Green Monster Smoothie

Green Monster Smoothie - as seen on Laura's Recipe Collection

made one gigantic smoothie- the glass shown above is a pint sized glass and I still had about 1/2 C left in the blender

Ingredients:
2 C spinach
1 banana
1/2 C milk (or almond milk, or soy milk, or yogurt or whatever else you can come up with. make it your own)
1/2 tray of ice cubes
1/2 C raw rolled oats

Directions:
Place the spinach in a blender- it’s important to put the spinach first so that it’s closest to the blades. The banana and ice will hold it down and make sure the spinach gets finely chopped so you’re not drinking leaves of spinach.

Pour in the milk and add banana to the blender and puree until smooth and leaf-chunk-free. Add the ice and any other add-ins you’d like. Puree again until the ice is crushed and everything is blended together. Enjoy!

Source: Seen all over the blog world, but the Original Green Monster is from Angela from Oh She Glows and the Green Monster Movement

Healthy Pumpkin Banana Nut Muffins

Healthy Pumpkin Banana Nut Muffins - as seen on Good Things Catered
adapted from RecipeZaar

Ingredients:
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. oat bran
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
15 oz. pumpkin puree
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. grnulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. chopped walnuts

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Spray with cooking spray or line muffin tins with paper liners.
-Combine flours, bran, oats, baking powder, spices, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
-Using whisk or spoon, stir until well mixed.
-Combine remaining ingredients (except nuts) in a large mixing bowl; beat until smooth.
-Gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined
-Fold in walnuts.
-Spoon into prepared pans or tins.
-Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
-Remove muffins from pan and cool on wire rack as soon as they come out of the oven.

Healthy Apple Muffins

Healthy Apple Muffins - from Sweet Savory Southern

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or vegetable oil, if you’re not calorie counting)
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk (I subbed 3/4 cup milk with 1 tsp lemon juice)
1 cup shredded apple (1 large apple)
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 and grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Sift together flours, baking powder and soda, salt and spices.

In a seprarate bowl, beat egg with brown sugar until well combined. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, applesauce and shredded apple.

Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in nuts.

Pour mixture into muffin cups and bake approximately 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.