Banana, peanut butter and flax waffles

I got a much wanted waffle maker a few months ago. Honestly, I was a little intimidated about making waffles once I started researching recipes. Use yeast, don’t use yeast, fold in the whipped egg whites, it doesn’t matter. So many decisions, so many opinions.

I put off making waffles for about a month after getting the waffle maker. I couldn’t decide on a recipe. Then {never}homemaker posted a peanut butter and banana waffle recipe. It looked simple enough and if it was a flop, then my next attempts could only go better, right?

This recipe makes a healthier waffle than you would get at a restaurant. Brian and I both really liked it and made enough to have leftovers throughout the week. Brian likes his leftover waffles cold. I like to reheat mine in the toaster to give them a crispy exterior. Both of us eat the leftovers dry. I think the leftovers were even more flavorful than the fresh made.

I ran out of flour, so I substituted some oats in the mix and also threw in some cinnamon.

Dry ingredients:

Wet ingredients:

The wet and dry becoming friends:

A nice thick mixture:

Becoming a waffle:

Extras cooling on a drying rack so they don’t become soggy and mushy and can be frozen to eat later:

Mine with a little maple syrup and some 5-minute brownie crumbled on top. I regretted the syrup. Made it too sweet.

Brian’s with a few chocolate chips on top:

These are so delicious. I can’t wait to make them again.

Coconut banana bread

Hello spring.

Spring always makes me want to bake. Baking makes me want to eat lots of tasty treats. However, tasty treats don’t really go with the plan of being healthy and whittling my waist. Fortunately, I made this bread a while ago, but waited to post on it because I felt it was more suited for a spring post. It’s absolutely delicious. Looking at it makes me want to make it again, but I won’t, because I have a long run scheduled for tomorrow. I really don’t need to spend the entire run working off the most delicious bread that I couldn’t stop eating.

This is the most moist bread that I have ever eaten. And slightly healthier than your average “dessert” bread. Unfortunately, I can’t remember where I found this recipe so I can’t give proper credit where credit is definitely due.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup fat-free Chobani vanilla yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut toasted
• 1/4-1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut for topping loaf

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, mash bananas. Stir in toasted coconut to the banana mixture.

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and yogurt.

Combine.

Add in the banana and coconut mixture.

Mix until just combined.

Slowly combine your dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing the entire time.

Pour into a greased loaf pan. Top with more coconut, if you’d like…and why wouldn’t you?

Bake 50-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Eat and dream of laying on the beach. So, so, so good.