Blog Archives

Low Fat Peanut Butter Banana Muffins--Arkansas Blogger Bake Sale

4/30/2014

First and foremost, I want to send my thoughts and prayers out to those communities affected by the recent tornadoes that ripped through the South. My heart aches especially for my home state of Arkansas. I did know a few friends that live close to the area affected by the worst destruction but luckily, the storms ended up missing them and they are doing just fine.

The amount of love and support I've seen already on just my Facebook feed and in the news from friends, businesses, churches--anyone and everyone--that has been sent out has been overwhelming. I know the sense of community in my state is very strong and whenever disasters hit, there is always an outreach to help those in need. It makes me proud to be an Arkansan. We are, and will remain, Arkansas strong.

On a lighter note, I just finished up baking my donations to the Arkansas Blogger Bake Sale this year!

The Arkansas Blogger Bake Sale began three years ago as part of the national No Kid Hungry initiative. 100% of the money raised goes to No Kid Hungry who then partners with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance to help distribute these funds statewide through a variety of programs aimed at ending childhood hunger. This year’s sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd in North Little Rock, AR.

I definitely wanted to get on board with making a donation to the bake sale. If I can cook or bake and donate it to help raise money for a great cause, why not? My mother joined me in baking up some goodies for us to ship down to Little Rock. She made some Low Fat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies and I made some Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins. I adapted both recipes from the Skinnytaste website.

I hope whoever buys these scrumptious Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins falls in love with them as much as I did! I had a hard time resisting eating a few myself, they smelled amazing straight out of the oven. Like a peanut butter and banana sandwich all warmed up. If you've never had a peanut butter and banana sandwich, you're missing out.

Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins

*adapted from Skinnytaste's Low Fat Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Makes 12 large muffins
Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. Splenda brown sugar (or 1/2 cup regular brown sugar)
3 extra ripe medium bananas
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large egg whites
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter

Directions:
Line a muffin tin with 12 liners and spray liners lightly with cooking spray.

Mash bananas with fork until smooth in a small bowl. I used previously frozen bananas that had gotten too ripe to leave out on the counter. Just make sure to thaw them out before using.

In separate, small bowl whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt.

Cream together the butter and brown sugar with hand mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add the bananas, applesauce, egg whites, vanilla, and peanut butter to bowl. Blend thoroughly with mixer on low speed for roughly 1 minute until well blended. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time to the bowl and blend between additions, scraping down side of bowl as you go. Blend everything just until it's well incorporated, but do not overmix.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Distribute batter evenly between 12 muffin tins. Bake for 24-25 minutes. Just check them with a toothpick to make sure they're done in the center before removing from oven.

If you're in the Little Rock area of Arkansas on May 3, be sure to stop by the Blogger Bake Sale and purchase some baked goods to support the No Kid Hungry charity.

Healthy Recipe Tidbits

Replaced some of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour to add extra fiber and nutrients.
Used Splenda brown sugar in substitution of regular brown sugar to make muffins diabetic friendly and cut back on total sugar in the muffins
I recommend using a natural peanut butter if you can. Regular peanut butter has added sugar and can have hydrogenated oils. Look for a natural peanut butter with the fewest amount of ingredients. The fewer the better.

SoFabCon 2014!

The next big announcement is....I won a contest sponsored by nwaMotherlode.com for 2 free tickets to Collective Bias' SoFabCon 2014 happening May 8-10 in Northwest Arkansas! Collective Bias is a company that started here in Bentonville, AR but has quickly grown all over the U.S. This will be my first official blogger conference I have ever attended so I can't express how excited I am right now. About as excited as a squirrel who stumbles over a bucket of acorns.

So what is SoFabCon all about?

"SoFabCon is unlike any other blogger conference. SoFabCon is a unique experience between bloggers and industry professionals. One that gives both parties a seat at the table to build true relationships and learn from one another. Get excited to have fun, be enlightened, inspired and wanting more!

The idea of SoFabCon originated as a place where Collective Bias’ Social Fabric community members could meet face-to-face, build relationships with clients they’ve worked with and continue their education as a Blogger Professional. It quickly morphed into an event for all bloggers and influencers interested in learning some new skills, meeting new people and learning more about Collective Bias and Social Fabric."

*source: http://www.sofabcon.com/about/

I think I'm most excited about attending the cocktail party on Thursday evening at the beautiful Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville. I get to dress up all fancy in a cocktail dress (which I hardly ever get to do for any event) and socialize and network with the brilliant bloggers and businesses that will be there from all around the country. They're even providing custom cocktails and hearty hor d'oeuvres.

Thank you, nwaMotherlode for hosting the giveaway that scored me the tickets to this event! I know it's a huge opportunity and I hope to learn a lot and make many connections with bloggers and businesses.

Lots of fun stuff coming up, really! This SoFabCon event on May 8. I have my birthday coming up on May 6. Wade and many of my other friends are walking at graduation from the University of Arkansas on May 10....goodness, when did my calendar become so filled?! Hope you all have a fabulous rest-of-your-week and weekend!

Dark Chocolate and Saving Endangered Species Along the Way

4/25/2014

Oh, dark chocolate. What would I do without you? Dark chocolate holds a special place in my heart. Right next to my love of pie.

