Meghan Markle's Banana Bread Secret

Meghan Markle's banana bread recipe is one of the most searched for recipes in the world right now. Her homemade banana bread, which she brought as a hostess gift to one of the stops on her Australia tour this month, is said to contain ginger and chocolate chips, and was a hit with the guests who got to try it. She is reported to have baked the bread herself at night in the kitchen of the Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia. The Admiralty house is the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia, and is where Harry and Meghan stayed during the first stop of their trip.

The Duchess has not shared her exact recipe (yet!), but Inside Edition asked me to appear on the show yesterday to bake this very similar Ginger and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread so that the producers could taste the royal combination themselves.

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Banoffee Pie Doughnuts (A Krispy Kreme Holiday Doughnut Hack)

What's one dessert you absolutely must always order when you spot it on a menu? I have a few must-haves, but at the top of that short list is Banoffee Pie. A traditional British dessert of shortbread, caramel, fresh bananas, and whipped cream, it's a magical combination of flavors and textures, and seriously one of the coziest things one can ever enjoy after a winter meal.

I've baked Banoffee Pie from scratch in the past, but this year I partnered with Krispy Kreme to create an equally delicious and impressive version of it that can be enjoyed in minutes without ever turning on the oven.

Meet my Banoffee Pie Krispy Kreme Doughnuts!

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Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread

This easy Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread recipe is a bit of a departure for me since, I'll be honest...vegan baking is usually not my everyday go-to. I love baking with butter. I love baking with eggs. I love baking with milk (or cream!). I use them liberally and think there is nothing wrong with that.

But...

I can also really appreciate the value of some great vegan baked goods like this Vegan Double Chocolate Banana Bread.

I bake and serve them to the vegan yoga groups I cook for up in Vermont. And I love having the recipes in my back pocket when cooking for vegan friends or those with egg allergies or dairy allergies.

Because at the end of the day, I just want everyone to be able to enjoy delicious things.

I also really love vegan recipes on those days when I'm totally out of eggs or milk or butter, and need alternatives that will let me stick to the stuff in my pantry.

(Especially during the winter when I will do EVERYTHING in my power to not have to leave the house.)

This recipe is perfect for those days when you have ripe bananas, but no eggs.

Mashed bananas can often be used successfully as an egg-replacer, and they work especially well in quick breads like this one.

It's just one of those super forgiving recipes that will let you mix up, bake, and serve a sweet treat without much fuss and making use of stuff you already have on hand.

This extra-chocolatey vegan banana bread gets a double-dose of goodness from cocoa and dark chocolate chips. Note that if you want this to be truly vegan, you should make sure the chips have no dairy added (some brands do; some brands don't).

This produces a rich and moist cake that's not too sweet and perfect for breakfast or brunch or a late-afternoon snack.

(And hey...if you want to toast it up and spread it with a bit of butter or cream cheese...I'd be totally OK with that, too.)

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Loved this recipe? Here are three other vegan recipes you might like:

• DIY Vegan Nutella
• Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies
• Blueberry Chocolate Espresso Sorbet

And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading

Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe
Makes 1 9x5” loaf

Ingredients
3 medium overripe bananas, mashed until smooth
1/3 cup oil (use vegetable, peanut or a light olive oil. coconut oil works, too, but keep in mind that it will add slight coconut flavor to the bread.)
3/4 cup brown sugar OR coconut palm sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup non-dairy milk (coconut, almond, cashew, etc.)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips*

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5” nonstick loaf pan with baking spray or vegetable oil, and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together bananas, oil, sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips, then pour into prepared pan.

Bake about 45 to 55 minutes, or until cake has risen and is slightly cracked, and a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen and remove from pan. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

*note that not all chocolate chips are vegan, so be sure to check out the ingredients

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Banana Dessert Sushi Recipe

Hey guys! I'm so excited to share that throughout the month of May, I'll be teaming up with The Dr. Oz Show to create and share super fun snack and dessert recipes as part of their #28DayShrink challenge to trim down belly fat before summer.

As you guys know, I'm ALL ABOUT indulgences, but I've also shared how balance is important to me, too (and not just because I have to go on TV every so often--though that's definitely a big part of it!).

To me, true indulgences are things that are really luscious and worthwhile. And I mean really worthwhile.

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Buttermilk Banana Pancakes

There are a few things that Eugene loves more than anything else. There's me (naturally) and Hudson (sometimes), and then there are the edible things.

Things like pancakes and pie and pannacotta.

(Am realizing now that his favorite edible things all seem to start with a "p.")

