Blueberry Almond Butter Maca Smoothie - Boost the Mood

Blueberry smoothies seem to be a staple in just about every smoothie shop you enter, and for good reason - most everyone loves a blueberry!

According to Dr. Greger of NutritionFacts.Org, one should be including at least one serving of berries in their diet per day.  And with a fiber-rich profile, blueberries and their Vitamin C and Manganese content seem to be a good one to add.

Add in a handful of greens, banana, a spoonful of almond butter and a few teaspoons of one of the newest superfoods on the market - Maca - and we have another certified Super Smoothie.

Are you familiar with Maca?  A cruciferous vegetable native to the Andes of Peru, maca has been revered for its medicinal properties for thousands of years.  Maca, however didn't cross my radar until I did a little research on menopausal symptoms.

After a few sleepless nights along with a hot flash or two I took to the internet for natural perimenopausal symptom relief, and time and again maca came as a suggestion. Maca, it seems, helps to balance hormone levels and to control the amount of estrogen in the body.  According to a study in the International Journal of Biomedical Science, maca proved to balance hormone levels, relieved symptoms of menopause, and actually increased bone density in the study participants.

Good enough for me to try... And with its slighty earthy and mildly nutty flavor, maca seemed the perfect addition to one of my favorite smoothies including almond better. I've grown to love the combo so much this smoothie hits my blender 4-5 times a week, and the rest of the family asks for it as well.

And the symptoms?  I have to admit I didn't have many before, but I've not had any more hot flushes (or flashes), I'm sleeping well, and not a single night sweat to report.  I'll have to keep up with it as my age keeps aging and will definitely keep you posted.

I'll be researching more on maca and will let you know what I learn.

Cheers my friends!

Kim 

Molasses Oatmeal Banana Bread - Vegan Recipe

Oh Banana Bread... how we love you!  Since the kids were babies, Banana Bread of all sorts has been not only a staple in our kitchen but also a vehicle to pump healthy ingredients into the kids without them really knowing it.

I've gone so far as to add spinach and avocado to recipes (with success I might add!), but we keep returning to an old favorite recipe (and spinach-free version...) - Oatmeal Banana Bread with Molasses.

Tender and flavorful, we easily removed the dairy when my son became intolerant, but would the old recipe stand up to becoming "veganized"?  Absolutely.

The banana and oatmeal bring a tender moistness while the walnuts add a touch of texture.  But I think it's the molasses that kicks this recipe over the top with a rich pop of flavor that leaves you simply wanting more.

Fabulous fresh from the oven, we've been known to demolish an entire loaf before the last slice cools.  However if you can save enough for breakfast the next morning, a toasted slice slathered with peanut butter and topped with sliced banana is pure heaven.

Whether serving to your plant-based friends or not, this recipe may rise to the top of your most used recipes once you give it a go.  

Cheers my friends, here's to banana love!

Kim

Banana Oatmeal Waffles - Vegan (But you'd never know it!)

Liv:  "Mom... can I have friends sleep over this weekend?"

Me:  "Sure.  Any special requests for breakfast?"

Liv:  "Ya.  They want the same waffles as last time, they loved them.  But they also said they're glad you don't make them eat vegan stuff.  Haha!  I didn't have the heart to tell them the waffles they want are the 'vegan stuff!'"

Many times vegan, or plant based, foods get a bad rap - sometimes deservedly so.  But I always chuckle a bit inside when I make that "weird vegan food" and people don't even know it's missing eggs and dairy.  I love having people gush over dishes and ask for recipes only to be surprised they are eating plant based and they love it.

And these waffles are no different.  Found on our breakfast table more often than not, these oatmeal beauties pair beautifully with a simple drizzle of maple syrup.  Want to dress them up a bit?  Sprinkle with raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar like we did for the photos.  Or how about a lovely drizzle of Blueberry Maple Syrup?  That will surely do the trick.

