Anyway I used Vitalicious’s Deep Chocolate Vita Muffin Mix. I’m a fan of these mixes. Their ingredient lists aren’t perfect but they are one of the few whole wheat mixes I can find.

Instead of making muffins, the little guy and I made a loaf. Like a chocolate bread. But of course we couldn’t leave it alone. We added some simple ingredients to jazz it up a bit.

Both the little guy and I LOVED it. Actually you should see it now. He’s been picking at it all day. I had to yell at him to stop stealing bites. The husband tried it. Said he liked it and will never have another bite again. If it doesn’t come out of a box he’s simply uninterested. Don’t get me started. lol

Anyway, here’s what we did.

• 1/4 cup raw almonds (30g)
• 1/4 cup dried cherries (40g)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 and 1/4 cups of water
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 package of Vitalicious Deep Chocolate VitaMuffin mix
• non-stick spray and a bit of flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Spray a loaf pan with non stick spray and coat with a thin layer of flour. We want to avoid sticking.

Weigh out the almonds and cherries

Chop them to make smaller pieces so everyone gets a bite.

In a large bowl whisk the water, egg whites and extract until bubbles form.

Add the bag of mix and combine well.

Pour the batter in the loaf pan and enjoy a few licks off the spoon. :)

Bake for about 60 minutes until the center is solid to the touch.

Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes and then run a knife along the sides before popping out.

Here’s close up. I was a little picture happy. Can you tell? :)

oh heck. Here’s a few more. :)

If you are interested you can order VitaMixes online by clicking here. Be sure to use the Code RonisWeigh for 10%. Vitalicious sponsors Roni’s Weigh and sends me products to review now and then.

Oh! and if you are a VitaTop fan they are having a contest. Enter to win a year supply!

Western omelets have always been my favorite. The combination of onion, peppers and ham with egg dipped in ketchup is a little taste of breakfast heaven for this breakfast lover.

The little guy had NO interest in them at all. :( I can’t get him to eat eggs anymore even though they were such a staple for us for so long. I’m sure it’s just a phase so I’m going to keep offering. :)

• About 2 oz thinly sliced deli ham
• 2 thick sliced of sweet onion diced
• About 1/4 of a large green pepper diced
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• Kosher Salt & Pepper
• non-stick cooking spray

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spray in a 12 cup mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Depending on the size of your ham slices cut them in half, form a small cone and place in the mini muffin pan like this. . .

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion until just starts to brown. Add the peppers, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for another minute before shutting off the heat.

Whisk the egg and egg white together with a bit of salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked onion and peppers.

Using a tablespoon scoop the egg mixture into the ham cups.

Bake for about 15 minutes until the egg is firm.

Enjoy!

I ate the whole batch, but you could totally share and pair with a slice of whole wheat toast or something. Just a thought. :)

I actually made this up yesterday, snapped the most awesome shots of the little guy eating it and then accidently deleted them off the camera. :(

So I decided to make it again this morning. It came out even better when I discovered dipping graham crackers in it was a little taste of heaven. Like dessert chips-n-dip. I’m seriously thinking of putting it like that for a New Years party we’re having.

The little guy liked it, although I’m thinking it was more the crackers then the yogurt. Either way, I got some good stuff in him this morning. ;)

• 1/2 cup canned pureed pumpkin (120g)
• 1/2 cup non-fat yogurt (I used greek) (115g)
• 1 tbsp honey (21g)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together.

Viola! :)

I used Trader Joe’s Old Fashion Graham (our favorite and the only whole grain ones I know of) crackers as my "spoon".

Nutritional is only for the yogurt, not the crackers.

We mix it up now and then. Types of cereal, adding banana, alternating between milks, sometimes skim, sometimes almond and sometimes my new favorite, light chocolate soy.

This morning I wanted a healthy breakfast but, to be honest, I ate so much over the weekend that I wanted to go a little lighter. That’s when this simple idea hit me!

I love the banana chocolate combo and the blueberries, especially the frozen ones, add fun sweetness, even turning the milk a lovely shade of purple (the little guy loves that!) :)

I realize the idea is quite simple but I hope it sparks some ideas for you. Sometimes a simple bowl of fruit is a perfect breakfast for me.

