Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Muffins

Today is a special day, not only because I’m sharing whole wheat chocolate banana muffins on the blog, but also because I realized that I missed Living Lou’s first birthday last week! It was on the 9th, but I’m interrupting the regular Meatless Monday program for this very special occasion.

I can’t believe the site is a year old - it’s so exciting! It’s been a crazy, hectic year but I can’t imagine it without Living Lou and the amazing food blogging community.

When I started this blog I was a 17 year old, guitar playing, film loving, high school junior, trying to find an outlet as exam stress built up. Today, I’m still that same soccer playing, muffin loving girl but, I’m now 18, and a high school senior. This past year has been absolutely wild, you’ve seen me host a Royal Wedding Brunch, celebrate many Meatless Mondays, and embrace baking with prune puree and soon enough you’ll see me take on my fear of baking with yeast.

Most people like to celebrate their blog’s anniversary with cupcakes or cake, but you know me and muffins are my absolute favourite, so I’m celebrating our anniversary with these Healthy Banana Chocolate Muffins. You’re probably thinking, “Who celebrates with something healthy?!” well, truth be told, you would never know that these are healthy.

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Muffins (makes 12 muffins)
Recipe adapted from: Handle the Heat

Ingredients

3 mashed bananas
1/3 cup prune puree
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 scant tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 and line a muffin tin with baking cups. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine mashed bananas, prune puree, egg and sugars. Add flours, cocoa powder, flaxseed meal, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix lightly with a rubber spatula and fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups (I like to use an ice cream scoop) and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Store muffins in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days. Although, they probably won’t last that long.

Well, Happy 1st Birthday Living Lou and enjoy these healthy, whole wheat chocolate banana muffins.

- Lou

Healthy Pancakes

With so much going on in the world right now, today seems like the perfect day for pancakes, or breakfast for dinner. Such a simple dinner means you will have time to read up on the news, or tune in to your local news station. What a historic weekend we have experienced, two events which will be forever remembered.

I think that breakfast for dinner has to be one of the most loved meals, there’s just something about eating eggs, bacon and pancakes for dinner that is just so special. Today I’m sharing with you one of the best pancake recipes I have ever made. These pancakes are not only sweet and fluffy, but healthy too. Finely grated carrot adds to the sweetness and gives them a nice colour and flavor, the cinnamon is just the cherry on top. You would never know these were whole wheat pancakes with flax and bran unless I told you.

Healthy Pancakes

Ingredients
1 cup finely grated carrot
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup bran flakes*
1/4 tbsp ground flaxmeal*
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup milk
2 egg
2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp brown sugar
butter for frying pancakes (2-4 tbsp)

*If you do not have flaxmeal or bran just add another 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour.
Directions

Whisk all the dry ingredients except brown sugar together in a medium bowl.

In another bowl, combine carrot, milk, eggs, vanilla and brown sugar.

Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until combined.

On a griddle or frying pan over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp of butter. Depending on the size of your pancakes fry in batches. Flipping over once bubbles began to appear on the uncooked side of a pancake. Flip over and cook for another minute.

Serve warm with maple syrup.

Wrap up this historic weekend and begin your week with tasty, healthy pancakes.

- Lou

Coddled Eggs and Bacon

When I was putting together my menu for our Royal Wedding Brunch, I stumbled upon this recipe for Coddled Eggs and Bacon. There is just something about the idea of eggs, bacon and mushrooms baked in individual ramekins that made me tremendously excited. I think it was my nerdy and slightly obsessive side coming out. Actually, I’m pretty sure that’s what it was.

But really, please do tell me what’s better than bacon and mushrooms? These are just the cutest little things on the planet, please let it be known that I’m now obsessed with making dishes in ramekins. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Coddled Eggs and Bacon (serves 6)
Source: The Vogue Entertaining Cookbook

Ingredients

6 eggs
6 small button mushrooms, quartered
3 rashers of back bacon, chopped*
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp thyme, divided

* Back bacon can be replaced with regular bacon.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Quarter the mushrooms and chop the bacon. Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a frying pan and saute mushrooms and bacon together for 4-5 minutes over medium heat. Remove to a plate and reserve.

Grease the ramekins with the remaining 1 tbsp of butter.

Crack each egg into an individual ramekin, being careful to keep the yolk intact.

Sprinkle 1-2 1/2 tbsp of the mushroom and bacon mixture on top of each cracked egg. Lastly evenly sprinkle the thyme on each egg.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the egg is cooked.