This recipe makes 6-7 waffles in my waffle iron (yield may differ based on your waffle iron size, etc - we use a Cuisinart), which gives us breakfast and usually 1-2 left over.  For those we either freeze for super busy mornings, or, better yet turn them into one of my all time favorite things - Waffle PBJs!

~ Waffle PBJ:  Spread 1/2 of the waffle with peanut butter and jam (I like Blueberry Chia), fold in half and toss into a zippy sandwich bag for lunch that will make friends envious ~

But don't wait for weekend to make these beauties!  For busy school nights I set out the dry ingredients the night before, and in the morning mix together the almond milk, banana, and vanilla then add the dry, mix and we're cooking in no time.  Note - they may also be the perfect comfort dinner...

Enjoy the day my friends... balance and love always :)

GoMacro Mini Review and Giveaway... and a little Nice Cream!

Balance... it's a word that I always took literally until I learned enough to know better.  Can you balance on your head?  Or on one foot?  That was balance.  Until I got to know Marco.

I met Marco some 15 years ago at our local Carlsbad Farmer's Market.  A regular face at my favorite organic farm stand, Marco taught me how to pick the best peaches.  He taught me about immunity and how to feed my body to improve it.  And he taught me about balance.

"The key to keeping your balance is to know when you've lost it"

anonymous                                           

Balance... a word that now defines the life we strive for has helped my kids maintain sanity in an ever increasing competitive school world.  It's helped us remember to take time to look at the sunset, and it's helped us to live in the present while still planning for our future.

And balance helps keep us healthy... which brings me to GoMacro and their line of bars.  While I try to maintain home cooked, plant-based meals, the schedules of two very busy kids, an airline pilot husband who needs food on the road, and me trying to keep everyone happy, sometimes doesn't leave time to prepare decent meals.  As such, I'm often on the lookout for convenient bars to toss into dance and camera bags, but I only consider those that meet our dietary needs (dairy-free for all of us, plant-based for most of us).

Enter GoMacro, the bar that meets those high standards, and exceeds them.  (Before you think they've paid me to write this post, let me say here that I have not received any payment from GoMacro, however they have offered to supply one reader a box of assorted Mini GoMacro Bars for our giveaway.  This review comes from my love of the product and a desire to share!)  Add in irresistible taste (chewy, not chalky bars that taste like real food) and you have even more of a bonus.  Vegan, Soy-free, and organic... three very important factors when I'm looking for bars, and frankly their tagline sums it up perfectly:

"Some people sacrifice nutrition for taste.  Some people sacrifice taste for nutrition. With GoMacro there are no sacrifices."

Founded to promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, GoMacro is a family owned company inspired by whole food nutrition.  Facing breast cancer in 2003, founder Amelia turned to her farm-fresh foods and a macrobiotic diet to help beat the disease.  Together, she and her daughter experimented with the whole grains and fruits grown on their farm along with natural sweeteners to create macrobiotic products and today we all benefit from the result.

GoMacro fuels teams like the LA Clippers, the Florida Panthers, and tennis players in my home town at the Carlsbad Classic.  In addition I can personally vouch for GoMacro's importance at Liv's competitive dance competitions (I pack a bag to share), and while I'm not sure it counts as a "sport", my son took a case of bars to his UCSB fraternity volleyball event to help they guys keep up their energy :)

It's all about balance...

And with flavors like Morning Harvest (Apple and Walnut), Protein Pleasure (Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip - and Liv's personal favorite), Prolonged Power (Banana and Almond Butter), and Balanced Goodness (Coconut and Granola - my favorite), there's a recipe for everyone.

