet treat and saw how much frozen fruit I have in my freezer right now so I threw some in the food processor and made this heavenly version.

 

SO easy!  Perfect.  Healthy.  I even was so kind to share some with Parker, who is trying out veganism right now.  Going crazy trying to keep him fed!  This is my kid whose favorite foods were bacon and A1 Steak Sauce and steak.  I’m going crazy and hope this doesn’t last too long for him.  To each his own, but I think someone shouldn’t go all certain-diet crazy unless they can buy their own food and feed themselves!  Back to the delicious treat!

 

I went a little crazy (ha!) and drizzled some melted Enjoy Life chocolate chips on mine.  It was just like Magic Shell, but way, way healthier!  Love!

 

Easy Three Ingredient Berry Ice Cream, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

 

1 cup frozen bananas

1 cup frozen strawberries and blueberries (there were probably more strawberries)

2 tablespoons Enjoy Life (or any of your choice) chocolate chips, optional

 

You can easily do 2-3 cups of any fruit of your choosing.

Add the frozen fruit to a food processor.  Blend for 3-5 minutes until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl every minute or so.

While it is blending, melt the chocolate in a small microwaveable dish in 20-30 second intervals until melted.  Drizzle over ice cream. Yum!

 

I know this probably isn’t a very exciting post and something you’ve seen before but I decided to document it on my blog, which has been suffering from neglect lately. I’m going to try to get back into sharing……and making more goodies!  I miss it!

 

Gluten Free Banana Bread

I heard that yesterday was National Banana Bread Day.  Whether it was or not, I didn’t confirm it, but I did get in the kitchen and make some banana bread.  Don’t really need excuses here, we always have bananas ready to eat, almost always have overripe ones needing to be taken care of and by taken care of I mean turned in to something banana-yummy. 

Four bananas who have been screaming at me for days now, became this banana bread last night.  I’ve actually made it many times, always just a little different, but enough the same that it comes out every time.  I love that I make a gluten free (and refined sugar free!) treat that I can enjoy.  Bananas are one of my favorite fruits.  Probably one of my favorite foods.  They are cheap, readily available, sweet and tasty and can be used in so many things.  What is not to love?  (Don’t answer that, Deborah.) ; )

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup raw honey

1/4 cup coconut sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons almond milk, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup mashed overripe banana (about 4 small bananas)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1  3/4 cup gluten free all-purpose flour (with xanthan gum)

1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (optional) add nuts instead if you’d like

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 9x5 inch baking pan with foil.  Brush the foil with coconut oil.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, water, honey and coconut sugar.  Add the almond milk, vanilla, and mashed banana and whisk together until combined.  Next add the salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour and stir together with a spoon.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let sit on wire rack for 5 minutes then using the foil edges, remove the bread from the pan, peel off the foil and let the bread cool completely on a wire rack. 

If you don’t want chocolate in your banana bread (crazy!), you can add walnuts or pecans instead or just have it as good ol’ plain banana bread.  I’ve done them all.  This has a great outside crust and is nice and soft and moist inside just the way banana bread should be.  I love having a slice of this with a little peanut butter spread on it.

 

Individual Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Coffee Cake

Yesterday I had a bunch of overripe bananas that needed to be used.  I made one of my favorite things with most of them—this Absolutely Delicious Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake.  My family likes this cake and they ate the whole thing last night.  I think everyone ate two pieces!  I felt a little left out.  I knew making the cake I wasn’t going to eat any, but was still a bit bummed.

It hit me—I could make my own little cake using gluten free flour and some organic brown sugar.  While they ate, I got to work and whipped up this Absolutely Delicious Individual Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cake!  It was so easy and done in minutes and I was in heaven.  Next time I’ll make it ahead and eat cake with the family.  I used Enjoy Life (gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugar free) mini chocolate chips.  Love these!  You might recall my Individual Gluten Free Chewy Brownies from a few months back.  This is the same concept with some different ingredients.  I actually think I might make a few ready-to-make packs of all the dry ingredients for these and the brownies.  How awesome it would be to just grab a little bag/container with everything I need already premeasured.  This banana cake and the brownies just have a little added coconut oil and almond milk.  I love using powdered egg/egg whites in these and have quite a bit in my food storage.  If you don’t have that, you need to get some.   They are great to have on hand and I do not notice a difference in things I’ve used them for.  I wouldn’t make scrambled eggs out of them, but they are great in baked goods.  The directions tell you to add water to the powdered egg, but I have used them many times just adding the powder to my dry ingredients.  I knew with the banana cake there was enough moisture in it.  If you do use them for something like cookies, you can add a tablespoon or two of water to the ingredients.

