I thought I would share my latest muffin recipe. I gravitate toward muffins for toddler snacks and breakfast because they are easy to make and I can pack them full of healthy calories for Abigail. You can check out my applesauce muffins here and my blueberry flaxseed muffins here. (The original recipes are on my Pinterest page. I substituted ingredients to make them a little cleaner.)
Since I am officially in "operation lose baby weight" mode, I have been searching for a healthy muffin with a few less calories and I found a winner! Banana nut muffins. Here is what you need.
Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
1 eggs
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas
Blend everything in your food processor and then fold in your nuts. I wanted to add 1/2 cup of walnuts, but I was out so I went with pecans instead.
Oil your muffin tin and fill the cups. Bake for 18 minutes at 350 degrees. Let them cool on a drying rack for a few minutes and enjoy! The calorie count is around 175 per muffin. They taste a bit like banana nut bread but without the flour or added sugar. Hope you like them!
Someone please remind me how awful I am at being pregnant, because I love babies! Four to eight months is my favorite baby stage, because these sweet little butterballs just sit in your lap and let you kiss all over them. They can't really go anywhere yet so you can snuggle them to your heart's content and they just giggle. I am going to soak it in before Violet realizes Abigail is a lot of fun and she wiggles her way out of my lap to go play!
This month, Violet found her hands. She seems to suck her fingers and keep her hands in her mouth all the time! We had a few sleepless nights this month as we listened to Violet fuss and wiggle until she could free her hands in her swaddle. Now that we are leaving her arms free, she is much happier. She loves to sleep on her side and she can get those fingers in her mouth when she wants.
Here is what Violet is doing at 4 months old:
* Smiling and laughing
* She is so social and pushes off of me so that I will turn her around, allowing her to see Abigail or Mike
* rolling over both ways
* sleeping on her side
* sleeping 12 hours at night (most nights)
* sitting up in the bumbo
* reaching for her toys on the play mat
I spend a lot of time these days with two little girls in my lap and though I feel like a jungle gym at times, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am so excited to see the bond that they will have one day. Abigail asks to hold Violet a lot and she kisses her whenever she gets a chance. Miller, our golden retriever also spends a lot of time trying to get in my lap. She usually wedges her head under my arm while I am holding the girls as if to say "don't forget me"! We still love you Miller!
Violet seems to be moving through her developmental milestones a little quicker than Abigail did which may send me into depression. She is most likely my last baby so I want to keep her little forever! I love you sweet Violet! Slow it down so Mommy doesn't cry so much!
