Banana & Almond Butter Pancakes

Back in February, Brent from Classic City CrossFit in Athens told me about a recipe for banana & almond butter pancakes from Mark's Daily Apple. The MDA recipe includes two bananas, one egg, and a heaping tablespoon of almond butter. I wanted a lower carb pancake, and here's what I came up with. This makes about six 3-inch pancakes. I love this recipe. And if you end up eating the whole batch in one day, you've only had ONE banana, not TWO. Better yet, if you have a friend or family member or a dog (well that's a family member) to split the batch with, then you've only eaten one-HALF of a banana.

Six Years Later

My last day of coaching at CFRX, 12/18/13.

I did my first CrossFit workout six years ago on August 15, 2007 at age 46. To mark my 6th anniversary, I decided to take a look back through the years at what I have learned along the way.

I’ve had the good fortune of learning from a variety of great coaches through the years, the main ones being: Patrick Gallimore, Shana Alverson, Chuck Carswell, Damon Mosley, Laura DeMarco, Kelly Levens, Michael King, and Emily Bridgers. I’m grateful to each one for what they taught me.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

I had a leftover, baked sweet potato in the fridge that I needed to do something with, so I decided to make some pancakes. These are good, and the only sweetness comes from the potato—unless you drizzle them with honey or syrup, which I chose not to do. I topped mine with a little butter and found them very satisfying. So the next time you are baking sweet potatoes to go with your steak, throw in an extra one for pancakes on Sunday morning. This recipe makes about 12 three-inch pancakes.

Grain-Free Coconut Flour Muffins

These coconut flour muffins remind me of an English muffin.

These grain-free muffins are made entirely from coconut flour. I have wanted to try baking with coconut flour instead of almond flour, and I finally got around to it. The typical muffin recipe using coconut flour calls for ½ cup of flour to 6 eggs. So you get a higher protein content, and the ratio of flour to eggs makes for a lighter muffin than does almond flour. I have to admit that these are not as wonderful as my Carrot Banana Muffins, but these aren't meant to be a treat. I don't want to be tempted by these in any way. I just want the option of having a piece of toasted "bread" with my breakfast. And these fit the bill for that without having to worry that I will eat them all before sundown.

Good Karma is Great

Good Karma Coffee House
31 N Avondale Plaza
Avondale Estates, GA 30002
(404) 499-0999

Thanks to my friend, Sheryl, I recently discovered a wonderful new coffee shop in Avondale. It’s called Good Karma Coffee House, and I must tell you that Good Karma is great!  Good Karma specializes in gluten-, nut-, dairy-, and soy-free food. They don’t just offer gluten-free muffins as an after-thought, alongside conventional baked goods. Everything they offer is gluten-free, and the facility is certified 100% gluten-free by the Gluten Intolerance Group.

Those who must eat a gluten-free diet, and those who choose to eat gluten-free should plan a visit to Good Karma real soon. I visited on a Friday morning for breakfast and ordered eggs, sausage, and a BISCUIT. The eggs were cooked just the way I ordered, and the biscuit was scrumptious. The sausage was just okay, but I’ve heard the applewood smoked bacon served on the weekends is really good. On a future visit I might try the waffle, French toast, or maybe even one of their lunch SANDWICHES – all gluten-free.

Good Karma serves Counter Culture Coffee, and it is available to purchase by the cup or the pound.  

Frozen prepared baked goods are available for purchase as well as dry mixes for muffins, pie crust, and the like. Good Karma is open Tuesday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch. Hours are 8am to 2pm.  For more information, visit them on the web at www.goodkarmacoffeehouse.com.

Carrot Banana Muffins, Version 2

Carrot Banana Muffins Right out of the Oven

I originally posted this muffin recipe over two years ago after discovering it on Elana's Pantry. I made a few tweaks and shared my version of the recipe on January 20, 2011. I haven't made these in a while, but last weekend I decided to make some to share with my Aunt Dora and cousin, Paulette who were stopping by the cabin for coffee on their way to visit Paulette's son in South Carolina. Even though the original recipe is free of refined sugar, it includes a cup of dates and 3 bananas. I decided to omit the dates and use green-tipped bananas instead of ripe bananas. I used 4 bananas because mine were on the smaller side, and since I was omitting the dates, I thought I might need the extra volume for the recipe to work.  The result was fabulous and plenty sweet. No need for the dates to make it even sweeter. This is how I'll make them from now on. If you prefer a sweeter muffin, try the original recipe for Carrot Banana Muffins.

Carrot Banana Muffins, Version 2

2 cups blanched almond flour, packed

2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 medium bananas (I used green-tipped, rather than ripe)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 ½ cups shredded carrots (don't buy pre-shredded carrots; they are too dry)

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
2. Chop the walnuts and set aside.
3. Shred/chop the carrots in the food processor using the shredder blade. Remove carrots and set aside.   Rinse and dry food processor bowl for next step.
4. In the food processor, combine bananas, eggs, vinegar, and oil.
5. Transfer wet mixture to a large bowl.
6. Blend dry mixture into wet until thoroughly combined.
7. Fold in carrots and walnuts.
8. Spoon mixture into a greased muffin pan. I use coconut oil. Grease it well as these tend to want to stick. Paper liners work, but the muffins stick to the paper until they are completely cool.
9. Bake at 350° for 25-27 minutes for medium muffins. Bake 30-35 minutes for mini-loaf pan. Mini-muffins are done in 15-20 minutes. 

Makes 14-16 medium muffins or about 36 miniature muffins. Or 12 medium muffins and 1 mini-loaf pan.

These deserve a pretty plate, and so do you.