Amazing Paleo Banana Muffins

YUM! It has been a really long (like 11 years LONG!) time since I have found a gluten free muffin recipe that doesn't resemble a hockey puck in taste or texture. Sure gluten free products have come a long way, but still most muffins are dense and sit like rocks in my stomach. BUT NOT THESE! They are made of nut butter, bananas and dates for sweetener, plus they come out soft, pliable and UBER delicious! They are also a great balance of protein, fat and carbs (from the dates and bananas) and serve as an awesome quick breakfast! Full website recipe here.

5 Minute Muffins - High Protein, Grain Free, Sugar Free!

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  12-15 mins

Total time:  ~20 mins

 Serves 12

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup any nut butter (I used almond)
• 2-3 VERY ripe banana w/ tons of black spots (I used some dates to help sweeten in place of the some of the banana)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 TBSP honey or agave
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor.
3. Blend until well mixed: batter will be sticky.
4. Pour batter into greased or lined muffin tins.
5. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes then remove from muffin tin to finish cooling.
6. Enjoy!

IT MATTERS

For the last two weeks, I have had the two words "it matters" running through my head at all times of the day and night. WHAT MATTERS!? I kept asking myself as I wrestled with this idea. What is IT? And WHY does it matter? Why do the little things matter... such as the extra sets at the gym, whether or not I make the best food choices, whether or not I pray when I feel like complaining, why does IT MATTER!?

1 Peter 4:11 says: "Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the STRENGTH and ENERGY that God supplies. Then EVERYTHING YOU DO will bring GLORY to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! AMEN."

This is why it matters!! This is why all of the little choices we make throughout the day matter- to bring glory to the One who made us!!! If nothing else, my hope and desire for my life is to honor the One who gives me my very breath moment after moment and has set me free. He has redeemed this life and made all things new and so with great conviction, I have realized that IT MATTERS. Everything I do matters because it all provides an opportunity to bring Him the glory and point others to Him. Yes, indeed, IT ALL MATTERS.

In this next week, I challenge you to look at the big moments and the little moments and remind yourself that IT MATTERS! Check how you respond to that rude driver, how you respond to the 1,043 questions your kids ask you throughout the day, how you talk to yourself, how you treat your spouse... because they are ALL opportunities to bring glory to God. IT ALL MATTERS.

Real food

Since September of last year, I have followed a paleo diet pretty exclusively (minus a month or two). I initially started a Paleo challenge as a way to rid my body of processed sugars and increase my protein intake, but it has evolved into a lifestyle which is clean, healthy, and nutrient dense. I have so enjoyed the freedoms this lifestyle has provided for me- freedom from guilt after eating sugar-heavy foods, freedom from blood sugar spikes, freedom from the scale, and most importantly for me, freedom from the power struggle food had over me at times.

I was driving down the highway some months back and saw the picture of guardrails on either side of the road, no big deal, guardrails are everywhere. However, I started to consider their purpose and realized that they are placed there for the driver's safety and for the safety of others.

I translated this into my own life and realized that guardrails in my life of health and fitness not only provide safe boundaries for me but more importantly they allow me freedom inside. See, when you travel down the highway, you have two, sometimes three lanes that you can move in and out of as you choose. If you get too close to the guardrails the rumble strips let you know and you navigate your car back onto the highway. Nutrition is no different. If I place the guardrails of paleo (gluten free, dairy free, grain free, and sugar free) on either side of my 'eating highway' then I have freedom to move in between the lanes and eat nutritious food as my body desires and craves. It no longer becomes about the number of calories or the percentages of fats, carbs, and protein, but instead it becomes about choosing the most nutrient dense foods for my body that will fuel and heal it appropriately.

See, for me eating a Paleo lifestyle isn't restrictive, instead it is freedom. I get to explore new recipes, (find more recipes by following me on pinterest) new foods, and eat when my body is hungry. It's how we were designed- to live in freedom in all areas of life. Cheers!

My new favorite recipe for 'nut milk'

Cashew Milk

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
• 3-4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
• pinch celtic sea salt

Instructions

1. Discard soaking water and rinse cashews thoroughly until water runs clear
2. Place cashews, (3-4 cups fresh) water, agave and salt in a vitamix
3. Process on high speed 20-30 seconds
4. Store in glass mason jar in refrigerator

Let's get accquainted...

I started this blog YEARS ago as a way of journaling and processing my thoughts about life, faith and fitness. I have missed this professional outlet and have committed to get back to it. However, a few things have changed, so let's get reacquainted, shall we?

I now have THREE young kids (ages 2-8) and have moved four times since I last posted. Also, I have found the sport of Crossfit and have fallen in love. Outside of my incredible husband and children, I don't think I have ever fallen so hard for something! Crossfit to me is therapeutic, it is hard as heck and the community we have created at the box is irreplaceable. Each component has challenged me to become a better person and a more committed Jesus follower- I am so thankful for both!

A few things that have not changed since my last post... my faith in Jesus, my amazing husband of almost 11 years, my love for fitness and my intense love for coffee. See, I am still pretty much the same girl! :)

It is my heart's desire to use this blog to encourage, motivate and inspire you to be the best version of yourself that you can be. God has made each of us so uniquely and I firmly believe that comparison is a work of the enemy. So, this blog will be full of inspiration, fitness and Jesus, and comparison is not allowed! So if that's not your cup of tea, that's cool, but that's what we will be chattin' about.

Thanks for stopping by and check back soon!

The candy drawer

From the beginning of our dating relationship, my now- husband and I would travel 'up north' to his parent's cottage. It is a charming, 1,000 square foot little piece of heaven in the woods. It is rustic, it is casual, and above all, it is relaxing.

His mom, bless her sweet heart, loves to provide for everyone. She knows my husband and I have a sweet tooth, so without fail she would load up the 'candy drawer' any time we would come and visit. I used to leave the cottage feeling defeated, knowing that my splurges into the coveted treat drawer were unnecessary and damaging to my gut and my psyche. But now, nearly 12 years later, I can leave the cottage feeling victorious, healthy and strong, because it DOES NOT OWN ME.

I don't know how many times my clients have said "I just can't have _______ in the house," (fill in the blank with brownies, cookies, candy, etc), "because I will eat all of them." So what they are telling me is that an inanimate object that has no emotions has complete control? Who gave the brownies rule and reign over your day? Take it back! 

If we dig a little deeper into this, it is not the treat that we consume that has power over us, it is the desire to escape and get away from our situation that drives us to overindulge. So when I would dive into the treat drawer time and time again, I wasn't just seeking sugar; I was seeking peace and respite from the craziness that comes with putting 7 people in a tiny space. Now that I realize what my soul actually needs, I step away and take a break. I take my daughter for a stroll out in God's beautiful creation and breathe deeply of His goodness. I now seek the redemption that comes only from knowing Him which is so much more satisfying then any piece of candy.

You have been redeemed.