banana Archives • New Nostalgia

Creamy Banana Mango Smoothie

Come January I am usually trying to cut out processed sugar after the holidays, & this Creamy Banana Mango Smoothie has been just the thing to help me in that process!

A Natural, Healthy Sweet

Whenever I am craving something sweet, a fruit smoothie really helps satisfy the craving. I love a green smoothie, and I love berry smoothies, but this smoothie with banana and mango is a great break from my typical green smoothies. My youngest girl, Avery, loves this one because there are no seeds in it from berries, and because it is extra creamy!

Health Benefits of This Smoothie

Banana gives great potassium, mango is full of vitamin C, & the yogurt gives great probiotic’s that help keep the gut healthy and happy. Yogurt is also a great source of protein. I love when a smoothie recipe has natural protein in it, whether it is from yogurt or soaked nuts.

Storing Your Smoothie

We like storing smoothies in these fun little glass milk bottles, and I usually double my smoothie recipe just so I can have extra to store in the refrigerator, ready to grab and go. I ordered these glass milk bottles off of Amazon and you can too, using this link. They are a great size, especially for a snack or for kids. They look so sweet all lined up in my refrigerator! We always drink our smoothies with a straw. I’ve been drooling over these extra-large stainless steel straws for smoothies, and want to order some soon. I have the regular size stainless, but extra large would be great for thick smoothies!

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What are your favorite smoothie recipes?

Do you ever make extra and store it?

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Creamy Banana Mango Smoothie

3/4 cup organic yogurt

2 cups frozen cubed mango

1 frozen banana*

honey to taste (optional-usually not needed-depends on the sweetness of your fruit)

Blend yogurt, frozen mango & frozen banana on high until smooth. Add water if needed to thin enough to create a nice vortex, but not so much that you lose the creamyness! Taste. Add some honey if it is too tangy & blend some more until incorporated.

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Tip:

*to easily peel a frozen banana, I fill the blender up with warm water & place the frozen banana in it for a few minutes. I use the blender container because it is tall enough to submerge the entire banana & I will be using it anyway. Once it has soaked enough for the outside of the banana to feel soft, (you don’t want it completely thawed) slice off one end of peel, (I just use my fingers), empty the water, & help the banana slip & slide right out into the blender. If it does not slide easily, you need to let it thaw a bit more, but don’t soak so long that the banana thaws completely. It only takes a minute or two.

Meals/ RECIPES/ Sides

Peanut Butter Banana Honey Fold-Overs

These Peanut Butter Banana Honey Fold-Overs are a new favorite at the Bowman household. My 3 girls have simply HAD IT with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and were delighted to find something different in their lunch box. I love that I found something just as easy to make as a sandwich, tastes amazing & is healthy to boot!

I’ve made peanut butter honey chia rollups before, but these fold-overs have gone over much better with my kids. They are easier to make, too. Instead of chia being sprinkled inside, these tortillas have chia AND flax in them — thank you Trader Joes! It is so hard to find a store – bought tortilla that does not have hydrogenated oils or tons of preservatives in them. I have searched high and low with little luck, until shopping at Trader Joes. These stay quite soft and chewy which my girls love.

I just recently started homeschooling my middle girl, 13-year-old Colsie, so now I am down to making just 2 lunches a day. To make 2 of these Peanut Butter Banana Fold-Overs, I use one banana, sliced.

I simply spread a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter in the middle, then use raw honey on the sides which serves perfectly as the ‘glue’ to hold these fold-overs together. I slice 1/2 a banana, arrange the slices in the middle to fit on top of the peanut butter, the fold the two honeyed sides into the middle. The banana stays nice and secure in the middle, and does not turn all icky and brown.

If sliced in half, they fit perfectly in our favorite Sistema lunch cube. If you have never seen these cubes you are missing out. They have made packing lunches almost fun…almost…packing lunches is never my favorite chore. Read more about the lunch cubes in my Best Way To Pack A Lunch Post.

Don’t limit these to just lunches! They make a great breakfast or after-school snack.

{A Photo To Pin If So Desired}

Peanut Butter Banana Honey Fold-Overs

2 Tortillas of your choice

4 Tbsp Peanut Butter, divided

4 Tbsp Honey, divided

1 Banana, sliced & divided

Spread both tortillas with 2 Tbsp of honey and peanut butter, with the peanut butter in the middle and the honey on the outer two sides, as shown in the above pictures. Divide the banana slices between the two tortillas and arrange in a single layer. Fold over, using the honey as a ‘glue’.

