Banana Carrot Muffins

My fridge is freezing my food. If I turn up the temperature on the fridge then the freezer allows my ice cream to melt. So, I keep the fridge super cold and sometimes I have to deal with frozen produce. This time it was carrots. So with a bunch of frozen carrots and many over ripe bananas in the freezer I decided to make banana carrot "cake" muffins. Using trusty all recipes I knew I would find a recipe I would like and of course I did. This recipe met my needs perfectly. With some tinkering to the ingredients - a standard practice in the Crowder household - I had my banana carrot muffins.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup Splenda
• 1/2 cup egg beaters
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 box raisins

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine apple sauce and sugar. Add egg beaters; mix well. Add bananas, carrots, and raisins. Mix well and allow to sit while preparing step 2.
   
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and pumpkin pie spice.
   
3. Gradually mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients.
4. Portion equally into a 12 serving muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 servings - calories per serving - 110

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Easter Sunday seemed like the perfect day to make a nice huge brunch. My friend Elliott came over and together we made a fruit salad that was amazing, apple cinnamon muffins - the ones from this blog - scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and these banana oatmeal muffins. I will say that the apple cinnamon muffins are by far my favorite. However, these are nice for something a little different.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tbsp egg beaters
  
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons non fat milk
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons apple sauce
  
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mashed bananas
• Cinnamon

Strudel Topping:

• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp light butter
• 1 tbsp flour

Directions:

1. Combine flour, oats, Spenda, baking powder, soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, apple sauce, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Divide evenly into 6 muffin tins.
3. Mix strudel topping ingredients with a fork. Top the muffins.
   
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes.

Makes 6 muffins - calories per muffin - 140

Strawberry Smoothie

Oh Love. Smoothies are just magical. They are like a milkshake but they are healthy. They remind me of summer and fun. What more can you ask for out of a drink. I mean really...you have to admit that a really good smoothie is amazing. This smoothie is great. Bananas, strawberries, yogurt, Splenda, water and ice. So easy and yet so delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 Bananas (frozen)
• 4 strawberries
• 6 oz Vanilla Yogurt
• 1/2 cup ice cold water
• 8 ice cubes
• 1 packet Splenda

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender.
2. Drink

This smoothie makes about 12 -15 oz. Calories per smoothie - 250

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

While watching 5 Ingredient Fix two weekends ago I saw Claire Robinson make a super indulgent mudslide milkshake. With over 750 calories per serving Claire's milkshake, while I am sure it is amazing, is not exactly something I am willing to eat on a Wednesday evening. However, I have been thinking about this milkshake for a week and a half. I wanted one. Bad. So I made my own. No alcohol, no ice cream, and three times as much banana make my version healthier but still very good if I do say so myself. So good that there almost were pictures of this concoction.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 bananas chopped and frozen
• 1/4 cup non-fat milk
• 6 oz fat free vanilla yogurt (I used Dannon light and fit)
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder - unsweetened

Directions:

1. Blend everything together adding extra milk if you like your milkshakes to be easier to drink. I prefer mine to almost need a spoon to consume.

Makes one 10-12 oz serving: Calories 250

Banana Mini Muffins

I LOVE bananas, chocolate covered bananas, plain bananas, banana bread, banana pancakes, banana everything. I have been craving bread recently and my work had some very ripe bananas that no one wanted to eat. Of course at this point I am thinking about how wonderful banana bread would be for breakfast this weekend.

After looking all over the internet for a recipe and only finding breads with tons of four, sugar, and oil I decided to combine a couple of recipes and make my own substitutions. This recipe was a complete invention so I wasn't sure quiet how it would turn out. In the end my kitchen smelled fabulous and the muffins were delicious. I like my banana muffins a little on the under-cooked side so these might be a little moist for some people. If you like your muffins more like cake-like I would cut the apple sauce down to 1 tbs and add a pinch of baking powder. I will definitely be making these again.

Ingredients:

• 2 small/medium very ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup AP flour
• 6 packets of splenda
• 1 tbs light butter (I used Land-o-Lakes)
• 1.5 tbs unsweetened applesauce
• 1.5 tbs egg substitutes
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix sugar with butter (this helps to get all the butter blended smoothly!)
3. Add egg substitute, and beat lightly to get the mixture to fluff up a little.
4. Add the bananas, smashing them into the mix with a fork.
   
5. Add the vanilla, and applesauce.
6. Then add all the remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
7. Spoon about one tbs of batter into each mini muffin cup
   
8. Bake for 15 -20 minutes. Keep an eye on them as oven temperatures and cooking times vary. You'll be able to tell it's all ready when the color is good and golden brown, or when a knife comes out clean from the center.
9. Remove muffins or loaves from pans to cool on a rack.

Makes 12 mini muffins. Calories per muffin: 50