And here's the best part - the ingredients.  Real, sustainably sourced, plant-based, and organic foods.  Here's an example of the ingredients list for the Protein Pleasure Bar:

 Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Syrup*, Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Protein Blend (Organic Sprouted Brown Rice Protein, Organic Pea Protein), Organic Puffed Brown Rice, Organic Fair Trade Chocolate Chips (Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Cocoa, Organic Cocoa Butter), Organic Peanuts

Let it be said... I love these bars and place my Mom Stamp of Approval squarely on the box.  And I'm super excited to partner with GoMacro to give away one case of assorted GoMacro Minis (the size is perfect for a snack on the run and preferable to the larger bars in our household).  Simply enter the giveaway below for your chance to win, but if you can't wait and want to purchase bars now head to GoMacro.com and use the discount code "BLOGGER" for a 40% discount on your first GoMacro purchase (Free shipping on orders over $100).

Thank you GoMacro!  My camera bag is never without extra memory cards and a "Balanced Goodness" Granola Coconut GoMacro Bar.  It is indeed the perfect balance.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Congratulations to our winner:  Morgan C. from Washington DC!
GoMacro Mini Giveaway

• 1 case (24) assorted GoMacro Mini Bars
• 1 winner chosen at random from the entries below
• Giveaway opens 9/22/15 and ends 10/3/15 at midnight PST
• Value of prize $30.95
• Open to US Residents only

Nice Cream (Nana Ice Cream) with GoMacro Topping

iPhone photo... someone keeps borrowing my camera for school projects!

Have you tried Nice Cream or Nana-Ice Cream??  Oh my goodness you simply must!  Who knew frozen bananas would blend up to such a creamy, rich and totally irresistible concoction??   Top with granola or pieces of chopped GoMacro Bars and you have a frozen treat that will have you cheering when your kids ask for thirds!

frozen Bananas
diced GoMacro Bars 

Place about a cupful of frozen bananas into a blender and blend until light and creamy (time depends on the power of your blender).  Spoon into a chilled bowl and top with dice GoMacro Bars. 

Strawberry Banana Popsicles (Shhh... no sugar added!)

Seems the rest of the country is turning to thoughts of back to school and fall, but here in San Diego summer is just getting going.  Our weather has been a bit strange this year bringing rain (a rare occurrence for us), heavy marine layers that hide the sun for days at a time, and cooler temps.  Until this week.

This morning I woke to a brilliant sun peeking over the horizon and temps already warmer than some of the highs from the past few weeks.  And with no air conditioning in our house, popsicles seemed a "cool" plan.

Serving double duty, these popsicles also served as temporary ice packs filled with fruit for my girl who underwent oral surgery yesterday.  Her somewhat confused teeth set a permanent tooth shooting horizontally low in her jaw and left  unchecked would have sheared off the roots of her front teeth.  Hence, the tooth needed to come out, and along with a bit of bone, she's now free of the rouge bicuspid and nursing a sore jaw.

As we know from my prior post (surgery has been all in the family this last week) the after effects of anesthesia and pain meds can be not so pleasant, hence the all fruit popsicle to reset my girl's tummy.

A simple recipe of bananas, strawberries, chia and a few splashes of oj, brought all of Liv's favorite ingredients together and packed the nutrition I was looking for.  Banana?  Filled with fiber bananas can help ease the uncomfortable after effects of narcotic pain meds, and acting as a prebiotic the fruits assist the growth of friendly gut bacteria which are wiped out by antibiotics.  Add in the fact that the high levels of vitamin B-6 can help reduce swelling and we have a real winner.

Next we have strawberries, rich in antioxidants, the Vitamin C in the berries gives the immune system a boost along with more fiber and their fabulous sweetness.

"Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet with leafy green wings reaching heavenward."

Jasmine Heiler

And next orange juice... also packed with that immune boosting Vitamin C, orange juice is said to help reduce inflammation and heck, it's also good for your heart.  A few splashes perk up any smoothie or popsicle and work as the perfect liquefying agent for our blend.

So here's to summer, fat lips and simply hanging by the pool.  Wishing you a happy and healthy day filled with balance and a little bit of chill.

Blueberry Banana Almond Smoothie

Blueberry and banana... simply one of life's perfect combos, and one we've been blending to morning smoothies for years.  Be it an addition to a plethora of fruits, creamy with yogurt or milk of some sort, or just blended together for a creamy frozen treat, we never tire of the pair.

