the easiest and yummiest banana, oat and greek yogurt muffins

So I have the bad habit of mindlessly thumbing through Pinterest, pinning all of these delicious-looking recipes but then never giving them a second glance!  So I have set out to change my ways.  I now pin yummy recipes to my "Yummies Board" and when I try them and find they are a success, they get pinned to my private board called "tried and loved recipes," (not really sure why it's private?  I will probably change that because there is no need!).  My latest success story was inspired by these Banana Oat Muffins.  I tweaked the recipe just a bit and they are a huge hit in my house.  Recipe below.  Hope you like it!


Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups rolled oats (I used old fashioned but you can use quick too)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (I used a touch less, maybe 1/8 cup, just because I was running out and they turned out perfect!)
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (I used Trader Joe's and didn't measure these at all.  I used half a bag)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.  Grease or line muffin tin (if you use liners you still want to spray the liners because there is no oil in these muffins so it could cause them to stick).  Throw everything except the chocolate chips into a blender or food processor (I used my Vitamix) and blend until the oats are smooth.  Add chocolate chips and mix with spoon.  Pour batter into muffin tins, leaving each one about 3/4 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are brown.  Georgia gobbled them up with some blueberries for snack yesterday and had one for breakfast with some yogurt this morning.  And the hubs can grab one (or 3!) on the way out of the door.

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1st Trimester Must-Have's / 2nd Time Around!

1st trimester must haves by deniselopatka featuring a short pajama set

Lemon anything + Ginger Ale!  I was super nauseous and vomited a lot during this 1st trimester which was no fun.  But one thing that made it better?  Lemons!  I also had a lot of food aversions but anything with lemon in it tasted yummy.  And I could have icy cold water with lemon?  Well that'd be even better!  If water wasn't an option or I was sick of it then, like most nauseous preggies, I turned to my dear old friend Ginger Ale.

Beauty Counter Gentle Exfoliator + Nourishing Cleansing Balm. I use this stuff pregnant or not, but since becoming pregnant my face has. freaked. out.  Breakout after breakout coupled with super dry skin.  It was awful.  Well it was so bad I decided to venture away and try some stronger, but still pregnancy safe, acne medicine.  It made it worse!  So. Much. Worse.  I switched back to my Beauty Counter products and within a week, my face had calmed down, breakouts were better, dry patches were gone and redness was gone.  Y'all, I know I talk about these products a lot but it's because they are the holy grail in skin care.  They have saved my skin time and time again and after reading this article, I want to stay away from nasty, harmful chemicals as much as possible.  It is just not worth the risks!  And these products do just that.  So once again, Beauty Counter to the rescue!  I wash with the Exfoliator 3 times a week at night and use the Nourishing Cleaning Balm as a cleanser most nights, and 1-2 times a week I will put it on a clean face and leave it overnight as a moisture mask.  When I wake up, I have plump, dewy skin and no breakouts!  I've also been using their make-up for the past 3 months and their tint skin + concealer combo has me looking fresh faced and awake (even when I'm so sleepy!).  A life savor for 1st trimester.... and for my life in general.

Leggings + Comfy PJ's.  I was exhausted, like most, during my 1st trimester.  Like couldn't hold my eyes open after noon.  I napped most days and just listened to my body as best as I knew how.  So these PJ's and these leggings were basically my uniform for about 8 weeks.  Ok fine, they still are!  Get yo self some comfy PJ's mamas or non-mamas.  They are worth it!!  And these cute Target ones are on sale!

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our favorite healthy toddler smoothies

Everyday when G wakes up from her afternoon nap we make a smoothie.  She used to be afraid of the blender and the loud noise it made when it turned on, but now she loves pressing the button to start and stop it.  So smoothies are a fun thing at our house.  It's also a super easy, filling and healthy afternoon snack (sometimes we'll grab some cheddar bunnies with it!) and a great way for me to get Georgia to take her multivitamin and probiotic if she didn't take it in her morning yogurt.  So we have 2 go-to recipes.  I mix them up depending on what we have eaten early in the day and what is for dinner.  If there isn't much green on the menu for dinner, I'll go with The Green Smoothie, but if I feel she could use a bit more fruit then I'll go with Th Red Smoothie (how original are these names yall?!  I know I know... I'm so creative.  However, eventually I hope G can say these names so it's a teaching opportunity ya know?).  Oh and PS - I make enough of these smoothies to fill up one sippy cup, one big girl cup (for mama) and maybe a tiny refill for Georgia if she's extra hungry.  

