The Most Delicious High Protein Zucchini Muffins

Protein packed, no added sugar, and vegan optional zucchini muffins are a treat to have with a cup of coffee or to freeze for a raining day. Or if you're like me, you make a large batch to freeze so when the thick of summer hits, the oven doesn't have to be turned on.

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

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What does carrot cake, beet brownies, and zucchini muffins all have in common? Hidden veggies! And they are delicious to say the least. But just because these baked goods have a little hidden nutritious element doesn't make them a guilt free treat. There's still plenty of sugar and they usually lack protein.

Now, you can have your cake and eat it too. I mean, now you can enjoy one, two, or three of these no-sugar added high protein zucchini muffins without hesitation.

While the dark chocolate chips are completely optional, and allows you to purchase both dairy-free or vegan brands, they are 100% necessary in my household. Dark chocolate is good for you anyways, right?! I truly believe it has it's own portion of the food pyramid.

Zucchini is such a summer staple and you can find it all over ever farmers market. Or if you're lucky, you'll be growing some big boys in your backyard. With all the fruits of you labor, you can make several batches of these muffins and freeze them for a raining day. Or just when it's too hot to turn on the oven.

Eat these no-sugar added high protein zucchini muffins for breakfast to keep you fueled for hours, eat them after a workout to help your muscles recover, or just eat them for dessert. There's no wrong time of day to eat these muffins since they are naturally sweetened with extra ripe bananas.

Click to tweet: You MUST make these no added sugar high protein zucchini muffins.

No Added Sugar High Protein Zucchini Muffins

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 very ripe Banana (I use a frozen banana that I thawed)
• 1 cup Zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 cup Applesauce, unsweetened
• 1 Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Kodiak Power Cake Mix
• *optional: 1 scoop Protein Powder
• 1 cup Oatmeal, blended
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• *optional: 1/4 cup Nuts, chopped
• *optional: 1/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray muffin tins
2. Mix all wet ingredients together, including the zucchini, with a spoon, electric mixer or stand mixer
3. Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl
4. Combine dry ingredients slowly into the wet ingredients
5. Stir in optional items such as nuts and chocolate
6. Equally portion out batter into a 12 count muffin tray
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown
8. Cool on cooling tray until you can't wait any longer

Do you prefer zucchini muffins or zucchini bread?

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Freezer Smoothie Bags

There is no better time to enjoy a daily smoothie than during the hottest season of the year. Fill your freezer with pre-made individual sized drop-in-the-blender smoothie bags. 

This post is brought to you in partnership with Naked Nutrition. It also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

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The days are getting warmer and longer (hello sunset at 9pm) and more humid. The last thing I want to do is heat up a warm meal or sit and chew on a salad. Smoothies are the perfect replacement for breakfast, lunch or dare I say, dinner! They are so versatile by using your favorite fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. Then throw in some fancy powders and you have yourself one of the healthiest drinks EVER. 

My least favorite part of making smoothies used to be the cleanup. However, I learned a little trick to clean the blender super quick. Just rinse out the blender after use, fill halfway with hot water and drop in some dish soap. Turn the blender back on and bam - your blender just got a nice little cleaning.

Click to tweet: Genius - pre-made individual sized drop-in-the-blender smoothie bags!

Another thing I dislike about making smoothies is gathering all of the ingredients. Trying to manage and entertain a 3 month old can make simple things impossible and then my healthy smoothie turns into me grabbing a bag of chips or a dozen cookies. That's where pre-made individual sized drop-in-the-blender smoothie bags come into play. 

My favorite type of smoothies are simple. I can't really be bothered with loads of ingredients to make a new flavor each day. I typically just buy whatever frozen fruit is on sale or freeze my overly ripe fruit, some type of green, and freeze almond or coconut milk in ice cube trays. This is the basis of a delicious smoothie.

Pre-made Individual Sized Drop-In-The-Blender Smoothie Bags

Ingredients

• 2 handfuls frozen fruit
• handful frozen kale
• 2 ice cubes frozen almond or coconut milk
• fold top sandwich storage bags

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in fold top sandwich storage bag.
2. Store multiple sandwich bags in a gallon sized freezer bag and keep in freezer until ready to use.

How To Make Smoothie

1. Blend fruit, kale, frozen almond or coconut milk, and 8 ounces water in Ninja blender until smooth. 
2. *Optional: pulse in 1-2 scoops Naked Whey, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and a few dashes ground cinnamon. 
3. Enjoy!