But today we added almond, and oh my heavens, I have a new favorite.  Already creamy with almond milk, I attempted to boost Liv's protein even more with a scoop of almond butter, and the addition elevated the smoothie to pure decadence.

Almost more dessert tasting than healthy morning starter, Liv's comment of, "Mom... Yes. You totally win!" as she sent a snapchat to her friends had my heart swelling.

While we used almond milk for our version, any milk will do, and I can only imagine a carton of creamy vanilla yogurt would be a delightful addition.  Blueberries, banana and almond butter... who knew?

Blueberry Banana Almond Smoothie
Creamy and filled with blueberry banana goodness, a scoop of almond butter gives this a milkshake taste.
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1 cup almond milk (we use unsweetened Silk original)
1 cup organic blueberries
1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen banana (about 1 medium)
1-2 Tbs almond butter
1 Tbs maple syrup (optional)
Dash cinnamon

handful ice

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until creamy.  If the mix is too thick add additional milk or a little water.

Garnish with a blueberry or two and enjoy! 

Pumpkin-Banana Blender Waffles #vegan - but you'd never know it!

Apparently its pumpkin season... at least according to trending internet searches and the calendar.  However my backyard thermometer tells a different story.

It always happens, doesn't it?  The kids go back to school and the mercury rises... a record breaking rise in this case.  Southern California has been enduring a heat wave of unimaginable sorts the last few weeks, and even I, the self proclaimed "I love the heat!" girl, have caved.  It's hot.

As we live close to the coast here in San Diego and "It doesn't really get that hot here..." we don't have air conditioning.  It's never bothered me in the past as I would only have used it a couple of days a year, but this year??  Goodness... I'd have used it consistently for last few weeks.  I may or may not actually be guilty of visiting the mall on multiple occasions, sitting in the car longer than I needed to, or peering into the fridge a just little longer than necessary to cool off.

Cooking has either been outside on the grill or something salad-like that doesn't require heating.  Breakfast, however, is a different story.  I've always fixed a real breakfast before the kids head off to school. -  Waffles, pancakes, ebilskivers, frittatas, - Breakfast is a must.

However sophomore year homework has had my girl up later than she has been in past years, and with recent lights out around midnight and an alarm blaring at 6 AM, I'm tired, and my "get up and make breakfast for everyone" motivation is waning.

Enter blender waffles.  These guys are a lifesaver when looking to shave a few minutes off the morning routine.  Plugging the waffle iron in as I begin to toss ingredients into the blender (we use a Blendtec with the wildside jar), by the time everything is mixed the iron is hot.  Waffles pump out every few minutes and within 20 minutes I've got fresh, crispy waffles on the table with an few extras leftover for a waffle pbj for the lunchbox.

Filled with banana, pumpkin, and whole grains, I feel good about the start the kids are getting to their day, and not guilty at all when I happen to slather my own with almond butter and a drizzle of honey.

Pumpkin season?  We say that's all year round, but blender waffles are definitely a good thing for back to school.

Piña-vocado Smoothies from Kathy Patalsky's 365 Vegan Smoothies

Tuesday Morning Instagram!

Smoothies... our go-to fuel when we need to hit the road fast.  Easy to pop into a blender, easy to fill with that rainbow of fruits and veggies, and in a word, good.  Since my kids were wee ones I've counted on the smoothie or blended juice to get in the greens they won't eat and to help fuel their day with plant-based ingredients.  But after time I'll admit my smoothie repertoire tends to get a bit repetitive.  Until now.

We've talked about of blog mail in the past, and last week a box popped open to reveal my very own copy of 365 Vegan Smoothies by the esteemed Kathy Patalsky.  I've long been a fan of Kathy's blog, Happy. Healthy. Life, and I'm now a fan of her Smoothie Book.  With 365 plant-filled recipes she's single-handedly breathed a breath of fresh air into our days.

