QUICK + SKINNY BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
Happy August everyone! Today is a holiday for all of us in beautiful British Columbia. Mondays are my usual day off so it's no big deal for me aside from a day in lieu for my vaycay in two weeks (hurrrah!)
This August I want to get back on the healthy train...and for me that means cutting out sweets (insert crying face emoji)....except for my anniversary and birthday because no sweets on those days would be plain torturous! We're planning on doing a juice cleanse for a couple days (any suggestions anyone!!?? We have a juicer!) but mainly I'm just going to try to make wise health decisions (low carb, high protein, greens, greens, greens and no sweets!) And maybe once in awhile I'll indulge in one of these muffins...?
You guys...I make these muffins all the time. They take 30 minutes max and are so good and aren't crazy bad for you! I usually make a batch and then freeze half of them. They make a great snack or a super quick breakfast!
QUICK + SKINNY BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
makes approx 24 muffins (I made 26 very large muffins from this batch because I have odd size muffin tins!)
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour (whole wheat pastry or white flour)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 very ripe med-large bananas
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tbsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Directions
- reheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray muffin tins with non stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a blender, mix bananas, honey, vanilla, oil, eggs and yogurt until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until well combined then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the muffin tins and then bake for 25 minutes. They're ready when you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean!
- Let muffins cool in tins for a few minutes and then place on wire rack.
- Enjoy!!
Recipe adapted from Ambitious Kitchen
Hope you all have a great Monday!
xo,
s.s.♥︎.
FREE PRINTABLE AUGUST CALENDAR
You guys....tomorrow is AUGUST!!!!! How insane is that? Was it not just February?? Well August happens to be my favourite month because it's my birthday month (and I put a friendly reminder on the calendar for ya ;) and it's my anniversary! I have some holidays booked the third week. I'm pumped to go to van for a couple days, go camping, see my sis in law and celebrate my anniversary with my BAE. How's your August looking??
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE CALENDAR
Well I'm off to run the golf course with Courtney...so sad that the sun is now starting to go down!! Hope you have a wonderful long weekend!!!
XO,
s.s.♥︎.
PS. LET'S BE FRIENDS!
INSTAGRAM // FACEBOOK // SNAPCHAT: lauraliira
TWITTER // PINTEREST
LOCAL // NOURISH
A couple weeks ago, my man (who's birthday is TODAY!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAE!! LOOOVE YOU) and I grabbed some brunch post church. I'd been dying to try out Nourish. I had heard about their restaurant at the Horticulture Centre for awhile but hadn't had the chance to eat there (because it's a tad far away from us) but a little while ago I saw on instagram that they were opening a location in the harbour so I had to go.
It's a dreamy restaurant in an old heritage house just around the corner from the inner harbour. And how good is that wallpaper above? #OBSESSED We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was full but with no wait, which is always a plus.
They also have a cute cafe that serves Cafe Fantastico coffee and baked goods. I'm definitely going to hit it up next time I'm near the harbour!
James had the Rad Thai dish which was made from turnip and carrot noodles! I had the special, which I'm pretty sure was a buckwheat french toast with coconut whip and bee pollen but I may have some detail wrong...whoops. It was real good though.
At first we thought the portions were a bit on the smaller side but honestly they were perfect. The food was healthy and whole and filling. We left feeling nourished ;) and not comatose...honestly I'd way rather feel the former, not the latter.
Looking at these photos makes me want to go back ASAP. Check out their pretty website and if you're a local make Nourish your next brunch stop!
xo,
s.s.♥︎.
ENTER WEEKEND MODE
Heeeeyooooo.
It's Friday and I'm reeeeeeaddddy for the weekend. Who's with me? I'm leaving work a bit early tomorrow to attend the #newkidonthebak wedding! I'm so excited to see Jennie & James tie the knot. Be sure to stalk their instagram hashtag and also follow me on snapchat because I'll be posting lots! I'm wearing a dress that I actually wore to my rehearsal dinner (almost three years ago!!) My incredibly generous bestie leant it to me then and just the other night she gave it to me as she purged her wardrobe before she moves to van (enter crying eyes out emoji)!!!!!! But if I was buying a new dress I'd be all over this one or this one or this one.
On Saturday morning we're helping my bro & sister in law move out of their place. They're moving to Vancouver (again, enter crying eyes out emoji)!!!!! But we're spending Saturday night celebrating James' bday! His real birthday is on Tuesday but Towers & Trees is filming a music vid that night so Saturday bday party it is! Should be a solid weekend.
PS. LET'S BE FRIENDS!
INSTAGRAM // FACEBOOK // SNAPCHAT: lauraliira
TWITTER // PINTEREST
XOXO,
s.s.♥︎.
SUMMER READING LIST UPDATE
Do you know that we are almost halfway through summer? NOOOOOOOOO. I know. I just want to freeze summer. The last couple weeks have been really chill for us, which has been so nice. We did go camping in Tofino but mainly we've just been hanging around the house and that has been a refreshing change from the go-go-go summers. Last week James rented a chainsaw for a day and went to town on our hedges and the pear tree that was taller than our house !!!! Our yard is looking fiiiiine and I'm getting pumped to plant for next year.
I've also managed to get quite a bit of reading in and I'm happy to report that I'm almost half way through my Summer Reading List! #teacherspet
What I've read so far:
1. Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand....I thought it was ok. A little drawn out but hey it's a summer chick lit and got me dreaming of Nantucket!
2. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion....Definitely gobbled up this one. If you haven't read The Rosie Project, do that right away! The sequel was cute but not as good as the first one. It was enjoyable enough to recommend though. The main character is just hilarious...love that Don Tillman.
3. One plus One by Jojo Moyes...I don't know why I keep reading her books. I find them all just mediocre. This one had a cute ending but I don't think getting there was worth it.
4. Brain On Fire by Susannah Cahalan...This one was a non-fiction story about a young journalist who seems to go crazy. It was very intense. A lot of medical stuff, which I may have skimmed through but it was very riveting and I would highly recommend it!
Currently reading:
Simplify by Bill Hybels...I'm slowly working through this one. It's beautiful but takes a lot of work because there are action steps at the end of every chapter.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving...just started this one and I'm loving it. Owen Meany is such a darling character. It's a long one though so I'll probably take awhile finishing it!
4 down, 2 in progress and 4 to go! Don't know if I'll get through them all but I'm going to try!
Do you have a summer reading list? Are you reading any of the ones above? I'd love to hear about it! And p.s. if you're joining the summer reading club be sure to tag your instagrams with #ssheartbookclub
Love you to the moon & back,
s.s.♥︎.
top image via stocksnap