Enjoy your Coddled Eggs and Bacon, it makes for the perfect weekend breakfast.

- Lou

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Waffles

Well, well, well, what do we have here? Are these - gasp - whole wheat, banana, chocolate chip waffles with peanut butter whipped cream? That must be a lucky guess, because that is exactly what they are.

Take it in ladies and gentlemen, I think it's safe to say that the stars have aligned.

I love waffles, in fact, my waffle maker was the first kitchen appliance that I called my own. My parents gave me my wonderful waffle maker for Christmas when I was twelve or thirteen. It was a wonderful gift; I think I almost cried. That's slightly embarrassing ... I also had a dream about it once, is that embarrassing too?

I blame the waffles, they make me do weird things.

After many years (5 or so...) of making waffles, I finally concocted these bad boys with a certain friend of mine. You may remember her, she's a good baker, (meringues, or peanut butter cups anyone?) and she has a similar, bizarre passion for waffles. That's why we're friends.

Alright, enough chit chat, let's get to the main event.

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Waffles (yields 6-8 large waffles)
Recipe adapted from: Pancakes & Waffles by Lou Seibert Pappas

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp honey
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups 1% milk
1 banana, sliced
1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat waffle iron.

Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer or hand mixer until soft, glossy peaks form.

In a bowl whisk the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients - egg yolks, honey, milk, butter, canola oil and vanilla extract.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and carefully fold in the egg whites. Slice the banana into slices and then cut those slices in half. This creates "banana pockets" when you bite into the waffles. Mix in the banana and chocolate chips to the batter.

Using a ladle, ladle the batter into the waffle iron and cook until desired doneness, about 4 minutes for golden waffles.

Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

1 cup whipping cream
2 heaping tsp smooth peanut butter
1 tsp granulate sugar

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer beat the whipping cream and peanut butter until thick and the correct consistency. The amount of time depends on the speed of the mixer and the amount of cream used. Be careful not to over beat the cream as it will curdle and turn into butter.

At the last stages of whipping the cream, add in the sugar and combine on low for a second or two.

Serve the peanut butter whipped cream on top of the waffles with some banana slices, chocolate chips and maple syrup!

- Lou

Whole Wheat Bran Muffins

Muffins have to be one of my favourite things to eat for breakfast because you can have sweet muffins or hearty muffins, or both. Muffins are truly one of those baked goods you can never get tired of because they are just so versatile! Take my favourite carrot muffins and apple muffins, you'll never go wrong with muffins!

You can eat muffins in a multitude of ways, warm from the oven with a dollop of butter and a big glass of milk, or, as you run out the door in a flurry after you spent that extra five minutes in bed or as you sit at your desk working.

Anyways, these are the perfect breakfast muffins, especially when eaten warm straight from the oven (that's when they taste best!) Plus they are pretty good for you, as far as baked goods go, whole wheat bran muffins, with a hint of cinnamon and apple ... gimme!

Whole Wheat Bran Muffins

Ingredients (yields 6-8 medium sized muffins)

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp of wheat bran
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup cinnamon apple sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions

Begin by preheating the oven to 375. Line a muffin tin with paper cups or grease with butter.

Whisk the flour, oats, 1/3 cup bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.

In a separate bowl combine the egg, milk, apple sauce and maple syrup.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir together until just mixed. Do not over mix, this will lead to a dense muffin!

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into muffin tin. Sprinkle the tops with bran and a few oats.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

These muffins are a little bit dry, so I highly recommend eating these straight out of the oven with a big glass of milk and a little butter!

Enjoy the muffins,

Lou

Honey Vanilla Pound Cake

Pound cake is by far one of my favourite things to bake. You know why? I don't think you can ever screw it up. Maybe you can? Maybe I've just been lucky thus far in my journey of pound cake baking. I have yet to have a major catastrophe. It's one of those recipes that you can come home to after a stressful day and just know that it will work out.

I'll admit it, recipes that I can always count on are angelic. It's like having that friend you can always count on, angelic. I would even give up my bed and sleep on the couch for these recipes. Wait, no I wouldn't.

Do you want to know another reason why I love baking pound cake? Well, it always tastes amazing ... and my Dad usually eats most of it, so, I don't have to worry about eating it all myself.

Anyways, enough about my undying love for pound cake.

I saw this recipe for Honey Vanilla Pound Cake when I was browsing through my Barefoot Contessa cookbook, and it just sounded too good to pass up! I'm not usually a fan of citrus, but the balance in this cake was just perfect.