Pancakes are first on that list because they're definitely one of his favorites, but I admit that I don't really make them that often. When it comes to breakfast, I'm definitely more of a savory girl, and since there are only two of us here (Hudson can't eat pancakes), it's rare that I go to the trouble of making them.

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Frozen Dark Chocolate Banana Pops

These candy-related holidays are dangerous. I walk into the drugstore because I need hair gel or a new toothbrush or something else TOTALLY innocent.

And...I walk out with a bag filled with candy.

How does that happen?! No self control. That's how.

I teamed up with FreshDirect (my favorite online grocery store that I've mentioned on this site 8 billion times) for a fun Halloween game on Instagram. A virtual trick or treat where you "knock" on their door and then they send you over to my page (or other bloggers pages) for the treat.

Whether you also totally lack self control or you're just looking for a way to use up the 50 pounds of candy your kid will be bringing home this weekend, these candy-covered frozen dark chocolate bananas are a good way to use the candy.

You get a hint of the awesome, but tempered with banana (aka fruit!) and dark chocolate.

It's how grown-ups do Halloween.

(Though kids are totally into these pops, too.)

To make, you simply cut bananas in half and skewer with a wooden stick (I got these at the craft store).

Melt the chocolate chips with a bit of coconut oil (this keeps it smooth), then dip and coat evenly. Sprinkle the chocolate with your favorite crushed candy.

(My favorite crushed candy is Butterfinger. Yum. But obviously any kind of candy would work.)

I mean...I guess most kinds of candy.

Some might be weird, but I'm trying to think of ones that would be weird and all the combinations in my head just sound awesome. (M&M's! Gummy bears! Malt balls!)

Can you think of a combo that would not work?  (Maybe Junior Mints? Maybe?)

Anyway...you get the picture.

And then freeze!

I mean...if you have no patience, you can eat them all gooey and not frozen, too. Also freaking good.

Here is my awesome chef friend Melissa hand modeling a gooey one for me. This cool lady can't even eat peanuts (hence, no Butterfinger), but withstood the torture because she's an amazing lady.

(Plus, I made her dinner afterwards.)

Happy Halloween, my friends!

Some Disclosure Action: Fresh Direct provided me with a gift card for ingredients to create this treat, though I've been using Fresh Direct for years and will continue to do so until my dying day. Because I freaking love them. They have not paid me to say that. Nestle is not at all related to this post (they'd don't even know I'm writing this), but separately sent me some free candy to try and I ended up using it in this recipe. But I'd buy Butterfingers anyway. Because they're delicious.

Frozen Dark Chocolate Banana Pops
Makes 4 pops, multiply as needed

Ingredients
2 large bananas, peeled and cut in half
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil or shortening (like Crisco)
1 cup crushed candy of your choice (I used Butterfinger)

Directions
Skewer each half of the banana with a wooden stick (like a popsicle). Combine the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until smooth and melted.

Dip the bananas about 3/4 of the way, then sprinkle on all sides with the crushed candy.

Place on a wax paper lined plate, then pop in the freezer for at least two hours or until frozen solid.

Eat immediately or store in the freezer up to 3 days.

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This simple Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe is a variation of my Vegan Double Chocolate Banana Bread, which is full-on chocolate throughout. This one is for those days when you want a bit more banana flavor, with a hint of chocolate.

(I think a hint of chocolate is kind of a must, always.)

And you definitely do NOT have to be vegan to enjoy this recipe.

(I certainly am not!)

I love vegan recipes because they're the perfect solution when you want to bake, but suddenly realize you're out of eggs or butter or milk (or all of the above because it's raining and cold and you don't want to put on pants to go to the store).

This banana bread recipe is super flexible, too! Choose any kind of oil you'd like, and any kind of dairy milk. You can substitute regular granulated sugar for the brown, or even use something like coconut palm sugar.

The tiny bit of acid (to help with the rising) can be swapped for lemon juice or any kind of plain vinegar (apple cider, white, wine, etc.). No balsamic though, please. That would be weird.

I think 1 1/4 cups is the perfect amount of chocolate chips for an even distribution, but feel free to pump that amount up if you'd like.

You do you, OK?

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Loved this recipe? Here are three other vegan dessert recipes you might like:

• DIY Vegan Nutella
• Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies
• Blueberry Chocolate Espresso Sorbet

And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading

Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
Makes 1 9x5” loaf

Ingredients
3 medium overripe bananas, mashed until smooth
1/3 cup oil (use vegetable, peanut or a light olive oil. coconut oil works, too, but keep in mind that it will add slight coconut flavor to the bread.)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup non-dairy milk (coconut, almond, cashew, etc.)
1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips*

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5” nonstick loaf pan with baking spray or vegetable oil, and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together bananas, oil, sugar, vanilla, milk, and lemon juice until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips, then pour into prepared pan.

