"Why do you have so many frozen bananas"?!?!?!

This has been a long time joke between me and some friends. It all started one night when they were helping me and my boyfriend move. I opened the freezer to expose about half of the space being home to dark ice covered bananas...and then began the laughter and multiple jokes of why Miss D has so many frozen bananas...

I'm not sure why this became somewhat of an addiction for me, but I guess I just always remembered there being frozen bananas in our fridge growing up. I didn't know why there were there or what was done with them, but you were pretty much guaranteed to see a few up there. As I grew older, I realized what delicious bread comes from these scary looking fruits in the freezer...and so began my addiction. Every time I bought bananas, it seemed as though one or two towards the end would end up calling the freezer home. And so now, without further ado.....here is what Miss D does with all her frozen bananas....

Cranberry Banana Oat Bread

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (preferably whole wheat)

1 cup whole oats

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs (be kind, get cage free/free range when possible, happy animals/produce taste better)

1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (frozen only need to thaw for 30-45 minutes, I used about 3 bananas, extra is ok!)

2 tablespoons sour cream (use whole not fat free/low fat varieties)

1/3 cup melted butter (whole butter, please do not use margarine)

1/2 cup white sugar (raw organic sugar if possible)

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Ground flaxseed (optional)

Sliced almonds (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2 1/2 x 8 1/2-inch loaf pan with butter. Whisk the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl; set aside.
2. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until smooth. Beat in the bananas, sour cream, and melted butter. Add the sugar, cranberries, and flax/almonds (optional); beat until evenly blended. Fold into the oat mixture until no dry lumps remain. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutrition Info:

Recipe = 10 servings

Calories = 258

Carbs = 38

Fat = 7

Protein = 6

AMAZING is all I can say, I found the original recipe on www.allrecipes.com, but made some small changes of my own. This works great as a breakfast food. Next time, I am going to make these as muffins instead of bread. Great with coffee or tea!

Nutrition Tip:
Why add flaxseed?? Ever hear of omega-3 fats? Well that is one of the main perks to eating flax, nearly double the amount of omega-3's from fish oil.  Also good source of fiber (which everyone needs more of in their diet!). Other benefits include:

Anti-cancer effects (especially with breast cancer)

Decrease risk of heart disease

Helps lower cholesterol

In order to reap the benefits of flaxseed though, you have to buy it pre-ground or grind it yourself at home. I use a coffee grinder to grind mine at home. Eating the seeds whole does not give you as much of these benefits as it is hard for the body to digest the whole seed. The recommended daily intake is 1-2 TBSP daily (ground). Best part, it is easy to throw into many dishes, and it is tasty with a nice nutty flavor.

It's More Than Just a Home to SpongeBob

PINEAPPLE 

So, here is one fruit that had to grow on me. I just bought my very FIRST fresh pineapple this year as a matter of fact...(I am soon to be 28) I was just always intimidated by the look of it, I mean this thing could hurt me, plus what would I do with it when I got it home? How do cut it? What part/parts can you eat? And most frightening, I figured it would taste as terrible as all pineapple flavored candies I ever tried and spit out as a child...silly thinking.

The first thing that turned me on to trying fresh pineapple was after reading of the benefits. At the time I was having terrible muscle tension in my neck and shoulders. To add to that, I have always had problems with heartburn and stomach pain associated with ulcers. One day studying for a nutrition course, I read about the benefits of pineapple.

One of the biggest benefits is that this fruit is rich in bromelain. Fresh pineapple contains this beneficial enzyme that is helpful in digestion as well as reducing inflammation and swelling. People suffering from arthritis, sinusitis, gout, or any other inflammatory conditions have proven results of reduced swelling with the addition of bromelain. To get the anti-inflammatory benefits it is important to eat fresh pineapple as snacks in between meals otherwise the enzymes will be used to aid in digestion rather than reducing inflammation.

So, I decided to buy my first pineapple....

It was beautiful! I didn't even want to attempt to go at it with a knife, but I finally broke down. For those who have never cut a fresh pineapple, it is easier than it appears. Just cut off the top, pretty part, and then the bottom/stem. Then, with the base on a cutting board, you can peel the fruit with a sharp knife being careful not to cut yourself! (This is very important when you have the klutz gene, as I do) I found it easiest to cut chunks off around the core, but if you desire pineapple slices you would have to cut it differently.

