Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Original recipe found here

Ingredients

For the bread:
• 3 over-ripe bananas, smashed up
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• dash of salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
For the swirl:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray and flour a loaf pan. Mine was 9 x 5. Just keep a close eye on it in the oven, and adjust the time as needed
2. Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together. sprinkle baking soda and salt around on top of the banana mixture. Then gently stir in flour. Be careful not to over-mix!
3. In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbs cinnamon.
4. Add 1/2 of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle half, or a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, but remember, if you’re using a different-sized loaf pan, be careful and keep a close eye on it!

Strawberry Coconut Smoothie

*from the 2012 Our Best Bites Calendar

14 ounce can coconut milk

1/2 cup cream of coconut

Juice of 2 limes

3/4 cup pineapple juice (6 ounce can)

1 1/2 cups pineapple sherbet

1 1/2 cups sliced frozen strawberries

-Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Flax Carrot Apple Muffins

*from superhealthykids.com*

• 1 ½ cup Flour
• ¾ cup Flaxseed meal
• ¾ cup oat flour (by grinding oats in blender)
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups pureed or shredded carrots  (the first few times I pureed so the kids wouldn’t notice the carrots)
• 2 cups shredded apple
• ¾ cup low fat milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Combined just until moistened. Fill muffin papers. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (mini muffins) or 15 minutes, large muffins.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

*Healthy Rewards recipe

2 cups flour (whole wheat or white)

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBSP baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

15 oz. solid-pack pumpkin

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup raisins

1) Preheat oven to 375

2) Combine dry ingredients. Mix pumpkin with water and raisins until mixed.

3) Add batter to oiled/greased muffin tins. Bake 25-30 minutes.