• 1 medium banana cut in half longways and then sliced
• 1/4 cup frozen wild blueberries
• 3oz light chocolate soy milk

Place all ingredients in the bowl and enjoy your fruit filled breakfast! At least that’s what I do. :)

The kid is a HUGE fan. He likes to dip them in a maple/pumpkin sauce I make. I like them straight up and the people at work preferred them with good old fashion maple syrup. I made about 3 dozen to bring for a charity event. A few people went for seconds so I’m assuming they liked them. I realize not everyone is a whole grain nut like me so if they were expecting traditional white fluffy pancakes they were disappointed. These are a bit denser, real moist and tad bit sweet. Just the way I like them! :)

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (60g)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (120g)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp Agave Nectar or Honey (20g)
• 1/2 cup Skim Milk or Almond or Soy

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.

In another bowl add the pumpkin, egg, agave and milk. Whisk until frothy.

Combine the flour mixture and pumpkin mixture, mix until just blended.

Pour batter in a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cook about 1-2 minutes a side, small bubbles will form but not as many as traditional pancakes. Peak underneath for a light brown color, then flip.

So I took the idea behind my quick banana pancakes and gave apple a try. I was pleasantly surprised how they came out. Really Moist and fluffy! But honestly, I wish they tasted a bit more "apple-y" (is that a word?) Next time I may add another apple and double the cinnamon but overall this should give you a good starting point for your own experiments.

I do have to add the toddler, DARN IT, I mean THE KID, really liked them. We dipped in apple sauce and had a blast knocking off the whole batch which is really perfect for 2. :)

• 1 apple (I used a granny smith) grated
• 1 egg
• ½ cup (4oz) skim milk (or soy or almond)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour

Grate the apple, skin and all. It’s slow to start but just keep at it and you’ll get grated apple mush. :) Add the egg and milk. Whisk.

In a smaller bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and nutmeg. Sift into the banana mixture. Mix until just blended.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Using about 1/4 cup of batter form pancakes. Cook about 1-2 minutes a side, small bubbles will form but not as many as traditional pancakes. I just peak underneath for a light brown color, then flip.

Here’s the little guy chowing down. He really was a fan! :)

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

• 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries (75g)
• 1 medium banana
• 1/2 cup light vanilla soy milk (4oz)
• about 6 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients until smooth!

You can’t go wrong! :)

Here’s the story…. I had a bunch of blueberries aging in the fridge. They weren’t pop-able anymore but they weren’t ready to be thrown own either. So I decided to puree them up for this idea.

They didn’t come out perfect but they sure were tasty and the toddler ate two. Here’s a pic of them upside down so you can see the "caky" part.

• 1 and ¼ cups (150g) of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 packet of truvia (stevia)
• 1 egg
• ½ cup (114 g) plain non-fat yogurt
• 1 cup (~220 g) blueberry puree (about 2 cups whole)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 6 muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

Puree the the blueberries for at least 2 minutes (the puree will get dark) and set aside.

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and truvia. Set aside.

Whisk the egg, yogurt, and blueberry together. Add the flour mixture and mix to just combined.

Pour evenly in to the muffin tin (top with sprinkles if desired) and bake for about 18 minutes.

They shouldn’t stick so remove them when still hot. They will be super moist but will firm up when cooled.

I’m not sure what I would do differently next time, maybe increase the baking soda. The only think I didn’t like about them was the fact they didn’t rise. Other then that the taste was perfect. Here’s the toddler adding his sprinkle touch. ;)

This is one of those "why-didn’t-I-think-of-this-before" ideas. I’m a big fan of light chocolate soy milk. It has a strikingly similar nutritional profile as regular old skim milk only better because it has CHOCOLATE in it. :)

I’ve been using it in my grapenuts for some time now. Which is especially yummy with sliced banana or blueberries or both! That has taken over as my favorite breakfast. But this morning being out of fresh fruit I decided to go the warm route. And this was fantastic.

• 5 oz light chocolate milk
• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (40g)
• 1/2 oz almonds (I used the chocolate kind (Cocoa Roast Almonds)
  – My favorite!)

Put the milk and oatmeal in a small pot and bring to a boil while stirring. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until desired thickness. For me it was about 2-3 minutes.

Pour in bowl and top with almonds!