So it's pretty awesome when someone shows up at your doorstep with 3 (THREE!) different dark chocolate bars as a special gift. That's exactly what happened this past weekend when Wade surprised me with these 3 beauties for my Easter gift. And I also received the Ghiradelli bar from my mom for Easter. I'm set on dark chocolate for a while!

dark chocolate, chocolate, endangered species chocolate, nutrition, enticing healthy eating, arkansas,

If you notice, 2 of these bars are from the company Endangered Species Chocolate. Turns out Wade also knows how much I enjoy giving to charities and supporting organizations that are trying to make Earth a better place too. I have bought Endangered Species Chocolate before specifically because of their mission to help save endangered animal species. Here's how Endangered Species Chocolate strives to make a difference:

"Endangered Species Chocolate was born out of a desire to make an impact on the growing number of plant and animal species that are disappearing from Earth. With interests rooted in a deep love of chocolate making, Endangered Species Chocolate set out in 1993 to source natural, ethically traded chocolate as a carrier for an environmental message. Through the crafting of premium, thoughtfully sourced chocolate, Endangered Species Chocolate generates funds for conservation efforts worldwide."

"Every time you purchase a bar, you raise support for species and habitats worldwide. Each year, Endangered Species Chocolate donates 10% of net profits to environmental non-profits that are focused on wildlife conservation and habitat preservation."

Source: http://chocolatebar.com/pages.php?pageid=51

When you make a purchase at the store it's like you are "voting" to show what you support. Whether that's buying organic produce and "voting" to support sustainable environmental practices, buying from your local farmer's market to "vote" to support local foods and farmers, or "voting" to donate to a great cause like Endangered Species Chocolate by purchasing their products.

I am happy to support Endangered Species Chocolate in their mission. Plus it's a win-win because I get to enjoy their heavenly dark chocolate they've so expertly crafted. Endangered Species chocolate bars certainly don't skimp on taste either. I've already tried the Dark Chocolate with raspberries and my taste buds did a little happy dance.

And guess what?! Dark chocolate is also a very healthy treat to indulge in as well!

Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

(AKA: Why dark chocolate is the head honcho of candies and confections.)

Eating a small amount of dark chocolate two or three times each week can help lower your blood pressure. Dark chocolate aids in blood flow and helps in the prevention of blood clots.
Dark chocolate contains several chemical compounds that have a positive effect on your mood and brain health. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), the same chemical your brain creates when you feel like you're falling in love. PEA encourages your brain to release endorphins, so eating dark chocolate will make you feel happier.
Flavonoids in dark chocolate help reduce insulin resistance by helping your cells to function normally and regain the ability to use your body's insulin efficiently, which helps to prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants help rid the body of free radicals which can have a damaging effect on your cells--including those related to aging and cancer.
High in the following nutrients: potassium, magnesium, copper, iron, dietary fiber

Just remember when you eat dark chocolate, the darker the better. I usually go for at least 72% dark chocolate. the darker it is, the more health benefits you'll reap as reward. And consider trying Endangered Species Chocolate products to help out a great cause as well!

Easter Weekend Recap

4/21/2014

Hello all! I hope you had a splendid weekend, whether you celebrated Easter with your family and friends or just enjoyed some relaxation and fun. Easter isn't a huge event with my family, but we always manage to find some different and interesting things to do to celebrate. Including a hell of a great Easter meal of course. Can't forget a chance to celebrate a holiday with food!

So here's a little recap of my Easter weekend.

Saturday I met up in the morning with my friend, Natalie, to head down to the Spring Fest being held in Fayetteville. We met Wade at his apartment and just walked from there to our destination. Spring Fest is an annual event held outside with various forms of live entertainment, a 5k race, dog parade, bed races (yeah...not sure what the bed races were all about!), craft vendors, and food. My friend, Ashley, was set up with a craft booth there to display and sell her latest lovely creations so I promised her I'd be there to support her and check things out. Turns out, the weather was just GORGEOUS that day, so we really had a great time just walking around while chatting and browsing.

There's Ashley with her pretty crafts displayed. It was nice to see her and her husband, Nick.

Tulips, tulips, everywhere! Definitely the flower of the moment around town.

And we stopped to get some pictures together before heading back just before lunchtime. It was a great way to start off Easter weekend--plenty of sunshine, beautiful flowers, and some time with two of my favorite people.

Sunday was just as wonderful as Saturday. Wade came over to my parents' house pretty early and we just hung out for a bit before leaving to walk and hike outside at a nearby trail area. Before we left, we exchanged some Easter gifts. Wade brought me my favorites--dark chocolate bars!!

In the early afternoon is was time to get outside and enjoy some fresh Spring air. Little did I know that I would end up finding my first ever morel mushrooms on our hike!! If you don't know about these little mushrooms, I'll give you a quick summary: they're highly coveted in the culinary world, taste really freaking delicious, and are always tricky to find on your own in the wild. My dad gone hunting for them each year all my life so I've become familiar with them. Plus I'm in LOVE with all types of mushrooms! So tasty! These were my first ones to find on my own! I claim it's the Earth's Easter gift to me. :)

That evening we enjoyed Easter dinner. My mom--ever the fabulous cook--made an orange marmalade and herbed pork roast, candied sweet potatoes and apples, green beans, whole wheat bread in her bread machine, and deviled eggs. I contributed dessert--a lemon yogurt cake. And Wade made his "specialty" that is fried okra. Wade's fried okra is truly the best I've ever had. He's the Fried Okra King.

Easter weekend was simply the best. I'm so thankful I got to spend it with good friends, my parents, and Wade. Memories were made and good food was devoured. Simple, yet so satisfying. The perfect weekend, in my opinion. Wishing you all a great week!