Georgia's Green Smoothie

2 handfuls of organic kale

2 handfuls of organic spinach

4-5 large frozen strawberries

a spoonful of chia seeds (we get ours on amazon here)

a splash of apple juice

water to fill liquid up to 3/4 of where the solids stop

Georgia's Red Smoothie

6-8 large frozen strawberries

half a banana (or a whole, depending on taste preference)

spoonful of chia seeds

coconut or almond milk depending on what's in the fridge

fill liquid up to 3/4 of where the solids stop

**I add her multivitamin and probiotic to her sippy cup then pour smoothie over it

On another note, that picture above was Georgia right after she turned 1.  So, 2 1/2 months ago.  I mean I can't even deal.  She's already grown up so much since then.  OK life, slow down please and let me soak it in.

Have a great weekend!

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Healthy 1st Birthday Cake

As excited as I was for the adorable pictures of cake all over G's face on her birthday, I wasn't quite ready to give her a full-fledged sugar cake.  Do I think it is bad?  Of course not!  I just personally wasn't ready.  So I set out to find a yummy recipe for a "cake" using ingredients other than sugar.  And this is what we came up with!  I modified it a bit from the first recipe here but all in all it was a success!  I baked one on her actual birthday when we had the grandparents over for dinner and she really liked it.  No, she didn't smash it in her face unfortunately but she was pretty into it.  I made it again for her birthday party later that week and to be honest, she was slightly uninterested.  I even put Cool Whip on it for the party!  But to be honest, this really isn't a cake.  It's more of a banana bread.  So it's hard for little fingers to really dig in.  Since then we have had this as a breakfast go-to and she loves it - as does hubby - so it's a win win for us!  

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

a few sprinkles of cinnamon

6 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup sugar-free applesauce (I made my own using my baby food maker - so easy!)

1/4-1/2 cup whole milk (depending on consistency)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and cinnamon)

In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients (bananas, applesauce and milk)

Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and and mix.  If it seems dry, add a splash more milk.

Bake in a 9'' round pan for 60-90 minutes (testing the middle after 60 minutes)

Viola!

Yummy Yummy!  I used Organic, Sugar-Free Cool Whip for her icing.

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my workout "routine" and new gear love

 georgia loves the towel too

practicing her downward dog

not sure what it was about georgia turning 1, but after her birthday i finally felt the push to get back in to regular exercise.  and i feel so. much. better.  cheers to taking care of yourself jeez.  my fitness goals since having a baby are vastly different from what they were before georgia.  it's funny really.  before georgia, and while i was pregnant, i exercised regularly and "just knew that once she was born i would jump right back in.  i mean i was going to be bikini ready by the summer"  Ha!  oh naive nisey.  my body needed time.  my mind needed time.  and frankly it wasn't at the top of my priority list anymore.  sure i took a class here and there, maybe 3 a month, but i just wasn't ready to exercise again.  part of this was because i was sleep walking for about 9 months and part of it was discipline.  i allowed myself some grace in that department.  ok a lot of grace.  but whatever the reasons were, i just wasn't ready.  

well, now i am.  and i find myself drawn to more yoga and Pilates than before.  i used to be a dancer so i was decently flexible back in my day.  now?  embarrassingly enough i can't even touch my toes.  ok fine.  i'm not even close!  matt encourages me to stretch more because, not only is he way more flexible than me now, the amount of stiffness and inflexibility i possess is alarming.  so when i can't go to the gym (which is 5 out of the 7 days a week usually) I turn to my favorite - good ole Tracy Anderson.  I did her Pregnancy Videos and love love loveeeeed them.  And I recently started the metamorphosis DVD's and those are great! side note: by recently I mean yesterday :) I've done them before but always stopped before the 90 days, so this time I'm determine to push through.  I never have time to do the cardio DVD and the toning one.  So usually I do the toning one and a few times a week will go for a jog.  I also have been trying the P90X Yoga DVD to work on my flexibility.  side note: this dvd is HARD!  i can only do the first 30 minutes.  but hey!  i'm working on it. 

 i've also decided to upgrade some of my gear.  these two purchases make yoga and tracy's work outs wayyyyyy more enjoyable!  since i'm not flexible THIS yoga block has been amazing.  it makes stretching so much more comfortable and is a great way for me to ease back into my flexibility.  i also love THIS yoga mat towel.  i've always slipped on my yoga mat.  always.  not sure why i am just now purchasing one of these genius towels but i'm so glad i finally got one.  it also provides added support and cushion.  and YogaOutlet.com is having an amazing summer sale and you can get these 2 helpers here!  hurry hurry!  i think i may buy a few more towels....

Yoga Outlet Sale HERE

What are your favorite workout DVD's?  how do you busy people find time to exercise?!

