Mondays & Muffins!

Happy Monday, cupcakes! This Monday is different than the usual; its a holiday week! Celebrate! I feel sort of lazy because my week ends Wednesday, but I'm trying to shove aside the lazy feelings and instead focus on the wonderfulness of Thanksgiving! Don't you love Thanksgiving? I don't even care about the food, I just love seeing so many people I love all at the same time. :) Plus, going home is kind of like vacation! I drink extra cups of coffee, get to run in places I don't very often, and I'm not at work! Enough about me, what's your favorite thing about Thanksgiving?

As I tossed a too-ripe-to-eat banana into the freezer yesterday, I realized my pile had hit 5 bananas and they were taking up way more room in the freezer than they deserved. Alas, it was time to make something! Browsing in my fridge, I found some zucchini and canned pumpkin waiting to be used up as well. With a quick browse on Pinterest, I found a base recipe to go off of and whipped up some muffins! I was so excited the original recipe already had no sugar and whole wheat flour; the few changes I made were quick and easy! I didn't put chocolate chips in the ones I made (I meant to add some to some of the batter for Riley, but totally forgot! Oops.), and I love them, but I'm not a big sweets person! If you like your banana baked goods sweeter, feel free to add those chocolate chips. :) Feel free to swap the amounts of veggies and fruit, I only had half a zucchini left or I would've put more of that and less pumpkin! The addition of almond butter made these little nuggets super moist! On one last note, don't judge me on the recipe name. I unintentionally went slightly overboard on the number of fruits and veggies :D

Banana-Almond-Pumpkin-Zucchini Muffins (BAPZ Muffins?)



makes between 16 and 18 muffins

1/2 C shredded zucchini
2 ripe bananas
1/3 C unsweetened applesauce
~2/3 C canned pumpkin
2 T agave nectar or honey
1 T almond butter
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour (pastry flour keeps them light rather than the denseness that comes along with whole wheat all-purpose flour)
1-2 C chocolate chips-optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the zucchini, bananas, applesauce, pumpkin, agave (honey) and almond butter together in a large bowl. Add baking soda, baking powder, flour and chocolate chips. Mix until just combined. Spray muffin pan and spoon mix into cups, then bake 25-30 minutes (on the bottom shelf so the tops of the muffins don't get brown too quick).

 

Eat up! These have 72 calories a piece without the chocolate chips, and less than half a gram of fat. Chocked full of fruits and veggies, these can be ate for a snack or for breakfast. Yumsville, USA. Try them out and let me know what you think!!

On a random note, I forgot to share a picture of Riley and I post-race a couple weekends ago! I promise Riley wasn't miserable after running (well, maybe a little), the sun was just in our eyes!

I'm off to get ready for Spinning class with Riley! With turkey, spinach and feta meatloaf ready to cook after and How I Met Your Mother on at 7, I'm looking at a fantastic night. :) I hope yours is amazing too!

--KQ