banana oatmeal dark chocolate muffins

Quiet Saturday mornings, home alone, are totally the best thing ever. With our crazy hectic weeks, it's rare for me to have the house to myself. And when I do, I take full advantage of it, soaking up the tranquility of it all. Usually, I crank up my music and bake in the morning. But this week, I decided to really have some peace to myself. No music. No baking. No TV. I woke up to a grey sky and the smell of rain drifting in through my window. Of course with this horrible drought that Namibia is going through, it looks like it's going to rain but doesn't. It's like a trick. Like showing me a chocolate brownie and then taking it away. Not fair. The streets were so quiet and perfect, with no hustle or bustle like during the week when the town is getting to work and school. So I left the windows open, sipped my coffee, and read a good book, letting my imagination wander. Ya know, it's hard to let your imagination wander when there's loud children catching chameleons and running around your house 24/7. Again, I love quiet Saturday mornings. I savored my breakfast without feeling rushed to go for my run or get started on school. Love it!

Breakfast is my absolute FAVORITE meal of the day, in case you haven't been able to tell with all the granola and muesli recipes I've been whipping out lately. It's also really important when I exercise every morning to have a good breakfast that will strengthen the muscles I worked and keep my mind focused for school. I made a batch of super healthy muffins to have on hand that I can grab for a quick, nutritious breakfast with some fruit and yogurt on the side. Since I made these specifically for breakfasts, I made them as healthy as possible. No butter, refined sugar, or flour! The best part is that they really honestly don't taste healthy at all. They taste like a normal banana muffin without all the added junk!

banana oatmeal dark chocolate muffins

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 3/4 c. plain yogurt 

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. honey

1 1/4 c. wholewheat flour

1 1/4 c. oats

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. dark chocolate chips 

In a large bowl, combine the bananas, yogurt, honey, vanilla, and egg. Stir until smooth. Add the flour, oats, baking powder, and cinnamon. Fold in the dark chocolate chips and stir until combined. Spoon mixture into a greased or lined muffin tin, filling each 3/4 full. Bake at 400ºF for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and cool on a wire rack. 

And there's dark chocolate. Hellooooooooooooo.

4 layer s'mores bars

I think I am in love brownies... In mugs, skinny ones, stuffed up the wazoo with snickers, smothered in peanut butter frosting, baked into cupcakes or just plain and dusted with powdered sugar. That is the stuff.  NOW I present you with s'mores. Made with 4 layers of joy and happiness. Uh huh... Honestly, when it comes to baking, I'm not much of a rebel. I typically stick to the simple, classic recipes and shy away anything crazy like filling ice cream cones with frosting or shoving cake into fudge. Don't dig. But I kinda just threw those reservations out the window when I layered graham cracker crust, fudgey and thick brownies, gooey marshmallows, and a crunchy chocolate shell. Best decision of my life. 

Rarely does an occasion occur when I am ASKED to bake something. Sure my family loves my baking and gobbles up a plate of anything covered in chocolate, but usually, I just bake because I feel like it or really want sugar. {This happens often.} But last week, my mom asked me to make something chocolatey because we had some visitors from the states and they loooooove their chocolate. I braved the challenge, grabbed a heck load of chocolate, more chocolate, graham crackers, brick 'a butter, marshmallows, and went to town. The result was glorious. << understatement. 

Let's start from the bottom, shall we? Like your typical s'mores the base is graham cracker crust. Nothing fancy, just graham crackers {or tea biscuits which is what I used} and butter, baked for a few minutes until light brown and buttery. Next up is the brownie layer. For this layer I adapted a recipe from Averie Cooks. I have a brownie recipe that I use for everything but decided to try a new one that looked just as good if not better. {Obviously, I was in a rebellious mood this given day. Yeesh.} The brownie turned out great- super dense and fudgey and really sink-your-teeth-into-it-able. 

Next up, marshmallows! Or as a little munchkin I used to babysit calls them- MARSHAMOOOOOWS! Not much to explain here. Pretty much grab a handful or fifty seven of marshmallows, sprinkle 'em on top of the brownie layer, and watch them bake to golden brown, puffy perfection. Resist the urge to eat the melty marshmallows right off the top with a spoon. RESIST! After the 3 layers are done baking and melding together, and as if you couldn't get any more sinful, you top it off with a layer of melted chocolate. AGAIN, resist the temptation to drown your sorrows in drippy chocolate. I'm sorry these brownies require WAAAAY a lot of self-discipline which I kinda sorta lack. I also may or may not have taken a bite from the pan right out of the oven and burned the crap out of the roof of my mouth. Thanks to my self-discipline and lack there of, I wasn't able to fully enjoy my cup of coffee the next morning. Learn from my mistakes, dear one. 

These bars are definitely one of my favorites recipes and they were a hit with everyone. My mom went so far as to say the best bars I've EVER made. Which, not to toot my own horn or anything, is quite impressive. These bars of joy are SO dense and chewy. There's a million different textures and flavors going on, but they come together to form one stinking delicious dessert I know you'll love. 