Opening her vibrant book, I got all the way to recipe number 6 before finding the recipe to I wanted to post, the Piña-vocado.  Featuring frozen pineapple and banana, it was the addition of my beloved avocado that stopped me in my tracks and had me heading to the blender.  Topped with a sprinkle of tropical coconut, the kids gratefully accepted their snack on the run.

But we didn't stop there!!  Since receiving the book we've experimented with new tastes almost daily and in the process we've increased our rainbow of fruit and veggie by leaps and bounds.  For example... the Spicy Cantaloupe Cooler brings a lovely hue of orange which contrasts with the Blueberry Island Kiss that transported us for a few moments to a sandy beach in the islands.

Spotted bananas... prized by smoothie makers and bakers everywhere!!  Can't use them fast enough?  Peel, slice into 1-inch rounds and freeze.  (slice into a zip top bag, then spread flat in the freezer for easier use)

But Kathy doesn't stop with just fruited versions.  The Almond Butter Morning shake has become a favorite of mine bringing a dose of protein to the cup with a balanced blend of protein, fat and complex carbs that keeps me fueled for hours.

And 365 Vegan Smoothies isn't just for vegans, it's plant-based foods that will help you blend your way to health and wellness all year round, and is perfect for anyone with a penchant for smoothies.  I think Kathy sums it up best:

"Creating and drinking a tall, frosty, beautiful smoothie is an act of pure bliss.  You start by gathering a few of your favorite healthy ingredients.  Then after a quick swirl in a blender, those ingredients spin into brand new delicious creations.  I look at smoothies as a daily boost.  In one colorful glass you are getting a wide rainbow of nutrients."

With a chapter on "Smoothies 101" Kathy covers all the smoothie basics including kitchen tips, equipment and ingredients.  The pages then take the reader through smoothie themes including Detox Smoothies to start the year of right, and then moves on to Energizing, Slim-down, Calming, Healthy Digestion, Heart Health, Anti-aging and even Beauty Smoothies.  Each recipe includes a full summary of the smoothie's nutritional profile and Kathy goes on to explain the benefits of the included ingredients.  What more could a smoothie-maker want??

Oh... what about pretty pictures??  I'm a sucker for a book with beautiful photography, and while not every smoothie has been photographed, the book is splashed with eye-candy and brilliant colors.

Our thanks to Kathy for sharing her book with us, and for bringing new life to our blended drinks.  We're on a goal to keep up our rainbow every day and with her smoothies we're well on our way.

Peanut Buter Banana Cluster Kind Cookies

Food Blogging is indeed a strange and exciting world... It's one where key connections and amazing friendships grow through online relationships.  It's a world where sometimes boxes of treats arrive at my doorstep having my whole family curiously peering inside anticipating what treasure will emerge.  Much of the time they casually comment, "Oh... cool..." as I extract a jar of mustard or fill a bowl with fresh fava beans and peaches or crack the spine of a freshly printed cookbook.

Our last box, however, elicited a much different response.  Cutting the tape and removing the packaging, hands flew as bags of Kind Clusters along with a few Kind bars were called "this one's totally mine!!" as each family member claimed their favorite.

You're familiar with the Kind line of whole grain products, aren't you??  A favorite in my family for years, Kind products use ingredients you are familiar with... real food (you'll recognize ingredients as something you would have in your home pantry) that packs perfectly for our on-the-go lifestyle.  Liv always carries either a bar or bag of clusters in her dance bag, and my son tosses their dairy-free bars into his backpack on his way to school or work.

Tweeting a simple comment of:
 

"Have you tried @KINDSnacks Vanilla Blueberry Clusters???!! Bought a bag for a recipe and Liv and I ate the whole thing before we got home!!" 

led to our Kind connection, and one we couldn't be more thankful for.  And... one that elicited similar results as my Twitter comment (I think the Vanilla Blueberry is still my personal favorite).