Naked Whey protein powder is the only protein powder I feel comfortable using while nursing. It contains only one ingredient (grass fed whey protein) with 25 grams of protein per serving. And you will love that it's gluten free and soy free too!

*Get 10% off Naked Nutrition products by using the code 'JENNATL' upon checkout. 

What are some of your favorite ingredients for smoothies?

Have you ever made smoothie bags before?

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Trail Mix Lactation Cookies [Dairy-Free]

Trail mix cookies are filled with dried fruit and nuts making them a great snack to grab any time during the day because breastfeeding makes you a ravenous human. These cookies contain all the right ingredients to help boost your daily nutrients and milk supply. Not interested in lactation cookies? Try out the original Trail Mix Cookies. 
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Before LadyBug was born, I was told to stock my freezer with premade dinners and to stock my pantry with loads of snacks. But one thing that was not emphasized was that baby might not make an appearance by the 40th week. In fact, LadyBug decided to stay put until 41 weeks and 3 days, and my food stash was starting to run low. 

One item that I would not let anyone, including myself, touch were the lactation cookies. There are so many horror stories on the web telling new moms that breastfeeding is REALLY hard work, dare I say impossible, and that it is likely that you will not produce enough milk for your baby.

Click to tweet: Eat these cookies to boost your milk supply.

Let me make it VERY clear - breastfeeding is hard work but gets easier with patience and practice. Also, you'll know your baby is getting enough milk if they have plenty of wet diapers (5+) each day and if they are gaining weight - that is, after the initial birth weight drop within the first few days.

So let's get back to the trail mix lactation cookies! They contain two ingredients that are said to help milk supply - oatmeal and flaxseed. They also contain almonds which have been said to help decrease baby blues and postpartum depression. In addition to eating these cookies all day long, I would take two brewer's yeast tablets each evening. I can't say that these cookies and the brewer's yeast really helped 'boost' my milk supply since I started eating these the day I left the hospital - well before my milk even came in. Either way, they sure are delicious!

Trail Mix Lactation Cookies [Dairy-Free]

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Cook time: 10-12 minutes
Yield: 42 cookies

Nutrition per cookie: 111 Calories | 13 g Carbs | 5 g Fat | 3 g Protein | 7 g Sugar

Ingredients

• very ripe, medium Banana
• 1/2 cup Coconut Sugar
• 1/4 cup Honey
• 2 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Peanut Butter (check ingredients label to verify 'peanuts' is the only ingredient)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/4 cup Oats
• 1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Ground Flaxseed
• 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips [*to make these dairy free - use dairy-free chocolate chips or omit]
• 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
• 1/4 cup Almonds, chopped
• 1/4 cup Peanuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup Pecans, chopped

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a stand mixer, mix together banana, sugar and honey.
3. Add eggs and mix together one at a time.
4. Mix in vanilla extract and peanut butter.
5. In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, salt, oats, flaxseed and flour.
6. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet until well combined.
7. Stir in dried fruit, chocolates, and nuts. *Choose any fruits and nuts that you prefer
8. Scoop out cookie dough using 1 tablespoon size balls.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
10. Allow to cool prior to eating.
11. *Store extra cooked cookies in the freezer.

Click to tweet: Nutritious cookies while you are breastfeeding. 

What's your favorite kind of cookie?

Have you ever stored premade cookies in the freezer?

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Trail Mix Cookies [Dairy-Free]

Trail mix cookies are filled with dried fruit and nuts making them a great snack to grab during the day. They also make for a great breakfast option for those mornings that you just don't have time to make anything. These trail mix cookies are dairy-free and do extremely well in the freezer so you will always have fresh cookies! Stay tuned for a special lactation trail mix cookie alternative soon. 
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Having a newborn in the house creates a whole new sort of tired. I've heard it a thousand times that it's important to sleep when the baby sleeps as nighttime sleep is unheard of. I've also heard over and over again about how sleep deprived I will be during the first few weeks.

Well either it's been the help of A or not having guests over or that we have an AMAZING baby, but sleep hasn't really been an issue. Sure the first few days required lots of naps because it's hard work to labor and give birth to a baby. Plus trying to figure out the whole breastfeeding thing and waiting for my milk to come in is a chore alone.