Bake about 45 to 55 minutes, or until cake has risen and is slightly cracked, and a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen and remove from pan. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

*note that not all chocolate chips are vegan, so be sure to check out the ingredients

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Banana Bread Cookie Sandwiches with Honey Cream Cheese

 

This past weekend, I was straightening out a few things on the kitchen counter when I realized I had a giant pile of ripe bananas that absolutely-positively-definitely needed to be used up THAT VERY DAY.

It's a common thing around here. We buy the bananas for Eugene's post-gym protein shakes, but he can only go through them so quickly. I don't really like to eat bananas in non-cake-or-dessert form, and while Hudson would eat them all if we gave him the chance...we will not be giving him that chance. (Sorry, doggy!)

And so, there was baking to do.

I put out a call on Facebook asking people what they recommended I make with them (and got some pretty fantastic ideas!), but the truth is that I already knew even before I asked.

I wanted to make banana bread cookies!

I was picturing a soft cookie--somewhere in between chewy and cake-y--studded with walnuts and filled with whipped honey cream cheese.

NOT cream cheese frosting, mind you...just real cream cheese, lightly sweetened with honey and a bit of cinnamon for that perfect combination of sweet banana and salty-sweet cheese.

Basically, I wanted a dessert version of one of my favorite breakfast treats (that would be toasted banana bread with cream cheese...oh yes!)

And so, that's what I made, and I couldn't be happier with the results!

This recipe makes some pretty giant banana bread cookies, which then become giant banana bread cookie sandwiches.

You could make them smaller, but I think the giant-ness is part of the charm here, wouldn't you agree?

And...I think it goes without saying that these are TOTALLY acceptable breakfast cookies.

Happy baking!

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Loved this recipe? Let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. Thanks so much for reading!    

Banana Bread Cookie Sandwiches with Honey Cream Cheese
Yields about 8 giant cookies sandwiches

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 very ripe banana, peeled and mashed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup walnuts (optional)

For the filling
8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat together butter and both sugars for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, mashed banana, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg for 1 minute.

Add the flour mixture and mix well until evenly combined. Fold in the walnuts, if using.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop out about 1/4-cup sized spoonfuls of dough and arrange 2-3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or cookies have spread, puffed slightly in the center and are golden brown.

Let cool on pan 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

While the cookies cool, prepare the filling by using an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese with the honey and cinnamon.

Once the cookies are cool, spread half of them with the filling and sandwich. Serve immediately, or wrap each one in plastic wrap to store.

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Frozen Dark Chocolate Banana Cups

I realize that it is, like, 20 degrees outside and therefore not really the ideal time to share this frozen treat.

But...I can't help it. These little bites are so so good.

By now you probably already know that mashed frozen bananas kind of taste like ice cream.

It's not exactly as amazing as real ice cream (nothing is!), but it's still pretty fantastic.

And bananas + chocolate are always a winning combination.

So these treats? Absolute perfection!

They're basically a banana version of peanut butter cups, except they're frozen and made with dark chocolate.

Note that you have to keep these in the freezer, where they'll last for at least a week. Perfect for when you're craving a little healthy treat.

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!   

Frozen Dark Chocolate Banana Cups
Makes 12 banana cups

Ingredients
1 large ripe bananas (not banana-bread-ripe--just eating-ripe is perfect)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
16oz (2 cups) cups dark chocolate chips or bars, chopped
2 teaspoons coconut oil, divided

Equipment: muffin tin, paper or foil muffin liners

Directions
Place liners in 12 muffin tins. In a small bowl, mash the banana until smooth, then whisk in the vanilla with a fork. Set aside.

Place about half the chocolate in a bowl with one teaspoon of coconut. Microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Use a spoon to pour a bit of chocolate in each muffin well, using the spoon to push it a bit up the sides. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes or until set.

Once chilled and set, add a small dollop of the banana mash to each frozen well. (You may have extra banana leftover--I like adding this to yogurt or oatmeal!)

Add the rest of the chocolate and coconut oil to the bowl, and repeat melting process.

Top each of the cups with a few spoonfulls of the chocolate--note that you're not trying to fill the muffin tin--it should only cup up about 1/3 to 1/2 way.

Place in freezer for at least 2 hours, or until frozen.

Remove from muffin tin and store in an airtight container in freezer with a layer of wax paper in between.

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Whole Grain Banana-Orange Sports Cakes

I'm really excited to share the latest movie snack recipe in my ongoing collaboration with Netflix! As you may know, each month, I create and share a recipe based on a streaming playlist theme that Netflix is featuring that month.