For the first time in my blog history, I actually had to go and repurchase the samples that we received in the mail to write a post.  Leaving the samples in the box with a comment of "Don't eat these... I need to take pictures and make a recipe", I will admit I didn't actually hear any comments of agreement, and sure enough, when I returned to the box I found empty  bags and wrappers - and Liv wanting to know why I had never bought her the "Dark Chocolate Chewy with a Crunch" Healthy Grain Bars in the past, and would I go buy more because she really liked them??

After yet another trip to the store I returned with clusters in hand and finally the recipe I had been planning came to be.  Frequently using granola in my baking, I love the texture it brings to softer cookies, and the granola-like Kind Banana Nut Clusters made a perfect replacement to the rolled oats in one of our favorite snacks, Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Bites.

Packed with protein, banana and whole grains, these cookies are a treat perfect for any time of day.  They curb mid-afternoon hunger pangs, lend a little energy on the way to dance class or the gym, and make a nice midnight snack without guilt.  Adding Kind's Banana Nut Clusters to this batch, I found the texture to be irresistible.  A nice soft cookie, now with a bit of a bite, we've made three batches over the last few weeks and no one seems to be tiring of them yet.

A big thanks to Kind for our Kind Care Package!  With school just around the corner we're stocking up on the kid's favorites and making a care package of our own as we send our son off to college.  Nearly every day is a Kind day for us, and we hope it is for you too.

Coconut Mango Pops with Blueberries

Summer... it's meant for leisurely days by the pool with a cold popsicle in hand, isn't it??  We spent years buying rainbows of store bought pops, but when the kids smiled at me with lips dyed red and blue my heart always felt a little sad as I had purposefully served my kids some sort of chemically food dye.  Hence... we started freezing whole fruit smoothie recipes and we've never looked back.

This week these pops have come in particularly handy, though they weren't consumed lounging leisurely by the pool.  As I mentioned in the last post, this past week brought a nasty stomach bug that now has me trying to refuel my girl with nutrients, and as soon as her stomach could again hold food her first request was a mango pop.

Made with potassium rich coconut water, these pops work to replenish fluids better than sports drinks, and while I'd love to get Liv to sip on coconut water alone, she's not really a fan.  So in the pop it goes.

Sweetened with mango and banana I also tossed in whole blueberries for a little texture (frozen blueberries are a favorite snack in the Liv Life household) and they look pretty to boot.  Frozen, the pops go down slowly and are perfect for helping refuel after a stomach bug.

All fruit, no additives or yucky dyes, you'll want to keep extras on hand.  Today??  We're all healthy again and I have 3 girls leisurely lounging by the pool... their first request?  Coconut Mango Pops.  Bring on the summer San Diego sun!

Spicy Strawberry-Banana Mango Slushers

Being a food blogger has its perks.  For example, when my friendly FedEx Guys drops an unexpected package at my doorstep on a hot spring weekend morning when we were just packing up for a few hours at the beach.  Dropping my old magazine like a hot chili pepper, the new cookbook from Melissa's Produce, The Great Pepper Cookbook, immediately took its place in my bag and I spent an enjoyable day lounging by the waves with one of my favorite activities... cookbook reading.

Feeling a little left out after Liv's schedule had me missing what sounded to be a fabulous event introducing the book at Melissa's Headquarters (you can read about it at Barbara Cook's), receiving the book had me giddy from the first page.

Melissa's Produce, the largest variety distributor of fresh and dried peppers, brings this new cookbook filled with pepper-packed recipes appealing to everyone form the heat-averse to the ultimate chile-head.

Beginning with the Scoville Scale (Wilber Scoville developed a test to determine the "hotness" of peppers) then moving you through various varieties of fresh and dried peppers, the Great Pepper Cookbook then brings some 140 pepper recipes on pages splashed with gorgeous colorful photos.  From breakfast and brunch to sandwiches, salads and soups and on to main entrees, sides and desserts, peppers have a place at every meal and the choice of "hotness" is up to you.