Brunch/ RECIPES

Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole

I have 3 girls, 14, 12 & 10. It seems I am always on the look out for food that all 3 of them will eat, that is healthy and that they enjoy. Oatmeal has been a frustrating thing in this household. My oldest likes the instant packets, but I don’t like the amount of sugar in them. My middle doesn’t like oatmeal, unless it is in cookie form. My youngest loves raw chia oats but won’t eat oatmeal cooked. I’ve become queen of making oatmeal a thousand different ways. See? FRUSTRATING…until now. Enter Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole!

All 3 of my girls gobbled it up and had seconds, and I just sat and watched with a silly, satisfied grin. They felt like they were eating dessert, almost like a blueberry crisp. Little did they know it was oatmeal full of healthy ingredients.

I had planned on making it once this week and then reheating leftovers. The original recipe said this is the best way to eat it–make it once on Sunday and eat it all week! The problem with that plan? My girls ate it all in one day.

It is simple to make. It starts like most recipes. Mixing dry ingredients together.

I like that the wet ingredients can be measured & mixed into a glass measure cup. Less dishes to do!

My earth balance butter re-solidified after stirring into the cold milk and egg. Oh well, no big whoop-de- do.

Mmmm… I love that this recipe uses maple syrup & fruit to sweeten.

The bananas give it an amazing sweetness, so don’t skip them! Don’t worry, they do not turn to mush. They actually keep their shape quite well!

Slice banana in to prepared dish. I used about 2 1/2 bananas–and ate the other half.

Arrange them pretty.

Sprinkle with half the berries. I love these tiny little wild blueberries from Trader Joes.

Sprinkle evenly with dry ingredients.

Slowly pour over wet ingredients directly from the glass measure cup. Easy!

Love the reflection of light in the midst of blueberry mess. Reminds me of life right now. God shines through in the midst of unknowns, mistakes, drama & mess. Love it!

35 minutes in the oven and here is what you get. We added milk but decided it really did not need it. My girls preferred eating this like you would a blueberry crisp, just plain, no milk.

It is a wonderful, hearty, chunky, full -of -goodness, filling, delicious breakfast!

Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole

via So How’s It Taste

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided/optional (I skipped it and just added 1/4 cup more oats)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup maple syrup (I use natural)
1 cup milk (I used almond)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, (I use Earth Balance) melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1 cup blueberries or raspberries, fresh or frozen, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix the oats, half of the walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.

3. Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats.

4. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

{Don’t forget to pin!}

Brunch/ RECIPES/ Sponsored

Banana Bread Waffles With Cinnamon- Brown Sugar Syrup

We have had a very low-key, lazy few days here in Nebraska. The weather has been rainy which gives us a good excuse to just be indoors and CHILL! I have loved it. It is a holiday weekend, and also the weekend where my kids are on a high from getting out of school for the summer, so I decided to make something a bit sweet and celebratory for breakfast yesterday.

New Nostalgia Pinterest board for healthy breakfast

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I went straight to my Breakfast Pinterest Boards and happened upon this Banana Bread Waffle recipe from A Kitchen Addiction, and it sounded just perfect. A treat, yet hearty enough to fill up tummies, especially when adding fruit and an egg to round out the breakfast. It smelled absolutely divine while I was cooking it, warming up this house on a rainy day.

My girls were delighted, especially with the oowy, goowy syrup. I tweaked the original recipe a bit. When I read through the ingredients I thought…”oh this is gonna be good…how can I make it even better?” Since I was already making something sugary and out of the ordinary around here, why not make it extra scrumptious? The ingredients in the syrup reminded me of cinnamon rolls, so I decided to add butter which would make it very much like the filling of a cinnamon roll. It was to die for! We ended up dipping our apples in it, too!

Enjoy…just not too often!

Banana Bread Waffles
Yield: 5 waffles

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 large ripe bananas, mashed
3 tbsp butter, melted & cooled ( I use Earth Balance)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk ( I use almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon- Brown Sugar Syrup
Yield: about 1 cup

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter ( I use Earth Balance)
2/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

Additional bananas for garnish, optional

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together bananas, melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla extract until well-combined. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

2. In a small saucepan, whisk together brown sugar & butter until butter melts. Add water, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. When mixture reaches a boil, turn heat to low, add vanilla, and stir occasionally until ready to serve.

3. Pour 1/3-1/2 cup of batter (depending on the size of your waffle maker) onto hot, greased waffle maker. Cook to your desired crispness.

