Grain and Sugar Free Blueberry Muffin Recipe

Hello! I am so thrilled to help fill in for Ashley as she takes care of her new baby girl! I remember how wonderful (and sleep deprived) those first moments were … so I am wishing her the best as she recovers and enjoys all of those baby cuddles.

My name is Laury, and I started a blog in 2009 called The Fitness Dish. After the birth of my second child I took a few years off from blogging to focus on my family and my business … but now I am back! My blog has a new name and a new look, and I am so excited to be connecting with this community again!

I am a power yoga instructor, sports nutritionist, personal trainer, and mom who teaches people how to create healthier habits in all areas of wellness. On my blog, you will find recipes for low-sugar meals, DIY beauty & skincare, wellness tips, as well as some yoga & fitness sprinkled in.  It is basically all of my passions poured into one place.

Ashley said you guys needed more breakfast ideas, so I am going to share one of my FAVORITE freezer-friendly muffin recipes with you today.

I created this a few years ago for my son when he was doing baby-led weaning, and I was nursing (and ravenous).

Many of my friends and family make this still today, and love it!

These muffins have NO added sugar, so they are best enjoyed warm, topped with some grass-fed butter, ghee, or coconut oil on top.

You can certainly add some Grade-B maple syrup (I would suggest about 1/4 cup) of you think you or those you’re serving it to would love a tad more sweetness.

If you are doing a program like The Whole 30, these are compliant (just use coconut oil instead of butter).

Adding more healthy fats in place of the added sugar for flavor was key for me in reducing overall sugar in my diet. It is satiating and keeps my belly full and taste buds happy!

I am lucky to have a flexible job, working from home and teaching yoga at the studio several hours per week.

However, there is a lot of running around and chaos that happens daily.

Mornings are full with work outside the home, afternoons I am with my 3-year-old son and 75-pound high-energy puppy (all while trying to sneak in computer work for my home-business during nap-time if it happens).

Once my husband is home from the office I am usually running off to teach yoga classes.

A flexible job where you can be home a few hours during the day has its perks, for which I am grateful, but it also presents its own set of challenges.

Having food prepped for easy grab and go is crucial for us to stay on our healthy eating game.

Picking one day to make a bunch of things ahead for breakfast and lunches (as well as planning my dinner menu) has been super helpful.

These grain and sugar-free blueberry muffins have been a staple in that rotation!

 

 

GRAIN-FREE BLUEBERRY MUFFIN RECIPE

makes 12 muffins

ingredients:

  • 1-2 ripe plantains (2 cups, pureed)
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk (I like this brand: guar gum and BPA-free; you can also use raw grass-fed whole milk)
  • 3 TBSP coconut oil, melted
  • 5 eggs (pastured and soy-free a plus!)
  • 1 cup frozen organic blueberries, divided
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the plantains skin lengthwise with a sharp knife to remove the peel (make sure they are ripe, or they will be very hard and a regular blender won’t handle them). Puree plantain in blender or food processor. Meanwhile, sift dry ingredients in a bowl (you can just add them to a bowl and whisk them together). Add half of the blueberries and milk to the blender and quickly blend. Add melted coconut oil and vanilla to a bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer and start mixing. Add plantain/blueberry mixture and scrape down sides until just combined. Alternate dry ingredients and eggs and make sure it is combining, but try not to over-mix. Add remaining blueberries hand stir in. Pour batter into parchment muffins liners in muffin tins. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Please let us know if you try them.

If you have the time and want to pop over to my blog to say hi … I’d love to “meet” you!

Thanks for reading!

XO

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Easy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

As promised friends, I have a some wonderful guest posts lined up for you guys while Bo and I are focused on Baby Girl Diamond. Since you guys have asked for more recipes, these posts are all easy, healthy, delicious recipes that you can recreate at home! Today’s first guest post is from a Katie, a friend and fellow blogger who, until last month, lived just down the block from me in Brooklyn. 

Hi My Healthy, Happier Life readers!  My name is Katie. I am a 27-year-old New York native who recently moved to the Philly area. Since 2012 I’ve been sharing my love of running, exercise, healthy living and, of course, food on my blog, Hungry Runner. I am a marathoner and former personal trainer and on Hungry Runner my goal is to help others find the fun in exercise and happiness in living healthy. And for my fellow runners, I also to love share my training strategies, injury-prevention tips, nutrition advice and everything else I learn about running through this crazy, fun journey! 

Compared to our old apartment in Brooklyn, Mark and I have probably like 6 times the amount of counter space in our new apartment’s kitchen.

I’m not exaggerating either. In the Brooklyn apartment, we had lots of space in our kitchen, but the countertop was monopolized by the stove and the sink. Between those two things we had a tiny little space where the coffee pot and soda stream sat and that was it. Food prep was confined to the kitchen table, which wasn’t the worst thing, but it also wasn’t ideal.

Now we have counter space on either side of our stove and a ginormous island.

It’s glorious.

Easy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

One of the reason it’s glorious is because compared to when we lived in Brooklyn, I’m now way more excited to cook and try new recipes more often. In fact, I have a goal to try at least one new recipe every week.

These buffalo chicken meatballs are the first result of that goal.

