Peanut Butter Banana Oat Smoothie

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Smoothie

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 1/8 cup nonfat greek yogurt
• 10 oz nonfat milk
• 1 tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/4 cup oatmeal 
• cinnamon, to taste

And Action:

Combine all ingredients in the blender until smooth. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter & Banana Pancakes

I don't understand why a bunch of bananas ends up in my cart every week, they sit on the counter until they are overly ripened, and then they get shoved into a bag in the freezer. I'm always on the hunt for ways to use up what I have on hand and bananas are always on hand.

(Photo from Fitness Magazine by: Chris Gallo)

Instead of the usual loaf of banana bread I came across a recipe for Peanut Butter & Banana Pancakes. I had all of the ingredients on hand and knew I had to give this recipe a try.

Made these before I headed to work one morning and put them in a sandwich tupperware container. When I got to work I couldn't wait to dig into these. Oh my! These are hands down my favorite pancakes I've made to date. They are sweet, moist, and absolutely delicious!

Peanut Butter & Banana Pancakes

Fitness Magazine

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 1/2 banana, chopped
• 2 tsp peanut butter
• 1/3 cup prepared whole-grain pancake batter
• 1 tsp honey - I used agave nectar.

And Action:

Add banana and peanut butter to batter. Cook pancakes and serve with honey drizzled on top. 

Head over to The Country Cook: Weekend Potluck #89 to see what others have been cooking up this week and for some kitchen inspiration.

Healthy Oatmeal Banana Bars

I've been trying to eat healthy and get myself back on track. This has been a struggle for me the past two years. Yo-yo dieting and not committing to working out. I've turned into that person who makes excuses. Sigh. Who have I become?

A coworker invited me to join her do a half marathon coming up in March. Without hesitation I said, "Of course!" I can't even run a mile without gasping for air. What the hell was I thinking? I could register now and save money but I have anxiety about not being able to finish and haven't fully committed. I have serious commitment issues.

Granola bars are a go to in our household for breakfast. Because I have to juggle many things in the morning opening a wrapper and pouring a glass of milk is a no brainer, however, in the back of my mind I know I'm not providing the best nutrition for my son or myself.

Debbi from Debbi Does Dinner... Healthy & Low Calorie posted about Healthy Oatmeal Banana Cookies and I knew I had to give these a try since I had everything on hand. Being in a healthy mindset meant that I had to change the name from cookie to bar because serving a cookie for breakfast doesn't sound right and I have that fear of my son going to school and telling his teacher that mommy feeds him cookies for breakfast.

The base for these bars is made up of two simple ingredients. Oatmeal and bananas. You can get as creative as you'd like with mix ins. I added flaked coconut and raw almonds. The end result tasted just like banana bread. You could also swap pureed pumpkin in place of the banana. This is a breakfast option I felt good about offering to my son. Try these for yourself and taste the difference.

Healthy Oatmeal Banana Bars

Debbi Does Dinner... Healthy & Low Calorie

Makes 6 Bars

Stars of the Show:

• 1 cup oatmeal, regular or quick oats
• 2 bananas
• mix ins, optional

And Action:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mash bananas and stir in oatmeal and optional mix ins. Spoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment  paper. Form the mass into a rectangle about a 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 20 minutes or until desired crispness. I left mine in for 25 minutes. They will be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.