Banana Walnut Oatmeal

This morning I had a delectable breakfast of oatmeal. Oatmeal is one of my very favorite breakfasts. You can make it so many different ways - pumpkin, peanut butter, chocolate, banana, berry, coconut, pineapple, etc...

This morning I made myself a bowl of banana walnut oatmeal. It was soooo good! I love nuts in oatmeal; they just make it perfect. 

     Banana Walnut Oatmeal

1 cup of oatmeal (150 cal.)
• 1 medium banana (90 cal.)
• 1 tbsp. walnuts (48 cal.)
• 1 tbsp. raisins (33 cal.)
• 1 tsp. (or more) cinnamon (0 cal.)
• 1 tsp. brown sugar (15 cal.)
• 1/4 cup of almond milk (15 cal.)

      Total Calorie Count: 301 calories

If you are trying to consume fewer calories, you could always use half a banana instead of a whole one.

I cooked 1/2 cup of oatmeal in 1 cup of water. I covered my oatmeal with the sliced banana, sprinkled my cinnamon, raisins, walnuts, and sugar on top, and then poured the almond milk over it all. It was absolutely scrumptious!

Well, thanks for reading. I hope this recipe gave you some inspiration to create your own amazing bowl of oatmeal. If you liked this recipe, please let me know and comment. Also, I would love to hear about any of your favorite types of oatmeal.

Have a marvelous day, filled with the joy and peace of our Lord. May our gracious God, bless you exceedingly and abundantly in your fitness journey. Grace and peace to you all in the name of our Lord  Jesus Christ! 

LOVE,

MARIAH

Peanut Butter & Jelly Banana Oatmeal

Happy Friday!

Are you excited for this weekend? I know I am. I've always loved Fridays.

For me, Friday night means: Bible studies, family movies, popcorn, cake, cuddling, and talking with my sister late into the night. Yup. I love Friday. :)

And the only thing better than a Friday night is a Saturday morning. ;)

Saturday mornings mean sipping a steaming cup of coffee while reading my Bible and spending time with my Father. Saturday mornings mean talking with my mom, soaking in the tub, or enjoying a special breakfast treat.

Since Saturday morning is only a few hours away, I thought I would share a delicious breakfast that you can whip up in the morning - Peanut Butter & Jelly Banana Oatmeal. 

The inspiration for this amazing breakfast comes from the lovely Taralynn over at the blog Undressed Skeleton. She made PB&J Oats, and they looked so inedible, that I just had to try them. However, I added a banana to my oatmeal because - well... do you really need a reason to add banana? :)

Here is Taralynn's PB&J Oats:

Beautiful isn't it? Check out her recipe here.

Okay, now I will share my recipe. And let me tell you, this oatmeal was soooo good. Seriously, this is one of the best bowls of oatmeal I have ever had. I have made peanut butter oatmeal many times before, but the jelly with that banana - heaven!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Banana Oatmeal

• 1/2 c. old fashioned oatmeal
• 1 1/4 c. water
• medium banana
• 1 tbsp. peanut butter
• 1 tbsp. strawberry fruit spread (or jam)
• cinnamon

Get out your pot, and fill it with 1 and 1/4c. of water. I add the 1/4 c. because I believe this makes my oatmeal creamier. This is personal preference, so you can just use 1 cup of water if you like. Extra water means waiting extra long. If you don't mind the wait, I recommend adding it.

Once the water begins boiling, lower the heat a bit and pour in 1/2 cup of oats. Stir as needed. (Our stove is kind of crazy and the oatmeal always spills over if we don't lower the heat enough and stir well.) Cook the oatmeal according to directions on package - usually about 5 minutes - or until it reaches desired consistency.

Now pour your oatmeal into your prettiest bowl (cause everything tastes better in a pretty dish.)

This is the fun part - decorate your oatmeal! Slice the banana and arrange the pieces on your oatmeal. Then measure a tablespoon of peanut butter and a tablespoon of jelly and add that to your bowl. Last of all, sprinkle with cinnamon! Bon appetit!

I didn't add any sugar to my oatmeal - I rarely do - because I really don't think this needs it. However, you can add a sprinkle of sugar if you so desire. 

My oatmeal was so delicious and creamy. I never wanted the bowl to end. Mmmmm. So good.

Well, that's it! I hope you like this recipe and make this yummy breakfast. Please comment below and let me know if you try this recipe. I would love to hear your thoughts! And - if you haven't already - please subscribe to the blog to get more recipes delivered right to your inbox! Thank you so much!

Have a wonderful day and may God bless you always!

• What's your favorite type oatmeal?
• What do you look forward to on the weekend?

Love,

Mariah

My Banana Bread Mistake

Happy Holidays!

I know I haven't blogged in quite a long while, so I thought I would get back in the groove with a healthy and delicious recipe - banana bread. I LOVE bananas, and I LOVE bread. So... what could be better than a warm slice of banana bread for breakfast?

