I'm normally more of a bagel or omelette person, but on some weekend mornings I wake up with crazy cravings for sweet breakfast foods... donuts, cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip pancakes, etc. Sadly for me (but lucky for my waistline) it's a bit of a journey to get from our apartment to somewhere that sells these things, so I usually go without. But recently, I was browsing Pinterest and came across a smoothie recipe that's supposed to taste like cinnamon rolls. So, I decided to give it a try. I modified the recipe a bit to avoid added sugars and it tastes delicious!! (Disclaimer: Okayyy... it doesn't taste exactly like a cinnamon roll but it's a yummy and nutritious alternative.) Check out how to make it below. Let me know what you think!!

Ingredients

-1 cup vanilla almond milk (I used unsweetened)
-a large scoop of plain greek yogurt (about 1/2 a cup)
-1 ripe banana
-4 pitted medjool dates
-1/4 cup of old-fashioned oats
-1/4 tsp cinnamon 

​1) Dump all ingredients into blender (I use a NutriBullet).

​2) Blend for about 2 minutes, or until the smoothie has a smooth consistency. 

​3) Pour into glasses, sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon and swirl with a spoon. Enjoy!!

Getting a healthy breakfast in my tummy each morning is a daily struggle. I am not exactly a morning person (Disclaimer: I am very grumpy in the morning), and it's hard enough to get up and get dressed on time, let alone have time to eat something before I run out the door. I've been guilty of breakfast skipping from time to time, which I know is such a no-no, and I've made it a goal to make sure to eat at least something each morning. With an hour commute to work, squished between strangers on a crowded train car, I need all the sustenance I can get. 

As I kid I used to love my mom's chocolate chip banana bread, and lately I've had a craving for it. So, last weekend, I decided to give a healthy (and portable) version a try. 

These Banana, Oat, Chocolate Chip Muffins are no sugar added (apart from the chocolate chips), and contain no flour. I made them on a Sunday afternoon while watching my new Netflix obsession, The Great British Baking Show (Team Martha!!), and it was a fun, relaxing process without any stress. They were simple to make, with very few ingredients, and I've been eating them all week for breakfast - so quick and tasty. I think these are definitely going to be made again, and I'm sure I could even do some variations (adding fruit?). If you're a breakfast skipper like I was, try making a batch of these on a quiet Sunday afternoon, and you'll be set for the crazy week ahead! 

Banana, Oat, Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

2 large bananas (ripe)
1 cup whole or 2% milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line muffin tin with baking cups (avoid paper, it may stick to the muffin).
3. In a bowl, mash bananas until mostly smooth.
4. Add the milk, egg, and vanilla and stir well.
5. Add the oats, salt, and baking powder and stir well.
6. Add the chocolate chips and stir.
7. Spoon the mixture into the baking cups (fill mostly to the top, these don't rise when baking).
8. Bake for 20 minutes. 
9. Let cool and then enjoy!!