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

Blissful Banana Pancakes

"It takes two to make a thing go right.... it takes two to make it out of sight!"

My friends, this is amazing! It is absolutely incredible! It takes two, only two ingredients to make this masterpiece. Is that not incredible? I was inexplicably delighted with the outcome of my experimentation! I have tried making banana egg pancakes before when I was introduced to them by Taralynn. However, until now all my efforts had failed. When I saw Cassey Ho tweet about her banana pancakes and saw how amazing they looked, I decided to make another attempt. How sweet is this success! Literally, it's very sweet.

I think this is my new favorite breakfast. Words cannot express how my heart thrilled upon tasting this delicacy. I am in a state of bliss at the moment - hence the name, "Blissful Banana Pancakes." These are perfect!

Mmmmm... there's no better way to start your morning than with a good breakfast.
And these pancakes are so healthy and light that I don't feel sluggish or "bad" about eating them. 

BANANA EGG PANCAKES

• 1 large banana
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. slivered almonds (optional)
• 1 tsp. honey (optional)

According to the directions of Cassey Ho from Blogilates.com, I sliced my banana and mashed it in a bowl.

 I used a fork, but you can use a whisk - as she did. Then I cracked in my two eggs, and whisked it them together with the banana.

In my previous attempts at making these, I always used a small pan. I would make one pancake at a time, but they never would cook right, and flipping them was disastrous!

However, Cassey makes her's on a skillet. Thankfully, I have one of those, and I used it this time - SUCCESS! :)

If you don't have one, perhaps these will still turn out well for you. Maybe it was just me, and small pans are perfectly fine. You can always try and see what happens. I'm just telling you what worked for me.

I will admit that these are thin pancakes. However, they stack nicely and make a lovely little pancake tower. I made these in two batches - four in each. My first batch came out okay, but the second batch was beautiful! See their little speckles? That is my second batch. In the picture below you can see that my first batch was a bit more smooth.

Anyway, I spread coconut oil over the skillet and then used a 1/4 c. measuring cup to pour the pancake batter. I didn't feel the cup all of the way, but you can if you prefer them wider or thicker. I'm not sure what the result would be.

On my second batch I sprayed my pan with Pam olive oil spray. As I said before, the second batch was awesome, but I don't know if using spray had anything to do with that. 

When my pancakes were all finished, I placed them in the center of my plate and sprinkled 1 tbsp. of slivered almonds over them. I then drizzled a bit of honey over the pile and sprinkled some cinnamon. They looked divine!

Now it is time to admire this culinary success!

They looked so beautiful that I ended up taking so many picture of these. Aren't they perfect? :)

Okay, I won't keep posting anymore banana pancake pictures. I hope you enjoy this recipe and love it as much as I do. Please let me know if you try these, and share your recipe success stories. Did you use a small pan? Did they turn out okay? I'd love to know, so please share! Also, if you want to send me some of your beautiful pancake pictures, I just might do a special post on all of your beautiful pancakes! 

Have a blessed day everyone! Check back later to see what my meals are for today. This is the last day of my "post every meal" project, so if you're interested, keep visiting the blog to see what I'm eating.

Lots of Love,

Mariah <3

Peanut Butter Banana Bites

I shared this recipe with you in my "What I Ate Wednesday" post, but I though that this recipe deserved it's own page. :) As I said last night, I was really craving a pb&j. However, since I had committed to two days of no wheat, I couldn't succumb to that desire. I decided to get creative, and find a way I could eat some peanut butter without going overboard, and without breaking my bread-free decision.

What immediately came to mind were frozen banana coins with peanut butter. Sadly, I had no frozen bananas, so that wasn't an option. The bananas in the fruit basket were still slightly green, but I needed something, so they had to work.

I peeled the banana, ate half, and sliced up the other half. Then I took a butter knife and spread a thin layer of peanut butter over four banana coins. On the other four (I had eight in total) I spread a bit of strawberry jam. Then I joined the two together and secured them with a toothpick.

My banana coins were very slippery - I think it had something to do with their being a bit green still - so it was a little difficult to spread the peanut butter and jelly. If you use a ripe banana, I don't think you will have any trouble.

Originally, I wasn't planning on adding the cottage cheese; but the plate looked a bit empty, and it needed a finishing touch. So, I spooned a heaping tablespoon of cottage cheese onto the center of the plate and sprinkled everything with cinnamon.