Honey Vanilla Pound Cake
Recipe Source: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, Ina Garten

Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease and flour the sides.

Cream the butter and sugar together for 2-4 minutes, until light. If using an electric mixer, use the paddle attachment.

Put the eggs, honey, vanilla and lemon zest in a separate bowl, glass measuring cup or jug, but do not combine.

Add the mixture one egg at a time, slowly incorporating into the butter and sugar mixture. Wait until it is fully incorporated before adding the next egg. Repeat with all four eggs.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. And add it slowly into the batter, in 2-3 additions. Beating slowly until just combined.

Once batter is smooth, pour into the prepared pan, smooth out the top and bake for 50 to 65 minutes. Be sure to check for doneness because I found mine needed a little more time and was till quite raw in the middle after the suggested cooking time.

This cake is perfect along with coffee or a quick breakfast before you run out the door!

- Lou

Living Lou's Omelet

Omelets are such a versatile dish, they are something that can be whipped up rather quickly, with whatever ingredients you have on hand. That is exactly what this omelet was, except I realized it tasted absolutely delicious and wrote down the recipe to share with all of you!


This omelet is pretty packed, every bite is filled with the flavors of either mushrooms, or bacon, or potatoes. It filling and satisfying - it doesn't get much better than this.

Living Lou's Omelet (for 2)

Ingredients

2 strips of bacon, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup diced Yukon gold potatoes
1 1/2 tsp oil
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1-2 button mushrooms thinly sliced
1 green onion chopped
1/2 tsbp butter

Directions

For this omelet, I recommend cooking it in a small frying pan.

Begin by slicing bacon in 1-inch pieces, then fry them up in 1/2 tsp of oil over medium heat until lightly cooked.

As bacon cooks, dice your potatoes (do not peel). Once the bacon is done, remove it to a bowl and set aside. In the same frying pan, add in the other 1 tsp of oil and season the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Fry the potatoes until golden about 8-9 minutes. Shaking the pan 2-3 times during cooking. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon.

While potatoes are cooking, combine eggs with milk and salt and pepper. Prepare the cheese, mushrooms and green onion.

Once the potatoes are done and removed from the pan, add the butter, followed by the egg mixture, sprinkle with cheese and add your other ingredients (mushrooms, green onions, potatoes and bacon).

Turn down the heat to medium-low and cover the pan and cook on the stove for about 8 minutes. Checking after 8 minutes and seeing whether the eggs have set. If they have you're omelet is done, if not cook for another minute or two.

And there you have it, a delicious omelet, perfect for brunch, or a last minute dinner!

- Lou

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins

I think I'm obsessed with muffins, and these whole wheat carrot muffins have fueled that obsession, not only are they really, and I mean really good, but they are also nice and healthy too! For me, muffins are something which allow my creativity as a cook to blossom because you can do really whatever you want with them, the possibilities are endless! Once you have a nice basic recipe, you're good to go with any ingredients you have on hand. Muffins make the most scrumptious breakfast, you can heat them up in the microwave and eat them warm or if you're running late (as I usually am) you can grab them as you rush out the door.

With the holidays coming up, I'm sure there are a ton people out there who are having house guests, and have a slight breakfast dilemma going on. I'll tell you something, if I was staying at your house, and you served muffins for breakfast I would definitely come back for a visit.

There are so many varieties of muffins that I love, these whole wheat apple muffins are one of my favourites. I like to keep lists of recipes I want to make, and let me tell you those lists are literally endless. Maybe one day I'll share them so you can see just how crazy long they really are. And guess what one of those lists is? An ever growing list of muffins to try, chocolate chip, lemon poppy seed, pineapple, jam surprise, sweet potato, coconut... shall I go on? For starters, let's make this one, and then soon enough I'll be back with another muffin recipe!

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins (makes 12)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

First of all, start off by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Also, using butter grease a muffin tin, or line the tin with paper liners.

Next, prepare the carrot by chopping it into 1 - 2 inch pieces and pulsing in the food processor. It's so much easier than sitting there grating the carrot.

Next, combine dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and lightly mix. Once just combined mix in the carrots and walnuts. (Note: I like to additionally pulse my walnuts in the food processor to make them nice and small.)

Once everything is combined, using a regular sized ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into your buttered muffin tin.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until when tested with a toothpick the toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from the tin and cool for about 5 minutes before diving in!

