On a Whim Banana Pudding

After much deliberation, I have decided to omit the "Total Tally" for most of my posts. It is incredibly time consuming and not completely accurate. I will however have some suggestions as to how you can cut costs.

That being said, this past week was Spring break and I have been in and out of Atlanta for the past week, so the time I've had to cook was limited. Desperate for something to occupy my time off from school work this morning, I rummaged around in my pantry....I found some sugar free pudding, old 100 calorie packs, nuts, and bananas. All I ever needed for some home cookin'!

So I got everything together and went to work! If you have random things lying around, try combining them, you might be surprised in what you can come up with.

I threw the cookies on the bottom of the pan (those chocolate oreo ones would be good too, maybe with a different pudding), chopped up some walnuts, threw them on top. Then I sliced a couple bananas and put them on top of the "crust" layer.

Finally, make your pudding, 2 c milk, sugar free banana pudding mix, maybe add some vanilla. This is where you can get creative. I would have added vanilla had I had any and I also thought about putting a top layer of white chocolate pudding. (Sometimes I find the banana pudding TOO banana-y so maybe try leaving out a bit of the banana mix and adding a vanilla or white chocolate pudding to substitute.) 

Now, I didn't take a picture, but I found a way to sneak some chocolate in. I grated, or finely chopped, some super dark chocolate right on top of the bananas. It was like chocolate snow....mmmmm....! But if you use dark chocolate with a 60-80% cocoa, you will get the most nutrients. Bananas--loaded with potassium! Walnuts--omega 3 fatty acids; they help keep your skin and hair healthy! As for pudding and 100 calorie cookies, you can figure that one out.

   

Banana Pudding

1 pkg banana pudding mix

2 c milk

20 small cookies (Nilla wafers are the BEST!)

handful of nuts (optional)

dark chocolate (optional)

vanilla (optional)

1. Follow directions on the box for making the pudding.

2. Layer ingredients in ANY WAY YOU WANT!

3. Cover and store in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Breakfast of Champions

(courtesy of my father)
When I was little, many Saturday mornings were full of excitement as my father got ready for his tennis match (my mother played too, but she never took it as seriously as my father did, I don't think). I remember standing at the kitchen peninsula on countless sunny summer mornings watching my dad make what he liked to call "Breakfast of Champions."

I'm sure my parents will argue many "Breakfasts of Champions" that they made before going to tennis, but I specifically remember this one. I guess I thought my father was crazy...putting milk, PB, honey, banana and OATMEAL? all in one blender. I had my doubts. "It's just like a peanut butter-banana sandwich, Liv," he argued. Of course, why didn't I think of that.

This breakfast shake probably will fit in your Disgusting (looking) but Delicious category. But it IS quite delicious (if you like all of these ingredients), and the texture--be prepared for something a little chewy; it makes you feel like you're eating an actual breakfast. But you are!

The oatmeal (whole grain carbohydrate) will keep up your energy and maintain your focus throughout the morning because oats are rich in Arginine which helps blood circulation. The peanut butter (natural please!) is high in protein and will keep you going after the oats wear off. It also replaces an egg you may have skipped to have this shake. Honey has many antioxidant properties and also gives you a different kind of energy boost. Milk "helps build strong bones" of course, and the banana...well, the vitamin B6 helps the nervous system in dealing with stress.

Breakfast of Champions, eh?

Breakfast of Champions

1 banana

2-3 Tbls natural peanut butter

1 c milk

sprinkling of oats (3Tbls is plenty)

drizzle of honey (optional)

Funds

banana= .30

Smukers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter= .20 (per serving)

milk =.22

oats= (1.59 for the 18 oz container) so what... 5 cents?

honey= (2.19 for 8 oz) again... 5 cents

Total Tally: $0.82