Back to Basics 29 - Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

These pancakes have become my new favorite. They are fluffy, sweet and filling. They're also a great blank canvas so you can add anything inside or on top of them.

Whole Wheat English Muffins

I was looking online for a recipe for whole wheat English muffins that were mostly whole wheat flour without being too dense, and I'm pretty sure I found the perfect one. It uses 5 cups of whole wheat flour and only 1 of white all purpose flour. If you find that it's still too dense for you, you can always substitute all purpose for the whole wheat until you reach the perfect density. English muffins are surprisingly easy to make. Give'em a try!!

Banana-Chocolate Chip Pancakes

This recipe is my go-to for easy pancakes. I always have bananas in the fruit bowl and chocolate chips in the cupboard so I know I can whip these up in no time at all. They're easy, fast, delicious and sweet enough so you don't have to add any maple syrup on top.

100% Whole Wheat Bread

I love making bread at home. It's just so fun and it makes your house smell like the most amazing bakery. It's also really really easy if you have a stand mixer, I use my Kitchenaid and it's the best appliance I own. Another reason, of course is that you know what's going in the bread. Most "whole wheat" breads you buy at the store are not 100% whole wheat. This one is aaaalll whole wheat. That might actually scare you because you think it'll be dense but as long as you know the secret trick, your bread will come out fluffy and easy to slice.

Strawberry-Orange Muffins

I'm baaaaack!! I have been gone for a while. I have no excuse. BUT, I am bringing you a gorgeous and delicious recipe.

I went to my grocery store this week and they had some beautiful organic strawberries on sale. Since it is strawberry season and I plan on going to as many Farmers' Markets as I can, I thought I'd add this recipe to my arsenal. It's from EatingWell and I followed the recipe exactly. I do recommend buying organic oranges because you will be using the zest.

This muffin is not overly sweet so it's perfect for breakfast. The strawberries give it just the right amount of sweetness. The orange isn't overpowering, it just gives off a hint in the background. An the topping...OH THE TOPPING. It's sweet and salty and nutty. SO GOOD!

White Pizza with Broccoli and Red Bell Pepper

I made the dough for this pizza Sunday night, froze it, then topped it on Wednesday night. It was perfect! You might think freezing pizza dough might not work well but trust me, it was just like delivery pizza.
The fact that we top this with so many healthy veggies and both lean and full fat cheese makes it filling but healthy.

Back to Basics 11 - Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Once you realize how easy it is to make your own pizza dough, you won't go back to delivery. Plus, like with anything you make at home, you know exactly what is in the dough. This recipe makes enough for one whole pizza/1 pound/5 servings (slices).

Calories: Without any toppings, 1/5 of this pizza is 196 calories.

Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers

Look at the flaky layers of cheese in that cracker!

I know we all crave crackers sometimes. I do ALL THE TIME. I just need that salty, crunchy bite in the afternoon so I reach for that box of crackers and I.can't.stop. To help with my addiction, I made this whole wheat cheese cracker (it's pretty much like cheezits). First of all, it's whole wheat. Second, it has FIVE ingredients and no crazy chemicals. I got the recipe from Big Bear's Wife, Angie perfected it by going through tons of recipes to try and get that perfect taste. And let me tell you, she did an amazing job. My boyfriend tried it and he said it didn't have that whole wheat taste at all. Seriously, it tastes exactly like the boxed kind. So here we go:

Back to Basics 6 - Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms and Angel Hair Pasta

This delicious and creamy meal is going to satisfy ANY cravings you have (except for chocolate). You get a briny and creamy sauce with mushrooms, capers and parsley, starchy nutty pasta, and a crispy chicken breast. I mean, look at it! It's beautiful!! This recipe was tweaked slightly from Eating Well.

The Perfect Quick Breakfast!

Whole wheat English muffin with almond butter and banana slices.

So, why is this the perfect breakfast? Let me break it down for you.

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

If you love buffalo sauce but are understandably afraid of eating it because of the calories, this is the meal for you!
This casserole is amaaaazing. You won't believe it's healthy. Seriously. Pasta, chicken, creamy buffalo sauce with blue cheese?! Doesn't sound diet to me..
But, it is.
This is adapted from EatingWell. I do pretty much everything the same, except I like to add 2 little blocks of Laughing Cow Light Blue Cheese. I also switch up the pasta shape every now and then.

Back to Basics 5 - American Chop Suey

Quick, easy and DELICIOUS! This recipe is adapted from another blogspot: cheaphealthygood.

Margherita Breakfast Sandwich

This recipe came about because I woke up one morning and was just not in the mood to make anything elaborate but I was craving just that. I wanted a nice little breakfast sandwich but I didn't want to leave the house, I just didn't want to do a whole lot of work. This is easy and quick, as all breakfasts should be.

Oat, Coconut & Pumpkin Seed Cookies

*Recipe adapted from Whole Foods website*

This cookie is filled with healthy goodies but still manages to taste REALLY good. If you can't find pumpkin seeds, you can substitute with almonds, dried fruit or even chia seeds.

Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

I like to keep my cookie jar constantly full, so when my boyfriend and I ate all of the cookies in it yesterday, I started scrambling trying to think of what to make next. I saw this recipe for coconut cookies, but I had to leave my butter out to come to room temperature and that would just not work for tonight, I needed a cookie NOOWWW. Sooooo I went to the cookie I always go to when I just want soft, chewie, chocolate-packed, simple goodness. I love that this isn't just an excuse to eat sugar, it actually has healthy stuff in it like whole wheat flour, olive oil, almond milk. You can even put in dark chocolate chips for antioxidants. Bonus: it's also dairy and egg free! Which means it's vegan, wohooo!!! Although if you're being strict you should make sure your chocolate chips are also vegan.

Anyway, let's get started!

Bacon Breakfast Burrito

I know how tough it is to wake up in the morning for work, school, kids, what have you. I also know how tough it is to have the desire to make breakfast or even eat in the morning! Having said all that, breakfast is still the most important meal of the day. It sets you up for success! If you have a healthy, substantial breakfast, you are more likely to eat well the rest of the day. It also kickstarts your metabolism, and if you start off with protein and veggies, you won't be starving all morning hunting for chocolate all over the place (I never ever do that. Nope.).

I had an amazing dinner at my aunt's last night, but I ate a bit more than I would've liked. So this morning I had to get back to my low-cal routine. This is a REALLY easy recipe for a breakfast burrito, and you can do everything in your microwave in less than 5 minutes! Another plus, it has more than half of your recommended protein intake, and it's under 300 calories.

It's another Hungry Girl recipe, ya'll!!