Chocolate Almond Butter Banana Smoothie

Anxious.

Excited.

Nervous.

Yup, I'd have to say that I'm very anxious, excited, and nervous!

Tomorrow is my next OB appointment. And it's the appointment. The one that we've been impatiently waiting for the past 4 months. We're finding out the gender! Boy or girl?! Pink or blue?! Plus, we get to make sure that our little bean mango (our fruit comparison for week 19) is happy and healthy. I just can't wait to start buying baby clothes, decorate the nursery, and not have to refer to the baby as "it."

Just one. more. day.

I started off my day with a delicious concoction of a three of my favorite things - bananas, chocolate, and almond butter. These days I find myself craving dessert at all times of the day. Sad thing is, I'm pretty sure it was pretty much the same pre-pregnancy. Either way, this smoothie is a great, healthier way to satisfy my sweet cravings which seem to be never ending.

I recommend using frozen bananas, if possible. Generally, when I see that my bananas are getting pretty ripe and probably won't get ate or used before they are too ripe, I'll freeze them for smoothies or "ice cream." If you use frozen bananas, you don't need to use as much ice. Also, if the smoothie isn't sweet enough for you, feel free to add some honey or agave. You could even replace the cocoa powder with a sweetened chocolate milk powder, like Nesquik. Just see what you prefer!

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk (I use refrigerated coconut milk or almond milk)
• 1-2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-2 tbsp almond butter or your favorite nut butter
• 1 medium ripe banana
• Ice

Instructions

• Combine milk, cocoa powder, almond butter, and banana in a blender. (Start out with 1 tbsp each of cocoa powder and almond butter.)
• Blend on medium speed until well blended.
• Add ice. Start with less ice, as you can always add more. You don't need a lot of ice if your banana is frozen.
• Blend until smooth and frothy.
• Taste. Add another tbsp of cocoa powder and/or almond butter if desired. Blend until smooth.

Banana Quinoa Granola Parfait

By now I'm sure that you've heard about the many wonders of quinoa - protein, fiber, iron, and more! So have you tried it yet? If you haven't, you should. At first I was a bit intimidated by it, but have discovered that it's nothing to be scared of. It's simple to make and delicious. While many quinoa recipes are savory, there is also a sweet side to this ancient little seed. This recipe is a great example of that.

The best part about this recipe is that it takes a simple coconut almond granola and makes it that much more nutritious simply by adding quinoa! Plus, with a dollop of whipped cream this breakfast parfait becomes dessert!

Ingredients

Quinoa Granola
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well and dried
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Bananas
• 3 Bananas, sliced
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Yogurt
• 2 cups vanilla yogurt

Instructions

Quinoa Granola
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, combine oats, quinoa, almonds, coconut, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
• Mix in honey, coconut oil, and vanilla.
• Spread evenly onto a cookie sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then stir. Bake for another 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Bananas
• In a small bowl, gently toss bananas in maple syrup and cinnamon.
Assembly
• In the bottom of 4 bowls/parfait cups/mason jars, spoon in 1/4 cup yogurt.
• Spoon in a layer of bananas and a layer of granola.
• Repeat with 1/4 cup yogurt, bananas, and top with granola.