You”ll notice sprinkles in some of the pictures. Sad the say the only way I can get the toddler excited about baking with me is to promise a sprinkle session. He still has fun and participates through the whole process…

…but he’s just doing it for the sprinkle pay off. Apparently hanging out with mom in the kitchen just isn’t as cool as it once was. :(

• 1 and ¼ cups (150g) of whole wheat white flour (regular whole wheat works too)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 heaping tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 large overripe banana
• ½ cup plain non-fat yogurt
• 2 tbsp honey (42g)
• ¼ cup applesauce
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup blueberries (148g)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Mix the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside

In a medium bowl mash the banana with a fork. Add the egg whites, yogurt, honey, applesauce and extract. Whisk until well blended and a bit “frothy”.

Mix the sifted flour with the banana egg mixture and the blueberries until just moistened. Don’t over mix!

Spray a 6 muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Evenly distribute the batter in the muffin tin cups. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon (or sprinkles!) Bake for about 25 minutes.

The toddler added the sprinkles which creates a nice crunch on top. I think next time I’ll add a handful of chocolate chips for a bonus. Especially now that I calculated the nutritional information to find each muffin is less then 150 calories!

• 5oz dried prunes
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (45g)
• 1/4 cups cocoa powder (20g)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 scoop unflavored protein powder (I used 20g of 100% Any Whey)
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small sauce pan add the prunes with enough water to cover them. Boil for 5 minutes and then simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and protein powder. Set aside.

Line a 6 muffin tin with muffin liners. Spray with non-stick spray in desired. (I used aluminum liners, they didn’t stick at all!)

Drain the prunes. They should be soft. Puree them in a food processor (I used my Magic Bullet). Add the banana, vanilla, and molasses, blend until smooth.

Pour the prune mixture in a bowl. Whisk in the egg. Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix until just combined. If you are adding any chips, do it now.

Divide the batter into the 6 muffin tins and bake for about 17 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Nutritional Information is just the batter, no sprinkles or chips as I would make them plain for myself but they make a great starting point to let the kids have a little fun. I don’t mind adding sprinkles or chocolate chips to a whole grain muffin base with no added sugar. :~)

See I generally only keep 1-2 baking potatoes on hand for the husband as a quick side dish when I know he won’t like what I’m making (for example sweet potatoes, quinoa, bulgar, couscous – that’s right he won’t eat any of those.) I’ll simply bake a potato and he’s happy. Actually besides mashed it’s the only other way he’ll eat potatoes. Boy, now that I think about it, he IS freakin’ picky. But I digress.

Anyway, I must have planned on making mashed a couple of weeks ago so I picked up a few extra. Then I forgot I did and picked up a 5lb bag this past week because they were on sale. Now I have a gross of white potatoes on my hands. So what do I do? Make home fries out of potatoes of course! (that was suppose to be a play on ‘make lemonade out of lemons’ but I don’t think it worked too well. lol)

• 1 tsp olive oil
• thick slice of sweet onion chopped
• medium bell pepper chopped (I used 1/3 red 1/3 green but they were big)
• 1 medium-large sized baking potato (around 280g) cubed
• kosher salt & pepper

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, onion then pepper. Cook for a few minutes while you cube the potato. Add the potato. Liberally sprinkle with kosher salt and a bit of pepper. Cover.

Now. LEAVE IT ALONE for 3 minutes. Sorry, didn’t mean to scream but this is the key. We want to just about burn the side that’s down. After 3 minutes toss and assess the burnt-ness. If is too black then you may want to lower to medium. I kept the heat at medium-high but I was going for the scorched look. Re-cover and leave alone for another 3 minutes.

After the second three minutes, toss again and give a potato a try. It should be getting soft. If you’d like to add more seasoning do so now. Cover and cook for an additional 3 minutes. This should be long enough to cook the cubed potatoes. If it isn’t, repeat the process until they are to your liking or simply lower the heat to medium-low and keep the cover on until you are ready to eat.

Now, I did used a tsp of olive oil but I also tried the technique with cooking spray and it worked as well. However, to me this is a perfect meal to use a bit of real oil as all the other ingredients are naturally fat free. It’s when I’m using meat that I generally skip the added oil. That’s just my approach. Either way the nutritional information below is with the tsp of oil.