4. Serve with warm cinnamon-brown sugar syrup and additional banana slices, if desired.

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Want More Breakfast Ideas? Here ya go!
2 Minute Steel Cut Oatmeal

Coconut Crusted French Toast

Healthy Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade Granola

Mabel’s Corncakes

Oatmeal Fully Loaded

Refrigerator Buttermilk Bran Muffins

Toad In A Hole Breakfast

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

Whole Wheat Waffles

Brunch/ RECIPES/ Sweets

Apricot Banana Oat Bites – Only 5 Ingredients, No Sugar

If you are not an oat lover or banana lover, then I wonder if my blog frustrates you…because boy do I make a lot of things with oats and bananas. They are two of my favorite foods & I eat them both daily. Thanks for sticking with me, those who do not care for oats and bananas!

I’ve posted a version of this recipe before, but I had to share THIS version of them. Adding one special ingredient took these cookies to a whole different level. Guess what that was? DRIED APRICOTS.

These cookies are sweet despite having no sugar in them, but they are made super special with the sweet addition of apricots. My girls loved that I let them have cookies for breakfast. Yes, these cookies are that healthy!

I love these little cookie bites.

Why?

~I always have the ingredients on hand

~They are easy!

~They are healthy—bananas and oats!!

~They have no added sugar

~They are not overly sweet

~They fill little tummies

~The are great for snacks, breakfast and packed in lunches

~They make our home smell like I’ve been baking banana bread all day

~The oil I use is coconut oil, which I believe is very beneficial to our bodies.

~My kids beg me for them

Apricot Banana Oat Bites

(inspired by Banana Cookies @ MissionBFit)

3 ripe bananas

2 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup oil (I use 1/4 c. coconut oil plus water to make 1/3 c.)

1 cup dried apricots, cut into bite sized pieces

1 tsp vanilla

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The Directions:

~Mash bananas

~Stir in oil & vanilla

~Add oats & apricots. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, this softens the oats.

~Drop by teaspoon on to ungreased cookie sheet.

~Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Do not over bake. They will be like a soft granola bite.

~Store in a covered container.

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I left them out on the counter overnight on accident but ended up loving that they hardened up a bit and were perfect sprinkled on my oatmeal, sort of like crumbly granola topping.

GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES/ Sweets

No Bake High Raw Oatmeal Banana Balls + Our New Raw Foods Contributor

We are thrilled to be welcoming Teniel Moore as our new Raw Foods Contributor here at New Nostalgia. Teniel will be here one Saturday a month sharing her love and knowledge of Raw Foods.

I have been seeking a 4th Saturday Contributor and Teniel is the perfect fit. I am so intrigued by raw food recipes and have been incorporating them into our diet a couple times a week. I got to know Teniel through Instagram, her photos of mouth watering raw foods made me a huge fan. I also love following Addicted To Raw on Facebook, where she posts her recipes.

I recently had a Q&A session with Teniel about her Raw Foods diet. I sure would have loved to have done it in person, but Teniel is from Australia so that would have been a bit hard! Maybe someday I will get to visit her in person…how great would that be?

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{keep on reading for the recipe!}

Q & A with Teniel from Addicted To Raw:

When did you start having an interest in raw foods?

I started looking into raw foods nearly 2 years ago. I knew I needed to change the way I was eating. I exercised all the time but still made bad food choices.

I first heard about a 14 day green smoothie challenge. Which I completed and I have never looked back since.

Why do you believe raw is the best way for you to eat?

I chose to eat mainly raw as I have found it to be the best way to nourish my body and feed it a huge amount of living foods.

It has given me an absolute love for fresh fruits and vegetables and has helped me maintain my weight and keep me regular.

I find it simple fast and fresh, and not in anyway as time consuming as cooking for my family can be.

How much of your diet is raw?

I eat a high raw diet. On average about 90% raw. Of course some days are more and some days are less.

Does your whole family eat raw?

I have a husband and 3 kids. My kids are twenty two, six and four. My eldest son who is twenty two does not live at home anymore. My family do not eat a raw diet. However our whole families

diet has changed dramatically since I started eating raw. My kids are aware of how healthy I eat and they often like to copy me. Snacks have become based all around whole foods and lots of foods like raw cookies, kale chips and fruit leathers instead of lots of packaged foods. I cook food for them but its based around whole foods. To me being a good example is the best thing I can do.

Have you always liked fruits and vegetables or was it an acquired taste for you?

I never had a strong dislike for fruits or vegetables, but I used to find it very hard to get my basic serve of vegetables into my diet every day. It was a real struggle.

