Our eats: banana meet bread

Being a vegetarian almost vegan {on occasion I have a bit of dairy but only cook vegan} I am constantly getting asked what kinds of foods I actually make and how I keep a balanced diet. After a great checkup with the doctor proving great nutritional levels, I've decided to share my growing love for food. Over the last few months I have turned a page as a foodie and have discovered how to enjoy natural flavors and have been eating more then ever while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and even losing weight. Last July I mentioned I was going to try to get healthier and I can finally say mission accomplished thanks to food.
So, I welcome you to my kitchen with meals, snacks and sweets I create with my own two hands. They may be vegan but I promise you they are packed with flavor and are sure made with love. First up is a yummy banana bread I whipped up thanks to a few left over bananas from our mini vacation. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

photo by our designed life

Banana Bread

2 Very ripe + 1 ripe banana

1/2 C. Sugar

2 tsp. Vanilla

1/4 Water

1 C. White flour + 1/2 C. Whole wheat flour

1 tsp. Baking powder

1/2 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Cinnamon

Chocolate chips {optional}

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

*Mash bananas and combine with sugar till creamy

*Add vanilla and water to banana mixture

*In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk

*Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix. Do not over mix, it will get sticky

*In a greased pan, bake at 350 for 50 minutes. 

{Note: You can either add chocolate chips into the mixture by adding to dry mix or serve on the side for that extra sweetness. I used two small bread tins, timing may vary depending on size and oven.}

Make this, Cookie edition

Now that I am back to eating whole foods again I can't seem to get enough to fill my belly. Though my sweet tooth has seemed to shrink {I'm totally shocked!} it didn't stop me from drooling over all of these delectable cookies that just so happen to also be vegan. Its funny, when people find out I don't eat meat they just assume snacks are only raw veggies or dried fruit and well, yes, I do snack on veggies and fruit but I will always hold a special place in my heart and stomach for a sweet snack here and there, and don't these look fabulous? Baking is one of my all time favorite things to do, there is something about throwing ingredients into a bowl and then the oven without knowing if they will actually turn out that just gets me so excited. Plus nothing is better in my opinion then a warm cookie right from the oven. So with that, here are a few that have my drooling over my computer: Pumpkin gingerbread cookies, Samoas bars, Shortbread cookies, Mexican hot chocolate snickerdoodles.

Pistachio meringue cookies, thumb print cookies

Flour less chocolate pecan cookies, Peanut butter and chocolate batwich cookies, Chocolate pumpkin pie cookies. 

photos via respective links

Photo of the day, Been baking

098/365

Spent the afternoon pulling together a few new recipes for the husbands birthday this weekend.  He asked for baked goods, so that's what he gets!  Don't you just love the purple blooms?  Our plant is producing so many flowers daily, we can't keep up.  Next up, cookies.