Honeyville Grain has 2 1/4 pounds cans of it, which is what I have.  You can also buy powdered egg whites in cake decorating stores or aisles and they might be called meringue powder.  I’ve used that before in individual baked things as well.  Honeyville has egg white powder and whole eggs powder.  Handy for lots of things.

Individual Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cake, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

3 tablespoons gluten free flour blend (I used Premium Gold ancient grains blend)

2 tablespoons organic brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon egg white powder

1  1/2 tablespoons almond milk

1  1/2 tablespoons (21 grams) organic coconut oil, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons (40 grams) mashed banana

dash or two of ground cinnamon

For topping:

1 tablespoon Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

1 scant tablespoon organic brown sugar

cinnamon to taste

*nuts—optional  (I forgot them!), walnuts or pecans, 1-2 tablespoons, chopped

Put the flour, sugar, salt and egg white powder in a small bowl.  Whisk together to combine.  Add the almond milk, coconut oil and vanilla and stir to combine.  Add the mashed banana and a couple dashes of cinnamon and stir to combine.   Grease a ramekin lightlywith coconut oil.  Pour the banana in to the ramekin and spread evenly.  Stir together in a small bowl the chocolate chips, brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.  Spoon/sprinkle it over the batter.  Cook in a microwave for 45-60 seconds.  Let sit to cool for a few minutes. 

Try not to eat the whole cake in one sitting.  Oh wait---you can, it’s all yours and isn’t too big!  Go for it! ;  )

Banana Apple Bread (Gluten Free) and Rachel’s Chocolate Chip Cookies—Secret Recipe Club

I was SO happy to find this banana bread recipe on my Secret Recipe Club blog assignment for this month.  I’ve been dying to find a banana bread recipe that looked like it would be easy to make gluten free and refined sugar free and decided this was it.  Thank you Chris and Rachel from The Keenan Cookbook (my secret blog).  This is perfect.  NO ONE would ever know this is gluten free.  I also made it with coconut sugar and you can’t tell.  Perfect for me.  My silly boys, who love banana bread, turned up their noses and wouldn’t even try it when I told them it was gluten free.  This is my way of hoarding the loaf for myself.  I savored it for days.  Because of the bananas and the apple and some applesauce, this bread is nice and moist and the walnuts I added were a perfect crunch. 

Banana Apple Bread (Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free), adapted by Katrina, Baking and Boys! from The Keenan Cookbook (Check out the link for their “unadapted” recipe.)

1  3/4 cup gluten free flour blend (I used Premium Gold ancient grains blend, found at Costco)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1  1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon unsulphured molasses

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 large eggs

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 tablespoons almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large bananas, mashed

1 medium apple, peeled and finely grated

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread some coconut oil evenly in a 9x5 bread pan (I also love putting nonstick foil in the pan first, but still usually coat it with coconut oil, you can spray with cooking spray, too).  You can also make this batter in to muffins, spread oil in each muffin cup.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Whisk together.  In another bowl, combine the sugar, molasses and coconut oil.  Stir together until well combined.  Add the eggs and applesauce and stir to combine.  Stir (or whisk) in the almond milk and vanilla.  In a another bowl with a fork, or small food processor, add the bananas and pulse until mashed into a puree.  Add the bananas to the wet ingredients and grate the apple into the bowl.  Stir to combine.  Fold in the walnuts.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.   Let bread sit on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then carefully turn the bread out onto the wire rack to cool completely. 

I love banana anything.

Instead of bread, I usually make muffins because they bake so much faster, which means you can be eating banana bread sooner.  So I tried that with this recipe.  Great muffins!

I made the bread weeks ago and the muffins just last week.  I have more bananas on the counter, ready and waiting to make this bread again soon!

Mmmm!  THEN just because I like looking at cookies on blogs and because my family is “suffering” with my new health changes with my baking less (poor, poor family), I saw the Keenan’s also posted their favorite chocolate chip cookies recipe and I had to make that—for my family and because it was chocolate chip cookies.

I didn’t even taste them, but they were gone in a day or two.  They are definitely simple to make.  Rachel has taken the original Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe and added an extra cup of flour, which is think is brilliant because I’ve never cared for the Nestle recipe (still love the company and Ruth Wakefield and her invention of the chocolate chip cookie).  I’ve always thought the cookies turn out too flat and a bit greasy.  I know many like their chocolate chip cookies that way, and that’s fine.  But what a simple idea and an easy way to make a thicker, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie—just add a little more flour.