Breakfast was always multi grain toast with honey or jam with a coffee or sometimes oats. Lunch was always on the go and it would be a milk based coffee drink with maybe a fruit bun or some fresh fruit. If I was at home I’d just grab a bowl of cereal. Dinner usually had some vegetables in it along with some meat or fish.

So as you can see no where near the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables that our bodies need. Raw food has given me a genuine love for fresh fruits and vegetables. I truly love them now and have learned so many ways to make them taste delicious while still keeping them full of goodness.

What are some foods you make sure you eat every day?

Greens greens and more greens. I have to eat greens every day. I believe they are so good for us. I get these greens through a green juice or smoothie and salads.

What is a go to breakfast for you?

A green juice or green smoothie.

What is a go to lunch for you?

A smoothie. This smoothie is often a more indulgent smoothie. Often made from almond milk, frozen fruit and some cacao powder. Or a chia seed cereal with fresh fruits and sometimes a delicious flax cracker with some veggies and sauerkraut.

What is a go to snack for you?

I am big on snacks. I look forward to them. My go to snack is always some type of goodie/energy ball or oat cookie that I have made. Sometimes just a beautiful crisp organic apple with a nut butter.

Is eating raw hard on the budget?

Eating raw can be expensive. I try to buy about 80% of my food organic. With a family of 4 at home that can be very expensive. I buy most of my fresh vegetables at a local

organic market every Sunday. It’s much cheaper and of course fresher than the supermarkets. Its really about shopping smarter and planning ahead. And of course knowing your prices and buying whats in season.

Do you ever miss cooked foods?

Yes and No. You see I still eat some cooked food. I am not 100% raw and are not really striving to be 100%. I enjoy some cooked quiona at least once a week. Would be happy to eat some cooked beans or baked vegetables. But for the most part I just make my salad for dinner and find I am very content with it.

Do you ever do juice fasts? Why?

I do love a little juice fast. I did my first juice fast in October 2012. This was a 7 day juice only fast. I did this fast to see what a juice fast was like and too give my digestion a break. After doing that fast I made a commitment to myself that at the beginning of every month I would do a 2 day mini juice fast. I love the discipline that comes with fasting and each month it serves as a reminder to me to be more mindful of what food I should be eating and how much food I really only need.

How do you feel during a juice fast? After?

My diet going into a fast is pretty good. Not perfect but certainly not the SAD diet I used to have. So I find I do not have many strong detox symptoms. However I do not

do extended juice fasts. Maybe I would see a different result if I did longer than 7 days. I might get a slight headache and some puffy eyes. But other than that nothing. I also have to cut back on my running for that week and take it a bit easier.

After a juice fast I feel a great sense of accomplishment and feel proud that I disciplined myself to not eat and give my digestion a break. Of course I feel lighter and enjoy the feeling my body has only been feed 100% raw organic juice.

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No Bake High Raw Oatmeal Banana Bites

from Teniel @Addicted To Raw

1/4 cup sultans (raisins)

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup-1cup dates

3 cups oats

1 banana

3 tsp honey

Process almonds in food processor until a little texture is still left Add your dates and raisins and mix well, still leaving some bits visible. Add one cup of oats and mix, then add banana & process again. Now add coconut and the rest of the oats along with the honey. Process. Add a drizzle of water to help moisten the mix if needed. You want the mixture to have a consistency that makes it easy to form into balls, so add water if it is too crumbly. Store in refrigerator.

For more amazing Raw Food ideas and recipes, follow Addicted to Raw on Facebook & tell her New Nostalgia sent you!

RECIPES/ Sweets

Peanut Butter Banana Chia Seed Roll Up

I’m always looking for ways to reap the benefits of the nutritional powerhouse called chia. Chia seed is a super easy way to boost the nutritional value of all kinds of snacks.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds and I are fast friends. Why?

~the are jammed packed with plant protein and minerals, healthy fats and fiber

~they provide more plant based Omega 3’s than any other food, even FLAX

~they have 5 GRAMS of fiber PER TABLESPOON!

~they are flavorless and partially dissolve in juice, soups, stews, shakes etc..

~they are FILLING!

These Peanut Butter Banana Chia Seed Roll Ups are really yummy, and are healthy and hearty enough to be considered breakfast, although we use them most often as a snack. They are easy to make ahead of time, and are quite portable. They could even take the place of a boring sandwich in those school lunches.

To make them extra yummy, try slathering some date paste on them as well. Date paste is an easy to make, super delicious sweetener spread. It reminds me of a caramel flavor, and I just love it. I use it most often on oatmeal, and I really loved the flavor it added to these rollups. Of course, it is optional. These roll ups are delicious even without the date paste.