February's theme? Inspiration and teamwork, inspired by the Olympics!

With the Winter Olympics right around the corner, it's the perfect opportunity to check out a few of the amazing sports-themed movies, TV shows, and documentaries available on Netflix.

These kid-friendly titles are a great way for parents to open up a conversation about teamwork, inspiration, and competition--and what it means to "go for the gold"--both on and off the field.

And to make the conversation a little bit sweeter, why not serve some of these cute sports-themed mini cakes!

Made with whole wheat, mashed bananas, and fresh orange juice, they're a slightly healthier alternative to the usual sugary or salty TV & movie-watching snacks. (But don't worry--they taste just as good as regular cakes--I promise!)

I've included the recipe and directions below, but definitely feel free to play around and customize them as you'd like. Use different frostings or small candies for the topping--you can even play around with the flavors of the cake, adding other mashed fruits or spices.

Use these as an inspiration, and have fun baking, eating, and watching great stories, and even better moments, with your kids.


Note: This post is sponsored by Netflix. Thank you for supporting cool companies like Netflix who make it possible for me to keep creating fun new content for you to enjoy. All photos, opinions, and recipes are (of course!) my own.

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!     

Whole Grain Banana-Orange Sports Cakes
Makes about 12-16 mini cakes

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups granulated white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas--the riper, the better!)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For the toppings
Footballs & Hockey Pucks: 1 bittersweet cup chocolate chips
Baseballs & Soccer Balls: 1 cup white chocolate chips
Basketball: 1 cup orange candy melts
Black and red frosting pens, for details (I like gel pens)

Special equipment: Round and oval (or football shaped) cookie cutters (about 2-4" each)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 8" square baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat butter, eggs, orange juice, bananas, and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix gently just until combined. Divide into the two prepared pans, and bake about 30-35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from pans to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

To make the mini cakes: Use the cookie or biscuit cutters to cut out circles and ovals from the cakes in a couple different sizes.

Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth, and then use a spoon to spread on top of a few of the cakes. Repeat with the dark and orange chips. Let set completely (about 30 minutes). Use black and red frosting pens to add the details (you can also tint canned frosting or cream cheese with food coloring and use a piping pen).

Let the mini cakes set, and then serve all together.

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What to Cook When You're Expecting (Pregnancy Freezer Meal Ideas)

Let me just say right off the bat that no, I am not expecting. I'm in no rush for that, thank you very much.

But...one of my very best friends was!

She had a beautiful baby girl just a few days ago, and just before the birth I hopped on the train down to the DC area to spend a few days with her, and to stock her fridge and freezer with lots of delicious meals for her to eat during her first few weeks as a mama.

I took a few pictures while cooking, and I want to share them with you here. I'll also include a full list of all the dishes I made (and will link to the recipes as I post them) in case you're in a similar situation cooking for yourself or for another new mom in your life. Note that this kind of in-advance batch cooking is actually not just for new moms.

I've been doing a lot of traveling this month, so it's great to be able to leave meals like this for my husband to eat while I'm away. It's also great for busy folks, whether single or with large families, who just want to save themselves time during the crazy workweek without having to rely on processed or take-out food.

(I also personally think it's a great idea for the summer months, when it can sometimes just be too hot to turn on the stove or oven.)

Mise en Place
I ordered the groceries via Peapod before I arrived in DC, and they got there along with me. The next morning, I drew my friend a bubble bath, handed her a copy of Dirty Dancing, and basically forced her to go "relax, already!" while I started on my prep.

Whenever you're cooking a lot of food at once, it's always easiest if you get all your chopping out of the way first. Dice up all the onions, celery, carrots, zucchini. Mince the garlic and herbs. Separate everything into containers and line it up somewhere you can easily access.  

"Mise en Place" means "everything in its place,"; and is the way that cooks in professional kitchens work. It makes it possible to make sure you have everything you need and makes the cooking go much quicker since you're not stopping and starting with each recipe.

One of the first dishes I made was a batch of Homemade Frozen Beef and Cheese Burritos.

I sauteed ground beef with an assortment of veggies including mushrooms, carrots, celery, zucchini, peppers, and lots of fresh herbs. I let it cool, and then assembled about a dozen burritos with whole Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, and fresh cilantro.

I wrapped them up in plastic wrap and foil, labeled them, and froze them individually so that all she has to do is remove the foil and pop the burrito in the microwave or toaster oven to heat up for a quick one-handed lunch or dinner.

I was sure to include reheating instructions to make them as easy as possible for her.

