'Tis the season to be baking

It's been a while since my last recipe post, and since my baby is turning ONE tomorrow and I'll be all kinds of sentimental, I figured now was a good time to share some non-sentimental but totally delicious fall recipes. I've got you covered--breakfast, snack, and dinner. You're on your own for lunch.

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Pumpkin Banana Muffins. Pumpkin and banana are a surprisingly delicious duo, and these were delicious for breakfast or snacks. Since they're made with whole wheat flour and only a 1/2 cup of brown sugar for the whole dozen muffins, I'd say they're pretty darn healthy. That being said, I did feel like they were lacking in flavor, so if you don't ant to slather on butter like I did,  you could add a little sugar, agave nectar, dried fruit, or dark chocolate to the mix. Perfect fall treat.

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French Chicken Stew. Not sure what makes this "French," but I have my American friend Allison to thank for this one. It's perfect for a fall night and is a nice twist on chicken vegetable soup. I omitted the tapioca because I didn't have any on hand and I honestly had no idea what it was outside of tapioca pudding, which I'm pretty sure I've never had. I also used the Alfredo instead of the marinara. The flavor is unique, flavorful, and comforting. Definitely a keeper.

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Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Granola. Also many thanks to Allison. This is the perfect snack food--full of protein and lots of good-for-you stuff that you can't taste. Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients. You can do this. I promise.

Ingredients
1-2/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup white or whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey (tip: spray measuring cup with cooking spray first so honey doesn’t stick)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2-3 cups of mix-ins (your choice): I used: 1/3 cup wheat germ, 1/3 cup flax seed, 2/3 cup sliced almonds, and 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (would recommend a little more than this)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or foil. Make sure to leave a few inches of paper hanging over the sides (this will help tremendously when you remove the baked bars from the pan)
• Combine the dry ingredients: oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, dry mix-ins as desired (wheat germ, flax seed, almonds, mini chocolate chips)
• In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients: honey, brown sugar, oil, mashed bananas, peanut butter, vanilla extract
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing well until combined
• Pour mixture into baking dish, making sure to spread evenly throughout the pan. Press the mixture down with a spatula to make sure it is firm and packed
• Bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until golden brown on top
• Cool completely in pan
• Once cool, slice into bars of desired size
• Store in airtight container in refrigerator to retain crispiness