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LINK-UP PARTY ** SUMMER RECIPES

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photo VIA

Matt and I are kiiiiiinda obsessed with Emeril's Margarita Popsicles.  They are the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer night. 

RECIPE HERE

We have been somewhat of Popsicle making machines these days.  I'll blend up any mixture of fruit and dump it into the mold and viola!  Tasty treat coming right up!  Do y'all have any Popsicles you love making?

Rules for the Party:

* Please follow your hosts in some way- We would love to connect with you on social media!

* Please no giveaways, link parties, or shops.

* Visit the other links and leave some comment love!

* By linking up to this link party, you give us permission to feature your image on our blog and social media. Proper credit and link will be given.

* Don't forget to link back and grab a button!

 LINK UP BELOW

An InLinkz Link-up

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Beauty Counter Business Venture and GIVEAWAY

So I have some exciting news friends!  While I have not been as attentive to my beloved blog here, it is for good reason!  I have decided to join the Beauty Counter team and help women and babies get safe, healthy products that actually work into their homes.  These products are amazing y'all and they are safe.  Time after time I have gone to Ulta or Sephora in search of good skincare with safe ingredients and unfortunately, I felt that most of the natural products didn't work.  They didn't clear my skin, they didn't prevent aging and they sure didn't soften my crows feet!  Then I tried Beauty Counter and honestly, I'm in love.  My skin is clearer, more even-toned and brighter.  Matt even noticed something was different!  

They even have a Kid's Collection!  Georgia loves it and I love not worrying about what is going on her precious skin.  Beauty Counter has recently launched their anti-aging line (my new obsession is the Enlightening Treatment Pads) and their face oils are to die for.  Face Oil is something I'm somewhat new to (I've been using oils for about 6 months) and I have really loved the results.  I find that I wake up with plumper, brighter and more even skin.  My personal favorite is the The Lustro Face Oil 3! Beauty Counter is also coming out with a makeup line later this year and I'm not sure how I can wait any longer!

Soooo... to kick-off my Beauty Counter eternal party I'm doing a giveaway!  Enter below to win any product of your choice from the Essentials Collection (my faves are the Rosewater Uplifting Spray and the Gentle Exfoliator Polishing Cream!).  A winner will be drawn in 1 week!  So get to entering!  You can come back each day for a twitter entry!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beauty Counter Website

** If you have any questions or are interested in sampling any of the products, please email me  at denise.lopatka(at)gmail.com and I would love to help!  **

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healthy, yummy egg white "muffins"

So one of my major goals this year is to make healthy eating a standard in our home.  We do a pretty good job of that already, but I want to do even better.  I'm trying to make most of my food; i.e. eat less packaged and processed foods, but here's the catch - I NEED EASY!  When it comes to eating breakfast and lunch, I'm lazy and busy.  I know I stay at home and my baby is only 6 1/2 months old, but trust me y'all, somehow the days fly by and it's 4 pm and I haven't truly nourished myself all day.  Just eaten snacks!  Chocolate covered pretzels here, a scoop of guacamole there.  I'm also pretty lazy when it comes to fixing myself a meal.  I'm not sure why this is honestly, but when it's just me at home, it's very unlikely that I will take the time to whip up a yummy salad filled with chopped fruits, veggies and nuts - unless they are already prepared for me.  So, I've been working on easy, yummy, healthy foods that I can prepare in advance (like chopping up those fruits and veggies ahead of time for my salad)!  

Enter these egg white "muffins."  I made 10 (2 for each morning of the week) and put them in zip lock bags.  Every morning I take 2 out, heat them up, and boom - healthy, protein packed breakfast done.  So I can feed myself while I'm feeding my baby!  

I took this recipe and adjusted it a bit, mainly because I used what I had at home, but there are a million different ways you can change these and make them your own!

1. Spray or oil a muffin tin and fill each hole with yummy fixins!  I used spinach and cheese, but plan to add peppers next time too.  You can add onions like this recipe suggests, and really anything you want (broccoli, mushrooms, ham).

2. Pour egg whites over fixins (if using whole eggs, use 2 egg whites per muffin).

3. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

4. Let cool completely and store in Ziploc bags for the rest of the week!  These can be frozen too!

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meal planning at the lopatka house

So I've shared 4 of my 2014 goals with y'all already and one of those goals is to make healthy eating a priority and a reality for my family on regular basis.  Part of that goal requires meal planning.  Since writing that post, I have gotten a few emails asking what my meal planning looks like and how we do it at my house.  So, I decided to do a post!  It's really quite simple actually.  On the back of my pantry door I painted some panels with chalk board pant a few months back.  I use the top panel for to-do's, grocery lists, encouraging words and currently for the list of foods that Georgia has tried.  The bottom panel we reserve for our weekly menu.  

