Zucchini, Banana & Flaxseed Muffins............

I have been craving zucchini bread for months now, the good stuff like my mom used to make. The only problem is her zucchini bread was loaded with butter and white flour and not exactly on my "getting healthy" plan. So I searched for the perfect healthy zucchini bread recipe and I think I found it! A thanks to good ol Martha Stewart for always pulling though with simple a delicious baking recipes, here it is:

                           INGREDIENTS

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 cup lightly packed light-brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (from 1 large zucchini)
• 1/3 cup mashed ripe banana (from 1 large banana)
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

COOK'S NOTE

Fresh zucchini and ripe banana add moisture to these muffins, ensuring they are soft and tender but low in fat.

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat 12 standard muffin cups with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, flaxseed, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Addzucchini and banana and stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined (do not overmix).

2. STEP 2

   Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let muffins cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

They are super moist and perfect to eat for breakfast!

fall please

The other day I was getting a breakfast sandwich at one of my favorite local spots A Market and I saw a sign that said {Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is like a flower}. I think that perfectly describes the beauty of fall. I am always excited for fall treats and festivities and so last night I tried a new pumpkin cookie recipe and I fell head over heels in love with it and thought I would share.

 Iced Pumpkin Cookies

  

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 3 dozen

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

• 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

*** I added semi-sweet chocolate chips to half of my batch and still drizzled icing on top and those were the best for sure!***

I made Thanksgiving/Fall treat bags with these cookies and brought the rest into the office and they were a huge hit! They are perfect for any fall outing so make them and enjoy all the great things that are Fall.



xoxo ~ heather

style gals

Two of my dear friends (with another darling girl I sadly don't know) have started a new lifestyle blog called Lunch Pails & Lipstick. It is all about being a modern mom and staying stylish and I already love it.

I just looked at the picture of them on the blog and I already know they can help me with my style. Look at these moms, they are stylish beauties!!!! A reminder you don't have to forgo style to be a great mom and housekeeper.

 I also love the idea of all of us being able to share our opinions and ideas about everything from politics to baking to style. I guess I am saying yay for blogs! Now follow this one, PLEASE.

new favorites for a new start

I have recently moved back to California after living in Utah for the past 7 months. Utah is full of wonderful food and scenery especially in the summer, but I have missed California and all of my favorite hangouts. I had previously lived in Orange County for over 12 years so I was surprised to come back and find there are some great new places to eat around here. My current obsession is a place called Greenleaf and yes I have visited it many times over the past two weeks.

There are amazing salads like my favorite the Mexplosion or the Lemongrass Chicken which is a Greenleaf favorite, but there also amazing sandwiches, pizzas and much more. Try the turkey melt on pretzel bread or the BBQ chicken pizza and you will be very happy I promise!!!!

Everything on the menu is made with fresh organic ingredients, but is never lacking in taste. This is a new Socal favorite spot of mine and lucky for me just a five minute bike ride from my house. It has even inspired me to try some new fresh healthy meals on my own at home.

Yesterday I went to Trader Joes and got whole wheat flat bread, spicy hummus, sprouts, avocados, sweet tomatoes and mini cucumbers and made this fresh pizza/open faced something today for lunch. It was filling and light and fresh and full of flavor. I loved it and will repeat this meal often.

We have only a few more months of summer and so many choices of fresh produce, so get inspired to try something new and do some serious healthy eating. I will do my part and share some fun healthy summer recipes and you have some you would like to share PLEASE do!!!!!

a few of my favorite things

This summer I have had two yummy treats that I am obsessed with! The first will come as no surprise it's the lovely Jane Metcalf's nova granola.

raspberry dark chocolate



This is a must try for all of my foodie friends. My favorite so far is raspberry with chunks of dark chocolate, but today I am trying a new flavor with cherry and mango. I am telling you this girl is talented and her granola is perfect for my favorite healthy breakfast of greek yogurt, fresh fruit and granola. I also throw a bag of it in my purse to snack on when I want something sweet because nova granola is made all natural and sweetened with honey and pure maple syrup. Visit her web site http://www.novagranola.com/ and check out all of the options. She is based in Salt Lake City but can easily and quickly ship out an order.