Thank you, Rachel, for that idea.  I didn’t change a thing from her adapted Nestle recipe, so get it at The Keenan Cookbook.  I really enjoyed their blog.  They both share in the cooking and baking, she photographs the recipes and he writes up the posts, sharing their yummy recipes and their thoughts about being parents to two little boys.  Hey, I know a thing or two about that times two.  ;  )

I love being a part of the Secret Recipe Club.  Check out all the yummy stuff below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Gluten Free Banana Muffins

I hadn’t had a banana muffin for over six months.  I was sad.  I used to make pretty healthy whole grain ones all the time.  The boys love them and I loved them.  So I decided I needed to make some gluten free, refined sugar free ones.  I think these turned out great!  As soon as I have some more overripe bananas, I will be making them again, sorry boys, these are mine.

This recipe made 14 muffins.  You could probably fill 12 each a little fuller and not have the extra two, but 14 worked for me.  I used coconut oil instead of butter and coconut sugar with a little molasses instead of brown sugar.  I might have baked them a couple minutes too long, but I loved the crusty outside and they were still perfectly moist inside.  I used my newly favorite Premium Gold Gluten Free Ancient Grains Flour.  I wrote about it here in this post for Individual Microwave Chewy Brownies.  Ooh, brownies……wait, I must finish telling you about the muffins first.  (Sorry, it doesn’t take me much to get off track.)

Gluten Free Banana Muffins (Refined Sugar Free), by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

3/4 cup coconut palm sugar

1 teaspoon molasses

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 medium, overripe bananas, mashed (I like to puree them in a food processor)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups gluten free flour (I used Premium Gold Ancient Grains Flour Blend)

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/3 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Brush  muffin cups with coconut oil.  (I just use my fingers, you could use a pastry brush though.)  In a medium sized bowl, combine the coconut sugar and molasses and mix together with a fork.  Add the coconut oil and stir until combined.  Stir in the bananas, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk until well combined.  Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until well mixed.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  (This can all be done with a wooden spoon.)  Using a cookie scoop, fill each muffin cup with batter until 2/3-3/4 full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Makes 12-14 muffins.

The number of muffins I ate the day I made them shall remain untold on the grounds it might make a glutton out of me.  There’s nothing quite like warm muffins fresh from the oven……….except maybe brownies.  hehe

Banana Bread Recipe—Secret Recipe Club

This month for the Secret Recipe Club I had the privilege and pleasure to fill-in for a blogger who wasn’t able to make their assignment at the last minute.   After volunteering and getting the blog information I would be filling in for, I was a little overwhelmed because I’ve been following this blog for years and have been so impressed with it that I almost felt I wouldn’t be able to do it justice.  That said, I certainly loved looking through all the wonderful posts and deciding what I could do with just a couple days left until the reveal.

Spinach Tiger is the blog I am posting for since our Group A leader, Jane, didn’t want her left out.  Angela’s blog, if you haven’t been there yet, is full of such great recipes.  But not only that, she has added a perfect balance of wit, humor and knowledge with her sharing.  She lives in Nashville with her husband and writes great posts for restaurants they visit in the area.  You should finish my post and go right to hers.  Read more about her on her About Page.  You’ll soon wish you were her BFF.  How I would love to be able to cook like she does.  My family is too picky.  If I was real life friends with Angela, I would eat everything she makes. ;)

In my haste to find something to make from her blog, as I only had two days to do it, I settled on this Banana Nut Bread.  I know, kind of lame of me—but with overripe bananas on the counter and everyone here loving banana cake, bread, muffins, I decided to try her recipe.  I’ve probably made too many banana bread recipes in the past to count them, but just like chocolate chip cookies, you can never try too many.

Angela got the recipe from a friend and it is quite similar to many others, though she cut the sugar, which is totally fine.  I agree with her, banana bread often has more sugar than necessary.  What I did like was that she said you can basically put whatever add ins on the top of the loaf or inside.  Her friend puts the nuts on top that are mixed with a little brown sugar.  That then reminded me of one of my favorite cakes, this Absolutely Delicious Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake that has a swirl of brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon and chocolate in the middle and on top.  I decided I had to do that with this bread.  Had to. ;)  I only wish I could eat some of it.  It looks great.  Technically I could eat some, but since I’m not eating gluten or refined sugar right now, I haven’t eaten any of it.  The boys are eating it and Kevin even made a piece of French toast with some this morning while making breakfast for the boys.

Banana Nut Bread with Cinnamon Chocolate Swirl and Topping, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Angela at Spinach Tiger

1  1/2 cups all purpose flour

2  1/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

dash nutmeg

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup mashed over ripe banana (3 medium)

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup canola/vegetable oil

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9x5 inch pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar.  Whisk together to combine.  Mash the bananas. (I also do this in the food processor, I like it more like a puree than a little chunky.)  Combine in a separate bowl the eggs, vanilla and oil.  Add the bananas and egg/oil mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just to combine.  Don’t overmix.

