Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

A couple of weeks ago, Jon's mom gave me a bunch of bananas that were getting brown. I have found that when bananas start getting brown spots all over them, most people will not eat them whatever they do. I on the other hand, will. Unfortunately, I left this bunch go a little too long so I decided to make a batch of muffins that I could quickly grab for breakfast throughout the week. I thought about taking them into work one morning but that thought quickly left my head when I ate my first one! These muffins are soft, stay moist all week long, and are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast!

Recipe

Ingredients
3 bananas, mashed
3 eggs, whisked
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. smooth almond butter
1/4 c. coconut flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. Mini Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, combine bananas, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond butter. 
2. Slowly add in all dry ingredients and mix well. 
3. Scoop batter into silicone baking cups or silicone muffin pan and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. 
4. Cool muffins before removing from baking cup.
*Note - these muffins do not rise much, so feel free to fill the baking cups a little over 3/4 full. 

Yields 9-12 muffins

Creamy Black Bean Dip

Tomorrow at work we are surprising our clinic manager with lunch to show her how appreciative we are of her. We didn't want to ruin the surprise by asking her what her favorite foods were so we decided that Mexican was a safe bet. I mean, seriously, who doesn't like Mexican food? I could eat chips and salsa every single day.

The taco/nacho meat, chips, tortillas, and toppings were all covered so I told everyone I would be in charge of the dip, guacamole, and salsa. Those are the best parts in my opinion. 

I was browsing Pinterest for a delicious dip but couldn't find anything different from your typical 7 layer dip. I found a white bean recipe, tweaked it, and came up with my Creamy Black Bean Dip. The best part? It's somewhat healthy, packed with lots of flavor, and can be eaten with chips or veggies!

Warning: You may want to make 2 batches of this dip. I made one batch to serve with dinner tonight and another for tomorrow and I'm so glad I did!

Cheesy Black Bean Dip Recipe

Ingredients

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup sour cream

1 jalapeño (seeds are optional)

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese, halved

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Optional toppings: diced tomatoes, green onions, cilantro

Directions

1. Put black beans, diced tomatoes, sour cream, jalapeño, 1/2 the cheese, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend together until creamy.

2. Pour the mixture in a greased baking dish, top with remaining cheese, cover with foil, and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

3. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.

4. Top with optional toppings and serve with tortilla chips, veggies, or pita chips. 

A Muddy Opportunity

I have been a fan of obstacle races ever since I ran in the Run For Your Lives 5k a few years ago. Something about the thrill of racing combined with the fun of getting as dirty as possible, climbing over obstacles, jumping through fire, and crawling under barbed wire is just fun to me. 

The Warrior Dash has always been on my racing bucket list and a few days ago my friends at Rockin' Refuel reached out to me with an amazing opportunity to race in an upcoming event in Indiana. In addition to sponsoring myself, they also agreed to sponsor 5 of my friends! 

I am so excited to check this race off of my bucket list! If you haven't heard of the Warrior Dash before or are looking for a fun obstacle race, check out the list of race locations and see if there is one near you.

I can't wait to share my experience and race photos with you all!

Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge in exchange for advertisement through the use of social media, race recaps, and interviews with local broadcast stations. As always, all opinions, are entirely my own.