My second healthy food obsession right now is kifa bars which are created by a very talented woman in San Diego who has had a career as a fitness instructor and personal trainer. She created the most delicious homemade bars that contain no peanuts, no refined sugar, no trans fat and no dairy. Oh yes and top of all of that they are delicious!

this is my favorite bar the cublamm

This is another great snack to keep on hand and a really healthy alternative for kids snacks. Visit her website at http://www.kifabars.com/ or email me and I will send you a really informative flyer that she passed along to me.

As I am trying to eat healthier and reduce the amount of sugar in my diet I find that one sacrifice I am not ever willing to make (big problem in my life) is taste. Both of these favorites are loaded with flavor and both are made by wonderful women and I think that kind of makes a perfect treat and product!!!

{happy summer with yummy healthy treats}





americana

Happy fourth of July to all!!!! Seriously what a perfect holiday, one of my absolute favorites. Today was a glorious combo of food, friends, pool, fireworks and pretty much non stop yolo'ing (last person in the world to learn this acronym). I am exhausted but thought it was the perfect day to share a favorite crowd pleasing recipe of mine. Tonight for a friends BBQ I brought my go-to pasta salad, it's quick and easy and delicious and healthy all at the same time.

I cook a package of penne pasta shells (I like to use whole wheat) and add a package of cherry tomatoes (each cut in half), fresh buffalo mozzarella (also cut into small pieces), fresh basil chopped up and top with Paul Newman's balsamic vinaigrette and salt and pepper. It is good to make this in advance and put in the fridge so that the flavor from dressing soakes in. Sometimes I will experiment and combine two dressing like a balsamic and a sun dried tomato. If I want the salad to be a little fancier I will throw in some sun dried tomatoes or artichoke hearts. Play around with how much of each ingredient you put in but I always use a full box of pasta because it seems to be the perfect amount for parties. I will say again this is always a crowd pleaser and perfect for this season.

I hope everyone had a wonderful day celebrating the great country we live in and all of the freedoms we have because we are here. I know on the fourth I am always happy for the freedom to eat what I want whenever I want, hang out my friends and just be me. God bless America!

Three cheers for America!!!!!!

so fresh and so clean clean

Tis the season for farmers markets and fresh gardens and I am totally obsessed with both! Tonight after family dinner at my brother's house in Provo we walked around his backyard and picked veggies out of the garden and fruit off of the trees. He has an apricot tree that is brimming with ripe fruit and I think I have mentioned before how I feel about apricots.

We snacked on peas and tomatoes and and made apricot milkshakes with vanilla ice cream, soy milk, apricots and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. They were the perfect summer treat.

not the best photo, but you get the yummy idea

 

I have also recently visited the Salt Lake City farmers market located in Pioneer Park http://www.slcfarmersmarket.org/  which was a perfect Saturday morning activity. I was impressed with all of the locally grown veggies (not so many fruits just yet) and all of the local food treats .

all three of these photos came from my favorite farmers booth at the market

 

I bought green tomatoes to try my first attempt at fried green tomatoes 

{to be blogged about at a later time}

Sweet Salt Lake Fresh Mint Limeade

 My friend and I picked up produce and sampled lavender honey and dark chocolate treats. We passed her friends booth called Sweet Salt Lake Fresh Mint Limeade and had one of the tastiest treats EVER! There are so many great food adventures to be had at a farmers market so I encourage everyone to find the one closest to them and plan an outing with friends or family to go check it out. I think a great idea would be to find a recipe you want to make before hand and go buy all of the ingredients from your local farmers at the market, or be adventurous and make a recipe up based on all of the goodies you buy. The Salt Lake City market was a great find and in California my favorite farmers markets were in Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar. It is a great time of year to make your diet and your lifestyle so fresh and so clean. Fill your fridge with fresh ingredients and fill your house with fresh flowers and plants, I promise it will make you feel healthy and happy.

fresh flowers in my house from my sweet niece Amber's yard