Banana Almond Waffles

I've really had a thing for waffles this pregnancy so this morning I broke out the waffle maker once again for some banana almond waffles. I used a recipe from Green Lite Bites as a basis for my waffle mixture. I will say that it definitely was "diet" tasting. Not as light and fluffy as we usually like but they were still pretty good. I also doubled it because I wanted some leftovers to freeze for later, as I really hate store bought waffles. They are just so fake tasting! I do think next time I make home made waffles I'm going back to using a less dietary recipe because sometimes, it's just not worth it.

2 bananas, thinly sliced
2 TBSP chopped almonds
2 eggs
1 cup milk (1%)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups whole wheat flour (or use all purpose flour)

Whisk the milk and eggs together. Add in the almonds and banana. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, powder and cinnamon and whisk together. Add in the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula until well-incorporate. Ladle into a waffle maker and let it do it's magic!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffles

In honor of Halloween, I made these delicious waffles for breakfast this morning. I found the recipe on Pennies on a Platter and then adopted to fit my pregnant needs (hehehe). The pumpkin and spices mixed so well with the chocolate. And they were light and fluffy, not hard and dense like premade waffles. Certainly a treat. This makes a lot of batter so it's great for a crowd or leftover snacks. Two were plenty for me for breakfast, and considering the amount of butter in them, that made me happy. :)

1 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs
2 cups 1% milk
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Cooking spray for coating the waffle iron

Preheat waffle iron. Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Whisk egg in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined.

Spray the cooking spray on the waffle iron and spoon batter (about 1 cups for each waffle) into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Blueberry Pancakes

This morning my stepdaughter Emma and I made some homemade blueberry pancakes. I am normally a pancake-from-a-box person but I wanted to make the effort to be more natural and have some fun with Emma so I found this recipe on the Cooking Light web site and it was perfect. It made 6 large pancakes for us. They were juicy and filling and we paired it with some scrambled eggs just to balance out breakfast a little. I did make one change, using fat free organic blueberry yogurt instead of plain and that just made it even sweeter. I also mixed the blueberries right in, instead of topping the pancakes with them on the griddle.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup vanilla fat-free blueberry yogurt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh blueberries

Combine the dry ingredients (first 7) in a large bowl and stir well with a whisk. In a separate smaller bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except the blueberries, and mix well together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and combine with a spatula until there is no loose flour. Add in the blueberries and mix well.

Heat a griddle and cook until the pancakes are dry on the inside. There's nothing worse than a raw pancake! Sorry for the picture, I forgot to take one until right before we were going to eat!

Zucchini Pancakes

I've made these before and for dinner a few nights ago I had the urge to have them again. This time I added a little more flour and they turned out perfectly. Not soggy at all!

1 zucchini, grated
3/4 cup of whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated, making sure there is no loose flour in the bottom. Form into patties and cook in a pan on each side, about 7 minutes.

French Toast

My husband made us French Toast on Saturday thanks to his inspiration, watching the Food Network. I know there was cinnamon and powdered sugar on my bad boys but I also topped them with my own little strawberry sauce concoction. I took about 5 organic, frozen strawberries and mixed the with a teaspoon of sugar and about 3 tablespoons of water. I microwaved it for about 30 seconds and voila, a delicious topping for my French Toast!

Banana Berry Smoothie

It's a warm and beautiful day here in NJ and after doing some house work, I needed something cold and filling. A smoothie it is! I love my immersion blender because it makes having one of these practically mess-free. Very little clean up, unlike a blender. I highly recommend one. If you prefer your smoothie a little thicker than just leave out the milk from the step below.

1 banana, sliced
6-8 mixed frozen organic berries
1 cup fat free organic strawberry yogurt
2 TBSP organic 1% milk

Place the ingredients in a large cup and blend to desired consistency.

Garden Harvest Muffins

I saw these muffins on Ashlee's blog last week and immediately knew I had to make them this weekend. They are everything I need to continue on my quest for a healthier lifestyle and dropping a few pounds. I look forward to freezing these for future breakfasts. Thanks Ashlee for posting them! I did make a couple changes to them so here's my revised recipe.

4.5 ounces whole wheat flour flour (1 cup)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup grated peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup grated carrot (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup 1% organic milk
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
If you have a scale, weigh the flour as it makes for a more exact measurement. If not, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Add grated apple, grated carrot, shredded zucchini, and raisins to flour mixture; toss well.
Combine canola oil, milk, and eggs in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
Spoon batter into 12 muffin tin coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan.
Cool completely on wire rack before storing or freezing.

I'm also submitting these to April's Tasty Tools Blogging Event featuring muffin pans at Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Breakfast Burrito

I'm trying to eat better this holiday because I know what all the parties and celebrating entail and I need to try and keep some semblance of health in my life! This morning I really wanted a "bad" breakfast but I reined myself in and made a delicious breakfast wrap with probably 1/2 the calories of my husband's pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich.














1 whole wheat wrap
2 slices of turkey bacon, cooked and chopped into pieces
1/4 cup eggbeaters
1 slice of Alpine Lace reduced fat American Cheese