Frozen Banana, Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Milkshake

Frozen Banana, Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Milkshake

Makes 1 large shake or 2 small shakes

2 medium bananas, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 cup skim or 2% milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Freeze the bananas in a covered container for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Blend frozen bananas, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla in a blender until smooth. Add the chocolate chips at the end and pulse or blend briefly until they are chopped and incorporated.

 

Seriously good.  You must try this.  Originally found at: http://www.thekitchn.com/lighter-treat-recipe-frozen-banana-peanut-butter-chocolate-milkshake-111540 

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Pancakes

I really like oatmeal pancakes and this is by farrr the best recipe I've had- they were really light and fluffy and the pancake itself was pretty tasty. This recipe makes the perfect amount for breakfast for two. I'm sure you could just use all white flour if you don't have wheat, and instead of buttermilk I used half yogurt and half milk, but I'm sure only just normal milk would work too.

Ingredients
10 tablespoons quick cooking oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients, whisk in wet ingredients. You may need to add a little water/milk to get the consistency right. Cook on griddle.

Yogurt and Granola

Alright sisters. I got ambitious. Everything turned out very, very good. And it was all very, very easy.
Yogurt
http://www.nourishingdays.com/2009/02/make-yogurt-in-your-crock-pot/
Follow this recipe with exactness. Maybe a Saturday project because you have to do stuff 2.5 hours after you start, then again 3 hours later, then again 8 hours later. Just buy plain yogurt, I got low fat because it was all the store sold, but I don't think it matters. I used Vitamin D milk - pasteurized and homoginized, do not get ultra pasteurized. It turned out really good - it is plain yogurt so you need to add vanilla and brown sugar to make it taste good.
*By the way, apparently you can make cream cheese by draining the yogurt in cheesecloth in the fridge for 5 hours. Will report later once I have tried this.

Granolahttp://www.slashfood.com/2007/08/31/a-granola-recipe-from-my-moms-hippie-youth/
You can use maple syrup or honey, or both. I did both, and I did a little over a half cup because I thought it needed the moisture. I wouldn't be afraid to add a little more canola oil either. I did not use coconut or sesame seeds, and instead of peanuts or almonds I used walnuts because I have a whole bunch. I also increased the 1/4 of wheat germ to 1/2 cup, which I think was a good choice because it helps form clusters. When you are done mixing in the bowl, and there are not many clusters, add a little water and that will help.

Vegetable Frittata

Ingredients:
3 large potatoes
Vegetables (I used ½ an onion, 1 zucchini, and a little eggplant)
8 eggs
½ cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese (optional)

Directions:
1 - Boil potatoes for 15 minutes. Drain out water and let cool.
2 - Sautee vegetables until fully cooked, salt them as well.
3 - Peel potatoes, and shred into a well-oiled nonstick-skillet (I used a 12” one, if you wanted it thicker it could be smaller, but I wouldn’t go bigger). Cook shredded potatoes for 5-10 minutes on a high heat. If they are sticking to the pan, add more oil.
4 - In a bowl, mix eggs and milk.
5 - Once the potatoes have browned a little, spread them out evenly across the pan, as to create a bottom-crust. Reduce heat to medium-low.
6 - Pour egg mixture over potatoes (make sure the pan has cooled a little from the last step so that the eggs don’t fry immediately), and then place your sautéed vegetables on top. Cover skillet and let cook, until the eggs are cooked through (about 10 minutes). If the eggs on top are taking too long to cook, turn oven on to broil, and place skillet in the oven (it cooks quickly so don’t worry about damaging your skillet).

*You could sprinkle cheese on top and place it back in the broiler for a minute, or you could mix shredded cheese in with the egg mixture. I like it best with sour cream on the side. You could also do a meat version of this with ham or bacon or sausage or whatever floats your boat. This dish refrigerates well.