4 layer s'mores bars

Graham Cracker Layer:
14 tea biscuits {or 7 graham crackers} crushed
4 tbsp. butter, melted

Brownie Layer: {adapted from Averie Cooks}

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
3/4 c. cake flour

Topping: 
3 c. marshmallows
1 1/2 c. milk chocolate chunks, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside. Start off by preparing your graham cracker layer. Combine the melted butter and crushed cookies. Press into prepared pan. Now prepare the brownie layer. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, sugar, cocoa, and heat on high power to melt, about 45 seconds. Stop to stir, and heat in 10-second bursts until mixture has melted and can be stirred smooth. Batter will be very granular. Add the vanilla, eggs, and stir vigorously until batter is thick, shiny, and well blended. Add the flour and stir. Pour batter evenly into the prepared baked crust. Sprinkle with marshmallows. Bake until a toothpick in the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Once slightly cooled, top with melted chocolate. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or overnight until firmed up. Cut into squares and serve.

date coconut & banana granola

Oh my lanta, you guys. I'm so obsessed with granola. Since the first time I made it, I think it's quite clear I've become totally hooked. I just love everything about it... The process of throwing everything but the kitchen sink into a big 'ol bowl, the smell of everything baking together in the oven, the amount of variations you could make. It's all so magical. 

When I made this granola, I had no idea what kind it was going to be. I just kind of start off with a base of oats, honey, oil, and spices, then throw in whatever mixins I can scrounge up from the cupboard. The beauty of granola at it's finest. 

The combination of sweet coconut, chewy dates, and crunchy banana chips in this granola is definitely one of my favorites I've ever made. As for as texture, it's got a lot going on and is bulky enough to eat by the handful. But if you must be so refined as to eat it with a SPOON in a bowl with some milk or yogurt and fruit, that'd be dandy too. Either way, you get some stinking amazing granola! Win win. 

OOH one more thing. This recipe makes a kinda sorta midget batch of granola because I was aaaaaaaalmost out of oats. However, you still get a good couple bowls out of it and it's kind of nice not having a jar of sitting around for a week. Feel free to multiply the recipe though! The more granola the better!

date coconut & banana granola

1 c. oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. honey

1/3 c. coconut

1/2 c. pitted dates, roughly chopped

1/2 c. banana chips, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl,  combine the oats, cinnamon, and coconut. Add in the olive oil, honey, and vanilla. Bake for 10 minutes and add the banana chips and dates. Bake for another 10-15 minute or until golden brown. Once cooled, store in an airtight container or jar. If desired, serve with milk or yogurt and fruit. 

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thick & creamy lemon coconut cheesecake squares

Lemon bars are one of my absolute favorite bars to make, especially in the summertime. The flavor is so refreshing, and packs a whole lot less richness than a pan of brownies if you know what I mean. I love desserts like this that are lightened up and more of a "girly" dessert. If that's a thing? Like scones and cupcakes. Girly desserts... I don't know. 

These bars have a super thick, chewy, and buttery crust. As you can tell.  Ah.ma.zing. At first, the crust  looked a little too gloopy and the cheesecake layer, a little too thin. I honestly though "Shoot. These bars are going to fail." Fail, they did NOT. They took quite awhile to set up, so don't worry if they look to liquidy when you take them out of the oven. Throw them in the fridge for a couple hours, do your best not to dig in with a fork {which I may or may not have done.}, and all will turn out fine and dandy. 

Everyone  LOVED these and said they were one of the best things I've made. Which is great, because I seem to be getting that a lot lately :) The whole pan was devoured in under 24 hours and my mom kept picking off the cheesecake part and eating only the crust. I have to say though, the crust was my favorite part. I used tea biscuits for the crust which have a slight coconutty flavor instead of graham crackers {I don't really have much of an option.} and then added some extra shredded coconut in there as well. I kept getting little chunks of cookie and coconut mixed with the creamy lemon cheesecake. Oh my heavenly. 

These lemon coconut cheesecake bars would be great as an Easter dessert. However, I suggest eating both the crust and the cheesecake. :)

thick & creamy lemon coconut cheesecake bars

crust

3/4 c. butter, melted

3 1/4 c. crushed tea biscuits {or graham crackers}

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

3 tbsp. shredded coconut

Prepare the dough by mixing all the ingredients together with a fork. It will seem slightly thin, but don't worry. Press the dough into a greased 9x13 in. pan and bake at 375ºF for about 10 minutes until slightly golden brown. 

cheesecake

2 c. plain cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

juice + zest of one large lemon

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and sugar. Add in the eggs and lemon. Stir until smooth. Pour into the baked crust and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned and the center has set. Refrigerate for 2+ hours and cut into squares before serving. 