Make the swirl/topping mix.  Combine in a small bowl the nuts, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, mini chocolate chips and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.  Pour half the batter into the pan.  Sprinkle evenly half the swirl mix over the first layer.  Pour the rest of the batter into the pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle the remaining topping mix over the batter.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.  Let cool completely in pan.  Remove from pan by carefully turning it to the side and letting the loaf fall into your hand.  (A few of the nuts and topping will fall off, but it’s okay, you can eat those.)

Definitely a test of wills here for me with this one as I love all things banana and adding nuts and chocolate are like heaven to me.  I suppose there comes a time when we choose our health over indulging in all the treats we’d like and I don’t feel like I’m suffering.

That reminds me, do you know how cool Angela from Spinach Tiger is?  Just because she wanted to see what it was like, try it out, be in the know and understand what being gluten free is like, she did just that for a month recently.  Check it out here.  She had a craving for a fresh tomato tart at that time and made a gluten free pie crust.  I SO wanted to get that done in time for this posting, but it was not to be—it WILL happen soon though.  I’ve been craving apple pie, so I do plan to try her Gluten Free Pie/Tart Crust here.  Her post is full of tips on making a gluten free crust work just right.  An apple tart or galette is calling my name. ;)

I, like Angela, don’t have dietary reasons for giving up gluten (or refined sugar for that matter), but after being diagnosed with MS recently, I decided to try going gluten free and sugar free.  I don’t really know if it is helping me, but I KNOW it certainly can’t be hurting me to not have white flour and refined sugars.  I am finding a world of good things that are still just as much a treat as the refined things out there.  And I know it will be okay to go for that splurge once in a while if I really want.  Check out my blog in recent months for those “healthier” treats I’ve been making. 

Thanks for picking me to fill-in this month, Jane.  My apologies to Angela for not being able to do her blog more justice that it deserves.  The best thing to do is CHECK OUT SPINACH TIGER for yourself, especially if you haven’t been there before.   Since I have two posts today, don’t miss my other post for my October secret assignment for Kate’s blog, Kitchen Trial and Error.  So many great blogs out there, so little time. 

Healthy Eatmore Fudge Squares—Paleo, Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free, Dairy Free—Delicious!

These fudgy squares of slightly frozen chocolate banana gooey-ness are not only no-bake, they are also grain free (Paleo), refined sugar free and dairy free.  I can’t wait to make them again, but after making them a few weeks ago, I still have a few of them left.  They are a perfect treat when I need something and the rest of the family is enjoying ice cream or something else I’m not eating right now.

I’ve been having fun searching the world wide web for healthy treats and finding there are so many options for gluten free, grain free, sugar free goodies.  So far I have liked all the things I’ve tried and am excited to try more recipes.  This one today is from  Christal at Nutritionist in the Kitch.  The fudgy bottom layer is simply some dates, almonds, walnuts and cocoa powder (I added a touch of raw honey).  This made a perfect no-bake, healthy fudge that would also be good by itself or even just rolled in to balls.  After that is spread into a pan, a frozen pudding-like topping is made with bananas, almond butter, cocoa powder and honey.   Once that layer is added the dessert is put in the freezer for a short time. 

Once the squares are frozen enough, you must hurry to take their picture or they will start melting! ;)

‘Course, never fear—they are delicious frozen, too!  (Just give them a few minutes at room temperature and they are perfect.)

Healthy Eatmore Fudge Squares, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted slightly from Nutrition in the Kitch (Give it up for Christal and check out her blog!)

Bottom Layer--

1 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup almonds, toasted

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)

Top Layer--

2 ripe bananas

1/4 cup cocoa powder

4 tablespoons almond butter

4 tablespoons raw honey

Soak dates in a bowl with warm water for 30 minutes.  Drain.  Line a 9x5 bread pan or an 8x8 square baking pan with non-stick foil.  Put the dates, almonds and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until it is starting to chop everything up nicely.  Add the cocoa powder and honey and process until everything starts sticking together, almost forming a ball.  Spread it in the pan and press down making an even layer. 

In the food processor (no need to wash it out), combine the bananas, cocoa powder, almond butter and honey and mix until well blended.  Pour this mixture over the dates layer and spread evenly.  Place pan in the freezer for an hour.  Remove from pan lifting the sides of the foil and cut into squares.  Store in the freezer.

Try not to eat them all in one sitting.  Ha.   I feel like they are actually quite filling and one square will do ya—then they’ll last longer, especially if you don’t share them.  My boys were not even interested when I told them they had dates in them.   I’ll try something else and fool them one of these days.  Head over to Christal's blog, Nutrition in the Kitch to find more ideas and great recipes.