Now that we have a very flexible schedule in place after two weeks, LadyBug is getting around 5-6 straight hours of beauty sleep at night. This also allows me to get some much needed beauty rest too! But with all the feedings, swaddling, swaying, and diaper changes that often require four diapers at a time because LadyBug likes to eat and that food needs to go somewhere - this Momma gets hungry.

I've been chowing down on these trail mix cookies as often as LadyBug requests the 'boob booze'. They are a great midnight snack, great for breakfast, or just as a snack. With dried fruit, nuts and chocolate - these cookies will please everyone. Plus I've made an alternative for those breastfeeding momma's (recipe coming soon for lactation trail mix cookies).

I keep a large bag of premade trail mix cookies in the freezer and take 4-5 out at a time. It's like having fresh cookies whenever I please!!

Click to tweet: These trail mix cookies are great ALL. DAY. LONG.

Go ahead and run, not walk, to the kitchen to make yourself a batch.

Trail Mix Cookies

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Cook time: 10-12 minutes
Yield: 42 cookies

Nutrition per cookie: 107 Calories | 13 g Carbs | 5 g Fat | 3 g Protein | 7 g Sugar

Ingredients

• very ripe, medium Banana
• 1/2 cup Coconut Sugar
• 1/4 cup Honey
• 2 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Peanut Butter (check ingredients label to verify 'peanuts' is the only ingredient)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/4 cup Oats
• 1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
• 1/4 cup Almonds, chopped
• 1/4 cup Peanuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup Pecans, chopped
• *Optional: M&Ms on top of cookies

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a stand mixer, mix together banana, sugar and honey.
3. Add eggs and mix together one at a time.
4. Mix in vanilla extract and peanut butter.
5. In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, salt, oats and flour.
6. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet until well combined.
7. Stir in dried fruit, chocolates, and nuts. *Choose any fruits and nuts that you prefer
8. Scoop out cookie dough using 1 tablespoon size balls.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
10. Allow to cool prior to eating.
11. *Store extra cooked cookies in the freezer.

What is your favorite type of cookie?

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Raw Vegan Donut Holes [Eat These During Pregnancy To Have A More Favorable Delivery]

Raw vegan donut holes are a three-ingredient snack that can be enjoyed plain or with the added sweetness of a vegan coconut glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar. As a bonus if you are pregnant, eating these can help aid in a more favorable delivery with a reduced need for induction or augmentation.

* This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
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Since entering my 34th week of pregnancy, I started eating dates like they were going out of style. To date (pun intended), I've listened to numerous birth stories on podcasts, watch dozens of birth vlogs on YouTube, and watched many episodes of The Midwives on BBC. I've learned that labor is intense and completely different for everyone. However, there was one thing that stood out to me while listening to the several podcasts - eating dates resulted in an 'easier' delivery.

Yeah, an easier delivery is definitely something I am interested in! I mean, wouldn't you?! That's when I started researching the benefits of eating dates during pregnancy. Here is what I found, but I definitely recommend you doing your own research and discussing with your medical provider - this is especially important if you have gestational diabetes.

Eating six dates per day four weeks leading up to the expected due date has resulted in more cervical dilation upon admission to the hospital. It also has resulted in allowing the individual to go into spontaneous labor rather than having to be induced and a reduced need for augmentation (oxytocin/pitocin). And eating dates have also been known to shorten the first stage of labor. This means, eating six dates per day four weeks leading up to the expected due date can create a more favorable delivery with less interventions.

Now I know every pregnancy is different and every labor is different, but if I only need to eat six dates per day I am willing to give it a try.

Click to tweet: Eating these can help aid in an easier delivery!

I slowly introduced dates by eating four per day starting at 34 weeks. I ate them plain and I dipped them in peanut butter. Then at 35 weeks, I upped my intake to five dates per day. It was getting harder and harder for me to stomach dates alone or dipped in peanut butter. That's when I made these raw vegan donut holes that I could pop in my mouth throughout the day. At 36 weeks pregnant, I started eating six dates per day - a few dates were consumed plain, a few through the raw vegan donut holes, and a few blended into smoothies.

I'm excited to see the outcome of eating dates during the last few weeks of pregnancy and I will keep you all updated with the results!

Click to tweet: Raw vegan donut holes are a three-ingredient snack that can be enjoyed as a quick snack.

If you are not pregnant and totally did not follow along, it's okay. These raw vegan donut holes are delicious and can DEFINITELY be eaten while not pregnant. In fact, I urge you to make these as a quick afternoon pick-me-up or as a simply fast breakfast. You won't regret it!

