Whole Wheat Pecan-Currant Muffins

I cannot get enough of the fact that it is finally Christmas break! All I can say is thank goodness.

So far just being home has made me feel rejuvenated. It helps that Christmas is only 5, count it, FIVE, days away.

Ah, glorious. All of it.

Well, as promised, non-stop baking has commenced! First on my list was Pecan-Currant Muffins and they were SO good and chock full of ingredients with some awesome health benefits! We will get to that later, but first, I'm going to admit that sometimes you just need some old fashioned baking. Butter and sugar galore.

Luckily that's what I got to do with my amazing friend while we tackled Dark Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Bark (yes. Heaven is real.) and some delish Lemon Poppyseed Scones. As if the holidays weren't great enough...times like these with friends make them so much better.

Yes, that is chocolate.
Ah, sweet bliss.

*savoring*

*still savoring*

Okay, moving on...to Pecan-Currant Muffins! So these were the coolest muffins ever, not only because they tasted great, BUT also because they are essentially fat free, no sugar added and whole wheat. And, they kind of actually looked like bakery muffins. Tall and warm and fluffy. Mmm.

Whole Wheat Pecan-Currant Muffins

• 3 cups  whole wheat flour 
• 1 and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/2 cup date paste
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp vanilla (or plain) greek yogurt
• 1 mashed ripe banana
• 1/4 cup baking stevia
• 2 large egg whites
• 3 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/2-1 cup zante currants (soaked in warm water for ~30 mins.)
• sprinkle of salt

Pre-heat oven to 425.

Mix together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, stevia, baking powder and soda, and salt. Stir until well mixed.

Blend milk, date paste, yogurt, egg whites and mashed banana. Whisk until thoroughly combined.

Carefully fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture, folding JUST enough to moisten the dry mixture. 

Fold in the currants.

Okay, so this mixture is going to be VERY thick. This is good. 

Spoon into greased muffin cups, and fill to the very top. You can even build it up a bit, this is what makes them super tall and amazing. 

Pop them into the oven for 5 minutes, after which, turn down the oven to 375 and bake until golden brown. (15-17 minutes)

Top with leftover date paste and pecans.

Enjoy warm for best results! 

*note: these have a bit of a banana bread flavor, which I actually enjoyed. Some may not, therefore, you can sub 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce for the mashed banana.

*adapted from here.

Merry Christmas Bloggies!

change.

So, in case you were wondering by the title...no, this isn't a food post. Those will come, I PROMISE. It's almost break, which means lots of  non-stop cooking/baking/amazeballs stuff like that.

If you are just dying for some recipes, check out these that I have been drooling over. My kitchen and I definitely have a date in t-minus 3 days.

Even so, I still think it's worth putting out there though. So here goes.

Change.
There's a reason a lot of people aren't, including myself, aren't comfortable with it. It's hard, it's icky, and it means we have to work. We have to work to find a whole new comfort zone, and personally I don't really need anything more to work on, goodness knows I'm busy enough.

But guess what... change happens. All of the freaking time. If we really want to get technical, it happens every moment of every day, if we only slow down long enough to notice it all, which we don't, because we are terrified about how it will affect us.

Well, for me anyways.

This whole idea is really brought about by my realization that I'm in that stage. You know what stage I'm talking about right? The one that books and movies are based on. "The best years" and all that jazz. It's supposed to be the time where we find ourselves, let ourselves become who we are. We don't have those influences that we once did. Nobody has known us since kindergarden anymore (for the most part). Nobody remembers that one time you fell down the stairs, didn't know how to fix your hair or dated that one guy for like three months, no one even knows. At all.

Well honestly, I've really been struggling with this idea, because I don't want to work. I mean, it was hard enough to put myself out there with the people who at least kind of knew me. And now, I'm in a place where I truly have ALL of the power when it comes to what people think of me. But now, I'm getting to the point where that's kind of stinkin' cool. Why? It means that "independence" that everyone said I was getting as I was getting older in my teens, is real. Like, how divine dark chocolate tastes, real.

But more than just that, I'm realizing that it's okay to feel different when you go home, when you see old friends, because you are different, you're changing and becoming who God wants you to be, who he created you to be, you are growing up.

What a gift for me to stumble upon this lil' nugget of awesomeness.
It's like an early Christmas present, along with non-stop Christmas tunes, mugs upon mugs of hot chocolate, and just the general ideal-ness of this amazing season.

Enjoy it, squeeze every last drop of darn Christmas cheer out of this season, because next year will be drastically different. And that's pretty beautiful, don't you think?

Tuesday's Eats

Happy Day my lovely bloggies!
Today I'm posting Tuesday's Eats, basically letting you see how I really eat.
Unfortunately I don't get to cook every night. Sad isn't it?
So here goes!

 {Breakfast Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread in a Mug}

(microwave!)

 {Kerbey Lane Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken}

{Cinnamon-Peanut Butter Popcorn}

inspired by this amazing blog!

{Tomato Basil Soup}

paired with some lovely stats homework.

{Peanut Butter Bananas}

Have a fabulous Wednesday! You're halfway through the week!

Stuffed Bell Peppers.

It has been forever and a day since my last post.
To all of my loyal followers...I'm deeply sorry. The pre-thanksgiving test schedule got the best of me. Happens to us all, right?

Anyways, It's time for another recipe! YAY.

{Stuffed Bell Peppers.}

 So, I was a bit on the fence about this idea originally...I just wasn't quite sure how this was going to work. Would the bell peppers be crunchy? Slimy? I didn't know. But let me tell you, these babies we delightful.