I then used the chunks as a tasty addition to vanilla yogurt. YUMMY! But, as I did not learn until later, the way to get anti-inflammatory benefits for my neck and shoulder was to eat it alone. On the other hand, after eating this as my snack for a few days, no need for those nasty "fruit" flavored antacids!

I have also begun freezing leftover pineapple, it is a wonderful addition to smoothies. When only feeding two people in our home I find it hard to eat all of the fresh produce we buy, so a lot of it I have learned to store in the freezer for a later use.





Who Doesn't Love Tomato Soup??

As I have mentioned before I was always a picky eater when I was young, but one thing I would never refuse was tomato soup. Fortunately, I grew away from the standard boring plain old tomato soup from a can, that slowly slides out the can like jelly...just doesn't seem right does it?

Now look at this is let me know if this looks more appealing???

FIRE ROASTED CREAM of TOMATO SOUP:

2 TSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup of chopped onion

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes

1/2 cup or water or broth

2 TBSP half & half

Directions:

In medium soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add onion and garlic, cook stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add tomatoes and water/broth, stir well.

Cover and cook 7-8 minutes, until soup simmers.

Stir in half & half.

Puree in blender (best to let it cool for a bit beforehand)

Season with salt and pepper and ENJOY!!

Makes one meal serving or two appetizers.

Nutrition Info:

Serving size, 1 serving = whole recipe

Calories = 265

Fat = 13

Carbs = 31

Protein = 7

If I remembered where I got this recipe I would so give the creator credit!! Unfortunately, it was one that I found somewhere and just wrote on a piece of paper. Some pointers, I use canned/pre-chopped garlic that I keep in my fridge, works great in this recipe. Also I didn't have any broth but did not want to use just plain 'ole boring water so....I just threw one chicken bouillon cube in with the water (or you could use vegetable broth/bouillon for those vegetarians). Simple and delicious.

Also, if you are like me and miss that crunch from having crackers with your soup, a healthy alternative I use is eating a handful or raw almonds with my soup!

Health TIP:

Some people may cringe at seeing the 13 grams of fat in this recipe, but most of it is from the extra virgin olive oil. Do not panic!! It is good for you (in moderation). Here are some health benefits of olive oil:

Lowers cholesterol

Better blood sugar control

Decrease blood pressure

Prevention and treatment of asthma, arthritis, and some cancers

These benefits are really only true when you use olive oil in substitution on unhealthy fats not just simply adding them into your diet. SO, think about making the switch in your kitchen today!!

And in the Begining....

Well, I figured the best way to start this blog would be to explain why I am decided to attempt it. All who have known me in the past or present, know that I LOVE MY FOOD, but I also struggle with my weight, it has been a battle since I was a child(although I didn't really care about it until my teens).

Anyways, I began in my early 20's by finally adding fruits and veggies into my diet and discovered what I had missed out on for so long! ( To give you an idea on how terrible I was as a child to eat veggies...I did not eat my first whole salad until I was about 21) Then I got really into exercise, doing workout videos at home, going to the gym, getting outside for walks as much as possible. I loved it! A few years later, I went through a rough patch in my life with unhealthy habits and not really caring so much about my health as much as just trying to have fun. Finally, I settled down with the man of my dreams...

and gained weight....Hang on a second isn't supposed to say lived happily ever after??? Many people in long term relationships I'm sure can relate, we started eating out all the time, fast foods, greasy foods, comfort foods...why do we always associate food with love and comfort?? It is supposed to fuel our bodies, not give you that warm fuzzy feeling.

After beginning my journey of going back to college, for alternative medicine, I have realized how unhealthy I am and that a major change is in need! I have taken multiple nutrition courses and have lots of resources for whole foods and how foods affect our bodies(lots of interesting reading!).

This decision to start this blog began when I got motivated in my kitchen to make healthy/easy/cost efficient meals. The recipes I share here are not created by me but shared by me and I will be giving pointers/information on recipes and foods to help make healthier decisions and options for foods to fuel our bodies! (And maybe even loose some weight) There will also be some guilty pleasure recipes here and there, as I will never give up enjoying life and foods, but I will try to make a healthy twist to them. The key with those guilty pleasure foods, as well as all foods, is moderation.

I make no promises to how often I will post, as I work full time and am a full time student, but I will be posting recipes with pictures and nutrition information as often as I attempt them. And please, feel free to ask questions anytime!

Thank you for checking this out and hope you enjoy!!

Peace
"Live the life you love, love the life you live" ~ Bob Marley