Raw Vegan Donut Holes

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Yield: 12 donut holes
Serving Size: 2 donut holes

Nutrition per serving: 148 Calories | 16 g Carbs | 7 g Fat | 5 g Protein | 5 g Sugar

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup Cashews, soaked in water for at least 60 minutes
• 6 Pitted Dates, soaked in 1/4 cup hot water for at least 60 minutes
• 2/3 cup Rolled Oats
• Pinch Salt

Cooking Directions

1. Soak cashews in water for at least 60 minutes and soak pitted dates in 1/4 cup hot water for at least 60 minutes.
2. Drain cashews.
3. In a food processor, blend cashews, dates with water, rolled oats, and salt until a thick dough ball has formed.
4. Hand roll out 12 balls, each the size of a tablespoon.
5. Refrigerate for at least 60 minutes.
6. Enjoy!
7. *Optional: dust with powdered sugar or make a vegan coconut milk glaze.

What's your favorite type of raw ball?

Are you currently pregnant? Will you be eating dates near the end of your pregnancy?

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Extremely Moist Banana Nut Bread

Start your morning with an extremely moist banana nut bread that is super simple to make. This banana nut loaf comes out perfectly every time and it's a great way to use up all those overly ripe bananas. 

* This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

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I have always been a sucker for banana nut bread. Warm up a slice, smear it with a little bit of butter, and serve it with a hot cup of coffee - that is perfection to me. However, there are loads and loads of banana nut bread recipes all over the internet.

Some of those recipes incorporate multiple sticks of butter or cups and cups of sugar. Both of those items I try to keep to a minimum when I am baking or cooking. But those of you that have been baking for some time know the importance of butter and sugar to create the perfect recipe. In fact, that's the type of banana nut bread I grew up eating and loving.

I've played around with several recipes and I have successfully been able to reduce the amount of refined sugar and butter by at least half, compared to other popular banana nut bread recipes. Yep - half the amount of added sugar and half the amount of butter and yet it's still the moistest banana nut bread I have EVER eaten.

Now I know you'd rather be the judge to determine if this banana nut bread is extremely moist, so you'll have to make the recipe for yourself. My number one trick for ensuring an extremely moist banana nut loaf is to not whip the butter. Mixing it in with the other ingredients will leave the butter slightly chunky, but that will yield the moistest possible banana nut bread.

Extremely Moist Banana Nut Bread

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Cook time: 40+ minutes
Yield: 10 slices

Nutrition per slice: 195 Calories | 28 g Carbs | 8 g Fat | 4 g Protein | 12 g Sugar

Ingredients

• 3 large Very Ripe Bananas, frozen then thawed bananas work best
• 4 tablespoons Butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup plain Applesauce
• 2 large Eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour (whole wheat works great too)
• 1/3 cup Chopped Nuts, either walnuts are pecans are tasty

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Using a stand mixer, mix bananas until they are mushy then mix in butter and applesauce until well incorporated. *Remember, butter will be slightly chunky and that's perfect.
3. Add in eggs and mix until combined then mix in sugar and vanilla extract.
4. Mix in salt, baking soda, and flour until dough has formed.
5. Slowly stir in chopped nuts.
6. Place dough in a grease 9 1/2 x 5 inch loaf pan and bake for 40+ minutes.
7. Check to see if the bread is done by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the bread. If the toothpick comes out without any dough on it, then the bread is done. Continue to bake if the toothpick comes out with raw dough.
8. *Depending on the wetness of the dough and the environment in the house will determine how long this bread will bake. I've had several loaves be completed in the 4o minutes and other loaves took almost 60 minutes. Just keep your eye on the bread.
9. Allow bread to cool completely. Cut and serve.
10. Enjoy!

Click to tweet: Try this extremely moist banana nut bread bit.ly/moistbanananutbread It has 50% less butter & sugar than other recipes.

Are you a fan of banana nut bread?
What do you like to smear on top of your banana nut bread?
Have you completed all of your holiday shopping?
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Pumpkin Waffles With Maple Cream Cheese Icing

Now that Thanksgiving is over, you might be thinking it's time to swap pumpkin for all things peppermint. But before we are through with pumpkin for the year, try out these delicious pumpkin waffles that are a great choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

* This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
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Is anyone else feeling festive and ready for the Christmas season now that Thanksgiving is over? I know I have been seeing loads of Christmas trees decorated to perfection all over social media. And I am not mad about it one bit. 