I found the recipe on Pinterest (groundbreaking, I know) and it’s by Natalie from lifemadesimplebakes.com.

One of the reasons decided on buffalo chicken meatballs was because we already had most of the ingredients needed to make them. That’s always a plus. Another reason is because the title of the recipe on Natalie’s page includes the words “30 minutes.” If there’s one thing you all should know about me it’s that I like food that’s ready fast.

Even if Bobby Flay custom designed the world’s number one, most fabulous kitchen for me, I’m not spending more than an hour (and that would be pushing it) there preparing a meal. It’s just not happening.

In other words, this recipe is nice and easy to work with, and that’s the way I like it!

Mark and I ended up modifying it a little bit and in the end we were certainly satisfied with the end result. So without further ado, here’s what you need to know to make your own buffalo chicken meatballs.

Easy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Easy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground chicken
  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 small carrot, finley grated (I used 3-4 small baby carrots)
  • 1 small stick celery, minced
  • 2 green onions, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • Buffalo sauce
  • Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Set a side a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat. (I used a baking pan sprayed with coconut oil and that worked fine, the meatballs just left a little bit of residue behind, but it came off with soap right away.)

2. Add the ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs and egg to a large bowl. Let the breadcrumbs soak in the egg for a few minutes, then add the carrot, celery, green onion, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix everything together using your hands or a spatula until combined

3. Using a spoon, shape one meatball at a time and then place on the baking sheet. (We made larger, more standard-sized meatballs that we served over salad with quinoa, but you can make them any size you like. These would definitely make a great appetizer as smaller sized meatballs!)

4. Place the meatballs in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked throughout.

5. When they’re finished cooking, remove the meatballs from the oven and place them in a bowl. Add buffalo sauce (about 1/3 cup, or more if you really like buffalo sauce!) and toss to coat.

6. Serve with blue cheese, ranch or your favorite dressing.

 

 

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Yoga for Runners

For this month’s Yoga for Everyone partnership with Monica, the talented yoga instructor and blogger behind The Yogi Movement, we get to focus on legs! As a runner, I do my best to ensure yoga is a regular part of my training. This yoga sequence is a great one to do at home as you can do the longer, entire sequence or even just one or two of the poses. I’ll turn it over to Monica for today’s guest post! See you all tomorrow for Friday Favorites!

Monica Stone

When Ashley asked me to write a post about yoga for tired legs, I was excited. Although I’m not a runner, this is something with which I am very familiar. Even though I consider my legs to be strong, they tend to run out of energy pretty quickly. I’ve recently implemented postures in my practice to stretch, strengthen, and overcome the weakness.

The first thing I want to talk about is Sun Salutations. This sequence is the best for waking up the legs. In the image, you would move from left to right on each section. Each posture is a slow and steady breath, and your goal is to match the length of the breath with the movement. Pay attention if your rushing the movement, and then slow it down. Never speed up the breath.

Sun Salutations

This full sequence strengthens the quadriceps and gives the back of the legs an awesome stretch. When you’re in downward dog, make sure you are lifting your hips, and pushing your heels back and down. This will give an amazing stretch to the back of the legs.

When you move into Warrior One (the lunges), don’t be shy about bending the knee. You don’t wan to over extend it, but most people don’t bend it enough. Take time to check it, so that you get a nice, deep hip opening.

Do about five Sun Salutations, and then move onto the standing forward bend.

standing forward fold

This posture is my favorite for overcoming tired legs. If I ever miss a day or two of practice – my legs feel like they’re crying tears of joy! In this image, I’m bringing my stomach all the way to my legs, but if you can’t pull yourself in that much, no worries. Just try to deepen it with every exhale, and bend your knees if you need to. Also, don’t look up and smile! Instead pull the crown of the head towards the ground, and look towards the knees.

The next posture we’re going to move into is Navasana or boat posture. I know this posture looks like you’re using the core, but it does take strength in the legs to make this posture happen. Come into boat, and try your best to not touch your legs, and keep the legs straight. Hold for five deep breaths. When you’re finished, cross the legs and take a breath, but come right back into it. Repeat this five times.

Navasana

We’re going to close with Kapotasana, which is a backbend that comes from the strength in your legs. You’re going to start seated, but bend both of your knees back, and let your feet rest right by your hips. You want to push the top of your foot into the ground so that the heel is facing the sky. It might seem awkward, but just do your best. If you feel any pressure on your knees, then move them further apart from each other until it goes away.

backbend

The next step is to walk yourself back until you’re lying on the ground. This is going to lengthen and stretch your quadriceps. In the image, I’m grabbing my feet, but feel free to lay your hands wherever is comfortable. Stay here for five or more breaths, and move onto the next stage.

Bring your hands my your ears and just lift your head to the ground and look behind you. Don’t let your elbows fall out to the side. This can be pretty intense, but just try. Hold for five breaths.

The very last stage is to push your head off the ground. Go ahead and give it a try, but if you can’t lift off, no problem. Just do your best, and take five breaths.

Once you are done, sit up, and extend the legs out in front of you. Take a forward bend posture for ten breaths to slow the mind and release any pressure in the spine and legs. You’re Done!

I hope you enjoyed this runners’ sequence, and can’t wait until next time!

Check out the other Yoga For Everyone guest posts in this series:

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