These were quick to make and very satisfying. They weren't sweet, but they took away my craving for a peanut butter sandwich, so that was wonderful. As I mentioned before, you could make these more like a dessert by adding some form of chocolate. It does seem like chocolate makes everything better. :)

Well, I hope you enjoy this little snack/treat. Please let me know if you try them, and what adjustments you made - if you make any. Have an awesome day and may God bless you!

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Baked Oatmeal Bites

Did you know that September is Better Breakfast Month?

I had no clue until today. Upon discovering such a delightful piece of knowledge, I made it my goal to share with you a recipe & photo of my breakfast each morning. We'll see how long I can keep it up, but I'll do my best. ;)

This morning I was craving something warm, delicious, a tad bit sweet, and something resembling a muffin. I had wanted to make these baked oatmeal muffins from Chocolate Covered Katie, but the yield was greater than I wanted. I just wanted a simple, quick, single-serving oatmeal creation.

I turned to Taralynn to see what she might have for me. She had plenty of options, but sadly, nothing which I had the ingredients for (these looked so good though). I had almost given up hope when I saw that Sharee - that fancy lady - had made oatmeal breakfast cookies. She had posted a picture and a super simple recipe. Well, I modified mine a bit, but these were inspired by her. Actually, you could say that these baked oatmeal bites were a combination of inspiration from all these lovely ladies. Thank you, girls! :)

Well, without further ado, here are my baked oatmeal bites. :)

BAKED OATMEAL BITES

• 1 large over-ripe banana
• 1/2 c. dry oatmeal (slightly heaping)
• 2 tbsp. coconut flakes
• 2 tbsp. sliced almonds
• 2 tbsp. raisins
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. almond extract
• 1-2 tsp. cinnamon

With a fork, mash your banana in a bowl. Then, add your oatmeal, coconut, raisins, vanilla, and all those other ingredients. Mix well. Then, form into five little balls and place on a sprayed baking sheet. Slightly press the cookies down, then place in the oven to bake. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until slightly firm and set. I baked these in my toaster oven at 450 degrees, since that was the highest temperature setting. I wanted these ASAP. :)

When they were done, I let them cool a bit while I prepared myself a lovely cup of tea. It was a delicious, steaming mug full of Chai. Yum! This breakfast was so perfectly satisfying and absolutely delicious.

If you want them to be a bit sweeter, you could add sugar, chocolate chips, or any other type of sweetener you like. If you add chocolate or sugar, these are probably a great dessert. Please let me know if you make them this way. I would love to hear how they are as little desserts. :)

Well, thanks for reading! I hope you have a marvelous Thursday. May God bless you beyond anything you could ever imagine. Remember, He has plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Almond Joy Oatmeal

Happy Monday!
I hope that you all had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. I know I sure did!  My sister's and I spent most of our Saturday lying in my bed listening to the audio book "Little Women." I've read it before, and loved it soooo much. This is the first time some of my sisters have heard it though, and they are all really enjoying it.

Anyway, today I have another oatmeal recipe to share with you. I made this Wednesday morning for my breakfast, and it was sooo good. Despite it's name, this recipe has nothing to do with the candy bar. However, the name Almond Joy Oatmeal sounded a lot better to me than Banana Almond Raisin Oatmeal

However, if you would like to make this oatmeal similar to an Almond Joy, you could add coconut, cocoa powder, and maybe some chocolate chips too! :)

I must say a quick word about this banana picture to your left. You might be wondering why I included this picture in my post. Well, I love minions.  Seeing a minion on a banana is part of the reason I chose to eat a banana in my oatmeal. Can't you see that little minion begging you to eat it? So you see, putting minion stickers on fruit is a great way to encourage kids to eat healthy food! :)




Recipe:

• 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1 c. water
• 1 medium banana
• 6 almonds
• 1 tbsp. raisins
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 c. almond milk

Cook 1/2 c. of old-fashioned oats in 1 c. of water. I cooked mine for about 5 minutes, but the directions may differ if you are using quick-cooking oats, steel-cut, or other types. When the oatmeal has reached a creamy consistency, it is done. Pour your oatmeal into a bowl and top with 1 sliced banana, 6 whole almonds, 1 tbsp. raisins, 1/4 c. almond milk, 1 tsp. of honey, and a dash of cinnamon. Now you have a marvelous bowl of oatmeal goodness.

Thanks for reading! I hope that you are able to try this oatmeal recipe. If you make this Almond Joy Oatmeal or the other variation I mentioned, please comment below and let me know how you liked it!

Have an amazing day everyone! May your week be exceedingly blessed, and may you enjoy great success on your health and fitness journey. Stay strong! :)

Love,

Mariah