BANANA WALNUT BREAD OR MUFFINS (OIL & WHEAT FREE)

There are many banana bread recipes, & I'm always looking for ways to improve them.  This one I came up with is a combination of 2 recipes I like, a 3rd one I haven't tried before, & my own modifications.  I used spelt flour & oat flour, but you can use regular wheat flour if you prefer.  Spelt & oat make a great bread that I prefer to all-

KITCHEN CRUSH: MINI FOOD PROCESSOR

I don’t know about you, but my most used kitchen tools are simple & I love them: mortar & pestle, citrus squeezer, zester, chef knife, cutting board, & bowls.  I was in the market for a new mini-food processor, & rarely does a new device make me as happy as my new Cuisinart mini food processor does.   I have used a Magic Bullet for years, & it’s great, but my new mini food processor sees a lot more action these days.   I’ve made bean dip, bean cookie batter, banana faux ice cream, oatmeal pancake batter, ground whole flaxseeds into flour, ground oatmeal into flour, chopped nuts, & I know that I will find more uses for it in the future.  You can find this item in my store in the "Kitchen Tools" section.

GROWN YOUR OWN HERBS

I love to cook with fresh herbs, but that can be pricey if you buy them at the market.  If you grow your own, you can always have a fresh supply of delicious herbs on hand for cooking, making tea, or whatever you want to use them for.  I live in an apartment, so I grow my herbs in pots on my balcony.  If my kitchen had windows, I would probably grow them in the kitchen near the windows.  If I lived in a house with a yard, I would grown them outside, too.  One day I might try to grow lettuce, onion, & garlic, but for now I'll stick with herbs.  

600 REP BAREFOOT WORKOUT

This is a 600 rep workout I did at home tonight, barefoot.  I used equipment, but this can easily be done equipment-free.  I did 3 rounds of a fixed number of reps, but you can convert it to an interval workout (set your timer for 10/50 sec x 24 rounds for 24 min workout).

NAVY BEAN SOUP (VEGETARIAN)

Today was cold & rainy: a perfect day for cooking!  I made roasted beet salad, then decided to make navy bean soup using the beet greens.  I have never had navy bean soup with ham in it, so I make a vegetarian version.  If you prefer to use ham hocks, simply add them to this recipe.  If not, enjoy my meat-free version.