A few weeks ago, my mom asked me to whip up some banana bread for breakfast. I was more than happy to help, and I began pulling out the ingredients. Now whenever I cook/bake, I always try to modify the recipes and make them as healthy as possible. When my mom suggested I make a banana bread, I immediately thought of a banana bread that Taralynn had made. (You can find her recipe here: Healthy Gluten Free Banana Bread.)

Taralynn's Banana Bread

I explained to my mom what the basic ingredients were, and she said that I could base mine around that. Well, Taralynn uses a flax & whole grain, gluten-free flour in her recipe. I thought we could use some milled golden flaxseed in ours. Apparently my mom said to use 2c. of whole wheat flour, and 1/2c. to 1 c. of milled flaxseed. I completely misunderstood her, and put 2 c. of milled flaxseed and 1 c. of whole wheat flour, thus resulting in a whole new creation - Flaxseed Banana Bread.

My mom was shocked when I told her what I had done. She said that she could taste a different flavor in the bread, but that it wasn't too bad. She said it was good, but she prefers the original recipe. I guess I added too much flaxseed for her liking. :)
However, my dad really liked it, and I LOVED it! I was very pleasantly surprised by the unique flavor of the flaxseed, and I actually prefer this recipe to the other. This one is not as sweet, but it is delicious and filling. I especially enjoyed eating this with a bit of peanut butter spread on top. Yum! :)

I hope that you will give this banana bread a try and love it as much as I do - or more! Please remember to comment below and let me know how you like this recipe if you happen to try it. Thanks!

Healthy Flaxseed Banana Bread

• 2 c. milled golden flaxseed
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3/4 - 1c. sugar
• 1/4. oil
• 1/4 c. applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 4 very ripe bananas
• 1/2 c. almond milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. raisins
• 1/2 c. walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 c. shredded coconut (optional)

You will first need to assemble your ingredients, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are using frozen bananas, make sure that you allow time for them to soften before making this recipe. 

In a large bowl, add in your flaxseed, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar.

Next you will need to add in the oil, applesauce, eggs, bananas, milk, and vanilla. 

Stir very well, then add in the raisins, walnuts, and coconut. I didn't add any walnuts this time, but they are sooo delicious in this bread. If you can add them, I highly recommend that you do.

Once thoroughly mixed, pour batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, or until light brown/golden. It should feel firm to the touch. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then slice and enjoy!

I recommend topping your slice of bread with a teaspoon of peanut butter. The peanut butter really compliments this bread. In fact, I actually prefer the bread with some peanut butter on top. Also, I enjoyed my banana bread with a steaming cup of chai tea. It was the perfect breakfast for a cool winter morning. I hope you enjoyed this recipe.

If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to the Fit2Be Blog, or follow through BlogLovin'. I hope you have a fabulous day and may God bless you always!

Question of the Day:

Have you ever made a cooking/baking mistake? If so, was the result a masterpiece or truly a mistake? :)

Love & Grace,

Mariah

Thursday Nibbles

Well, it's Tuesday, and I promised you a post on Thursday.
I guess better late than never, but I am truly sorry for taking so long to share this post with you. Here are a few pictures and some quick descriptions to give you an idea of a low-carb, clean-eating day.

Breakfast was amazing! I had Banana Bliss Pancakes (as I have come to call them.)
They were soooo good, and I will definitely be making them again.

For lunch I had a plate full of greens! :)
I had a bit of salad, some green beans with garlic, and cucumber salad.

Shortly afterward, I was ready for my snack, so I had 2 tbsp. of raisins, 12 almonds, and a steaming cup of green tea.

Then, about an hour before we headed to soccer practice, I had 1 tsp. of peanut butter, a banana, and a cup of milk. 

I never got a picture of my dinner, but I had more cucumber salad, and about 3/4 can of tuna.

It was a simple day of eating, but very satisfying and rewarding. I felt wonderful filling up on healthy foods and limiting my carb intake.

Well, thank you for reading this long-overdue post. :)

If you want to see more posts like this, let me know. I would be happy to share with you some meal plans for a clean-eating day, low-carb days, or any such things. Just comment below to let me know!

Have a wonderful Tuesday! May God bless you exceedingly and abundantly today.

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Eat Clean Breakfast

Good morning fit2bees!
(Yesterday my sister said something about me being a fitter2be-r.)
 What do you think? Want to be a fit2bee? :)

Anyway, enough silliness. ;P
I never got to post my breakfast pictures yesterday. I guess that means you'll get two breakfast recipes today! Woohoo!

Okay, yesterday I had a bowl of oatmeal with 2 tbsp. raisins, cinnamon, and 1 tbsp. sliced almonds. It was missing something, so I poured some of my chai tea into it. It was really good! It tasted like chai tea- which is wonderful in my opinion. Yum!

I also had 2 egg whites and half a banana. I saved my yolks for a hair treatment I'll do this weekend. 