I used the same meat mixture that I made for the burritos to make a large platter of Beef Shepherd's Pie, topped off with homemade mashed potatoes. We ate this for dinner one night along with a salad, and then I portioned out and froze the leftovers.

Quinoa is believed to be especially good for helping lactating moms boost milk production, so I made a large batch of one of her favorite Fruit & Nut Quinoa Salads, loaded up with dried cranberries, sliced almonds, fresh herbs, grated parmesan cheese, and plenty of lemon zest.

(I posted a similar quinoa recipe here.)

Bright, colorful, and packed with protein and vitamins, it's a great summer dish as it can be enjoyed both hot and cold. I divided individual portions into zipped baggies and froze them for her to grab as needed.

All she needs to do is let it thaw a bit before eating on its own as a salad, or along with meat or chicken as an easy side.

I wanted to make sure she had plenty of quick and easy protein options, so I made her a batch of Homemade Herbed Chicken Patties.

These are super simple--I just ground up chicken breasts in the food processor along with some olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper (you can also buy pre-ground chicken). I then shaped them into patties and baked them until cooked through.

I wrapped them individually in plastic wrap, and then put them all into a freezer bag so she can grab them as she needs them.

These homemade patties are free of the funky fillers you find in store-bought versions, and can be eaten on their own or tucked into a roll with a little mayo for a quick chicken sandwich.

You can also leave them raw and freeze them that way, but cooking them in advance makes it even easier for her when the free minutes are scarce.

I contributed this chicken patty recipe to iVillage.com so click over to get it. (Note that this version has a bit of cayenne in it, which you may want to skip if cooking for a new mom--ask her what she prefers.)

Cooked Shredded Chicken is an incredible time-saver that I really recommend for everyone. I simply took whole chicken breasts and tossed them with some olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, salt, pepper, and paprika. I baked them in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, and then let them cool slightly.

I used a fork to shred all the chicken, mixing it back in with the juices that came out during cooking to keep it moist.

I then divided the chicken into 6oz portions in zipped baggies, and put these into freezer bags. She'll be able to use the cooked chicken to make quick quesadillas or wraps, chicken salad, to serve with rice or over mixed greens, to add to pasta sauce, or even to add to boxed chicken broth for a quick chicken soup!

(Click here for a detailed recipe and more meal ideas using shredded chicken!)

Healthy snacks are key when time and energy is low, so I made her a batch of Homemade Chewy Granola Bars loaded up with nuts, oats, dried fruit, seeds, and peanut butter for extra protein. (I also added a few semi-sweet chocolate chips for extra deliciousness!).

I took advantage of some ripe bananas I found and baked several mini loaves of my favorite Classic Banana Bread Recipe,  swapping in whole wheat flour for half the white, and topping it with oats.

This will be great for breakfast either on its own or slightly heated and spread with a little butter or cream cheese. They also make for a great late-night snack with a mug of tea.

This Creamy Dairy-Free Vegetable Soup was an improvisation and I ended up being so happy with it that I made myself a batch of it as soon as I got back to New York. I simply simmered chopped onions, red peppers, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, celery, and squash in chicken stock until tender, then pureed it in batches until smooth and creamy.

The pureed carrots make it thick and silky without adding cream. A bit of seasoning was all it needed. I served it with a handful of freshly grated parmesan and some fresh cilantro on top.

Here's my soup recipe which I wrote for iVillage.com, but know that it's very flexible so use whatever ingredients you prefer to personalize it for the new mom.

I think once of Sara's favorite dishes that I made that weekend was the giant pot of Stovetop Mac and Cheese that I prepared my first night there. "This is SO much better than anything from a box!" she exclaimed as she served herself a second bowl.

I added diced ham for protein and spinach for iron to my basic recipe, and made it with whole wheat noodles for extra nourishment.

Nothing like a comforting bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese when you're feeling exhausted.

I couldn't leave without making her dessert, so I baked some of my Cinnamon Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.  It's a super easy one-bowl recipe that takes minutes to assemble (thank goodness, as I had to make a few extra since the first tray totally disappeared in about a day!).  These also freeze very well and are loaded up with oats and peanut butter so they're great for snacking on.

I didn't get a photo of them, but I also made her Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Creamed Spinach, and Beef and Mushroom Meatloaf. I sliced the meatloaf into thick portions that I wrapped individually and froze in a large freezer bag.

I also taught Sara how to make a very easy homemade salad dressing she can use over mixed greens throughout the summer, and I gave her an in-person tutorial for how to prepare my Mustard & Panko Crusted Salmon Fillets. 

Have you stocked your (or a friend's) fridge pre-baby or other major event? Share some of your favorite freezer recipes in the comments. I'd love to get more ideas!

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