Just because I am as ready as you are for the next holiday, we cannot forget about the beloved taste of pumpkin. My grocery store recently had a huge sale on canned pumpkin so I decided to stock up. While this flavor choice isn't always the first option come December, enlighten me by giving this recipe a try. 

When it comes to breakfast foods, I could eat them all day long. Growing up, my favorite restaurants to eat at were always the ones that served breakfast all day. My go-to choice was always french toast but not that I am married to a non-french toast lover, I tend to make a lot of pancakes and waffles in my house. 

So next time you find yourself with an abundance of pumpkin puree, try these pumpkin waffles. And I will not judge you one bit if you want to eat these for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Heck, eat these waffles for every single meal and I still wouldn't judge you. 

And you might be thinking to yourself, well what do I top these delicious waffles with? Might I suggest my maple cream cheese icing, or maybe some pure maple syrup, or better yet - your favorite peanut butter!

Click to tweet: Pumpkin season is not over yet - try these PUMPKIN WAFFLES with maple cream cheese icing.

Pumpkin Waffles

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Cook time: 4-7 minutes
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Kodiak Power Cakes
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree
• 1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat waffle maker (my favorite is a double flip waffle maker).
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Pour onto waffle maker and cook for 4-7 minutes, or until browned and to your desired crispiness.
4. Top with maple cream cheese icing or your choice of topping.
5. Enjoy!

What is one food item that you could eat all day long?

How would you top these pumpkin waffles?

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Donut Forget To Vote [Blender Pumpkin Baked Donuts]

Donuts can be sugary sweet and sometimes fall under the category of a dessert rather than a breakfast item. Try these baked pumpkin donuts that you can easily make the dough in a blender. And if you want to pump up these bad boys, top them with some maple cream cheese icing - it's delicious, I promise you!
* This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

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November 8th. A day that will finally bring an end to what seems like the longest election ever. Regardless of where you stand, 'donut' forget to vote today!

I won't even get into the ugly details of moving and becoming a new resident in a new state during the final weeks of voters registration. It's not fun and it normally doesn't work out in your favor - or my favor, to be exact. So instead I'm going to share with you a delicious little breakfast item that you can take with you to your polling place this morning. Or you can just save this recipe as a little treat for the weekend.

Making donuts in the blender is a life saver to me. It leaves me with little clean up and I always keep my blender within arms reach. Plus when it comes to donuts, the dough is usually pretty thick and I know I could probably use the arm workout but I'd rather put my blender to work for me. So next time you are making a donut recipe like these pumpkin baked donuts or my cinnamon roll donuts, pull out your blender and give it a whirl.

Blender Pumpkin Baked Donuts

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: 9 donuts

Ingredients

• 1 large Banana, very ripe
• 1 large Egg
• 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Kodiak Power Cake Mix
• 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• pinch Salt

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a blender of your choice, blend together all ingredients (mixture will be thick).
3. Use a spatula, scrape dough out of blender and place into a piping bag or zip-top plastic bag for piping.
4. Grease donut pan and pipe dough until about 3/4 of the way full. If using a zip-top plastic bag, cut the tip of one of the bottom corners to use as a piping bag.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
6. *Optional: Allow to cool completely before dipping in icing.

Maple Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

• 8 ounce Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Milk, or Water
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup

Cooking Directions

1. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth.
2. Mix in powdered sugar, milk, and maple syrup.
3. Store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Click to tweet: Seasonally delicious baked pumpkin flavored donuts.

Don't discard any remainder maple cream cheese icing. It would come in handy over some waffles - I have a recipe coming at you next week. And if you are not a donut fan, you could always try my mini pumpkin protein muffins!

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What is your favorite flavor of donut?
Are you tired of pumpkin yet?
How will you be celebrating Election Night?

Pumpkin Protein Muffins

* This post has been updated and revised on October 18, 2016. The recipe has been revised to represent the best possible mini pumpkin protein muffins. Also, this post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
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I believe I expressed my love of all things protein and muffins in my high protein zucchini muffins. So it can't be much of a surprise that I have created a seasonal muffin that fits this mold.

Click to tweet: These pumpkin protein muffins are delicious.

I am the type of baker that likes things simple. Simple ingredients that I always keep on hand are key for me to really enjoy baking, because if I'm being honest, I HATE measuring things. One thing I always keep is bananas in the freezer. A really likes green bananas and if they start to get even the teeniest of brown spots, they go right in the freezer. And for those that have been reading a while, you know I have an allergy to bananas - food-latex syndrome. Luckily cooked bananas don't bother me, just yet.