While I can personally vouch for the Mexican O'Brien Potatoes and the Tomato, Cucumber and Grilled Corn Salad, it was this Spicy Strawberry-Banana Mango Slusher that took the prize for our favorite recipe... so far.

My husband, the above mentioned "chile-head", can't seem to get enough heat in his food.  Making salsa for the family he usually forgets to check if the pepper he is using is hot and simply adds the whole thing or two, occasionally making it so hot no one else in the family can eat it and he gets a bowl to himself.

Hence, this spicy slusher seemed the perfect morning wake-up for him, and I loved serving it, watching him grab the smoothie without looking and the surprise on his face when after a few sips his beloved heat filled his mouth.  Melissa's book had called for a fresh Manzano pepper, which I unfortunately didn't have on hand, but the idea to spice it up was set and a simple grind of my pantry staple, crushed red pepper, made a wonderful substitution.  Next time I'm out I'll be on the lookout for the Manzano which is said to be round and about the size of a walnut, but until I find one, crushed red pepper brings a nice spice to this special smoothie.

As for  The Great Pepper Cookbook... if you are a pepper fan this book is a must have.  Bringing a little spice or simply a pepper flavor into the average dish, I've got enough pages turned down to keep me busy for months.  Next up?  Guajillo Chile Zucchini Bread... stay tuned!!

Banana Apple (Banapple) Spice Cookies

The last remaining cookie....

What's the sign of an exceptional cookie?  Texture?  Taste?  Or maybe the two combined?  For these Banana Apple Spice Cookies, the sure sign of awesomeness became the speed at which they vanished.

With two batches baked in the last 3 days, I have only this lonely, single cookie remaining to show for my efforts.  Well, the proper word is "had".  I ate this one within mere minutes after confirming I had decent enough photos to publish, and I now have a shopping list of ingredients to fulfill the requested 3rd batch.

Soft and with a delightful crumb, no one knew these apple studded beauties included spelt flour or that much of the fat was cut out with the use of mashed bananas and apple sauce.  Easy to whip together with a stand mixer, a good wooden spoon and a bowl will also do the trick.

With such a wonderful response, I'm thrilled to submit these cookies to the first installment of the new monthly Creative Cookie Exchange.  Created by Laura, of The Spiced Life, my kids are more than excited about my participation in this group, and this month we kick off with "Back to School Cookies", or in our case, Banapple Spice Cookies.

<center> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Creative-Cookie-Exchange-hosted-by-The-Spiced-Life-and-At-Home-with-Rebecka/148873331987243" target="_blank"><img alt="Creative Cookie Exchange" src="http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/BiteMySweetTarts/3329aec3-6749-4ab7-8af953332dfb9487_zps437070c3.jpg"/></a></center>

Lately I've been all about healthy eating, and cookies and baked goods have been sparse in our household (hence the constant drone, "There's nothing good to around here!").  However, working with the ingredients in these irresistible Back to School Bites, I've managed to do both - low fat cookies filled with fruits and a bit of whole grains that are positively irresistible.  Everyone wins with these guys.  Enjoy!

Coconut Banana Ice Cream

Rich and creamy with a taste of the tropics... it was on the menu for breakfast this morning, and with its low-fat calorie count, my nearly bikini ready waistline didn't care.  I must preface that we don't usually have ice cream for breakfast, but the lovely morning light streaming in my window creating an almost perfectly lit photo shoot left me with a semi-soft bowl of photographed ice cream.  And, it was fabulous.

Dairy free for my lactose intolerant family, those bananas stacking up in my freezer were put to good use.  Trader Joe's Light Coconut Milk replace the heavy cream but didn't lose any of the luscious creaminess.

A delicate swirl of melted dark chocolate hardened in the frozen concoction bringing a bite to each taste, and a topping of crunchy coconut flakes had me swooning.

With visions of tropical locales spinning through my head, I just may put this delight on the menu for breakfast more often.

Watermelon Banana Smoothie... seeing things in a new way with Lensbaby.