Unfortunately, this isn't a microwave recipe, my roommate and I ventured into the dorm kitchen for this one. Found out that community kitchens=not my fave. But it was totally worth it. So without further adieu.

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers
{note: I wouldn't really suggest using any other color of bell pepper. Just because red bell peppers are generally the sweetest and have the most flavor...but I mean, if you are really brave. Go for it.}

4 medium red bell peppers
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 c. quinoa or brown rice (or both. Getting crazy.)
2 large carrots (chopped)
1/4 c. onion (chopped)
1 medium tomato (diced)

Pre-heat oven to 400° F.
Brown the turkey in a saucepan with a tiny bit of coconut oil. Once the turkey is nearly done, add in onions, carrots and tomato. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender.
Bring water to a boil and cook quinoa/brown rice per directions on the package.
First, with sharp knife, cut off the top of the bell pepper, making sure to only cut the flesh (not the insides/seeds). Remove the top, then slice around the stem (green part). You are left with a ring of red bell pepper. yum. I took a bit of melted coconut oil and rubbed it on each pepper and the inside as well to help it soften easier.
Mix all of the insides together (turkey, quinoa/brown rice, carrots, onion, and tomato) and season to taste. I went all Italian up in here and seasoned with dried oregano, ground white pepper, a dash of cumin and sea salt.
Now the fun part. Stuff that pepper to death. Okay, not to death... but really...
Place all of the peppers on parchment paper on a baking sheet, throw it in the oven for 15-25 minutes, depending on how firm you want your peppers to be. (I tend to like them less firm, so mine was closer to 30 minutes)

And EAT that deliciousness.

P.S. My roommate and I never really figured out the best way to eat these, fork and knife? hot-dog style? It's all up to you!

Keep checking back for fun holiday updates and recipes! Love to you all!

college eating: the mini fridge

So, if you are like me and have a baby fridge, like seriously... so darn tiny, it can be so hard to fit all of your yummy healthy options into said fridge.

{Isn't that just so sad?}

This is when shelf-stable items become vital to sticking to your minuscule budget and not having wrinkly old food. That would be gross. Too bad shelf-stable usually means a bunch of yucky additives that I don't particularly want in my body.

Therefore, we must compromise, the key to staying healthy and eating fresh, good-for-you food is making choices that will not only last a substantial amount of time, but also choosing foods that can be used in multiple ways. It's like your food can multi-task! Woah.

Fruits and Veggies:

• Carrots, Spinach, Red Bell Peppers, Sweet Potatoes 
• Apples, Bananas, Berries (only if they are on sale!)

Another way to get your veggies is by buying those freezer steam packs, not only are these the coolest things ever, but there are also more than one serving in them, so you can just save the rest in tupperware.

{Yep, that's as far as it opens...dorm living is fun, right?}

Dairy:

• I consistently have Chobani Greek Yogurt in my fridge. Like always. There are all different flavors and if you like this sort of thing, a plain version. They make for a quick breakfast or dessert...or snack...or all of the above. Yeah, basically.
• Milk is pretty much a must as well for me- I buy Silk Soymilk and add it to my coffee and oatmeal. 

You know what the coolest part is? You can make a TON of awesome healthy recipes with just these refrigerated ingredients. Pretty cool, huh? Keep checking back for my "pantry" staples! (and by that I mean the tiny little trunk that all of my food is crammed into)

I know this post isn't one that makes your taste buds water...so here. Start your watering. 

{Microwave Pumpkin-Cinnamon Roll}

Don't worry...the recipe's coming. 

exam craziness

It has been a ridiculously crazy weekend and so my plans for today's post got changed just a bit.

I promise after my exam this week I'll have an awesome new post all about college shopping and my  grocery list! Yay! Look forward to it. 

In the mean time check out my absolute favorite healthy dessert blog! Chocolate Covered Katie, she has some amazing recipes that have tons of health benefits. Like this deliciousness:

{Baked Pumpkin French Toast}

What's your favorite dessert? I'd love some reader feedback, maybe you'll see a healthy dessert recipe up here soon. ;) Keep checking back friends, and have a HAPPY MONDAY! (Drink coffee. It helps.)

welcome friends+ harvest oatmeal.

Hello sweet friends and welcome to my humble blog! I'm Hannah, a  nutrition student at the University of Texas at Austin. I started The Blissful Granola to share with all of you the beauty I find in food, being healthy and feeling marvelous! I've come to love natural food that I know is good for my body and I know you will too! Look forward to some amazing recipes that are perfect for college students, stories about my journey through college living and striving to give it all to the man upstairs.

If you are really interested, learn more about me here.

Today I'll start off pretty light and I'll share with you my recipe for the best oatmeal in the universe, okay, maybe that's stretching it, but guys...I seriously love oatmeal. Not only is it super comforting on those days (I know you know what I'm talking about) but you can also make so many variations! Yay for variety. So, here goes.

For this particular version, I added unsalted pumpkin seeds and unsweetened raisins to the top of my classic cinnamon oatmeal. Everything about this oatmeal reminds me of fall, and ILOVEFALL, so this is a really good thing to look forward to in the morning! 

Fall Harvest Oatmeal 
(microwave method)

1/2 c. whole grain quick or rolled oats (my favorite is Bob's Red Mill)
1 c. vanilla soymilk (or almond milk/whatever you have)
Cinnamon and nutmeg-to taste
Sweetener- like 1/2-1 tsp. all natural honey, 1 stevia packet or raw sugar

Add all of the above ingredients into a microwave safe dish.
Microwave on high for about 2 minutes, if you have a lame microwave like mine, it might need to be more. Remove and stir.
Let sit for about a minute, top with your favorite toppings, a sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy!

What do you like most about fall?
Comment below!