recipe — The Life She Wanders

Recipe: Protein Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Call me basic but I’ve had a serious craving for getting into the kitchen to do some quarantine baking. Not the endless piles of sweets and cookies, but the cozy kind. After perusing ideas galore on Pinterest, it clicked…banana bread! And not just any banana bread, chocolate chip banana bread. Y’all, not to toot my own horn but WOW this chocolate chip banana bread is the bomb dot com! So full of flavor, golden brown on the outside and moist on the inside, with a secret addition of some extra protein. Warm up a slice (or two) in the morning, top with a little butter and you’ve got yourself the perfect companion to your morning coffee.

recipesStepfanie McCaffreyApril 22, 2020banana bread, chocolate chip banana bread, protein banana bread, baking, recipeComment

Mint Chocolate Chip Brownie Bites

If there is one thing I have loved since childhood it is anything mint chocolate. I’m surprised I didn’t turn in to mint chocolate chip ice cream as a kid I ate it so much! I used two of my favorites for this recipe - Andes mints and Kodiak Cakes. I’ve been using Kodiak Cakes’ pancake mix for probably 3-4 years now and love that they have expand to have baking mixes now with all the great ingredients and extra protein.

recipes, holidays, foodStepfanie McCaffreyDecember 20, 2018mint chocolate, recipe, chocolate, holidays, brownieComment

Chocolate-Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

If there is one thing I love about the holidays besides the cheer and spending precious time with my family, it is all the baking! My mom has always been a huge baker and I remember back to being a little girl and helping her make cookies in the kitchen. I love the combination of chocolate and pecans so I decided to do a chocolate-pecan oatmeal cookie and y’all…they do not disappoint one bit!

food, recipesStepfanie McCaffreyDecember 13, 2018food, recipe, recipes, cookies, chocolateComment

Sweet Potato Chili

Nothing says cozy or reminds me of growing up like chili. It was a go-to staple during the cold, winter months [lord knows Syracuse has plenty of those!] as a filling yet warming meal. I decided to put a twist on my family’s OG recipe to create this sweet potato chili and it does not disappoint!

food, recipesStepfanie McCaffreyNovember 29, 2018food, recipe, recipes, chili, sweet potato, sweet potato chiliComment

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Nothing says fall or the holidays like cranberry sauce. Its sweet yet tart flavor paired with it’s vibrant burgundy color brings life to any holiday table. But one are the days of the canned, jello like blobs of cranberry you might have grown up with. Homemade cranberry sauce is SO easy to make and all you need are a few simple + fresh ingredients.

food, recipesStepfanie McCaffreyNovember 21, 2018recipe, fall, holidays, cranberry sauceComment

Butternut Squash + Apple Soup

Fall has arrived and that means it’s time to cozy up with a bowl of homemade soup. The tastes of fall are so warming and full of flavor - it might just be my favorite time to cook! I rounded up some of my favorite fall items to create this flavor-packed and cozy soup.

food, recipesStepfanie McCaffreyNovember 9, 2018recipe, soup, meal prep, butternut squashComment

Blueberry-Almond Butter Smoothie

A smoothie a day keeps the doctor away! Well, if only that was how it goes. I’ve been on a serious smoothie kick since summer and I don’t hate it one bit. My recent concoction is inspired by one of my go-to’s from Island Smoothie, a favorite place of mine in OBX. It’s packed with protein, healthy fats + antioxidants, and the flavor profile resembles that of a blueberry pie.

food, recipesStepfanie McCaffreyOctober 30, 2018food, recipe, recipes, smoothie, blueberry, almond butterComment

Cheesy Avocado Banza Bowl

Avocado, cheesy goodness and Banza pasta...these are a few of my favorite things! [try saying that without singing it!] During the week, I love a quick yet flavorful and healthy meal that will refuel me after a long day. I decided to combine three of my favorite things which has made this super simple yet delicious recipe one of my top saved on Instagram!

food, recipesStepfanie McCaffreyDecember 20, 2017food, recipes, recipe, avocado, banza, meal prep, #meatlessmondayComment

Peanut Butter Chocolate Coconut Energy Bites

I decided to use my favorite pb as a base for these energy bites and YUM! - did not disappoint one bit. Mixed with chocolate chunks, coconut and so much more, these are sure to make your taste buds as happy as a bird with a french fry [or me with a new jar of Trader Joe's pb with chia & flax].

food, recipesStepfanie McCaffreyDecember 17, 2017food, recipe, recipes, chocolate, peanut butter, energy bite, energy bitesComment

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Donuts

A donut a day keeps the doctor away, right?? Donuts have been a favorite of mine since I was a kid and these mini [and healthy] donuts do not disappoint one bit. A fluffy dark chocolate and peanut butter donut topped with melted dark chocolate...I'll take one [or two, or three, or ten - let's be honest here!] They take all of six (6) minutes to bake and pack a secret punch of protein + collagen making them the perfect healthy sweet treat!

food, recipesStepfanie McCaffreyDecember 17, 2017food, recipe, recipes, chocolate, peanut butter, donutsComment

Asian Turkey Meatballs

As much as I unintentionally do #meatlessmonday weekly, this is not going to be one of those weeks! I've had a serious craving for these Asian Turkey Meatballs and once you make them you'll understand why! They pack a ton of flavor + are the perfect additional to zoodles, a brown rice bowl, a salad or anything! They are super easy to prep + only take about 30 minutes to bake in the oven...I call that a win! I like to top them with a homemade sweet + spicy sauce for even more of a flavor punch.

food, recipesStepfanie McCaffreyDecember 17, 2017food, recipes, recipe, meatballsComment

Sweet Potato + Black Bean Tacos

You know it's going to be a good week when not only do you get #tacotuesday - but Cinco de Mayo a few days later which means...MORE TACOS! Let's be honest here, is there such thing as too many tacos? Not in my book, that's for sure!! They are such a versatile meal with an abundance of mix-ins, toppings + flavor combinations leaving you with endless possibilities for your taste buds.

food, recipesStepfanie McCaffreyDecember 17, 2017food, recipe, recipes, avocado, #meatlessmonday, tacos, taco, sweet potatoComment

Lemon Ginger Energy Bites

If you're a busy bee like me, quick + healthy snacks are key to get through the day when you're on the go. They need to pack a punch of energy + be full of flavor. Energy bites have been a go-to of mine for quite some time now; they're simple to make, don't require a ton of ingredients + the flavor combinations are endless!

food, recipesStepfanie McCaffreyDecember 17, 2017food, recipe, recipes, energy bite, energy bitesComment