This breakfast was delicious, healthy, and filling. It was also really quick to make. Less than ten minutes! If you make your eggs while your oatmeal is cooking, then they should both be ready at the same time.

I felt like this was just the perfect healthy, clean eating meal.

What do you think? What is your favorite eat clean breakfast? Let me know in the comments section. I'm always looking for easy, healthy and delicious breakfast ideas!

Thanks! Have an incredible Wednesday and may God bless you! :)

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Morning Munchies

Happy Monday!

Are you ready for an awesome week of healthy living? I know I am! :)

Now I know I promised to share pictures of my September breakfasts with you, so I am really sorry for missing two days. On Saturday I slept too late for breakfast, and I had lunch instead. :) On Sunday, I was rushing to get my breakfast (oatmeal) and completely forgot to take a picture. Sorry, guys.

Well, I'm starting off this week right. Today I'm sharing my Friday breakfast and today's breakfast. This morning for breakfast, I had an egg & turkey sandwich. I had planned on having oatmeal with egg whites, but it was not meant to be. We are out of oatmeal, and I just feel like it's wasteful to throw out the yokes of my eggs. I couldn't make myself egg-whites without feeling guilty. I don't mind throwing out one yolk, but anything more than that just doesn't seem right.

Instead, I made myself scrambled eggs with 1 whole egg, and 1 egg white. We are currently very low on veggies, so rather than making a veggie egg scramble, I decided I would just eat my eggs in a sandwich. I added 3 slices of turkey for extra protein. Yesterday, I helped my dad make some bread, so that's what I used for this sandwich. 

Egg & Turkey Sandwich

• 2 slices of bread
• 1 egg, 1 egg white
• 3 slices turkey
• 2 tsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. mustard
• 1 tsp. ketchup

We made bread patties yesterday, so I used this for my sandwich. They are about the size of an English muffin. You can use an English muffin to make this if you so desire. You can also use sliced whole-wheat bread. Toast the bread and then spread the condiments on it. Cook the eggs to your preference. I like mine a bit dry. Place the eggs on the bread, then cover with the turkey slices. Close the sandwich, and enjoy!

Now this is the breakfast I had Friday morning. I took some pictures, I just never got to upload them. I wasn't too hungry that day, and I wanted just a little something. I made myself a cup of chai tea, and grabbed a banana. That was good, but something was missing. Then I remembered about the Cliff bar I won the other day at the library. (We have the nicest librarian, and she always has something going on.)

That bar made this breakfast perfect. 

The Cliff crunch bar was such a treat. It was granola with white chocolate.Yum!

The bar was 190 calories, the banana was about 105 calories, and the tea probably had about 25 calories (from 1 tsp. of sugar - 15 cal. & 2 tbsp. almond milk - ? cal.)

The lighting inside was horrible! I couldn't get a decent picture in there. I took these pictures in our driveway on our wooden cutting board. I love using this cutting board to take food pictures. It adds such a nice touch to the photos. :)

Well, that's all! I'll try to take at least one picture of my breakfast each day. I've got to get more consistent and creative. Do you have any ideas for a healthy, simple breakfast?

Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Have an awesome day everyone! May God bless you in all that you do. Stay healthy, fit, happy, and strong!

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Breakfast Perfection

Good Morning!

If you haven't had breakfast yet and are looking for something to eat, I have just the thing! I had such a heavenly breakfast yesterday, that I just had to share this goodness with you. I have seen this on Pinterest before, but I never got around to making it. Yesterday I did, and it was one of the most wonderful, satisfying, and sweet breakfasts I've ever had the pleasure of devouring.

Even though the lighting was poor - it was still dark out - I wanted to share a few pictures of my unbelievably delicious breakfast. These photos really don't give justice to how delicious this really was. 

I wanted something simple and quick for breakfast, but something that would hold me over. Oftentimes I find that cereal isn't very filling, although it is super quick. We had some English Muffins in our pantry, and some very ripe bananas in the fruit basket. I decided that it was the perfect day for some banana peanut butter toast.

I toasted the english muffin, spread about 2 tsp. of peanut butter over each side, sliced a small banana and placed it on top, and sprinkled a dash of cinnamon. Then, to make this meal complete, I made myself a large cup of Chai tea. Mmmmmm. It was so good.

I love Chai tea. It is soooo good. I prepare my tea by adding about 1/4c. of almond milk and 1 heaping teaspoon of sugar. That is a perfect cup of tea.

I am actually enjoying a cup of Chai tea as I am writing this post. My breakfast was somewhat similar to yesterday's. I had a banana, 1/2 tsp. of peanut butter, and 1/2 c. of my own nut & raisin mix. That mix consisted of whole unsalted almonds, whole frozen walnuts, and raisins. Yum! You know what... I think that I shall post a real recipe for a trail mix. Would you like to see a recipe for homemade trail mix? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading! Now go and make yourself some peanut butter toast and chai tea. It's the perfect way to start your day. Have a wonderful week and may God bless you all! :)

Lots of love,

Mariah