{skinny} brownie in a mug

Today was one of those days. Ya know... Lounging around in your pajamas literally ALL day. Pajamas to pajamas is how I roll. Skipping your run in the morning. Plopping your tush on the couch and taking quizzes, tests, and writing essays on the Eiffel Tower aaaaaaaaaaall the live long day. Did you know that the Eiffel Tower was sold as scrap by a con artist TWICE? I don't kid. 

It was also one of those OHMYGAWSHIWANTTOSHOVEVERYTHINGINSIGHTINMYFACE kinda days. I just kinda... grazed throughout the whole day. I had a normal breakfast. Ate two homemade energy bars while I was doing school. Had a carrot and hummus. Made this brownie. And then ate guacamole by the spoonful. That's how Sophie does it.

A few weeks ago, I came home from French and had a serious case of chocolategetinmymouth. I googled "healthy single serving brownie" and came across a recipe that claimed to be 100 calories. After I whipped it up, it ended up being approximately two tablespoons of batter. What kind of sick joke is this?! Not fair. 

I then proceeded to take matters into my own hands. Like usual. This brownie turned out SPECTACULAR, especially for being under 200 calories for the whole dang thing. It's perfect for when you're craving something chocolatey and fudgey without spending half your daily calorie count on a bowl or 5 of ice cream. Also. If you eat this for breakfast, I promise I won't judge. Imagine with some bananas on top. Or berries. Or peanut butter. Ooooooooooooooooor homemade whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Kinda defeats the whole skinny part of it, I guess.

{skinny} brownie in a mug

2 tbsp. wholewheat flour

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 1/2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch of baking powder

1/4 tsp. vanilla

3 tbsp. plain yogurt

In a microwave safe bowl or coffee mug, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking powder. Add in the yogurt and vanilla and stir until smooth. Microwave for about 1 minute. Depending on how gooey you like your brownie, you could microwave it for more or less since there's no egg in it. 

homemade muesli

Can we all agree that being sick is totally not fun? I'm pretty sure there isn't any questioning that, but hey jack {FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE IF YOU CAN NAME THAT SHOW}, I'm here to state the obvious. This week, I came down with a wicked cold. Ya know, you sound like a frog when you talk, your nose is running like Niagra Falls, you're coughing like nobody's bidness, and you're constantly sneezing your brains out? Yah, that. This is the life. 

For the first, oh I don't know, DAY, I was cool with skipping my morning run and taking the day off of school. But after day two. and three. and four. I was just about ready to lose my mind from being cooped up in the house so long and having to miss a week of my usual craziness. That aaaaaaaand I felt like a big fat whale on bed rest due to my FREAKISH amount of carb intake and lack of exercise. In case you didn't know, let me inform you of the sick person diet. It consists precisely of tacos. popcorn. ice cream. and crackers and peanut butter.

When I felt better, I ran {just kidding. not that great yet.} to the kitchen and decided a break from ice cream would be good. ENTER muesli. 

Did you guys know that there's a difference between muesli and granola? I had no idea this breakfast of the gods that is muesli even existed before I came to Africa. They have it in every grocery store and when we first got here, I thought, like everything else, it was just a weird "African name" for something I was familiar with. But- excuse me when I get all foodie slash nerd on you- muesli actually means "mush" in Swiss, because it's usually served "mushy" with milk or yogurt. Muesli was made in the early 1900's by a Swiss doctor who served his patients a diet that mainly consisted of grains. See, not only do I give you food, I teach you little nuggets of history. You're welcome.

Believe it or not, muesli is actually waaaaaaay easier AND healthier than my beloved granola. Literally, all you do is combine some coconut and oats on a cookie sheet, pop it in the oven to toast it for a few minutes, and then mix in whatever add ins your muesli loving heart so desires! That's it. It's healthier because unlike granola which has honey or sugar and oil in it- which ARE healthy sugars and fats... but they're still sugar and fat-  all muesli is is toasted oats, free of all that other stuff.

This recipe is SUPER quick, easier than anything else I've ever made, is as healthy as all get out, and supplies you with a big 'ol jar that will last you at least a couple days! I poured some muesli and milk in a little jar and popped it in the fridge overnight for breakfast the next morning. It was pretty mushy, but still had some crunch left from the raisins and sunflower seeds. I then topped it off with some yogurt and fresh fruit, and BOOM! You've got yourself one mightayy fine start to your day! Of course you don't have to soak the oats overnight. For minimum mush, just soak it 5-10 minutes in advance and you're good to go.

homemade muesli 

3 c. oats

3/4 c. coconut

1 tsp. nutmeg 

1 c. raisins

1 c. sunflower seeds

1 c. bran flakes

Preheat oven to 350ºF. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, mix together the oats, coconut, and nutmeg. Bake for 10-15 minutes, mixing around every couple minutes or until golden brown. After it's toasted, add in the raisins, sunflower seeds, and bran flakes {or whatever mix ins you'd like.} Pour into an airtight container or jar. Serve with yogurt or milk and fresh fruit.