- Lou

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Confession, I had chocolate chips for breakfast. Why? Good question... well, it was because we were all out of these muffins! (And also, I was making mint chocolate chip cookies, so they were tempting me,) but really, it was because we had no more muffins. It was still a good breakfast, but not nearly as satisfying as these bad boys.

These are hearty, and scrumptious, and they are the perfect breakfast, especially when you are rushing out the door at 7:50 when you're supposed to be somewhere at 8... no that didn't happen to me this week, it's just a hypothetical situation.

These have it all, protein (walnuts!) as well as some sweetness (apples!) and hearty (oatmeal!). Don't these just make you want to dance a little jig? Or lick your lips in anticipation, whatever floats your boat.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins
recipe adapted from: Gourmetish

Ingredients
(makes 12 muffins)

1 1/2 cups chopped apple
1 cup oats
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a muffin tin.

Start by peeling and chopping the apples, place them aside in a bowl.

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients, (flours, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg,) create a well in the middle.

In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients (yogurt, apple cider, vegetable oil, vanilla, and egg).

Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the dry ingredients. Mix just until combine. Add the apples and walnuts, mixing until evenly distributed. Be careful not to over-mix as that will create a very dense muffing.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into the muffin tin until about 2/3 of the way full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until when pricked with a toothpick it comes out clean.

Make a batch of these and enjoy them for breakfast this week! Yum!

- Lou

Homemade Granola

Mmmm, I love granola! I think everyone loves granola, don't you think? You can eat it as cereal, you can add it to your yogurt, you can make granola bars... seriously, it's such a delicious and healthy snack, you can even just grab a handful as you're running out the door. It's packed full of protein (in all of the nuts!) which will give you a protein kick as you begin (or carry on) your day! And it makes a seriously awesome gift. Since this recipe makes a ton, you don't have to worry about not having enough delicious granola left over for yourself and your own family after gifting some for friends and family. I ended up giving a lot of it away to friends and I received a ton of positive feedback!

Ingredients
3 cups toasted oats (toast for 15 minutes at 375 degrees)
½ cup milk Powder
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup coconut
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup cashews
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tbs Vanilla
½ cup canola oil
¾ cup maple syrup or honey
1/8 cup peanut butter

Directions
First of all, toast the oats for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

While the oats are toasting combine the milk powder, chopped almonds, coconut, sunflower seeds, pecans, and cashews in a large bowl.

In a saucepan boil the canola oil, honey/syrup (I didn’t have enough of either honey or syrup for ¾ cup so I mixed about half honey and half maple syrup to have the right amount), peanut butter, vanilla and cinnamon for two minutes.
Add your wet ingredients to the dry ingredients you mixed together before, and then add your toasted oats once they’re done. Mix thoroughly.

Pour the contents of the bowl on a cookie sheet and cook in the oven at 250 for ½ an hour and then turn the heat down to 200 and cook for 2 hours.

Once done, let cool and store in any airtight container or mason jars.

So, try your hand at homemade granola! Your friends with love you forever - trust me!

- Lou

recipe adapted from: La Belle Bride

Berry Good Banana & Blueberry Smoothie!

On a hot summer day, there is nothing better than a fresh smoothie, especially when you have all types of berries on hand! I opened the fridge today to find 3 packages of blueberries, so it was definitely a blueberry smoothie type of day. Not only is it refreshing, but it's packed with all the goodness of fruit! Wether you're making this for breakfast (a personal favourite of mine) or for a snack during the day, it'll hit the spot.

Ingredients (makes enough for 1 smoothie)
3/4 cup blueberries
1 banana (chopped)
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup milk
4-6 ice cubes

Directions

Throw all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until desired thickness.

Yum, go and enjoy your smoothie! I'm having mine right now...

- Lou

Cinnamon Pancakes

Here's a fun and delightful take on the classic pancake! Now that exams have started it means that there will be lots of cooking and baking to give my brain a break from studying! This morning I opted for a comforting breakfast of pancakes... but I wanted to jazz it up a bit so I threw in a bit of cinnamon! And boy, were these flavorful!

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp of baking soda
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp table salt
1 3/4 cup of milk
2 eggs
3 tbsp melted butter

Directions
Sift all the dry ingredients together. Add in the wet ingredients and blend until smooth. Heat frying pan with butter to avoid sticking. Using a ladle, scoop 1 ladle full of batter into the pan. Cook the pancake until you see small bubbles form on the surface, flip it over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve with your favourite toppings! My favourite toppings include maple syrup, butter, whipping cream, any berries (raspberries are my favourite though!)

- Lou