Nothing says summer quite like a platter filled with sweet, juicy watermelon.  Whether it be cut into easy to eat triangles or chopped into a fruit salad, I see watermelon as something to take a bite of.   The crispness, as well as an occasional dribble of juice down the chin, brings happy memories and thoughts of fun in the sun.

With two watermelons on my counter though, I've been researching uses other than the usual slice and eat, and found recipes for smoothies popping up time and again.  Ready to experiment, we mixed Liv's favorite fruit - banana - along with  mango and a yogurt in the blender.  What resulted was a smoothie worthy of gushing, and I'm beginning to see watermelon in a new way...

Seeing things in a new way isn't always easy for me, a self proclaimed creature of habit, and often takes me a little time to adjust.  Such is the case with photography.  I've always been a straight forward, tack sharp sort of photo girl, but some of those more artistic shots, you know, the ones... those with blurred edges and off center focus, always have me wishing I could master that skill.  Now I can.

Partnering with the amazing people at Lensbaby, I've been "playing" with the Lensbaby Composer Pro in combination with a set of macro converters for about a month.  Have you heard of Lensbaby?  I'm ready to gush!

Receiving the lens a few weeks ago, I do admit to experiencing a bit of a learning curve, or more accurately, a slowness on my part to see things in a new way.  I usually shoot in manual, but I do use the auto focus feature on my camera (Canon 60D), and as such I experienced a bit of difficulty figuring out the manual "sweet spot" in my shots.  Practice, though, soon had me bringing home incredible shots that a month ago I would never have pictured myself taking.

Watermelon Vinaigrette

Adding the Macro Converters to the Composer Pro only served to grow my excitement.  A macro girl at heart, the ability to get almost right up to my subject has me beyond ecstatic and my library now includes individual grains of quinoa, flower stamens, and a nice close-up shot of Liv's eye.

Nevertheless, it's the mid-level macro converter bringing the Composer Pro close to, but not on top of my subject (a 16mm converter which lets you focus from 2.25" - 6") that has positively won my heart.  Perfect for food photography... I'm starting to see things in a new way, and I'm also beginning to wonder how I shot so long without this impressive lens.

Photo courtesy of Lensbaby

What is the Lensbaby Composer Pro?  It's a "tilting" lens that lets you bring an artistic flair to your photos and is best summed up by DPReview's description of, "The basic principle is to utilise optically simple lenses which are deliberately uncorrected for many aberrations, and therefore produce a sharp zone of focus (or 'sweet spot') in the center of the image field with ever-increasing blur outside it. This is combined with a flexible barrel, such that the lens can be tilted and the sweet spot moved around the frame, to focus on off-center subjects. The size of the sweet spot can be increased by using a smaller aperture."

A different concept from the usual camera lens, you will find yourself reaching for the Lensbaby time and again and bringing home shots that will most definitely make you smile.

I've had so much fun with this new (lens) baby of mine that it has become my near constant companion.  We've walked the beach together, attended school functions, completed Dance Mom duties and simply spent time shooting around the back yard where flowers don't much mind staying still for multiple shots.  I'm enamored with the creativeness it's brought to my food photography seeming to sometimes bring a completely different mood to the scene.

I find myself setting up my food shots just as before, and shooting with my usual 60 mm lens (an old favorite).  Receiving nicely balanced shots with the crispness that used to make my heart give a little leap is now leaving me just a touch bored, and before I know it I'm reaching for the Lensbaby and shooting off center without total focus.  I'm see things in a new way.

Old style crisp shot...

Liv, helping me with this Watermelon Smoothie shoot, took matters into her own hands as we set the scene.  Hearing me ramble on about "seeing things in a new way", I turned my back only for a moment.  In no time, our healthy, no sugar added smoothie somehow received a dollop of whipped cream without my request (Not something we usually put on smoothies...).  But my girl simply smiled and repeated the words, "See?  You're just seeing things in a new way!  It's all good...".  And it was.

Thanks Lensbaby...