Another thing I like to do as a baker is make things mini. Bite sized food is so much more enjoyable to me over massive items. So my mini muffin tray gets much more use over my regular sized one.

Pumpkin Protein Muffin
original recipe from a traveling Wife
*Revised October 18, 2016
makes 24 muffins | nutrition per muffin with chocolate chips: 
69 calories | 2 g Fat | 10 g Carbs | 3g Protein | 4 g Sugar

Ingredients:
- 1 large very ripe banana, mashed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup plain applesauce
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup Kodiak power cakes
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- * Optional: 1/2 cup dark chocolate morsels

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray mini muffin tray with non-stick cooking spray
- Mix together banana, egg, pumpkin puree, applesauce, and maple syrup with a hand mixer or stand mixer
- Mix in vanilla extract
- Mix together Kodiak powder cakes, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture
* Optional: add chocolate morsels of your choosing.
- Spoon one Tablespoon of the mixture into mini muffin tray
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until firm to the touch
- Allow to cool and then enjoy!

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Are you a lover of mini muffins or traditional sized muffins?
What pumpkin flavor items have your indulged in so far this season?

Chocolate Chai Tea Breakfast Drink

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CarnationBreakfastEssentials #CollectiveBias #sponsored

I don't always have time to make a well-rounded breakfast each morning because of lack of time or lack of desire. With the aid of caffeine and Carnation Breakfast Essentials® powder drink mix, I can have a tasty and fulfilling breakfast without spending more than 10 minutes in the kitchen. 
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Mornings always feel so rushed, don't they? That's mostly because I would rather hit the snooze button 12 times than get out of bed and prepare a full breakfast. I would bet that even you hit the snooze at least once eat morning! 

There are several solutions for those busy mornings to keep you from skipping the most important meal of the day. Some of those solutions include preparing breakfast items the night before - think overnight oats, muffins, breakfast cookies, etc. Or you could even prepare packages of ingredients that could be stored in the freezer to whip up a quick smoothie. But with all of the different breakfast hacks, I am nothing without caffeine in the morning. Anyone else with me?!

I've come up with be BEST solution to a quick, filling, and caffeinated breakfast that you will want every morning. That might be a bold statement but I am confident that this breakfast will solve all your morning problems. Besides helping your kids find matching socks or helping your husband remember to put the toilet seat down. 

Click to tweet: The BEST solution to a quick, filling & caffeinated breakfast!

Chocolate Chai Tea Breakfast Drink

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 serving

Nutrition per serving: 210 Calories | 38 g Carbs | 1 g Fat | 13 g Protein | 30 g Sugar

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk (your favorite type)
• 1 packet Carnation Breakfast Essentials Rich Milk Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon Chai Spice
• 1 Black Tea Bag

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, mix together the milk, rich milk chocolate powder drink mix, and chai spice.
2. Heat mixture over medium heat until hot. Do not allow to boil.
3. Remove from heat and steep tea bag for 3-5 minutes.
4. Pour into drinking glass and enjoy.
5. *Optional - add whipped cream and additional chai spice

I have always loved chai lattes but often find them to be too sweet and I haven't found a chai tea that  has enough spice for me. So for years I have been making my own chai spice mixture that I can add to plain tea or make my own chai tea latte without all the added sugar. Now you can use this chai spice mixture and add it to a packet of Carnation Breakfast Essentials® powdered drink mix to make a delicious chai tea breakfast drink - something that is filling, quick, and caffeinated.

In my recipe above, I specifically used the rich milk chocolate powdered drink mix however, don't feel limited to that flavor. The breakfast drink would also be delicious with the dark chocolate or classic french vanilla powder drink mix. Also, if you would like to reduce the amount of sugar and calories, you could use the Carnation Breakfast Essentials® Light Start™ powder drink mix. 

Click to tweet: Make your breakfast easier w/ Chocolate Chai Tea

Now's your chance to stock up on Carnation Breakfast Essentials® powdered drink mix to make your mornings that much easier. Not only could you make my chocolate chai tea breakfast drink, but you could try out my strawberry crumble breakfast muffins. 

What are some breakfast hacks that you use?

How many times do you hit the snooze button in the morning?

Have you tried Carnation Breakfast Essentials® in a unique way?

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