Every Sunday (or Saturday - depending on the weekend), Matt and I take 10 minutes to plan out our meals for the week.  We try to go through our pantry and try to incorporate any ingredients we already have first.  Then, I write the meals on our pantry door so there is never a question and I won't forget.  Once we make our meal plans, we go through a make a grocery list.  Now, we typically only plan our dinner meals.  Matt usually grabs a smoothie on the way out the door and then eats lunch out or with the pharmacy.  So when we are making our grocery list I tend to consider my breakfast and lunch meals for the week too since I am at home.  Then, viola!  We grocery shop once a week and it's done.  It also makes is easy for me every morning to know what's for dinner that night so I can plan my day accordingly!  

What works at your house?  

xox

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Guest Post: Jab, Cross, Hook, What?

Good Morning sweet friends!  Yall know I love making blog friends - and when they live within driving distance of me?  Well that's an extra bonus because it's sometimes hard to find locals.  Well today I have an extra special treat for you today.  Today, I'm going to introduce you to the sweet and very talented Courney Giardina.  Courtney is a Charlotte, NC based author who just published her first novel - Tear Stained Beaches - in February 2013 by Take Two Publishing.  She is currently hard at work on her second novel to be released Winter 2014.   I'm in the middle of Tear Stained Beaches and I'm hooked!  And I'm just not sure I can wait for that second novel, so Courtney can you hurry up a little :)  There's also a tiny synopsis of what TSB is all about at the end of this post (your welcome), so run on over to Amazon or your local Barnes and Noble and pick it up!

But today Courtney's not here to talk about writing.  No.  Instead she's here to talk about another passion of her's -fitness.  She has recently taken up boxing and honestly, after seeing so many celebrity trainers recommend the exercise on E News, it's got me wondering.  So without further ado, I'll let Courtney start doing the talking...

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It’s hard to believe it’s been over a year since my move to Charlotte.  Time sure does fly. It was around that time that I started really getting into health and fitness. It wasn’t only a way for me to get back in shape, but to meet people in the new city I now called home. I tried everything that I could find when it came to working out. The list was almost endless: boot camp, water aerobics, pure barre, the gym, even a personal trainer. All of these I loved, but my wallet didn’t. Then one day as I was pulling out of the grocery store, when on the other side of the parking lot, I saw an opportunity for a new challenge!

When I walked into Title Boxing club here in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte I had no idea what to expect. Rows of punching bags hung from above and a large timer that read 3:00 was anchored to the wall. I was given a pair of boxing gloves and hand wraps to wrap my hands before the start of the class. Thankfully their grand opening was just a few days before so I was one of many newbies in the class. I had a trainer wrap up my hands, picked out a bag and took a deep breath before the bell rang for class to start.

I swear the first 15 minutes were the worst part for me. It’s a mix of high intensity cardio and stretching to get your body warmed up. The minute hand likes to play games with me during this period; I swear it slows down just to torture me. 

I make it through though and head over to gulp some water before the real fun starts. 8 rounds of 3 minutes throwing different kinds of punch combinations followed by 1 minute of active rest. By the end of round 8 every muscle in my body hurt and the sweat was crying its way out of me. The worst part? We weren’t even done yet! The final 15 minutes consists of the most intense ab workout you’ll ever encounter. Plank holds, supermans, bag swings, static holds and use of the medicine ball are only a few of the ones I can think of at the moment, but I mean it when I say you’ll love every minute of this treacherous routine.

I’m now entering my sixth month as a member of Title Boxing Ballantyne and I’ve loved every minute of it. The one thing I really love about the class is that it doesn’t matter what fitness level you are at, anyone can do this workout. Everyone is paying attention to their own bag and their own technique that you don’t feel intimidated at all. Another thing I love is that it doesn’t ever seem to get easier. You just learn how to punch harder and move faster to challenge yourself more.

If you have a Title Boxing in your area, I highly recommend you try it out! I’m addicted. 

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Tear Stained Beaches

Haylie Julian wants nothing more than to put her crumbling marriage back together. Chase used to be a fun-loving, light hearted husband who had lately become an overworked attorney obsessed with climbing the corporate ladder.  It isn’t long before Haylie starts waking up next to a man she barely knows. His secretive phone calls and late nights at the office leave her feeling alone and afraid of what he might be hiding.  Ignoring his continuous pleas to just leave well enough alone, she continues to dig for answers and discovers a heartbreaking truth.

Tear Stained Beaches explores what happens when a marriage isn’t the happily-ever-after you thought it was. Can trust be rebuilt? Can a wife forgive the ultimate betrayal?

Courtney's Website //  Purchase Tear Stained Beaches

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